There are things in our lives that we have studied very well, and things that continue to remain a secret behind seven seals for us. For example, most people are well aware of what important role money plays. Any of us can confidently say that having enough money is good! And he will be right, because money is a cozy home, money is a hearty and tasty dinner, money is good-quality and beautiful clothes.
You don't have to have money to realize the value of money. higher education. People spend money on getting them most their lives, and many even take risks, causing harm to their health.
Western Donbass, the region in which I live, is a mining region. There are ten large coal mines here, so almost every family has at least one miner, and there are also entire dynasties of miners. To earn money, a miner daily descends underground to a depth of 380 meters, squeezes into the lava, which is something like a hole 70-100 centimeters high, here he sometimes has to crawl up to 200 meters on his knees, where he also has to work: carry metal , shovels, sledgehammers. It happens that miners have to work knee-deep in water. In addition, working in a mine is dangerous because a lot of mechanisms and equipment are used there, and around closed space. It happens that there are collapses and fires in mines, and in the event of an accident there is often nowhere to hide.
Why do miners expose their lives to such danger? For the sake of a couple of thousand hryvnias, which their wives spend in the blink of an eye.
Why do people, sometimes the closest and dearest, quarrel and become sworn enemies? The Bible says that “...the love of money is the root of all evil...” (1 Timothy 6:10). The main reason for the vast majority of wars and conflicts is the struggle for money.
However, finance is just a small part of our physical, material world, which is not the fundamental principle of existence. The basis of everything that has been happening for several millennia on planet Earth is the processes occurring in the spiritual world. And no matter how many arguments philosophers put forward in favor of the primacy of matter, life brings us evidence every day that everything that exists originates in the spiritual world. Even science today does not dare to dispute this statement.
Behind Lately I studied a lot of materials about the Second World War - documentaries, books, newspaper publications. Many researchers have come to the conclusion that the policy of the Third Reich was based on the principles of occult magic. There is evidence that Hitler considered himself a magician and was surrounded by advisers privy to the secrets of esoteric orders. Time of attacks and advances German army coincided with various spiritual dates. Hitler consulted the fortuneteller in all his actions, and a special ritual of initiation into SS soldiers was carried out. In addition, ten percent of the German army soldiers were involved in the extermination of people in concentration camps, Where massacres prisoners of war, who could simply be forced to work, resembled sacrifices. Hitler at one time carefully studied the works of Blavatsky and sent people from his circle to Tibet. All this was done with the sole purpose of gaining the protection of the spiritual world and gaining victory over the world.
Hitler was confident that he would conquer the entire Earth, relying not on the physical world, but on the spiritual one.
Hitler's descent into the satanic spiritual world occurred during his stay in Vienna, where he arrived in 1907 to enter the Academy of Arts. A complete failure in the entrance exams and the subsequent series of misfortunes - the death of his beloved mother, wandering around shelters due to lack of funds, exclusion from new entrance exams to the academy - plunged young Hitler, who considered himself a brilliant artist, into a state of depression and depression. Unlike most people who have not found their place in life, young Hitler never tried to isolate himself from reality through alcohol or smoking. All free time he spent time in libraries, where he improved his knowledge in various fields of science. He read everything from books on history and economics to occult novels, works on hypnosis, spiritualism and studies of the doctrines of Eastern religions.
After arriving in Vienna, Hitler became a member of several occult societies and attended spiritualistic séances. Hitler's friend Walter Stein, a Jew who managed to emigrate to England before his former friend launched global anti-Semitic propaganda, said that the Nazi Party was indeed satanic in nature.
The object of Hitler's special worship was the so-called Spear of Destiny. This item was also called the Holy Spear and was a weapon with which the Roman centurion (centurion) Gaius Cassius pierced the body of the crucified Jesus. Thus, Casius fulfilled the biblical prophecy, which read: “They will look to Him whom they have pierced.”
After this, the legionnaire was miraculously cured of cataracts, so he believed in higher power and became a saint, and then a preacher, taking a new name - Longinus. He was revered as a hero, and after his death he became one of the first martyrs, and later saints, involved in the new religion.
Alleged "Spear of Destiny"
It was believed that after performing the “strike of mercy” the spear gained wonderful properties. Moreover, it had wonderful story. Tradition says that this spear was forged as a talisman that was supposed to bring victory to the Jewish people in the fight against the Babylonians. It is believed that Joshua held it in his hands during the storming of Jericho. Then the spear allegedly passed to King Herod, who never parted with it for long, but during the execution of Christ, it is unknown how it ended up in the hands of Cassius.
Later, the Spear of Destiny was owned by many royals - the Byzantine emperor Constantine the Great, who declared Christianity the official religion of his kingdom, the German leader Allaric, who stopped the invasion of the Huns and saved the Roman Empire (though not for long). Among the owners of the Spear of Destiny were Charles Martell, who defeated the Muslims, and Henry I the Birdcatcher, who allegedly stopped the invasion of hordes of nomads from the East with the help of a magical spear at the beginning of the 10th century. Subsequently, the spear became the property of the royal family of Hohenstaufen. Frederick Barbarossa, who led the Holy Roman Empire of the Germanic peoples to its heyday, did not part with him for a minute. According to legend, he died soon after he dropped his spear into the river while crossing it.
Napoleon also tried to take possession of the Spear of Destiny, but it was secretly taken to Vienna. Mostly military leaders tried to get the Spear of Longinus. In their hands it turned into formidable weapon, which ensured their victory in battles. Those who observed the fate of the spear might have formed the opinion that it protected Europe from the invasions of foreigners.
Hitler saw the Spear of Destiny in the Hofbug Museum in Vienna, where he came with his friend Stein. The guide told about the legend associated with this spear. The one who takes possession of it and reveals the secret contained in it will determine the fate of the world. Perhaps the guide himself did not attach any importance to his words, but Adolf immediately believed in them.
Stein said that upon seeing the spear, Hitler literally fell into a trance. His face turned red, his eyes sparkled with a strange light. He swayed on his feet, overwhelmed by unspeakable euphoria, the very space around him seemed to be permeated with a subtle glow. Hitler's face was transformed, as if some omnipotent spirit had suddenly taken possession of his soul, creating in him and around him a destructive transformation of his own nature.
The next day, Hitler came to the museum again and stood near the Spear of Destiny for almost the entire day. Such visits became quite frequent, during which Adolf always fell into a trance. His friend Stein clearly realized that the future Fuhrer, in his words, “has made a pact with the demon, and there is no doubt that Hitler is the Antichrist.”
While contemplating the spear, Hitler seemed to be convinced that it had magical properties and is capable of giving its owner unlimited powers. In addition, Adolf gained firm confidence that he was chosen for the “sacred” mission - to cleanse the country of aliens from the East. Hitler began to consider himself the reincarnation of Emperor Frederick II Barbarossa, who owned this talisman and more than once defeated the enemy with its help. And when one of Hitler’s occult apostles, Houston Chamberlain, shared with him his thoughts that Jesus Christ was an Aryan, the Fuhrer began, by hook or by crook, to strive to take possession of the weapon that was dear to him. After the unification of Germany and Austria in 1938, Hitler sent a special SS group to the Habsburg Museum. They loaded the Spear of Destiny onto an armored train and a few days later it was delivered to St. Catherine's Cathedral in Nuremberg. Here the spear stood for six years, guarded by officers from the Fuhrer's personal division. The leader of the nation himself often visited there and spent long hours near the Spear of Destiny, deep in thought.
As Allied troops began to approach the city, the spear was placed in Hitler's personal underground bunker. On April 30, 1945, the relic was captured by American Lieutenant Walter Horn, after which it passed into the temporary use of US President Truman. It later turned out that Hitler committed suicide an hour after the Americans took possession of the spear.
Adolf Hitler's meeting with the ancient talisman of power was, apparently, not accidental. After her, he found what he lacked in order to become the Fuhrer, the “messiah.” Namely, the idea of one’s own chosenness and magical power, whose symbol was the famous Spear of Destiny.
Why Soviet Union, despite all the occult tricks of Hitler, won the Great Patriotic War? Here we can talk about the heroism of the Soviet people, who undoubtedly played an important, but not decisive role, about the specific climate of Russia, which prevented the German occupiers. But all these are components of the physical world, and the victory was won with the help of the spiritual world. It is known that Joseph Stalin studied at a theological seminary in his youth, so he knew firsthand about the existence of spiritual laws. In 1942, Stalin ordered the release of all priests who were in the Gulag camps at that time. He reopened Orthodox and Catholic churches so that people could pray to God.
On the night of September 4-5, 1943, a historic meeting between Stalin and the highest hierarchs of the Russian Federation took place. Orthodox Church- its head, Metropolitan Sergius, Metropolitan Alexy of Leningrad and Novgorod and Metropolitan Nikolai of Kyiv and Galicia. During this meeting, many of the privileges that it had before the October Revolution of 1917 were returned to the Orthodox Church. Having inquired about the situation of the Orthodox Church and thanking it for its patriotic activities (the church’s contributions to the Defense Fund during the war amounted to 300 million rubles), Stalin expressed interest in opening seminaries, academies and even new parishes, publishing a monthly Orthodox magazine, etc.
Soon the Moscow Patriarchate received a good building at its disposal, and churches began to open in villages and cities of the USSR. The publication of the “Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate” resumed, and seminaries were opened. It is known that by order of Stalin during the war, an airplane flew over Moscow seven times. miraculous icon on board. The leader, who propagated atheism and materialism, at a critical moment turned to the spiritual world for help and, as history shows, did not lose.
General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee Leonid Brezhnev, despite the fact that during the years of his leadership of the country atheism and the philosophy of materialism were taught in schools and universities, he himself, judging by certain facts of his biography, was not a materialist. It is known that an unusual cat lived in Brezhnev’s house, which was given to the Secretary General by Tibetan monks. At moments when the owner was in danger, the cat began to behave rather strangely - he rushed around the rooms, hissed, and arched. Seeing this behavior of the animal, Brezhnev tried in every possible way to protect himself. Once the miracle cat even saved the life of the Secretary General. “Warned” by his pet about the danger threatening him, Brezhnev decided to change his car that day. And not in vain, because the car in which I usually drove general secretary, the attack took place that day.
I cited these facts to confirm that almost all the leaders, leaders, kings who decided the destinies of entire nations and ended up in world history, realized the reality of the spiritual world and sought support in it.
Atheism and materialism are theories that were developed to spread among the masses, among the crowd, to educate mediocre people. Those who wanted to be first, sought to win and dominate, sooner or later began to understand that a person who relies on the physical world is initially doomed to defeat. He cannot defeat the one who draws strength from the spiritual world - God's or the devil's. Deep down, every person understands that supernatural power is in the spirit, and the flesh is an unreliable support.
What is a blessing?
The spiritual world has a greater influence on our lives than the physical world. That is why today exploring the spiritual world and its laws is more important than studying the physical world.
The most important component of the spiritual world is God's blessing. What is a blessing? I am sure that not many Christians can answer this question intelligibly. When I ask the church: “Do you want God to bless you?”, everyone answers: “Amen!” But often many parishioners say “amen” out of habit, because “that’s how it’s supposed to be said in church.” People understand that money is something concrete and understandable, but blessing is something abstract and inexplicable. And, therefore, will a person spend personal time, sacrifice his life and even risk it for the sake of what he does not understand? Of course not. Therefore, in order to become blessed, we first need to understand what God's blessing actually is.
One day I was told about an incident that happened in Kharkov, where I hold services. There lived a family in this city - a husband, wife and their two small children. The couple had profitable business– a garment factory and two shops in the central city market. Stores brought good income– 70 thousand dollars a month. Therefore, the family lived in abundance. Christians repeatedly preached the Gospel to these people and tried to convince them that it was time for them to be reconciled with God. But, alas, for this family money was a concrete thing, and God, along with His blessing, was an abstraction. In this they were like many other people who say: “I have no time to waste time on nonsense: going to church, praying, singing songs, donating! I busy man, I need to make a career, earn money!”
I am sure God is not against a career and certainly not against money. But each of us must understand that without God’s blessing we can instantly lose everything we have worked on for many years. This is what happened with this family. One day, a husband and wife were driving in a car at very high speed and had an accident. As sad as it is, neither big money nor influential connections saved their lives. Two minor children were left orphans, around whom a lively movement immediately began: relatives began to argue among themselves about who would take custody of the children, since a considerable fortune remained. The question arises: when the couple had an accident, what could save them - money or God's blessing?
A person can achieve the most high peaks, but, not having God’s blessing, will fall from his man-made Olympus and break. If we receive a blessing for our lives, it will always protect us and help us get out of any, even the most difficult situations with dignity.
Those people who have not understood what God’s blessing is, that it is a greater value than money, career, authority and respect in society, are not immune from any problems in their lives. I have met many Christians who, in order to earn big money, went far from God's blessing without realizing its value. This is happening today and happened yesterday. Let's remember gospel parable about the prodigal son. The young man lived in the house of his rather wealthy father. I am sure that he did not starve and did not dress in a second-hand store. The Bible tells us that even the servants in that house had an abundance of bread. There was plenty of everything there, so the young man realized how important it was to have enough money at his disposal.
Why prodigal son ended up at the pig trough? Because, not realizing the value of God’s blessing, he exchanged it for money. But money could be used to receive God's blessing, as King Solomon did.
The Price of God's Blessing
The Third Book of Kings tells us that when Solomon ascended the throne, he was not yet the greatest and richest king in the world. But, most likely, he was thinking about how he could get closer to God with the help of money. Solomon called the chief cattleman to him and asked: “How many bulls are there on our farm?” “We have a thousand bulls,” answered the cattleman.
Unfortunately, often when a person has money, he thinks: “I’ll buy myself a new jacket, change my car, renovate my apartment, invest money in a business, etc.”
However, Solomon thought differently: “I have my own money, I have a thousand bulls. How can I use them to receive God's blessing?" Solomon understood that a blessing is more valuable than money, so he did not solve the financial problems of the state, but used what he had for the sacrifice. The young king said:
“Build a thousand altars and burn all the bulls on them.” God looked at this sacrifice and, I think, was simply shocked! Therefore, when Solomon was praying, the Lord came to him and said: “Solomon, ask what to give you.” Solomon answered God: “I want wisdom!” What is wisdom? This is a blessing from the Lord.
Solomon understood that money and material wealth come and go, but God's blessing is something that no one will ever take away from him. Blessing is for life. If a person lives to be a hundred years old, then until he is a hundred years old he will be blessed.
So what is a blessing? This is what Solomon received.
“And God said to him (Solomon - author's note): because you asked for this, and did not ask for yourself a long life, did not ask for wealth for yourself, did not ask for the souls of your enemies, but asked for reason for yourself, so that you could judge, Behold, I will do according to your word. Behold, I have given you a heart that is wise and understanding, so that there was none like you before you, and after you there will not arise one like you. And that which you did not ask I give you, both riches and glory, so that there will be no one like you among kings all your days.”
1 Kings 3:11-13
Solomon asked only for blessings, and received blessings, wealth, and glory. He ascended the throne, and his kingdom became so rich that in the palace even the plates, clasps, buckles and straps on the servants' sandals were made of gold. And silver during the reign of Solomon was not considered a precious metal at all. Exemplary order, prosperity, and peace reigned in Israel.
This is how the life of a person upon whom God's blessing has come is different.
The Bible also contains the story of Abraham, who was the center of God's blessings. He was rich in cattle, silver and gold. Abraham won wars and people respected him. Even the Lord called him His friend, so there was a constant dialogue between God and Abraham. Would you say you are lucky in life? It’s not a matter of luck, but the fact that Abraham realized the value of God’s blessing and was ready to sacrifice a lot for it.
Agree, the act of 75-year-old Abraham, who, having obeyed God, left the places where he had lived his entire life and went to the unknown land of Canaan, is impressive. After this, everything that God promised was fulfilled in his life. And the Lord's promise was this:
“...I will produce from you great people and I will bless you and magnify you your name; and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse those who curse you; and in you all the fiery earthly creatures will be blessed.”
Genesis 12:2-3
That's what the secret was successful life Abraham. God spoke such amazing words of blessing to him! And Abraham, realizing the value of these words, decided to sacrifice his comfort, stability, his usual, smoothly flowing life and go to the land to which the Lord pointed him.
It is noteworthy that not only Abraham felt the effect of God's blessing, but also everyone around him. Abraham’s nephew Lot, who also agreed to go to Canaan, became so rich that “... the land was too big for them (Abraham and Lot - author’s note) to live together, for their property was so great that they could not live together ” (Genesis 13:6).
Money can buy many things, but money cannot buy health. You can buy a luxurious heated bed with a water mattress, but the healthy sleep impossible to buy. You can pay a prostitute, but true love you won't buy it. There is something in life that brings happiness and joy, but it cannot be bought with money. This is called a blessing from God.
You can hire heavily armed bodyguards, but no amount of money can buy God’s protection. Once I was driving a car along the highway and saw a terrible picture - an accident in which dozens of people and cars were injured. Looking at the cars lying upside down in the ditch, I thought: their owners had enough money to buy such luxurious cars, what did they lack? And they needed God's blessing. But these people, unfortunately, never had time to find out what it was.
But, having God’s blessing, you can avoid any disasters and accidents. I am sure that a blessed person will never be poor, sick, unhappy, and his destiny will never be destroyed.
God wants to take us out of curse and into blessing. It is no coincidence that the word “blessing” in its various variations appears in the Bible about 430 times.
It is based on two words – “good” and “word”. When God blesses a person, He speaks good, creative words into his life. God's Word has the ability to materialize, to become flesh - this is confirmed by many places in the Bible, in particular the Book of Genesis.
“And God said: Let there be light. And the light became
Genesis 1:3
“And God said: Let us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness... And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female he created them"
Genesis 1:26-27
The Lord created the world with the Word, so a good word spoken by God into your life will certainly bring you prosperity, success and joy. Such words revive the spirit and flesh of a person. If your body is constrained by illness, if your spirit is despondent, ask God to pronounce words of blessing on you, they will definitely heal you.
However, you should know that not only God's words materialize in our lives, but also our own. Without understanding this, most people do not attach importance to what they say. “These are just words. Well, he said it in the heat of the moment, without thinking,” is how we usually justify ourselves after we say a lot of unpleasant, offensive, destructive words to someone. Jesus once said:
“I tell you that for every idle word that people speak, they will give an answer on the day of judgment: for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
Matthew 12:36-37
God takes our words very seriously because they are the source of both blessing and curse. We need to learn to speak kind, encouraging words to those around us and to ourselves.
Andrey Tishchenko - senior bishop of Ukrainian Christian Churches(UCC) “New generation”.
Member of the Board of Directors International organization Church Growth, led by Dr. Yonggi Cho, BA in Psychology and Theology.
Why is God's blessing needed?
“The blessing of the Lord - it enriches and does not bring sorrow with it”(Proverbs 10, 22)
“...Without the blessing of God, every undertaking of ours in good and useful deeds is spiritual pride, resistance to God as non-recognition of His Divine commands or doubt...”
Athonite Elder Kirik
“If we ask, we receive, and if we do not ask, we do not receive. In everything we must rely on God, and not on ourselves, on our own strengths, abilities and means; then God will never leave His all-powerful help and Grace, for he said: Rather, mother will forget his child, than I will forget you»
Hieroschemamonk Nikolai (Tsarikovsky)
Archimandrite Kirill (Pavlov):“Many of us often work hard and for a long time, but are not successful in our work... Why do everyday failures and various troubles befall us? Why do our efforts remain unsuccessful? – Because we forget God, we have little hope in Him, we rarely turn to Him with a sincere request to bless our enterprises and labors. We all think to arrange our lives and achieve success in everyday affairs with our own mind and understanding, with our own strength and 
abilities, Without the Lord God and His blessing, and therefore all sorts of failures and disasters befall us. We want success, but we don’t have it because we don’t ask. Holy Apostle James says: You desire, but you do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask not for good, but to use it for your lusts.(James 4, 2-3).
If we want to avoid failures and to ensure that our work is successful, we will try to attract His blessing to our labors and endeavors through a God-fearing life and fervent prayers to the Lord. You can't do anything without Me(John 15:5), says the Savior in the Holy Gospel. If the Lord does not build the house, those who build it labor in vain; If the Lord does not guard the city, the watchman watches in vain(Ps. 126, 1), says the holy prophet and psalmist David.”
Hieroschemamonk Nikolai (Tsarikovsky), confessor of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra (1829-1899) spoke about the importance of blessings like this: “ When starting any business, call on God for help. Do you want to pray, fast, perform prostrations, work, walk or travel anywhere, call on the Lord God, Mother of God and His holy saints and say: “ Lord, bless and help me, a sinner
!” For the Lord Himself said: (John 15:5), that is, without Me and My help, you cannot carry out your deeds holyly and even think about anything truly good. And if someone says: “I (myself) will do this and that” and does not call on God for help, then God’s strength and help will not be with him. Then the devil will say his “and I” and will use efforts to resist the work you have begun and successfully harm it and will achieve the point that your prayer will become a sin, and in general will defile all your deeds so much that they will be disgusting to God, for you relied on yourself, and not on God, and created them without His help and protection. Work, that is, one’s various obediences, must be performed with humility, diligently asking God for help. The success of the business should be left to the will of God and not worry too much about it. And the main thing is to never boast or say with boasting: “I will do this and that,” because if grace departs from a person for vanity, then even if he begins to work, for example, to write some kind of essay, then he will not have the strength that grace gave him. What you need is now up to God, ask Him, because He Himself said: Ask and it will be given to you. If we ask, we receive, and if we don’t ask, we do not receive. In everything we must rely on God, and not on ourselves, on our own strengths, abilities and means; then God will never leave His omnipotent help and Grace, for he said: A mother would sooner forget her child than I would forget you».
Venerable Ambrose of Optina (1812-1891):“In all matters, man needs God’s help. Unless the Lord builds a house, those who build it labor in vain(Ps. 126: 1). This means: if the Lord does not bless something, then the labors will be in vain, the guard will watch in vain and will not guard against anything; and in vain will that person get up early - his affairs will not go well without the blessing of God. Therefore, it is necessary to always ask for God’s help in everything; earnest prayer is required.”
Rev. Anatoly Optinsky (Zertsalov) (1824-1894):“I approve of your prudence in not entering into any relations with others without a blessing. If you do this, you will save yourself more easily and save yourself.”
Venerable Leo of Optina (1768-1841): “...(You need) to be smart; Sometimes a good deed seems to appear, but evil done without blessing can lead to harm and spiritual confusion...”
Athonite Elder Archimandrite Kirik about God’s blessing on every deed he says: “Our life is in heaven! Where our Lord Jesus Christ ascended and there awaits us to come to Himself. From where the Lord ascended, the apostles came to that place, the Most Pure Mother of God and many others were there. The Lord Jesus Christ suddenly appeared before them, and when they saw Him, they worshiped Him, but others doubted (His Divinity) and did not worship Him. The Lord Jesus Christ said to the apostles: All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me: therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. After this, he began to ascend into heaven before the eyes of everyone, at the same time blessing them until he disappeared (at a height) from the sight of the holy apostles. So, what does His blessing mean for the apostles in fulfilling the will and commandments given to the apostles, and through them to all of us? This means that without God’s blessing, every endeavor we undertake in good and useful deeds is spiritual pride, resistance to God as non-recognition of His Divine commands or doubt. similar to those who doubted and did not bow when they saw Him on the Mount of Olives. The apostles personally received a blessing from the Lord, and we must ask ourselves for a blessing from Him, according to His commandment, through invoking His name in words or mentally: “Lord, bless, Lord, help!”
For He said: I'm with you until the end of time. And further: Blessed are those who have not seen but believed, - and this also applies to us, people of recent times. And just as the holy apostles, with the blessing of the Lord, successfully spread the preaching of the Gospel throughout the entire universe, so we must have care or concern for the fulfillment of the commandments given by the Lord through the apostles, for the glory of God and for the salvation of the soul, an immortal thing. So, according to His commandment, we must ask Him for blessings, or, what is the same, gracious help from the Holy Spirit for all our good deeds and undertakings. If we begin something good and useful without asking the Lord gracious help, then even though our deeds were holy in themselves, their end will be sad and even sinful, as St. John Chrysostom said about this. Holy Bible tells us: May sinners return to hell and all who forget God, who did not ask Him for gracious help. He is separated from God who does not remain in unity with God through prayer, that is, calling on the name of God to help himself. For and 
The Lord Himself said: He who is not with Me is against Me. This is how important it is for us to hold on to the blessing of God, and whoever does not want blessing moves away from him, as from a proud spirit, and God opposes the proud, and gives Grace or the saving Power of God to the humble, who need God’s help. Therefore, do not start any work until you call on God to help you put it into action. For the Lord Himself says: "Without Me you can do nothing"- neither say nor think; Therefore, with every slightest movement and undertaking in necessary and useful matters, it is necessary to ask the Lord for a blessing, either verbally or mentally: "Lord, bless, Lord, help"
- and thus we will always abide with the blessing of God - in His memory of us, for He said through His prophet Jeremiah: Even though my words are in them, I will remember them in memory. With the memory of God and invoking His name for every good undertaking, with a living consciousness of the omnipresence of God, we will do everything for the glory of God, lifting our minds and hearts to the Lord, who has ascended from us to heaven, and with this understanding and feeling we will do our deeds, not only the big ones, but also the smallest things, not neglecting them as small, but we will treat them according to conscience and according to the law of God, since our moral character is made up of small things, and by this same character we will be judged Last Judgment. So, without God’s blessing, every good and useful undertaking is opposition to God’s Providence on our part; Then God will resist us and say on that day: “Get away from Me - I don’t know you!”
Elder Arseny (Minin) (1823-1879): « Without Me you can't do anything, said the Lord. With every good undertaking, we must ask for God’s help and His blessing, since without God’s help we cannot do anything, and therefore we must attribute all the good things we do to God, and He will attribute all of it to us on the day of His Judgment, and if we appropriate something good that we have done to ourselves, to our labors, to our efforts, then instead of a reward we will receive condemnation, which is clearly depicted in the parable of the Pharisee: he boasted of his virtues and through this lost them. We must remember what is said in the Gospel: If you have done all that is commanded to you, say: For we are slaves of indecent».
Saint Nicholas of Serbia (1880-1956). Letter to the peasant Ostoe R., on the question of whether there are blessed and unblessed souls. "Of course have. For if they did not exist, there would be no point in blessing. Blessed and not blessed - that is the difference between people. Indissoluble communion with God brings blessing, and falling away from God means deprivation of blessing... From one blessed child the whole house can receive blessings and succeed in everything, but from one unblessed child the whole family can suffer sorrows... During wars, a lot is said about lucky people and unlucky ones, and these are people who are blessed and not blessed... But don’t be afraid, just listen to the words of Father Solomon, which Solomon did not want to listen to: Blessed is the man who does not follow the advice of the wicked, and does not stand in the path of sinners, and The seats of the destroyers are not seated (Ps. 1:1).”
Elder Savva (1898-1980):“Begin every task with prayer. There is in the prayer book special prayer before starting the case. Always read it and, having received God’s blessing, through this prayer you will have success in your work. And after finishing your work, don’t forget to thank the Lord. Without God's help we will work in vain and torment ourselves. One monk shared his grief with me: “Father, why does this happen? I try to do everything the best, but everyone is unhappy with me.” - “Do you read a prayer before starting any task according to the prayer book?” - I ask him. “No, I don’t read.” “Now read it and you will see the difference,” I tell him. This monk later thanked me for such admonition; he was amazed at how this prayer helped him.”
Archimandrite John (Peasant) (1910-2006):“The minute in which a person himself desires to do something on himself and in himself is the minute the extinguishment of true, spiritual, grace-filled life. In this state, despite excessive labor, there is no true fruit. Because the Lord said: “Without Me you cannot do anything...»
Title
"Song of Ascension" We have finally reached the last of these songs. Returning home, pilgrims sing a final psalm. They leave the city early in the morning, because many of them have a long journey ahead of them. Sun rays Before the sky had even lit up, the wanderers were already on their way. As they exit the gate, they see guards on the walls of the temple and lamps burning in the windows of the rooms surrounding the sanctuary. Excited by this spectacle, they sing a farewell hymn addressed to the permanent servants of the holy temple. Their call, in turn, is answered in the hearts of the priests, and from the sanctuary the farewell blessing, which is contained in the third verse, flies after the pilgrims. Its essence boils down to the following: “You have desired that we bless the Lord, and now we pray Him to bless you.”
This psalm reminds us to pray for God's servants and encourage them to bless their loving and godly flock.
Interpretation
1 Bless the Lord now, all you servants of the Lord, who stand in the house of the Lord during the night. 2 Raise your hands to the sanctuary and bless the Lord. 3 The Lord from Zion, who made heaven and earth, bless you.
1. The call of pilgrims attracts the attention of the night guard. The pilgrims leaving the city awaken the sacred brotherhood of those whose duty is to guard the house of the Lord. Looking around, they find reasons to sing praise everywhere. Raising their eyes to the night sky, they glorify the Creator of the universe, who illuminated the sky with stars and the earth with His love. Let them song of praise sounds forever. Their departing brothers seem to be saying in loud voices: “Be vigilant, do your duty, praise and bless the name of Yahweh!” “Bless the Lord now.” Praise Yahweh. Worship Him with reverence, draw near to Him with love, rejoice in His presence. Do not be content with praise like that which all the works of His hands sing to Him, but at the call of the saints, “bless” Him. He blesses you, so follow His example with joy. The word “bless” can be considered the key word in this psalm. The first two verses remind us of the need to bless Yahweh, and in the last the blessing of God rushes after the departing pilgrims. Oh that the earth would be filled with blessings so that the words “blessed” and “blessing” could describe our entire lives. Let others flatter others, worship the stars, or boast about themselves, but we will bless Yahweh, the eternal source of blessings.
"All are the servants of the Lord." It is your duty to bless Him, so be an example to us all. It is fitting for servants to praise their masters. None of you should serve Him under compulsion. Bless Him as you serve. Bless Him for giving you the right and ability to serve Him and now accepting your service. Serving Yahweh is a great honor, a blessing that surpasses all others. But serving in His temple, in the house where He dwells, is an even more glorious calling. Who else will bless the Lord if not those who are with Him forever in His temple? "Those who stand in the house of the Lord during the night." One can easily imagine that the pilgrims were partly jealous of those who had the honor of guarding the temple and doing everything necessary during the night hours. The solemn silence of the night only intensified the awe inspired by the glory of the Lord that illuminated the temple - sacred place worship. Blessed are the priests and Levites who are anointed for such great service. It was more appropriate for them to bless the Lord during their nightly vigils. Therefore, the pilgrims considered it their duty to remind them of this. Servants of God should not perform their duties mechanically, but they are called to serve with all their hearts, glorifying God with every word and movement. It is good to keep watch, but it is even better to “watch in prayer” and praise. When night falls on the church, the Lord appoints His holy guard to guard the truth. These guards must, without losing heart, bless the Lord even in the most terrible hours. Let us encourage them to do this, reminding them of their sacred duty to bless the Lord at all times and glorify him unceasingly.
2. “Lift up your hands to the sanctuary.” Those who serve in the sanctuary must work, watchful and tireless, with sacred zeal. Hands, hearts and all other members of the body must be sanctified for the worship of the Lord. Like the angels of heaven who glorify God day and night, the angels of the church are always ready to sing praise. "And bless the Lord." This is their main occupation. It is their duty to bless the people with their teaching, but even more to bless Yahweh with their worship. Too often we view corporate worship only in terms of how it benefits people. However, in doing so we are missing something much more important. It is also necessary to ensure that all believers extol and glorify God with reverent awe. This is the second time David uses the word “bless” in relation to Yahweh. Bless the Lord, my soul, and may all other souls bless Him with you. We will not slack even during the hours of night prayer if our hearts continually bless God in Christ Jesus, typified by the presence of God in the sanctuary.
3. This last verse is the answer of the temple servants to the pilgrims who are ready to set out on the journey with the first ray of sun.
The ancient blessing of the high priest descends and is poured out on each of the pilgrims. “The Lord from Zion, who made heaven and earth, bless you.” One by one you go to your homes, may God's blessing come upon you all. By the will of Yahweh you visited His holy city and temple. Now return having received the blessing that He alone can bestow - divine, infinite, effective and eternal. When you go, you do not leave behind the glorious handiwork of Yahweh, for He made the heavens that are above you and the earth that you walk on. He is your Creator, who can show you unheard-of mercy. He can bring joy and peace into your hearts and create for you a new heaven and new land. May the Creator shower you with abundant blessings. These words come from the city of the great King, from His devoted servants according to the word of His law, therefore it is said that they sound “from Zion.” To this day the Lord blesses His people through the church, the gospel and the statutes of His house. The communion of saints offers us countless benefits. May each of us be granted even greater blessings from the Lord. Zion cannot bless, and even the holiest ministers only wish us blessings. But Yahweh is able and willing to bless each of those who trust in Him. May it be so this time too good hour. Do we want this? So let us bless the Lord. Let's do this a second time. And then there is no doubt that, having thought about the blessing for the third time, we will see how it descends on us from the hand of the Eternally Blessed One. Amen.
The psalm as a whole.
1. We bless God (vv. 1-2).
but as? Love, obedience, prayer, praise.
b) Where? "In the house of the Lord" V "sanctuary".
c) When? Not only during the day, but also at night. In the distant past, some spent the whole night or part of it in the temple, praising God. If Christ prayed at night for His people, then we should not consider it too difficult for ourselves to sing His praises at night. Should not be neglected evening services neither on Saturday nor on other days of the week.
2. God blesses us (v. 3).
a) Blessed. "Bless you" - everyone who blesses Him.
b) Condition. "From Zion." Provided that you fulfill your spiritual obligations and not neglect them.
c) The blessing itself comes from the Lord. Blessed are those who are blessed by Him.
The entire psalm.
1. God is the source of blessings.
2. Heaven and earth testify to His ability to bless.
3. The Church is a conduit of blessings.
4. Saints are intermediaries in the distribution of blessings.
5. Riches accompanying divine blessing.
The entire psalm.
1. A unique service - the night temple guard.
2. Spiritual communication is the terrible glory of the sanctuary.
3. Holy lifting of hands, hearts, eyes.
4. Praise sung in the night is heard in the light of day.
5. The answer of the stars in fulfillment of prayer. “The Lord... who created... bless you...
Verse 1.
1. Night descends on the sanctuary: dark periods church history.
2. But the Lord sets up a guard: Wycliffe and his companions in anticipation of the Reformation; Waldensians, etc. Never was a night too dark to praise God and serve Him.
3. Day and night the Levites carry out their service.
Verse 1. Servants of the Lord are called:
1) serve Him joyfully and devotedly. Sing while working, even if it’s dark around;
2) strive to take advantage of every service opportunity. "During the Night" the same as during the day “bless the Lord”;
3) avoid everything that interferes with their service. When you feel drowsy, say:
“Rise and awaken, soul, Hastening after the angel, Until the dawn rises, Praise the great King.”
Verse 1. Directions for Worship.
1. It requires concentration.
2. It must be accompanied by grateful joy. "Bless the Lord."
3. It must be joint. "All".
4. God should be worshiped with reverence. "Those who stand in the house of the Lord."
5. And unshakable constancy. "During the night."
Verse 1. "Standing...during the night." Night watchmen of the house of the Lord. Their value, their invisible service, the danger of sleep, their consolation, their dignity and reward.
Verse 2. Components of Worship.
1. Hands raised to the sky. Zeal, courage, prayer, aspiration.
2. Hearts ascending to heaven. Give thanks, praise, praise and love to the Lord.
Verse 3. Divine blessing:
1) from the Creator - abundant, new, diverse, limitless, enduring, revealed in the creation of earth and sky;
2) from the Redeemer - the bountiful, efficacious, and everlasting blessings which we most need. It was revealed to us in His sojourn among people, the redemption of the Church, the preparation of the heavenly mansions, the revelation of glory, and His enthronement on the heavenly throne.
We often talk about blessing without thinking about the meaning of this word. When seeing a person off on a long journey, we give him parting words: “The Lord bless you,” and introduce the chosen one to the parents: “We have decided to get married, bless us.” For a Christian, the word “blessing” has a special meaning - it is approval, help and guidance from the Lord himself. Why do Christians ask for blessings? Is it possible to get married without the blessing of your parents? Whom can we ask for blessing?
The concept of “blessing” has several definitions. This is what is commonly called, first of all, the action of the Lord sending His grace to a person or an entire nation. But the following can also be considered a blessing:
- the call of a shepherd, an appeal with a request to send down Divine grace;
- the confessor's permission to do this or that act;
- parental approval.
If we carefully read the word “blessing”, we will see that it is made up of the parts “good” and “word”. A word that bestows goodness and goodness on those who ask for it. A believer always craves approval from God and in moments of doubt can turn to his confessor for advice and a request for blessing. Sometimes we bless each other, say “God bless you,” wishing the best for a person, calling on God to help someone in a good deed, or begging for help to survive a difficult trial.
This call for help testifies to true faith, because a person will not ask for protection from someone he does not trust.
Forms of blessing
- the shepherd blesses his flock, making the sign of the cross;
- when greeting a priest, we usually ask for a blessing;
- praise of God (eg Ps. 102);
- prayer for the health and prosperity of another person;
- approval of the parents of the bride and groom for the wedding;
- permission from the hierarchy for this or that action.
Blessing from the priest
Priests regularly receive requests for blessings and happily respond to them. It is only important to remember that receiving a blessing from a confessor does not mean abdicating responsibility. In addition, the priest cannot make decisions for the person himself. It is correct and good to ask for blessings, if you come to the temple, ask for blessings with a firm intention:
- Reconcile with your loved one;
- Do a good deed;
- Help someone;
- Coping with bad tendencies.
But in the temple you are unlikely to be given blessings for sinful acts. There is an episode in the film “The Island” where a young girl asks for a blessing from a monk, without telling her what exactly she needs to be blessed for. The insightful monk sternly interrupts her as she asks for a blessing for an abortion.
If we talk about reconciliation, then God can bless a person, but not act for him. To reconcile with a loved one, you need to sincerely repent and ask for forgiveness, or find the strength to forgive the offender yourself.
The blessing is received with a special feeling of awe and reverence, because through the priest Christ himself blesses us. It is not without reason that for blessing the hands are folded in a special way: the fingers depict the letters IC XC, that is, Jesus Christ.
To ask for a blessing, you need to cross your hands: right hand put on left palms up, saying the words: “Bless, father... (name) (or Vladyka - to the bishop).” Having received the blessing, we must kiss the priest’s hand, just as we kiss the invisible hand of Christ the Savior Himself. Saint John Chrysostom wrote: “It is not man who blesses, but God with his hand and mouth.” And the priest himself blesses with the words “God bless!”
Blessing of parents
Parents traditionally bless the newlyweds before the Sacrament of Wedding, overshadowing them with an icon. The blessing in this case, of course, is given not by the parents themselves, but by the Lord.
What is Blessing
Blessing is compound word, consisting of two words: “good” + “word”. This word contains the entire universe of God, not excluding God himself. The word “good” is one of the names of the One God. Only God alone has the highest goodness (purity), and He is infinitely, eternally beyond the reach of anyone. God is inseparable from good, and everything comes from Him. He is the beginning of everything that exists. And the second part of the word blessing is “word”, and it can be understood as a creation (action) performed by God himself. The Most High created everything that exists with a word. In the Bible on this occasion it is written: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God,” “And God said: let there be light, and there was light.” And this means that God is inseparable from the word, and that everything appeared, came from His word, He said: let there be light and light appeared. The “Word” can be understood not only as the action of God, but also everything that is the result of His creation (truth, law, gift, order, all the qualities of God, etc.).
If you combine these two parts, it turns out that the word blessing has an all-encompassing, infinite meaning. Blessing is Divine truth and God's law. This is God's mercy and justice, Love and compassion. Blessing is the will of God the Father into the world and the instruction (leading) of man by the Holy Spirit to righteousness. This is God’s response to human prayer, during which the grace of God descends (God is good + gives). Blessing is receiving from God a revelation, message or answer to a question that concerns us. This is a special manifestation from Above of favor or attention to a person, a group of people or some people, for some merits before God. Such people or people in the world are called blessed, charmed from above. We can also understand blessing as approval, permission or permission from God for any actions or intentions.
Why do you need to ask God for blessings?
At all times, people asked God for blessings for every undertaking; they knew a lot about this. People were afraid to deviate from the Will of God, to sin, because apostasy led to disastrous consequences. Nowadays, not many of us understand what blessedness is and what it gives us. In our life it is very important for us and plays a big role in building our happiness. Blessing, like our conscience, redirects us to good deeds. It gives us protection and patronage, clarity in thinking and humility in prayer, helps us to do right choice and gives birth to sincerity in repentance. Asking for a blessing from God is also a prayer or a meeting with God, where we also stand before him one on one, and in this moment intimacy also happens.
With God's blessing, it descends upon a person, who carries out certain work, depending on what we ask for blessings for.
With closeness to the Spirit of God, the following is felt: lightness appears in the soul, coolness envelops, peace sets in and a quiet, calm joy appears; clarity and silence come to the mind; a surge of strength is felt in the body, the chest unclenches and breathes easily, the heart beats evenly and calmly. All these sensations are a sign that God approves of our endeavor. For everything that does not correspond to His Will and everything that is not good for us, not for our benefit, God does not give us His blessing (does not approve), while the Grace of God does not condescend. In the soul and body of a person there is a feeling: not calm, anxious, tense, unpleasant, heaviness, the chest is compressed, the heart beats unevenly, with a little tension and breathing becomes difficult.
To learn to recognize goodness from badness, you need to open up to His Grace and ask for a blessing on something, sit in silence for 20 - 30 minutes, listening to your feelings. If we do this work more often and regularly, then step by step we will learn to understand the language of vibrations, determine where lies and where the truth is and hear the silent voice of God.
In life, if we ask for a blessing for a meal or pray before a meal, the Holy Spirit descends and carries out such work: it sanctifies the food, calms us, prepares the stomach intestinal tract to work, the stomach contracts and acquires a normal volume, a sense of proportion in food comes, and therefore we do not overeat, food is easily digested, the body is to a small extent polluted, even with an unreasonable approach to nutrition. If we ask for a blessing in prayer, then the Holy Spirit carries out the following work: more peace appears in the soul, our memory awakens to some extent; our indignations manifest themselves, clarity comes; With clarity we understand what we need to ask God for in prayer, what needs have arisen in our soul, where sadness, resentment, irritation are hidden, which burden our soul.
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