Good day! I will be very grateful to you if I get an answer! The question of the appearance of a woman has already been discussed, I want to ask more specifically. 1. Will it be a sin for a woman to use cosmetics? 2. Is it acceptable for an Orthodox woman to take care of her appearance, as is customary in the secular sense: visiting a beautician, manicure, nail extension, pedicure. 3.

Is it permissible for an Orthodox woman to dye her hair, to style her hair? Walk in society with an uncovered head? 4. Dress stylishly? The fact is that I myself began to visit the Temple not so long ago, this period fell on my vacation. During my vacation, I read a lot.

One of the books talked about cosmetics as a deception, i.e. that from the devil, if a woman has made up eyes, this is a lie, moreover, an insult to God, because by this she says that she does not like the way He created her. The same was said about the color of the hair and even that they should not be curled if they are naturally straight.

I easily accepted all this with the help of God while I was on vacation, but when I went to work, I began to feel very uncomfortable, like a white crow! My native hair is starting to grow back (I don’t dye it, because I don’t know if it’s possible or not), the rest of the hair is dyed - it looks unkempt.

I don’t use cosmetics, the employees have already directly asked me: why don’t you put on makeup? I can not say that I do not want to paint! No, it's a struggle... sometimes it goes away, sometimes it is very sharp! I must add that before coming to the Church, I was very careful about my appearance, rather, I even cultivated the external...

She was both externally and internally different, wore jeans and trousers, tinted herself (not vulgarly, but there was cosmetics), dyed her hair, was a very bright woman. Then I reached out to God, got married, at first my husband was generally shocked by the fact that I was becoming gray and different.

I began to find despondency because I did not know whether I could make up my eyes or not, whereas before I was very cheerful and cheerful. I must also add that I used to go into fornication, and my bright appearance served a very good service in this.

I am not bright by nature. Just one day I read an article on the Internet, it said that if a woman resorts to cosmetics, some tight-fitting things, then she introduces other men into the sin of mental adultery, that everything that is considered BEAUTIFUL in the world is sexuality, femininity is a manifestation of the spirits of fornication.

I thought, I had all this in abundance... The priest to whom I confessed adheres to the dictum that a woman cannot use cosmetics, that the head of a woman who is married must be covered. He explained that everything is progressively given and cannot be all at once.

The only thing that worries me is that I feel uncomfortable in my outward manifestation now. In addition, I have representative functions in the company. Sometimes I think that this internal struggle makes sense, given that my use of cosmetics and dyeing my hair helped me slide down into fornication.

My husband is now saddened by the fact that I have ceased to be sensual and passionate. I confess that now for me marital relations are not a search for pleasures and pleasures ... and my husband remembers me DIFFERENT, although before the wedding he already knew, saw that the changes were ALREADY happening to me.

It used to be nice for him that next to him was a bright, sensual woman, now he is often annoyed and says that I have become like a granny :))) There is one more question, I also received an answer to it, but this answer is hard for me. Before eating, we pray and bless her with the sign of the cross, at work this is impossible for me, I began to eat alone.

Or I’m driving past the Temple with a driver, an internal struggle begins, I want to make the sign of the cross over myself - if I don’t make the sign of the cross, then my conscience torments me afterwards! On this occasion, the priest answered me that, of course, if it is not ready yet, then later it will turn out, you can mentally cross the food and mentally pray.

But at the same time, he also said that there are the words of Christ: "Whoever is ashamed of me before this evil and adulterous generation, of him I will also be ashamed when I come in my glory." The question is, will I offend God with my constraint if I mentally cross myself, and not in front of people?

How is food blessed before eating? Does each dish make the sign of the cross or the whole table? Help! Tell me how to be me? My conscience tells me that putting on makeup is an insult to God, at the same time I myself suffer from this unfulfilled desire!

Perhaps it is a deep passion? And my desire to be LIKE EVERYONE and not stand out from the crowd? Father, whom I can approach with my questions, is always very busy, I feel embarrassed to constantly ask him questions, although he always takes time! It's true!

He has a very big responsibility, I work now until the evening and I can’t come to the Temple, because there is no one there! Here I turn to you!

Oleg Oblogin answers:

Dear Elena, first of all, let me congratulate you on asking the longest question in the history of our site! Seems like a serious issue :)

Now let me say a few words about the main thing. The fact is that in your case, the principle in life should be the words of the Apostle Paul that everything is allowed to a person, but not everything is useful and nothing should possess the person himself.

Further. Extremes should always be avoided - both in spiritual relaxation and in severe asceticism. Everything is good in moderation, but each person has his own, taking into account his gender, age, social and marital status, as well as the characteristics of the character and level of spiritual development.

So, after describing the most important principles for a correct understanding of the spiritual life, I will try to help you. I’ll just make a reservation right away that this is only advice, and not an order, or the only the right way life for you. Read it, think about it, try to apply it to your life and make appropriate conclusions and adjustments - as necessary.

Well, specific questions will have to be given no less specific answers, and then I will try to explain my point of view. So let's get started.

The question of the appearance of a woman has already been discussed, I want to ask more specifically:

1. Would it be a sin for a woman to use cosmetics? No, everything is good in moderation.

2. Is it acceptable for an Orthodox woman to take care of her appearance, as is customary in the secular sense: visiting a beautician, manicure, nail extension, pedicure? - Absolutely ACCEPTABLE and even REQUIRED.

3. Is it permissible for an Orthodox woman to dye her hair, to style her hair? Walk in society with an uncovered head? Yes, you don't have to be afraid of it.

4. Dress stylishly? - Yes, subject to generally accepted norms of behavior.

The main thing to remember is that the inner human world is more important than the outer one, but outwardly we should try to look perfect (clean, tidy, beautiful and even stylish). All this does not exclude the inner concentration and modesty of a person - it is important to understand that the external environment and appearance are not an end in itself, but only a means for normal communication with people, because they meet us by clothes!

Therefore, both at work and at home, any person, and especially a woman, must be well-groomed and neat, and carelessness is not welcome even in Orthodoxy.

About the fact that cosmetics are a challenge to God, etc., sorry, but this is nonsense and idle talk. Such conclusions testify to the narrow-mindedness of writing people. What is important is the fulfillment of the commandments of God and the fight against passions, prayer and the search for humility (internal), and not the use of cosmetics or the rejection of it.

It is only important to remember that excessive passion for appearance can lead to narcissism and seduction of others, you need to try to be more modest, to avoid excesses. In general, it is not necessary to be a TV star or a hypersexual person, you just need to take good care of yourself.

Now about the husband. It is quite understandable. He just hasn't come to faith in the same way as you. But this is possible in the future. You need to try to talk and come to an acceptable lifestyle. In the end, peace in the family is more important than any prescriptions, because your husband does not push you to commit a crime or violate the commandments.

Try to yield somewhere to it and at the same time show what kind of inner strength and joy Christianity brings. Try to endure more and set an example of good relations. Do not forget that the husband is the head of the family, pray for him before God more often. The rest will settle down with time.

You don't have to be a grandma!

As for eating, use sign of the cross whenever possible. If it's inconvenient different people happen), then pray inwardly and briefly (Lord have mercy, Lord bless or the Jesus Prayer). Try to do it implicitly so that others simply don't know about it.

Such a prayer, uttered mentally and with reverence, is quite enough, for God looks at the heart of a person, and not at his mouth or the formally perfect sign of the cross. May your conscience be at peace. By the way, they bless the whole table at once, and not separately for each dish.

The same principle applies to passing a temple, etc. And about the fact that "who is ashamed of Me ..." - this is not said on this occasion, you will not offend God, in your case, be calm.

Try to become a real Christian within yourself, then everything external will acquire a certain look and meaning. Try to read more Holy Bible with interpretations and letters of the Optina Elders (especially Ambrose of Optina) - I think all this will help you learn the right spiritual life.

God bless you.

04.04.2016 18:09:

Hello Marina!
Mute is surprised that your impressions, conclusions and development of the topic are based on only one "sigh" of the priest. Perhaps the priest sighed from fatigue or lack of air, because of the burning candles. And you have already allowed yourself to condemn him in the absence of love and intolerance towards your appearance. I think. That this is just your personal subjective impressions.
Try to control yourself and in the future not allow yourself to condemn persons of the clergy.
Marina 04.04.2016 18:34:

Father, forgive me, maybe I explained it incorrectly, but in no case do I condemn anyone, especially this father, and moreover, I am grateful to him in many ways. But he sighed with real displeasure, I might not have paid attention, but people told me that they were around, and they also pointed to long nails, they said "our father does not like this." I asked you if long nails are a sin, because I really try to grow spiritually all the time, work on myself. Forgive me, sinner.
RB 04.04.2016 21:22:

In your question, hypocrisy is barely hidden)) do not be cunning Marina, if you are striving for churching, you should understand that defiant clothing make-up and so on are not appropriate on Orthodox women, but from the height of my life experience I will say that the more a person cares about the outside, the less time for the spiritual life!
Marina 04.04.2016 21:34:

Dear RB, you even hide your name, isn't that hypocrisy? I didn't ask you, I asked the father a question. The rules of the site say that this is not a forum. If you think that you have the right to criticize and give advice, then this is already pride and a desire to judge others. You haven't seen me, I don't have provocative clothes and make-up. And about the\"height of life experience \"-it's generally funny.\"Height \"!!!So I, in your opinion, below? \"Why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not see the beam in your own eye\". I hope you will not continue to comment and give the priest the opportunity to answer my question.
RB 04.04.2016 22:42:

Forgive me if my message disturbed you so much))) but as for me, the father answered you everything)))
Marina 04/04/2016 22:59:

Well, you got me involved in the discussion. Batiushka did not answer everything, because in some of his answers to other questions I read that it was not forbidden to use makeup, and he even gave the example of the Grand Duchess. So I would like to clarify about the nails. Again, no one asked for your opinion. Forgive me if I offended you. It’s a pity that I still don’t know not only your name, but even whether you are a man or a woman.)))
Olga 04/05/2016 08:20:

Why don’t you all ask such questions in the church to the real Father, who sees you and talks to you live? In general, this site is strange, after all, no one checked who is under the name ((Father Alexander. Forgive me, Father, for distrust, but tell me how We believe in our time a lot of terrible things happen.
RB 04/05/2016 09:11:

Olga! father Alexander serves in the church of Theodosius of Chernigov in Kiev! What more evidence do you need "to believe"?! Save the Lord o. Alexandra! Thank him for this site.
Anastasia 04/05/2016 11:30:

Sorry. Are you not afraid of mental anguish? Probably better to be deceived than not to trust an honest person. Why do you need to know the secrets of the soul? Each person is not only an image of God, people also have an inner secret world and no one has the right to encroach on a person’s freedom. 04/05/2016 11:34:

Marina: Once again I want to reassure you so that you do not worry about the “sighs” of the priest and the opinions of others. I haven't seen your nails, so I can't say anything. Although sometimes in the temple I express my point of view when I see the nails of black or purple, when the nails are decorated colorfully, like Easter Easter eggs, or have the shape of cold weapons, claws-daggers from horror films.
And I confirm my personal opinion that a woman should take care of herself. In a manicure with a moderate length of nails and if the varnish is close to the natural color of the nails, there is nothing sinful and reprehensible.

Olga: Our site is open to everyone. Among the visitors there are many people who know me personally, parishioners of our church, their relatives, friends, godfathers, acquaintances, etc. Moreover, the site contains the contacts of the temple and my personal phone number. In the "Photo" and "Video" section there are many materials confirming the reality of the existence of our church and me, as its rector. If you have any doubts, I do not recommend you start trolling the site, because. by this you commit a sin, leading other people into temptation.

Olga 04/05/2016 17:00:

I didn’t intend to offend anyone, there’s just a lot of fiction on the Internet now, my colleagues had a question (why does the temple need to answer questions from invisible people? Free cheese is only in a mousetrap, sorry that I wrote to you

Metropolitan Athanasius of Limassol

Remain the way God created you, so that we treat ourselves beautifully first of all, so that we start with ourselves, so that we do not want to humiliate and ridicule ourselves. Sometimes they ask:

- Is it a sin to paint?

It's not a sin, paint how you want! But what is the problem? That you are changing yourself. Or you wear an earring - and the other looks at you and asks himself: how can you stand it? And why did he put it on his eyebrow? Okay, but doesn't it bother you like a fly is sitting on your forehead?

Or she comes to say something, and something hangs from her hair and enters her eye. Well, why is it all, children? Or some boots and you need to attach special efforts to keep balance.

I really do ask myself that sometimes. I sit and look at them from above from the monastery, where silence reigns, and from a distance I can hear how the car stops, and she knock-knock-knock with her heels until she enters the temple. Inside, maybe they read the Gospel and reign complete silence. And then she says:

“I don’t go to church because when I go inside, everyone turns around and looks at me!”

Well, of course, they look if you alarmed people! How can a person not see what you put on and what you came here on! They got dizzy when they saw it!

Children, respect starts with yourself. Well, it is in the nature of a woman to adorn herself, this is true, and, of course, you need to wear good clothes. But only measure is needed. Beauty is in moderation. Extremes are superfluous, because then a person loses measure and can no longer understand what is right and what is not, because he does not have a sense of proportion, he has lost the feeling that by doing so he will challenge other people. When you say to him:

“My child, this is defiant! he asks you:

- And why? How can it be provocative?

He does not understand this, because he no longer has a measure.

We must learn to appreciate others and God Himself. Gratitude to God comes gradually: at first you begin to value yourself, respect yourself, your body, face, take care of it, but in a beautiful way, with respect for yourself, without changing your face. Then, when you respect yourself, you also respect your parents, teachers, brother, neighbors, uncle, spouse.

So our life becomes beautiful, because what you give to another, he will return to you. If you are a barbarian, then you will be treated the same way. Therefore, we need to work on ourselves, and when we do something, then sit down and ask ourselves: “Why am I doing this, for what reason? I put on 15 earrings, hung them from top to bottom. What for? For beauty? But it's not pretty. What then is the reason? What motivates me to do this? We must see the impulse, that is, to explore ourselves, but not with mental anguish, but in order to work on ourselves.

The word “spirituality” that I first read about seven years ago in one of the Russian glossy magazines puzzled me. It was about some kind of European, - it seems, Milanese - spa.

The strange word “spa” has no clear meaning. Let's put it this way: a spa is a place where worldly women go to relax. Relaxation seems to them an extremely important part of their life. “Blissful relaxation and an empty head are habitually expected from spa care,” they write in their magazines and call what is happening in beauty salons the word “ritual”.

All this fog is thrown in order to describe the procedures, which are all kinds of “treatments” and massages, based, as a rule, on various pagan practices - from the Mayan Indians to yogic ones, whatever. Modern women they all like it very much, and since the dark side of their desires remains hidden from them for the time being, they strive with all their might to relax.

"Shut up and relax"

“We infuse our oil by keeping it in the moonlight,” says a tall, thin young man who lived somewhere in Tibet for a couple of years about Tibetan massage. The practices he applies are not only about physiology, but also about the "state of mind" - and the latter to a much greater extent. Strictly speaking, Tibetan massage is a spiritual practice, carried out, if I may say so, at first unnoticed by the client. Unencumbered by the knowledge that she could have received in the family, but she didn’t, this average client is a “blank slate” and, like almost any person living only a material life, vaguely feels a certain spiritual hunger in herself and readily trusts that who undertakes to satisfy him.

"Spirituality" - this is tracing paper from English: spirituality - that's what in question, I remember, lit up me. Just think: that girl, in whose article I first saw this word, was looking for not something in the spa, but spirituality!

And we can say that she found her: periodically seeing in one of the social networks her new pictures, taken somewhere in Tibet, then capturing her beautiful figure in some intricate pose in a Moscow apartment, I think with sadness that I belong to those who know her terrible secret. The moment came when she ended up in a psychiatric clinic - of course, not only yoga was to blame for this, but only now she has no one to help her. Her relatives, ordinary post-Soviet atheists, during periods of exacerbation, by hook or by crook, drive their exotic bird into a madhouse - and this is all that she can now count on.

The country is full of exotic salons. “Each detail of the interior, sounds and smells immerse you in a state of total relaxation. But the most important thing is that craftsmen from Bali work here. - wizards who also speak Russian. However, words are superfluous - let's keep quiet and relax, ”they write about one of them.

Another network positions one of its activities as “close to the teachings of Hinduism”, explaining that “the gift of healing is given from above only to truly believing people”, and publishes a photo of its own magicians, captured not just anywhere, but against the backdrop of the temple of the saint Simeon the Stylite on Povarskaya. One of the girls who folded their hands in a Balinese greeting stands exactly under the image of the Virgin, located on the outside of the altar of this ancient temple.

“Wellness is a philosophy of human well-being in all spheres of his being: spiritual, social and physical. Anyone who lives according to the philosophy of wellness is successful, full of energy, optimistic and cheerful, regardless of age. Having shamelessly written off this from Wikipedia, we, perhaps, will limit the mention of one more thing - the wellness industry, which, along with Eastern methods, has firmly won a considerable territory in the general market of the beauty industry and is not only and so much a "philosophy" as one of the "religions" of modern times.

All these religions come down to one thing - the cult of the body, perhaps such as it was not known in any of the ancient pagan times, since never before has so much effort been spent on ensuring that the body does not age as long as possible.

The Science of Pleasure

This is probably not very funny, but nevertheless: one of the methods of rejuvenation is called Draсula Therapy. The Russian name is not so targeted - just plasmolifting: the patient's skin is injected with plasma obtained from his own blood, which has undergone certain processing in a centrifuge. They say that even the hair becomes younger.

Not weird. On guard of youth and beauty in the XXI century are advanced scientific technologies. “Due to the impact of a network of powerful infrared rays, the activation of fibroblasts and the formation of new collagen is achieved”, - it seems that this is a fragment from a textbook on physics, but no, just a description of the effect of some kind of infrared nozzle, which allows you to "tighten" the skin without resorting to the intervention of a plastic surgeon.

What progress has come, - the inexperienced mind is amazed, - take at least the notorious "beauty injections". But today, Botox, which immobilizes the muscles in the injection area, due to which women lose not only wrinkles, but also natural facial expressions, or restylane, which fills the voids in the sagging skin of an aging face, look old-fashioned and even somehow cute.

Here, for example, the Silhouette technique Lift, based on the use of innovative polypropylene threads borrowed from surgery and ophthalmology: for those who wish, these threads are injected through micro-incisions in the temporal region - and the girls look younger before their eyes. And not only girls: the procedure, which leaves no traces, is also recommended for men. Even Thermage, which affects the skin with high-frequency radio emission, already seems like yesterday.

Today, lasers can even get rid of excessive sweating, which bears the honorary name of hyperhidrosis.

All this really resembles a drug: once you start to "improve" yourself, it's hard to stop, especially since the most powerful industry every day is ready to offer something new, revolutionary, high-tech.

And I must say that the priests who tell us at confessions and in sermons that, they say, we care about the body, but do not want about the soul, cannot even imagine what abysses are hiding today behind them. in simple terms.

The best for children

Morning. A woman with a blond girl of eight years old enters a beauty salon. It is immediately clear that this is a capricious girl: she is spinning, whimpering and a little rude, but the girls from the reception are already flocking to her, tenderly folding their hands on their chests. A hairdresser appears: courageously taking the girl by the hand, she takes her into the world of sparkling mirrors. An hour and a half later, the girl reappears at the reception desk. Now her blond tousled hair is styled in nasty sausage curls, and she, like an adult fashionista, blows on her nails with spread fingers - she just got a manicure. “Congratulations, congratulations,” the girls-administrators of the salon chirp, “so you did your first manicure!” And the girl with her mother proudly retires into the Moscow snowstorm.

"V Lately children's manicure is becoming very popular. It is not at all harmful to teach a child to take care of his appearance, - persuades the site of the network, one of the salons of which works specifically for children. “Finally, children’s manicure is an excellent remedy for onychophagia – biting the nails and the skin around them.”

This foolish argument akin to the fact that they advise “to have sex for health”, but the fact is that today Moscow salons are ready to offer children - or rather, their crazy mothers - both make-up, and “general strengthening and healing body care procedures”, and “massages for face and body”, and “comprehensive skin care”.

In short, anything that will push the "young ladies and gentlemen," as the children are called here, as quickly as possible, to a distance that will sooner or later lead them to the monstrosity of the "Real Housewives of New York." You don't have to be very careful to notice: sooner or later, people who love the beauty industry become like each other, like brothers and sisters. Their cheekbones rise, their noses shorten and their lips puff out, their character deteriorates terribly, and it becomes more and more difficult to see in them not the achievements of a cosmetologist and surgeon, but the features of the Creator.

But these "spiritual" people are very "successful" - and in this they are helped by "belief in themselves."

"Spiritual" people

Those who believe in themselves are not alien to compassion - after all, women's nature cannot be completely changed - but compassion also acquires some special features in them.

Love for animals is another of their true passions. For example, "spiritual" women are very worried if their lipsticks were tested on poor rabbits, but they are relieved to learn that human skin specially grown for this purpose was used to create cosmetics, as, for example, in the case of the L "Oréal group of companies, all preclinical testing of the products of which are carried out on the culture of skin tissue Epi Skin. Layers of human skin are grown on collagen, which is a special pride of L "Oréal, which has spent 20 years on its unique development.

Even "spiritual" women are very worried about the environment, perceiving with indignation the news of climate change and blaming anyone but themselves for this, and willingly do charity work. Basically, they fight against breast cancer (which is not difficult, because periodically cosmetic giants announce that they direct part of the profits from the sale of certain funds to fight this disease) and help animals. Homeless or in Africa - it doesn’t really matter: the main thing is that the “spiritual” woman should have the feeling that she does not live in vain. But she will never go into a nursing home or a hospital where cancer patients are lying - because her heart "can't take it."

What can you say? Probably nothing, except that all this is the result of the search for "personal happiness" - another religion of the modern world, which, if there is a desire, we will talk about next time.

It is believed that in our time a person lies in wait for much more temptations and temptations than a hundred or two hundred years ago. Television, the Internet, the model of human behavior in society - literally everything breathes sin and inclines towards it. And the sins themselves are no longer the same as before. Others are not described in the literature, and even the names have not yet been invented for them. Reflects on the features of the spiritual life of a modern Christian.

I think that "modern" sins hardly exist. we have the same ones as a hundred and a thousand years ago. It's just that we may not notice how the old comes to us under the guise of the new.

In my favorite movie "Revolver", which I would call spiritual, there is a wonderful idea: the older the wiring, the more successful it works. All-all sins, vices and human passions in the world have existed for a long time, they are described, but they are taught to us in different shells, be it, or something else. Sin simply enters a new plane, is presented in a new context. The task of a Christian is to be able to see this sin even before immersing himself in it.

For example, the holy fathers write that not every thought needs to be accepted. In modern terms computer language, we must see sin still in the state of a "zip-archive" knocking on our consciousness. You can not "unpack" it immediately. Any thought must first be felt. And if it confuses the heart, then send this "zip" to the basket.

The Internet space and especially the platforms give us all a huge scope for words. They receive a tribune, including such nonentities and ignoramuses, whom in real life no one would listen. This forms in us simple and ancient passions: to become teachers of life, judges and almost the arbiters of destinies and resolvers of all the problems of life. "I have the right to speak, I have the right to judge and execute, I have the right to make adjustments to any situation." This is also echoed by modern media culture: programs such as “Let They Speak”, “House Two”, “Star Factory”, “Weak Link”, “Hour of Judgment” and others, they are also called legion, flooded the airwaves and became extremely popular. The theme of all programs is the same - to destroy friendship, collectivism in people, to endure the most stinking dirt human life into the light, shake the historical concepts of truth and honor, make black white and vice versa, make me a judge and measure of truth. Real spears break on these virtual fields. People are rude to each other, shout, insult. How not to remember Scripture: The world is "...the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life..." (1 John 2:16). Nothing has changed.

The principles of resisting lusts and passions are also unchanged. One thing will help you to see them, isolate them, weed them out – another resolute attempt to really embark on the path of Christian life you have chosen. The modern world no longer knows and does not understand such words - passion, lust ...

The righteous do not sin. We, walking along the path of life, often stumble and fall. But this is not the worst. It is much worse when a person does not go anywhere and does nothing. He is in a state that cannot even be called a sin. Sin is the high state of a person who has made a mistake. But a miss is the lot of the shooter at the target. As they say on Athos, you still need to get into. That is, it is such a high state that only the doer can get into it. And there are few workers among us. Therefore, our confessions, as a rule, are stereotyped and empty. And what to talk about if no one tries to start inner life? There are no pilots...

In one of Boris Grebenshchikov's songs, which sings about what he sees in modern world, there is a wonderful phrase: “... on every page there is a naked Maha, I begin to remind myself of a monk. There are no temptations around that I would like to succumb to. Simply put, high temptation comes to a person engaged in high deeds. And people who have degraded, culturally descended to the very bottom, temptations are no longer needed. And the devil does not need to try to seduce those who are already in temptation. And this is the most terrible thing in the state of modern humanity - the real temptations just ended, and people keep falling.

E. Poletaeva. "Degradation" (fragment)

Our weakness and indecision have done everything themselves, for all the demons of the world. Modern man falls easily. And when he begins to see clearly, he understands that the fall was a state of life. How could you get into THIS? What did I succumb to? A picture with a naked woman? Where were those temptations to which "I would like to succumb"? Nietzsche very accurately said: “It is not your sin - your self-satisfaction cries out to heaven; the pettiness of your sins cries out to heaven!”

As Christians, we have degraded to the point where we are not interested in our God, our Christ. We have become just one of the religions. How are we different from others? Ask a modern parishioner how our salvation came, what the Holy Trinity is - and even this you will not always hear. This is of little interest to modern man. The Word of Christ, the Gospel, is of little interest. Whom should I tempt? He no longer needs to appear in this world. Why should he go on when his audience is already there? What should he do on the Internet, 80% of which is filled with "porn"? Temptations, spiritual scolding are for strong fighters. And modern man is not like a demon - the wind brings down. We do not need to fight - we ourselves fall.

The Lord still supports us in this disaster, gives us chances for some kind of breakthroughs, movements - so that we do not finally fall, do not sink to ugliness, to inhumanity. And in this I see the great mercy of God to our unfortunate modern human race.

The modern world is going to hell, it's quite obvious. The front cars of the train are already in the abyss. We may not have reached the abyss yet, but we already see what is happening ahead. It seems to me that today what the saints have said at all times is coming true - the last people will be saved by patience. And we have nothing else. Our task, as in all times, is to complete our Christian path, to preserve the Commandment. Nothing else will be offered to us.

We must try to keep the commandment as we understand it, as we feel it, as it sounded in the Gospel. This is the only condition for our survival. Today we need to teach this to ourselves, to those around us, and to every person in the Church. Keep the Commandment not in the literal sense of the decalogue, which first comes to mind modern man but as commanded to us by Christ. I must keep what I received from Him in the Gospel, what I chose on my life path, that through which I understand the life of the saints and the Church itself. This commandment must be kept.

I had an interesting situation this year. A wonderful old woman came to confession, so grey, nondescript. The usual set: she dyed her hair, nails ... I stop her: “Does this have anything to do with spiritual life? Before God, before Christ, what is going on with you? Would you like to know your God? She says: "Isn't it a sin to dye your hair?" I say, "So far I don't see a sin worth talking about." She says: "And you know, I also love music." And, apparently, he is waiting for me to say that music is not a sin either. "What does the music have to do with it?" “I love Deep Purple, Nazareth, Queen.” And then I realized that I also love these groups ...

Why did I remember this? In many ways, some music brought a wave of negativity into the world, but at the same time, this music showed serious things. Everything that happens in the world, even in the field of culture, should open our hearts. Plow like a field, on which then something can germinate. Grebenshchikov plowed my heart in his time. It doesn’t matter how he plowed, but the main thing is that he kind of made me peer into life, look, search and find the real in it.

The modern world, in addition to rubbish and vulgarity, offers us ways and opportunities for awakening. How many worthy films are born even in Western cinema: "The Matrix", "Revolver", "Unthinkable", "Inappropriate Man" and many others. They seem to be telling us: “Man, are you sure that you even understand where you live? What is reality and not a matrix? Here you go to church, consider yourself a believer, you are calm. Do you, in general, understand that this is all, maybe not at all?

In the Gospel we find the same question, the same thought, expressed by Christ in relation to the Pharisees. “Guys, this is the matrix. Do you think that you have a God, a temple, faith? You don't have anything. You have a form with nothing inside."

God grant that this question is born in us. And so that we know the real temptations. This will be evidence that our spiritual life has finally begun.