Why didn't the holy fathers write about the meaning of life?
We are all accustomed to the fact that the meaning of life is something taken for granted. It is quite natural to ask, what is the meaning of life, in your opinion? What is the meaning of life according to the teachings of this or that father? What is the meaning of life according to the teachings of the Church? And, it would seem, the very concept of the meaning of life has always existed.
But if you and I try to find this expression in patristic theology (after all, we, as Orthodox Christians, should be interested in the meaning of a certain kind of concepts, terms, views precisely in the patristic heritage), then it turns out that such a concept as the meaning of life is not found among the holy fathers.
Why? Apparently because for patristic thinking it was self-evident. It was believed that the purpose and meaning of human life is the desire for salvation. Everything else fades into the background. That is, no matter what position a person occupies, no matter what social status he has, if he is a Christian, his task is salvation. Accordingly, why talk and talk about the meaning of life if it is already obvious. The struggle with passions, reunification with God and the desire for deification - this, in fact, in short, is the reasoning of the holy fathers about what life is and how to build it correctly.
However, in the modern period, with the advent of religious philosophy, the concept of the meaning of life begins to spread and attract the attention of an increasingly wider circle of people. It is not enough for them to say: “What other meaning can there be in life? Save yourself in the Lord, that’s all.” People wanted, want and probably will want an explanation of everything that surrounds them, based on the principles of their faith, worldview, thinking style and lifestyle.
Therefore, in late XIX- at the beginning of the 20th century, books devoted to the meaning of life began to appear one after another in both Western and Russian philosophy. Such famous thinkers as Vladimir Solovyov, Vasily Rozanov, Viktor Nesmelov, Mikhail Tareev, Semyon Frank, Evgeny Trubetskoy and many others write essays that reveal this concept from a slightly different perspective. Or rather, the problem of life itself is posed differently by them. Attempts are being made to comprehend human existence on the basis that every moment of our life, every moment of our activity must be explained and have meaning.
I would like to note that the concept of meaning itself is also quite broad and in different European languages it has different annotations. But we most often understand the meaning as something clear. Let's say, the meaning of this book or the meaning of your words. In this case, all these expressions speak of what must be understood. But the meaning of life is not just something that should be reduced to a logical understanding, to some kind of logical discourse, but something that is closer to the concept of the essence of life, each of its moments, that is, the essence that is revealed in the moment of contemplation and experience. And in this regard, the concept of the meaning of life is not a rational category, if we speak in philosophical language, but an existential one. That is, by what connects us with the very concept of existence and with the concept of life.
And if we return to Russian religious philosophy, which quite seriously and extensively developed issues related to the meaning and purpose of life, then we can talk about two fundamental perspectives or directions. Many famous Russian writers who influenced the masses, probably no less than religious philosophers, reduced the concept of the meaning of what is happening to large-scale categories. Everyone remembers “The Brothers Karamazov,” a book beloved by many, which many read at the beginning of their churching. Ivan Karamazov is also looking for the meaning of what is happening. He poses global questions: what is the meaning of world suffering and injustice?
I think that such questions have a place in principle, they are justified and can arise. We can talk about such large-scale categories as universal suffering or universal injustice, but this is a separate topic. Today I would like to draw attention to the meaning of life for everyone specific person. What, strictly speaking, is the meaning of life specifically for me or for everyone?
By and large, a person who has asked himself what is the meaning of my particular life, what is the meaning of my particular suffering, what is the meaning of my particular experiences, may find himself in a situation where he will not find this meaning. And then his life will be meaningless. In general, it is probably very easy to talk about abstract meanings and categories, but every time we move on to specifics, we get lost and often cannot explain the meaning of what is happening to us. That is why such a state appears when so many Christian believers do not see the meaning of their lives.
Three philosophical concepts
Before moving on to an exposition of what exactly is the meaning of the lives of Christians, let us remember what is said about this in philosophy. It is customary to talk about three main directions.
1. Some philosophers believed that the meaning of human life could be reduced to pleasure. This is the most primitive and probably the most popular meaning of life for most people. There is even such an expression as “living in pleasure.”
2. The second meaning of life, which was proposed for each individual person, is improvement. This is, of course, a higher and more interesting calling when a person sees the meaning of his life in becoming a better person. It is not necessary to be a Christian or a believer in this case. Any person can set such a task and see the meaning of life in it.
Someone wants to become better physically, that is, to become stronger, healthier, someone wants to become more intelligent, skillful, knowledgeable, etc. Some philosophical systems suggested this path - find what you want to be perfect at, or what you have an inclination for and implement it.
In fact, this is a good option for answering the question about the meaning of life. But, of course, such an answer is often far from Christian.
3. And finally, the third option, which was also present in various ancient philosophical systems. The meaning of life is the acquisition of virtues. Everyone remembers Aristotle, according to whom the goal of life is to acquire virtue. Not only Aristotle spoke about this, but also whole line other authors. There are different virtues: kindness, courage, mercy, compassion, etc.
We can also talk about a slightly different, higher meaning of acquiring virtues, that is, about the Christian context of this statement, about Christian virtues.
And if we look at these three main answers to the question about the meaning of life, then, in principle, probably, the first of them cannot be acceptable from a Christian point of view. Because pleasure not only cannot be the meaning of life, but can also lead away from what is the fundamental goal of the believer, namely salvation. As for the other two, I believe that it is possible to talk about their Christian rethinking: about the improvement of our natural powers and about the acquisition of virtues in the context of our faith.
Two main temptations
I would like to note that very often we, Christians, find ourselves in a situation of a certain kind of temptation. But in order to determine what the meaning of life is, these temptations must be overcome. There are several of them, and further reflection on the meaning of life from a Christian point of view cannot be carried out without discussing these obstacles.
The first temptation that arises for us can be called a certain kind of illusion: when it seems to us that we are something more than we actually are. At one time, the famous Orthodox theologian Viktor Nesmelov wrote that this is the illusion that destroyed Adam and Eve. They thought they could become like gods. But they were expelled from paradise, and all future life not only Adam and Eve, but the entire human race - this is the debunking of this illusion, sometimes very cruel.
Often the meaning of the Old Testament comes down to making a person understand his weakness. Even the Apostle Paul has this expression: if the commandment had not been given, I would not have understood what sin is. That is, man had to say goodbye to the illusion that he possessed an autonomous source of strength and virtue. This view can also be found in the holy fathers, in whose works there are often thoughts that Adam and Eve, not having time to become people, decided to become gods.
These temptations within the Christian life can also be twofold. It often seems to us that we can skip over purely human virtues and immediately look for supernatural gifts - gifts that go beyond ordinary, everyday existence. And the question of acquiring simple, purely human virtues is considered not entirely necessary, and is perceived as a step that can be jumped over. Ultimately, the gifts of the Holy Spirit are not acquired, and we can also lose purely human qualities.
We can talk about a certain kind of moral collapse of a person when he is filled with irritation, intolerance, cowardice, lack of serious empathy, etc., while not acquiring any Christian virtue. Accordingly, there is no need to neglect purely human virtues. Although they should be cultivated within the framework of Christian achievement.
There is a reproach towards Christians, saying that we are irritable, vindictive and intolerant... Unfortunately, this is often true, because we have stopped dealing with purely human things. It seemed to us that we were above this. But we also did not undertake a real feat that could lead to the acquisition of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Accordingly, we are left with nothing. This temptation must be avoided.
The second temptation that may come our way is an attempt to find the meaning of life in something large-scale. It is not for nothing that Ivan Karamazov was quoted as one of the most striking characters created by F. M. Dostoevsky. He experienced existential torment over great ideas, universal suffering. It often seems to us that if we look for the meaning of life, then only in something loud and significant. And if it is not there, then our life is meaningless.
But the whole point is that in such a situation we are trying to change our environment and our social status. We are looking for some super-feats that we ultimately cannot bear, because we need something more than just meaning, which may turn out to be everyday.
This, I would say, is the highest temptation that Christians can have, and probably not only Christians. It should also be avoided. We must understand that there is a certain kind of path for you and me, and it lies in the fact that we should remain Christians in any situation, in any social status, in any economic situation. Being a Christian every day in your apartment, with your husband or wife, with your children is no less difficult than solving the world problem of suffering babies or starving children in Africa.
Everyone knows this. At one time, even the saint wrote in some of his letters that a person very often in everyday life forgets too quickly about the fight against evil and surrenders to it too quickly, and therefore does not know that being a Christian every day, every hour, every minute is very, very difficult. As a result, since he does not truly struggle with his passions on a daily basis, he needs to seek explanations for the meaning of his existence outside of everyday life.
And the Apostle Paul, if you remember, has two sayings that bring us back to the theme of the everyday struggle with passions, the everyday search for the meaning of life. He says: “Everyone remain in the rank in which he was called” () and “If anyone does not take care of his own and especially his family, he has renounced the faith and is worse than an infidel” ().
And although I have little experience as a clergyman, at one time I had to observe cases when people left their families because they considered such a life too boring, tedious, and did not see any Christian virtue in it. “Now, if you go somewhere with chains or make a tent somewhere in a field and say the Jesus Prayer there, then the meaning of life will be revealed. And in the kitchen to cook for my husband and children every day and not get irritated - there is no meaning in life.”
The meaning of life is that we must remain Christians every day. The meaning of Christian life is not in finding answers to world problems, not in learning some metaphysical truths. It is about being a good Christian, acquiring Christian virtues in everyday life. And it would seem that this daily routine, which is often uninteresting and seems meaningless, actually fills our Christian life with meaning.
World after Eschaton
It must be said that this search does not end with our earthly life. He goes to the Eschaton (end of times). And many religious philosophers (V. Nesmelov, M. Tareev and others) believed that the question of acquiring and acquiring virtues is associated with a change in the mode of existence of the will. Our will inclines us to easily do passionate, sinful things and easily get carried away by superficial things. And in order to “restrain” the will and direct it in the necessary direction, routine constancy is necessary.
I think that an analogy with studying some science or acquiring some skill is appropriate here. You can understand everything theoretically, but nevertheless you cannot acquire real skill and real knowledge until you have daily hard, painstaking practice. And the meaning of Christian life is in the daily painstaking practice of acquiring Christian virtues. You need to strengthen your will so that when the Eschaton occurs, it perceives this state as natural for itself.
Perhaps this does not directly concern the meaning of life, but the eschatological context of Christian doctrinal truths is very important in order to give it the correct value and moral assessment.
If you and I turn to the broad theological landscape, we will notice a widespread theory called optimistic theology and which claims that everyone will be saved. This is probably an optimistic theory, because no one would ever wish suffering on anyone, especially eternal ones. But you and I must understand that the issue of suffering is a matter not only of God’s will, but also of human will.
And there is no need to imagine God as some kind of accountant who keeps track of virtues and ultimately says that someone has a debit such and such, and a credit such and such, and thus a person’s life is easily decided. In fact, what is important is not the number of good and evil deeds done, but what a person is accustomed to, what his will has acquired skill in. And this skill of acquiring virtue makes a human being capable of continuing to live in a world where God will be “all in all” ().
Despite the routine state in which most of us exist, we must do things that begin in this life and end in the Eschaton - acquire in everyday life virtues that will make us our own for God, perceiving the world after the Last Judgment as our world , in which we feel like in our own home.
Archimandrite Sylvester (Stoichev)
Holy Fathers about the sin of condemnation.
People, for the most part, judge others by themselves. Thus, a person who is constantly drunk will not easily believe that there are people who live sober; he who is attached to dissolute women considers those who live honestly to be dissolute; the thief of someone else’s property will not easily believe that there are people who give away their own.
Human judgment is never carried out in truth, not only because rights are not respected, but also because even if the judge were not bribed with money or gifts, if he were free from anger and goodwill, then often the circumstances themselves are powerless to reveal the truth: or some misunderstanding occurs, or there are no reliable witnesses.
Even if we had not committed any sin, then this sin alone (condemnation) could lead us to hell...
He who is strict about the misdeeds of others will not receive any leniency towards his own. God pronounces judgment not only according to the nature of our crimes, but also according to your judgment of others.
If, forgetting about yourself, you sit as a judge over others, then you imperceptibly accumulate for yourself an increasing burden of sins.
If we want to reduce our sins, we will take care most of all not to condemn our brothers, and we will not allow those who invent slander against them to come to us.
If it is bad not to pay attention to your sins, then it is twice or three times worse to judge others; having a log in your eye, do not feel any pain from it; but sin is heavier than a log.
We need to mourn our own vices, and we condemn others; Meanwhile, we should not do this even if we were clean from sins.
Despite the fact that condemnation subjects... to punishment, and does not give any pleasure, we all run towards evil, as if trying and hastening to enter the Gehenna furnace not by one, but by many roads.
If we are not allowed to judge each other’s lives, much less the lives of our fathers (that is, priests).
... Condemn not the priesthood, but the priest who makes bad use of a good object... How many doctors have become executioners and given poison instead of medicine? But I do not condemn art, but the one who uses art poorly.
Does anyone speak poorly of you? And you tell me: if he knew everything, he would not only say this (about me). Are you... surprised by what was said? But this is exactly what should be done.
I order you not to judge a person, not because his actions do not deserve condemnation, but because he is someone else’s slave, that is, not yours, but God’s.
That’s why we are strict judges of other people’s sins, but don’t pay any attention to our own, because we don’t know the Scriptures, we don’t study the Divine laws.
After all, even if we are innocent of either adultery... or theft, we have other sins worthy of many punishments. And the brother was often called a fool, and this exposes us to Gehenna, and women were looked at with intemperate eyes, and this amounts to complete fornication; but what’s worse is that we do not participate in a worthy manner in the Sacraments, which makes us guilty of the Body and Blood of Christ. Let us not... be strict investigators of other people's affairs, but let us think about our own, and then we will not be so inhuman and cruel.
... You will say that the priest does not give to the poor and does not manage things well. How do you know this? Before you know for sure, do not blame, be afraid of responsibility...
Even if you have learned, researched and seen, and then wait for the Judge, do not anticipate the right of Christ; He has the right to judge, not you; you are the last slave, not the master, you are the sheep, do not judge the shepherd, lest you be punished for what you accuse him of. But how, you say, does he tell me, but doesn’t do it himself? It is not he himself who tells you that if you obey only him, you will not receive a reward, it is Christ who commands you...
But, you say, the priest should be better. Why? Because he is a priest. What does he not have more than you? Is it labors, dangers, worries or sorrows? Why is he not better than you, having all this? But if he is no better than you, then why, tell me, do you need to destroy yourself? Your words come from pride. How do you know he's not better than you?
St. John Chrysostom
Whoever has a heart in passions, no one is holy before him, but according to the passions that are in his heart, he thinks that every person is the same.
He who always thinks about the final punishments that he must undergo for his sins will not have his thoughts occupied with condemning others.
Non-judgment of one's neighbor serves as a protection for those struggling with passions under the guidance of spiritual reason. The blasphemer madly destroys this fence.
Whoever depresses himself with great deeds, but humiliates someone who sins or lives carelessly, thereby ruins the entire feat of his repentance. Having humiliated his neighbor, he humiliates the member of Christ, anticipating the Judge - God.
He who truly repents does not condemn his neighbor, but only mourns his sins.
We are all on earth as if in a hospital. One hurts his eyes, another hurts his arm or throat, others have deeper wounds. Some have already been cured, but the disease recurs if the person does not abstain from foods that are harmful to him. Likewise, one who is committed to repentance, condemning or humiliating his neighbor, thereby destroys the beneficial effect of his repentance.
He who judges his neighbor, reproaches his brother, humiliates him in his heart, reproaches him with anger, speaks ill of him in front of others, drives out of himself mercy and other virtues with which the saints abounded. From such an attitude towards one’s neighbor, all the dignity of exploits is lost, and all their good fruits perish.
St. Abba Isaiah
Abba Isaiah, having once seen his brother committing a shameful sin, did not rebuke him, but said: “If God, who created him, seeing this, does not burn him, who am I to reprove him?”
If you see that your brother has fallen into sin, do not be tempted and do not despise or condemn him, otherwise you will fall into the hands of your enemies...
St. Anthony the Great
Do not judge for unimportant things, as if you yourself were a strict righteous person.
Don't be the judge of other people's downfalls. They have a righteous Judge.
If you see your neighbor in sin, do not look at this alone, but think about what he has done or is doing good, and often, having thought about the general, and not the specific, you will find that he is better than you.
St. Basil the Great
It is a great sin for one, wounded by many iniquities, not to pay attention to his own sins and to be curious and talk about what is bad in others.
... Do not condemn the priests because not all of them are pure; It is not your business to judge and judge the bishops of the Lord.
Give reason to the one who sins, but do not condemn the one who falls, for the latter is the work of the slanderer, and the former is the work of those who want to correct.
It is permissible to judge by the most glorious and pure of the shepherds, who are entrusted with the keys of the Kingdom, and not by the flock and those who bear traces of sinful defilements.
If you see that someone is dirtier than all unclean people and more crafty than all crafty people, do not show any desire to condemn him - and you will not be abandoned by God.
St. Neil of Sinai
He who judges the vice of others would rather be accused himself than put an end to the vice.
It's better to hear bad things about yourself than to talk bad things about someone else. If someone, wanting to amuse you, exposes your neighbor to ridicule, then imagine that you yourself are the subject of ridicule, and his words will upset you.
St. Gregory the Theologian
Just as a good winegrower eats only ripe berries and leaves the sour ones, so a prudent and prudent mind carefully notices other people's virtues... A crazy person looks for other people's vices and shortcomings.
For whatever sins of body or soul we condemn our neighbor, we ourselves fall into them, and it cannot be otherwise.
If you saw someone sinning even at the very departure of the soul from the body, then do not condemn him, for the Judgment of God is unknown to people.
Some fell into great sins openly, but performed great virtues in secret; and those who loved to ridicule them watched the smoke without seeing the fire.
To judge means to shamelessly steal the judgment of God, and to condemn means to destroy your soul.
St. John Climacus
(The Lord) likened the sin of a neighbor to a branch, and condemnation to a log: condemnation is so heavy that it surpasses all sin.
St. Abba Dorotheos
How to learn not to judge. — M.: “Kovcheg”, 2017. — 64 p.
The Sacrament of the Eucharist was established by the Savior at His last Supper with His disciples when He uttered the words “take, eat... drink all of it... do this in remembrance of Me...” But long before this mysterious meal, the Savior revealed to the apostles the mystical meaning of communion His Body and Blood. In fact, immediately after the first miraculous feeding of 5,000 people with five loaves, that is, long before the Transfiguration and before His entry into Jerusalem, more precisely, during the period between the first and second Passover of His public ministry, the Lord Jesus Christ spoke in the Capernaum synagogue His sermon on the Bread of Life. Here, among these slender columns of the classical Greek style, decorated, however, with Jewish religious emblems: seven-branched candlesticks, pomegranate apples, six-pointed stars - in this, now completely excavated and cleaned, marvelous portico of this synagogue overlooking the Sea of Tiberias, the Savior offered His the doctrine of Heavenly Eternal Bread (John 6:24-66).
In essence, this sermon naturally falls into two parts: a preliminary one, in which He speaks more about the Old Testament prototype of the Eucharist (verses 27-47), and the teaching itself about the Heavenly Bread of Life (48-66).
The Savior was prompted to turn to the Old Testament symbol of the Eucharist by the disciples themselves, who recalled, in connection with the miraculous feeding of 5,000 people the day before (John 6:12), the Old Testament miracle of manna falling from heaven: “Our fathers ate manna in the desert, as it is written: bread from heaven.” gave them something to eat" (John 6:31; Exodus 16:15; Psalm 78:24). The Lord had to, as often in other cases, have before Him the narrow national psychology of the Jews and their well-known inertia, inability to rise above the level of historical and literal understanding of biblical facts. It was necessary to show them that manna was only a prototype of the true Heavenly Bread. But this still would not mean that it is, again, only an individual historical fact, a simple episode of Jewish history. Manna was a symbol of the Eternal Bread. This given historical event was and serves as a prototype, a “type” of the eternal reality of the Eucharistic meal established from time immemorial. But only a prototype, and therefore incomplete and imperfect. Manna was a wonderful food that fell from heaven, while the Eucharist is the true Body of Christ itself; manna fell only for a certain period of time, but the Eucharist was established for endless times, “always, now and ever and unto ages of ages.” Manna fed only the body, while Heavenly Bread feeds the whole person and passes “through the organs, through all the joints, into the womb, into the heart.” He gives a person immortality, which manna was not able to give.
Saint Cyril of Alexandria, in his interpretation of the Gospel of John (Book III, Chapter 6), explains this connection this way: “Manna fed only the Jewish people in the desert, while there are countless other peoples in the universe. The True Bread of Life that came down from heaven , has the power to nourish the entire universe and give it perfect life."
The psalmist perceived this Old Testament manna as “the bread of heaven and the bread of angels” (Ps. 77:24-25). On this occasion, the same Saint Cyril says that although angels cannot eat rough food, “nothing forbids us to think that since they are spirits, they may need the same food, obviously spiritual and mental.” And a little further: “Christ is the Bread and the angels themselves.” And Saint Ambrose of Milan teaches: “The angels in heaven feed abundantly on You (i.e., the Bread of Heaven”).
But let us turn to a more significant part of the same Capernaum conversation of the Lord. Manna is not true and eternal life, but Christ is the Bread that came down from heaven (6:41). In this teaching of Christ, two main thoughts are important, namely: a) the Eucharist resurrects those who partake of it (6:48-54), and b) the Eucharist is the catholic unity of all its participants, members mysterious Body Christ (6:56).
1. Indeed, if the prototype of the Eucharist, manna, could only nourish human physical strength Jews wandering in the desert and thus had only a temporary meaning, then the eternal meaning of the Eucharist is resurrection and eternal life. "I am the Bread of Life. Your fathers ate manna in the wilderness and died; and the bread that comes down from heaven is such that whoever eats it will not die" (6:48-50). This Bread, that is, the Flesh of the Lord, is given for the life of the world, and whoever eats it will live forever (6:51), and whoever does not eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink His Blood will not have life in him (6 :53). “Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise Him up at the last day” (6:54).
St. Cyril of Alexandria, interpreting 6:51, dogmatizes this matter: “Since the Life-giving Word of God dwelt in the Flesh, It transformed it (i.e., the Body) into its own quality, that is, life, and, being completely united with it in an ineffable way of unity, made it life-giving, as It Itself is by nature.Therefore, the Body of Christ gives life to those who become partakers of it, since it drives out death when it appears among the dying, and removes corruption, carrying within itself the Word, which completely destroys corruption ". And a little further the holy father continues to speak about the boundaries of this resurrecting power of the Body of Christ: “All flesh will live, for the prophetic word foretells that the dead will rise” (cf. Isa. 26:19). We think that the consequences of the mystery of the Resurrection of Christ extend to all humanity. And Chrysostom teaches: "In Old Testament there was a promise of longevity and many years, but now the promise is not just longevity, but life without end." Thus, the Eucharist is our only essential connection with the dead. By partaking of the Body and Blood of Christ, we enter into the closest communion with their departed communicants. In the Byzantine rite of proskomedia, as will be clear from the following presentation, this communication with the world of the dead becomes especially clear thanks to the prayerful remembrance of the names of the living and the dead when removing particles from the prosphora and then immersing them in the Chalice of Holy Blood with the words “Wash away, Lord.” , the sins of all who were remembered by Your honorable Blood and the prayers of Your saints." The Orthodox Liturgy of the Byzantine rite thus reveals a particularly clear liturgical confession of communion with the saints and the conciliar unity of the Church.
2. Another thing follows from this: the Capernaum conversation also reveals the ecclesiastic meaning of the Eucharist. The Savior says: “He who eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood abides in Me, and I in him” (6:56). Everyone, partaking of the Mysteries of the Lord, becomes a member of His mystical Body, that is, the Church. The Eucharist is the Body of Christ, and the Church, according to the Apostle Paul, is also the same collective Body of Christ (Eph. 4:15-16; Colossians 1:24). In other words, the nature of the Church is eucharistic. There is no Eucharist outside the Church, for there is no body outside the Body; and the Church cannot exist without the Eucharist. Therefore, it is impossible to be a member of the Church and not partake of what is the Body of Christ, that is, the Church Itself. In the Eucharist it is a sign of churchliness.
This is what we read from Chrysostom: “So that not only through love, but also through deed itself, we may become members of the Flesh of Christ, let us unite with this Flesh. And this happens through the food that Christ gave to express His great love to us. For this, He mixed Himself with us and dissolved His Body in us, so that we would form something single, like a body connected to a head. And this is a sign of the strongest love... In order to bring us into greater fellowship with Him and to show His love for us, He gave those who wanted not only to see Him, but also to touch, and eat, and touch His Flesh with their teeth, and unite with Him and satisfy every desire with Him."
This is what this mysterious Bread of Life is, the Bread of Heaven. Christ Himself, who descended from heaven and was born of the Most Pure Virgin in the city of Bethlehem, in the “House of Bread,” since ביח-להס [Bethlehem] means precisely the House of Bread; After 40 days, when the time had come for the Lord to create, he was brought into the Temple and received there righteous Simeon like an offering of Bread for the Last Eucharistic Supper. Predestined from eternity for the communion of the faithful, for their sanctification and deification, just as from eternity, before the foundation of the world, the Lamb of God was destined for the slaughter (1 Pet. 1:20).
In the wondrous prayer of Saint Ambrose of Milan, set by the Church for reading by the priest before the celebration of the Liturgy, this is what is said about this Bread:
“The sweetest bread... The purest bread, filled with all kinds of sweetness and incense, the Bread that the angels in heaven feed on most abundantly... Holy Bread, Living Bread, Desired Bread, come down from heaven and give life to the world.”
Bread, therefore, of eternal immortality. Bread of conciliar unity in the Church.
Everything in this teaching of the Savior is full of mystery and cannot be analyzed by reason. The Mystery of Bread eternal life is also found in its very biblical prototype, that is, in this extraordinary Old Testament manna. “The Jews,” says the interpreter of the sacred text, “seeing the falling manna, asked each other: “What is this?” - for they did not know what it was... These words, “what is this,” expressed in the form of a question, are called an object that in the Syrian language sounds like “manna”, i.e. “What is this?” אהוס ".
The bewilderment of the ancient Jew at the sight of the extraordinary heavenly manna was repeated (though much more sharply) during the Lord’s sermon in Capernaum. Here, once again in the history of human religious consciousness, the fact of a painful aporia, a hopeless dead end, was confirmed.
In fact, the Judeo-pagan consciousness sought to separate the world from God, deepen the gap between them, and emphasize the irresistible transcendence of God for the world. Therefore, the Christian dogma about the Incarnation of the Word, about the incarnation of God, that is, the confession of faith in the immanence of the Divine, with His visible transcendence, is so unacceptable and incredible for non-Christianity. That is why Docetism, Manichaeism, Ebionism and Arianism so stubbornly resisted Orthodoxy and found a large number of supporters among the educated and at the same time pious people of their time. The mind, unenlightened by the light of Christian teaching, searched in pagan philosophy and found in it arguments against such a seemingly daring belittlement of God, kenosis, since the impoverishment of God, His condescension seemed madness, and madness is unacceptable.
“According to pagan thinkers,” let’s say in the words of V. Nesmelov, “the whole misfortune of human life lies in the connection between the immortal spirit and the mortal body, because this connection necessarily creates a fatal contradiction in human nature and life... They recognized the connection between the spirit and the body in human nature for an unnatural connection, and this recognition determined the entire further construction of their soteriological views." And since the human mind cannot be satisfied with either the system of materialistic monism, or the system of spiritualistic or idealistic monism, then naturally the dualistic worldview remains uniformly acceptable. But if from the dualistic worldview (i.e. from the recognition of the presence of two principles in man, spirit and body) the temptation of occasionalism easily follows, which is in no way able to substantiate and comprehend the very existence of the spirit in a body alien to it, then, consequently, we must look for something -something different, different from occasionalism, an approach to body and spirit. We must justify the body in the face of the spiritual principle, we must believe in the possibility of its spirituality (σώμα πνευματικόν [spiritual body]). That is why Orthodox theological thought, through long and painful searches, disputes, theological daring questioning and, of course, with the participation of centuries of mystical and ascetic experience, came to the faith and doctrine of deified flesh, which among the mystics of the East was expressed in the doctrine of “godlike flesh” (especially by Saint Gregory Palamas).
The Jews asked: “How can He give us His flesh to eat?” (6:52). On this occasion, Chrysostom notes well: “What the prophets resurrected, the apostles knew, although Scripture speaks about this not so clearly; but for anyone to eat flesh, none of the prophets ever spoke about this.”
It is this σώμα πνευματικόν or όμοθεον σώμα [body one with the Divine] that was the stumbling block for the rationalizing Capernaum listeners of Christ and remains the same stone for modern rationalists. The Jews asked: “How can He give us His flesh to eat?” (6:52). The Savior’s words tempted even the disciples close to Him who constantly listened to Him (6:61). “From that time on, many of His disciples departed from Him and walked no more with Him” (6:66).
How typical this is for all times, up to and including ours! The Jews saw the miracles of Christ and were amazed at them; They listened to His moral teaching and accepted it with reverence, as the most sublime sermon, and with this they were ready to limit the range of their religious needs. The dogmatic teaching about the eternal existence of the Son (John 8:58) and about His consubstantiality with the Father seemed blasphemous to the pious Jew (John 5:18; 10: 30-31). And this teaching in the “Capernaum host” about the possibility of sanctification of the body, about communion with the deified flesh, about deification, thus, of oneself and about the resurrection in this body - all this seemed like madness and plunged the Jewish rationalist into grief and pushed even disciples close to Him. Isn't that what we see now? Isn't it the same spirit of rationalism and skepticism that torments our minds? Don’t we want to see in the Last Supper only the “touching” scene of the farewell meal with the disciples and, after that, in the Liturgy - only a symbolic memory of this Supper? Aren’t many believers these days leaving Christ and the Church like the Lord’s disciples who were tempted?
Oh, how many in our time are ready to accept in the Gospel only “exceptionally high moral preaching” and, following Renan and Tolstoy, to see in Christ only “a perfect moral teacher!” Oh, how many do not understand that the Eucharist is the central point of Christian religious life that without her there is no Church, and there is no Eternal God-Man Himself!
There are people who yearn for spiritual blessings, says Lagrange, who seek them near the Lord Jesus Christ. But the Eucharist turns them away; they accept it only as a memory of the past. But then Jesus is not really present among them; He is, as it were, deprived of the divine property of being everywhere and always with His own. He is given to a certain moment in history... And they say: “How can this Man give us His Flesh to eat?”
That is why the Savior offered this sermon of His about the Heavenly Bread long before the Last Supper, in order to prepare His apostles to accept this thought, in order to accustom them to it. The rationalistic consciousness of the average religious man in the street cannot accept this too daring, dizzying thought. It will apparently remain “foolishness” for many for many centuries to come. Accepting the Eucharist, accepting the doctrine of the deified flesh, the incarnation of God, may be much more difficult than agreeing with the idea of the existence of God.
How do we know about humility? Jesus Christ himself calls us to learn this virtue from him. And before that, we watched the life of the Most Holy Lady, who by example showed that there is humility. In the understanding of the holy fathers and church writers, humility is a Divine mystery comprehended by spiritual experience. According to them, the virtue of humility is an ineffable Divine grace, which cannot be described in human language, but can only be known through own experience. At the same time, the holy fathers highlighted the essential features of virtue that can at least somehow characterize it. These are the features that are worth talking about.. 
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Humility in the earthly life of the Lord Jesus Christ
The religious and moral foundation of the virtue of humility finds its existential position in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. St. Ignatius Brianchaninov writes: “Humility is the teaching of Christ, is the property of Christ, is the action of Christ.” The Lord calls on all His faithful followers to learn true humility and meekness from Him. Speaking about humility as an important moral component in a person’s life, the Savior teaches that humility gives a person peace, tranquility and inner harmony: Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls ( εἰμι καὶ ταπεινὸς τῇ καρδίᾳ καὶ εὑρήσετε ἀνάπαυσιν ταῖς ψυχαῖς ὑμῶν ) (Matt. 11:29).
Speaking about the Lord Jesus Christ, the Apostle Paul points to humility as an important component of His Theanthropic Person. Moreover, the apostle points to significant moments of His life, which are interpreted by the apostle with genuine humility. He, being the image of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God; but he made himself of no reputation, taking the form of a servant, becoming in the likeness of men, and becoming in appearance like a man; humbled (Greek: ἐταπείνωσεν, slav.: humbled lat.: humiliavit) Himself, being obedient even to death, and death on the cross. Therefore God has highly exalted Him and given Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Phil. 2:6-11).
This New Testament passage more fully reflects the Christian teaching on humility. The Lord absolutely voluntarily went into suffering for the sake of man’s salvation, “this was the assumed actual goal ... of Christ’s humiliation, so that everyone and everyone would voluntarily submit to the saving majesty of Christ.” As Professor N.N. Glubokovsky notes: “ Κένωσις came along with the perception of the slave's eye and continued further into different types the earthly ministry of Christ, which - compared with essential equality with God - everything, from beginning to end, and in all forms, was Filial self-abasement."
According to the thoughts of the holy fathers, the entire life of the Lord Jesus Christ is one great example of humility. As St. writes. Basil the Great, the entire life path of Christ from birth to death teaches humility: “Thus He went through the whole human life from birth to the end and after such humility He finally reveals glory, glorifying with Him those who were dishonored with Him.”
In the entire life of the Lord Jesus Christ there is neither deed nor action in which anger, irritability, or hatred would be revealed.
Indeed, the Lord was not born in the royal chambers, surrounded by luxury and wealth; a manger was chosen as the birthplace. Throughout his preaching, the Lord was indifferent to human glory, did not seek praise, and went secretly to pray in the mountains. He served and pleased everyone. For the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and give His soul as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45). The Lord washed the feet of His disciples and resignedly endured insults, torment and suffering on the Cross from the evil Jews. In the entire life of the Lord Jesus Christ there is neither deed nor action in which anger, irritability, or hatred would be revealed.
“By cultivating this virtue in his disciples, the Lord instructs them to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy” (Luke 12:1), points to a meek and trusting child as an example to follow (Matthew 18:2; Mark 9:36- 37; Luke 9:47-48), shows an example of His own humility by washing the disciples’ feet at the Passover meal (John 13:14-15). Humility is the foundation of love."
Humility of the Mother of God
A great morally instructive example of humility is Mother of God. Humility elevated Her above Angels and men, making Her the Mother of God Himself. And Mary said: My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, because He has looked upon the lowly ( ταπείνωσις ) My servants, for from now on all generations will call Me blessed (Luke 1:46-48).
Researcher priest Pavel Lizgunov, pointing to the philological peculiarity of the spoken words of the Mother of God, says that the original word ταπείνωσις could be an Aramaic word going back to Hebrew oni(distress, poverty, humility) oranawa(humility, meekness).
Sacred Tradition points to a special case that emphasizes the depth of humility of the Mother of God, combined with selfless love for God and people. “Once, in the book of the prophet Isaiah, She read a prophecy about Christ and His Mother... and faith illuminated, and love inflamed Her soul. But out of humility... not deigning to pray for a direct approach to Emmanuel Himself, the God-Man, She limited herself to praying that She would be granted to see His Mother and to approach Her, and then only as a slave. Thus, with humility of heart, She prepared in Herself the way for the meek and humble-hearted Jesus.”
The humility of the future Mother of God moved Her to deep mental-heartfelt prayer to God. Staying in the Holy of Holies of the Old Testament Temple, Holy Virgin The Mother of God, with the deep suffering of a humble heart for the entire human race, ascended to the extreme heights of the vision of God, praying to the Creator Himself to destroy the oath from among us, to stop the fire of pride and its generation - sin, “corrupting the pasture of human souls.”
The humility of the Mother of God is revealed in all episodes of her life. Humility at the promise, birth, search in Jerusalem for a twelve-year-old boy, in Simeon’s prophecy that her heart would pass through the weapon, in humbly following Christ and serving Him, in silent standing at the Cross, and many others.
To the greeting of Archangel Gabriel, who announces the fulfillment great secret, Holy Mother of God“out of the self-abasement in which she is accustomed to rest”, “is in no hurry to answer,” for this high greeting “puts the unknown Virgin above all the wives in the world,” and She constantly strives into the depths of humility. And when the Archangel predicts to Her the mysterious “conception in the womb, the birth of the Son, His saving Name, His Divine dignity... an endless kingdom,” and “how many more subjects for testing and ranting!”, then “The Graceful One does not dare to experience the mysteries of grace.”
In her earthly life, the Most Holy Theotokos avoided glory, confining glory in Her heart and withholding it from manifestation. She did not even reveal to the righteous Joseph about the appearance of the Archangel and the miracle of the Annunciation. “The angel himself announced to Joseph about Mary’s miraculous conception from the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:18-25).”
The Most Holy Theotokos became “not just an instrument who wanted to present Herself for the Incarnation, but rather a Person who sought to realize in her own consciousness the meaning of the fact of Her Motherhood... She sought to receive through the Son of God that which She did not yet have in common with Him: participation in the Divine nature,” and therefore the gift of God-like humble love to the extent that it was intended by the Creator even at the creation of the first man.
The concept of “humility” in some biblical and theological dictionaries and encyclopedias
Consideration of the term for the virtue of “humility” in biblical dictionaries is generally based on the text of Holy Scripture and initially determines that humility is the extreme opposite of pride, which consists in the fact that a person thinks low of himself, as having nothing of his own, but only given by God, and doing all good things only with the help and grace of God. For example, this understanding of humility is discussed in the Bible Dictionary edited by N. N. Glubokovsky. The dictionary entry from the Biblical Encyclopedia of Archimandrite Nikifor (Bazhanov) is organized in a similar way, also defining humility as the opposite of pride and highlighting humility as a special virtue commanded to all faithful followers of Christ.
The Brockhaus Biblical Encyclopedia (first edition, 1960) indicates that “humility is not passive submission, but active, bold action... Humility does not consist in excessive self-abasement, but in the consistent awareness of one’s own insignificance and one’s position in relation to God... Humility is a form sincerity, standing in truth."
In the Catholic Encyclopedia, humility in the highest and moral sense is that a person has a modest estimate of his own worth and is subservient to others. According to this meaning, no person can humiliate another, but only himself, and he can do this correctly only with the help of Divine grace. At the same time, according to the Catholic Encyclopedia, a humble person considers his own shortcomings, has a humble opinion of himself and willingly submits to God and others for God's sake. At the same time, the encyclopedia assigns a more modest role to the virtue of humility. In the authors' understanding, humility is a secondary virtue that finds its basis in the main and fundamental virtue - patience.
In patristic Greek dictionary Lampe G.W.H. the following definition is given. Humility ( ταπεινοφροσύνη ) is a fundamental Christian virtue. At the same time, many references are made to quotes from the holy fathers and passages from the Holy Scriptures.
In L. I. Vasilenko’s brief religious and philosophical dictionary, humility is considered one of the highest virtues in Christian ethics. “Humility is often mistakenly identified with thoughtless and unrequited obedience to some authority not from God or dull submission to circumstances imposed by life. But in reality, humility is living in peace with God, free and courageous consent to his will, discipleship with Christ and the willingness to take on the problems that arise from this - bearing the cross. The humility that Christianity teaches is essentially the greatest daring; from the point of view of the wisdom of this age - unforgivable insolence, the height of optimistic madness. To seriously recognize oneself as small and insignificant before God means to seriously believe that one stands in some in real terms to God."
The Dictionary of Biblical Theology, published in 1974 in Brussels, identifies the concepts of humility and modesty. “Humility in the biblical understanding is, first of all, modesty, which is opposed to vanity. A modest person does not have unreasonable claims and is not self-confident. Humility, which is opposed to pride, is more deep level, this is the feeling that a sinful creature experiences in the face of the Almighty Trisagion."
Of particular interest is the teaching of the virtue of humility in Jewish traditions adjacent to the biblical ones. In the rabbinic Jewish tradition, the virtue of humility is given significant place. As a rule, it is interpreted as respect for other people, a feeling of one’s own insignificance before God, before the vast world He created, etc. The pinnacle of humility lies in selfless service to others.
Thus, turning to dictionary materials allows us to say that humility in the Orthodox understanding is conceptualized as a Christian virtue, which is the extreme opposite of pride and the primary virtue that provides the basis for spiritual growth. In the Catholic understanding, humility is a service virtue that finds its basis in the virtue of patience.
Understanding of humility and humility: what these concepts have in common and what is different
Many researchers have made a distinction between the concepts of humility and humility. Greek word ( ταπεινοφροσύνη) , translated into Russian as “humility of mind,” in the letter of the Apostle Paul in the third chapter to the Colossians reveals another important meaning of this concept. The term humility is seen here as "humility of mind ( lowliness of mind)", which reflects the full essential disclosure of this term of New Testament ethics not just as external behavior, namely as a state of mind.
Researcher Priest Pavel Lizgunov writes that “the Apostle Paul uses the word “humility” six times.” “The apostle says of himself that he preached, working for the Lord with all humility of mind ( μετά πάσης ταπεινοφροσύνης ) and with many tears, amid temptations (Acts 20:19), begs his disciples to act worthy of the call of a Christian, with all humility and meekness ( μετά πάσης ταπεινοφροσύνης καί πράύτητος ) and long-suffering, bearing with one another in love ( ανεχόμενοι αλληλων εν αγάπη ) (Eph. 4:2), out of humility, considering one another better than themselves (Phil. 2:3), commands us to acquire the virtues of mercy, kindness, humility, meekness and long-suffering” (Col. 3:12).
The term humility is revealed as an act of voluntary human activity aimed at finding humility.
Researcher S. M. Zarin writes: “While ταπείνωσις ... is used to denote the external position in which someone is and, therefore, highlights, first of all, and predominantly the passive moment, ταπεινοφροσύνη gives the idea of “humility” as an act and manifestation of a consciously free life. Already the philological meaning of the term contains an indication that it expresses the actually humble way of thinking of a person and certainly presupposes a moment of consciously free participation in the mood it denotes.” Thus, the term humility is revealed as an act of voluntary human activity aimed at finding humility.
Professor N. E. Pestov calls humility the initial stage of humility. He believes that humility expresses a state of seeking humility and is not a gift from God.
An interesting and different definition from the above-mentioned researchers is given by Archpriest Vyacheslav Sveshnikov. He believes that “humility is a system of consciousness, very pure and morally impeccable, on the basis of which humility is developed and which itself is the result of humility. Humility is the humility of a proud mind."
Having considered different cases Using the word humility, we can conclude that the semantic component does not differ significantly from the old and new meanings of the term humility. In the subsequent Christian tradition, a distinction was made between these terms, but the idea of one or another conclusion was not always perceptible. So, for example, St. John Chrysostom writes: “What is humility? Think humbly about yourself" ( Τί ονν εστι ταπεινοφροσύνη ; Το ταπεινά φρονε " ιν ) . And further: “It is not the one who is necessarily humiliated who thinks humbly, but the one who humiliates himself ( ταπεινάδεφρονεΐ , ούχ Oαπό άνάγκηςών ταπεινός , άλλ " Oεαυτόν ταπεινών ). When someone, having the opportunity to think highly of himself, thinks humbly, then he is humbly wise. If someone who has not had such an opportunity thinks humbly, he is not yet humbly wise. (Όταν τις υψηλά δννάμενος φρονήσαι ταπεινοφρονη , οντος ταπεινόφρων έστίν · όταν δε παρά το μή δύνασθαι ταπεινοφρονη , ονκέτι ταπεινόφρων έστίν ) ". In this definition, there is complete synonymy.
Definition of humility in the works of the holy fathers and church writers. Properties of humility: “Humility is a nameless grace in the soul”
The question of understanding humility in patristic thought was considered in many ways. It can be said that the holy fathers did not give a single and precise definition to this question, but, thanks to the experienced knowledge of humility, the ancient holy authors noted the essential features and properties of this virtue. St. Petersburg writes about the incomprehensibility of humility. John Climacus: “Humility is a nameless grace in the soul, only named by those who have experienced it. This is ineffable wealth, God's naming and alms ( Τ απεινοφροσύνη ἐστί ανώνυμος χάρις ψ υ χῆς , μόνοις ευώνυμος τοῖς τήν πειραν εἰλήφασιν, ἄφραστος πλούτος Θεό ονομασία , και χορηγία ) ". Interpreting these words of St. John, Metropolitan Athanasius of Limassol writes: “Humility is so rich and so perfect that it cannot be limited to one definition or name... That is, humility is the experience of the one who possesses it; only he can express it. It is inexpressible wealth, it is the name of God."
From these words of the great ascetic it becomes clear that humility cannot be given a specific systematic definition. And therefore, as the abbot of Mount Sinai correctly concludes: “... we cannot say what exactly is the power and essence of this sun (humility), however, by its properties and actions we can comprehend its essence.” The virtue of humility, according to the teachings of St. John Climacus, belongs to the number of supernatural virtues, the teacher of which is God Himself.
Modern devotees of piety and holy fathers tried to comprehend humility through all the accumulated rich experience of the Church. If we turn to the legacy of the Glinsky and Optina elders, we can see, according to some researchers, that the topic of humility was considered exclusively from the position of patristic understanding. Therefore, their reasoning about humility was based on the knowledge that was described from the perspective of practical experience.
Researcher A. Gurov in his work “The Teaching of the Optina and Glinsk Elders on Humility” writes that the topic of humility was not revealed exclusively in a new way, the Optina and Glinsk Elders “reasoned and thought in the same direction with the Monk Isaac, Saint John Climacus and Reverend Abba Dorotheos. This is evidenced by the repeated and precise quoting of these holy fathers by the elders.”
Undoubtedly, in their works the theme of humility is given first place in the matter of spiritual growth. St. Iliodor (Golovanitsky) wrote that “the most important thing for salvation is humility.” If “there is humility, everything is there, but if there is no humility, there is nothing,” said the Monk Barsanuphius of Optina, who believes that “without humility, virtue is nothing.”
At the same time, the works of the holy fathers also do not give a clear definition of humility. Schema-abbot Savva (Ostapenko), in response to a person asking about what humility is, answered that the holy fathers did not give a “single and precise definition” to this question. Next, the author cites a number of quotations that have already been given above with their Greek original. The schema abbot himself is confident that “humility cannot be given a firm, concrete definition, because it is God’s name.”
Humility opens a vision of truth to a person, for a mind darkened by egoism is not able to perceive objective reality in accordance with common sense.
An interesting idea is emphasized by Schema-Archimandrite John (Maslov) and St. Porfiry Kavsokalivit. The main thesis boils down to the idea that humility opens a person to a vision of truth. For a mind clouded by egoism is not able to perceive objective reality in accordance with common sense. And only a humble heart can see the truth.
St. Paisiy Svyatogorets saw humility as a diminishment in everything - in words, deeds, actions. According to the holy father, it is the exercise in this work and the resigned endurance of temptations that brings a person into a state of humility; a humble person considers himself lower than every creature.
Humility as one's own self-abasement
The Holy Fathers pointed to important feature humility. In their understanding, humility lies in one's own self-abasement. Thus, Saint Barsanuphius the Great says that humility in relation to others consists of “in no case considering oneself for something, cutting off one’s own will in everything, obeying everyone and without embarrassment enduring what befalls us from the outside, considering oneself according to their sins worthy of everyone humiliation and sorrow» .
Holy Venerable Isaac the Syrian says that the perfection of humility is to joyfully endure false accusations. At the same time, the holy father does not speak about the ascetic exercise in voluntary self-abasement, but relates his word to people who have succeeded in this virtue.
St. Macarius the Great considered humility in the context of personal relationships with others; in his understanding, the humble is the one who considers everyone to be superior to himself and he calls the humble one “who is lower than everyone else.” “Humility consists in yielding to those who are apparently inferior to us, and giving preference to those who are considered inferior to us,” says St. John Chrysostom. St. rights Abba Isaiah, being asked what humility is, answered: “... humility is to present oneself as more sinful than all people and to humiliate oneself as not doing anything good before God.”
At the same time, according to Professor S. M. Zarin, the state of humility reflects “not a passive state that weakens and belittles a person’s self-awareness, but on the contrary, it is associated with the complete tension of all a person’s forces with the goal of endlessly approaching the ideal of religious and moral perfection.”
Humility as a peaceful state of mind
Considering humility as a concept of the Orthodox Christian worldview, some Russian holy fathers derived the definition of the concept from the Russian language, focusing on the root of the word itself. The very idea is that humility in this way is seen as a state of “peace” and “reconciliation.” Yes, St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov), referring to this linguistic interpretation, gives the following explanation of humility: “Virtue - humility - received its name from the inner heartfelt world it gives birth to.”
We encounter something similar in the reflections of the famous theologian and preacher Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh: “Humility, if we talk about the Russian word, begins from the moment when we enter into a state inner world: peace with God, peace with conscience and peace with those people whose judgment reflects God's judgment; this is reconciliation. At the same time, this is reconciliation with all the circumstances of life, the state of a person who accepts everything that happens from the hand of God.”
Thus, the Russian linguistic picture of the word “humility” allows us to consider this word as an understanding of “peace”, “reconciliation” with God and people.
A humble person does not see his own virtues
Saint Ignatius Brianchaninov points out an important feature that characterizes the virtue of humility. He writes: “Humility does not see itself as humble. On the contrary, it sees a lot of pride in itself. It takes care of finding all its branches; looking for them, he sees that there is a lot more to look for.”
According to the thoughts of the holy fathers, a person who has acquired humility and “drawn closer” to God sees himself more and more as imperfect. St. Macarius the Great describes such a person as follows: “... the more they try to succeed and acquire, the more they recognize themselves as poor, as meager in everything and having acquired nothing... and such a thought is implanted in him as natural; and the deeper he enters into the knowledge of God, the more he considers himself ignorant; The more he studies, the more he admits that he knows nothing. This promoting grace produces in the soul as something natural.” Many holy fathers wrote about this: St. John Climacus, St. Macarius of Optina, St. Tikhon Zadonsky and others.
The Holy Fathers write that the closer a person approaches God, the more he notices his unworthiness, just as someone approaches the sun, the more clearly he sees spots on his body and shortcomings.
We can conclude that true humility is found in the experience of the deep depravity and insufficiency of everything “one’s own” and in the search for correction and replenishment of “one’s own” in Divine purity and completeness. The value of this experience lies in its origins - in a genuine turn to God.
Humility is born from comparing one's weakness with the greatness and holiness of God
The Holy Fathers write that the closer a person approaches God, the more he notices his unworthiness. Just as someone moves closer to the sun, they see their body's spots and imperfections more clearly. Seeing the perfection of God, a person, by comparison, sees himself as a sinner, imperfect, sees his weaknesses, vices, impurity, and from this comes to humility.
Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh expressed an interesting idea about humility. He says that a mistake is the idea of humility, which is formed in a person by force, through humiliation, insults, etc. Such an understanding is important for pastoral work. The author tries to prove that true humility is born from a vision of God's holiness. Here Metropolitan Anthony rejects the model of humility that was perceived in the Old Testament, i.e. humility as humiliation. The author says that “one of the mistakes of preachers and textbooks of a false ascetic attitude is to instill humility in a person by trampling him thoroughly in the mud... none of us gains more humility from being trampled. Humility appears when we are truly amazed at the incommensurability between ourselves and something that we can only look at in silence and amazement. And among saints, humility is born from the vision of God, and not at all from endless looking at oneself.”
An excellent example of humility born from the vision of God is illustrated by St. Abba Dorotheos: “I remember once we had a conversation about humility, and one of the noble (citizens) of the city of Gaza, hearing our words that the more one approaches God, the more he sees himself as a sinner, was surprised and said: “How can this be ? And, not understanding, I wanted to find out what these words meant. I told him: “Eminent gentleman, tell me, who do you consider yourself to be in your city?” He answered: “I consider myself great and the first in the city.” I tell him: “If you go to Caesarea, who will you consider yourself to be there?” He answered “For the last of the nobles there.” “If, I tell him again, you go to Antioch, who will you consider yourself to be there?” “There,” he answered, “I will consider myself one of the common people.” “If,” I say, “you go to Constantinople and approach the king, who will you consider yourself to be?” And he answered: “Almost like a beggar.” Then I told him: “That’s how the saints are, the closer they come to God, the more they see themselves as sinners.”
Humility is not a sign of weakness
Bishop Alexander (Mileant) in his work “Poverty that enriches. On the virtue of humility,” gives the following definition: “Humility is a fundamental virtue, without which it is impossible to succeed in anything good.” At the same time, the author shows the fallacy of the secular worldview, which correlates humility with the manifestation of weakness and “instilling in a person the psychology of slavish servility.” The same idea is emphasized by Archbishop Jacob (Maskaev): “Humility of the human spirit is not weakness, but the extraordinary strength of man.” Archbishop John Shakhovskoy speaks about this: “Humility of the human spirit is not weakness, but an extraordinary strength of man. The essence of pride is to close oneself to God, the essence of humility is to let God live in oneself.”
The Venerable Arsenia Ust-Medveditskaya (Sebryakova) writes that “humility is a force that embraces the heart, alienating it from everything earthly, giving it the concept of that feeling of eternal life that cannot ascend to the heart of a carnal man.”
Having examined the patristic descriptions of the properties of the virtue of humility, we can draw an intermediate conclusion. True humility is a Divine mystery, incomprehensible to the human mind, but comprehended by spiritual experience; humility is characterized by a low assessment of oneself, of one’s virtues, attributing every good thing in oneself to God and placing oneself below one’s peers. In the works of the holy fathers and modern devotees of piety, the concept of humility is considered broadly and non-specifically. Like their predecessors, our contemporaries do not dare to give an exact definition of the virtue of humility; on the contrary, they point to its characteristics and the fruits of its manifestation.
Priest Vladimir Tolstoy
Key words: humility, Jesus Christ, Mother of God, virtue, patience, definition, dictionaries, state of mind, humility, holy fathers
Arsenia (Sebryakova), abbot. Pure heart. - M.: Annunciation, 2010. - P. 67
“From the sermon of Archimandrite Kiril (Pavlov)
Our neighbor does not depend on us in anything, he does not owe us anything. We all belong to God; life and death of people are in His hands. We are children of one Heavenly Father, Who awarded each person with various gifts, mental and physical; therefore, only the Lord has the right to demand from our neighbor an account of whether he correctly uses the talents given to him, whether he abuses them to harm himself or his neighbors. We should not enter into the proceedings of other people's affairs, give them this or that assessment.
Rev. Ambrose
“You need to humble yourself, irritation and condemnation come from pride.” [The elder] drew a chain of rings and pointed out that sins, like a chain, are connected with one another and come from one another.
...Do not rush to judge and condemn, because the people we see on the inside are not always what they seem on the outside. Often a person will begin to speak out of ordinary human weakness and, before finishing the conversation, he already begins to realize that he is not saying what he should, and, having come to his cell, bitterly repents of what he said or did. St. Mark the Ascetic writes: “From deeds and words and thoughts the righteous is one, but from the repentance of the righteous woman there are many.”
Don’t go into consideration of people’s actions, don’t judge, don’t say: why is this, why is this? It’s better to say to yourself: “What do I care about them? It’s not for me to answer for them Last Judgment God." Distract your thoughts in every possible way from the gossip of human affairs, and pray with zeal to the Lord, so that He Himself will help you in this, because without God’s help we cannot do anything good, just as the Lord Himself said: “without Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5). Beware of suspicion like fire, because the enemy of the human race catches people in his net by trying to present everything in a distorted form as white as black and black as white, as he did with the first parents Adam and Eve in paradise.
Some are condemned to sin from habit, others from memory of malice, others from envy and hatred, and for the most part We are subjected to this sin from conceit and exaltation; Despite our great incorrigibility and sinfulness, it still seems to us that we are better than many. If we want to correct ourselves from the sin of condemnation, then we must in every possible way force ourselves to humility before God and people and ask for God’s help in this...
Rev. Maxim the Confessor
- He who is curious about the sins of others or judges his brother out of suspicion has not yet made the beginning of repentance and has not taken the trouble to find out his own sins, which are truly graver than many pounds of lead, and does not know why a person is hard-hearted, loving vanity and seeking lies (Ps. 4 , 3) and therefore, like a madman wandering in the dark, having abandoned his sins, he dreams of strangers, true or imaginary, based on one suspicion.
Rev. Nikodim Svyatogorets
- From pride and conceit, another kind of evil is generated in us, causing us serious harm, namely, strict judgment and condemnation of our neighbor, according to which we then regard it as nothing, despise and humiliate him on occasion. Giving yourself high price and thinking highly of ourselves, naturally, we look down on others, condemn them and despise them, since it seems to us that we are far from those shortcomings that, as we think, are not alien to others. But you are not given the power to do this, and by arrogating this power to yourself, at this moment you yourself become worthy of judgment and condemnation, not before weak people, but before the all-powerful Judge, God of all.
Rev. Anthony the Great
- If you see that your brother has sinned, do not despise him, do not turn away from him and do not condemn him, for otherwise you yourself will fall into the hands of your enemies.
- Do not condemn any mortal, so that God does not despise your prayers.
Abba Dorotheus
- Whose business is it to confuse, condemn and harm if not the demonic? And so we find ourselves helping demons to our own and our neighbor’s destruction. Why is this so? Because there is no love in us! For love covers a multitude of sins (1 Peter 4:8). The saints do not condemn the sinner and do not turn away from him, but have compassion for him, grieve for him, admonish him, console him, heal him like a sick member and do everything to save him.
Venerable Simeon of Pskov-Pechersk
A good person sees all people as good, but the evil and evil one not only crookedly, but also suspects those who walk upright, reproaches, condemns and slanders.
We condemn our neighbors because we do not try to know ourselves. He who is busy knowing himself, his shortcomings, sins, passions, has no time to notice others. Remembering our own sins, we will never think about others. It’s crazy to leave your dead body, your soul, and go cry over your neighbor’s dead body.
By judging vicious people, we condemn ourselves, because we are not free from sins. When we cover our brother’s sin, then God will cover our sins, and when we discover our brother’s sin, God will reveal our sins.
The tongue of a condemner is more evil than hell: even hell will only take the evil, but the tongue devours both the evil and the good. Strict judgment of one's neighbor does not show goodwill, but hatred towards a person.
Prayer to St. Ephraim the Syrian... “Lord, grant me to see my sins and not condemn my brother”
Do not ridicule or condemn someone who has fallen into temptation, but pray often so that you yourself do not fall into temptation. Before death, do not please anyone, and before death, do not despair of anyone.
It is good to raise someone who has fallen to his feet, and not to ridicule him.
St. John Chrysostom
Do not judge others, but try to correct yourself, so that you yourself are not worthy of condemnation. Everyone falls when God does not strengthen him; we cannot stand without God’s help. By judging your neighbor, you made the one who heard you worse. If this is a sinner, then he becomes careless, having found an accomplice in sin; and if he is a righteous person, then he falls into pride and becomes arrogant because of someone else’s sin, receiving a reason to think highly of himself.
St. Isaiah the Hermit
He who has a pure heart considers all people to be pure, but he who has a heart defiled by passions does not consider anyone pure, but thinks that everyone is like him.
Rev. Macarius
With the purity of our thoughts we can see everyone as holy and good. When we see them as bad, it comes from our dispensation.”
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