Deep night is a time when you can hear nothing except your own thoughts and the every second beat of your heart. In these silent moments, it is common for a person to ask questions that in the daytime he would not even have the courage to think about.
Universe. Loneliness. Soul. This is that unforgettable trinity that determines our perception, consciousness, essence. It is thanks to her that we fill our tiny “box” with various values and treasures. Everyone has this wonderful thing, and, of course, everyone has it unique in their own way. We are often afraid to open it again, expecting that those around us will open it and take all the jewelry for themselves, but it rarely occurs to us that those same people around us are the same as ourselves. They treasure their box too! Oh, how contradictory human nature is!
What's so surprising? Unfortunately, our whole life is saturated with contradictions. They are found anywhere and everywhere, but especially when it comes to moral principles. Constantly from day to day, from hour to hour, even from minute to minute, everyone has the opportunity to encounter a difficult, but very important event in life - with choices. He always stands at a crossroads, expecting further action from us. What about us? We naturally begin to panic and sound the alarm, especially if it is very difficult. We are ready to accept any news from the other end of the Earth in order to make sure that it is CORRECT, that we were not mistaken. It is important for us to know how to move forward. After all, I’m so tired of falling and breaking my head. I really want to believe... But isn’t that same anxiety killing us? Will it provide an answer that can satisfy all our needs? But we hope. We sincerely hope that after a storm there will definitely be calm, that after a thunderstorm there will definitely be a rainbow and that after sorrow there will be joy. Whoever we are, whoever we are, whether we work, who we don’t believe in or vice versa, we will always strive to move forward, hoping that during a storm they will definitely open the door for us, when hunger comes, we will always be able to get enough and, When our relatives leave us, we will not be left alone.
At such moments, a small, almost unrecognizable, barely flickering, but at the same time incredibly warm and familiar light lights up inside, about which many great authors from different eras. But if people have been talking about the same thing for several centuries, does that mean it’s all for a reason? “If the stars light up, does that mean someone needs it?” Of course you need it! It is necessary to awaken a person in a person! You need to help him light at least one candle! Let her warm him during cold and bad weather, let her open his box to put in new, hitherto unknown treasures that will only decorate all his thoughts and awaken high feelings, because it is THERE that his heart will be kept.
But, unfortunately, man is afraid. He is afraid to open his box, because jewelry was often taken from there, and stones were thrown in its place to get rid of the emptiness... The man stopped opening it altogether, and hung a heavy lock, which makes everything aching from the inside. He gives the key only to the chosen ones, only to those who know what is there at the bottom. And no more. The person is pulled down. How can I help him get up? How can I help him open his box again? How can I help him wake up? First you need to open yours. Open as wide and deep as possible, so that there is enough space for other boxes. Then the person will understand that he is not alone - he is one of us! And he will certainly want to go further! Because he realized that he was not abandoned and would never be abandoned.
The candle is lit! A new time has begun! The path is illuminated. Go and don't turn around. Don't be afraid to open the box! Don't be afraid to be real. Everything is still ahead. All in your hands!
JavaScript is disabled in your browserMatthew chapter 6
1 Be careful that you do not do your alms in front of people so that they will see you: otherwise you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.2 So, when you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that people may praise them. Truly I tell you, they are already receiving their reward.
3 But when you give alms, let left hand yours doesn't know what your right one is doing,
4 that your alms may be in secret; and your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you openly.
5 And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, so that they may be seen by people. Truly I tell you that they are already receiving their reward.
6 But you, when you pray, go into your room and, having shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you openly.
7 And when you pray, do not talk too much, like the pagans, for they think that for their many words they will be heard;
8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
9 Pray this way: Our Father who art in heaven! Hallowed be Thy name;
10 Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven;
11 Give us this day our daily bread;
12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors;
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
14 For if you forgive people their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you,
15 But if you do not forgive people their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
16 Also, when you fast, do not be sad, like the hypocrites, for they put on gloomy faces in order to appear to people as fasting. Truly I tell you that they are already receiving their reward.
17 And you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,
18 That you may appear to those who fast, not before men, but before your Father who is in secret; and your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you openly.
19 Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal,
20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal,
21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
22 The lamp of the body is the eye. So, if your eye is clear, then everything your body it will be light;
23 But if your eye is evil, your whole body will be dark. So, if the light that is in you is darkness, then what is the darkness?
24 No one can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one and love the other; or he will be zealous for one and neglectful of the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.
25 Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will wear. Is not the life more than food, and the body than clothing?
26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap, nor gather into barns; and your Father in heaven feeds them. Aren't you much better than them?
27 And which of you, by worrying, can add even one cubit to his stature?
28 And why are you concerned about clothing? Look at the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin;
29 But I tell you that Solomon in all his glory was not dressed like any of these;
30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today exists and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more than you, O you of little faith!
31 So do not be anxious and say, “What shall we eat?” or what to drink? or what to wear?
32 Because the Gentiles seek all these things, and because your Father in heaven knows that you need all these things.
33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
34 So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things: each day’s own troubles are sufficient.
) . These words must be understood as follows. If a person has fallen in love with earthly treasures, riches, luxury items, earthly goods and pleasures, then such a person no longer thinks about acquiring heavenly treasures, which will give him the opportunity to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. This will happen because such a person will falsely believe that highest good for him are on earth and his heart will be enslaved by earthly goods, passions and pleasures. In such a person, the desire for earthly wealth and gain turns into an irrepressible passion that subjugates a person’s entire life to greed.
Insatiable greed and acquisitiveness displaces from the soul of such a person all noble feelings, all thoughts, including about God, as unnecessary. The heart of such a person becomes unresponsive to the needs of his neighbors, and his mind is intoxicated by the passion of hoarding. To acquire earthly treasures, such a person may not disdain crime and take the path of sin, which ultimately leads to the death of his soul. His heart is constrained by thoughts of mortal and earthly things. And only in earthly wealth does he mistakenly see the meaning of his life, since he collects earthly treasures.
In these words of Jesus Christ, the heart is understood as the desire of the human soul for what is dear to it. Man contemplating everything the world, fixes his gaze on what is pleasing to his soul. For a stingy, greedy person, all thoughts of the soul and heart are connected only with wealth, with earthly treasures.
That is why the young man was saddened when talking with Jesus Christ about eternal life, because his heart was attached to earthly treasures - his great possessions. “Someone came up and said to Him: Good Teacher! What good thing can I do to have eternal life? ... If you want to enter eternal life, keep the commandments. He says to Him: which ones? Jesus said: Do not kill; Thou shalt not commit adultery; don't steal; do not bear false witness; honor your father and mother; and: love your neighbor as yourself. The young man says to Him: I have kept all this from my youth; what else am I missing? Jesus said to him: if you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor; and you will have treasure in heaven; and come and follow Me. Hearing this word, the young man went away with sadness, because he had a large estate” (). The young man’s attachment to his rich possessions (earthly treasures) prevented him from getting closer to God and becoming perfect. Jesus said to His disciples: “How difficult it is for those who hope for wealth to enter the Kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God" ().
According to Christian teaching, the Lord makes a person rich so that this person can use the wealth given by God for the benefit of people, that is, his neighbors. A rich person should use his wealth not only to satisfy his own, necessary needs (without excess), but also to perform good deeds - give alms to the poor, donate to churches, participate in charitable causes and other selfless acts. “Blessed is he who thinks about the poor [and needy]! On the day of disaster the Lord will deliver him” (). In this case, a rich man will make the earthly riches given to him by God an instrument of serving God and people. And only such an attitude towards wealth is Christianly correct and reasonable. That is, a rich person must spend earthly treasures on acquiring heavenly treasures. “Whoever has the world’s goods, but sees his brother in need and closes his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?” (). “When wealth increases, do not put your heart on it” (). “Good is wealth in which there is no sin, and evil is poverty in the mouth of the wicked” ().
Along with this, a person who strives to acquire for himself the incorruptible true treasures of heaven subordinates his entire life to serving God, lives and works according to God’s laws of goodness and justice, forgives and loves his enemies, strives to benefit people, not even stopping at self-sacrifice. Such a person, who does good to people, himself comes into contact with goodness, and has goodness in his life from God. Because according to God's law “Everyone will receive from the Lord according to the good he has done” (). A person who enlightens himself and other people with the teachings of Christ himself becomes closer to this teaching, and is enlightened even more by it. “Whatever a man sows, that he will also reap: he who sows to his flesh will reap corruption from the flesh, and he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life” ().
If a person sincerely teaches other people fasting and prayer, then he himself will perform them conscientiously and diligently. If a person sincerely keeps other people from evil, pride and selfishness, then he himself will show humility and meekness and do good. If a person sincerely leads other people to the path of repentance and correction, then he himself will strive to correct himself and improve his life according to the Laws of God.
This will happen because a person who sincerely and selflessly does good will strive even more to serve God and do as many good deeds as possible in life and follow the righteous path. And only this path, collecting heavenly treasures, ultimately opens the doors to the Kingdom of Heaven for a person and gives him the opportunity to receive eternal bliss. Therefore, accustom yourself to do good, refrain from evil, so that your heart lies in doing good deeds. AND “if you have risen with Christ, then seek those things that are above, where Christ sits at the right hand of God” ().
Prem 18, 6-9
Ps 32
Hebrews 11, 1-2. 8-19
Luke 12:32-48
Glory to Jesus Christ!
Today is the 19th Sunday. Thank you to everyone who was with us last week (and I noticed that last week there were exceptionally many visits to our blog, sometimes even more than 650 per day). Thank you for being with us! Thank you, authors of reflections, authors of comments, readers, you who pray for us and with us, who tell others about our blog. I wish you all that the word of God lives in you and changes your life. For this matter and for next week, May Almighty God, Father and Son and Holy Spirit bless you!
Dear brothers and sisters!
What is the treasure in our life? What in our life deserves to be called a treasure?
Jesus today in the Gospel speaks of two kinds of treasures - treasures on earth and treasures in heaven.
About treasures on earth, he says that we are constantly afraid that someone will steal from us, that moths will not eat us... And Jesus finds a very simple way out - give it up - “sell your property and give alms.” Moreover, he begins his speech with the words “Don’t be afraid.” He knows our affection for different things, to what I can call – mine!
And it’s interesting that Jesus says – “Do not be afraid, little flock! For it has been your Father’s good pleasure to give you the Kingdom.” Jesus starts with the positive - the Father wants to give you... and give you the Kingdom. But in order for Him to give it to you, you need a place, a place in the heart that is occupied by material, earthly treasure. What to do with it? - Sell your estate and give alms. Prepare for yourselves treasures in heaven, where no one will steal from you.
What does it mean? Someone will say - And so we barely have enough, both family and children, and then we still have to sell it, give it away? Sounds great, but how to implement it? Is this unrealistic?
That's the problem! The problem is in our heart, which has focused on material wealth, also those that actually do not exist.
A man dreams of buying a car. This car is not there, but he dreams... and he works a lot, and he comes home tired, and he is not there for his wife and children, and he cannot concentrate on prayer - he thinks about the car. And this car is not there, but his heart is completely in the car that is not there. This car is his treasure because his heart is in it. And in this case, the words of Jesus - sell, give away... this means - stop thinking about this car, give it up, this is not the most important thing - whatever will happen, no, no... You have more valuable treasures - family, wife, children, God...
In order for us to free ourselves from such attachments, we need to practice giving more. Jesus says – sell, give away...
It is important that from time to time we give, distribute, sell, throw away what is in our hearts. Sometimes it’s a small thing, but we’re so sorry to give it away...
In addition to things, sometimes you need to give time, attention, strength, help, service.
Don't have enough time? Then make an intention to come once a week and help the sisters of Mother Teresa, or simply to play with the children for an hour - to be completely at their disposal - so simple as to give someone the time that you think you don’t have.
When the conclave took place, we prayed a lot and earnestly to the Holy Spirit to send us a good Pope. He answered, gave Pope Francis, and with him gave direction for the Church, for us, for each of us - the Church, and the people of the Church, should live more modestly.
So, recently Pope Francis said to his compatriots: “There is always someone who is worse off than us!” And he developed this idea in a very interesting way: the Pope called to “give them a hand,” “look at them with love,” “share their pain, worries and problems.” “But it’s important to look at them and help them not from afar - no! We must go towards them. That's what a Christian is! This is what Jesus teaches us: to reach out to those most in need, just as Jesus always reached out to others.” He invited us to “look into the eyes” of those to whom we give alms. “Jesus teaches us, first of all, to meet, and when we meet, to help,” the Pope recalled and invited us to form a “culture of meeting,” especially in the context of “family troubles,” “problems in the environment,” “troubles at work.” We should not be afraid to meet those who need us, “who are going through bad times.” “There is always someone who is worse off now than us!”
Dad not only speaks, he himself acts specifically and in a very interesting way. Two days ago we could read the following news on Vatican Radio:
“The unplanned visit of Pope Francis to the industrial zone of Vatican City was a big surprise for everyone. The Holy Father warmly welcomed and thanked the workers of the Vatican carpentry and blacksmith shops, the power plant and the sanitary workshop. It was also a great joy for passers-by who found themselves in this area of the Vatican and were able to see the Pope up close and say hello to him.
Vatican power plant operator Alessandro De Gregori said of the meeting: “We were talking with colleagues here in the department where we work 24 hours a day, and suddenly we saw a car approaching. We looked at each other and said, ‘Really, really? I think it’s Papa...’. Indeed, it was the Holy Father together with Msgr. Sandro Mariotti. In 10 years of my work this happened for the first time. This is indeed a very pleasant surprise. Dad was glad to come visit us, and we were all happy - after all, it was he who came to us, and not the other way around.”
A simple gesture, but what a deep, original, unexpected one. Such a little surprise. I think that you don’t have to be the Pope to give such unexpected, pleasant surprises to each other. Such simple gestures are a treasure that a thief cannot steal and a moth cannot eat.
And one more event, a gesture from the Pope: “Pope Francis receives many letters from ordinary people who share their troubles and joys with him. Michele Ferri, the brother of an Italian businessman killed in June, was convinced of this from his own experience, writing Holy Father about his pain and crisis of faith after the death of his brother.
“Good afternoon, Michele, this is Pope Francis”: hearing these words on the phone, Michele at first thought that someone had made a bad joke. But literally a moment later I realized that it was actually the Pope. Because the speaker immediately referred to the words from the letter: Dad read it, as he himself admitted, with tears in his eyes.”
This is how Pope Francis speaks and acts, whom the Holy Spirit gave us as an answer to our prayers, and through him shows what we hear about today: Sell your possessions and give alms. Lay up for yourselves treasure in heaven, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys.
And we have, good example From recent times, an example of caring for the treasure in heaven is the recollection of married couples. Twenty families are left for three days ordinary life to meditate on the treasure of faith, to kneel before the most holy gifts every day and part of one night...
This shows what is important to a person, this treasure is more valuable than any money.
But if we have decided, chosen, that my treasure is the treasure in heaven, and if we want it to be the main thing, Jesus gives us another warning. You are responsible for this treasure.
Responsibility is an important feature of a Christian, it is an important feature of a person.
Also responsible for faith, for relationships with God - for eternity.
“Be like people who wait for their master to return from marriage, so that when he comes and knocks, you may immediately open the door for him. Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, finds awake.”
“To whom much is given, much will be required; and whoever has been entrusted with much will be required of him more.”
We console ourselves - so many people behave worse, believe less, practice less - but maybe they received less? Responsibility so that the treasures of faith are not lost, scratched, or trampled.
Therefore, I propose a few questions at the end:
Is God the most important treasure of my life, in the first place in life?
What do you think about most often during prayer? Where do thoughts go?
How long after you wake up does God wait for a signal from you?
Today we are talking about success. It is important that we have success because we live both for ourselves and for God. For God we sing, we praise Him with spiritual hymns. But there is one more point for complete success- this is what we do for the world. It is written that a burning candle should not be placed under the table. It is necessary not only to get fire, but also to expose it to illuminate it.
God was with Joseph. He did some things incomprehensible to a superficial glance, bought grain and then sold it, and when the drought began, he brought huge finances to the state. He did not give all this to the hungry, but it is written that God was with him and he was successful. The Bible is sparing of words in this sense. The book is large, the word “success” is not used so often. And if we talk about success, then it’s about God’s success. The Bible calls success the success that comes not from man, but from God. Like, for example, the king of Babylon took over the whole world, but God shows us that this is not success. Let's look at success as such, what is it? What does the Bible say about success?
Matthew 6:19-21 Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break through and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break through and steal, for where your treasure is, there it will be. and your heart
As people age, their bodily instincts, which drive any living creature, weaken. These instincts help us live and survive. Nature teaches us, so we live automatically. Nobody taught us to breathe or look. We are given a soul, and it develops according to certain patterns that do not come from this earth. The soul is given to us from God. If the earth and body are only God's design, then inner life man is not from the earth, but from God Himself, from another essence. The human soul has a different nature. And we have it inside. She has her own rules. We learn to correlate the spiritual with the spiritual, with the carnal, and put the soul first, because it is eternal. It is our launching pad. To be successful, our whole life, our family and everything we have must also serve this purpose. Scripture says where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. We consider a treasure to be something that is truly valuable, that a person hides and protects. The man in Jesus' parable went and bought the whole field because he found treasure in it. He bought everything just to have and preserve this treasure.
What is valuable to us? We must not miss here. What allows us to have some instincts, somehow have fun and not get distracted? It is written that he who has a family shall be as if he does not have one. He who has this world, be as if he has not.
We must always remember where our treasure is, because there is a spiritual law: where our treasure is, there our heart will be. The heart is the center, it is what we have from the sky. What came from God. If the body obeys the law according to the principle: dust you are and to dust you will return, then the soul does not return to dust, because there is a universal order and there is a different definition for the soul. You can't put them anywhere, because they don't decompose, you can't cancel them, so they have to be placed in a flask. It's terrible to be forever isolated in a capsule!
You need to think seriously about your treasure. The Bible says it will still magnetize the soul to where the treasure of the heart is. If a person wants to go to heaven, to eternity, to see the Heavenly Father, then he must constantly test whether this has become worthless to him? How is the sky presented to us? Why does man need heaven? Heaven is presented to us by Jesus Christ: “He who has seen Me has seen the Father,” He is the King of the Kingdom of Heaven. By loving Christ and appreciating Him, identifying Him as our treasure in life, we will not go wrong. And someone, maybe, loves a child, someone loves his wife. We love a lot of things in life, but a treasure is something hidden, it happens farthest away. Jesus tells us in parables what is truly valuable to a person.
Sometimes it happens that a person needs to lose everything in order to determine what is his treasure, without which life ceases to have meaning. Christ said that He is the way, the truth and the life. His teachings are a treasure to us. I live for this, so that this truth remains and lives more and more, so that people understand that this is the truth. This is valuable to me and this is a treasure. If for you the treasure is something else, then your place is in the “flask”. Tim