This is a collection of the basics of the way of life of any Orthodox person. It gives the concept of a family as a small church, about the worldly structure and a righteous life. Contains instructions for each family member and for each occasion.
This work is divided into three parts. The first is dedicated to human spirituality. It contains a message from father to son. Instructions on how to properly believe and live in the fear of God. Responsibility rests with men in the upbringing of both children and the instruction of their wives. They are responsible for their lack of enlightenment, as heads of families.
A greater place in this part is given to Christian canons: the correctness of prayers, the imposition of the cross, instruction in faith, and so on is described in it.
The second part deals with the structure of the world and the role of the family. The family is a small temple, a part of the whole society. A married man is experienced and wise. In a family, each member has a role and responsibility. The husband is the head who is responsible for everything before the public and before God.
Particular attention is paid to the upbringing of children. Parents must instill in them all the necessary qualities: piety, kindness and love for one's neighbor and work. Contains tips for parenting both boys and girls.
Likewise, there are instructions for children. They should honor their parents. Respect should be taught from an early age. There are responsibilities for both children to their parents, and parents to their children.
For disobedience and offenses, corporal punishment should only be used in extreme cases. And it was impossible to beat the child in the heat of the moment. A special time was allocated for this. In the meantime, the guilty one could think and realize his mistake. During this time, my father's anger could also subside.
The father is the main one in the family and decisions always remain with him. But, and the wife, although she must obey her husband in everything, has her rights. She is a faithful assistant and advisor to a man.
Contains "Domostroy" instructions and teachings for all family members. Teaches you to live in peace with your neighbors. Likewise, he teaches obedience to authority. It is necessary to honor and serve both the heavenly father and the earthly ruler - the king.
And the third part is devoted to practical advice for every day and occasion. You can even find recipes there. There are tips on how to manage the household correctly and efficiently, how to live according to your possibilities. Much attention is paid to work. There are tips for everyone. For women, you can find guides on needlework, storage.
Even discarding piety, it is possible in our time to adopt many of the advice. Especially when it comes to education. And sometimes you do not always find respectful attitude towards elders. Much can be learned from past generations.
Picture or drawing Sylvester - Domostroy
Other retellings for the reader's diary
- Summary Science of Love Ovid
The poem by Publius Ovid Nazon "The Science of Love" is a kind of philosophy of life, written in poetic form. The work was written more than 2000 years ago, but so far the topics covered in the book have not lost their relevance.
- Summary of the Tale of the stupid mouse Marshak
The stupid mouse's mom can't find a nanny for him. The fastidious mouse refuses all the candidates that the exhausted mother-mouse offers him. Then he doesn't like the quiet voice
- Summary of the Star of Solomon Kuprin
The amazing and mysterious genre of mysticism has attracted connoisseurs of fiction at all times. The work of A. I. Kuprin "The Star of Solomon" is no exception and captures the reader
- Summary Jansson World's Last Dragon
Moomin, playing in the garden, accidentally hooked a tiny dragon with a glass jar. It happened on Wednesday, on a clear summer day. The dragon was very small, from a matchbox, the wings were transparent and resembled the fins of a goldfish
- Summary Luna and Penny Maugham
Fate brings the young writer together with the ordinary English Strickland family. The head of the family Charles works as an ordinary broker on the stock exchange, the respectable wife is raising two children.
In the middle of the 16th century, a monument of folk customs "Domostroy" appeared. It was a collection of not just practical advice on how to punish children, salt mushrooms, put clean dishes on the table, but also other recommendations: how to decorate your home so that it would be "how to enter heaven."
Priest Sylvester is considered the author of Domostroy. This book is a set of rules of conduct in home life. The author of "Domostroy" paid special attention to how a woman should behave - the mother of a family, the mistress of the house. According to "Domostroi", the entire burden of household chores lay on women's shoulders. The woman had to economically manage the household, not throw anything away, be able to prepare food for future use.
Women were not supposed to participate in public life, and they were not even allowed to just walk the streets. The more noble the family was, the more strictness fell on the lot of the woman. The most unfortunate of the Russian girls were princesses (tsar's daughters). It was very difficult for them even to get married: for subjects - not by rank, for foreigners - religion did not allow. The life of other noble women was not much better - they were hidden from human eyes, and even in the church a place was specially fenced off for them.
When a girl was married off, no one asked her consent, and often she met the groom already at the wedding.
Women's clothing, even the most expensive, also had severity. A headdress was obligatory for a woman, to open her hair - "to go wild" - was a great shame for a woman. The Russian national dress - a sundress - completely hid the woman's figure from immodest looks.
"Domostroy", without exaggeration, is an outstanding work, which defines the rules of home organization, which dealt with spiritual life, relationships within the family and housekeeping. "Domostroy", according to the author, was supposed to help a Russian person to behave correctly both in state and family life. It affirmed deep faith in God, true mercy, honesty, diligence, and mutual respect. Idleness and vanity, drunkenness and overeating, slander and greed were condemned.
1 .: # c1 Teaching father to son.
2 .: # c2 How can Christians believe in the Holy Trinity and the Most Pure Theotokos and in the cross of Christ and how to worship the holy heavenly powers, incorporeal, and all honest and holy relics.
3 .: # c3 How to partake of the mysteries of God and believe in the resurrection from the dead and the Last Judgment to expect, and how to touch every shrine.
4 .: # c4 How to love the Lord and your neighbor with all your soul, to have the fear of God and remember death.
5 .: # c5 As a king or prince to honor and obey them in everything, and submit to all power, and serve them with truth in everything, in large and in small, as well as to the sick and the weak - to any person, whoever he may be; and think it over yourself.
6 .: # c6 How can people honor their spiritual fathers and obey them in everything.
7 .: # c7 How to venerate bishops, as well as priests and monks, in all sorrows of soul and body with benefit to confess to them.
8 .: # c8 How Christians can heal from diseases and all suffering - to kings, princes, and all ranks to people, bishops, and priests, and monks, and all Christians.
[About sorcery and about sorcerers]
9 .: # c9 How to visit anyone in suffering in monasteries, hospitals and dungeons.
10 .: # c10 How to come with gifts in the church of God and in monasteries.
11 .: # c11 How to decorate your house with holy images and keep your home clean.
12 .: # c12 How to pray to God for a husband, wife and household members at home.
13 .: # c13 How to pray for a husband and wife in church, keep cleanliness, avoiding all evil.
14 .: # c14 How to invite priests and monks to your house for prayer.
15 .: # c15 How to treat people with gratitude to those who come to your house with your household.
16 .: # c16 How can a husband and wife consult about what the housekeeper should punish about dining, about the kitchen and about the bakery.
17 .: # c17 Order for the housekeeper in case of a feast.
18 .: # c18 The order of the mister to the housekeeper, how to cook meat and meat dishes and feed the family in the meat-eater and in the post.
19 .: # c19 How to educate your children in different teachings and fear of God.
20 .: # c20 How to raise daughters and marry with a dowry.
21 .: # c21 How to teach children and save them by fear.
22 .: # c22 How children can love and take care of their father and mother, and obey them, and comfort them in everything.
23 .: # c23 Praise to husbands.
24 .: # c24 How to do needlework for every person and do any business, blessed.
25 .: # c25 Instructions to husband and wife, and children, and servants on how they should live.
26 .: # c26 What kind of servants to keep with you and how to take care of them in all their teachings and according to the divine commandments, and in homework.
27 .: # c27 If the husband himself does not teach good, then God will punish him; if he himself does good, and teaches his wife and household members, he will receive mercy from God.
28 .: # c28 About living unrighteously.
29 .: # c29 About righteous living.
30 .: # c30 How can a person live within their means
31 .: # c31 Who lives unpredictably.
32 .: # c32 Who keeps the servants unattended.
33 .: # c33 How can a husband educate his wife so that she can please God and adapt to her husband, so that she can arrange her house better and know all kinds of household items and handicrafts, teach servants, and work herself.
34 .: # c34 About the craftswomen of good wives, their thriftiness and what to cut, how to save leftovers and trimmings.
35 .: # c35 How to cut different clothes and protect leftovers and cuttings.
36 .: # c36 How to keep home order and what to do if you have to ask people for something or give people their own.
37 .: # c37 As a hostess, she should look after the servants in the household and handicrafts every day, and she herself should keep and increase everything.
38 .: # c38 When you send servants to people, tell them not to talk too much.
39 .: # c39 As a wife and husband to consult every day and ask about everything: how to go to visit, and invite, and what to talk with guests about.
40 .: # c40 Order to wives about drunkenness and drunkenness (and servants as well): so as not to secretly keep anything anywhere, and not to trust slander and deceit of servants without inquiry; to instruct them with severity (and to my wife as well), and how to stay at a party and behave correctly at home.
41 .: # c41 How does a wife wear different clothes and how to sew them.
42 .: # c42 How to keep the dishes in good order and keep the housekeeping, all the rooms are well kept clean; as a mistress to instruct the servants, and to the husband - to check the wife, to teach and to save by the fear of God.
43 .: # c43 As the owner himself, or to whom he orders, to buy supplies for a year and other goods.
44 .: # c44 How can I buy various overseas goods from distant lands for my own expense?
45 .: # c45 When and what to buy for someone who does not have villages, all kinds of household supplies, in summer and winter, and how to store for a year, and how to raise all kinds of cattle at home, keep food and drink constantly.
46 .: # c46 How to keep any lean supplies stored up for future use.
47 .: # c47 About profit from the stock for the future.
48 .: # c48 How to take care of the garden and the garden.
49 .: # c49 What supplies of drinks should the owner keep for himself and his guests, and how should the servants prepare them.
50 .: # c50 Advice to cooks: how to brew beer and feed honey and smoke wine.
51 .: # c51 Like a housekeeper to look after cooks, bakers, and everywhere - the entire household.
52 .: # c52 As in the granaries and in the bins, the key keepers would have all the grain and other supplies safe.
53 .: # c53 Also in the drying room to keep an eye on the housekeeper for fish, dried and dried, for lay meat and tongues.
54 .: # c54 How to keep everything in the cellar, on the glacier and on the grave.
55 .: # c55 As instructed by the master's housekeeper, keep everything in order in the cages, basements and barns.
56 .: # c56 How to keep hay and horses in the stables in the hayloft, and in the yard there is a supply of firewood and wood, and to take care of all the cattle.
57 .: # c57 How to cook in kitchens, bakeries and workrooms, and how to figure out what has been cooked.
58 .: # c58 As the owner himself better to look after the cellars and glaciers, in the granaries and drying rooms, in the barns and in the stables.
59 .: # c59 As a master, having found out everything, give the servants what they deserve, and punish the bad ones.
60 .: # c60 About merchants and shopkeepers: how best to pay with them.
61 .: # c61 How to set up a yard or a shop, or a barn and a village.
62 .: # c62 As a household tax to pay either from a shop with manure or from a village, and to debtors - to return debts.
63 .: # c63 Instructing the key keeper how to store all sorts of salty supplies in the cellar - in barrels, and in tubs, and in measuring containers, and in vats, and in buckets, meat, fish, cabbage, cucumbers, plums, lemons, caviar, mushrooms and milk mushrooms.
64 .: # c64 Notes for the whole year, what to serve, meat and lean food, and about granular flour, how to cook flour and which of a quarter of canteen rolls, and about all kinds of rolls.
65 .: # c65 The rule about different honeycombs, how to feed all sorts of meads, how to cook berry juice, and put simple honey kvass, and add simple beer with honey, and prepare sourdough.
66 .: # c66 Rules about different vegetables, how to cook, dress and store them. Notes of a different version for the whole year: table dishes are served at the Uspensky meat-eater.
67 .: # c67 Wedding ranks; about how to marry a young prince - four articles, four rites: large and medium and small rite.
Foreword to this book, so be it!
The instruction and punishment of the spiritual fathers to all Orthodox Christians on how to believe in the Holy Trinity and the Most Pure Theotokos and in the cross of Christ and in heavenly powers, and to worship the holy relics and commune the sacred mysteries and how to apply the rest of the shrine. About how to honor the Tsar and his princes and nobles, for the apostle said: "To whom honor is honor, to whom tribute is tribute, to whom to give tribute", "not in vain does he carry a sword, but in praise of the virtuous, as punishment for the unreasonable." “Do you want not to be afraid of the authorities? Always do good ”- before God and before her, and obey her in everything and serve in righteousness - you will be the chosen vessel and you will bear the royal name in yourself.
And about how to venerate saints, priests and monks - and receive benefits from them and ask prayers for the blessing of your home and all your needs, both mental and physical, but above all spiritual - and listen to them diligently, and listen to their teachings, as if from the lips of God.
And in this book you will also find a certain charter about the secular structure: about how Orthodox Christians live in peace with their wives and children and household members, how to instruct and teach them, and to save them by fear and forbid strictly and to preserve them in all their deeds. in purity, mental and physical, and take care of them as of your own part of the body, for the Lord said: "May you both be in one flesh", for the apostle said: "If one member suffers, then everyone suffers with it"; Likewise, you do not care about yourself alone, but also about your wife and about your children and about everyone else - to the very last household member, for we are all bound by the same faith in God. And with such kind diligence, bring love to all who live in a divine way, like an eye of the heart looking at God, and you will be like a chosen vessel, not only carrying yourself to God, but many, and you will hear: “Good slave, faithful slave, be in joy of his Lord! "
And in this book you will also find a charter on house building, how to teach a wife and children and servants, and how to collect any stock - both grain and meat, and fish, and vegetables, and about the household, especially in complex matters. All in all, you will find chapters 67.
1. Teaching father to son
I bless, sinner (name), and teach, and instruct, and admonish my only son (name) and his wife (name), and their children, and household members - to follow Christian laws, live with a clear conscience and truth, in faith observing the will of God and his commandments, while affirming himself in the fear of God and in a righteous life, instructing his wife and his household not by compulsion, not by hitting, not by hard work, but like children that are always at ease, dressed and full, and in a warm house , and always okay. I present to you, who live in a Christian way, this scripture as a keepsake, for admonition to you and your children. If you don’t accept my scripture, you don’t follow my instruction, you don’t begin to live according to it and you don’t act as it is said here, give an answer for yourself on the day of the Last Judgment, and I am not involved in your crimes and sins, it’s not my fault: I blessed you for a decent life, and meditated, and prayed, and taught, and wrote to you. If, however, you accept my simple teaching and insignificant instruction with all the purity of your soul and read, asking, as far as possible, God for help and reason, and if God enlightens, put them all into action, then you will have the mercy of God and the Most Pure Theotokos, and the great miracle workers, and our blessing from now until the end of the century. And your house, and your children, your property and wealth, which God has sent you with our blessing and for your labors - may they be blessed and filled with all kinds of blessings forever and ever. Amen.
2. How Christians believe in the Holy Trinity and the Most Pure Theotokos and in the Cross of Christ, and how to worship the holy heavenly powers that are incorporeal, and all honest and holy relics
Every Christian should know how to live divinely in the Christian Orthodox faith, how, firstly, with all your soul and with any thought with all your senses, sincere faith to believe in the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit - in the indivisible Trinity; in the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ, the son of God, believe, call his mother who gave birth to the Mother of God, and worship the cross of Christ with faith, for the Lord brought salvation to people by this. Always honor the icon of Christ and his most pure mother and the holy heavenly disembodied forces and all the saints with faith, as you do to them, and with love in prayer, express all this and do obeisances, and call on God for help, and reverently kiss and worship the relics of the saints. them.
3. How to partake of the Mysteries of God and believe in the resurrection from the dead and the Last Judgment to expect and how to touch every shrine
Believe in the mysteries of God, partake of the body and blood of God with trembling in the purification and sanctification of the soul and body, for the forgiveness of sins and for eternal life. Believe in the resurrection from the dead and in eternal life, remember the Last Judgment - and we will all be rewarded according to our deeds. When, having prepared ourselves spiritually, we touch them with a clear conscience - with a holy prayer, kiss the life-giving cross and holy icons, honest, miraculous and multi-healing relics. Yes, and after the prayer, cross yourself, kiss them, keeping the air in yourself and not spanking with your lips. And the Lord is pleased to partake of the divine mysteries of Christ, so taking a spoon from the priest in the mouth carefully, do not smack his lips, but fold his hands at his chest with a cross; and if someone is worthy, the doru and prosphira and everything that is consecrated must be eaten carefully, with faith and with trembling, and the crumbs must not be dropped on the ground and not bite with their teeth, as others do; breaking bread, putting small pieces in your mouth, chewing with your lips and mouth, do not slurp; and do not eat prosphira with seasoning, but just sip on water or add church wine to boiled water, and do not mix anything else there.
Before any food, prosphira is eaten in church and at home; prosphira is never eaten with kutya or eve, with any other additives, and do not put prosphira on kutya. And if you do kissing with someone in Christ, then, kissing, holding the air in yourself, do not smack your lips. Think for yourself: we despise human weakness, the barely noticeable smell of garlic, as well as the stench of a drunken, sick and other stench - just as our stench and the stench from it are disgusting to the Lord - that is why all this should be done with caution.
4.How with all the soul of the Lord to love your loved one, to have the fear of God and remember the hour of death
So love the Lord your God with all your soul and with all the firmness of your spirit, and strive by your deeds with all your habits, your disposition to please God. Moreover, love all those who are close to you, created in the image of God, that is, every Christian. Always carry the fear of God in your heart and unfeigned love, and remember about death. Always keep the will of God and live according to his commandments. The Lord said: “On whatever I find you, I judge by that,” so that every Christian should be ready to meet the Lord - to live good deeds, in repentance and purity, always confessing, constantly awaiting the hour of death.
More about the same. Love the Lord with all your soul - let his fear be in your heart. Be both righteous and just and live in humility; lowering your eyes down, stretch your mind to heaven, in prayer to God and in word to people, be friendly; comfort the grieved, be patient in troubles, be courteous to everyone, generous and merciful, beggar and stranger, sorrow for sins and rejoice in God, do not be greedy for drunkenness and greedy for gluttony, be meek, quiet, silent, love your friends, and not gold, be unhappy, afraid of the king, ready to do his will, be polite in answers; and pray more often, prudent prospector of God, do not condemn anyone, defender of the disadvantaged, unhypocritical, child of the gospel, son of resurrection, heir of eternal life in Christ Jesus, our Lord, to him be glory forever.
5. As a king or prince to honor and obey them in everything, and submit to all authority, and serve them with righteousness in everything, in large and small, as well as to the sick and the weak - to any person, whoever he may be; and think it over yourself
Fear the king and serve him faithfully, always pray to God for him. And never speak falsely to him, but with reverence answer the truth to him, as to God himself, obeying him in everything. If you serve the earthly king with righteousness and are afraid of him, you will learn to fear the heavenly king: this one is temporary, and the heavenly one is eternal, he is an unhypocritical judge, he will reward everyone according to his deeds. Likewise, submit to princes, giving them due honor, for they were sent by God to punish the wicked and reward the virtuous. Accept your prince and your power, do not think evil of them. For the apostle Paul says: "All power is from God," so that whoever resists power resists God's command. And the king and prince and any nobleman do not think to serve by deceit, the Lord will destroy those who utter lies, and gossips and slanderers are damned by people. To those who are older than you, honor and bow down, honor the middle ones as brothers, lovingly comfort the weak and sorrowful, and love the younger ones as children - do not be evil to any creature of God. Do not desire earthly glory in anything, ask God for eternal bliss, endure any sorrow and burden with gratitude: if they offend, do not take revenge, if they blaspheme, pray, do not repay evil for evil, for slander - with slander; do not condemn those who sin, remember your sins, take care of them first of all; reject the advice of evil people, be jealous of those who live by the truth, bring their deeds into your heart, and do the same yourself.
You should also know how to honor your children with their spiritual fathers. To look for a spiritual father, kind, God-loving and prudent, reasonable and firm in faith, who will set an example, and not a drunkard indulge, not a money-lover, not an angry one. One should honor and obey him in everything, and repent before him with tears, confessing his sins without shame and without fear, and his instructions to fulfill and to observe penances for their sins. To call him to his house often, and to come to him for confession with all his conscience, listen to his teachings with gratitude, and obey him in everything, and honor him, and beat his forehead low: he is our teacher and mentor. And to stay before him with fear and gratitude, to go to him and give him offerings from their fruits of labor whenever possible. Consult with him more often about a useful life in order to refrain from all sins. As a husband to instruct and love his wife and children and servants, as a wife to obey her husband; consult him about everything every day. But one should confess one's sins before the spiritual father and reveal all one's sins, and submit to him in everything: for they care about our souls and will give an answer for us on the day of the Last Judgment; and one should neither scold them, nor condemn, nor reproach, but if they begin to ask for someone, listen to this, and punish the guilty one, looking through fault, but having discussed everything first.
Always come to the priests and give them the honors that are due to them, ask them for blessings and spiritual guidance and, falling at their feet, obey them in everything God pleases. Relate with trust and love to priests and monks, obey and obey them in everything, receiving salvation from them. In difficult matters, do not hesitate to ask their advice about spiritual matters and about everything sinful. And if any suffering, mental or physical, or illness, or some ailment, whether fire, flood, theft and robbery, or royal disgrace, or God's wrath, or slander, slander, or immeasurable losses and other inescapable sorrow, befalls you, in all this, do not fall into despair, remember your previous sins, which brought grief to God or people, and shed sincere tears before the merciful Vladyka and the Most Pure Theotokos, and before all the saints; turning to a quiet haven, to these spiritual guides, confess your sins and sorrow - in tenderness and with tears, in broken hearts, and they will heal you in all troubles, giving relief to your soul. And if the priests command anything, do it all, repenting of sins, for they are the servants and prayers of the heavenly king, the Lord has given them the boldness to ask for what is useful and good for our souls and for our bodies, and for the forgiveness of sins, and for eternal life. ...
8. How Christians can heal from diseases and all kinds of suffering - for kings, princes, and all kinds of ranks to people. and priests, and monks, and all Christians
If God sends a disease or some kind of suffering to someone, one should heal with God's mercy and prayer and tears, fasting, alms to the poor and earnest repentance, with gratitude and forgiveness, with mercy and unhypocritical love for everyone. If you have offended someone, you need to ask for forgiveness especially and not to offend in the future. And at the same time, to raise the spiritual fathers and all the priests and monks to pray to God, and sing prayers, and sanctify the water with an honest life-giving cross and from holy relics and miraculous images, and be sanctified with oil; walking in holy miraculous places on a vow, praying with all a clear conscience, and thus receive healing from God for a variety of ailments. And to avoid all sins and henceforth do no harm to anyone. The orders of the spiritual fathers to observe and to rule penances, and thus to be cleansed from sin, to heal mental and physical diseases, invoking God's mercy. Every Christian is obliged to rid himself of all ailments, mental and physical, from strangled and painful suffering, to live according to the commandment of the Lord, according to paternal tradition and according to Christian law (as at the beginning of this book it is written, from the first chapter, the first fifteen chapters and all other chapters of the book also); read the twenty-ninth chapter: ponder over them and observe everything - then a person will please God, save his soul, and be free of sin, and receive health, mental and physical, and inherit eternal blessings.
Whoever, in his insolence and fear of God, does not have and does not do the will of God, does not follow the law of the Christian paternal tradition, does not think about the church of God and about church singing, and about the cell rule, and about prayer, and praising God, eats and drinks without restraint until overeating and until drunkenness at an inopportune time, and does not follow the rules of the community: on Sundays and Wednesdays and Fridays, on holidays and during Great Lent and Ouspensky Lent, without abstinence, fornication at inopportune hours, violating nature and the law, or those from wives they commit fornication or commit a sin of Sodom and do all sorts of abominations and all sorts of disgusting deeds: fornication, debauchery, profanity and shame, demonic songs, dancing and jumping, playing tambourines, trumpets, nozzles, bringing bears and birds and hunting dogs and arranging horse races, - everything pleasing to demons, all obscenity and impudence, and besides, sorcery and sorcery, and witchcraft, astrologer, warlock, reading renounced books, almanacs, fortune-telling books, six-wing, believe in thunder arrows and axes, in the mustache and in the womb, in stones and magic bones and in all sorts of other demonic intrigues. If someone by magic and potion, roots-herbs, to death or to insanity, feeds or with demonic words, obsession and slander leads someone to any vice, especially adultery, or if someone swears by the name of God falsely or slanders a friend, - immediately read the twenty-eighth chapter. With such deeds, in such customs-morals, pride, hatred, rancor, anger, hostility, resentment, lies, theft, curse, shame, profanity, sorcery and sorcery, mockery, blasphemy, gluttony and drunkenness are born in people dawn and late - and all sorts of evil deeds, and gross fornication, and any debauchery. And the good man-lover God, not accepting such evil morals of people and customs, and any inappropriate deeds, like a child-loving father, through suffering, saves us all and leads to salvation, instructing, punishes for many of our sins, but does not give up early death, does not want the death of the sinner, but he is waiting for repentance so that a person can correct himself and live. If they do not correct themselves, do not repent of unkind deeds, God brings us to our sins when there is famine, when there is a pestilence, or even fires, or even a flood, or even captivity and death from the hand of the pagans, and ruin cities. the destruction of God's churches and every shrine, and the plunder of all property, and the slander of friends. Sometimes ruin, merciless execution and shameful death overtakes you from the royal anger, sometimes from robbers - murder and robbery, and from thieves - theft, and from judges - and bribes and expenses. That lack of rain - and then rains endlessly, unsuccessful years - and winter is unsuitable, and severe frosts, and the land is sterile, and all kinds of living creatures - death of cattle and beasts, and birds, and fish, and scarcity of all kinds of bread; and then suddenly the loss of parents and wife and children from heavy and quick and sudden deaths after heavy and bitter suffering in ailments and an evil death. For many righteous people truly serve God, according to the commandments of the Lord they live between us, sinners, but in this world, equally with sinners, God will execute them, so that after death they can become worthy of the most shining crowns from the Lord, but for us, sinners, torment is bitter - after all, the righteous endure grievous sufferings for our iniquity. So, really, in all these troubles, we will not be corrected, we will not learn anything and will not come to repentance, we will not wake up, we will not be afraid, seeing such punishment from the righteous anger of God for our endless sins? And again, the Lord, instructing and guiding us to salvation, tempting, like a righteous long-suffering Job, sends us suffering and sickness, and serious ailments, torment from evil spirits, flaming of the body, bones aches, swelling and swelling on all limbs, constipation of both passages , and a kidney stone, and a keel, and secret members, putrefaction, dropsy and deafness, blindness and dumbness, stomach pains and terrible vomiting, and down on both passages and blood and pus, and consumption, and cough, and pain in the head and toothache, and hernia, and gout, boils and rashes, weakness and tremors, nodules and buboes, and scab, and hump, neck, legs and arms twisted and squint, and all sorts of other serious ailments - all punishment for God's wrath. And now - we have forgotten all our sins, we have not repented, we do not want to be corrected in anything, nor to be afraid, nothing will teach us!
And although we see God's punishment in all that and suffer from serious illnesses for many of our sins, for having forgotten God who created us, without asking God for mercy or forgiveness, what evil we do when we turn to unclean demons , from whom already at holy baptism we renounced, as well as from their deeds, and we invite sorcerers, wizards and sorcerers, sorcerers and healers of all kinds with their roots, from whom we expect soulful and temporary help, and by this we prepare ourselves into the hands of the devil, in hell to suffer forever. About crazy people! Alas for your folly, we do not recognize our sins, for which God punishes and tortures us, and do not repent of them, do not avoid vices and obscene deeds, do not think about the eternal, but dream about the perishable and temporary. I pray - and I pray again: put away all vices and strangled deeds, let us sincerely cleanse ourselves with repentance, and may the merciful Lord have mercy on us in our sins, give us health, and souls, salvation, and not deprive us of eternal blessings. And if one of us gratefully suffers in this world in various diseases, in all kinds of suffering, in order to cleanse himself from the sins of his kingdom for the sake of heaven, he will not only receive forgiveness of sins, but will also be the heir of eternal blessings. For it is written in the holy Apostle: "Through many sufferings we are to enter the kingdom of heaven." The Holy Gospel says: "A narrow and sorrowful path, leading to eternal life, but wide and spacious, leading to destruction." And the Lord also said: "It is difficult to reach the kingdom of heaven, and only those who make an effort will receive it."
Let us remember the holy men, their sufferings for God's sake, all kinds of ailments and illnesses, and the good patience of those who did not call to themselves neither sorcerers, nor sorcerers, nor sorcerers, nor herbalists, no demonic healers, but placed all their hope on God, gratefully enduring cleansing for one's sins and for the sake of enjoying eternal blessings - like the long-suffering Saint Job or the beggar Lazarus, who lay before the gates of the rich in dung, devoured by pus and worms, and now rests in the bosom of Abraham; and like Simeon the Stylite, who himself rotted his body, foaming like worms; and many righteous, pleasing God, suffering all sorts of diseases and various ailments, gratefully endured all salvation for the sake of their soul and for the sake of eternal life, and for their suffering entered the heavenly kingdom, many - both rich and poor - of a Christian family, people of all ranks - and princely, and boyar, and priests and monks - suffering in endless illnesses and ailments, they were possessed by all sorts of sorrows, and they even endured insults for God's sake, and they asked God for mercy and hoped for his help.
And then the merciful God pours out endless mercies on his servants and grants healing, and forgives sins, and saves from suffering: those with the help of life-giving crosses and miraculous icons, holy images of Christ and the Mother of God, the Archangel and all saints, and through the holy relics and anointing of oil and blessing of oil, and through prayers in worship, which are at all-night vigil in God's holy churches and monasteries, and in miraculous places, and at home, and on the way, and on the waters, - everywhere calling with faith the Lord God, the most pure Mother of God, their saints to grant forgiveness, health of body and soul, salvation.
Many died in ailments and grave illnesses, in various sufferings, they were cleansed from sins, they were vouchsafed to eternal life. Let us comprehend the meaning of this exactly, we will begin to imitate their life and their patience, in life we compete with the holy fathers, prophets and apostles, saints and martyrs, monks and holy fools for Christ's sake, with holy wives, Orthodox tsars and princes, priests and monks - with all Christians who have lived a godly age.
Let us fully comprehend how in this life they endured the sufferings of Christ for the sake of - those by fasting and prayers and longsuffering, thirst and hunger, nakedness in frost or heat of the sun, abuse and spitting, all sorts of reproaches, beating and torment from wicked kings with various torments for Christ's sake. ; they were executed, burned in fire, their beasts devoured them, they killed them with stones, drowned them in the waters, in caves, in deserts and in earthly abysses, they ended their lives, in chains in dungeons they were imprisoned and captive, all kinds of labored, endured sufferings and various torments, - "and who will count them?" - as the Holy Scripture says.
And for such terrible sufferings, for their torment, what a reward they received from Christ in this life and in eternal life! The enjoyment of eternal blessings, which the eye did not see, the ear did not hear and did not give to the heart - this is what God will prepare for those who love him. And how they are glorified now, how the Church of God glorifies them! We ourselves only pray to these saints, we call for their help with a request to pray before God for us, and we receive healing from their miraculous images and revered relics. Let us follow these saints to life and suffering with gratitude and meekness, and as a reward we will receive similar grace from God.
[About sorcery and about sorcerers]
6th Council rule 61. And those who succumbed to magic or the so-called sages (or others who can predict), if anyone wants to reveal the unknown according to the first commandment received from the holy fathers - let them follow the rule of the canon: for six years they are deprived of the sacrament, like those who lead bears or some other beast to entertain the crowd and to earn money, who predict the fate at birth and the lineage from the stars, and with such speeches misleads the people. Those who read the clouds, sorcerers, creators of amulets and wizards, who are busy with this and do not retreat from these destructive pagan deeds, we demand to expel those everywhere from the church, as the law commands the priest. "What does light have to do with darkness?" - as the apostle said, and how is the church of God combined with pagan idols? what is the complicity of the faithful with the unbeliever? what is the agreement of Christ with the devil?
Interpretation. Those who follow pernicious witchcraft, go to the wise men and sorcerers, or invite them into their home, wanting to learn through them something inexpressible, just like those who feed and keep bears or some dogs or hunting birds for hunting or entertainment and for seducing crowds, or believe in fate and in genealogies, that is, in women in labor, and in witchcraft by the stars and guessing by the running clouds - all who do this, the council commanded to excommunicate for six years, let them stand with the catechumens for four years, and the rest two years - with the faithful, and thus they will be honored with divine gifts. If they do not correct themselves and after excommunication and pagan deception do not leave, then from the church - everywhere and always - let them be expelled. God-bearing fathers and church teachers spoke about magicians and sorcerers, and most of all, John Chrysostom says: those who practice magic and witchcraft, even if they utter the name of the Holy Trinity, even if they do the sign of the holy cross of Christ, it still befits them avoid and turn away from sneezes.
On the 24th rule of the Ankira Cathedral. Those who sorcery, who follow the customs of the pagans, and those who bring sorcerers into their homes to perform witchcraft and to cleanse from poisoning, are deprived of the sacrament, according to the rules, for five years in a certain order: to be inside for three years, and outside the church for two years, - only prayers without prosvira and without the sacrament.
Interpretation. If someone trusts the magi, sorcerers or herbalists, or others like them, and calls them to his house to try their fate, and they clarify to him what he wants, or during witchcraft, wishing to know the mysterious, spells on the water in order to heal evil evil - let him stand for three years with the catechumens, and for two years with the faithful, having communed with them only by prayer, but only after five years will he partake of the holy mysteries.
Rule 61 of the Sixth Council, which took place in the palace Trulla. For six years, those are not ordered to partake of secrets, that is, not to partake.
The sixth cathedral in Constantinople, in the palace Trulla 11th rule. There should be no fellowship between Christians and Jews. Therefore, if someone is found who eats their unleavened bread, or invites their doctor for his healing, or who bathes with them in the bath, or otherwise somehow communicates with them, if he is expelled from the clergy from the church, if a layman is excommunicated ...
Basil the Great rule 72. Whoever has trusted the wise men or the like who kill time - let it become forbidden.
Interpretation. He who went to teach harmful wisdom to magicians, sorcerers or sorcerers, let him be punished as a deliberate murderer; whoever believes the Magi or brings them into his house for treatment from poisoning or predicting the future - let him be punished for six years, as the 61st canon of the Sixth Ecumenical Council, which was in Constantinople, in the palace Trulla, commands, and canon 83 in the same letter of Basil the Great.
9. How to visit everyone in suffering in monasteries, hospitals and dungeons
In the monastery and in the hospital, in seclusion and in the prison of prisoners, visit and alms, according to your ability, give what they ask for; peer into misfortune and suffering, at all their needs, and help, as you can, and everyone. whoever suffers in poverty and need, do not despise a beggar, invite him into his house, brought him into his house. " Through their prayers you will receive mercy and absolution from God. Remember also the parents of your deceased with an offering to the church of God for a panikhida and for services, and arrange a commemoration for them at home, and give alms to the poor: then God will not forget you either.
10. How to come with gifts in the church of God and in monasteries
In the church of God, always come with faith, not in anger and without envy, without any enmity, but always with humble wisdom, meekly and in bodily purity, and with an offering: with a candle and with broth, with incense and incense, with eve and with kutya, and with alms - and for health, and for peace, and for the holidays you will also go to monasteries - also with alms and an offering. When you bring your gift to the altar, remember the gospel word: "If your brother has something against you, then leave your gift before the altar, and go and make peace with your brother first," and only then bring your gift to God from your righteous good : from unrighteous acquisition, giving is unacceptable. It was said to the rich: "It is better not to rob than to give alms from something unjustly obtained." Return what you have received unrighteously to the one offended by you - this is more worthy of alms. But God is pleased with the gift from righteous gain, from good deeds.
11. How to decorate your home with holy images and keep your home clean
Each Christian needs in his home, in all rooms, according to seniority, to hang on the walls the holy and honest images, painted on the icons, decorating them, and to put up lamps in which candles are lit in front of the holy images during the prayer, and after the service they are extinguished and closed. curtain from dirt and dust, strict for the sake of order and for safety. You should constantly sweep them with a clean wing and wipe them with a soft sponge, and this room should always be kept clean. To touch the holy images only with a clear conscience, during the service, while singing and praying, light candles and incense with fragrant incense and incense. And the images of the saints are arranged according to seniority, first, as already mentioned, especially revered. In prayers and in vigils, and in bows, and in all praise of God, one should always honor them - with tears and with crying, and with a mournful heart, confessing their sins, ask for the forgiveness of sins.
12. How to pray to God for a husband and wife and with the household in their house
Every evening in the evening a husband with his wife and with children, and with household members, if anyone knows the literacy - to sing Vespers, a feast party, in silence with attention, standing humbly with prayer, with bows, singing in accordance and clearly, after the service do not drink, do not eat and do not chat never. And everything has its own rule. Going to bed, every Christian puts three prostrations before the icon, but at midnight, getting up secretly, with tears, pray well to God as much as you can about his sins, and in the morning, getting up, too; and each does according to his strength and desire, and pregnant women bow to the waist. Every Christian should pray for his sins and for the remission of sins, for the health of the king and queen, and their children, and his brothers, and his boyars, and for the Christ-loving army, for help against enemies, for the release of captives, and for saints, priests and monks, and about the spiritual fathers, and about the sick, about those imprisoned, - and for all Christians. The wife needs to pray for her sins - both for her husband, and for children, and for household members, and for relatives, and for spiritual fathers. And in the morning, getting up, also to pray to God, to sing the matins and hours, and the prayer service with prayer, but in silence, with humility, sing harmoniously and listen with attention, and give up images. And if there is no one to sing, then pray a little more in the evening and in the morning. Husbands, on the other hand, should not miss a day of church singing: no Vespers, no Matins, no Mass, and wives and households - how it will turn out, as they decide: on Sunday and on holidays, and on holy holidays.
13. How to pray for a husband and wife in church, stay clean and avoid all evil
In the church, at the service, stand anxiously and pray in silence. At home, however, always sing the feast party, the midnight office and the clock. And who will add church service for the sake of his salvation, it is in his will, for then the reward is greater from God. And wives go to the church of God as they can - both at will and in consultation with their husbands. In church, she does not talk to anyone, stand silently, listen to singing with attention and read the Holy Scriptures, without looking back, not leaning against the wall or against the pillar, and not standing with a staff, not stepping from foot to foot; to stand, hands folded on the chest in a cross-like manner, unshakably and firmly, bodily eyes down, and heart-to-God; pray to God with fear and trembling, with sighs and tears. Do not leave the church until the end of the service, but come to the very beginning. On Sundays and on the feast days of the Lord, on Wednesdays and Fridays, on Holy Great Lent and on the Mother of God, stay clean. And always beware of gluttony and drunkenness, and empty conversations, obscene laughter. From theft and fornication, from lies, slander, from envy and everything unjustly acquired: from usury, from feeding, from bribes and from any other deceit, renounce and not be angry with anyone, not remember evil, but robbery and robbery and all violence and never do unrighteous judgment. To abstain from early food (and drink) and from late - after the evening service, but if you eat, then for the glory of God and only at the permitted time; small children and workers to feed at the discretion of the owners.
Do you not know that the unrighteous will not enter the kingdom of God? - how the apostle Paul said: “If someone is known as a fornicator or a covetous person, or an idolater, or a mocker, or a drunkard, or a robber - you don’t eat with them”? And he also said: "Do not flatter: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor profaners, nor immoralists, nor soddlers, nor covetous people, nor thieves, nor drunkards, nor offenders, nor robbers will enter the kingdom of God," every Christian needs to be protected from all evil.
A Christian should always hold in his hands - a rosary, and the Jesus Prayer - tirelessly on his lips; and in the church and at home, and at the market - you walk, whether you stand, or sit, and in every place, according to the prophet David: "Bless the Lord in every place, my soul!" Create a prayer like this: “Lord, Jesus Christ, son of God! have mercy on me, a sinner, "- and so to say six hundred times, and the seventh hundred - to the Most Pure Mother of God:" My mistress, Holy Mother of God, have mercy on me, a sinner! " - and again to return to the beginning, and so to speak constantly. If someone, using it, easily speaks like breathing with nostrils, then after the first year the son of God - Christ will enter into him, after the second - the Holy Spirit will enter him, and after the third - the Father will touch him, and entering into him, The Holy Trinity will dwell in him, prayer will swallow the heart and the heart will swallow prayer, and will cry out that prayer day and night, and he will get rid of the enemy's nets according to the word of Christ Jesus, our Lord - to him be glory forever, amen.
And the most pure Mother of God with all the heavenly powers and with all the holy protectors will become from the devil's wiles of everyone in this life and in the future - for the one who prays with faith and follows God's commandments.
How to be baptized and bowed down
Saints - and priests and monks, - kings and princes, and all Christians should bow to the image of the Spasov and the life-giving cross, and the Most Pure Mother of God, and the holy heavenly powers and all the saints, and sacred vessels, and holy revered relics in this way: connect your fingers with your right hand - close the first extreme and the lower two ends, - this marks the Holy Trinity; straighten the middle finger, slightly tilting, and the neighboring one higher, straightening - they signify two hypostases: the divine and the human. And cross yourself in the front like this: first, put your hand on the forehead, then on the chest, then on the right shoulder and, finally, on the left - this is how the cross of Christ is represented in its meaning. Then bow your head to the waist, but a big bow - your head to the ground. Prayers and entreaties are on your lips, but on your heart is tenderness, and in all your members there is sorrow for sins, tears flow from your eyes and sighing from your soul. With your lips - praise and praise God, with your mind and heart and breath, pray for the good, be baptized with your hand, and with your body bow down to the ground or into your belt - and always do this only. Bishops and priests, in the same way, baptize a Christian who asks for their blessing by hand.
About the cross of Christ as a sign, about worshiping him in the "Patericon" they reliably write; reading everything there, you will comprehend the power of the cross of Christ.
From Theodoret. With the hand, bless and be baptized like this: hold three fingers together in alignment in the image of the Trinity - God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit; not three gods, but one God in the Trinity, different names, but the deity is one: the Father is not born. The Son is born, not created, and the Holy Spirit is neither born nor created - descends - three in one deity. There is one power - one to the deity and honor, one bow from all creation, from angels and from people. This is what the base of those three fingers is. Two fingers must be held obliquely, without bending, they signify the two natures of Christ, divine and human: God according to deity, and man according to incarnation, together both of them are perfection. The upper finger signifies deity, and the lower one - humanity, because, having descended from the highest, he saved the lower ones. He also explains the bringing together of the fingers: for, bowing the heavens, he came down for our salvation. So it is necessary to be baptized and to bless, as established by the holy fathers.
From Athanasius and Peter Damascene, about the same. Since demons and various ailments are cast out without any cost and without difficulty by the mark of the honest and life-giving cross - who can glorify him too much? The holy fathers left us this sign for disputes with unfaithful heretics: two fingers (but on one hand) reveal Christ, our God in two natures, but in one being knowable. The right hand marks his ineffable strength and sitting at the right hand of the Father, and the descent from above, from heaven to us, reveals it to us, and also indicates to us that we should drive away enemies from the right side to the left, for the Lord conquered the devil with his invincible power: invisible and weak.
14. How to invite priests and monks to your house for prayer
And on other holidays, according to your commandment, or for the sake of weakness, or if you sanctify someone with oil, call the priests to your house, as often as you can, and perform the service on any occasion; then they pray for the Tsar and the Grand Duke (name), all Russia, the autocrat and for his queen, the Grand Duchess (name), and for their noble children, and for his brothers and for the boyars, and for all the Christ-loving army, and for victory over the enemies , and about the release of the captives, about the saints and about all the priests and monks - about any request, and for all Christians, and for the owners of the house - husband and wife, and for children and household members, and about everything that they need, if this need.
And the water is sanctified with a life-giving cross and from miraculous images or from revered holy relics, and for the sick one they consecrate oil for health and healing. If it is necessary to consecrate oil over the sick in the house, let them call seven priests or more, and as many deacons as they can. They bless the oil and do everything according to the statute, and they cense the deacon or priest in all the rooms, and sprinkle holy water, and the eldest of them overshadows with an honest cross, and everyone in this house praises God. And after the service, the tables are laid, the priests and monks drink and eat, and everyone who comes will immediately caress and give the poor in every possible way, and they will return to their homes, glorifying God. Likewise, the deceased parents should be remembered; in the holy churches of God, in the monasteries of the panikhida, to sing the conciliar and serve the liturgy, and to feed the brethren at a meal for peace and health, and to invite and feed them to their homes, to console and give alms.
Water must be sanctified on January 6 and August 1 - always with one life-giving cross. Three times it is immersed in cups by the bishop or priest, reciting the troparion "Save, O Lord, thy people" three times, and on the Epiphany - the troparion: "When You were baptized in Erdan, O Lord" - also three times, and on the platter lie the holy crosses and icons and miraculous revered relics. And removing the cross from the cup, the priest holds it over the dish, and water flows from the cross onto this shrine. After the immersion of the cross and the consecration of the water, he anoints with a sponge, soaking in the consecrated water the revered crosses and holy icons and miraculous relics, no matter how many there are in the holy temple or in the house, pronouncing the troparia to each saint, anointing his holy icon. And after that, you should squeeze the sponge into the already consecrated water and again anoint other shrines with it as well. And sprinkle the altar and the entire holy temple with the same holy water crosswise, and in the house also sprinkle everyone in the rooms, and all people. And those who deserve faith are anointed with this water and drink it for healing and cleansing of souls and bodies, and for the remission of sins and for eternal life.
15. How to treat with your family members gratefully those who come to your house
Before the beginning of the meal, first of all, the priests glorify the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, then the Virgin Mary and take out the consecrated bread, and at the end of the meal they put out the consecrated bread, and, after praying, as they should, they also drink the consecrated cup of the Most Pure Theotokos. Then let them talk about health and redemption. And if they eat in reverent silence or during a spiritual conversation, then invisibly angels come before them and write down good deeds, and then food and drink are sweet. If they begin to blaspheme about food and drink, as if what they eat immediately turns into garbage. And if at the same time rude and shameless speeches sound, obscene shame, laughter, various amusements or playing the harp and all kinds of music, dancing and clapping, and jumping, all kinds of demonic games and songs, then, like smoke drives away bees, they will move away and angels of God from this meal and obscene conversation. And the demons will rejoice and fly, having seized their hour, then everything that they want happens: they rage at the game of dice and chess, they amuse themselves with all sorts of demonic games, the gift of God - food and drink, and the fruits of the earth - will be thrown into ridicule, spilled, they beat each other, pour over them, outraging in every way the gift of God, and the demons write down these deeds, carry them to Satan, and together they rejoice in the destruction of Christians. But all such deeds will appear on the day of the Last Judgment: oh, woe to those who do this! When the Jews sat down in the wilderness to eat and drink and, having eaten and drunk, began to rejoice and commit fornication, then the earth swallowed them up - twenty thousand and three thousand. Oh, be afraid of those, people, and do the will of God as it is written in the law; save every Christian from such evil atrocities, Lord, to eat and drink to you for the glory of God, do not overeat, do not get drunk, do not make empty speeches.
When you put food and drink and all sorts of food in front of someone, or they put them in front of you, you should not blaspheme, saying: "this is rotten" or "sour" or "unleavened" or "salty" or "bitter", or "rotten", or "raw", or "overcooked", or some other censure to express, but the gift of God - any food and drink - should be praised and gratefully eaten, then God will give the food a fragrance and turn it into sweetness ... And if some food and drink is not good for anything, punish the household, the one who cooked, so that there is no such thing in advance.
From the Gospel. When they call you to the feast. do not sit in a place of honor, suddenly from among those invited there will be someone more respectable than you, and the owner will come up to you and say: "Make way for him!" - and then you will have to move to the last place with shame. But if you are invited, sit down by entering the last seat, and when the one who invited you comes and says to you: "Friend, sit higher!" - then the rest of the guests will honor you. So everyone who ascends will be humbled, but the humble will ascend.
And to this add one more thing: when you are invited to a feast, do not get drunk until you are terribly drunk and do not stay up late, because in many ways drinking and sitting for a long time gives rise to abuse and quarrels and fights, and even bloodshed. And you, if you are here, even though you do not swear and do not bully, you will not be the last in that fight and fight, but the first: after all, you sit for a long time, waiting for this fight. And the owner with this - a reproach to you: you do not go to sleep with yourself, and his household has no peace and time for other guests. If you get drunk and don't go to sleep, you don't go, and here you fall asleep, where you drank, you will be left unattended, because there are a lot of guests, you are not alone. And in this your overdrinking and negligence, you will get dirty on your clothes, and you will lose your cap or hat. If there was money in a purse or in a wallet, they would take it out, and the knives would be taken away - and now the owner, from whom he drank, and that is for you a mess, and even more so for you: he wasted himself, and the shame of people, they will say: there where he drank, then fell asleep, who will look after him, if everyone is drunk? You see for yourself what a shame and reproach and damage to you from excessive drunkenness.
If you leave or leave, and still have a good drink, you will fall asleep on the way, you will not get home, and then you will suffer more than ever: they will take all your clothes off you, they will take away everything that you have with you, they will not even leave your shirt. So, if you do not sober up and get drunk to the end, I will say this: you will deprive the body of the soul. When drunk, many die from wine and freeze on the way. I'm not saying: you shouldn't drink, you shouldn't; but I say: do not get drunk when drunk. I do not blame the gift of God, but I blame those who drink without restraint. As the Apostle Paul writes to Timothy: "Drink little wine - just for the sake of the stomach and frequent ailments," and he wrote to us: "Drink little wine for the sake of joy, and not for drunkenness: drunkards will not inherit the kingdom of God." Many people are deprived by drunkenness and earthly wealth. If someone adheres to drinking immensely, the reckless will praise him, but then they will condemn him for foolishly squandering his good. As the apostle said: “Do not get drunk with wine, there is no salvation in it, but revel in the praise of God,” and I will say this: get drunk in prayer, and fasting, and alms, and attending church with a clear conscience. God approves of them; such will receive from him a reward in his kingdom. To revel in wine is the destruction of the soul and body, and ruin to your wealth. Together with earthly possessions, drunkards are deprived of the heavenly, for they drink not for God's sake, but for drunkenness. And only demons rejoice, to which the drunkard has a way to go, if he does not have time to repent. So do you see, O man, what a shame and what a reproach for this from God and from his saints? The Apostle ranks the drunkard, like every sinner, to those displeasing to God, equal by fate to demons, if he does not purify his soul by sincere repentance. So let there be all Christians who live with God in the Orthodox faith, together with our Lord Jesus Christ and with his saints, glorifying the Holy Trinity - the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, amen.
But back to the previous one, which we are talking about. And the owner of the house (or his servants) should serve everyone to eat and drink, either to the table, or to send to another house, dividing according to dignity and order, and according to custom. Dishes are sent from the big table, from the rest it does not happen; for love and faithful service - let everyone dress them up properly, and they ask forgiveness about that.
And secretly taking out or sending food and drink from the table or from the meal, without permission and without blessing, is sacrilege and self-righteousness, such people are always condemned.
When they put before you various dishes and drinks, but if someone is more noble than you from the invitees, do not start eating before him; if you are an honored guest, then start eating the offered food first. Some God-lovers have plenty of food and drink, and everything that remains untouched is taken away, then still useful - send or give. If someone, insensitive and inexperienced, not learned and ignorant, without reasoning, fixes all the dishes in a row, but being full and not wanting to eat, not caring about preserving the dishes, they will scold and ridicule such a person, he is dishonored before God and people.
If you happen to greet visiting people, whether trade, or foreigners, other guests, whether invited. Whether given by God: rich or poor, priests or monks, then the owner and mistress should be friendly and give due honor according to the rank and dignity of each person. With love and gratitude, with an affectionate word to honor each of them, to talk to everyone and a kind word to greet, to eat and drink, or put on the table, or to send from your hands with a kind greetings, and otherwise send something, but each with something- then highlight and please everyone. If any of them are waiting in the hallway or sitting in the yard - and feed and drink those and, sitting at the table, do not forget to send them food and drink. If the owner has a son or a faithful servant, let him look out everywhere and honor everyone and greet everyone with a kind word, and he would not scold, dishonor, dishonor, ridicule, condemn, so that neither the owner, he did not condemn their children, nor their servants.
And if the guests or guests quarrel among themselves, they should be calm down carefully, and whoever is no longer in himself - carefully escort him to his court and protect him from any fight along the way; gratefully and gratefully, having fed and drunk, with honor and send - this is a gift to God, and to good people - in honor. Treat the poor kindly and spiritually - from that you will receive a reward from God, and from people - good glory.
When you treat or commemorate your parents in the monastery, do the same: feed and drink and give alms as much as possible, for health and peace. If someone first feeds, gives water and bestows, but then dishonors and scolds, condemns and ridicules, or denounces in absentia, or bypasses, or, without feeding and barking, still hit, and then expel him from the yard, or the servants will dishonor him someone - then such a table or a feast for the delight of demons, and God in anger, and among people and shame and fury, and enmity, and the offended - shame and insult. To such a reckless master and mistress and their servants is a sin from God, from people hostility and reproach, and from poor people also a curse and censure. If you don't feed someone, calmly explain, without barking or beating, and without dishonoring, politely let go, refusing. And whoever comes from the yard, complaining of the master's inattention, so a courteous servant politely to the guest will say: “Do not be angry, father, there are many guests from our hosts, they did not have time to welcome you,” - then they will be the first to beat you with their foreheads so that you are not angry with them ... And at the end of the feast, the servant must tell the owner about the guest who has left, and if the guest is needed, then immediately tell the master, and he as he wants.
With the empress, the wife and good and all kinds of guests, whatever happens to her, she should do the same with them, as it is written in this chapter. And to her children and servants as well.
And about those sitting at the meal, the vision of Saint Niphon is set forth in the Prologue, and in the Pandects of Antiochus about food, chapter three.
16. How can a husband and wife consult about what to punish the housekeeper about dining, about the kitchen and about the bakery
Every day and every evening, having corrected spiritual duties, and in the morning, by the ringing of the bells and after prayer, the husband and wife consult about household chores, and on whom what is the duty and who is in charge of what business, to punish all those, when and what of food and drinks to prepare for guests and for yourself. Or even the housekeeper, according to the master's word, will order what to buy at the expense, and when, having bought the appointed one, it will be brought, measure everything and carefully examine it. And to the one who buys all supplies for household expenses, for food, for fish and meat and for all kinds of seasoning, give money for a week or a month, and when he spends the money and gives an account of it to the lord, he will take it again. So everything is visible: and grub, and costs, and his service. The cook should send what should be cooked, and the baker, and send the same goods for other preparations. And the key keeper would always keep in mind what needs to be said to the owner. And in the cookery, bake and cook meat and fish dishes according to the count, as the master commands, let them bake and cook for so many dishes, and take everything ready from the cook according to the count. On the table, put all sorts of dishes according to the master's order, according to the guests, and give and take the grain supply and all food according to the count, and if any of the stews and all the cooking from the table remains untouched and half-eaten, sort out the untouched dishes, and started - separately, both meat and fish, and put everything in a clean strong dish and cover and ice. Give the popped dishes and various leftovers for eating, wherever that will fit, and keep untouched for the owner and hostess and for guests. Drinks should be served at the table according to the order, judging by the guests, or without guests, and Mrs. only mash and kvass. And the tableware: plates, brothers, ladles, vinegar bowls, pepper shakers, pickles, salt shakers, suppliers, dishes, spoons, tablecloths and bedspreads - everything would always be clean and ready for the table or for supplies. The rooms would have been swept out, the upper rooms would have been tidied up, and the icons on the wall would have been hung according to the rank as it should be, and the tables and benches would have been washed and wiped, and the carpets would have been spread over the benches. And vinegar, pickle and lemon and plum brine would be strained through sieves, cucumbers, lemons and plums would be peeled and sorted, the table would be clean and tidy. And dried fish and all kinds of dried fish, and various jellies, meat and lean, and caviar, and cabbage - peeled and laid out in dishes, prepared before meals. And the drinks would all be clean, filtered through a sieve. And the housekeepers would still have eaten and drunk some weak drinks before the table, and bakers, and cooks, and then they cook calmly. And they would have dressed up in what the owner orders, they would have made themselves neatly, and in whatever concoction that the owner entrusted to whom, they would have kept themselves clean and tidy. And all the dishes and all the tackle at the housekeeper and everyone in the kitchen would have been washed and cleaned and completely intact, as well as at the hostess and her servants. Bring food and drinks to the table, making sure that the dishes in which you are carrying are clean and the bottom is wiped, and the food and drinks are also clean, without garbage and without mold and without curing; put, after examining, and after putting food or drinks, there is no need to cough, not spit, not blow your nose, but step aside, clean your nose and cough, or spit, turning away and rubbing your foot; so it is decent for any person.
17. Ordering the housekeeper in case of a feast
If the feast is going to be a big one, then you can observe it yourself everywhere - in the kitchen, in the cutting room and in the bakery. And to serve dishes on the tables - put a skilled person, and at the supplier, at the drinks and at the dishes, you also need an experienced one so that everything is in order. And to serve drinks to the table according to the master's instructions, to whom what has been brought, to the side without permission not to give to anyone. And at the table, and how the feast ends, examine and count, and clean up the silver and pewter and copper utensils, mugs and ladles, and brothers, and brothers with a lid, and dishes - where and for what someone will be sent and who will carry, to from that and to demand; so that they do not steal anything on the side, follow everything strictly. Then a reliable person is needed in the courtyard, so that everything is watched over and guarded by all the household things: they wouldn't have stolen anything, and a drunken guest should be guarded, so that he would not lose anything and not break, and would not swear with anyone. And the servants of the guests, who are in the courtyard with horses at the sledges and at the saddles, should also look after those, so that they do not quarrel with each other, do not rob each other, revile the guests, and they would not steal anything and spoil their home. to look after everyone, to calm everything down; and who does not obey - report to the owner. And the person who is stationed in the yard at that time does not drink anything, does not go anywhere, and here in the yard, and in the basements, and in the bakery, and in the kitchen, and in the stable, strictly observe everything.
When the table leaves and the feast is over, collect all the silver and pewter dishes, look through, count, wash and put everything in place, and the kitchen utensils as well. And sort out all the dishes, meat and fish, and jelly and stews, and clean up, as said before. On the day of the feast - in the evening or early the next day - to the owner himself to see if everything is in order and to count it, and to tell the housekeeper exactly how much of what was eaten, drunk, and to whom what was given, and to whom what was sent, so that the entire expense is every business would be known, and all the dishes would be counted, and the key keeper could report to the master exactly what went where and to whom what was given, and how much of what came together. And if. God willing, everything is in order and not wasted, and nothing is spoiled, then the master should be rewarded with the key keeper, and the rest of the servants as well: both the cooks and the bakers, who skillfully and frugally cooked, and did not drink, and then praise and feed everyone, and get drunk; then they will try to continue to do well.
18. The order of the master to the housekeeper, how to cook meat and meat dishes and feed the family in the meat-eater and in the fast
And even then the master would punish the housekeeper, what food to the meat-eater to let go to the kitchen for the owner for household expenses, and for guests, and what - on fast days. The housekeeper also needs a master's order about drinks, which drinks to bring to the gentleman and his wife, which ones to the family and guests, and all that should be cooked and done and given out according to the master's order. And in every business, the master's housekeeper every morning to ask about food and drinks and about all the errands; as the lord commands, so do. The master should consult with his wife and the housekeeper about all household matters, how to feed the servants on what day: on soon days, sieve bread, cabbage soup every day and porridge with thin ham, and sometimes, replacing it, and steep with lard, and meat, if will be, they will give it for dinner: and for supper cabbage soup and milk or porridge: and on fast days cabbage soup and cereal porridge, sometimes with jam, when peas, and sometimes dead, when baked turnip. Yes for dinner cabbage cabbage soup, oatmeal, or even pickle, botvinia. On Sundays and holidays for dinner, some pies or thick cereals, or vegetables, or herring porridge, pancakes and jelly, and what God will send. Yes, for dinner, everything is as it was said before. And the servants' wives and girls and children, too, and the working people the same food, but with the addition of leftovers from the tables of the master and the guest. The best people who trade or serve on orders are seated by the master at his table. Those who serve the guests at the table, in addition, after the table, finish the dishes from the table leftovers. And the lady to the craftswomen and seamstresses also - she feeds them at the table and serves them from her food. The servants drink beer from the squeeze, and on Sunday and on the holiday they will give mash, and the clerks will always have mash too; the gentleman will grant other drinks himself or will order the housekeeper, and for pleasure and beer he will order to give.
The order of the master or mistress of the housekeeper and the cook, how to cook modest and lean food for the family, servants or beggars. Cabbage or tops or crumbs finely chopped and washed well, and boiled, and steamed harder; on short days, put meat, ham or ham lard, serve sour cream or pour in cereals and cook. In the post, pour juice or some other kind of welding, and add again to evaporate well, add cereals and add salt in sour cabbage soup. And boil various porridge as well, and evaporate well with butter or lard, or with herring oil, or with juice. And if there is jerky, poltevoy, and corned beef or jerky fish and smoked and salted - wash them, scrape, peel and boil well. And prepare all kinds of food for the working families, and knead and ferment the bread for them, and roll it up well and bake it; and cakes for them as well. Cook all food for them well and cleanly, as for yourself: from any dish such a lady or a housekeeper always takes a bite herself, and if it is not well cooked or baked, she scolds the cook or the baker, or the women who cooked it. If the housekeeper does not follow this, then they scold him, but if the mistress does not care about it, then her husband scolds; to feed the servants and the poor as to yourself, for that is in honor of God, but for your own salvation.
The master and mistress must always watch and ask the servants and the weak and the poor about their need, about food, drink, about clothes, about everything necessary, about all their scarcity and lack, about offense, about illness, about all those needs, in which you can help for God's sake, as far as possible, and care how much God will help and with all your heart, as about your children, as about loved ones. If someone does not care about that and does not sympathize with those, he will answer before God and will not receive a reward from him, but who, with love, with all his heart and watch over and keep it, will receive great mercy from God, absolution for sins, and eternal life inherits.
19. How to bring up your children in different teachings and in the fear of God
May God send to whom children, sons and daughters, that the father and mother take care of their children; provide them and educate them in good science: teach the fear of God and politeness, and all order. And over time, according to the children and according to their age, to teach them needlework, the father - the sons, and the mother - the daughters, who is worthy of what, what abilities God will give to whom. To love and keep them, but also to save them by fear, punishing and preaching, or else, having figured them out, and beat them. Punish children in youth - they will rest you in your old age. And to keep, and to observe the purity of the body and from all sin to the fathers of their children as the apple of their eye and as their soul. If children sin through paternal or maternal negligence, they should be told about such sins on the day of the Last Judgment. So if children, deprived of the instructions of their father and mother, in which they sin or do evil, then both the father and the mother with their children are sin from God, and reproach and mockery from people, loss to the house, and sorrow for themselves, shame and disgrace from the judges. penalty. If, however, with God-fearing parents, reasonable and reasonable, children are brought up in the fear of God in good instruction, and taught all knowledge and order, and craft, and handicraft, - such children, together with their parents, will be pardoned by God, blessed by priests and praised by good people, and when they grow up, good people will marry their sons with joy and gratitude to their daughters, or, by God's grace and choosing according to age, their daughters will be given in marriage to their sons. If from such a child God will take after repentance and with communion, thereby the parents bring an immaculate sacrifice to God, and how such children will move into eternal palaces, then they have the boldness of God to ask for mercy and forgiveness of sins also for their parents.
20. How to raise daughters and marry with a dowry
If a daughter is born to someone, a prudent father who feeds on trade - whether he trades in the city or overseas - or plows in the village, he saves this from any profit for his daughter (and in the village as well): either the animal is raised for her with offspring, or from her share, which God will send there, will buy canvases and canvases, and pieces of cloth, and trimmings, and a shirt - and all these years they put her in a special chest or in a box and a dress, and dresses, and monistas, and church utensils, and dishes tin and copper and wood, always adding a little, every year, as it is said, and not all of a sudden, at a loss. And everything, God willing, will be full. So the daughter grows up, learns the fear of God and knowledge, and her dowry keeps coming. As soon as they agree to marry, the father and mother can no longer grieve: God has given, they will have plenty of everything, they will have a feast in joy and joy. If the father and mother are not greedy, according to what has been said here, they have not prepared anything for their daughter, and they have not given her any share, they will only give her in marriage - they will immediately rush and buy everything, so that the fast wedding is in plain sight. Both father and mother will fall into sadness from such a wedding, because it is expensive to buy everything at once. If, according to God's will, the daughter passes away, then they commemorate her with a dowry, according to her heart, and distribute alms. And if there are other daughters, take care of them in the same way.
21. How to teach children and save them by fear
Punish your son in his youth, and he will rest you in your old age, and give beauty to your soul. And do not feel sorry for the baby bey: if you punish him with a rod, he will not die, but he will be healthier, for you, when you execute his body, save his soul from death. If you have a daughter, and direct your severity to her, you will save her from bodily troubles: you will not shame your face if your daughters walk in obedience, and it is not your fault if she foolishly violates her virginity, and your acquaintances will become known to your acquaintances in mockery. , and then they will put you to shame in front of people. For if you give your daughter blameless - as if you will accomplish a great deed, in any society you will be proud, never suffering because of her. Loving your son, increase his wounds - and then you will not boast of him. Punish your son from youth and rejoice for him in his maturity, and among ill-wishers you will be able to boast of him, and your enemies will envy you. Raise children in prohibitions and you will find peace and blessing in them. Do not laugh in vain while playing with him: in the small you will relax - in the big
In the middle of the 16th century, a monument of folk customs "Domostroy" appeared. It was a collection of not just practical advice on how to punish children, salt mushrooms, put clean dishes on the table, but also other recommendations: how to decorate your home so that it would be "how to enter heaven."
Priest Sylvester is considered the author of Domostroy. This book is a set of rules of conduct in home life. The author of "Domostroy" paid special attention to how a woman should behave - the mother of a family, the mistress of the house. According to "Domostroi", the entire burden of household chores lay on women's shoulders. The woman had to economically manage the household, not throw anything away, be able to prepare food for future use.
Women were not supposed to participate in public life, and they were not even allowed to just walk the streets. The more noble the family was, the more strictness fell on the lot of the woman. The most unfortunate of the Russian girls were princesses (tsar's daughters). It was very difficult for them even to get married: for subjects - not by rank, for foreigners - religion did not allow. The life of other noble women was not much better - they were hidden from human eyes, and even in the church a place was specially fenced off for them.
When a girl was married off, no one asked her consent, and often she met the groom already at the wedding.
Women's clothing, even the most expensive, also had severity. A headdress was obligatory for a woman, to open her hair - "to go wild" - was a great shame for a woman. The Russian national dress - a sundress - completely hid the woman's figure from immodest looks.
"Domostroy", without exaggeration, is an outstanding work, which defines the rules of home organization, which dealt with spiritual life, relationships within the family and housekeeping. "Domostroy", according to the author, was supposed to help a Russian person to behave correctly both in state and family life. It affirmed deep faith in God, true mercy, honesty, diligence, and mutual respect. Idleness and vanity, drunkenness and overeating, slander and greed were condemned.
1 .: # c1 Teaching father to son.
2 .: # c2 How can Christians believe in the Holy Trinity and the Most Pure Theotokos and in the cross of Christ and how to worship the holy heavenly powers, incorporeal, and all honest and holy relics.
3 .: # c3 How to partake of the mysteries of God and believe in the resurrection from the dead and the Last Judgment to expect, and how to touch every shrine.
4 .: # c4 How to love the Lord and your neighbor with all your soul, to have the fear of God and remember death.
5 .: # c5 As a king or prince to honor and obey them in everything, and submit to all power, and serve them with truth in everything, in large and in small, as well as to the sick and the weak - to any person, whoever he may be; and think it over yourself.
6 .: # c6 How can people honor their spiritual fathers and obey them in everything.
7 .: # c7 How to venerate bishops, as well as priests and monks, in all sorrows of soul and body with benefit to confess to them.
8 .: # c8 How Christians can heal from diseases and all suffering - to kings, princes, and all ranks to people, bishops, and priests, and monks, and all Christians.
[About sorcery and about sorcerers]
9 .: # c9 How to visit anyone in suffering in monasteries, hospitals and dungeons.
10 .: # c10 How to come with gifts in the church of God and in monasteries.
11 .: # c11 How to decorate your house with holy images and keep your home clean.
12 .: # c12 How to pray to God for a husband, wife and household members at home.
13 .: # c13 How to pray for a husband and wife in church, keep cleanliness, avoiding all evil.
14 .: # c14 How to invite priests and monks to your house for prayer.
15 .: # c15 How to treat people with gratitude to those who come to your house with your household.
16 .: # c16 How can a husband and wife consult about what the housekeeper should punish about dining, about the kitchen and about the bakery.
17 .: # c17 Order for the housekeeper in case of a feast.
18 .: # c18 The order of the mister to the housekeeper, how to cook meat and meat dishes and feed the family in the meat-eater and in the post.
19 .: # c19 How to educate your children in different teachings and fear of God.
20 .: # c20 How to raise daughters and marry with a dowry.
21 .: # c21 How to teach children and save them by fear.
22 .: # c22 How children can love and take care of their father and mother, and obey them, and comfort them in everything.
23 .: # c23 Praise to husbands.
24 .: # c24 How to do needlework for every person and do any business, blessed.
25 .: # c25 Instructions to husband and wife, and children, and servants on how they should live.
26 .: # c26 What kind of servants to keep with you and how to take care of them in all their teachings and according to the divine commandments, and in homework.
27 .: # c27 If the husband himself does not teach good, then God will punish him; if he himself does good, and teaches his wife and household members, he will receive mercy from God.
28 .: # c28 About living unrighteously.
29 .: # c29 About righteous living.
30 .: # c30 How can a person live within their means
31 .: # c31 Who lives unpredictably.
32 .: # c32 Who keeps the servants unattended.
33 .: # c33 How can a husband educate his wife so that she can please God and adapt to her husband, so that she can arrange her house better and know all kinds of household items and handicrafts, teach servants, and work herself.
34 .: # c34 About the craftswomen of good wives, their thriftiness and what to cut, how to save leftovers and trimmings.
35 .: # c35 How to cut different clothes and protect leftovers and cuttings.
36 .: # c36 How to keep home order and what to do if you have to ask people for something or give people their own.
37 .: # c37 As a hostess, she should look after the servants in the household and handicrafts every day, and she herself should keep and increase everything.
38 .: # c38 When you send servants to people, tell them not to talk too much.
39 .: # c39 As a wife and husband to consult every day and ask about everything: how to go to visit, and invite, and what to talk with guests about.
40 .: # c40 Order to wives about drunkenness and drunkenness (and servants as well): so as not to secretly keep anything anywhere, and not to trust slander and deceit of servants without inquiry; to instruct them with severity (and to my wife as well), and how to stay at a party and behave correctly at home.
41 .: # c41 How does a wife wear different clothes and how to sew them.
42 .: # c42 How to keep the dishes in good order and keep the housekeeping, all the rooms are well kept clean; as a mistress to instruct the servants, and to the husband - to check the wife, to teach and to save by the fear of God.
43 .: # c43 As the owner himself, or to whom he orders, to buy supplies for a year and other goods.
44 .: # c44 How can I buy various overseas goods from distant lands for my own expense?
45 .: # c45 When and what to buy for someone who does not have villages, all kinds of household supplies, in summer and winter, and how to store for a year, and how to raise all kinds of cattle at home, keep food and drink constantly.
46 .: # c46 How to keep any lean supplies stored up for future use.
47 .: # c47 About profit from the stock for the future.
48 .: # c48 How to take care of the garden and the garden.
49 .: # c49 What supplies of drinks should the owner keep for himself and his guests, and how should the servants prepare them.
50 .: # c50 Advice to cooks: how to brew beer and feed honey and smoke wine.
51 .: # c51 Like a housekeeper to look after cooks, bakers, and everywhere - the entire household.
52 .: # c52 As in the granaries and in the bins, the key keepers would have all the grain and other supplies safe.
53 .: # c53 Also in the drying room to keep an eye on the housekeeper for fish, dried and dried, for lay meat and tongues.
54 .: # c54 How to keep everything in the cellar, on the glacier and on the grave.
55 .: # c55 As instructed by the master's housekeeper, keep everything in order in the cages, basements and barns.
56 .: # c56 How to keep hay and horses in the stables in the hayloft, and in the yard there is a supply of firewood and wood, and to take care of all the cattle.
57 .: # c57 How to cook in kitchens, bakeries and workrooms, and how to figure out what has been cooked.
58 .: # c58 As the owner himself better to look after the cellars and glaciers, in the granaries and drying rooms, in the barns and in the stables.
59 .: # c59 As a master, having found out everything, give the servants what they deserve, and punish the bad ones.
60 .: # c60 About merchants and shopkeepers: how best to pay with them.
61 .: # c61 How to set up a yard or a shop, or a barn and a village.
62 .: # c62 As a household tax to pay either from a shop with manure or from a village, and to debtors - to return debts.
63 .: # c63 Instructing the key keeper how to store all sorts of salty supplies in the cellar - in barrels, and in tubs, and in measuring containers, and in vats, and in buckets, meat, fish, cabbage, cucumbers, plums, lemons, caviar, mushrooms and milk mushrooms.
64 .: # c64 Notes for the whole year, what to serve, meat and lean food, and about granular flour, how to cook flour and which of a quarter of canteen rolls, and about all kinds of rolls.
65 .: # c65 The rule about different honeycombs, how to feed all sorts of meads, how to cook berry juice, and put simple honey kvass, and add simple beer with honey, and prepare sourdough.
66 .: # c66 Rules about different vegetables, how to cook, dress and store them. Notes of a different version for the whole year: table dishes are served at the Uspensky meat-eater.
67 .: # c67 Wedding ranks; about how to marry a young prince - four articles, four rites: large and medium and small rite.
Foreword to this book, so be it!
The instruction and punishment of the spiritual fathers to all Orthodox Christians on how to believe in the Holy Trinity and the Most Pure Theotokos and in the cross of Christ and in heavenly powers, and to worship the holy relics and commune the sacred mysteries and how to apply the rest of the shrine. About how to honor the Tsar and his princes and nobles, for the apostle said: "To whom honor is honor, to whom tribute is tribute, to whom to give tribute", "not in vain does he carry a sword, but in praise of the virtuous, as punishment for the unreasonable." “Do you want not to be afraid of the authorities? Always do good ”- before God and before her, and obey her in everything and serve in righteousness - you will be the chosen vessel and you will bear the royal name in yourself.
And about how to venerate saints, priests and monks - and receive benefits from them and ask prayers for the blessing of your home and all your needs, both mental and physical, but above all spiritual - and listen to them diligently, and listen to their teachings, as if from the lips of God.
And in this book you will also find a certain charter about the secular structure: about how Orthodox Christians live in peace with their wives and children and household members, how to instruct and teach them, and to save them by fear and forbid strictly and to preserve them in all their deeds. in purity, mental and physical, and take care of them as of your own part of the body, for the Lord said: "May you both be in one flesh", for the apostle said: "If one member suffers, then everyone suffers with it"; Likewise, you do not care about yourself alone, but also about your wife and about your children and about everyone else - to the very last household member, for we are all bound by the same faith in God. And with such kind diligence, bring love to all who live in a divine way, like an eye of the heart looking at God, and you will be like a chosen vessel, not only carrying yourself to God, but many, and you will hear: “Good slave, faithful slave, be in joy of his Lord! "
And in this book you will also find a charter on house building, how to teach a wife and children and servants, and how to collect any stock - both grain and meat, and fish, and vegetables, and about the household, especially in complex matters. All in all, you will find chapters 67.
1. Teaching father to son
I bless, sinner (name), and teach, and instruct, and admonish my only son (name) and his wife (name), and their children, and household members - to follow Christian laws, live with a clear conscience and truth, in faith observing the will of God and his commandments, while affirming himself in the fear of God and in a righteous life, instructing his wife and his household not by compulsion, not by hitting, not by hard work, but like children that are always at ease, dressed and full, and in a warm house , and always okay. I present to you, who live in a Christian way, this scripture as a keepsake, for admonition to you and your children. If you don’t accept my scripture, you don’t follow my instruction, you don’t begin to live according to it and you don’t act as it is said here, give an answer for yourself on the day of the Last Judgment, and I am not involved in your crimes and sins, it’s not my fault: I blessed you for a decent life, and meditated, and prayed, and taught, and wrote to you. If, however, you accept my simple teaching and insignificant instruction with all the purity of your soul and read, asking, as far as possible, God for help and reason, and if God enlightens, put them all into action, then you will have the mercy of God and the Most Pure Theotokos, and the great miracle workers, and our blessing from now until the end of the century. And your house, and your children, your property and wealth, which God has sent you with our blessing and for your labors - may they be blessed and filled with all kinds of blessings forever and ever. Amen.
2. How Christians believe in the Holy Trinity and the Most Pure Theotokos and in the Cross of Christ, and how to worship the holy heavenly powers that are incorporeal, and all honest and holy relics
Every Christian should know how to live divinely in the Christian Orthodox faith, how, firstly, with all your soul and with any thought with all your senses, sincere faith to believe in the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit - in the indivisible Trinity; in the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ, the son of God, believe, call his mother who gave birth to the Mother of God, and worship the cross of Christ with faith, for the Lord brought salvation to people by this. Always honor the icon of Christ and his most pure mother and the holy heavenly disembodied forces and all the saints with faith, as you do to them, and with love in prayer, express all this and do obeisances, and call on God for help, and reverently kiss and worship the relics of the saints. them.
3. How to partake of the Mysteries of God and believe in the resurrection from the dead and the Last Judgment to expect and how to touch every shrine
Believe in the mysteries of God, partake of the body and blood of God with trembling in the purification and sanctification of the soul and body, for the forgiveness of sins and for eternal life. Believe in the resurrection from the dead and in eternal life, remember the Last Judgment - and we will all be rewarded according to our deeds. When, having prepared ourselves spiritually, we touch them with a clear conscience - with a holy prayer, kiss the life-giving cross and holy icons, honest, miraculous and multi-healing relics. Yes, and after the prayer, cross yourself, kiss them, keeping the air in yourself and not spanking with your lips. And the Lord is pleased to partake of the divine mysteries of Christ, so taking a spoon from the priest in the mouth carefully, do not smack his lips, but fold his hands at his chest with a cross; and if someone is worthy, the doru and prosphira and everything that is consecrated must be eaten carefully, with faith and with trembling, and the crumbs must not be dropped on the ground and not bite with their teeth, as others do; breaking bread, putting small pieces in your mouth, chewing with your lips and mouth, do not slurp; and do not eat prosphira with seasoning, but just sip on water or add church wine to boiled water, and do not mix anything else there.
Before any food, prosphira is eaten in church and at home; prosphira is never eaten with kutya or eve, with any other additives, and do not put prosphira on kutya. And if you do kissing with someone in Christ, then, kissing, holding the air in yourself, do not smack your lips. Think for yourself: we despise human weakness, the barely noticeable smell of garlic, as well as the stench of a drunken, sick and other stench - just as our stench and the stench from it are disgusting to the Lord - that is why all this should be done with caution.
4.How with all the soul of the Lord to love your loved one, to have the fear of God and remember the hour of death
So love the Lord your God with all your soul and with all the firmness of your spirit, and strive by your deeds with all your habits, your disposition to please God. Moreover, love all those who are close to you, created in the image of God, that is, every Christian. Always carry the fear of God in your heart and unfeigned love, and remember about death. Always keep the will of God and live according to his commandments. The Lord said: “On whatever I find you, I judge by that,” so that every Christian should be ready to meet the Lord - to live good deeds, in repentance and purity, always confessing, constantly awaiting the hour of death.
More about the same. Love the Lord with all your soul - let his fear be in your heart. Be both righteous and just and live in humility; lowering your eyes down, stretch your mind to heaven, in prayer to God and in word to people, be friendly; comfort the grieved, be patient in troubles, be courteous to everyone, generous and merciful, beggar and stranger, sorrow for sins and rejoice in God, do not be greedy for drunkenness and greedy for gluttony, be meek, quiet, silent, love your friends, and not gold, be unhappy, afraid of the king, ready to do his will, be polite in answers; and pray more often, prudent prospector of God, do not condemn anyone, defender of the disadvantaged, unhypocritical, child of the gospel, son of resurrection, heir of eternal life in Christ Jesus, our Lord, to him be glory forever.
5. As a king or prince to honor and obey them in everything, and submit to all authority, and serve them with righteousness in everything, in large and small, as well as to the sick and the weak - to any person, whoever he may be; and think it over yourself
Fear the king and serve him faithfully, always pray to God for him. And never speak falsely to him, but with reverence answer the truth to him, as to God himself, obeying him in everything. If you serve the earthly king with righteousness and are afraid of him, you will learn to fear the heavenly king: this one is temporary, and the heavenly one is eternal, he is an unhypocritical judge, he will reward everyone according to his deeds. Likewise, submit to princes, giving them due honor, for they were sent by God to punish the wicked and reward the virtuous. Accept your prince and your power, do not think evil of them. For the apostle Paul says: "All power is from God," so that whoever resists power resists God's command. And the king and prince and any nobleman do not think to serve by deceit, the Lord will destroy those who utter lies, and gossips and slanderers are damned by people. To those who are older than you, honor and bow down, honor the middle ones as brothers, lovingly comfort the weak and sorrowful, and love the younger ones as children - do not be evil to any creature of God. Do not desire earthly glory in anything, ask God for eternal bliss, endure any sorrow and burden with gratitude: if they offend, do not take revenge, if they blaspheme, pray, do not repay evil for evil, for slander - with slander; do not condemn those who sin, remember your sins, take care of them first of all; reject the advice of evil people, be jealous of those who live by the truth, bring their deeds into your heart, and do the same yourself.
You should also know how to honor your children with their spiritual fathers. To look for a spiritual father, kind, God-loving and prudent, reasonable and firm in faith, who will set an example, and not a drunkard indulge, not a money-lover, not an angry one. One should honor and obey him in everything, and repent before him with tears, confessing his sins without shame and without fear, and his instructions to fulfill and to observe penances for their sins. To call him to his house often, and to come to him for confession with all his conscience, listen to his teachings with gratitude, and obey him in everything, and honor him, and beat his forehead low: he is our teacher and mentor. And to stay before him with fear and gratitude, to go to him and give him offerings from their fruits of labor whenever possible. Consult with him more often about a useful life in order to refrain from all sins. As a husband to instruct and love his wife and children and servants, as a wife to obey her husband; consult him about everything every day. But one should confess one's sins before the spiritual father and reveal all one's sins, and submit to him in everything: for they care about our souls and will give an answer for us on the day of the Last Judgment; and one should neither scold them, nor condemn, nor reproach, but if they begin to ask for someone, listen to this, and punish the guilty one, looking through fault, but having discussed everything first.
Always come to the priests and give them the honors that are due to them, ask them for blessings and spiritual guidance and, falling at their feet, obey them in everything God pleases. Relate with trust and love to priests and monks, obey and obey them in everything, receiving salvation from them. In difficult matters, do not hesitate to ask their advice about spiritual matters and about everything sinful. And if any suffering, mental or physical, or illness, or some ailment, whether fire, flood, theft and robbery, or royal disgrace, or God's wrath, or slander, slander, or immeasurable losses and other inescapable sorrow, befalls you, in all this, do not fall into despair, remember your previous sins, which brought grief to God or people, and shed sincere tears before the merciful Vladyka and the Most Pure Theotokos, and before all the saints; turning to a quiet haven, to these spiritual guides, confess your sins and sorrow - in tenderness and with tears, in broken hearts, and they will heal you in all troubles, giving relief to your soul. And if the priests command anything, do it all, repenting of sins, for they are the servants and prayers of the heavenly king, the Lord has given them the boldness to ask for what is useful and good for our souls and for our bodies, and for the forgiveness of sins, and for eternal life. ...
8. How Christians can heal from diseases and all kinds of suffering - for kings, princes, and all kinds of ranks to people. and priests, and monks, and all Christians
If God sends a disease or some kind of suffering to someone, one should heal with God's mercy and prayer and tears, fasting, alms to the poor and earnest repentance, with gratitude and forgiveness, with mercy and unhypocritical love for everyone. If you have offended someone, you need to ask for forgiveness especially and not to offend in the future. And at the same time, to raise the spiritual fathers and all the priests and monks to pray to God, and sing prayers, and sanctify the water with an honest life-giving cross and from holy relics and miraculous images, and be sanctified with oil; walking in holy miraculous places on a vow, praying with all a clear conscience, and thus receive healing from God for a variety of ailments. And to avoid all sins and henceforth do no harm to anyone. The orders of the spiritual fathers to observe and to rule penances, and thus to be cleansed from sin, to heal mental and physical diseases, invoking God's mercy. Every Christian is obliged to rid himself of all ailments, mental and physical, from strangled and painful suffering, to live according to the commandment of the Lord, according to paternal tradition and according to Christian law (as at the beginning of this book it is written, from the first chapter, the first fifteen chapters and all other chapters of the book also); read the twenty-ninth chapter: ponder over them and observe everything - then a person will please God, save his soul, and be free of sin, and receive health, mental and physical, and inherit eternal blessings.
Whoever, in his insolence and fear of God, does not have and does not do the will of God, does not follow the law of the Christian paternal tradition, does not think about the church of God and about church singing, and about the cell rule, and about prayer, and praising God, eats and drinks without restraint until overeating and until drunkenness at an inopportune time, and does not follow the rules of the community: on Sundays and Wednesdays and Fridays, on holidays and during Great Lent and Ouspensky Lent, without abstinence, fornication at inopportune hours, violating nature and the law, or those from wives they commit fornication or commit a sin of Sodom and do all sorts of abominations and all sorts of disgusting deeds: fornication, debauchery, profanity and shame, demonic songs, dancing and jumping, playing tambourines, trumpets, nozzles, bringing bears and birds and hunting dogs and arranging horse races, - everything pleasing to demons, all obscenity and impudence, and besides, sorcery and sorcery, and witchcraft, astrologer, warlock, reading renounced books, almanacs, fortune-telling books, six-wing, believe in thunder arrows and axes, in the mustache and in the womb, in stones and magic bones and in all sorts of other demonic intrigues. If someone by magic and potion, roots-herbs, to death or to insanity, feeds or with demonic words, obsession and slander leads someone to any vice, especially adultery, or if someone swears by the name of God falsely or slanders a friend, - immediately read the twenty-eighth chapter. With such deeds, in such customs-morals, pride, hatred, rancor, anger, hostility, resentment, lies, theft, curse, shame, profanity, sorcery and sorcery, mockery, blasphemy, gluttony and drunkenness are born in people dawn and late - and all sorts of evil deeds, and gross fornication, and any debauchery. And the good man-lover God, not accepting such evil morals of people and customs, and any inappropriate deeds, like a child-loving father, through suffering, saves us all and leads to salvation, instructing, punishes for many of our sins, but does not give up early death, does not want the death of the sinner, but he is waiting for repentance so that a person can correct himself and live. If they do not correct themselves, do not repent of unkind deeds, God brings us to our sins when there is famine, when there is a pestilence, or even fires, or even a flood, or even captivity and death from the hand of the pagans, and ruin cities. the destruction of God's churches and every shrine, and the plunder of all property, and the slander of friends. Sometimes ruin, merciless execution and shameful death overtakes you from the royal anger, sometimes from robbers - murder and robbery, and from thieves - theft, and from judges - and bribes and expenses. That lack of rain - and then rains endlessly, unsuccessful years - and winter is unsuitable, and severe frosts, and the land is sterile, and all kinds of living creatures - death of cattle and beasts, and birds, and fish, and scarcity of all kinds of bread; and then suddenly the loss of parents and wife and children from heavy and quick and sudden deaths after heavy and bitter suffering in ailments and an evil death. For many righteous people truly serve God, according to the commandments of the Lord they live between us, sinners, but in this world, equally with sinners, God will execute them, so that after death they can become worthy of the most shining crowns from the Lord, but for us, sinners, torment is bitter - after all, the righteous endure grievous sufferings for our iniquity. So, really, in all these troubles, we will not be corrected, we will not learn anything and will not come to repentance, we will not wake up, we will not be afraid, seeing such punishment from the righteous anger of God for our endless sins? And again, the Lord, instructing and guiding us to salvation, tempting, like a righteous long-suffering Job, sends us suffering and sickness, and serious ailments, torment from evil spirits, flaming of the body, bones aches, swelling and swelling on all limbs, constipation of both passages , and a kidney stone, and a keel, and secret members, putrefaction, dropsy and deafness, blindness and dumbness, stomach pains and terrible vomiting, and down on both passages and blood and pus, and consumption, and cough, and pain in the head and toothache, and hernia, and gout, boils and rashes, weakness and tremors, nodules and buboes, and scab, and hump, neck, legs and arms twisted and squint, and all sorts of other serious ailments - all punishment for God's wrath. And now - we have forgotten all our sins, we have not repented, we do not want to be corrected in anything, nor to be afraid, nothing will teach us!
And although we see God's punishment in all that and suffer from serious illnesses for many of our sins, for having forgotten God who created us, without asking God for mercy or forgiveness, what evil we do when we turn to unclean demons , from whom already at holy baptism we renounced, as well as from their deeds, and we invite sorcerers, wizards and sorcerers, sorcerers and healers of all kinds with their roots, from whom we expect soulful and temporary help, and by this we prepare ourselves into the hands of the devil, in hell to suffer forever. About crazy people! Alas for your folly, we do not recognize our sins, for which God punishes and tortures us, and do not repent of them, do not avoid vices and obscene deeds, do not think about the eternal, but dream about the perishable and temporary. I pray - and I pray again: put away all vices and strangled deeds, let us sincerely cleanse ourselves with repentance, and may the merciful Lord have mercy on us in our sins, give us health, and souls, salvation, and not deprive us of eternal blessings. And if one of us gratefully suffers in this world in various diseases, in all kinds of suffering, in order to cleanse himself from the sins of his kingdom for the sake of heaven, he will not only receive forgiveness of sins, but will also be the heir of eternal blessings. For it is written in the holy Apostle: "Through many sufferings we are to enter the kingdom of heaven." The Holy Gospel says: "A narrow and sorrowful path, leading to eternal life, but wide and spacious, leading to destruction." And the Lord also said: "It is difficult to reach the kingdom of heaven, and only those who make an effort will receive it."
Let us remember the holy men, their sufferings for God's sake, all kinds of ailments and illnesses, and the good patience of those who did not call to themselves neither sorcerers, nor sorcerers, nor sorcerers, nor herbalists, no demonic healers, but placed all their hope on God, gratefully enduring cleansing for one's sins and for the sake of enjoying eternal blessings - like the long-suffering Saint Job or the beggar Lazarus, who lay before the gates of the rich in dung, devoured by pus and worms, and now rests in the bosom of Abraham; and like Simeon the Stylite, who himself rotted his body, foaming like worms; and many righteous, pleasing God, suffering all sorts of diseases and various ailments, gratefully endured all salvation for the sake of their soul and for the sake of eternal life, and for their suffering entered the heavenly kingdom, many - both rich and poor - of a Christian family, people of all ranks - and princely, and boyar, and priests and monks - suffering in endless illnesses and ailments, they were possessed by all sorts of sorrows, and they even endured insults for God's sake, and they asked God for mercy and hoped for his help.
And then the merciful God pours out endless mercies on his servants and grants healing, and forgives sins, and saves from suffering: those with the help of life-giving crosses and miraculous icons, holy images of Christ and the Mother of God, the Archangel and all saints, and through the holy relics and anointing of oil and blessing of oil, and through prayers in worship, which are at all-night vigil in God's holy churches and monasteries, and in miraculous places, and at home, and on the way, and on the waters, - everywhere calling with faith the Lord God, the most pure Mother of God, their saints to grant forgiveness, health of body and soul, salvation.
Many died in ailments and grave illnesses, in various sufferings, they were cleansed from sins, they were vouchsafed to eternal life. Let us comprehend the meaning of this exactly, we will begin to imitate their life and their patience, in life we compete with the holy fathers, prophets and apostles, saints and martyrs, monks and holy fools for Christ's sake, with holy wives, Orthodox tsars and princes, priests and monks - with all Christians who have lived a godly age.
Let us fully comprehend how in this life they endured the sufferings of Christ for the sake of - those by fasting and prayers and longsuffering, thirst and hunger, nakedness in frost or heat of the sun, abuse and spitting, all sorts of reproaches, beating and torment from wicked kings with various torments for Christ's sake. ; they were executed, burned in fire, their beasts devoured them, they killed them with stones, drowned them in the waters, in caves, in deserts and in earthly abysses, they ended their lives, in chains in dungeons they were imprisoned and captive, all kinds of labored, endured sufferings and various torments, - "and who will count them?" - as the Holy Scripture says.
And for such terrible sufferings, for their torment, what a reward they received from Christ in this life and in eternal life! The enjoyment of eternal blessings, which the eye did not see, the ear did not hear and did not give to the heart - this is what God will prepare for those who love him. And how they are glorified now, how the Church of God glorifies them! We ourselves only pray to these saints, we call for their help with a request to pray before God for us, and we receive healing from their miraculous images and revered relics. Let us follow these saints to life and suffering with gratitude and meekness, and as a reward we will receive similar grace from God.
[About sorcery and about sorcerers]
6th Council rule 61. And those who succumbed to magic or the so-called sages (or others who can predict), if anyone wants to reveal the unknown according to the first commandment received from the holy fathers - let them follow the rule of the canon: for six years they are deprived of the sacrament, like those who lead bears or some other beast to entertain the crowd and to earn money, who predict the fate at birth and the lineage from the stars, and with such speeches misleads the people. Those who read the clouds, sorcerers, creators of amulets and wizards, who are busy with this and do not retreat from these destructive pagan deeds, we demand to expel those everywhere from the church, as the law commands the priest. "What does light have to do with darkness?" - as the apostle said, and how is the church of God combined with pagan idols? what is the complicity of the faithful with the unbeliever? what is the agreement of Christ with the devil?
Interpretation. Those who follow pernicious witchcraft, go to the wise men and sorcerers, or invite them into their home, wanting to learn through them something inexpressible, just like those who feed and keep bears or some dogs or hunting birds for hunting or entertainment and for seducing crowds, or believe in fate and in genealogies, that is, in women in labor, and in witchcraft by the stars and guessing by the running clouds - all who do this, the council commanded to excommunicate for six years, let them stand with the catechumens for four years, and the rest two years - with the faithful, and thus they will be honored with divine gifts. If they do not correct themselves and after excommunication and pagan deception do not leave, then from the church - everywhere and always - let them be expelled. God-bearing fathers and church teachers spoke about magicians and sorcerers, and most of all, John Chrysostom says: those who practice magic and witchcraft, even if they utter the name of the Holy Trinity, even if they do the sign of the holy cross of Christ, it still befits them avoid and turn away from sneezes.
On the 24th rule of the Ankira Cathedral. Those who sorcery, who follow the customs of the pagans, and those who bring sorcerers into their homes to perform witchcraft and to cleanse from poisoning, are deprived of the sacrament, according to the rules, for five years in a certain order: to be inside for three years, and outside the church for two years, - only prayers without prosvira and without the sacrament.
Interpretation. If someone trusts the magi, sorcerers or herbalists, or others like them, and calls them to his house to try their fate, and they clarify to him what he wants, or during witchcraft, wishing to know the mysterious, spells on the water in order to heal evil evil - let him stand for three years with the catechumens, and for two years with the faithful, having communed with them only by prayer, but only after five years will he partake of the holy mysteries.
Rule 61 of the Sixth Council, which took place in the palace Trulla. For six years, those are not ordered to partake of secrets, that is, not to partake.
The sixth cathedral in Constantinople, in the palace Trulla 11th rule. There should be no fellowship between Christians and Jews. Therefore, if someone is found who eats their unleavened bread, or invites their doctor for his healing, or who bathes with them in the bath, or otherwise somehow communicates with them, if he is expelled from the clergy from the church, if a layman is excommunicated ...
Basil the Great rule 72. Whoever has trusted the wise men or the like who kill time - let it become forbidden.
Interpretation. He who went to teach harmful wisdom to magicians, sorcerers or sorcerers, let him be punished as a deliberate murderer; whoever believes the Magi or brings them into his house for treatment from poisoning or predicting the future - let him be punished for six years, as the 61st canon of the Sixth Ecumenical Council, which was in Constantinople, in the palace Trulla, commands, and canon 83 in the same letter of Basil the Great.
9. How to visit everyone in suffering in monasteries, hospitals and dungeons
In the monastery and in the hospital, in seclusion and in the prison of prisoners, visit and alms, according to your ability, give what they ask for; peer into misfortune and suffering, at all their needs, and help, as you can, and everyone. whoever suffers in poverty and need, do not despise a beggar, invite him into his house, brought him into his house. " Through their prayers you will receive mercy and absolution from God. Remember also the parents of your deceased with an offering to the church of God for a panikhida and for services, and arrange a commemoration for them at home, and give alms to the poor: then God will not forget you either.
10. How to come with gifts in the church of God and in monasteries
In the church of God, always come with faith, not in anger and without envy, without any enmity, but always with humble wisdom, meekly and in bodily purity, and with an offering: with a candle and with broth, with incense and incense, with eve and with kutya, and with alms - and for health, and for peace, and for the holidays you will also go to monasteries - also with alms and an offering. When you bring your gift to the altar, remember the gospel word: "If your brother has something against you, then leave your gift before the altar, and go and make peace with your brother first," and only then bring your gift to God from your righteous good : from unrighteous acquisition, giving is unacceptable. It was said to the rich: "It is better not to rob than to give alms from something unjustly obtained." Return what you have received unrighteously to the one offended by you - this is more worthy of alms. But God is pleased with the gift from righteous gain, from good deeds.
11. How to decorate your home with holy images and keep your home clean
Each Christian needs in his home, in all rooms, according to seniority, to hang on the walls the holy and honest images, painted on the icons, decorating them, and to put up lamps in which candles are lit in front of the holy images during the prayer, and after the service they are extinguished and closed. curtain from dirt and dust, strict for the sake of order and for safety. You should constantly sweep them with a clean wing and wipe them with a soft sponge, and this room should always be kept clean. To touch the holy images only with a clear conscience, during the service, while singing and praying, light candles and incense with fragrant incense and incense. And the images of the saints are arranged according to seniority, first, as already mentioned, especially revered. In prayers and in vigils, and in bows, and in all praise of God, one should always honor them - with tears and with crying, and with a mournful heart, confessing their sins, ask for the forgiveness of sins.
12. How to pray to God for a husband and wife and with the household in their house
Every evening in the evening a husband with his wife and with children, and with household members, if anyone knows the literacy - to sing Vespers, a feast party, in silence with attention, standing humbly with prayer, with bows, singing in accordance and clearly, after the service do not drink, do not eat and do not chat never. And everything has its own rule. Going to bed, every Christian puts three prostrations before the icon, but at midnight, getting up secretly, with tears, pray well to God as much as you can about his sins, and in the morning, getting up, too; and each does according to his strength and desire, and pregnant women bow to the waist. Every Christian should pray for his sins and for the remission of sins, for the health of the king and queen, and their children, and his brothers, and his boyars, and for the Christ-loving army, for help against enemies, for the release of captives, and for saints, priests and monks, and about the spiritual fathers, and about the sick, about those imprisoned, - and for all Christians. The wife needs to pray for her sins - both for her husband, and for children, and for household members, and for relatives, and for spiritual fathers. And in the morning, getting up, also to pray to God, to sing the matins and hours, and the prayer service with prayer, but in silence, with humility, sing harmoniously and listen with attention, and give up images. And if there is no one to sing, then pray a little more in the evening and in the morning. Husbands, on the other hand, should not miss a day of church singing: no Vespers, no Matins, no Mass, and wives and households - how it will turn out, as they decide: on Sunday and on holidays, and on holy holidays.
13. How to pray for a husband and wife in church, stay clean and avoid all evil
In the church, at the service, stand anxiously and pray in silence. At home, however, always sing the feast party, the midnight office and the clock. And who will add church service for the sake of his salvation, it is in his will, for then the reward is greater from God. And wives go to the church of God as they can - both at will and in consultation with their husbands. In church, she does not talk to anyone, stand silently, listen to singing with attention and read the Holy Scriptures, without looking back, not leaning against the wall or against the pillar, and not standing with a staff, not stepping from foot to foot; to stand, hands folded on the chest in a cross-like manner, unshakably and firmly, bodily eyes down, and heart-to-God; pray to God with fear and trembling, with sighs and tears. Do not leave the church until the end of the service, but come to the very beginning. On Sundays and on the feast days of the Lord, on Wednesdays and Fridays, on Holy Great Lent and on the Mother of God, stay clean. And always beware of gluttony and drunkenness, and empty conversations, obscene laughter. From theft and fornication, from lies, slander, from envy and everything unjustly acquired: from usury, from feeding, from bribes and from any other deceit, renounce and not be angry with anyone, not remember evil, but robbery and robbery and all violence and never do unrighteous judgment. To abstain from early food (and drink) and from late - after the evening service, but if you eat, then for the glory of God and only at the permitted time; small children and workers to feed at the discretion of the owners.
Do you not know that the unrighteous will not enter the kingdom of God? - how the apostle Paul said: “If someone is known as a fornicator or a covetous person, or an idolater, or a mocker, or a drunkard, or a robber - you don’t eat with them”? And he also said: "Do not flatter: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor profaners, nor immoralists, nor soddlers, nor covetous people, nor thieves, nor drunkards, nor offenders, nor robbers will enter the kingdom of God," every Christian needs to be protected from all evil.
A Christian should always hold in his hands - a rosary, and the Jesus Prayer - tirelessly on his lips; and in the church and at home, and at the market - you walk, whether you stand, or sit, and in every place, according to the prophet David: "Bless the Lord in every place, my soul!" Create a prayer like this: “Lord, Jesus Christ, son of God! have mercy on me, a sinner, "- and so to say six hundred times, and the seventh hundred - to the Most Pure Mother of God:" My mistress, Holy Mother of God, have mercy on me, a sinner! " - and again to return to the beginning, and so to speak constantly. If someone, using it, easily speaks like breathing with nostrils, then after the first year the son of God - Christ will enter into him, after the second - the Holy Spirit will enter him, and after the third - the Father will touch him, and entering into him, The Holy Trinity will dwell in him, prayer will swallow the heart and the heart will swallow prayer, and will cry out that prayer day and night, and he will get rid of the enemy's nets according to the word of Christ Jesus, our Lord - to him be glory forever, amen.
And the most pure Mother of God with all the heavenly powers and with all the holy protectors will become from the devil's wiles of everyone in this life and in the future - for the one who prays with faith and follows God's commandments.
How to be baptized and bowed down
Saints - and priests and monks, - kings and princes, and all Christians should bow to the image of the Spasov and the life-giving cross, and the Most Pure Mother of God, and the holy heavenly powers and all the saints, and sacred vessels, and holy revered relics in this way: connect your fingers with your right hand - close the first extreme and the lower two ends, - this marks the Holy Trinity; straighten the middle finger, slightly tilting, and the neighboring one higher, straightening - they signify two hypostases: the divine and the human. And cross yourself in the front like this: first, put your hand on the forehead, then on the chest, then on the right shoulder and, finally, on the left - this is how the cross of Christ is represented in its meaning. Then bow your head to the waist, but a big bow - your head to the ground. Prayers and entreaties are on your lips, but on your heart is tenderness, and in all your members there is sorrow for sins, tears flow from your eyes and sighing from your soul. With your lips - praise and praise God, with your mind and heart and breath, pray for the good, be baptized with your hand, and with your body bow down to the ground or into your belt - and always do this only. Bishops and priests, in the same way, baptize a Christian who asks for their blessing by hand.
About the cross of Christ as a sign, about worshiping him in the "Patericon" they reliably write; reading everything there, you will comprehend the power of the cross of Christ.
From Theodoret. With the hand, bless and be baptized like this: hold three fingers together in alignment in the image of the Trinity - God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit; not three gods, but one God in the Trinity, different names, but the deity is one: the Father is not born. The Son is born, not created, and the Holy Spirit is neither born nor created - descends - three in one deity. There is one power - one to the deity and honor, one bow from all creation, from angels and from people. This is what the base of those three fingers is. Two fingers must be held obliquely, without bending, they signify the two natures of Christ, divine and human: God according to deity, and man according to incarnation, together both of them are perfection. The upper finger signifies deity, and the lower one - humanity, because, having descended from the highest, he saved the lower ones. He also explains the bringing together of the fingers: for, bowing the heavens, he came down for our salvation. So it is necessary to be baptized and to bless, as established by the holy fathers.
From Athanasius and Peter Damascene, about the same. Since demons and various ailments are cast out without any cost and without difficulty by the mark of the honest and life-giving cross - who can glorify him too much? The holy fathers left us this sign for disputes with unfaithful heretics: two fingers (but on one hand) reveal Christ, our God in two natures, but in one being knowable. The right hand marks his ineffable strength and sitting at the right hand of the Father, and the descent from above, from heaven to us, reveals it to us, and also indicates to us that we should drive away enemies from the right side to the left, for the Lord conquered the devil with his invincible power: invisible and weak.
14. How to invite priests and monks to your house for prayer
And on other holidays, according to your commandment, or for the sake of weakness, or if you sanctify someone with oil, call the priests to your house, as often as you can, and perform the service on any occasion; then they pray for the Tsar and the Grand Duke (name), all Russia, the autocrat and for his queen, the Grand Duchess (name), and for their noble children, and for his brothers and for the boyars, and for all the Christ-loving army, and for victory over the enemies , and about the release of the captives, about the saints and about all the priests and monks - about any request, and for all Christians, and for the owners of the house - husband and wife, and for children and household members, and about everything that they need, if this need.
And the water is sanctified with a life-giving cross and from miraculous images or from revered holy relics, and for the sick one they consecrate oil for health and healing. If it is necessary to consecrate oil over the sick in the house, let them call seven priests or more, and as many deacons as they can. They bless the oil and do everything according to the statute, and they cense the deacon or priest in all the rooms, and sprinkle holy water, and the eldest of them overshadows with an honest cross, and everyone in this house praises God. And after the service, the tables are laid, the priests and monks drink and eat, and everyone who comes will immediately caress and give the poor in every possible way, and they will return to their homes, glorifying God. Likewise, the deceased parents should be remembered; in the holy churches of God, in the monasteries of the panikhida, to sing the conciliar and serve the liturgy, and to feed the brethren at a meal for peace and health, and to invite and feed them to their homes, to console and give alms.
Water must be sanctified on January 6 and August 1 - always with one life-giving cross. Three times it is immersed in cups by the bishop or priest, reciting the troparion "Save, O Lord, thy people" three times, and on the Epiphany - the troparion: "When You were baptized in Erdan, O Lord" - also three times, and on the platter lie the holy crosses and icons and miraculous revered relics. And removing the cross from the cup, the priest holds it over the dish, and water flows from the cross onto this shrine. After the immersion of the cross and the consecration of the water, he anoints with a sponge, soaking in the consecrated water the revered crosses and holy icons and miraculous relics, no matter how many there are in the holy temple or in the house, pronouncing the troparia to each saint, anointing his holy icon. And after that, you should squeeze the sponge into the already consecrated water and again anoint other shrines with it as well. And sprinkle the altar and the entire holy temple with the same holy water crosswise, and in the house also sprinkle everyone in the rooms, and all people. And those who deserve faith are anointed with this water and drink it for healing and cleansing of souls and bodies, and for the remission of sins and for eternal life.
15. How to treat with your family members gratefully those who come to your house
Before the beginning of the meal, first of all, the priests glorify the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, then the Virgin Mary and take out the consecrated bread, and at the end of the meal they put out the consecrated bread, and, after praying, as they should, they also drink the consecrated cup of the Most Pure Theotokos. Then let them talk about health and redemption. And if they eat in reverent silence or during a spiritual conversation, then invisibly angels come before them and write down good deeds, and then food and drink are sweet. If they begin to blaspheme about food and drink, as if what they eat immediately turns into garbage. And if at the same time rude and shameless speeches sound, obscene shame, laughter, various amusements or playing the harp and all kinds of music, dancing and clapping, and jumping, all kinds of demonic games and songs, then, like smoke drives away bees, they will move away and angels of God from this meal and obscene conversation. And the demons will rejoice and fly, having seized their hour, then everything that they want happens: they rage at the game of dice and chess, they amuse themselves with all sorts of demonic games, the gift of God - food and drink, and the fruits of the earth - will be thrown into ridicule, spilled, they beat each other, pour over them, outraging in every way the gift of God, and the demons write down these deeds, carry them to Satan, and together they rejoice in the destruction of Christians. But all such deeds will appear on the day of the Last Judgment: oh, woe to those who do this! When the Jews sat down in the wilderness to eat and drink and, having eaten and drunk, began to rejoice and commit fornication, then the earth swallowed them up - twenty thousand and three thousand. Oh, be afraid of those, people, and do the will of God as it is written in the law; save every Christian from such evil atrocities, Lord, to eat and drink to you for the glory of God, do not overeat, do not get drunk, do not make empty speeches.
When you put food and drink and all sorts of food in front of someone, or they put them in front of you, you should not blaspheme, saying: "this is rotten" or "sour" or "unleavened" or "salty" or "bitter", or "rotten", or "raw", or "overcooked", or some other censure to express, but the gift of God - any food and drink - should be praised and gratefully eaten, then God will give the food a fragrance and turn it into sweetness ... And if some food and drink is not good for anything, punish the household, the one who cooked, so that there is no such thing in advance.
From the Gospel. When they call you to the feast. do not sit in a place of honor, suddenly from among those invited there will be someone more respectable than you, and the owner will come up to you and say: "Make way for him!" - and then you will have to move to the last place with shame. But if you are invited, sit down by entering the last seat, and when the one who invited you comes and says to you: "Friend, sit higher!" - then the rest of the guests will honor you. So everyone who ascends will be humbled, but the humble will ascend.
And to this add one more thing: when you are invited to a feast, do not get drunk until you are terribly drunk and do not stay up late, because in many ways drinking and sitting for a long time gives rise to abuse and quarrels and fights, and even bloodshed. And you, if you are here, even though you do not swear and do not bully, you will not be the last in that fight and fight, but the first: after all, you sit for a long time, waiting for this fight. And the owner with this - a reproach to you: you do not go to sleep with yourself, and his household has no peace and time for other guests. If you get drunk and don't go to sleep, you don't go, and here you fall asleep, where you drank, you will be left unattended, because there are a lot of guests, you are not alone. And in this your overdrinking and negligence, you will get dirty on your clothes, and you will lose your cap or hat. If there was money in a purse or in a wallet, they would take it out, and the knives would be taken away - and now the owner, from whom he drank, and that is for you a mess, and even more so for you: he wasted himself, and the shame of people, they will say: there where he drank, then fell asleep, who will look after him, if everyone is drunk? You see for yourself what a shame and reproach and damage to you from excessive drunkenness.
If you leave or leave, and still have a good drink, you will fall asleep on the way, you will not get home, and then you will suffer more than ever: they will take all your clothes off you, they will take away everything that you have with you, they will not even leave your shirt. So, if you do not sober up and get drunk to the end, I will say this: you will deprive the body of the soul. When drunk, many die from wine and freeze on the way. I'm not saying: you shouldn't drink, you shouldn't; but I say: do not get drunk when drunk. I do not blame the gift of God, but I blame those who drink without restraint. As the Apostle Paul writes to Timothy: "Drink little wine - just for the sake of the stomach and frequent ailments," and he wrote to us: "Drink little wine for the sake of joy, and not for drunkenness: drunkards will not inherit the kingdom of God." Many people are deprived by drunkenness and earthly wealth. If someone adheres to drinking immensely, the reckless will praise him, but then they will condemn him for foolishly squandering his good. As the apostle said: “Do not get drunk with wine, there is no salvation in it, but revel in the praise of God,” and I will say this: get drunk in prayer, and fasting, and alms, and attending church with a clear conscience. God approves of them; such will receive from him a reward in his kingdom. To revel in wine is the destruction of the soul and body, and ruin to your wealth. Together with earthly possessions, drunkards are deprived of the heavenly, for they drink not for God's sake, but for drunkenness. And only demons rejoice, to which the drunkard has a way to go, if he does not have time to repent. So do you see, O man, what a shame and what a reproach for this from God and from his saints? The Apostle ranks the drunkard, like every sinner, to those displeasing to God, equal by fate to demons, if he does not purify his soul by sincere repentance. So let there be all Christians who live with God in the Orthodox faith, together with our Lord Jesus Christ and with his saints, glorifying the Holy Trinity - the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, amen.
But back to the previous one, which we are talking about. And the owner of the house (or his servants) should serve everyone to eat and drink, either to the table, or to send to another house, dividing according to dignity and order, and according to custom. Dishes are sent from the big table, from the rest it does not happen; for love and faithful service - let everyone dress them up properly, and they ask forgiveness about that.
And secretly taking out or sending food and drink from the table or from the meal, without permission and without blessing, is sacrilege and self-righteousness, such people are always condemned.
When they put before you various dishes and drinks, but if someone is more noble than you from the invitees, do not start eating before him; if you are an honored guest, then start eating the offered food first. Some God-lovers have plenty of food and drink, and everything that remains untouched is taken away, then still useful - send or give. If someone, insensitive and inexperienced, not learned and ignorant, without reasoning, fixes all the dishes in a row, but being full and not wanting to eat, not caring about preserving the dishes, they will scold and ridicule such a person, he is dishonored before God and people.
If you happen to greet visiting people, whether trade, or foreigners, other guests, whether invited. Whether given by God: rich or poor, priests or monks, then the owner and mistress should be friendly and give due honor according to the rank and dignity of each person. With love and gratitude, with an affectionate word to honor each of them, to talk to everyone and a kind word to greet, to eat and drink, or put on the table, or to send from your hands with a kind greetings, and otherwise send something, but each with something- then highlight and please everyone. If any of them are waiting in the hallway or sitting in the yard - and feed and drink those and, sitting at the table, do not forget to send them food and drink. If the owner has a son or a faithful servant, let him look out everywhere and honor everyone and greet everyone with a kind word, and he would not scold, dishonor, dishonor, ridicule, condemn, so that neither the owner, he did not condemn their children, nor their servants.
And if the guests or guests quarrel among themselves, they should be calm down carefully, and whoever is no longer in himself - carefully escort him to his court and protect him from any fight along the way; gratefully and gratefully, having fed and drunk, with honor and send - this is a gift to God, and to good people - in honor. Treat the poor kindly and spiritually - from that you will receive a reward from God, and from people - good glory.
When you treat or commemorate your parents in the monastery, do the same: feed and drink and give alms as much as possible, for health and peace. If someone first feeds, gives water and bestows, but then dishonors and scolds, condemns and ridicules, or denounces in absentia, or bypasses, or, without feeding and barking, still hit, and then expel him from the yard, or the servants will dishonor him someone - then such a table or a feast for the delight of demons, and God in anger, and among people and shame and fury, and enmity, and the offended - shame and insult. To such a reckless master and mistress and their servants is a sin from God, from people hostility and reproach, and from poor people also a curse and censure. If you don't feed someone, calmly explain, without barking or beating, and without dishonoring, politely let go, refusing. And whoever comes from the yard, complaining of the master's inattention, so a courteous servant politely to the guest will say: “Do not be angry, father, there are many guests from our hosts, they did not have time to welcome you,” - then they will be the first to beat you with their foreheads so that you are not angry with them ... And at the end of the feast, the servant must tell the owner about the guest who has left, and if the guest is needed, then immediately tell the master, and he as he wants.
With the empress, the wife and good and all kinds of guests, whatever happens to her, she should do the same with them, as it is written in this chapter. And to her children and servants as well.
And about those sitting at the meal, the vision of Saint Niphon is set forth in the Prologue, and in the Pandects of Antiochus about food, chapter three.
16. How can a husband and wife consult about what to punish the housekeeper about dining, about the kitchen and about the bakery
Every day and every evening, having corrected spiritual duties, and in the morning, by the ringing of the bells and after prayer, the husband and wife consult about household chores, and on whom what is the duty and who is in charge of what business, to punish all those, when and what of food and drinks to prepare for guests and for yourself. Or even the housekeeper, according to the master's word, will order what to buy at the expense, and when, having bought the appointed one, it will be brought, measure everything and carefully examine it. And to the one who buys all supplies for household expenses, for food, for fish and meat and for all kinds of seasoning, give money for a week or a month, and when he spends the money and gives an account of it to the lord, he will take it again. So everything is visible: and grub, and costs, and his service. The cook should send what should be cooked, and the baker, and send the same goods for other preparations. And the key keeper would always keep in mind what needs to be said to the owner. And in the cookery, bake and cook meat and fish dishes according to the count, as the master commands, let them bake and cook for so many dishes, and take everything ready from the cook according to the count. On the table, put all sorts of dishes according to the master's order, according to the guests, and give and take the grain supply and all food according to the count, and if any of the stews and all the cooking from the table remains untouched and half-eaten, sort out the untouched dishes, and started - separately, both meat and fish, and put everything in a clean strong dish and cover and ice. Give the popped dishes and various leftovers for eating, wherever that will fit, and keep untouched for the owner and hostess and for guests. Drinks should be served at the table according to the order, judging by the guests, or without guests, and Mrs. only mash and kvass. And the tableware: plates, brothers, ladles, vinegar bowls, pepper shakers, pickles, salt shakers, suppliers, dishes, spoons, tablecloths and bedspreads - everything would always be clean and ready for the table or for supplies. The rooms would have been swept out, the upper rooms would have been tidied up, and the icons on the wall would have been hung according to the rank as it should be, and the tables and benches would have been washed and wiped, and the carpets would have been spread over the benches. And vinegar, pickle and lemon and plum brine would be strained through sieves, cucumbers, lemons and plums would be peeled and sorted, the table would be clean and tidy. And dried fish and all kinds of dried fish, and various jellies, meat and lean, and caviar, and cabbage - peeled and laid out in dishes, prepared before meals. And the drinks would all be clean, filtered through a sieve. And the housekeepers would still have eaten and drunk some weak drinks before the table, and bakers, and cooks, and then they cook calmly. And they would have dressed up in what the owner orders, they would have made themselves neatly, and in whatever concoction that the owner entrusted to whom, they would have kept themselves clean and tidy. And all the dishes and all the tackle at the housekeeper and everyone in the kitchen would have been washed and cleaned and completely intact, as well as at the hostess and her servants. Bring food and drinks to the table, making sure that the dishes in which you are carrying are clean and the bottom is wiped, and the food and drinks are also clean, without garbage and without mold and without curing; put, after examining, and after putting food or drinks, there is no need to cough, not spit, not blow your nose, but step aside, clean your nose and cough, or spit, turning away and rubbing your foot; so it is decent for any person.
17. Ordering the housekeeper in case of a feast
If the feast is going to be a big one, then you can observe it yourself everywhere - in the kitchen, in the cutting room and in the bakery. And to serve dishes on the tables - put a skilled person, and at the supplier, at the drinks and at the dishes, you also need an experienced one so that everything is in order. And to serve drinks to the table according to the master's instructions, to whom what has been brought, to the side without permission not to give to anyone. And at the table, and how the feast ends, examine and count, and clean up the silver and pewter and copper utensils, mugs and ladles, and brothers, and brothers with a lid, and dishes - where and for what someone will be sent and who will carry, to from that and to demand; so that they do not steal anything on the side, follow everything strictly. Then a reliable person is needed in the courtyard, so that everything is watched over and guarded by all the household things: they wouldn't have stolen anything, and a drunken guest should be guarded, so that he would not lose anything and not break, and would not swear with anyone. And the servants of the guests, who are in the courtyard with horses at the sledges and at the saddles, should also look after those, so that they do not quarrel with each other, do not rob each other, revile the guests, and they would not steal anything and spoil their home. to look after everyone, to calm everything down; and who does not obey - report to the owner. And the person who is stationed in the yard at that time does not drink anything, does not go anywhere, and here in the yard, and in the basements, and in the bakery, and in the kitchen, and in the stable, strictly observe everything.
When the table leaves and the feast is over, collect all the silver and pewter dishes, look through, count, wash and put everything in place, and the kitchen utensils as well. And sort out all the dishes, meat and fish, and jelly and stews, and clean up, as said before. On the day of the feast - in the evening or early the next day - to the owner himself to see if everything is in order and to count it, and to tell the housekeeper exactly how much of what was eaten, drunk, and to whom what was given, and to whom what was sent, so that the entire expense is every business would be known, and all the dishes would be counted, and the key keeper could report to the master exactly what went where and to whom what was given, and how much of what came together. And if. God willing, everything is in order and not wasted, and nothing is spoiled, then the master should be rewarded with the key keeper, and the rest of the servants as well: both the cooks and the bakers, who skillfully and frugally cooked, and did not drink, and then praise and feed everyone, and get drunk; then they will try to continue to do well.
18. The order of the master to the housekeeper, how to cook meat and meat dishes and feed the family in the meat-eater and in the fast
And even then the master would punish the housekeeper, what food to the meat-eater to let go to the kitchen for the owner for household expenses, and for guests, and what - on fast days. The housekeeper also needs a master's order about drinks, which drinks to bring to the gentleman and his wife, which ones to the family and guests, and all that should be cooked and done and given out according to the master's order. And in every business, the master's housekeeper every morning to ask about food and drinks and about all the errands; as the lord commands, so do. The master should consult with his wife and the housekeeper about all household matters, how to feed the servants on what day: on soon days, sieve bread, cabbage soup every day and porridge with thin ham, and sometimes, replacing it, and steep with lard, and meat, if will be, they will give it for dinner: and for supper cabbage soup and milk or porridge: and on fast days cabbage soup and cereal porridge, sometimes with jam, when peas, and sometimes dead, when baked turnip. Yes for dinner cabbage cabbage soup, oatmeal, or even pickle, botvinia. On Sundays and holidays for dinner, some pies or thick cereals, or vegetables, or herring porridge, pancakes and jelly, and what God will send. Yes, for dinner, everything is as it was said before. And the servants' wives and girls and children, too, and the working people the same food, but with the addition of leftovers from the tables of the master and the guest. The best people who trade or serve on orders are seated by the master at his table. Those who serve the guests at the table, in addition, after the table, finish the dishes from the table leftovers. And the lady to the craftswomen and seamstresses also - she feeds them at the table and serves them from her food. The servants drink beer from the squeeze, and on Sunday and on the holiday they will give mash, and the clerks will always have mash too; the gentleman will grant other drinks himself or will order the housekeeper, and for pleasure and beer he will order to give.
The order of the master or mistress of the housekeeper and the cook, how to cook modest and lean food for the family, servants or beggars. Cabbage or tops or crumbs finely chopped and washed well, and boiled, and steamed harder; on short days, put meat, ham or ham lard, serve sour cream or pour in cereals and cook. In the post, pour juice or some other kind of welding, and add again to evaporate well, add cereals and add salt in sour cabbage soup. And boil various porridge as well, and evaporate well with butter or lard, or with herring oil, or with juice. And if there is jerky, poltevoy, and corned beef or jerky fish and smoked and salted - wash them, scrape, peel and boil well. And prepare all kinds of food for the working families, and knead and ferment the bread for them, and roll it up well and bake it; and cakes for them as well. Cook all food for them well and cleanly, as for yourself: from any dish such a lady or a housekeeper always takes a bite herself, and if it is not well cooked or baked, she scolds the cook or the baker, or the women who cooked it. If the housekeeper does not follow this, then they scold him, but if the mistress does not care about it, then her husband scolds; to feed the servants and the poor as to yourself, for that is in honor of God, but for your own salvation.
The master and mistress must always watch and ask the servants and the weak and the poor about their need, about food, drink, about clothes, about everything necessary, about all their scarcity and lack, about offense, about illness, about all those needs, in which you can help for God's sake, as far as possible, and care how much God will help and with all your heart, as about your children, as about loved ones. If someone does not care about that and does not sympathize with those, he will answer before God and will not receive a reward from him, but who, with love, with all his heart and watch over and keep it, will receive great mercy from God, absolution for sins, and eternal life inherits.
19. How to bring up your children in different teachings and in the fear of God
May God send to whom children, sons and daughters, that the father and mother take care of their children; provide them and educate them in good science: teach the fear of God and politeness, and all order. And over time, according to the children and according to their age, to teach them needlework, the father - the sons, and the mother - the daughters, who is worthy of what, what abilities God will give to whom. To love and keep them, but also to save them by fear, punishing and preaching, or else, having figured them out, and beat them. Punish children in youth - they will rest you in your old age. And to keep, and to observe the purity of the body and from all sin to the fathers of their children as the apple of their eye and as their soul. If children sin through paternal or maternal negligence, they should be told about such sins on the day of the Last Judgment. So if children, deprived of the instructions of their father and mother, in which they sin or do evil, then both the father and the mother with their children are sin from God, and reproach and mockery from people, loss to the house, and sorrow for themselves, shame and disgrace from the judges. penalty. If, however, with God-fearing parents, reasonable and reasonable, children are brought up in the fear of God in good instruction, and taught all knowledge and order, and craft, and handicraft, - such children, together with their parents, will be pardoned by God, blessed by priests and praised by good people, and when they grow up, good people will marry their sons with joy and gratitude to their daughters, or, by God's grace and choosing according to age, their daughters will be given in marriage to their sons. If from such a child God will take after repentance and with communion, thereby the parents bring an immaculate sacrifice to God, and how such children will move into eternal palaces, then they have the boldness of God to ask for mercy and forgiveness of sins also for their parents.
20. How to raise daughters and marry with a dowry
If a daughter is born to someone, a prudent father who feeds on trade - whether he trades in the city or overseas - or plows in the village, he saves this from any profit for his daughter (and in the village as well): either the animal is raised for her with offspring, or from her share, which God will send there, will buy canvases and canvases, and pieces of cloth, and trimmings, and a shirt - and all these years they put her in a special chest or in a box and a dress, and dresses, and monistas, and church utensils, and dishes tin and copper and wood, always adding a little, every year, as it is said, and not all of a sudden, at a loss. And everything, God willing, will be full. So the daughter grows up, learns the fear of God and knowledge, and her dowry keeps coming. As soon as they agree to marry, the father and mother can no longer grieve: God has given, they will have plenty of everything, they will have a feast in joy and joy. If the father and mother are not greedy, according to what has been said here, they have not prepared anything for their daughter, and they have not given her any share, they will only give her in marriage - they will immediately rush and buy everything, so that the fast wedding is in plain sight. Both father and mother will fall into sadness from such a wedding, because it is expensive to buy everything at once. If, according to God's will, the daughter passes away, then they commemorate her with a dowry, according to her heart, and distribute alms. And if there are other daughters, take care of them in the same way.
21. How to teach children and save them by fear
Punish your son in his youth, and he will rest you in your old age, and give beauty to your soul. And do not feel sorry for the baby bey: if you punish him with a rod, he will not die, but he will be healthier, for you, when you execute his body, save his soul from death. If you have a daughter, and direct your severity to her, you will save her from bodily troubles: you will not shame your face if your daughters walk in obedience, and it is not your fault if she foolishly violates her virginity, and your acquaintances will become known to your acquaintances in mockery. , and then they will put you to shame in front of people. For if you give your daughter blameless - as if you will accomplish a great deed, in any society you will be proud, never suffering because of her. Loving your son, increase his wounds - and then you will not boast of him. Punish your son from youth and rejoice for him in his maturity, and among ill-wishers you will be able to boast of him, and your enemies will envy you. Raise children in prohibitions and you will find peace and blessing in them. Do not laugh in vain while playing with him: in the small you will relax - in the big
From the decisions of the Stoglavy Cathedral, one can see the deplorable state of the church and national morality. Another work, compiled around the same time, shows what life the best people of that time considered exemplary. The famous Sylvester, as a lesson to his son, collected in one book, called "Domostroy", the rules and instructions, which he invites everyone to follow who wants to live a righteous life. He borrowed these rules from various books, instructive writings of the church fathers, and added his remarks and instructions to his son. For a long time "Domostroy" was held in high esteem by our ancestors: it contained all the thoughts that the best Russian people of the 16th century could think of; here it was indicated to the smallest details how a person should act in relation to God, to the king, to people, to household members, how to manage his household. Sylvester himself highly appreciated the rules of Domostroi; in the first chapter he says to his son and his wife, among other things: “I give the scripture as a keepsake and admonition to you and your children. If you do not listen to our punishment (instruction) and do not begin to follow it and do not as it is written, then give an answer for yourself on the day of the Last Judgment, and I am not involved in your sin. "
Having indicated what every Christian should believe in (in the Holy Trinity, the Most Pure Mother of God, the resurrection of the dead, etc.), Sylvester in Domostroy, along with these foundations of the Christian faith, gives instructions on how to apply to images, how there is prosphora, how to christen and NS.
“One should apply to the cross or to the image, having prayed, making the sign of the cross, keeping the spirit in oneself, and not spitting with your lips ... other loaves, and by crushing them into pieces, put them in your mouth, but eat with your teeth ... If you create a kiss about Christ with someone, keep the spirit within yourself, kiss, but not spit your lips ... "
Apparently, our ancestors needed instructions on how to handle the shrine, if Sylvester comes to such details in his instructions. He also advises in "Domostroy" to more often seek instructions from the spiritual father:
“It is fitting to honor and obey him in everything, and to repent before him with tears, and to confess to him your sins, and to keep his commandments, and to correct penance. And to call him to his house often, and to come to him, and inform him always according to his conscience, and to receive his admonition with love, and obey him in everything, and honor him, beat his forehead low, consult with him often about everyday affairs how to teach and love a husband, his wife, and children, and a slave, etc. ”.
Whoever does not live piously, according to the belief of our ancestors, suffered God's punishment, among other things, various misfortunes and illnesses. "Domostroy" advises to heal from illness by prayer and alms:
“If God sends a disease or any sorrow to whom,” writes the author of Domostroi, “then heal with God's mercy, with tears and prayer, and fasting, and alms for the poor, but with true repentance ... and continue not to offend, but ask the spiritual fathers, priests and monks to pray, and sing prayers, and hallow the water with an honest life-giving cross, and sanctify with oil, and promise in holy places ... "
This is how our ancestors usually did, but sometimes they resorted to completely different means, which are strongly condemned in Domostroy:
“Seeing God's punishment on ourselves and grave illnesses for our many sins, and leaving God who created us, and for mercy and forgiveness of sins, without demanding from Him, we call upon us sorcerers and sorcerers, and magicians, and zeleneniki with roots. From them we tea for ourselves temporary help and prepare ourselves for the devil to suffer forever. Oh insane! We don’t think about our sins, for which God punishes us, we don’t repent of them, we don’t abandon any inappropriate deeds, but we wish for the perishable and temporary ... "
Among the sins for which, according to "Domostroy", God's punishment befalls people, are, among other things, the following in "Domostroy": demonic songs (pagan), dancing, jumping, humming (music), trumpets, tambourines, snuffling ( kind of flute).
It is understandable why Sylvester is arming himself against this: folk games and songs contained a lot of paganism, and moreover, due to the roughness of manners, a lot of obscene was mingled with any celebration and fun.
Rises "Domostroy" and against the baiting of animals, against hounds and bird hunts, against fortune telling and sorcery, which were in great use at that time.
Even laughter - and he was condemned by the harsh mentor Sylvester: in those days monastic life was considered a truly pious life, and everything that was recognized as sinful in the monastery was also condemned in worldly life. To liken his home life to the monastery life as much as possible was the height of the desire of pious people. In prosperous houses, a separate "temple", lined with images, served as the main place where family and household members gathered for prayer, and the rich boyars even had their own house churches.
This is what Domostroy says about how to decorate your home with holy images.
“Every Christian in every temple in his home should put holy and honest images on the walls, making a splendid place with all decorations and with lamps on which candles are lit in front of the images; after prayer and chanting, they are extinguished and covered with a veil from impurity and dust. Always wipe them with a clean wing or a soft sponge ... At the praise of God, and at holy singing, and at prayer, light and incense candles and incense ... "Before the icons in the" temple ", advises" Domostroy ", daily to husband and wife, with children and households, who can read and write, to sing Vespers, Vechernitsa, Midnight Office, and in the morning - Matins and Hours, and on holidays and Prayer. But home prayer cannot be limited to; "Domostroy" advises to go to church as often as possible and bring with you, if possible, candles, incense, prosphora and other things necessary for worship. It is also said in detail about how to stand in the church: “In the church, stand with fear and pray in silence ... during divine services do not talk with anyone, listen attentively to divine singing and reading, do not look around, do not bow at the wall, not to the pillar; neither stand with a staff, nor cross from foot to foot ".
Further in the "Domostroy" it is indicated in detail about whom and for what one should pray, how to make the sign of the cross, how to fold the fingers at the same time, and the person praying should have "prayer in his lips, in his heart tenderness and contrition for sins, and emit tears from his eyes, and sighing from the soul. "
"Domostroy" also indicates the most important Christian duties: mercy and charity.
“Visit the sick and prisoners, give alms as far as possible; do not despise anyone who is mournful, beggar or needy, but bring him into your house, give him something to drink, feed him, warm him up, clothe him. By their prayers you will cleanse your soul from sins and propitiate God. Remember the parents of your dead ... "
From all the above-mentioned instructions of Domostroi we see how highly piety and piety were valued and how much attention was paid to the outside at the same time.
Respect for royal power is also among the highest, sacred duties of a person.
“Fear the Tsar,” says Domostroy, “and serve him by faith, and always pray to God for him, do not bend your soul before him, but obediently always answer the truth to him, so you will learn to fear the Heavenly King ... Likewise, obey the princes. and give them due honor. The Apostle Paul says: all authorities are from God; whoever resists the authority resists God's command. But for the king, and the prince, and every nobleman, do not strive to serve with lies, slander and deceit. God will destroy all who speak lies. Give honor to the elders; Honor the middle ones as brothers, greet the weak and mournful with love, love the youngest as children, and be not dashing to every creature of God. Do not desire earthly glory in anything, ask God for eternal blessings, endure any sorrow and oppression, do not take revenge for offenses, do not repay evil for evil ... "
The ability to please everyone, to get along with everyone, is highly valued by Sylvester: he should behave with everyone, according to "Domostroy", so that not only does not arouse any enmity towards himself, does not make himself any troubles, but deserves everyone location and good opinion of myself. For the sake of this "Domostroy" even allows you to bend your heart. "If your people, it is said here, happens to quarrel with someone, then you scold your own people, even if they were right, - by this you will stop the quarrel and there will be no enmity." At the guest table, "Domostroy" prescribes to praise all the dishes, even if they were bad: "It is not appropriate to say: rotten, or sour, or insipid, or salty, or bitter, but every meal should be praised and eaten with gratitude." Hospitality and hospitality are especially advised: to gently receive a guest, treat him well was considered the most sacred duty. During feasts, "Domostroy" advises to be especially careful with the guests: it was necessary not only to please and treat them in every possible way, but also to take care that they would not suffer any damage due to the abundant treat. To do this, "Domostroy" advises every host who is arranging a feast to appoint a special careful person for this time (who should not have been drinking); he was obliged to protect the drunken guest, so that he would not tolerate anything, beat himself up, scold any of the other guests, not get into a fight, and so on. The customs of our ancestors were then still very rude, and therefore feasts for an intemperate person often ended sadly. Warning against drunkenness, "Domostroy" says: if you get drunk and immediately fall asleep where you drank, and the owner overlooks you, who has not only you, but many guests at the feast, then you can dirty your dress, tear your hat and money out of They will take the money out of you, and the owner, from whom you drank, is not small, but you are even more, and people are disgraceful, and they will say to you: "You see, what a shame and damage to your estate from great drunkenness ..." If you will go to the feast, and you will fall asleep in the courtyard, even worse: they will take from you everything that you have, they will take off your dress and your shirts will not even be left on you ... "
Sylvester's Domostroy also points out the rules of decency: the guest should not sit down without the owner's invitation to the place of honor, but, on the contrary, should modestly sit in the last place and only then change to the best one when the owner asks. "At lunch - do not cough, do not spit, do not blow your nose, and if you really need to, then, step aside, clean your nose or cough politely, but you have to spit, then do it, turning away from people, and rub your foot ..."
In the family, according to "Domostroi", everything had to be completely subordinate to the head of the house, the owner. His wife, children, and servants were supposed to "do everything at his command." Only with the permission of the husband could the wife go to church, to visit; in everything she had to ask his advice not only about the house, but even about what to talk with the guests.
Sylvester's "Domostroy" considers the feeling of fear to be the main means of establishing family decency, and therefore punishments were in great demand at that time.
“If a wife, or a son, or a daughter does not listen to orders and instructions and is not afraid, then a husband or a father should teach them wits and whips to whip, through the fault of looking, and not in front of people; and having taught, to speak and welcome, and not in any way be angry with each other. And about any guilt in the ear and in the face, do not hit, neither with a fist under the heart, nor with a kick, nor with a staff ... Whoever hits from the heart or from the rupture, many parables from this happen: blindness and deafness, and a hand, and the leg will dislocate, and headache, and a toothache ... and to beat with a whip with punishment is reasonable, and painful, and scary, and great ... But only if the great fault is for disobedience and neglect, then politely beat the whip, by the hands holding, looking through guilt, but beating and speaking, and anger would not have been ... "
From these words it can be seen how gross reprisals and beatings were customary, and Sylvester, whipping out a whip during punishment, means to eliminate at least the harmful consequences of beatings with anything.
In every prosperous house in Moscow there were many servants, and the household was large and complex: the hostess then had something to do at home. "Domostroy" presents us with an example of a "decent mistress" who is obliged to serve as an example of diligence and diligence for all servants. She should not have been woken up by the servants; on the contrary, she had to wake them up. Waking up at dawn, the hostess is obliged to give all people work and indicate order for the whole day; and not only to look after others, but also to know how every thing is done, how to show others. She shouldn't have sat idly by herself. “Whether my husband would come, or an ordinary guest, she would always sit over needlework,” and she should have talked with the guests “about needlework and home building, how to maintain order and what kind of needlework to do, and whoever pointed out something, beat them with a low forehead.”
Thrift and hoarding are considered essential qualities of a good housewife. “We'll have to do, says Domostroy, shirts or women's dresses, then (the hostess) herself has to cut or let her cut, and all sorts of leftovers and scraps, everything would be tidied up - small in bags, and the remnants are curled up and tied, and that's it. would be hidden. You need to fix an old dress - and there are pieces, and there is no need to look for materials in the market; and if you have to search the market, you will get tired picking up; if you clean it up, you will pay three times, or you won’t get it at all ”.
Elsewhere in Sylvester's Domostroi it is said: "Every dress, upper and lower, must be washed, and worn ones sewn up and patched up - then it is appropriate for people to look, and it is cute and profitable for themselves, and an orphan can be given for the salvation of the soul."
The same frugality and foresight is prescribed for the hostess in other household expenses; she must know how to sow flour, how to put the dough, how to knead the dough, how to bake bread, pies, rolls, etc. to take care of everything: when the bread is baked, then washing the dress is also not profitable for the firewood, "and so on.
The entire complex household routine of a rich house is pointed out to the smallest detail by Sylvester. In some lists of "Domostroi" at the end, even a very detailed list is added, which dishes should be served on which days. At that time the duties of the mistress of the house, the wife were difficult; but great praise to the one who handles them. “If God gives someone a good wife, she is dearer than a precious stone ... A good wife, hardworking and silent — a crown to her husband. Blessed is the husband of such a wife, etc. "
In addition to the household, according to Domostroi, the upbringing of children should also be the responsibility of wives; but in those days they looked at him very simply.
The mother was feeding her children. Then they tried to instill in them the fear of God and the spirit of piety. The mother taught her daughters to various handicrafts and household chores. Boys in prosperous families were taught to read and write, various "crafts" and "knowledge", the ability to deal with people.
The fear of punishment was considered the main tool in education.
“Execute your son,” Sylvester’s Domostroy said, “from his youth, and he will calm you down for your old age ... And do not weaken, bey baby. If you beat him with a rod, he will not die, but he will be healthier: beating him on the body, you save his soul from death. If you have a daughter, put your storm on her too ... "
A model of a well-bred youth was taken in "Domostroy" by Sylvester from the teachings of Basil the Great. “A young man should have spiritual purity, a modest gait, a touching voice, a decent speech, with the elders he should be silent, listen to the wisest; to have an unhypocritical love for one's peers and lesser ones, to speak a little, but to understand a lot, not to excessively talk, not to be daring to laugh, to adorn with bashfulness, to have sight, woe to the soul, etc. "
In the days of Domostroi, as soon as the son came of age, his parents tried to marry him. They tried even more to marry their daughters. The prudent Sylvester gives this advice: whoever has a daughter should, from the very first days of her life, think about a dowry - to deduct a part of any income in her favor, to put canvases, various materials, expensive jewelry, utensils, etc., on her daughter's share. imperceptibly, without special hardships, "not to annoy myself", and the dowry will be made. “Daughters grow up, and they learn the fear of God and knowledge, and the dowry arrives; as they agree to marry - everything is ready ... And the daughter dies by the will of God - the dowry will go to the commemoration of her soul. "
For servants "Domostroy" advises vigilantly watching and not trusting them, so as not to steal, not deceive, but at the same time prescribes to take care of them, feed and dress them well. Quarrels often arose through the servants, and therefore Domostroy especially strongly advises to prevent the gossip of servants. “Command your servants not to talk about people, and if the servants were where and saw something unkind, they would not tell at home, and what is happening at home, they would not tell strangers ... If you have to send a son or a servant somewhere - say something or do something, then turn him back and ask him, and only, When he repeats everything before you, as you told him, then let's go. "
According to Domostroi, a servant who comes to the house where he was sent should knock lightly at the gate, and when he walks around the yard and starts asking him what business he is doing, the servant should not have spoken or could answer the curious one: “Not to you. sent, and to whom it was sent, so I speak. "
“At the entrance, the servant must wipe his feet, blow his nose and create the Jesus Prayer; if the amine is not given back, then another time create a prayer and a third ... As soon as they are allowed, to bow to the holy icons twice, and to give the third bow to the owner and to rule the matter with which he was sent ...
A clever servant, if he hears anything hostile to his master somewhere, he will say the opposite, where they swear and bark - and he will tell praise and thanksgiving. From such smart, and polite, and prudent servants, love is reduced between good people, and such smart servants are cherished and favored like their children, and they consult with them about everything. "
Peace and good harmony between people, as can be seen from the above words, are valued by Domostroi so highly that it is allowed to sacrifice even the truth for the sake of good relations.
In conclusion, Sylvester already on his own gives instruction to his son Anthim; here is briefly repeated what was said earlier in "Domostroy". Like Vladimir Monomakh, Sylvester in his teaching not only gives instructions on how to live piously, but also refers to his example:
“You saw, my child,” says Sylvester in Domostroy to his son, “how we lived in the blessing and fear of God, in simplicity of heart, in church diligence, always using divine scripture with fear. You saw how by God's mercy from everyone I was revered and loved by everyone, and everyone, in which it was necessary, adjusted (pleased): and labor, and service, and humility, and not pride, not rebellion; did not condemn anyone, did not laugh, did not reproach, did not scold anyone, but there was an insult from anyone, and for God's sake we endured and took the blame, and therefore the enemies became friends ... If it happened to sin before God or before people, - continues "Domostroy", - then soon he wept about that sin before God and repented of his spiritual father ... He never missed the church service from his youth to this time, unless he missed it because of illness. He never despised a beggar, a stranger, a cripple, or a sick person; from dungeons, from captivity, from slavery he ransomed and fed the hungry. He freed everyone of his slaves and endowed them with property, and all these workers are now free, they live well, as you yourself see, they pray to God for us and always do us well, and whoever has forgotten us - may God forgive him. And now our household members are all free, they live with us of their own free will. You saw, my child, how many orphans, slaves and poor males and females I nurtured and watered to adulthood both in Novgorod and in Moscow, taught them according to their abilities: many - to read and write, and sing, some icon writing, others silver craftsmanship and any other handicrafts (crafts). And your mother brought up many poor girls, taught them needlework and all kinds of household items, and, having endowed them with a dowry, got married; and the male sex was married to the daughters of good people. All of them, by God's grace, live in their own homes: many are in the priestly rank and in the deacon's, others are clerks and clerks and in different ranks, according to their natural abilities, "who was born in what" and what God blessed to be in: some are engaged various crafts and trades, many trade, etc. ".
The compiler of Domostroy Sylvester was pious and clever. He collected a lot of useful rules and good advice in his book, how to please God, serve the king, get along with people and build your house, that is, run a household. Domostroy requires not only external piety and ritual, but also the fulfillment of the highest Christian duties - love for neighbors, helping the poor and orphans, etc. Sylvester himself, as can be seen from his instruction to his son, not only in words, but also in deeds fulfill Christian duties: he sheltered many orphans and the poor, raised and accommodated, and set his slaves free ...
But in "Domostroy" there is neither faith in the mind, nor faith in the moral dignity of man. Sylvester tries to foresee every step, every movement and give a detailed rule and trivial instructions on how to act in various everyday affairs. It seemed that a person could only follow all these instructions, and his life should have flowed calmly, calmly and piously - a person was not supposed to live with his own mind. What motivation should, according to the opinion of "Domostroy", force him to follow the indicated path? The fear of punishment from God should have prompted him to live piously, the fear of punishment reigned in the family as well; the obedience of the wife to the husband and children to the father were based on it. Punishment, on the one hand, a reward, on the other, that is, a feeling of fear or a feeling of self-interest - that is what was supposed to direct, in the eyes of even the best people of that time, a person's will on the path of truth and goodness. But in order to follow this path, you need to fearlessly, boldly serve the truth, you need to disinterestedly love good, create it, not counting on any rewards; Jesus Christ showed people an example of such an attitude to truth and goodness.
But even the best Russian people of the 16th century did not understand this.
Monastic life was considered an example of a righteous life. Apparently, the compiler of Domostroy Sylvester wanted to establish her likeness among the laity.
Sylvester's Domostroy, with its detailed rules that determine every step in life, starting with duties to God and the church and ending with petty remarks about household chores, resembles a strict monastery charter, from which no deviations are allowed. Even fun, laughter, games, singing and other worldly amusements and pleasures, sinful, in the opinion of a monk, "Domostroi" is prohibited. But at the same time, deviations from the truth are allowed in order to please others, to get along with everyone in good agreement; and excessive obsequiousness and accommodatingness easily led to the fact that a person put up with all evil in life, got along with it, and in fact it turned out that a person was pious only in appearance.
A moral and rational life can flourish only in a society where a pure moral feeling reigns, which by itself attracts a person to good and averts him from evil, and a bright mind, capable of distinguishing between what is good and what is bad, and capable of indicating the means for combating evil. Unfortunately, the age-old slavery in the hard times of the Tatar region greatly damaged the moral sense of the Russian person - it taught him to humiliate himself, dissemble and deceive. Poverty, age-old alienation from the more educated West, the decline of education even among the clergy - all this prevented the Russian mind from developing in all its strength. It is understandable why the members of the Stoglavy Cathedral could not think of anything else how to restore the "old times", and Sylvester - to collect in "Domostroy" all kinds of old rules of a righteous life. It is understandable why neither one nor the other could help the grief.
If "Stoglav" sought to subordinate the social life of a centralized state under construction to strict norms, then "Domostroy", the compilation of which is attributed Sylvester, the spiritual mentor of Ivan IV, tried to regulate family life. Sylvester (beginning of the 16th century - until 1568) was from Novgorod, where he became close to Archbishop Macarius, the future Metropolitan of Moscow. Having moved to Moscow, Sylvester in 1545 became the archpriest of the court Cathedral of the Annunciation. He participated in the work on the Code of Law of 1550 and in the compilation of the Great Menaus of the Four. Defending the principle of autocracy in matters of political power, the archpriest opposed the "acquisition" of earthly riches by the church. In the 1550s. relations between him and Ivan IV became complicated, and in the 1560s. Sylvester fell into disgrace and was forced to become a monk of the Kirillo-Belozersky monastery, where he was engaged in the correspondence of books. "Domostroy" is the main work of Sylvester, the compiler and editor of the book. The fact that more than one person participated in the creation of the collection, which has been developing over the course of a number of years, is indicated by repetitions not only within the book, but even within a separate chapter; the presence in the language of the work of traces of different dialects; influence on the style of the monument from folklore, business writing, didactic eloquence.
Sources of the work
The text "Domostroy" is a synthesis of the traditions of "teaching" prose of the Middle Ages, both Russian and translated. The complexity of the composition, and sometimes the internal inconsistency of individual provisions of the book, scientists associate with the use of sources of different types. According to V.V. Kolesov, they can be combined into five main groups:
- 1) the teachings of fathers to sons, known in Russia from the middle of the 11th century;
- 2) the instructions of the church fathers on how a Christian should live, collected in special collections such as "Izmaragda";
- 3) medieval "everyday people", who strictly regulated the order of life in the monastery as an ideal home - it was not without reason that Domostroy instilled in the owners: "You will naturally be your home to the abbot";
- 4) novels of a domestic character that arose in an urban democratic environment;
- 5) "home building" of medieval Europe, for example, "The Life of a Respectable Man" by Nikolai Rey, translated from Polish.
Despite the abundance and heterogeneity of sources, the defining feature of the book was the reliance on national tradition, which affected the content, genre and style of the work. "Domostroy", summarizing the experience of the life of fathers and grandfathers, served as a guide to action for their sons and grandchildren. Thus, the connection of times was carried out, continuity in the spiritual and material spheres of the life of the people was realized. On this occasion, the historian V.O. Klyuchevsky wrote: “It is difficult to foresee what a person will be like in a thousand years; but take away from a modern person this slowly and difficultly acquired belongings of rituals, customs, and all conventions - and he will be confused, he will lose all his worldly skill, he will not know how to deal with his neighbor, and will be forced to start all over again. "
Among the national signs of "Domostroy" scientists call high position of the mistress of the house in the hierarchy of family relations that, but in the words of V.V. Kolesov, came into conflict with the "anti-feminine element" of church sermons and "Muslim ideas of the era of the Tatar yoke." "Domostroy" included "Praise to the Wives", which stated that "a wife is kind, and passionate, and silent - the crown is her husband." "If God grants a wife good, dear there are stones of great value": she will not leave her husband in trouble, direct the "fruits of her hands" to improve the well-being of the family, make her husband's life virtuous and long, it is on her that the success of raising worthy heirs and faithful, hard-working servants. According to the apt expression of the historian I. Ye. Zabelin, the relationship between husband and wife in the family can be expressed by the well-known formula of the Middle Ages "word and deed": the "deed" in the house was led by the hostess, although the last "word" always remained with the owner.
Tribute to medieval norms of life - the system of corporal punishment as a way of raising children. So that a child, having matured, does not become a "disease of the soul" of the parents and "the ruin of the house", "reproachful neighbors" and "the mockery of enemies," he must be brought up, forbidding and punishing: health will be, you are afraid of his body, and you delivered his soul from death. " The rod raised over the child was supposed to serve as a visual embodiment of the idea of the inevitability of punishment for a misdemeanor; it was supposed to bring the implementation of moral rules to automatism, so that a person's life would become "walking with a clear conscience."
Judging by "Domostroi", Russians were very pragmatic about the problem of faith and understood Christianity not as an abstract canonical "kingdom of the spirit", but as a rite that accompanied a person's life from birth to death. That is why so much attention in the collection is paid to "how to decorate your house with holy images", "how to come to the churches of God and to monasteries with an offering", and on holidays "call priests and monks to your house, pray", as before a meal glorify God and the Mother of God, and eat food in reverent silence or conducting a spiritual conversation.
"Domostroy" consisted of three parts. First part dealt with the problems of "spiritual structure", taught "how to believe" and "how to honor the king." Second part devoted to the issues of "worldly structure", gave advice, "how to live with wives and children and household members." Third part contained recommendations for housekeeping - "house structure". The collection of rules for worldly life was created at a time when, according to A.P. Pypin, "the old days were lost," therefore, to achieve an exemplary order in the house, a strong power of the owner ("sovereign") and a developed sense of duty among all household members were required. In the hierarchical system "state - church - family", the ruler who violated the laws of "Domostroi" was responsible before God, the king and society. Asserting the ideal type of housekeeper, the book included articles that taught a righteous lifestyle by the method of contradiction, warned against mistakes and misdeeds. She threatened with the inescapable torments of hell for those who "who do not live according to Bozѣ, do not according to the Christian life mend any untruth and violence", "they will not pay, they will kill them with red tape" , or on the authorities heavy tribute and all sorts of illegal lessons imposes "who does" all unseemly deeds: fornication, uncleanness, profanity and profanity, and perjury, and rage, and oppression, and rancor ". "Domostroy" denounced vices not only universal, but also socially conditioned(abuse of power, violation of laws, encroachment on someone else's property, etc.). Consequently, in the family, the creators of the book saw school of education of public consciousness, associated with the concepts of civic duty and public benefit.
The Domostroi style is devoid of imagery, rich in lively intonations of colloquial speech, close to proverbs and sayings that have absorbed centuries of folk wisdom. The aphoristic nature of the syllable led to the fact that the rules of life set out in the book were easy to remember and became a guide to action. "Domostroy" instructed: the guest should be "honored, given to drink, fed, with a kind word and gentle greetings"; the yard should be kept in order, it should be "strong city ... and the gates are always locked, and the dogs would be watchful"; in the event of a quarrel with his wife, one cannot "beat her in the ear, nor according to a vision, nor under the heart with a fist"; you can't gossip at a party, but "they will ask about whom they sometimes learn to torture", you should answer: "I don’t understand that, I haven’t heard anything and I don’t know ... I don’t talk about my neighbors."
"Domostroy" broadly and diversely represents the "material" world of the Middle Ages through lists of names of various foods, clothes, dishes, and other household items. The owner is recommended to store in the cellar or on the glacier "breads and colacas, cheeses, eggs ... all kinds of garlic and meat, fresh and corned beef, and fresh and salted fish, fresh honey, and boiled food ... and all kinds of vegetables and mushrooms, and caviar, and dewdrops, and seafood, and apple kvass, and lingonberry water ... And a little bit was placed in the cellar, and on the glacier, and on the grave - and everything would be counted and noted ... and written down. .. "The comprehensiveness of the lists is explained not only by the influence of business writing, but also by a special type of thinking, the nature and rhythm of life of an ancient Russian person. Wars and natural disasters, "crop failure" and "pestilence" taught the people of the Middle Ages to value every piece of bread, order in the house, peace and prosperity in society. In the Middle Ages, when everything was regulated, even the creative process, books like "Domostroi" were distributed - "Healers" and "Herbalists", "Nazirators" and "Statutes", "Iconographic originals" and various "Ranks" (wedding, funeral, etc.).
"Domostroy", according to the apt definition of the historian A. N. Pypin, is not a description of the practical foundations of life, but a didactic presentation of its theory, based on appeal to both a sound mind and a sensitive heart. "Domostroy" allows you to recreate the social and moral portrait of the Russian man of the Middle Ages, who is dominant in the choice between good and evil and therefore is responsible for his words and deeds. The basis of his life is work, the main virtues are a sober mind and a clear conscience. In the XVI century. "Domostroy" was not a symbol of conservatism and domestic arbitrariness, as in the plays of A. N. Ostrovsky; he completed a number of edifying works Ancient Rus, at the origins of which were the "Testament" of Yaroslav the Wise to children and the "Precept" of Vladimir Monomakh.
Loading ...