-K. Kozhurin As it has always been within the Orthodox Church, there have been sacred persons, permitted by the authorities at certain times and under specific circumstances, including from among ordinary, unordained individuals, particularly in monastic settings, even when sacred persons faced ultimate destruction. For when sacred persons are present, they strictly prohibit ordinary people from taking on such roles, but in their absence, such roles are freely permitted. This applies equally to authorities and others. It is explicitly commanded thus: “In the absence of sacred shepherds, a sheep must become a shepherd and tend to the other sheep,” and so forth. Book of Izmaragd, Discourse 3. Nikita Semenovich, “Narrative and Discourse on Authority and Statutes” According to the Life written in 1957 by the nun Raisa in the finest traditions of ancient Russian hagiography, Elder Nikita Semenovich (in the world, Merkury) was born in the Yaroslavl village of Vorobino, located 40 versts from the town of Danilov, into a poor peasant family belonging to the dominant church. His mother died when Merkury was only 10 years old, and his father, a tailor by trade, moved to Moscow, taking his only son with him. The father tried to teach his son the tailoring trade, but Merkury had no interest in sitting with his father or observing his work. Instead, young Merkury often ran away from home, drawn to various religious and public gatherings and discussions. He frequented both the churches of the dominant faith and Old Believer prayer houses, listening to spiritual readings and conversations. Despite his young age, he was welcomed everywhere because he behaved respectfully, never imposing his own views, and consistently surprised those gathered with his insightful questions and unusually mature intellect. At first, his father scolded Merkury for his frequent and prolonged absences, but upon learning that his son was spending time not on childish mischief but on “lofty life questions” and reading serious books, he granted him full freedom and even began to take pride in his son. Merkury taught himself to read and write, never attending any school. Nikita Semenovich recalled his spiritual formation as follows: “My father’s religious conviction was such that he attended the Great Russian church without any investigation or scrutiny and believed its pastors (Nikonian clergy). Living with my father, who was almost entirely uninterested in religious matters and preoccupied only with material concerns, I could not view all religious beliefs in the same way. By the age of 17 or 18, I had already begun diligently reading holy books and understanding their meaning, and from them, I quickly realized the falsehood of the clergy and the church that was dominant in Russia at the time. I intended to join some Old Believer community, thinking I would find the truth there, but when I began to examine all Old Believer sects against Holy Scripture, I saw that there was no truth there either—only falsehood and deviation from the true faith.” At that time, he came across handwritten petitions from the survivors of the Solovetsky Monastery addressed to Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, which inspired him to seek “pious elders who had direct succession from the Solovetsky fathers, who had fled to the mainland from Solovetsky Island and were hiding in the coastal forests near the White Sea.” Merkury was convinced that such “hidden elders” existed and could be found if desired. Guided by this conviction and faith in achieving his goal, the young man set out toward the Solovetsky Monastery. After long searches and inquiries, he came across a 107-year-old elder named Alexei, living near Topozero. According to Nikita Semenovich himself, this elder, who lived very discreetly in the forest, was a direct disciple of those “survivors of piety” who had escaped from the Solovetsky Monastery after its capture by tsarist troops. (Theoretically, this could be true, though it is difficult to say for certain.) Elder Alexei claimed to have been baptized by the Solovetsky fathers themselves. Merkury shared the purpose of his journey with the elder and expressed his desire to live in the wilderness. The elder accepted Merkury, taught him the true faith, and after a six-week period of fasting and instruction, baptized him with the name Nikita. Nikita lived with the elder for seven years. “Our provisions and books were brought to us in the wilderness by benefactors from the village,” he recalled, “though the path was quite difficult because the sea’s breath would flood the trails leading to us, and access was only possible when the sea receded from the shore.” When the elder passed away, Nikita remained alone in the wilderness at the age of 25. Left without a spiritual mentor and in “orphaned sorrow,” he spent a long time praying to God with tears about his future life, asking not to stray from the true path and to follow God’s will in all things. Eventually, he decided to leave the wilderness and return to his homeland, the Yaroslavl region. However, he did not return to his native village but went straight to the village of Sopelki, known as the “wanderer’s (stranniki) capital.” He had already heard that near Sopelki there were “true Christians hiding to preserve their piety from the authorities.” There, he was warmly received by elders who had gathered from various places “to verify their beliefs and strengthen themselves in the truth of the Christian faith.” Nikita told them about himself, his travels, and his life in the wilderness with Elder Alexei. The gathered elders listened to him “with delight” and not only accepted him into their fellowship, recognizing him as a “true Christian,” but also “greatly honored him as a disciple of the Solovetsky fathers and a preacher of truth, well-versed in Holy Scripture.” Soon, a “deliberative council” was convened in Sopelki to address several disagreements among the wanderers. “All the elders gathered in Sopelki had one aim and goal: to firmly establish themselves in the foundation of the Christian faith and to verify their dogmatic and ritual practices. After we all became acquainted, we formed a deliberative council, but first, we turned to the Lord with fervent prayer and decided to fast for two weeks, recognizing the importance and greatness of the task we had undertaken. In prayer, we asked God that all those gathered would come to unity of thought. All the elders were knowledgeable in Holy Scripture, and through collective deliberation, we united into one Christ’s Church.” At the council, Nikita Semenovich, “as the most well-read and astute,” was appointed a “preacher of the Christian faith.” At that time, the main goal of the entire “Christian brotherhood” was formulated: “to preserve the holy faith in the time of the Antichrist,” and conciliar instructions were issued that “all Christians should be under pastoral oversight.” The “Wanderers Church” was divided into “regions” and “provinces.” Nikita Semenovich compiled a special charter for the wanderer community, consisting of 19 chapters and 84 articles (hence the name of the branch of the wanderer movement that accepted these “articles”—the “Wanderer-Statists”). According to the “articles,” a form of hierarchy was introduced in the priestless Wanderer Church: the community was divided into “regions,” each led by “regional elders” functioning “in the likeness of bishops.” The entire community was headed by a “chief elder” with powers “in the likeness of a patriarch,” responsible for managing all church affairs. Each locality also had a leader, akin to a presbyter, subordinate to the local “bishop.” Alms sent by generous benefactors were to go into a common wanderer fund (called the “common church treasury”), but only the “patriarch” had the authority to manage it. Some time later, Nikita Semenovich himself was elected as the first “chief elder.” (Later, the monk Arseny (Ryabinin) would be the first among the Statists to call himself a patriarch.) This established a form of hierarchy. However, some wanderer did not accept Nikita Semenovich’s “articles,” leading to a new division. Nikita Semenovich possessed an excellent knowledge of Holy Scripture, patristic literature, and church history, as well as an outstanding polemical talent, which allowed him to repeatedly defeat the “enemies of truth”—his opponents—in debates. He answered all tricky questions “from Scripture,” calmly, without anger or irritation. He treated those who were sincerely mistaken with great compassion, as “God’s creatures,” condemning not the people but their evil deeds and heresies in a Christian manner. When opponents, seeing their own weakness, became irritated and angry, Nikita Semenovich would say to them with a kind smile: “Why, friends, do you give in to devilish pride? Would it not be better for you to submit to the truth?” However, not everyone was swayed by Nikita Semenovich’s arguments and gentle demeanor. He gained fierce enemies who stopped at nothing. “Once,” he recalled, “at the request of God-loving people, I was speaking in the village of Vakhrushevo in Vologda province. The discussion was engaging, and when it concluded with a brilliant victory for the truth, the false teachers decided to hand me over to the civil authorities as an enemy of the dominant church and someone without a passport (I was 45 years old at the time). As I traveled from Vakhrushevo through the city of Vologda, I was arrested and thrown into prison.” This occurred in 1854. Nikita Semenovich spent two years in prison. In addition to specially appointed investigators, he was often questioned by the Vologda governor himself. “When they needed to take me from prison for questioning, the governor would come for me, seat me in his carriage, and always treated me politely, addressing me as ‘Nikita Semenovich.’” During interrogations, the governor and his staff were amazed by the elder’s knowledge not only of spiritual but also secular literature and by his wise responses. Once, the governor remarked, “Well, Nikita Semenovich, I don’t understand what you are—an angel or a devil—for your wisdom is not human.” Unsure of what to do with the prisoner, the Vologda authorities, after a two-year investigation, sent his case to St. Petersburg to the emperor himself. The reigning Emperor Alexander II issued a resolution: “Send him to the Solovetsky Monastery for a time to ensure compliance.” However, the governor misrepresented the ruling, announcing to Nikita Semenovich that he was sentenced “for life” instead of “for a time.” These words had such a profound impact on the elder that he attempted to escape while being transported to his “eternal exile” on Solovetsky Island. The escape ended with Nikita Semenovich being caught, bound, and escorted under guard to the Solovetsky Island, where he was placed in the monastery prison and held for two years without any news from his fellow believers. Two years later, Emperor Alexander II visited the Solovetsky Monastery and, among other sights, wished to inspect the monastery prison. The cell where Elder Nikita Semenovich was held was opened to him. Seeing the cleanliness and order in the cell, the emperor was greatly surprised and asked the accompanying archimandrite about the prisoner. The archimandrite recounted the elder’s entire story, including the Vologda governor’s actions. The emperor then ordered Nikita Semenovich’s release from prison, which soon took place. He was given a solitary cell from which he could freely move within the monastery and even beyond its gates, though he was forbidden to leave the island. While walking around the monastery grounds, he once saw an ancient icon of the venerable fathers Zosima and Savvaty of Solovetsky. From then on, he prayed fervently and at length before this icon, asking the saints to deliver him “from the captivity of unfaithful people occupying the holy monastery and island.” One day, he had the bright idea to write to his fellow believers in Vakhrushevo and ask them to come for him. On August 8, the feast day of Saints Zosima and Savvaty, two men arrived at Solovetsky by boat: one a wanderer and the other a “benefactor.” That same night, they executed the escape. After sailing for three hours across the sea, the fugitives reached the mainland and headed toward Vologda, to their native lands. “We approached the village of Vakhrushevo on foot,” Nikita Semenovich recalled, “just in time for the feast of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos. There was a great gathering of Christians in Vakhrushevo at that time, both for the feast and in anticipation of our arrival. The joy was indescribable, not only for me and those gathered at that meeting but for the entire Church of Christ. You can imagine that after four years of separation and heavy, sorrowful experiences, by God’s mercy, I was once again among my beloved flock. With hearts full of joy, we all glorified the Lord and celebrated an Orthodox prayer service to the almighty God.” When Nikita Semenovich was freed from captivity, he was 47 years old. According to court records, the escape occurred in 1858. His recollections were recorded 48 years after the event—when he was already 95 years old! The nun Raisa, who closely observed the elder’s life and witnessed his death (having lived with Nikita Semenovich for 10 years and 3 months), provided a remarkable description of his spiritual life and labors as “our shepherd and tireless worker.” “The enemy constantly persecuted him through people, but God preserved him for his flock. His pursuers passed by and did not see him. Due to constant persecution, he often had to change his place of residence. As a vigilant shepherd and tireless preacher of God’s word, Father Nikita was himself an example to his subordinates and a model of virtue. He was fervent in prayer and diligent in fulfilling God’s commandments. He taught that every task, whether spiritual or physical, should be done with care. He said, ‘Do everything attentively, so that your mind, eyes, and hands understand what you are doing.’ He taught how to read Divine Scripture correctly: not hurriedly or overly prolonged, with a tender voice, clear and distinct speech, observing stress and punctuation. He required standing reverently during prayer, making bows slowly and together, and performing all of God’s works with humility and love, so that others could see from your demeanor that you are a Christian. Such were his teachings. For negligence, inattention, or mistakes, he would reprove: if you said something incorrectly, he would immediately correct you, saying, ‘It seems you weren’t home. Do not forget the fearful saying: He who performs God’s work with negligence shall be cursed.’ He also said, ‘Do not forget the traditions and teachings of the fathers, and they will not forget you in their prayers before God.’” Elder Nikita, as the nun Raisa recalls, led a truly holy life. He was granted by God a rare gift, even among saints—the gift of tears. “He prayed much and long with tears and sobbing, with heartfelt recitation of penitential words. I often saw him praying tearfully for two hours or more, weeping like a child, with tears streaming down his cheeks. He practiced great abstinence in food, eating only to sustain life. He never allowed himself any excesses, neither in food nor in drink, echoing the words of the Apostle: ‘Do not gratify the desires of the flesh.’ In his entire life, after leaving the world, he never went to a bathhouse or used soap, yet even in deep old age, he remained clean, and no insects ever infested his clothing or hair. He was not only industrious, as he himself said: ‘All my life, I’ve been running, hurrying to complete all tasks, but they never end.’ Even at 85 years and beyond, while sitting at a meal, he would suddenly recall something from Scripture, rush to his room, and write down what came to mind. Such was our father’s zeal for spiritual matters. Even after 90, when his right hand was paralyzed, he did not abandon his work—unable to write himself, he dictated, and a scribe recorded his words.” Nikita Semenovich was remarkably non-possessive. Though he lived a long life, he owned no wealth or even personal belongings. “His bed was a rolled-up mattress and a small pillow, and he accepted nothing more. He did have books, but he distributed them all during his lifetime. He left behind a good memory for all—a recollection of his industrious life and virtuous teachings, etched on the hearts of his attentive disciples. His love for all was sincere, his humility profound, his patience indescribable. I, unworthy, cannot enumerate all his great virtues. Everyone regarded him as a holy man, skilled in virtues and unconquerable in trials. He shepherded Christ’s flock and taught it not only with words but also with deeds. Father Nikita Semenovich left behind many writings to guide spiritual life and establish good order for the Christian community, suitable for a time of persecution. He always strove to ensure that the lives of Christians were pleasing to God and that there was no anarchy or self-will in the church. For human will contradicts God’s will if it is not guided by Divine Scripture and pastoral oversight.” Father Nikita was a strict faster throughout his life, and in his final days, he ate nothing for 22 days, taking only a little water during the first 12 days and nothing at all for the last 8 days before his death. For Orthodox Christians, the final exhortation before death—confession and Holy Communion—has always been of great importance. The Wanderers, like other priestless Old Believers who rejected the clergy that had fallen into heresy, could not celebrate the liturgy, during which the sacrament of the Eucharist (partaking of the Body and Blood of Christ) is performed, and thus could not receive Communion in a visible form. Therefore, they constantly sought evidence in the works of the holy fathers and teachers of the Church about invisible, spiritual Communion. Such evidence is indeed found repeatedly in patristic tradition. For example, St. Athanasius the Great, in his commentary on Psalm 36, writes: “In times of persecution, when true teachers are scarce, the Lord Himself nourishes the faithful with His Holy Spirit.” St. Cyril of Alexandria expresses a similar thought in his commentary on the same psalm. St. Cyprian of Carthage writes in one of his epistles: “Do not be dismayed, beloved brethren, by any lack of reverence or faith, for in these times when God’s priests cannot offer sacrifices or perform liturgies, offer a broken spirit as a sacrifice; a contrite and humble heart God will not despise. Offer this sacrifice to God continually, day and night, and you yourselves will be a living and holy sacrifice (as the Apostle says) in your bodies.” Here, a clear distinction is made between the external “sacrifice” (liturgy), which Christians could not perform in prison, and the internal sacrifice performed on the altar of the human heart. Following these words, Elder Nikita Semenovich constantly grieved that true Orthodox Christians were deprived of the sacrament of Holy Communion but understood that a false priesthood fallen into heresy could not perform a true Eucharist. He always mourned the loss of this gift and wept whenever he recalled it. At the same time, the theology of the Wanderers is remarkably close to the heart of St. Jerome of Stridon, who taught that Communion can also be received “mentally” through the reading of Holy Scripture: “Since the Body of the Lord is true food and His Blood is true drink, according to the mystical interpretation, in this age we have only one good: to feed on His Flesh and drink His Blood, not only in the sacrament (Eucharist) but also in the reading of Scriptures. For the true food and drink, which is received from the Word of God, is the knowledge of Scriptures.” Hence, the study of Holy Scripture and meditation on its passages held particular significance. It has been noted many times that among Old Believers, even simple ones, there were far more church-literate individuals than among members of the dominant church. Sometimes, an ordinary “schismatic woman” could outshine a “Nikonian priest” who had graduated from a theological academy in a debate. Old Believer apologists played a special role in defending the old faith—people who, without any formal education, possessed remarkable knowledge of Holy Scripture, church history, and apologetic literature, easily navigating patristic heritage and quoting entire pages of text by heart. We have already encountered several such unique figures: Archpriest Avvakum, the Solovetsky monks, Elder Vavila, the brothers Andrey and Semyon Denisov, Feodosy Vasiliev, Ilya Kovylin, Monk Euthymius… Elder Nikita Semenovich undoubtedly belongs to this illustrious cohort of Old Believer apologist-scholars. His knowledge repeatedly astonished people from “educated society.” Extraordinary was the elder’s life, and extraordinary was his death. “On the Wednesday to Thursday of Cheesefare Week, from 8 p.m.,” narrates the nun Raisa, “he fixed his gaze on the holy icons, and tears flowed and flowed from his eyes, while his lips unceasingly uttered prayers until exhaustion. Those present could barely discern and understand his words. Only those words spoken with particular strength and fervent emotion were clear to those around him: ‘Create in me a clean heart, O God!’ Then: ‘And renew a right spirit within me.’ And also: ‘Cast me not away from Thy presence, and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me!’ The rest of what he said over the course of 12 hours until 8 a.m. was unclear to us. Finally, he faintly uttered: ‘I have finished my life on earth.’” Father Nikita Semenovich passed away on Thursday of the first week of Great Lent at 10 p.m. (March 4, 1902). About 30 of his fellow believers were present at his passing, including his spiritual father, Evsevy Ilich, to whom the elder managed to confess before his death. Although everyone anxiously awaited his final heavy sigh, it never came. Nikita Semenovich died quietly. At the moment of his passing, his face shone, and his beard spread across his chest “as if someone had combed it.” Those present at the elder’s final moments were struck by the change in his face and thought only that “they were truly witnessing the death of a righteous man.” Such was the blessed repose of this remarkable man, the patriarch of the “Wanderer Church.” He lived 95 years on earth, 78 of which were spent in pilgrimage (wandering). He loved to repeat to his spiritual children: “Remember, brethren, and never forget that it is good for the good everywhere; if something is amiss, it is from ourselves.” He also taught obedience. The nun Raisa recalls an incident: the elder reproached his spiritual children for failing to follow an order, and they, instead of apologizing promptly, remained silent. He then went to his room and closed the door, and the guilty ones realized he was offended by their stubbornness. They began to apologize at length, bowing to the ground, and when he forgave them, he said: “If you had said just one word—‘forgive’—it would have been worth more than all these bows.” “We accepted all his good instructions with love because they came from his pure heart, not from arrogance or authority. Once, I, a sinner, asked him to pray for me so that the Lord would help me live well in pilgrimage (wandering). He said to me: ‘If you are attentive to yourself, God will help you, and you will live well.’ And so, my spiritual children, let us remember the teachings and lives of our spiritual fathers. Let us imitate their way of life, and through their prayers, may the Lord help us live godly lives and attain future blessedness with Christ… I, an unworthy disciple of a great father and shepherd, have briefly written what little I remember of his many deeds for future generations,” concludes the nun Raisa in her account of Father Nikita Semenovich. sourceStrann

-K. Kozhurin

But even if I am greatly sinful before God, I only recall the words of the saints: “Hold fast,” they said, “to the traditions of the elders, as they learned from their fathers.” However, heresies and schisms in the Church, according to the holy scriptures, are judged to be nothing other than a failure to align with the power of the Word as it is written, but instead to wander in one’s own way and not to follow the fathers in unity. Even if we live in peace with the entire universe, associating with all people together and maintaining love, yet if we fall into discord with God and His saints, such schismatics and dividers of the Church will be judged by God, for they have torn the body of the Church through disunity and disagreement with the fathers. — Monk Euthymius, Justification for Separation from the Filippovtsy

In the Book of Faith, sacred to every Old Believer, it is stated what must be done to save one’s soul after the reign of the Antichrist in the world: “Despise all the wretchedness and vanity of this world.” At the same time, the faithful were not only to “fear God and be vigilant” but also to “endure the harshness of persecution.” Each Old Believer community and each individual Old Believer determined for themselves the degree of compromise with the hostile world that they could accept without serious harm to their faith or the salvation of their soul. However, the stranniki (wanderers), or beguny (runners), rejected any compromise entirely, categorically denying the possibility of salvation in an Antichrist-ruled world. The question of the origins of the wandering community (strannicheskoe soglasie) has not yet been definitively resolved. The Old Believer historian Pavel Lyubopytny attributes the founding of this community to a certain Andrian the Monk (1701–1768), about whom he writes: “A Yaroslavl townsman and resident of its environs, a defector from the Filippovtsy church, a crude literalist… A willful man, rebellious in spirit, and deeply superstitious… renowned among the crowd of false saints and ignorants.” N.I. Kostomarov considered the Yaroslavl Fedoseevtsy, Ivan and Andrian, to be the founders of the wandering movement. Feodosy Vasilyev himself taught: “Flee and hide in the name of Christ.” In principle, wandering ascetics could be found in nearly every Old Believer community. However, most modern researchers agree that the founder of the wandering movement as a distinct, organized movement within Russian Old Belief was a certain monk named Euthymius. Little is known about Euthymius. We do not even know his secular name—Euthymius was the name given to him at his second (wandering) baptism. He was born in Pereslavl-Zalessky in 1743 or 1744. According to some sources, he was a townsman of Pereslavl, sufficiently literate and devoted to serving God from a young age. Others considered him a peasant of the landowner Motovilov from the Pereslavl district. Still others claimed he came from the clerical estate and was even a bishop’s chorister. During the first recruitment after the third census of 1764, under the reign of Catherine II, at the age of twenty-one, he was conscripted into military service, “but soon thereafter he fled and lived under the guise of a wanderer, in hiding.” However, the primary motivation for his wandering was not the hardship of military service but the desire to save his soul. As recorded in a wandering manuscript, Euthymius “began to seek a refuge, not merely to live out the course of this life, but to achieve the salvation of his soul and not to spend his days on this earth in vain, for which man was created.” Under the guise of a wanderer, Euthymius arrived in Moscow, where he met the local Filippovtsy living at the Bratsky Court (in Dur noy Lane) and decided to stay with them. Embracing their strict asceticism, he underwent the Filippovtsy baptism and was given the name Eustathius. Skilled in manuscript copying, he began transcribing books, painting icons, and creating miniatures for illustrated Apocalypses. During this period, he also wrote his own works about Old Believer elders, defending the Pomorian teachings against the Fedoseevtsy (On the Fedoseevtsy Community and All Their Vices and Differences from Pomorian Christians). However, Euthymius was soon captured by the police and sent back to Pereslavl-Zalessky. The local townspeople’s society conscripted him into the army again, but he escaped once more and returned to Moscow—this time not to the Filippovtsy but to the Fedoseevtsy at Preobrazhenka, likely because it was safer there (this was a time when the Fedoseevtsy and Filippovtsy communities were growing closer). During this period, Euthymius took monastic vows and formed a close bond with a Filippovtsy monk named Feodosy, a former bishop’s chorister and also a fugitive soldier. The monks did not stay long at Preobrazhenka; the Moscow elders, noting their lack of residence permits, advised them “for safety and spiritual salvation” to move to Pomorie, to one of the Filippovtsy sketes. Euthymius heeded this advice and, together with Irina Fedorova, a fugitive peasant woman and follower of the Filippovtsy, set out for the Topozero skete in the Arkhangelsk province. Euthymius spent two years in the Topozero skete. Observing the Filippovtsy skete dwellers, he concluded that they were not radical enough in their rejection of the Antichrist’s world, accusing them of “double-mindedness and duplicity” for making certain compromises with the authorities and submitting to “civil laws.” This was because, as early as 1716, under Peter I, a decree was issued allowing the existence of Old Believers, who were previously outlawed. According to this decree, “registered Old Believers” listed in the “schismatic census” were subject to double taxation, required to wear distinctive clothing, and marked with special signs. By the late 18th century, some Filippovtsy had agreed to register with the authorities as “schismatics.” Believing that acknowledging oneself as a “schismatic” was detrimental to the soul of a true Christian, Euthymius “began to seek ways to perfect himself without doubt, but he could not calm his conscience.” To resolve his doubts, he wrote a treatise consisting of 39 questions and sent it to the leaders of the Moscow Filippovtsy, Alexey Yakovlev (Balchuzhny), Nikita Spitsyn, and others, but he received no response. Initially, Euthymius considered traveling to the Vyg community, but upon reflection, he concluded that the Vygovtsy “had been corrupted long ago,” led by the Samarins “to such a compromise that they prayed nominally for the tsars,” and after the deaths of Andrey Denisov and Daniil Vikulin, they “abandoned the rites and all caution in their way of life, falling into neglect and introducing many harmful practices.” He also considered going to Kimry (a Filippovtsy spiritual center in Tver province), where Old Believers who had separated from the Filippovtsy for the same reasons as Euthymius—due to registration and the label of “schismatic”—resided. However, for unknown reasons, this plan was not realized. Finally, Euthymius met a wandering elder named Ioann, who, as an Old Believer, had lived “in hiding” since youth and was never registered in any census. This fateful encounter inspired Euthymius to embrace wandering. “With him, Euthymius had frequent interactions, discussing his doubts and seeking to perfect himself through him; Ioann was his advisor in all conversations.” In 1784, under Ioann’s influence, Euthymius decided that no one associated with the Antichrist should participate in baptism or rebaptism. He earnestly requested Ioann to baptize him, but Ioann refused and advised Euthymius to “baptize himself.” As a result, in 1772, Euthymius baptized himself “into wandering” with the name Euthymius, thereby founding a new Old Believer community—the “Wandering Church.” After his new baptism, Euthymius headed to Yaroslavl. The Yaroslavl region featured the impenetrable Poshekhonsky forests, ideal for hiding. By this time, Euthymius’s teachings had fully taken shape. Settling in the Yaroslavl province, Euthymius sharply criticized the Filippovtsy, writing a treatise titled On the Current Disagreement in the Ancient Church Confession with the Antichrist’s Priests (1784), in which he stated: “Those Christians who hide behind impious priests or Nikonite clergy, when needing to travel somewhere, to avoid being detained as fugitives, first go to the impious living together, bow to them, and request a release letter to obtain a stamped passport. Then they go to the village priest, as if to their spiritual father, bow to him, and ask for his signature. From there, they go to the state office, submit the passport to the officials who bear the image of some beast, and receive stamped passports, which describe all their features. Have such Christians not condemned themselves by associating with the wicked?” In his treatise, Euthymius also criticized other priestless Old Believer communities that had compromised with the world to varying degrees: the Fedoseevtsy for not dissolving “heretical and pagan marriages” and rejecting the “monastic rite,” the New Pomorians for accepting prayers for “heretical authorities,” the New Married for accepting church marriage, and the Filippovtsy for considering the wandering community heretical. “In these last days of the Antichrist’s deception, what is the salvific path for those in the faith? Is it the broad path, concerned with home, wife, children, trade, and possessions, or the narrow, difficult, and sorrowful path of having no city, village, or home?” Reinterpreting Feodosy Vasilyev’s call to “flee and hide in the name of Jesus Christ,” Euthymius wrote in one of his letters to Moscow elders: “It is fitting to hide and flee.” Having begun to hide in the Poshekhonsky forests, Euthymius soon found his first followers. These included Pavel Vasilyev, his aforementioned companion Irina Fedorova, Ekaterina Andreevna Dushina (the daughter of a Yaroslavl townsman), Egor Egorov with his two young daughters, an elderly Fedoseevtsy man named Pavel from St. Petersburg, and a harborer named Pyotr Fyodorov. They were supported by a Yaroslavl merchant woman, Matrena Fyodorovna Pastukhova. However, one of Euthymius’s followers, Pavel, was soon captured by the authorities and exiled to Siberia, forcing the Poshekhonsky wanderers to move to the Galich forests in the Kostroma province, where they built a shared cell. They stayed there for only two years before moving to the village of Malyshevo and then returning to Yaroslavl. Euthymius died on July 20, 1792, in Yaroslavl and was buried according to the wandering rite in the Yamsky forest. The wanderers sacredly preserved his memory, holding an annual memorial service on the day of his death. Among his works, the Decalogue Flower Garden was the most revered in the wandering community, frequently copied by hand by his followers. In the Flower Garden, Euthymius denounced the “sins” and “vices” of “Old Believers”—his term for those followers of Old Orthodoxy who, in one way or another, compromised with the authorities and registered as “schismatics.” The wanderers themselves preferred to call themselves “true Orthodox wandering Christians.” Euthymius’s work was continued by his former companion, Irina Fedorova, who, after his death, moved from Yaroslavl to the village of Sopelki, located on the right bank of the Volga, 15 versts from Yaroslavl, near the Velikorechka stream. From then on, Sopelki became the true capital of the wandering community, which was sometimes called the “Sopelki community” for this reason. Gradually, the community spread to other provinces of the Russian Empire, forming a vast network of secret prayer houses and shelters for wanderers across the country. However, the Yaroslavl province remained the core of the wandering community. According to a report by an official from the Ministry of Internal Affairs sent to investigate in the 1850s, “half of the province, openly or secretly, belonged to the schism.” A distinctive feature of the Yaroslavl province’s population was that a significant portion of the male population left for extended periods to work in large cities, while women were primarily responsible for fieldwork. Thus, a wandering, itinerant lifestyle was widespread among Yaroslavl residents. Additionally, the province was home to numerous so-called kelii (cells) and keleinitsy (female cell-dwellers), who performed Old Rite services in their homes, sang, read, taught literacy, and trained their successors. Their numbers were considerable: in 1853, in the Romanovo-Borisoglebsky district alone (excluding the city itself), there were 2,374 keleinitsy. In the village of Shagati (part of the Yaroslavl Demidov Lyceum estate), there were up to 84 cells! For a long time (over half a century), the wandering community remained unnoticed by the official authorities. Yaroslavl Old Believers lived “in hiding” (hence another name for this community—skrytniki, or “hiders”). The local New Rite clergy, tasked with reporting the presence of “schismatics” in their parishes to higher authorities, concealed the true extent of the wandering movement for several reasons. On one hand, New Rite priests feared being seen as weak or incapable of combating the “schism,” which could lead to accusations of neglecting their flock. On the other hand, they were reluctant to forgo the substantial “spiritual tribute” that flowed generously into their pockets from “schismatics” who paid to be recorded as having attended confession or to be allowed to bury their coreligionists according to the old rites. It was not until the 1830s that vague reports about the new community began to emerge, and in the early 1850s, the community was discovered by the authorities. This happened by chance. A gang of fugitive soldiers engaged in banditry and pillaging nearby villages appeared in the Poshekhonsky forests. An investigation was launched, led by Count Stenbock. As a result, the secret prayer houses and hiding places of the skrytniki were uncovered, and some peculiarities of the wanderers’ doctrine became known. The doctrine of the wanderers brought to its logical conclusion the complete rejection of the world under the reign of the Antichrist. However, from the outset, the wanderers understood the coming of the Antichrist not spiritually or allegorically, but in a literal, tangible sense. For instance, amid intensifying persecutions of Old Believers, they concluded that the Antichrist was a concrete person—the tsar (emperor). Monk Euthymius taught (essentially reiterating an older idea) that the tangible Antichrist had come to power in the person of Emperor Peter I and his successors, who were seen as heirs of Peter-the-Antichrist and executors of his will. “The apocalyptic beast is the tsarist power, its image is civil authority, and its work is spiritual authority.” From this stemmed the central tenet of the wandering doctrine: to save one’s soul, one must completely sever ties with society and reject all visible signs of the Antichrist’s power. Statements such as “I do not recognize the tsar’s authority over me,” “I do not consider him a Christian,” and “I acknowledge the necessity of the tsar and authorities, but one who orders Christians to be imprisoned is not a tsar but a tormentor” were frequently heard from wanderers arrested by the police during the reign of Nicholas I, the “missionary on the throne.” Thus, the wanderers associated any form of authority in the Russian Empire after Peter I with the workings of the Antichrist. Consequently, they refused any connection with the “Antichrist’s world”: they did not register in censuses, paid no taxes, owned no real property, held no passports (“the seal of the Antichrist”), and had no fixed place of residence. When arrested by the police, they claimed to “not remember their kin.” Moving from place to place, the wanderers used special “passports”—unique sheets of paper serving as identification for trusted individuals. On one hand, these were a clear parody of the passport system introduced in Russia in 1719 by Peter-the-Antichrist, as the wandering “passports” followed the format of travel permits, specifying the owner’s occupation, age, residence, physical characteristics, duration, purpose, and destination of travel. On the other hand, these distinctive documents of Old Believer literature reflected the worldview, ideology, and artistic thought of their authors. The wandering “passports” were, in essence, Symbols of Faith for the “Wandering Church.” They often included quotes from Holy Scripture and Orthodox prayers. The most comprehensive example of such a “passport” from the Sopelki community is cited in P.I. Melnikov-Pechersky’s novel On the Hills: “This bearer, a servant of Jesus Christ, named so-and-so, is released from Jerusalem, the city of God, to various cities and villages for the sustenance of the soul, and for the affliction of the sinful body. He is to engage in righteous labors and works, to toil diligently, to eat and drink with restraint, to not contradict anyone, but only to glorify God; to fear not those who kill the body, but to fear God and be strengthened by patience, to walk the righteous path in Christ, so that demons may not detain the servant of God anywhere. Establish me, O Lord, to stand in Your holy commandments, and from the East—You, O Christ—to the West, that is, to the Antichrist, may I not stray. The Lord is my light and my Savior—whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defender of my life—of whom shall I be afraid? Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear. My peace is God, my refuge is Christ, my protector and enlightener is the Holy Spirit. If I do not keep this, I shall weep and lament greatly thereafter. And whoever fears to receive me, a wanderer, into their home, does not wish to know my Lord, and my King and Lord is Jesus Christ Himself, the Son of God. Whoever persecutes me for my faith openly prepares themselves for hell with the Antichrist. This passport is issued from the City of the Most High God, from the Sion police, from the Golgotha quarter. Attached to this passport are the Anno Domini, the invisible hands of many holy fathers, to fear the terrible and eternal torments. This passport is issued from the aforementioned date for one century, and upon its expiration, I am to appear at the appointed place—the Terrible Judgment of Christ. My characteristics and age are recorded for the joy of the coming age. This passport is presented to the saints’ department and recorded in the book of life under the number of the coming age.” Additionally, wanderers embarking on long journeys carried special prayers (resembling ancient Russian incantations)—“for those going forth” and “for those returning”—either in handwritten notebooks or memorized. These “prayers” often included itineraries, allowing wanderers to move freely from one settled harborer to another. Here is an example of such a “prayer”: “To Ekaterinburg, to Tomsk, to Barnaul, up the Katurna River to Krasny Yar, the village of Aka, where there is a chapel and the village of Ustba. In Ustba, ask for the harborer Pyotr Kirilov, visit his lodging. There are many more lodgings there. The Snowy Mountains: these mountains stretch for 300 versts, standing in full view from Alam. Beyond the mountains lies the village of Damascus; there is a chapel in that village; the superior is the monk-schemer John. In that monastery, there is a 40-day journey with rest, through the Kizhiskaya land, then a 4-day journey to Tatania, where the Voseon state lies. They live in the bay of the ocean sea: a place called Belovodye and Lake Love, with 100 islands, and on them mountains, and in the mountains live those who emulate Christ’s Church, Orthodox Christians, and with this, I ask the willing Orthodox Christians; we assure all Orthodox Christians, without any deceit, who wish to follow in Christ’s footsteps. There can be no Antichrist in that place, nor will there be, and in that place, there are dark forests, high mountains, rocky crevices; and the people there are truly without barbarism, and if all the Chinese were Christians, not a single soul would perish… Lovers of Christ, follow the aforementioned path! Driven from their land by the lord, five hundred years ago, two elders of the Syrian (Assyrian—K.K.) churches… Russian churches, 44 in number, and their Christian metropolitans were taken from the Syrian patriarch, and they departed from their places since the time of Patriarch Nikon, and their arrival was from Zosima and Savvaty, the holy miracle-workers of Solovki, by ships through the icy sea. And in this way, the fathers sent by Zosima and Savvaty searched. This record was written by myself, I was there, and I, the sinful monk Michael, wrote to you with my own hand, and with the brethren in Christ.” The first dispute within the wandering community arose between the followers of Irina Fedorova—peasants Pyotr Kraynev and Yakov Yakovlev—regarding the conditions for acceptance into the community. Yakov Yakovlev, adhering to the most radical view, close to Euthymius’s own, taught that only those who actively hide and wander could be considered members of the Wandering Church. Pyotr Kraynev, supported by the elder Irina, held a different opinion (essentially the first compromise). Pyotr believed that those who remained at home but vowed to take up wandering could also be accepted into the community. As a result of this heated dispute, Yakovlev left Sopelki. However, when Yakovlev, who had been arrested and was on his way to exile in Siberia, later met with Yaroslavl wanderers, he did not condemn them. Since the dispute between Yakov Yakovlev and Pyotr Kraynev, many so-called zhilovye (settled ones) joined the wandering community. Indeed, the existence and widespread presence of the uncompromising wandering community in a police state were possible because the wanderers were divided into two groups: the kryushchiesya (hiders) and the strannoprimtsy (harborers). The hiders were individuals who completely severed all ties with the “world,” owning no property, documents, homes, or families, living a monastic lifestyle. The harborers, or settled ones, led a sedentary life and maintained “shelters” for the hiders, who moved from place to place, preaching and hiding from the temptations of the outside world. These shelters were equipped with secret hiding places for the hiders, such as pits under staircases, closets, behind walls, or under double roofs. Often, a hiding place in one house was connected to another, and another, with the final hiding place leading to a garden, grove, or main road, allowing easy escape from the police. Among the settled ones were many wealthy individuals—merchants and prosperous peasants—who were not indifferent to the salvation of their souls. In essence, the settled ones were not full members of the wandering community (for example, they could not participate in communal prayer or meals with the hiders). Their role was akin to that of catechumens in the early Christian Church. Over time, they could become full members of the Wandering Church, typically in old age, by receiving baptism “into wandering.” In cases of illness or other dangerous circumstances, a harborer would be baptized, and if they survived, they were required to leave their home, property, and family to take up wandering. In general, the wanderers’ doctrine allowed only one concession to the “world”—the use of money. However, in the first quarter of the 19th century, a new dispute arose among the wanderers: could a wanderer accept money? In their cells, wanderers conducted private worship, praying from the Psalter or performing prostrations with the prayer rope (lestovka). Before and after sleep, they performed the “beginning”—a short prayer rule with prostrations. From 1850, when the authorities discovered the wanderers, a new period began in the community’s life. Mass repressions, the destruction of major wandering centers, and the arrests of mentors and prominent figures of the Wandering Church led to significant changes in their internal life and doctrine. As a result, in the 1860s, a new community emerged among the wanderers. Its founder was the renowned wandering mentor Nikita Semyonovich Kiselev, author of the Small Image of Heresies, an apostle of the wandering movement who traveled with fiery sermons of his teachings not only through the Poshekhonsky and Vologda forests but also to many other Russian cities, including Moscow. K.Ya. Kozhurin Spiritual Teachers of Hidden Russia – St. Petersburg: “Piter,” 2007 source

By Wanderer Margarita Desiring to offer you a soul-benefiting discourse, I must say that I do this not because I am confident in my own knowledge or strength, but only because you have asked me to, and I rely on the mercy of God. For the Lord Himself said, “Open your mouth, and I will fill it.” When we begin to speak the word of God out of love, we trust that it is not our own words we speak, but those that the Lord places in our hearts. Let us begin this discourse with these words: the wise Solomon said, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” In his youth, when Solomon ascended the throne after his father, he did not ask the Lord God for glory, honor, or wealth, but for wisdom. And the Lord granted him such wisdom that he became renowned for all ages, so much so that people came from other lands to hear him. In his sayings and writings, he recorded these words for the memory of humankind: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” What does the fear of the Lord mean, and what is wisdom? Wisdom is not merely the knowledge of many external arts, but the understanding and fulfillment of God’s word. And what is the word of God? It is the commandments of God, His law. We are all called to keep and fulfill God’s law. What does it consist of? Even in the Old Testament, the Lord gave commandments to the people of Israel throughMoses, recorded in Deuteronomy. The foremost commandment given by the Lord to His people is this: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord your God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.” This is the kind of love we must have for God—so that all our thoughts, feelings, and human strength are directed toward Him. And further, it says: “These words, which I command you today, shall be in your heart and in your soul. You shall teach them diligently to your children, speak of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise. Bind them as a sign on your hand, and let them be as frontlets between your eyes. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” What does this mean? It means that whatever we begin to do, whatever we think or undertake, we must first consider God and whether our actions or endeavors are pleasing to Him. When you set out to go somewhere, as it is said, “Write the name of God on your gates,” you must remember the Lord: Are my ways righteous? Are they pleasing to God? This is what it means to write on the gates. Further, it warns: “Fear the Lord your God, serve Him alone, and cling to Him.” We should not fear people or any earthly authority, but fear the Lord God and serve only Him. When we serve the Lord, everything else will follow as an example. Our daily affairs will proceed in a godly manner, and everything will move forward rightly. The Lord also warns: “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” What does this mean? In our present life, we often see people say, “I’ll live as I please until old age, and then I’ll go on pilgrimages and pray to God, but for now, I want to enjoy life.” But who can guarantee they will live to old age? Don’t we see accidents happen on the road, or sudden deaths, strokes, or hemorrhages that take even the young? Since no one can be certain of living to the next day, we must be ready every day to fulfill God’s will and not test the Lord. It further says: “Keep the commandments of the Lord your God, His statutes, and His decrees, which He has commanded you. Do what is just and good in the sight of the Lord your God, that it may be well with you.” There is one type of scripture that simply narrates what was, what is, and what exists—it requires only knowledge and belief. For example, scripture says, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” We must simply believe this. But another type of scripture commands us, and here we must act. Some scriptures forbid certain actions, protecting us from transgressions. These commandments and statutes of God must be followed without fail. Why? Because “the Lord your God is a jealous God, lest the anger of the Lord your God be kindled against you and destroy you from the face of the earth.” If we provoke the Lord with our deeds or disobedience to His statutes and commandments, He may become angry and destroy us from the earth, sending the angel of death to strike us suddenly. And what follows such suddenness if we live unlawfully? Eternal perdition. This is from the Old Testament, but there are other commandments we must know. The Ten Commandments follow: “You shall not make for yourself an idol or worship them. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.” People often say, “Oh, Lord,” when something happens—this is taking God’s name in vain. God’s name should be invoked in prayer or in giving thanks and glorifying Him, not used idly. “Observe the Sabbath day.” Work six days, but the seventh is for the Lord. In the Old Testament, the Sabbath was celebrated; now, in its place, Sunday is observed. All true believers are obligated to follow this commandment and honor the Lord’s Day. “Honor your father and mother.” This commandment, unchanged from the Old Testament to the New, remains essential. “You shall not murder, commit adultery, steal, bear false witness, or covet anything that belongs to your neighbor.” These are the core Old Testament commandments. Additionally, in Leviticus, it says, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” which was also in the Old Testament. In the New Testament, Christ the Savior did not abolish the Old Testament commandments but perfected them, giving even stricter guidelines for human conduct. He calls all true believers to humility. This teaching is proclaimed in the Sermon on the Mount, which remains a guide for all who wish to live according to Christ. He says: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” What poverty does Christ preach here? Spiritual humility. A person must have humility and contrition in their soul—this is what it means to be poor in spirit. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” We should not mourn over earthly losses or troubles but weep over the danger of losing our soul to sin. “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” Meekness speaks for itself—it is pleasing to all. A meek, patient, and gentle person is always regarded well by others. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” We must hunger and thirst for righteousness, which encompasses all virtue and truth. Christ is righteousness and truth, and in Him is all virtue. “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.” This is clear: to be merciful to all, and in return, we will be shown mercy. Mercy is a broad concept. Some think mercy means giving alms, but it also includes serving others or comforting someone in sorrow with words, which can be even more valuable. When someone is in distress, they often need not money but a comforting word or support in their struggle. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” What is a pure heart? A heart free from deceit, malice, or ill will toward others. This is not the physical heart, which may be frail, but the heart of the soul, which must be pure. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” Christ Himself set the example of peacemaking. For He reconciled the heavenly with the earthly by suffering on the cross, reconciling humanity with God the Father. Therefore, all those who can reconcile opposing sides are likened to the Son of God. Throughout all ages of Christianity, this virtue has been necessary and needed. Often, people suddenly quarrel or fall out over something trivial. Reconciling is difficult for them. Why is it difficult? Because it requires humility. And at the crucial moment, neither party finds the words to humble themselves. But then a third person comes, speaks to one, then to the other, and easily reconciles them, bringing them together. For this, they are called a son of God, or rather, likened to one. “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Those persecuted for righteousness, for good deeds, for virtue, for truth, for faith in Christ—all who are persecuted and exiled—are blessed. “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.” If people slander you for Christ’s sake, call you parasites or obscurantists, as they have called us, those who endure all this for Christ, for the sake of God’s name, are blessed. “Rejoice and be glad, for great is your reward in heaven.” Christ the Savior continues His teaching in this manner. Addressing those who already believe, He says, “You are the salt of the earth.” What does salt mean? Just as food spoils without salt, so too the world would spoil without people who hold fast to the core of faith. As He said of the Apostle Peter, “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build My Church.” Peter’s faith and confession are the rock, the foundation. Similarly, without this salt, this foundation of the Church, where faith is not firmly preserved, everything would spoil. This is why our true Christian faith endures to this day—it has preserved this salt, love, and truth. He further says, “You are the light of the world.” Why the light of the world? The divine scriptures bring light to all who read and study them. As Christ the Savior said, “Search the scriptures, for in them you will find eternal life.” Without the scriptures, true faith cannot be known. True faith is not known through miracles but through the scriptures. Thus, those who read and study the divine scriptures are considered to walk in the light. Those who do not read or study the scriptures, nor live by them, walk in darkness. And those who walk in darkness inevitably stumble and fall. If we, who bear the truth, are the light, we must carry this light to others—to our surroundings, to our Christian brethren. We must shine in such a way that through us, God’s name is not blasphemed but glorified. “Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” This is how the light of Christians shines. He continues, “Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” The scribes and Pharisees fulfilled the law given through Moses perfectly. They gave a tenth of their possessions as required, fasted twice a week, observed the Sabbath, kept all the feasts, and attended all gatherings meticulously. If we, as Christians, do not surpass their righteousness, Christ warns that we will not enter the kingdom of heaven. So, we must surpass them in something greater. In what? Above all, in love. Christ the Savior gave a new commandment: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” This love perfects the entire law. How? Because both the Old and New Testaments rest on this commandment. If we love one another, we will endure all things, bear all things, be meek, and not covet what belongs to our neighbor. As Christ further teaches, “Judge not, that you be not judged.” We must not judge anyone. When we see something unrighteous in another person, we should notice it but not condemn them. Instead, we should take it as a lesson for ourselves: “This is not good, so I should not do it.” We condemn the act, not the person. The act is wrong, so we should not follow it but avoid it. If we fail to see another’s faults, we are blind, which is also bad. We must see the fault but not judge the person. We must hate the sin, not the sinner. If possible, we should approach and correct them. This, too, is love—the highest form of love. For it is said, if we rebuke someone and they listen, we have gained a brother. If they do not listen, we should try again with others’ help. If they still refuse, Christ instructs to “tell it to the church.” What does this mean? To the church’s leadership. And if they do not listen even to them, Christ says, “Let them be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.” In other words, if someone refuses to acknowledge their faults or abandon vices that scandalize others, we should avoid fellowship with them. Christ the Savior said much more that is invaluable for guiding Christianity. Through all this, Christ’s Church lives to this day, exists, and preserves Christ’s truth. Those who fulfill these commandments and God’s will possess the fear of God. What is the fear of God? It is not about fearing God as one might fear a strict authority. No. It is said, “Fear the Lord, all you His saints, for those who fear Him lack nothing.” The saints of God are His friends, even called His sons. Do they fear God in that sense? No. The fear we must have is the fear of offending God with any unworthy action. That is the fear we should have. Consider earthly love: when people love each other, they strive to please, anticipate, and even surpass the desires of their beloved, doing something pleasant for them. Likewise, toward God, we should strive to do as much as possible to please Him—not hypocritically, not for show before others, but before God, the Knower of hearts, who sees what is in our souls and hearts. Before people, we may appear good while being rotten inside. Thus, it is said, “Do not be hypocrites.” We must always speak the truth, not act with hypocrisy. Let us examine ourselves. Having heard the commandments of the Old and New Testaments, let us listen to our conscience. What does it tell us? Are we truly living according to these commandments, fulfilling them all? If we do, it will lead us to perfection and the hope of future blessedness. But if our conscience convicts us, we must strive to correct our lives so they align with God’s commandments. By our example, we will also teach those around us to do the same. For those living in the world with children, they must teach them through their example and by reading the divine scriptures. They must teach the fear of God and His commandments, so children learn from a young age to love and fear God. How do we fear Him? By obeying His law—that is what it means to fear God, to not disobey. Just as a son fears his father, knowing disobedience brings punishment, so too must we show obedience to God. If parents love their children, they must remember that failing to raise them in godliness could lead to their children facing eternal punishment. How pitiful that would be! Keeping this in mind, all parents must commit to raising their children from a young age in the fear of God and obedience to His commandments. Those who fail to do so take on great responsibility before God for neglecting their children’s upbringing. Now, the question is: How is the fear of God acquired? We all desire to have the fear of God to fully obey His commandments. The holy father Abba Dorotheus says: A person acquires the fear of God if they keep the memory of death and the memory of torments. We must remember death, for no one on earth escapes this threshold. The hour will come when everyone must die—without exception. No matter how wealthy or powerful people have been, they could not buy or pray their way out of it; their time to die came nonetheless. So, too, our time will come. Keeping this hour of death in mind restrains a person from all kinds of deviations and unrighteous deeds. Remembering torments refers to the future punishment for sins. For the devil, torment is prepared. If we commit sins, we fulfill the devil’s will, and by doing so, we will share in his torment. This realization helps us restrain ourselves and preserve the fear of God within us. What else must we do? Abba Dorotheus continues: If a person examines themselves every evening, reflecting on how they spent the day, and every morning, considering how the night passed, and if they avoid boldness in their interactions. What is this boldness? Here, boldness refers to audacity, not the confidence to pray before God. Abba Dorotheus speaks of audacity in behavior. Finally, one must remain in close communion with a person who fears God. To clarify what audacity is, Abba Dorotheus explains in his fourth discourse: Audacity takes many forms—it can be in words or in touch. A person who speaks whatever they please acts with audacity, not courage. Audacity also manifests in touch or in a brazen glance. Whether grabbing someone inappropriately or staring boldly, these are forms of audacity. Audacity leads to idle talk, worldly chatter, foolish behavior, and inciting others to unseemly laughter. This is all audacity. It includes touching another unnecessarily, raising a hand against someone laughing, pushing or shoving others, snatching something from someone’s hands, or staring shamelessly. All these stem from audacity, which arises from a lack of fear of God in the soul. This is how precisely Abba Dorotheus describes audacity. By worldly standards, these actions may seem acceptable, but in Christian community life, they lead to the loss of the fear of God and self-control. Tenderness of heart is lost. With audacity, what tenderness or tears can there be? Such behaviors are set aside, and an entirely different way of life is chosen. This is the path to acquiring the fear of God. When the fear of God takes root in a person, what does it do? Saint Simeon the New Theologian describes in his writings: The fear of God makes a person a footstool for all people. What does this mean? It means enduring however others treat them without taking offense. Such a person considers themselves the least, the most insignificant—like a footstool, like the ground trampled underfoot. That’s the kind of person one becomes with the fear of God. When pride is completely erased, and one regards themselves as nothing, casting aside vain self-conceit—thinking, “Who am I that others should bow before me? No, I am nothing”—then holy humility descends upon them from above. And what happens then? This humility makes the soul pleasing and virtuous, humbled and contrite. The soul reaches a state of contrition, watered by tears flowing like a river, becoming itself a source of living water that heals the wounds of sin. Such a person, having endured and experienced all this through patience, has humbled themselves to the utmost, becoming nothing. From their tears flow streams, and they become a source of living water. What does this mean? Anyone who comes to them in sorrow is comforted with words like: “Who are we? We exist on earth to endure.” Our life is like a lesson. Just as a person enters a school to complete it, whether with distinction or merely a diploma, so too has God sent us to earth to pass a lesson of life. How we pass it determines our outcome: with distinction by earthly measures or in a godly manner by spiritual measures, earning what is promised to such people. But if we live otherwise, we receive what sinners deserve. From this comes both God’s wisdom and the fear of God. God’s wisdom is knowing and fulfilling His commandments. The fear of God, coupled with this practice, enters the soul and brings peace, humility, and tears. If someone considers themselves a believer, prays, and fasts extensively but lacks spiritual fruit, their deeds remain superficial and will not lead to what a person should truly strive for. What are the spiritual fruits? The Apostle Paul lists them in his epistle: love, truth, peace, patience, kindness, mercy, faith, meekness, and self-control. These virtues are the spiritual fruit we must strive for. A person may serve much, work hard, and help others, but if they grumble, all their deeds come to nothing. But if they serve with love, thinking, “I am serving God’s servants, Christ’s ministers,” with such love and willingness, then they possess the foremost commandment—love. This produces spiritual fruit. If a person does not strive to bear this fruit for God, they will hear from the Lord: “Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ but do not do what I command?” The divine prophet David teaches us, saying: “The Lord said to the sinner, ‘Why do you declare My statutes and take My covenant in your mouth?’” This means we may read the scriptures and justify ourselves as if we know them, but it is only on our lips—we must fulfill them in deeds. Our actions must align with our words. David clearly rebukes those who boast of knowing God’s law but do not live by it. He continues: “You hated My instruction and cast My words behind you.” You heard the words but tossed them aside. And what do you do? “When you saw a thief, you ran with him, and with adulterers, you kept company.” People who call themselves believers befriend thieves, commit similar acts, associate with adulterers, and thereby offend God. The prophet continues: “Your mouth multiplied wickedness, and your tongue wove deceit.” We read this daily. If a person harbors malice and expresses it in words, or weaves flattery with their tongue, they will utterly provoke God, living contrary to His commandments. “You slandered your brother and brought scandal upon your mother’s son.” Slandering a neighbor or brother is akin to judging them, or worse. Even speaking the truth about someone with the intent to defame them is slander. All this must be eradicated from Christian life. We must strive to live and speak as things are. If something is wrong, say so, but do not judge or slander. The Lord warns through the prophet: “Understand this, you who forget God, lest I seize you and there be none to deliver.” Remember these words, all who know God, so that the Lord does not suddenly take us. How? By ending our life. To avoid this, we must always live by God’s commandments. This is what we must fear. Thus, God’s wisdom declares: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” When we have the fear of God in our soul and heart, we guard ourselves from such deeds and turn away from all evil. The prophet further teaches how to learn the fear of the Lord: “Come, children, listen to me, and I will teach you the fear of the Lord.” It seems simple, yet how do we learn it? “Who is the person who desires life and loves to see good days?” Who wants to live so that their days are always good? Good days come when our conscience does not torment us, when we commit no sin. Then our soul is at peace, and all days become truly good. How do we achieve this? “Keep your tongue from evil”—from slander, falsehood, blasphemy, and the like—“and your lips from speaking deceit.” Do not flatter; always speak the truth. “Turn away from evil and do good.” This is the entire wisdom of the fear of God: to turn from evil and do good. Nothing extraordinary is required—no fear like that of a wild beast. The Lord God is our Father; we must love Him and do nothing contrary to His law. We must abhor all evil, all impurity of both body and spirit. Just as there are spiritual fruits, there are also fruits of sin. Every carnal lust is sinful, for it inevitably defiles both soul and body. The entire law of the Old and New Testaments, as we said, is based on the commandment of love: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and so forth.” Those who fulfill the commandment of love in deed fulfill the entire law. Christ the Savior says in the Holy Gospel: “He who has My commandments and keeps them, he is the one who loves Me.” No matter how much someone claims to love God, if they do not fulfill the commandment of love, they are a liar. As it is written, “He who says, ‘I love God,’ but hates his brother, is a liar.” Likewise, through John the Theologian, the Lord says: “He who loves God but does not keep His commandments is a liar, and there is no truth in him.” Since truth is Christ Himself, as we know—He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life”—the path we must follow is shown by Christ. Truth is in Him, and life is in Him. Through Christ, we attain eternal life. If Christ dwells in us, He will surely teach us to live by His laws and commandments. But if Christ is not in us, what kind of Christians are we, and how can we call ourselves His followers? No matter how much one labors or fasts, righteousness is not found in these alone. These Old Testament virtues assist in being righteous but do not constitute righteousness itself. As it is said, “The kingdom of God is not food and drink, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.” Fasting does not depend on food or drink. One may eat Lenten food but indulge so much that no room is left for the Holy Spirit. Everything lies in keeping our soul alive, cultivating and preserving spiritual virtues. When we have these virtues—peace, calm, and joy in the Holy Spirit—in our hearts, the kingdom of heaven is not far from us. For it is said, “The kingdom of God is within you.” Thus, from all we have said, we learn that the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. Wisdom declares: “The fear of the Lord teaches wisdom, and humility precedes glory.” These are profound words. Another saying of wisdom: “The acquisition of wisdom is far better than gold, and the gaining of understanding is preferable to choice silver.” This shows how highly wisdom is valued before God—it cannot be compared to gold or silver. For the fear of the Lord, the beginning of wisdom, brings salvation to our souls. The wise Psalmist cries: “Blessed is the man who fears the Lord.” Why? Because such a person always walks in His commandments, delighting greatly in them. They live by God’s commandments, love to abide in them, and walk in them always. Such a person does not yield to impure thoughts, does not walk with the ungodly, but turns away from them, directing their soul along the Lord’s paths. If God’s commandments and statutes are violated, it leads to destruction. But “by the fear of the Lord, everyone turns away from evil,” as the wise Solomon says. When a person turns from evil, as we discussed, they begin to do good. A person cannot stand still—they either do evil or good. What is evil? It is the absence of good. And if a person turns from evil, they do good and do not remain idle. We believe enough has been said about what the fear of God is and how God’s wisdom is acquired. One final example from the holy scriptures, from the Paterikon: Abba Poemen said, “The nature of water is so soft, and stone is so hard. Yet if a vessel is hung above a stone, and water drips onto it constantly, over time, the soft water will wear a hole in the stone.” So too are our hearts like stone, and the word of God like flowing water. The scriptures are often likened to flowing streams. When a person continually hears the word of God, no matter how hard their heart, it will eventually soften if they listen and receive it. The word of God will pierce that stony heart, and it will begin to grow wise—with God’s wisdom. The Apostle Paul says, “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Through hearing God’s word, faith is strengthened. And as our faith grows, we desire to fulfill God’s commandments to please Him and attain future blessedness. Forgive me, for Christ’s sake. source  

Dear listeners, today our topic is one of the greatest moral themes—faith. It must be said that a large part of what is called knowledge actually relies on faith. For example, take historical knowledge. Who can truly verify something that happened long ago, or a particular date? In reality, no one can truly verify it. The same goes for astronomical knowledge. Who can check the distance to the sun, which is calculated at 150 million kilometers? None of us can. But we trust what has been said by some scientist who studied it and recorded it. And we believe that he recorded it correctly and that it was confirmed by some kind of experiment, or in some other way. Who can just as easily check at what speed the earth rotates? Yet scientists have written it down, and we believe—100,000 miles per hour, and we trust this completely. And with all the other natural sciences, we trust what the scientists say. So, much is accepted on faith. But now we will talk about that faith which visibly and invisibly reigns over every other opinion and embraces all, without exception, of the powers and faculties of man. And such faith, of course, is based on immortality, on the eternal, on the infinite. This is religious faith. We say, for example—God exists. But in which God do we believe?—In the eternal God, the Creator of heaven and earth and everything that surrounds us. We believe in this, and from this awareness of ours, from this faith, every undertaking must begin, so that we may achieve a true result. This should be the foundation of every person. Because from faith in God springs all truth and all goodness. In the book called the Great Catechism, it is explained that there are different kinds of faith. Not different faiths in the sense of different religions, but different capacities or measures of faith. That is, there is little faith, which is called doubtfulness, and there is great faith. For example, when the apostle Peter went to Christ upon the water, and then began to doubt and started to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me, I am perishing!” And Christ the Savior said to him, “Why did you doubt, O you of little faith?” He rebuked him. Now, would the Lord Himself, being right there, allow someone coming to Him to drown? Clearly, it was not enough faith. And there is another example in the Holy Gospel of great faith. This is when the centurion asked Christ the Savior to heal his sick servant, and Christ seemed ready to go, but the centurion said, “No, you do not need to come; just say the word, and my servant will be healed.” This shows the greatest faith—that a single word from Christ was sufficient to heal. Likewise, if we look to that great patriarch Abraham—what moved this man, when he laid his only son upon the altar? Only the deepest faith. And not only that: when God had told him, “Next year I will return and you will have a son,” Abraham was ninety-nine years old—could he not have doubted? He could have, but he so believed God that he did not doubt in the least. And so, thanks to his faith, such people attained the greatest honor, for they possessed great faith. But there is also a dead faith. What does this mean? One can know that God exists, but do nothing. And the apostle James says, “Faith without works is dead.” What proves that a person has faith? His deeds. This is living faith, or, rather, not dead faith—faith that is confirmed by works. And the apostle Paul says, “Faith comes by hearing.” And hearing by what? By the word of God. For where can we obtain such fervent faith, which would move us? Only by hearing. But not just any kind of hearing. All those scientific discoveries or historical knowledge also dictate to us a kind of faith, but we are speaking of the kind of strong faith in God, fervent and great faith, and for this it is necessary to listen to the word of God. Christ Himself says in the Holy Gospel, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” Why did He say, “I am the way”? Because by His example, He showed us the way, the path we must follow to attain perfection. And “the truth,” because His whole teaching, from beginning to end, is true, and there is no falsehood in it whatsoever. And “the life”—because through faith in Christ we can gain eternal life. When addressing the people, the Lord has always, from ancient times, sent forth His prophets; He never left the human race without guidance. At first, the Lord Himself penetrated human hearts—that is, souls—and filled them in such a way that the faithful people of the Old Testament were saved by the natural law. They understood what needed to be done, were aware of it, and did it accordingly. But not everyone kept to this. From the very earliest times, we see that one person, like Abel, pleases God, while another—his own brother Cain—angers the Lord God. And thus, by the natural law, it was possible to be saved up to a certain time, and people were indeed saved by it, pleasing God. But there came a time when people so completely forgot the natural law and so trampled it underfoot, that only a few remained who kept the law by natural inclination. Therefore, the Lord sent prophets into the world, and through the prophets revealed His laws and His requirements to mankind. However, if we look at the Old Testament prophets, such as… (unclear) and the prophet Jeremiah, the Lord called him to the prophetic path when he was still a youth. And when the Lord called him to go and preach to the people, he replied—out of humility, not disobedience—“Lord, I do not know how to speak, I am still a child.” But the Lord did not accept this excuse, that he was a youth, that he was small. He said, “You will speak what I command you, and you will go where I send you.” And Jeremiah obeyed the word of the Lord, and from his youth began to fulfill the will of God. Whatever the Lord commanded him, that he spoke. He went among the people, but the Jewish people are called stiff-necked. And for rebuking their vices, for admonishing them as God commanded, they did not love him for it—they beat him, put stocks on him, threw him into filthy pits. Such was the “grateful” attitude of the people towards the prophets. Yet, in spite of this, the prophets fulfilled the will of God, because they believed the word of the Lord and obeyed unconditionally. Likewise, the prophet Isaiah, such a great prophet through whom God revealed His future dispensation, did not escape a bitter fate—he was mocked, went naked and barefoot for three years, and besides that, he was sawn in half with a wooden saw. Such torments were inflicted upon the prophets. Yet, even in such a state—when people would not listen to the prophets or obey what the Lord commanded through them—God did not abandon the human race. The Lord Himself appeared; the Word of God became flesh and brought new teaching to the people. This true teaching was heard, and all whose hearts were ready to receive it accepted the Lord and believed that the Lord Jesus Christ came from God the Father. That He was not some impostor, as the envious scribes and Pharisees called Him, but that He was truly the Son of God, made flesh, who came to save the human race. Afterwards, even before His Ascension into heaven, Christ the Savior sent His apostles—His disciples—out among the people, saying: “Go and preach the Gospel to every creature,” that is, He sent them into the whole world, to all peoples… While Christ Himself, during His earthly life, walked mainly among the Jewish people and preached to them—though there were times when people from other nations came to Him—He sent His apostles to preach the Gospel to the whole world. And what happened? The apostle Paul, so eloquent and zealous, traveled everywhere, preaching despite prohibitions, undeterred by anything, and all the other apostles also went out and preached. Yet Paul says, “But not all obeyed the glad tidings.” Why is this? Referring to the prophet Isaiah, he says, “Lord, who has believed what we have heard?” And the prophet Isaiah, in speaking to the Lord, was almost justifying himself—why did the people not listen? Because they had shut their eyes, would not hear with their ears, nor understand with their hearts, for their hearts had grown hard. And when the heart is stony, how can it be prepared soil? The ground must be prepared—just as Christ the Savior said when He told the parable of the sower: the seed must find good soil, and only that which falls on good, prepared ground will bear fruit. If it falls on a rock, or by the roadside, or among thorns, then little will come of that seed. The heart must be prepared to hear the word of God. And when it is ready, the word of God, falling there and being cultivated—just as a person who wants something to grow will loosen the soil and water it—so too, when we hear the word of God, if we do not neglect it, but continually recall it, as if watering it, then it will bear fruit. Then zeal will arise within us. And zeal will move us to good deeds. And good deeds are the sign that a person does not have a dead faith, but a living faith within him. And although, just as the prophets of the Old Testament and also the apostles said, “not all believed—who has believed what we have heard?”—as the apostle Paul said—even so, the Lord commands that the word be sown, and He Himself will choose the worthy. As John Chrysostom says, “Only God knows who are worthy; among people, no one knows—though they may think they know well, they are always mistaken in their conclusions. Only the One who knows secrets knows clearly who is worthy of crowns, and who of punishment and torment.” This is known only to the Lord God. And we see that this is true by an example from the Old Testament. When Rebecca was pregnant with twins—Esau and Jacob—they struggled within her womb. She did not know at that time that she had twins or anything, but only from the pain in her womb she went to pray to the Lord and inquire of God what was happening. And the Lord revealed to her: He said, “Two nations are in your womb, two peoples are struggling within you. And the elder shall serve the younger.” Esau and Jacob were still in the womb, not yet born. But since it is the Lord who speaks—He knows everything in advance: what will become of those children, what sort of character each will have, and according to the character of a person, the Lord chooses whom He will. So, Jacob later proved to be of such virtue, so high-minded, that the Lord chose him in his mother’s womb. That is why the duty of all who are zealous—like the Old Testament prophets, the apostles, and likewise those who are zealous for piety in our own times—is to sow the word, to speak, to preach; and as for who is worthy, the Lord Himself will choose, according to the heart, according to one’s readiness. But how can one know if a person has believed—if someone has heard the word, believed us—how can we check that he has truly received the word? Again, let us speak with the words of the apostle James. He says, “Faith, if it does not have works, is dead by itself. For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” This is the primary proof—whether a person has believed, whether he has accepted the preaching, or not. Genuine living faith is shown precisely in this: that a person obeys the will of God without reservation, and not only in deed, but even in mind and heart never contradicts what the Law of God says, what the commandments of God enjoin. In the example of Abraham, we see that he never doubted and fulfilled the will of God unconditionally. The Lord God, our Creator and Maker—we are His creations. And just as parents want their children to listen and obey, why should we be surprised that the Lord God wants from us obedience and love, just as parents want from their children? Indeed, the Lord has every right to require this from us, for man would not even exist on earth if the Lord had not created him. And He did so purely out of His great mercy, out of His goodness—one might even say, He created man purely out of His kindness. For God has no need of man, nor has He ever needed him. All the heavenly hosts praise Him—what does He need from us? But God is good, and so that man, too, might delight in and enjoy the gifts God has given him, the Lord created man on earth. Yet He also requires obedience from man—that he not forget his Creator, his Maker, his Father. Through the prophet Isaiah the Lord says, “I am the Lord, and there is none else. That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside Me. I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create calamity.” And indeed, this is so. All prosperity on earth, and all disasters, occur not without God’s knowledge. Sometimes it is God’s will—He bestows blessings; other times it is God’s permission. When, because of the sins of mankind, the Lord allows disasters and even the elements suffer, and it seems as if the whole earth suffers—and, of course, people suffer as well. Why does the Lord permit this? For our correction. Just as children are punished by their parents—not out of hatred, but because parents want their children to grow up to be good and upright people, and so they often discipline them—so too, the Lord corrects the human race by various means, so that they will turn to Him, come to their senses, abandon their false and unrighteous ways, and walk according to the Law which the Lord has given through the prophets and apostles. The Lord goes on to say through the prophet Isaiah, “Woe to him who strives with his Maker!—a potsherd among the potsherds of the earth!” Why does the Lord call man “a potsherd among the potsherds of the earth”? We speak in the singular—about man, that is, about people. For out of what was man created? Out of dust, out of the earth. So it turns out that he is like a clay shard among the shards of the earth. One could liken it to a potter who makes pots from clay. And if a pot turns out badly in the eyes of the potter, he breaks it, turns it into shards, and returns it again to the earth. So, too, the Lord can act with us: if we forget His commandments, if we neglect the law of our Creator, then the Lord can destroy us just as the potter destroys his creation. And further the Lord says, “Shall the clay say to him who forms it, ‘What are you making?’” One could never imagine an object created by a master arguing with its maker. “And shall your handiwork say of you, ‘He has no hands?’” Yet often we hear from atheists that “matter” created the world, that “nature,” as they say, is responsible. But what is nature? Forgetting the Creator, they give the glory to nature. It is as if a work of art were to say to its maker, “You have no hands,” even though it was these very hands that made it. The Lord continues: “Woe to him who says to his father, ‘What have you begotten?’ or to his mother, ‘Why have you brought me forth?’” And such reproaches, no one has the right to utter—no one should say, “Why did God create man, if everlasting torment awaits him?” Eternal torment was not made for man—not at all! It was made for the enemy of God, for the devil, who rebelled against God and became proud. But man is given complete free will. In creating man, the Lord gave him free choice and freedom: if you wish, do good and you will be with the Lord forever; if you do not wish to do good and instead align yourself with the devil and do his will, then that is what awaits you—the Lord, who is not envious, warned us. He warned the human race. Therefore, there is absolutely no reason to accuse the Lord of anything. It all depends on us. Man can do whatever he wishes. If you do good, you have nothing to fear—no punishment awaits you. So says the Lord: “Do you want to instruct Me concerning the work of My hands? I made the earth and created man upon it. I—My hands stretched out the heavens, and I commanded all their host.” And this is absolutely true. Which of the wisest men can command the heavenly bodies? The host of heaven—all the celestial bodies—strictly obey the law of God; as the Lord gave them a law, so they observe it exactly. No man has the right—or rather, not just the right, but not even the ability or knowledge—to control the heavenly bodies. So the Lord emphasizes: “I gave the law to all the host of heaven. And what do you want to tell Me about the work of My hands?” And then, turning to the people, He calls them to remember this and show themselves to be men. A true man should reason sensibly: “Take it to heart, you transgressors!” If you have turned away from the Lord, take this to heart—I tell you in advance: take it to heart and be real men. Remember what has happened from the beginning, for I am God and there is none else, there is none like Me. There was never a time when idols could do anything—those whom men worshipped, idols made by human hands. But the Lord God created all things. He says, “There is none beside Me, none like Me. I declare the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying: My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure.” Only the Lord God can, through His prophets, foretell what will happen many centuries, even millennia, in advance—all is foretold, and all will come to pass, as He says: “I have spoken; My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure.” This is absolutely true. Everything foretold through the prophets about the birth of Christ—where He would be born, of whom He would be born, that He would even have to flee as a child—all was foretold by the prophets. That He would be baptized—all was foretold, and absolutely all was fulfilled. It was foretold two thousand years in advance exactly when He would be born, and it came to pass precisely at the appointed time. How can one not believe the prophecy uttered by the righteous men of old, moved by the Holy Spirit?! They did not speak from themselves, but were moved by the Holy Spirit; therefore, they did not err. Never was prophecy given or spoken by man’s own will, but by the will of God. And further the Lord says: “I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass.” That is, if it was foretold that there will be a dreadful judgment, that all men must rise again and give an account, and each will receive what he deserves according to his deeds—either the kingdom of heaven or eternal torment. The Lord has said this, and He will bring it to pass. “I have purposed it,” He says, “and I will do it.” “Hear Me, you stubborn of heart, who are far from righteousness.” He calls all people. One should not say, “They are not guilty before the Lord—they do not know the truth.” This truth has already been proclaimed throughout all the earth. The Bible is so widespread—no other book can compare to it. It is the most widespread book in the world. And what of the earth? If people wanted, all could know, study, and verify for themselves that everything that was said has come to pass. And so, what has not yet come to pass, but is foretold, will also be fulfilled. Such are the words of God Almighty. If we believe, then we will be obedient to Him in all things, as faithful servants. But if we do not believe and do not keep His laws, then we put ourselves among the lawbreakers, who will not escape punishment. For the Lord God is not only merciful—He is also jealous. He punishes even several generations ahead for the sins of their fathers, as was foretold in the Old Testament, in Deuteronomy. So then, dear ones, if we wish to be counted among God’s chosen, let us lead a virtuous life—not seeking to satisfy fleshly desires, but imitating those who, while living on earth, showed such faith that they fulfilled all the commandments of God. They despised every fleeting sweetness and comfort, cared nothing for worldly matters, but spent their entire lives in hardship, fasting, and sorrows, and were strict with themselves in everything. That is why they became friends of God. Such were the righteous of the Old Testament—for example, the prophet Daniel, who continually lived in fasting and prayer, and because of this, was granted the ability to foretell the future. But again, it was not he himself who foretold these things, but the Lord revealed them to him. He was such a zealous man—called a “man of desires.” He pleaded and prayed to the Lord God, and because of his ascetic labors, his fasting and prayer, the Lord sent him revelations through an archangel, who showed him all that would come to pass, and the prophet Daniel wrote these things down for us. And we must firmly believe them. Likewise, consider such an Old Testament ascetic as the prophet Elijah. What zealot he was—what great faith he possessed, that he, not fearing all the prophets of Baal, who were raised at the royal court and enjoyed the favor of the queen (Jezebel), yet Elijah was not afraid of them. He didn’t even have a knife in his hand, and covered himself only with a sheepskin—so poor and solitary was he. Because he dwelled in the wilderness, the Lord loved him and granted him such strength and courage that he could face the king as if going into battle, rebuking him before all the people. And why did he speak to the people? Because he loved them. The people of Israel were his own nation. He addressed them and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? Choose for yourselves one God—either Baal or the true God—and serve only Him.” For Elijah understood well that Baal could give the people nothing; he was an idol. And Elijah performed one of the greatest events on earth, which all believers still recall to this day—how, by his zeal, all those priests were destroyed. But before this happened, thanks to his fervent faith and confidence that the Lord would not abandon him with His mercy and help, Elijah proposed a trial as a demonstration. He invited the priests to build an altar and prepare a sacrifice, and Elijah did the same. He proposed that the priests pray to their god Baal to send fire—not fire kindled by human hands, but that their god would take the sacrifice himself. But since we know that idols can do nothing, and certainly cannot bring down fire from heaven to consume a sacrifice, it was of course impossible. The priests shouted and cried out, but to no avail. Then the prophet Elijah stepped forward and said, “Enough, now I will call on my God.” But before praying to the Lord God, in order to prove God’s power and glory, to make the miracle undeniable in everyone’s eyes, he ordered, “Bring three jars of water and pour them over the sacrifice and the wood—now double it, and they did, now triple it, and they did.” So much water was poured out that the whole trench was filled, the wood was floating, and the sacrifice was drenched. Then the prophet Elijah prayed fervently to the Lord God. What fervent faith he must have had, what confidence that the Lord would act as he asked! He prayed earnestly to the Lord, and the Lord sent fire from heaven, which consumed everything—the sacrifice, the wood, and all the water. The whole trench was left dry. At that, the people truly glorified God, seeing such a miracle. Now, of course, we cannot expect such miracles as before, because the prophetic writings themselves say that in the last times, people will not believe on the basis of miracles, but only thanks to the Divine Scriptures. Christ the Savior, knowing this beforehand, said, “Believe as the Scripture has said.” He did not say, “Believe because of miracles,” but, “Believe as the Scripture has said.” So let us, in our own time, turn to the Word of God, examine it, study it, not be lazy, but delve into it, just as gold-seekers dig and sift through so much earth to find that precious metal, gold. In the same way, we should strive to study the Divine Scriptures. And here there is no need to search as they do by digging through the earth, for every word of God is more precious than all precious stones. So, whatever you begin to read, it is all good, all beneficial, sweeter than honey and the honeycomb. All that is needed is to love the Word of God, and to desire to hear it, or to read it yourself. Then the Lord will enter into our hearts, and when that fire of fervent faith is kindled in the heart, zeal will appear and it will move us to good deeds. Then we, like those Old Testament righteous ones of whom the Apostle Paul said that the world was not worthy of them, though they possessed nothing, yet gained everything and became friends of God—we too can become friends of God and be found worthy to converse with Him, as they did. But this will happen if we strive and force ourselves to fulfill the word of Christ the Savior, who said: “The kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.” And elsewhere Christ the Savior said, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away.” What does this mean? It means that everything foretold, everything that Christ the Savior Himself predicted, will all be fulfilled. And so too will the prophecy of the Dread Judgment be fulfilled with absolute certainty; we should not doubt this for even a moment. The Holy Apostle Peter, instructing his flock entrusted to him by Christ the Savior, warned them in these words: “Above all, know this, that in the last days scoffers will come, walking after their own lusts, and saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming?’” Indeed, some people say: “Why do you keep threatening us with the Dread Judgment? Everything is just as it always was; there has never been any Judgment, and ever since the fathers died, since the beginning of creation, everything continues as it always has.” But the Apostle Peter says, “The Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise as some think of slowness, but is patient with us, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” The Lord is so merciful—He wants to call everyone into the Heavenly Kingdom and does so. That is why He is patient, hoping—and indeed knowing—that there are still some, the elect. So that there will be no excuse for those who do not wish to obey the will of God, who say they did not know, or that the Lord came unexpectedly—no, all has been foretold. And the Apostle Peter says, “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and all the works that are in it will be burned up.” Such a terrible event will happen, even before the Judgment begins. If all this is to be destroyed, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved and the elements will melt with fervent heat? If someone truly wishes the Lord to come quickly to judgment, how perfect their life must be! Therefore, we all need to remember and ask for God’s mercy and forgiveness from the Lord God. If Christ’s first coming was so quiet, unknown to anyone—He came, as it is said, like rain upon the fleece, so quietly was He born on earth—then that day, the Second Coming, all the prophets and apostles describe very differently. That day will be as lightning shines from the east and is seen even to the west. Such will be the coming of the Son of Man. Or, as the prophet Daniel describes in the Old Testament, he already saw in types the Day of Judgment: “I watched until thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took His seat; His garment was white as snow, and the hair of His head like pure wool; His throne was a flame of fire, its wheels burning fire; a river of fire flowed and came out from before Him; thousands served Him, and myriads stood before Him; the Judge sat, and the books were opened.” This is only what is said in words, and even so, it is terrifying to imagine what that event will be like, when the books are opened. What are these books? They are our deeds, all the thoughts of our hearts—everything will be revealed on that Dread Judgment Day. Even when Christ the Savior walked the earth, He did not hide what would happen—He only kept secret the exact day when it would occur. But He did reveal how it would happen, at least in part. What does He say? “For as the lightning comes out of the east and shines even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be; for wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together.” That is, the Lord will judge—all will see. “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken; then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” We all read these words in the Gospel, and we all know them. But if we ponder them more deeply, and imagine them before our mind’s eye, then we will understand how truly terrifying it will be when people see the Cross in the sky and realize that it is Christ the Savior Himself, the One whom the Jews once crucified, who is coming to judge. The faithful, of course, will rejoice—provided their evil deeds do not convict them—while the unbelievers and all heretics will be terrified. And what does He say further? “And He will send His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” But He did not say when this will be. “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.” Yet He gave signs: “As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be at the coming of the Son of Man: for as in the days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away—so shall it be at the coming of the Son of Man.” Therefore, watch, for you do not know what hour your Lord will come. The most important thing is not to expect some extraordinary signs. No—the world will go on as usual. They were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage in the days of Noah, and so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Everything will be as it always was. But we must be watchful. Christ addresses believers, urging us not to fall into a senseless sleep—not to live without awareness of what we are doing or where we are going. We should remember with every deed where it will lead, what we are beginning to do, whether it is pleasing to the Lord God, and whether by our actions we are contradicting His will. Then we will be ready to meet the Lord. And Christ the Savior, warning all believers, says: “Take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness, and the cares of this life.” With these words, everything is said. Do not worry only about food and drink, or only about the body, or have only earthly cares that are temporary. “And that day come upon you suddenly, for it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Therefore watch at all times, and pray that you may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.” Thus, we must be vigilant, pray, and ask the Lord to spare us from such punishments. The holy apostles, having listened to their Teacher Christ, learned from Him and instructed their flocks about the day of the Lord in this way. In the Acts of the Apostles we read: “Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent.” He calls the attention of the people to the fact that Christ has come and calls all: “Repent, for He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness.” And the apostle James, the first bishop of Jerusalem, instructing his flock, says: “Be patient, therefore, brethren, until the coming of the Lord.” He even gives the example of a farmer: when a farmer sows seed in the earth, what is his hope? That he will reap a harvest. So too you—labor. And further he says, “Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned: behold, the Judge is standing at the door.” Even then, they cared for their flock, urging them not to grumble, but to wait in expectation of the Judgment, because every person is given a span of life, and if someone dies before the Day of Judgment, he cannot change anything after, for his life is over. That means one must strive in this life alone. John Chrysostom, in his moral teaching, says: “Let us weep, beloved, let us weep and sigh. If the body suffers, you want everyone to have compassion on you. If your body is ill, you seek sympathy. But for a soul that is ill and perishing, it is a hundred times more fitting to weep bitterly. We should weep for the soul when it is sick.” — “I fear and tremble for the day of retribution, in which the Righteous Judge will give to each according to his deeds.” So, my beloved, of all the testimonies offered, two things everyone must remember: fear God, and watch, and await His dread coming. Forgive me, for the sake of Christ. source