The Catalog of Good Deeds

“Lord Jesus Christ, You are the true vine, and Your Father is the vinedresser, and You called Your apostles the brunches”.

This prayer is read when the vineyard is being planted. Vine, grape and wine are the most common examples used in the Gospel parables. In Gospel, it symbolizes life, joy and Christ. The words “wine” and “vine” are mentioned in Bible more than 250 times. Wine was always treaded in Christianity as a blessed creation. It can be explained by the fact that Christianity spread in the regions where the Greek-Roman Empire had been thrived earlier. People thought there that wine was not just one of the numerous products of farming activity, but it was also connected with the veneration of Dionysius, the god of winemaking.

In the Old Testament, wine plays a very important role too. Most often vineyards were compared with Israel. Noah planted a vineyard after the great flood ended. During the exodus, God promised the Jews to bless their bread, wine and water, i.e. everything what was necessary for living. At that time, the climate and the soil of Palestine contributed to the development of vineyards and winemaking.

King David often praised the product of winemaking: “And wine that maketh glad the heart of man” (Psalm 104:15) or “Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased” (Psalm 4:7). David thought that wine was one of the most important food elements for a person. Wine softens a person’s heart, which is the center of all feelings.

Since ancient times, religious traditions and wine coexist harmoniously in Christianity. Christ began to reveal His miracles turning water into wine at the marriage at the Cana of Galilee. The evangelists provided us with precious information about wine, when they described this miracle. They say it is the drink of joy and happiness.

Wine gains the true mysterious meaning during the Last Supper, when Christ gave His disciples the cup and said: “This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me” (1 Corinthians 11:25). Thus, wine and bread become the Divine gifts during the Eucharist.

The blessed product of winemaking could not stay outside the walls of the Athonite monasteries. Nama is a sweet red wine traditionally used in Greek Orthodox Churches for the sacrament of the Holy Communion. This type of wine is usually made of black grapes dried in the sun.

Preparing wine for the Holy Communion is not the natural reason why monks have begun to deal with winegrowing. Wine is an important food additive for monks, whose daily ration is poor in calories because they do not receive any animal proteins and rely on their nutrition mostly from plant food. Monasteries host many pilgrims who are also offered wine twice a day during the meal excerpt from the fast days.

Moreover, many workers live on Athos, who help monasteries with the household work. Monasteries at their turn should provide them with wine and rakia. Guests are also offered rakia when they arrive to the guesthouse of any monastery on Athos. This traditional Athonite treat is served with coffee and lokum. Fathers said that a glass of rakia prevents you from breaking a sweat, while the sugar of lokum diminishes the sense of fatigue. The thing is that earlier there were no cars on the Holy Mount and monks and pilgrims had to make great distances on foot.

What is more, monks knew the healing qualities of wine. Monastic manuscripts contain numerous recipes of different medications, which were based from wine. Besides, according to the recipe found in the manuscript dated back to the 17th century, grapes were used for making ink.

In the very beginning of the 10th century, the founders of the monasteries knew a lot about the beneficial qualities of grapes and organized vineyards to have their own products of winemaking. Wine was not only a Divine gift for the monastic society but also an exchange unit that helped monasteries to provide themselves with what they needed and to cover other costs.

Archimandrite Emilian, the abbot of the monastery of St. Peter, said: “Prayer warms the hearts of monks”. We can say also that wine warms the body of a monk. It becomes his relief and break from his daily hard physical and mental labor.

Source: http://dishupravoslaviem.ru/vino-v-xristianstve/#more-8201

We are keeping today the feast of St Andrew, whom we call in the Orthodox Church “The First-Called”. We meet him for the first time in the Gospel on the banks of the River Jordan as disciple of St John the Baptist, together with him that later becameе St John the Divine, St John the Evangelist. Together with him, and hundreds of people he heard John, his teacher, his guide in the life of repentance proclaim Jesus who was coming towards them as the Lamb of God who takes upon Himself the sins of the world, declare Him to bе Him for whose sake he has come to the banks of Jordan to preach repentance, to turn the hearts of men towards their God, to call them to a new life of faithfulness.

And having heard that in Jesus this expectation, this longing had been fulfilled, Andrew, together with John, leaves his master, his teacher, the one who has turned his soul towards God, given him newness of life, he turns away from him, leaves him to follow Jesus, because this is why his master had come into the world: that he may proclaim Jesus in His coming, and then diminish for Christ to grow, before the eyes of men, in the lives of men, to be forgotten, because he was only the Forerunner.

To act as St Andrew did proved him to be a true disciple of his master; and how much each of us, all of us, we could learn in this act of greatness of heart, because it is hard to have found one who discloses to you what is precious in life, what is significant before God, who sets you on the way of repentance and of a new life, and then discover that he was nothing but a forerunner, nothing but one who was there to prepare the way of the Lord, and turn away from him, leave him to bring his message to others in order oneself to follow the Lord for whose sake he had preached, he had taught, he had been in the midst of men.

And John and Andrew leave him, and follow Christ who gradually leaves the banks of Jordan, going they do not know where; and Jesus stops and turns towards them because they are following Him, they pursue Him, having heard the message of John they will no longer let go of Him; and Jesus stops and says: what do you want of Me?.. And their answer is: we want to know where Thou dwellest… A simple phrase… And Jesus takes them with Him, and they spend a day with Him – but what do they discover? Is it only а wooden cabin, a hut of mud where Christ has been dwelling for a few days? One of the spiritual writers of our century says, No; they discovered two things. They discovered that the Annointed of God, the Christ, the Son of God incarnate lives indeed in a humble hut, that He Whose presence fills the Heaven which cannot contain Him, can dwell in a small cabin; but at the same time, listening to His word, looking into His face, plunging their gaze into His eyes they discover that before them there is One Whose dwelling is in Heaven, that they are in the presence of the living God Who has become man in order to save, to renew, to redeem, to live and to die for their sakes.

From that moment they become His disciples, they never will separate themselves from Him, they remain with Him, and their story merges with that of the other disciples – Peter, whom Andrew brings to Jesus, to whom he discloses Him Whom he has already discovered; John, who brings his brother, and all the other ones — Philip and Nathaniel, and everyone else.

And we meet him again in the Gospel, once, when, before the Crucifixion, fulfilling the prophecies of old, the Gentiles come to Jesus; and they turn to Philip and to Andrew because they recognise them as men of Galilee, of that region that was partly pagan, recognise in them people who will understand their language and understand also their desperate longing, because he has lived in their midst and he knows how poor they are and how their hearts long for fulfillment from Heaven, from God. And they them to Jesus. They are the first ones who opened the doors to the Gentiles, to bring them to the Lord. They prepared the way which later Paul will tread so gloriously, so conqueredly. Then, after the Crucifixion he shares with the other ones the agony, the horror of the death of Christ, and comes to life, no longer with the old, earthly life that has been his, but a new life, the life of the Risen Christ, the life of eternity in the resurrection of his blaster, his Saviour, his Lord and his God.

And when the Apostles dispersed to bring the good news to the whole world, he also goes to preach, and the story of his life brings him to the East and to the North, and we are told that he reaches as the ultimate point of his preaching the hills of Kiev in pagan Russia. And then he returns to die the death of martyrdom, in a manly, in аn unhesitating wау, dies, crucified as his Master.

How much we can learn from the life of this man, a simple man of Galilee who knew how to listen to a message, and to follow, first him who prepared the way of the Lord and then had the greatness of heart, the faithfulness to let go of the first hand that had brought him to the gates of eternity to follow Him Who was eternity, Life, God come into the world, and who throughout his life remained faithful, and was proof-prepared to pay the cost of this faithfulness, so that we may live, we may receive his message, we may also, through him, discover our Lord, and follow our only God, our only Lord, our only Saviour. Amen.

By Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh

Source: http://www.pravmir.com/can-learn-st-andrew/

Saint Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland, Greece and Russia and was Christ's first disciple. About the middle of the 10th century, Andrew became the patron saint of Scotland.

There are around 600 pre-Reformation churches in England named after Saint Andrew, in contrast to Scotland's handful of churches of all denominations named after the Saint. Nevertheless, it was Scotland that adopted Andrew as its patron, which must have given them considerable political leverage with the Pope in pleading for help against the English. This was done in 1320 (The Declaration of Arbroath) for protection against the attempts of English kings to conquer the Scots. The 1320 Declaration of Arbroath cites Scotland's conversion to Christianity by Andrew, "the first to be an Apostle". Traditionally, Scots also claimed that they were descended from the Scythians, who lived on the shores of the Black Sea in what is now Romania and Bulgaria, who were converted by Saint Andrew.

According to Tradition, Andrew left the Holy Land after Pentecost to spread the Gospel in Greece and Asia Minor. In 60 AD, during the reign of Nero, he was working in Patras, where he baptized the wife and brother of the Governor, Aegeus. The Governor was so incensed by this, he ordered the death of the Apostle. Andrew was crucified on a cross in the shape of an X on November 30th.

The Relics of Saint Andrew in Scotland

How did the relics of Saint Andrew come to Scotland? There are two versions - the first appears to be a pious legend. In this, Saint Regulus (later known as Rule), a Greek monk and keeper of St. Andrew's relics at Patras, was told in a vision to hide some of the relics until further instruction. A few days later, the Emperor Constantine transferred the remaining parts of Andrew's body to Constantinople.

An angel again appeared and told Rule to take the bones he had hidden and go west by ship. Wherever they were shipwrecked he should lay the foundations of a church. The angel foretold how pilgrims would travel to this shrine from all parts of the West to receive health of body and soul.

Saint Rule's ship was driven ashore by a storm onto the headland of Muckross in Fife, into the little village of Kilrymont (later St. Andrews). Halfway between the Castle and the harbor is said to be Saint Rule's cell.

At the time Saint Rule landed, the Apostle appeared to the Pictish King, promising victory to his enemies. In gratitude, the King confirmed the dedication of St. Regulus Church to God and Saint Andrew.

A second (and probably more reliable) explanation says that the bones were brought to St. Andrews about 732 AD by Acca, Bishop of Hexham (near Newcastle), a well known venerator of Saint Andrew.

Around the year 832 AD (although some say 735 AD) the Northumbrian King Athelstane is said to have camped at what is now Athelstaneford in East Lothian, before his battle with the Picts under King Angus mac Fergus. Saint Andrew appeared to Angus in a dream and promised victory. During the battle, a saltire cross was seen in the sky, putting heart into the Scots.

Athelstane was killed at the ford over the Cogtail burn. In gratitude, Angus gave gifts to the Church of Saint Regulus at St. Andrews. He then ordered the Cross of Saint Andrew to be the badge of the Picts.

However, this foundation story of a more stable kingdom in what would become Scotland is almost certainly modeled on the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great's victory at the Milvian Bridge, Rome in 312 AD at the banks of the River Tiber when he became convinced of the power of Christianity by seeing the symbol of Christ (the Chi Rho - the Greek letters Χ Ρ, the first letters of 'Christ') in the sky.

Whatever route the bones of Saint Andrew may have taken, we do know that in AD 908, the only bishopric in Scotland was transferred from Abernethy (the royal residence) to St. Andrews. Subsequently, the town rapidly became famous as a pilgrimage site.

Increase in popularity

During the reign of Malcolm Canmore and Queen Margaret, devotion to Saint Andrew became nationwide and Andrewmas was made a national festival. Scottish soldiers fighting in the Crusades honoured Saint Andrew as Patron of Christian Knighthood.

In 1318 St. Andrew's Cathedral was dedicated and became known as the Canterbury of the North. It was the largest church in Scotland before the Reformation. In 1411 Saint Andrew's University was founded and sixty-one years later, the See of St. Andrews was raised to Metropolitan status.

At the Reformation, the great Morbrac (reliquary) which carried the bones of the saint and weighed one third of a ton, was destroyed. On 14th June 1559 the interior of St. Andrews Cathedral, including the shrine and relics, was destroyed by reformers who had accompanied John Knox to the city. The street games, the festivities, the fireworks and the processions with evergreens, which used to take place on November 30th, were banished for ever.

The three centuries that followed were difficult for Catholicism in Scotland. Catholic worship was outlawed. The traditions were kept alive in a few outlying glens and islands. Catholics in cities and towns had to rely on visiting priests, trained overseas. Priests like the Jesuit martyr John Ogilvie operated underground and were put to death if discovered.

Andrew's significance to the Scots

What, in practice, did Saint Andrew mean to the Scots? When, in 1603, the new King James I and VI tried to make one united flag, the Scots resisted because the saltire cross had been given an inferior position in the design. Scottish ships at sea persisted in flying the Saint Andrew's Cross.

The Union Jack was the official flag from the Union of the Parliaments in 1707. But, while the red Lion Rampant is the proper Royal flag for Scotland and the Thistle the national badge, official heraldic decrees state that the national flag and arms of Scotland are the Saint Andrew's Cross.

Saint Andrew is patron of Russia and Greece but has special significance for the Scots. The Declaration of Arbroath (1320), written by Scottish clergymen to Pope John XXII, was an appeal to the Pope against the English claim that Scotland fell within the jurisdiction of the Archbishop of York.

The Declaration argues that the Scots were a distinct people who had long enjoyed the protection of Saint Andrew, brother of Saint Peter. Saint Andrew is described in the Declaration of Arbroath as "our patron or protector".

At the Battle of Bannockburn, near Stirling in 1314, the Scottish soldiers had worn the white cross of St. Andrew on their tunics and before the battle began they knelt in prayer, invoking his protection.

Four years later Robert the Bruce, at the dedication of St. Andrews Cathedral on 5 July 1318, placed a parchment at the High Altar expressing the nation's thanks to the Saint.

William Wallace's battle-cry was "St. Andrew mot us speed" (May Saint Andrew support us). Prior to the disastrous Scottish defeat at the Battle of Flodden in 1513, a great many Saint Andrew's crosses were made at the Boroughmuir in Edinburgh.

The Blue Blanket flag gifted to the Trade Guilds of Edinburgh also bore the Saint Andrew's Cross, while Scotland's largest ship, the Great Michael, was full of Saint Andrew's Crosses, as were the Honours of Scotland.

Mary, Queen of Scots' forces carried the saltire at the battle of Carberry; many Jacobite flags in the '45 Uprising also displayed the saltire. It soon became incorporated into the official badges of Scottish regiments. There was even a Saint Andrew coin issued by Robert II and a bawbee Scots halfpenny marked with the same cross.

Movement of relics

In modern times, the bones of Saint Andrew once more returned to Scotland. On the restoration of the hierarchy in Scotland in 1878, St. Andrews and Edinburgh was made the Metropolitan See of Scotland. In 1879 the Archbishop of Amalfi in Italy (where the bones had been brought in 1453 after the fall of Constantinople) sent to Edinburgh what was believed to be the shoulder-blade of St Andrew. Since 1846 the relics in Amalfi Cathedral have produced a mysterious and miraculous oil, called manna, every year on days specifically associated with the Saint – January 28th and November 30th.

At St Peter's, Rome in April 1969, Pope Paul VI gave another relic - part of the skull of the saint - to Cardinal Gordon Gray, at that time Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh. "Peter greets his brother Andrew," were the words of the Pope to the Archbishop. The relics of the Apostle are today displayed at St Andrew's altar in the Metropolitan Cathedral of St. Mary in Edinburgh. At St. Andrew's Cathedral by the shore at Patras, Greece other parts of the skull of Saint Andrew are cherished in a place of honor.

Superstition

A local superstition uses the cross of Saint Andrew as a hex sign on the fireplaces in northern England and Scotland to prevent witches from flying down the chimney and entering the house to do mischief. By placing the St. Andrew's cross on one of the fireplace posts or lintels, witches are prevented from entering through this opening. In this case, it is similar to the use of a witch ball, although the cross will activily prevent witches from entering, and the witch ball will passively delay or entice the witch, and perhaps entrap it.

Source: http://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2012/11/how-saint-andrew-became-patron-of.html

The holy Apostle of Christ, Andrew the first-called, was originally a disciple of St. John the Baptist who prepared the people to receive the Messiah. When the Saviour came out of the wilderness, the Forerunner told the people: “Behold, the Lamb of God” (John 1:36). Immediately Andrew followed after Him. Turning round and seeing him together with St. John’s other disciples, the Lord asked them: “What do ye seek?” They answered: “Master, where dost Thou dwell?” He said to them: “Come and see.”

The disciples saw where He lived and spent the day there with Him. Soon after this the Lord called Andrew and his brother Peter to follow after Him and told them that they were to become fishers of men unto the salvation of many. From that time forth, they remained with Christ; they were faithful to Him to the end and gave their very lives out of love for Him.

Dear brothers and sisters on this day I would ask you the same question: What are you seeking? Why did you come to church today? What are we all seeking in our lives? Are we seeking Christ, as He was first sought by those humble fishermen, among who was the Apostle Andrew?

What is it that people seek in life? They seek health, riches, success, acquaintances, friends, prestige, various worldly pleasures, vain knowledge… Only a few seek Christ the Saviour. Some may even think it strange to seek Christ. They say, “we call ourselves Christians after Christ, we see His holy image both in our homes and at church; we pronounce His sweetest name and hear it in God’s temple.” It appears we have no need to seek Christ. People seek that which they don’t have, that which they need. But we seem to have Christ; at least that is what we think...

It’s true, we have icons of Christ, but we do not have Christ Himself; we have His name, but only on our lips -- not in our hearts; we know Him, but only in word -- not in deed. Here, beloved, is a big difference; it is the same difference as between a shadow and the object which casts the shadow. It is, however, precisely with the heart that Christ is truly known, that is, in our inner man -- in our soul; because Christ, as God, is Spirit, “Who is everywhere and fillest all things.”

“The kingdom of God is within You” (Luke 17:21), says the Lord. The holy Apostle Paul earnestly desired that, through faith, Christ would dwell in the hearts of Christians. He wrote: “May God grant you according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith.” (Eph. 3:16-17)

We have to admit that most of us do not have Christ in our hearts. Instead, our hearts are occupied with that which is opposed to Christ -- our God and Savior, that which is opposed to our own good, which hinders the salvation of our souls. And because of this we do not lead a genuine Christian life. What is it that occupies our hearts? God “alone, Who searchest out the hearts and reins” (Ps. 7:9), sees what is in our hearts, its attachments. If the Lord granted us to see the full depths of our hearts, we would turn our eyes away in horror from such an overwhelming accumulation of filth. Let each of us look into his heart and say before the witness of our conscience what it is that occupies our hearts most of all.

Passions, sins, voluntary and involuntary -- are these not our heart’s constant inhabitants? But where does Christ dwell? He dwells in pure hearts, hearts that are humble and contrite, there where He is not grieved by doubt or unbelief, by indifference towards Him Who is God and Savior; there where men do not prefer the temporal sweetness of sin; where the idols of the passions have been chased out; where crude materiality is not preferred to the Kingdom of God; where Christians often turn their thoughts to the heavenly, as those created for heaven, for eternity; there where they seek God’s truth, where every day and every hour they are attentive to His commandments. Therein is where Christ dwells. And what does He do there? If only we knew (some, of course, do know) what He does in souls worthy of His abiding presence -- what rest, comfort and joy He imparts, what paradisaical bliss He gives them to experience while still on this earth...

Having once embraced Christ, the holy Apostle Andrew became entirely committed to Him, and no matter what difficulties, sorrows, misfortunes and persecutions -- unavoidable in preaching the Gospel -- came his way, he remained faithful to Christ, enduring everything out of love for Him, even crucifixion. It is of utmost importance that we seek after Christ and that we find Him. Without Christ, who will save us from our sins which ensnare us every day and hour, and from the eternal torments? Only the Son of God has power on earth to forgive sins; He alone has the keys to hell and death, the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven and life.

To find Christ is not difficult. He is everywhere, filling the world with Himself. God says to us through His prophet Jeremiah: “Am I a God at hand, saith the LORD, and not a God afar off?” (Jer. 23:23) As soon as He sees our hearts incline to receive His grace, He immediately enters, bringing with Him peace and comfort. “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me” (Rev. 3:20), says the Lord. Oh, how often He converses with His faithful servants, as with true friends. Christ Himself is seeking you: if you but incline your heart toward Him, you will surely find Him.

But how are we to know if we have found Christ and are close to Him? Those close to Christ often turn to Him in prayer with faith and love; they often pronounce from their heart His sweetest name, often call upon Him for help; they often read or listen to His word with childlike simplicity and love; they seek frequent union with Him in His life-giving Mysteries; they are satisfied with whatever they have and accepting of what happens to them; they strive according to their strength to fulfill Christ’s commandments... It happens that they also experience trials which are allowed by the loving Master, in order that their hearts be cleansed of every sinful impurity. Those who desire to be with Christ must not run away from trials, but even in times of joy, they must not forsake the carrying of their cross.

My dear brothers and sisters! Seek Jesus Christ with faith and love. Do not forget that He gave His life on the Cross for our sakes, to deliver us from sin and eternal torment, and to dwell in our hearts, that we might have great joy. Do not forget, we have all been bought with the price of His blood, and we should belong to Him, as to our Redeemer.

Our days are numbered. Every stroke of the clock reminds us to seek Him Who created time and Himself stands above the measure of time. He alone is able to pluck us out from the ravaging torrent of time... Every stroke of the clock tells us: Be watchful! You now have one hour less until you must cross the threshold into life after death which knows neither days nor hours. Do not be seduced by the momentary sweetness of sin which vanishes like a dream, leaving the soul empty, ailing, anguishing; it steals away precious time and ruins it forever. Do not waste time in useless occupations or idleness. Every one of you has a God-given talent to put to use. Busy yourselves in acquiring incorruptible wealth in the Kingdom of Heaven. Take the example of the thousands who have gone before you, having attained eternal rest and joy through their ceaseless labors in this temporal life, through sweat and tears.

Make haste to uproot from yourselves sin in all its various manifestations, through the help of Christ the Savior. Remember, man sows what he reaps (Gal. 6:7), according to the immutable law of God’s righteousness. While there is still time, therefore, let us hasten to find Christ and in faith create for Him an abode in our hearts that we not fall prey to the fire of Gehenna, as it is written: “If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them and cast them into the fire, and they are burned” (John 15:6). Amen.

By St. John of Kronstadt

Source: http://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2014/11/a-homily-on-feast-of-holy-apostle.html

There was a monk who told an elder:

– It’s not always easy to see what you are morally obliged to do, is it?

– It is, – the elder replied. – What you must do is what you’re the least willing to do.

We should be living like a spinning wheel, merely touching the ground at a single point and striving upwards with all the rest. On the contrary, we lie on the ground and cannot get up. (Saint Ambrose of Optina)

There was a brother who asked Abba Poemen for instructions in his spiritual life.

The elder said to him:

– While there is fire under a caldron, flies cannot touch it. When it cools down, all pests can freely sit on it. The same is true for us humans: as long as we persist in prayer, the enemy cannot defeat us!

A noble woman came to St Seraphim of Sarov and complained that the teachers of her children did little to teach them French, and asked St Seraphim what to do.

– You’d better teach your kids to pray to God, and they will easily learn French later, - was the holy elder’s advice.

Elder Amphilochius (Makris) was the rector of St John the Theologian Monastery at the Island of Patmos. He founded several monasteries, children’s shelters, and almshouses in the Greek islands.

The wise elder often used parables to make a point:

– Christ often comes and knocks at your door, and you invite him to sit in the antechamber of your soul. Then you get distracted by your problems and forget about the Great Guest. He sits there patiently waiting for you, and when you don’t return for too long, He gets up and leaves.

Sometimes you are so busy that you respond to him out of your window. You have no time even to open the door.

Elder Paisius of Mount Athos used to tell the following story, “One day when I was working in my vegetable garden, planning to plant several tomato plants, a visitor came to me and asked:

— What are you doing, Gerondas?

— You see, I do the confession of my vegetable garden.

— How can it be possible, Gerondas, — the man was baffled. — Does a vegetable garden need a confession, too?

— Of course it does. I know for a fact that when I do the confession of my vegetable garden, i.e., when I take all stones, weeds, and thorns out of the soil, the vegetables will be strong and healthy. If I don’t, the tomatoes will be sick and small.

An elder told a brother, “The Devil is your enemy, and you are a house. The enemy keeps throwing all kinds of rubbish and dirt at you. Be careful and throw everything he puts inside you away. If you are neglectful, your house will be filled with rubbish, and you won’t be able to get inside. As soon as the devil begins smearing you, throw the rubbish away, and your house will remain clean thanks to God’s grace.” (St Ignatius (Bryanchaninov))

Translated from: https://azbyka.ru/days/

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