APPENDIX A brief guide for students of the Jesus Prayer Excerpts from the works and letters of St. Theophan the Recluse /Compiled by Hieromonk Theophan (Kryukov)/ Please consider all this and take it as a guide and read it often in order to refresh your memory as it should

Testament of St. Theophan the Recluse My beloved reader! Do you want me to show you something that is more honest than gold and silver, valuable beads and precious stones? There is nothing you can do to find and buy the Kingdom of Heaven, future joys and eternal peace, as soon as with this

Testament of Saint Theophan the Recluse “Don’t blame me, for the Lord’s sake, for leaving you. I’m not leaving so that I’ll be forced to leave you. Your kindness would not allow me to change you to another flock. But, as a follower, I’m led to a time free from worries,

The pastorate of Bishop Theophan (Recluse) The personality of Bishop Theophan, like Bishop Ignatius (Brianchaninov), stands out so sharply from the background of his contemporaries that even during his lifetime he attracted the attention of all church people. The bishop who left the pulpit in order to

Reverend Abba Isaiah:

Woe to people who insult and dishonor their neighbors, for they do not know the bliss of love.

Saint Demetrius of Rostov:

God prudently created the queen bee without a sting: if she had one, she would kill everyone. This is an example to those in command: for a commander should not at all indulge in blind, unconscious anger and rage, lest he kill all those who obey him with his furious attack. So, overcome evil with good, and not evil with evil, for just as you cannot extinguish fire with fire, but only with water, so you cannot overcome rage with rage, but you will overcome it with meekness and long-suffering.

Who, in vindictiveness and unconsciousness of anger, did something good? Who, without meekness and long-suffering, has shown any perfect virtue or victory? Nobody! For even the apostles, if they had been unreasonably irritated and angry at those who sinned, would not have guided anyone on the path of salvation, would not have drawn anyone to Christ. Although sometimes they became embittered against those who sinned, they corrected and instructed them not with rage and without being blindly angry, but prudently and with patience, praying to God for those who sinned.

Rev. Ephraim the Syrian:

Anger destroys, mortifies the soul and removes you from God.

An angry person... kills his soul because he spends his whole life in confusion and anxiety...

An angry person loses peace and health, because his body constantly melts, and his soul grieves, and his flesh withers, and his face is covered with pallor, and his mind is exhausted, and his thoughts flow like a river, and everyone hates him.

An angry person is far from long-suffering and love, he is easily confused by empty speeches, and starts quarrels out of trifles; where there is no need for him, he interferes and incurs more and more hatred.

Saint Basil the Great:

Those who submit to the passion of anger do nothing healthy.

Saint Gregory the Theologian:

Anger is a dangerous advisor; what is done in anger is never wise.

Saint John Chrysostom:

“The angry do not see anything sensibly and do nothing properly, but are likened to people with damaged feelings who have lost the ability to reason.

Anger is a strong, all-consuming fire; it harms the body and corrupts the soul, and makes a person unpleasant to look at and shameful.

If you say an offensive word, if you offend your brother, you will not grieve him, but the Holy Spirit.

There will be no room for anger if you free yourself from attachment to yourself.”

Venerable John Cassian the Roman:

Just as there is nothing higher than love, so, on the contrary, there is nothing worse than rage and anger. It is better to neglect the useful and necessary in order to avoid anger. Just as it is better to accept and endure everything unpleasant in order to maintain the calm of love and peace, because there is nothing more destructive than anger and sorrow and more useful than love. (Abba Joseph).

Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk:

Both anger and malice are born from immense pride. For a selfish person seeks his own self-interest, glory and honor in everything. And if he sees an obstacle in something to his intention and desire, he becomes embarrassed, upset and angry at the one who creates the obstacle. And therefore he tries to help the cause with anger, that is, to take revenge, which is characteristic of anger.”

Saint Ignatius (Brianchaninov):

Being earth, I am at the same time deprived of the possession of this earth: various passions steal it from me, especially ... fierce anger, I am deprived of all the power of meekness over myself. Meekness gives me back this power.

Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk:

Anger turns into malice and rancor when it is held for a long time and nourished in the heart. Therefore, the Lord will command that it be stopped soon, so that it does not develop into hatred and malice, and thus greater evil is not added to evil. “Let not the sun go down on your anger; and do not give place to the devil” (Eph. 4:26-27), says the apostle. Just as a fire, if it is not put out immediately, consumes many houses, so anger, if it does not stop soon, will cause a lot of evil and is the cause of many troubles. Therefore, according to the admonition of the Apostle, we must immediately drive out anger from the heart, so that, having intensified, it does not cause even more harm and destroy ourselves, those who are angry, and those with whom we are angry.

Saint Ignatius (Brianchaninov)

If you allow your heart to be hardened by rancor and justify your anger with pride, then the Lord your God will turn away from you and you will be handed over to be trampled underfoot by Satan.

Abba Isaiah:

There is natural anger, without which it is impossible to acquire purity: it is impossible to acquire it if we are not angry at everything that the enemy instills in us. Sin replaced this anger in us with anger at our neighbors for the most insignificant, meaningless reasons.

Saint John Chrysostom:

That’s why you insult because you yourself are nothing: it is not human nature to insult.

This is nobility, this is freedom, not to say anything humiliating to anyone, even if someone else is worthy of it.

Are you angry? Be like this in relation to your sins, beat your soul, scourge your conscience, be a strict judge and a formidable punisher of your own sins - this is the benefit of anger, for this God put it in us.

This is why God gave us the weapon of wrath, so that we would not strike our own body (that is, our neighbors) with a sword, but so that we would plunge its entire edge into the chest of the devil. Stick your sword in there up to the hilt, if you want the hilt, and never remove it from there; on the contrary, attach another sword. And this will happen if we spare each other, if we are peacefully disposed towards each other.

Saint Basil the Great:

You can avoid getting angry if you always remember that you are before the eyes of the All-Seeing God.

Venerable Ephraim the Syrian:

If you see a snake lying down, you run away, afraid that it might bite you, and you allow anger, which is full of deadly poison, to remain in your heart.

Saint John Chrysostom:

In order to boldly approach God, do not allow anger when it wants to enter your soul and unite with it, but drive it away like a mad dog.

What water is to fire, meekness and gentleness are to anger.

When anger and rage come to you, enduring something terrible and unbearable, remember the meekness of Christ, and you will soon become meek and humble... deriving the greatest benefit from meekness not only for yourself, but also for the enemy, instructing him (by example ) be kind.

You and I all understand what a contagious disease is. And we try not to go to places where we see the spread of some kind of infection. Prudence dictates: you will become infected. However, while acting prudently in the physical realm, very often we act recklessly in the spiritual realm.

A person with evil thoughts is a source of spiritual infection. He is sick with some kind of spiritual flu and can re-infect many. When we communicate with those who condemn and slander someone, we very often sit and agree. At worst, we remain silent. But we don’t stop another person’s mouth. An interview with people who are deceitful and evil in their thoughts inevitably ends in spiritual contamination.

We need to remember the patristic teaching that the grace of God moves away from a person who carries evil thoughts and condemnation. Bitter and sweet water do not flow from the same source (see James 3:11). You and I remember that bad communities corrupt morals, that you will be with the venerable saint, you will be corrupted with the obstinate(Ps. 17:26).

Therefore, we must avoid people who have murmuring, corrupt, deceitful thoughts. How to do this? In practical terms, this is quite simple.

First degree - do not participate in condemnation and grumbling. Is it impossible for you to leave? Is this a close relative or boss in front of you? Do circumstances require your presence? Let it be so, but you can always avoid participating in an angry conversation.

Second degree - try carefully stop this thread:“Let’s not talk to you about this topic,” “Let’s refrain from slandering our neighbor.”

Third degree - when you feel that you are unable to bear the evil that others say, you can disappear unnoticed. Under some pretext, go to another room, interrupt the conversation, citing some business.

If you know about a person that he constantly judges others, gets angry, gossips, avoid him. Because just as it is impossible not to get dirty among solid tar, so it is impossible not to get spiritually dirty among people who reproach and slander their neighbors.

But how can we heal if we are already infected with angry thoughts? As the Holy Fathers teach, the cure for the irritable part of the soul is love. We can transform all the evil that we have heard about a person and accepted into our hearts into love for him. Having come to our senses, we can show love for our neighbor, pray for him: “Help him,

God". Or - suddenly the Lord provides an opportunity to do good to this person.

So, our first instruction is to avoid those who slander. And secondly, if we are infected, heal, transform our evil thoughts into good thoughts, pray for the person about whom the evil is spreading, and provide him with all kinds of good.

Avoid quarrels with your boss, subordinate and equal

Quarrels and discord indicate, first of all, to human madness, to darkness of mind among the disputing parties and the lack of peace between those participating in the dispute.

Therefore, disputes and discord are of three kinds. These are disputes and contradictions of subordinates in relation to their superiors, discord sown by superiors in relation to their subordinates and disputes that flare up in teams, in families and in general in any communities, between equal people.

When an employee argues with a boss, this is insubordination. There is no power that is not from God. Our Lord Jesus Christ, through this leader, tries to enlighten His subordinates. What is required? Listen to the leader and try to act in such a way as not to cause criticism towards yourself. And every boss is a servant of God, no matter what he is. According to Senka and the hat. What kind of subordinates - such a boss is sent by the Lord. Therefore, when people laugh at their boss, they laugh at themselves. They slander themselves because they do not understand that the Lord holds a mirror before them in the face of their leader, showing them their vices and shortcomings. Only one thing is always required of a subordinate - to humbly do what is due to him at work. To say: “Lord, Thy will, what I was commanded, I must do, I accept this not as a simple instruction, but as obedience to You.” And then everything falls into place.

The other plane is the attitude of a boss towards his subordinates. It happens that a subordinate is constantly trying to prove something, have his own opinion and become on the same level as his boss. It is clear that such an employee violates the hierarchy of God. What is the prudent course of action for a manager in such a situation? Simply do not impose your point of view, but calmly achieve the fulfillment of what is required in the service. If you demand that this subordinate do anything more than that, you can sow either anger or hatred, primarily in your soul, or cause discord and quarrel.

A much more complicated situation is when a quarrel, a scandal, some kind of disorder between equal people. As equals, they can express all kinds of barbs and insults; a chain reaction begins, and the spirit of the devil descends into one group or another. Someone alone must stop this. Let us remember how prudently the Monk Silouan of Athos acted. Most often he was silent and listened to what they said. As a rule, we try to participate in all the word debates that arise around us. It all usually starts out harmlessly enough. The topic raised can concern anything - the state of the country, political authorities, wages, medicine - but our pride very often leads to the fact that we try to insist on our opinion. We must remember that if the spirit of argument lives in you, this indicates secret pride. Humble man avoid any dispute and will give the disputant the right of primacy if this is not of a fundamental nature. He will say: “Let it be as you say, as you see fit.” Unless, of course, the matter concerns the protection of a neighbor or the weak, when a person can and should raise his voice in his defense.

If we do not avoid disputes, showdowns, and discussions of controversial topics, we will definitely commit a sin, even several sins. Firstly, we will commit violence against another person - our interlocutor. Secondly, if we express our opinion a second and third time, we may at that moment become irritated and angry. The Holy Fathers tell us the following: when You expressed one opinion twice and it was not accepted twice, shut your mouth and don’t speak out anymore. Because this is followed by anger, irritation, annoyance, both yours and the one who wants to refute what was said. Your victory will be Pyrrhic, it will bring nothing but destruction of the heart, devastation of the soul and discord with the person over whom we achieved primacy.

Therefore, dear ones, if you want to preserve your soul so that it is not devastated, I give you this advice: under no circumstances enter into any kind of disputes, by all means avoid both them and those people who are the source of discord. Of course, the devil will be dissatisfied and will immediately begin to prick with needles: “Why are you silent? Why don’t you express your opinion?” - “Don’t,” say, “I’m a small person, I don’t understand these things, you are educated people, argue without me, and someday I’ll realize it and say something.” But pride rises in us, we want to show off our intelligence, our education, and put the last point in the dispute. And we enter into it. And they listen to us and say: “Okay, stay with your opinion, now listen to what we tell you.” And the demonic skirmish continues. This is how the healthy climate in teams is destroyed, people turn from friends into enemies, and all kinds of disorder arise.

In spiritual terms, disobedience of a junior to an elder is called disobedience in the spiritual world. To heal this spiritual illness, the younger must tell the elder three words of humility: “Forgive, bless and pray (for me).” IN in the relationship of the elder to the younger, it is necessary that the elder does not mock the younger, but prays for him, so that the Lord gives the spirit of peace, unanimity, mutual understanding and covered the infirmities Jr. And between equal people there must reign compliance.

One of the ancient patericons gives us an example of righteous argumentation between spiritual people. Two brothers in a monastery could never quarrel in their entire lives. And in the end they decided: they say, somehow we live peacefully, let’s quarrel at least a little, so that later we can repent and ask each other for forgiveness. We chose a topic: you will say that this jug is yours, and I will say that it is mine, and through this you and I will quarrel. So the first one says: “This jug is mine.” And the second one says: “Mine.” The first one repeats: “This jug is still mine.” And the second: “Okay, if you think it’s yours, let it be yours.” At this point the dispute ended, and no quarrel broke out. When a person produces something like this the establishment of spiritual compliance, everything falls into place. A prudent person should avoid the contentious spirit in every possible way: “Let it be your way. I I'll give in you, but not I'll seduce you. Thus, perhaps, by humiliating myself, I will extinguish the beginning quarrel. I will accept your opinion, or perhaps I will not accept it, because I know how things really stand, but I will not act in such a way that you will stumble over me.”

I know that this is difficult for many, but I advise you to work on yourself, work hard, and try to develop such an internal structure. From a person, I repeat once again, who argues and quarrels, the spirit of God moves away, does not remain with him, and another spirit approaches him, the spirit of malice, which takes possession of his heart and soul. Avoid, my dears, quarrels and strife and take care of yourself from this spiritual infection.

Anger is the power of the irritable part of the soul. It was originally given to man by God to resist evil, to counteract vices. But as a result of the Fall, anger turned in people from a good force into a sinful passion, which never “does the righteousness of God” (James 1:20).

Ave. John of Damascus explains:

“Being by nature something in between God and matter, man, if he had renounced all natural attachment to created being and was united by love with God, should have been unshakably established in goodness through observance of the commandment. But when, as a result of crime, he became to gravitate more towards matter, and when his mind turned away from its Creator, i.e. God, then corruption became characteristic of him, he became subject to passions from the impassive, from the immortal to mortal, had a need for marriage and carnal birth, and was attached to life by passion to pleasures, as something necessary for life, and began to stubbornly hate those who tried to deprive him of these pleasures. His love instead of God turned to matter, and his anger, instead of the true enemy of his salvation, turned to people like him.”

St. John of Damascus writes about the forms that the passion of anger takes:

"There are three types of anger: irritation, malice and vindictiveness. Irritation is the name given to anger that begins and gets excited. Malice - long-lasting anger, or rancor; vindictiveness is anger waiting for an opportunity to take revenge."

Abba Serapion:

Three kinds of wrath: the first burns within, which in Greek is called υυμός (rage), the second breaks out into word and deed and is called οργή (wrath), about which the apostle says: “Now you put everything aside: anger, wrath” (Col. 3, 8); the third does not flare up for a short time, but persists after several days, for a long time, which is called rancor.

2. Scripture on Anger

“Man’s anger does not create God’s righteousness.”
(James 1:20)

“Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and crying, and slander, along with all malice, be put away from you” (Eph. 4:31);

“If you are angry, do not sin; let not the sun go down on your anger (Eph. 4:26),

“Whoever is angry with his brother without cause is subject to judgment” (Matthew 5:22);

“I desire that men say prayers in every place, lifting up clean hands, without anger or doubting” (1 Tim 2:8).

The Gospel law of Christ says: “Whoever hates his brother (neighbor) is a murderer” (John 3:15).

“Being angry, do not sin; meditate in your hearts on your beds, and be calm.”
(Ps. 4, 5)

3. What gives rise to the passion of anger in the soul?

So, let anger, like a tormentor, be bound by the bonds of meekness and, struck by long-suffering, drawn by holy love and, appearing before the judgment seat of reason, let it be interrogated. Tell us, crazy and shameful passion, the name of your father and the name of your evil mother, as well as the names of your nasty sons and daughters. Tell us, moreover, who are those who fight against you and kill you? “In response to this, anger tells us: “I have many mothers and not one father. My mothers are: vanity, love of money, gluttony, and sometimes lustful passion. And my father is called arrogance. My daughters are: memory of malice, hatred, enmity, self-justification. Those who resist them are my enemies, who hold me in chains: lack of anger and meekness. My admonisher is called humility, and from whom it is born, ask him in due time.”

4. The destructiveness of the passion of anger

“Nothing darkens the purity of the soul and the clarity of thoughts more than unbridled anger and expressed with great force.

One who is possessed by anger is also intoxicated, his face swells, and his voice becomes hoarse, and his eyes fill with blood, and the mind becomes darkened, and the meaning is lost, and the tongue shakes, and the gaze wanders, and the ears hear one thing instead of the other, because anger is stronger than anything else. guilt strikes the brain and produces a storm and uncontrollable excitement in it.

In dealing with anger, much more effort is needed: this passion is strong, often dragging even the attentive into the very abyss of destruction.

Let us not try so hard for anything as to cleanse ourselves from anger and reconcile with those who have displeasure against us, knowing that neither prayer, nor almsgiving, nor fasting, nor participation in the sacraments, nor anything else like that will protect us in life. that Day (of Judgment) if we bear a grudge."

St. Tikhon of Zadonsk writes about how disgusting the passion of anger is:

“Look at an angry person: how he trembles all over. When this is noticeable on the body, what happens in the soul? Envy, hatred and malice, like consumption of the body, eat up the soul so that the body turns pale and melts away from these evil diseases.”

Anyone who is angry commits a sin against the sixth commandment: “Thou shalt not kill.”

The one who sins against the sixth commandment is the one who wishes death to another person, who does not live peacefully and in harmony with others, but, on the contrary, harbors hatred, envy and malice towards others, starts quarrels and fights with others, and upsets others. All the evil and strong who offend the weak sin against the sixth commandment, which also happens among children.

Those who, in anger at their neighbor, commit assault, inflicting beatings, wounds, and mutilations, are very close to committing murder. Parents are guilty of this sin, cruelly treating their children, beating them for the slightest offense, or even without any reason.

We kill our neighbor not only with our hands or weapons, but also with cruel words, abuse, mockery, and mockery of the grief of others. Everyone has experienced how an evil, cruel, caustic word hurts and kills the soul.

5. How to deal with the passion of anger

St. Theophan the Recluse:

“Anger and resentment from self-worth, by which we recognize ourselves as worth a lot; therefore, when someone dares not to give us our due, we boil and plot revenge... Try to do so that, without missing a minute, you take on yourself and ruin your self-worth. by law:

1) expect trouble every minute and, when it comes, greet it like an expected guest;

2) when something happens that is ready to upset and irritate you, quickly run your attention to your heart and, as much as you can, strain not to allow those feelings to be reborn. Tense yourself and pray. If you don’t allow those feelings to arise, it’s all over; for everything comes from feelings;

3) do not look at the offender and the offense; here you will find only great support for resentment and revenge; but put it out of your head. This is very important. If this does not happen, the feeling of anger cannot subside;

4) apply to all these hammers: keep a loving gaze, a loving tone of speech, a loving address and, most importantly, avoid doing anything to remind those who have offended you of their injustice.”

“The law of imputation in relation to anger is the same as in relation to all other passionate movements. Attacks of passion are not imputed to sin. Imputation begins from the moment when, noticing the movement of passion, they yield to it, and not only do not resist it, but stand on side of it, inflate it and themselves help it rise to the point of uncontrollability. As soon as someone, noticing the attack of passion, arms himself against it and tries to drive it away with appropriate techniques in thoughts and body positions, then this is not considered a sin, but a virtue. and in relation to anger and anger. In constant clashes with others, there are no number of reasons for irritation. But when someone suppresses and drives away every occurrence of anger, then he becomes angry and does not sin at all and never feel any anger. and belongs to the perfect. In the usual way, it is the duty of everyone not to succumb to anger, so as not to sin with them. Ecumenius and Theophylact say: “It would be good not to be angry at all, but when anger breaks out, do not allow it to sin.” Suppress it inside so that it does not break out into a word, into a mine, into some kind of movement.

But sometimes it happens that anger instantly seizes, and before a person comes to his senses, he has already gone into speech and movement. And here insanity is appropriate, but only until the moment you realize it. As soon as a mistake is recognized, we must hasten to correct the matter through fraternal reconciliation.”

St. John Climacus speaks about the benefits of tearful contrition for sin:

“Just as water, little by little poured on a fire, completely extinguishes it, so a tear of true crying extinguishes every flame of irritability and anger.”

St. John Climacus indicates degree of struggle with the passion of anger:

“The beginning of freedom from anger is the silence of the lips during the confusion of the heart; the middle is the silence of thoughts during the subtle confusion of the soul; and the end is unshakable silence during the breathing of unclean winds.”

In the 13th chapter "Invisible Warfare" Rev. Nikodim Svyatogorets writes:

“Suppose that someone insulted you with something, big or small, and you began to feel movements of displeasure and irritation with the suggestion to retaliate. Pay attention to yourself and hasten to realize that these movements want to entice you for bad reasons; therefore, take the pose of a warrior and defend yourself:
1) Stop these movements, do not allow them to move further inward, and do not allow your will to take their side as if it were the right one. It will be to resist them.
2) But they are all standing in sight, ready to attack again; Therefore, arise hostility against them as against enemies, and be angry with them, out of a sense of self-preservation, while you can sincerely say: “I have hated iniquity and detested it” (Ps. 119:163) or: “I have hated with complete hatred: I was an enemy.” (Ps. 139:22). This is a strong blow to them, and they will move away, but will not disappear.
3) Cry out to the Lord: “God, come to my help; Lord, seek my help” (Ps. 69:2). And do not stop crying until there is no trace of enemy movements left, and peace is established in the soul.
4) Having made peace in this way, do something to the person who offended you, something that would show your peace and goodwill towards him - a friendly word, a favor at hand, etc. This will be the fulfillment of what the saint commands. David: “Turn away from evil and do good” (Ps. 33:15).
This kind of action directly leads to the habit of virtue, the opposite of those passionate movements that confused, and this skill is defeating them in the heart or killing them. Try to prevent or accompany this kind of action, or conclude with such an internal decision that would forever make such passionate movements impossible, precisely in the example offered, considering yourself worthy of any insult, create in yourself a desire for insult and all kinds of untruths, love them and become ready with It is joy to meet and accept them as the most life-saving medicine. In other cases, try to arouse and confirm feelings and dispositions in yourself. This is what will happen - to drive passion out of the heart and replace it with the opposite virtue, which is the goal of invisible warfare."

Abba Dorotheos speaks about the conquering power of love:

“Irritability, according to St. Basil the Great, also called acute bile (hot temper). If you want, you can extinguish that too before anger occurs. If you continue to confuse and be embarrassed, then you become like a person adding wood to a fire and fanning it even more, which creates a lot of burning coals, and this is anger. Abba Zosima also said the same thing when he was asked what the saying means: where there is no irritability, there is silence (absence) of enmity? For if someone, at the beginning of confusion, hastens to reproach himself and bow to his neighbor, asking for forgiveness, before irritability flares up, then he will maintain peace. But when anger hardens, it turns into rancor, from which a person will not free himself unless he endures great deeds and labors here. Irritability is extinguished most by love for one's neighbor, for, according to the holy fathers, love is a rein on irritability».

Rev. Neil of Sinai instructs to base the fight against anger on the stone of love:

If you have a firm foundation in love, then pay more attention to it than to what offends you.

Archimandrite Raphael (Karelin) advises:

How to deal with the passion of anger? First of all, silence. If anger rises in your throat, then stop it, lock it up like a caught scorpion in a jar, do not engage in conversation at this time, even if it was as difficult as not screaming when burned. In a passionate state, you can neither say nor do anything good, except for one thing: calm yourself down.

Rev. Ambrose Optinsky offers the following means of combating the passion of anger:

“No one should justify his irritability by some illness - this comes from pride. But the anger of a husband, according to the word of the holy Apostle James, does not accomplish the righteousness of God (James 1:20). In order not to indulge in irritability and anger, one should not rush .

An irritable state of mind comes, firstly, from pride, which is not done according to our desire and view of things, and secondly, and from unbelief, as if fulfilling God’s commandments in this place will not bring you any benefit.

Irritability is not tamed by fasting, but by humility and self-reproach and the consciousness that we are worthy of such an unpleasant situation.

Make it a rule not to say anything to your mother or sister when you are outraged by their injustice. Go away and, no matter what your mother says, be silent, take the Gospel and read, even if you don’t understand anything at that moment. Set out to do everything only for the Lord and do as much as you can. You are more indignant because you are doing beyond your strength - you are taking on a lot, but you cannot cope. You have little strength, but you want to do a lot, which is why you become irritated that they don’t seem to appreciate your work and sacrifices. Do your best for the Lord’s sake, and don’t be upset when people don’t appreciate you. Remember that you did it for their sake, but for God’s sake, and expect rewards from the Lord, and not from people.

When you get upset, reproach yourself, say: damn! that you were leaving, who is afraid of you?

The Holy Fathers instruct that any trouble that our neighbors do to us must be accepted with calmness and humility, remembering that nothing happens to us without the will of God, and people are only instruments of His will for us. And the Lord God always arranges everything in our lives for the sake of our salvation.

Rev. Macarius of Optina advises:

“If you remember that every word from each other that touches and shakes the depths of your heart is a reproof sent from God for self-knowledge and correction, and add humility and love to this, then instead of a guarantee of unworldliness you will feel gratitude to each other.

When you attribute everything to God and accept sorrowful situations with self-reproach, considering yourself worthy of them, you will bear it comfortably and easily; but if, on the contrary, you reproach others and consider them guilty of your sorrow, then you will bring them more upon yourself and burden your cross... how do we recognize the passions hidden in us? And how can we destroy them? Not through the long-suffering of our neighbors towards us, but from our long-suffering towards them. They show us the passions that lie within us, but how? By God’s will, that is, God sends them to do something unpleasant and disgusting to us, so that they will learn that there are passions in us and take care to eradicate them, and consider the perpetrators of this as benefactors, according to the words of Abba Dorotheus, “for reproaching yourself.” , not your neighbor." Of course, it will soon be impossible to heal these illnesses, but by recognizing your weakness and reproaching yourself, you will receive relief.”

If we feel like our neighbors are to blame for our anger, then it’s worth remembering the story from an ancient patericon:

A certain brother, living in a communal monastery and often overcome by anger, said to himself: “I’ll go into the desert, maybe there, not having anyone to quarrel with, I’ll calm down from passion.” He left the monastery and began to live alone in the desert. One day he filled a vessel with water and placed it on the ground. The vessel suddenly capsized. The second time the same thing happened. The third time the jug also tipped over. The monk, angry, grabbed the jug and hit the ground. The jug broke. Having come to his senses, the brother began to reflect on what had happened and realized that the enemy had scolded him. Then he said: “Here! I am alone, but overcome by the passion of anger. I’ll return to the monastery: apparently, everywhere you need a struggle with yourself and patience, and especially God’s help.” The monk returned to his monastery.
(St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov) Fatherland)

6. Anger as a good power of the soul, invested in us by God

Ancient patericon:

The brother asked Abba Pimen: what does it mean to be angry with your brother in vain (cf. Matt. 5:22)? “You are angry in vain,” the elder answers, “if you are angry for all the extortion that you suffer from your brother, even if he gouged out your right eye.” If someone tries to remove you from God, be angry with him.

St. John Chrysostom, interpreting the verse:

“...everyone who is angry with his brother without cause is subject to judgment” (Matt. 5:22), says:

By this He did not destroy all anger at all, but rejected only the untimely; timely anger is useful. Thus, anger against those who live contrary to the commandments of God is timely, because we are angry not for our own defense, but for the benefit of those who live badly, out of affection and brotherly love, with due respect. Be angry, he says, and do not sin (Ps. 4:5), i.e. When you are angry, do not make the mistake of using anger in a way that you should not.

Efimy Zigaben, in his interpretation of the verse “If you are angry, do not sin: let not the sun go down on your anger” (Eph. 4:26), summarizes the teaching of the holy fathers:

“The Prophet convinces us that we should not sin by being angry, and this happens when we, being carried away by the heat of passion, become overly irritable and... vindictive, while anger is implanted in people specifically to counteract vices. Thus, when someone becomes angry out of revenge for an insult inflicted on him, he sins, but when he becomes angry in the form of correcting others, he does not sin, as, for example, a father is angry with his spoiled son.”

Blessed Diadochos:

Sometimes anger brings the greatest benefit... when we calmly use it against the wicked or those who act insolently in any way, so that they will either be saved or shamed.

Abba Evagrius:

The rational soul then acts according to nature when the concupiscible part of it desires virtue, the irritable part strives for it, and the rational part indulges in the contemplation of created things.

Rev. Barsanuphius the Great and John:

...The brother asked... Tell me, my father, is irritability natural or unnatural, and what is the difference in it?
Answer. Brother! There is natural irritability and there is unnatural irritability. The natural one resists the fulfillment of lustful desires and it does not require healing, like the healthy one. The unnatural rebels if lustful desires are not fulfilled. This latter requires stronger healing than lust.
(Answer 242)

Rev. John of Damascus:

We are no longer slaves, but sons, no longer under law, but under grace; We do not serve the Lord partly and not out of fear, but we must devote all the time of our lives and slaves to Him, I mean, anger and lust - always to calm down from sin, and turn our leisure time to God, constantly directing every desire to Him, and anger (our own) arming against the enemies of God.

Venerable Macarius of Egypt:

The wise, when passions arise, do not listen to them, but express anger at evil wishes and become enemies to themselves.

Venerable Isidore Pelusiot:

If passion finds you exhausted and weakened, it will easily overcome you; and if he finds you sober and angry with her, he will immediately leave you.

Rev. John Cassian the Roman:

We can be angry against anger itself because it has kindled in us against our brother, and, being angry for this, we do not provide it with harmful shelter in the recesses of our hearts. The prophet also teaches us to be angry, who drove him out of his feelings so much that he did not even want to take revenge on his enemies and, when they were handed over to him by God, said: “When you are angry, do not sin” (Ps. 4:5).
...
So, We are commanded to be angry with ourselves or at the bad thoughts that come and not sin, i.e. do not cause them to have harmful effects. This meaning is better explained by the following verse: meditate in your hearts on your beds, and be calm (in Slavic - be moved) (Ps. 4:5), i.e. whatever you think in your hearts during a sudden attack of bad thoughts, then, by reflection, removing all confusion and embarrassment of anger, being, as it were, on a bed of peace, correct and make amends with saving contrition. And the blessed apostle, taking advantage of the testimony of this verse and saying: if you are angry, do not sin, he added: let not the sun go down on your anger, and do not give place to the devil (Eph. 4:26, 27). If in our anger it is harmful for the sun of righteousness to set and, having become angry, we immediately give the devil a place in our hearts, then how did he command above that we should be angry, saying: be angry and do not sin? Doesn’t he clearly express the following thought: be angry at your vices and rage, so that when you indulge them, the sun of righteousness (Christ) does not set on darkened souls because of your anger, and so that after His removal you do not give the devil a place in your hearts.

Rev. Nicodemus Svyatogorets:

Every time the wordless sensual will, on the one hand, and the will of God, expressed by the conscience, on the other, fight your free will and attract it to yourself, seeking to overcome it, you must, if you are a sincere zealot for good, for your part use appropriate techniques to promote the will of God to win. For this:

A) as soon as you feel the movements of the lower sensual and passionate will, immediately resist them with all your might and do not at all allow your will to be inclined towards them, even if only a little - suppress them, push them away, wipe them away from yourself with a strong tension of will;

B) so that this is accomplished more successfully and brings good fruit, hasten to kindle whole-hearted hostility towards this kind of movement, as towards your enemies, seeking to kidnap and destroy your soul - be angry with them;

C) but at the same time, do not forget to appeal to our Helper, the Lord Jesus Christ, for help, protection and strengthening of your good will, for without Him we cannot have success in anything;

D) these three internal actions, sincerely reproduced in the soul, will always give you victory over evil movements.

Rev. Ambrose Optinsky:

Especially beware of anger, which does not bring about the righteousness of God. Pray and re-read my letters, in which you have been told more than once: if we do not fulfill the commandments of God - love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you and pray for those who attack you and drive you out, then how can we differentiate ourselves from the pagans who only those who love love! If you want to be angry, then be angry and indignant at the invisible arsonists with whom you were surrounded, as you saw in a vision. They try to confuse and confuse everyone under plausible pretexts, like predatory and evil wolves in sheep's clothing. Therefore, be prudent and prudent and careful not to rush to get upset, which will be followed by soul-harming anger and indignation and so on...

St. Theophan the Recluse:

“Make it a law for yourself to act in relation to passions: no matter how small the form they appear, hasten to drive them out, and so ruthlessly that not a trace of them remains.

How to kick out? By a movement of anger that is hostile to them, or by being angry with them. As soon as you notice something passionate, quickly try to arouse your anger at it. This anger is a decisive rejection of the passionate. The passionate cannot be held in any other way than by sympathy for it; and by being angry all sympathy—passionate—is destroyed and goes away or disappears at its first appearance. And that’s only where anger is permissible and useful. I find among all the holy fathers that anger was given for this reason, so that they could arm themselves against passionate and sinful movements of the heart and drive them away. Here they also include the words of the prophet David: be angry and do not sin (Ps. 4:5), repeated later by the holy Apostle Paul (Eph. 4:26). Be angry at passion - and you will not sin, because when passion is driven away by anger, every reason for this sin is suppressed.

So arm yourself with passion. Anger at passion should be ingrained in you from the moment you decided to work diligently for the Lord, doing what was pleasing before Him. Here you have concluded an alliance with God for all eternity. The essence of the union is this: your friends are my friends, your enemies are my enemies. And what are passions for God? Enemies... So, in order, anger at passions should be ignited in you as soon as they appear. But due to our damage, this is not always the case. Why does anger at passions require a special free, intentionally directed hostile action, effort, tension.

In order to succeed in this, one must, after noticing what is passionate in oneself, hasten to recognize and recognize it as an enemy to oneself and to God. Why is there a need to hurry? Because from the first time the appearance of a passionate person always evokes sympathy for him. ... So we need to fight off this sympathy and arouse anger.

...He shakes with evil joy when someone falls into the net of sin and remains in it. Consider all this and arouse in yourself hostility towards this misanthrope and his deeds.

When in this way you force crushing and softening feelings into your heart one after another - now horror and fear, now sadness and pity, now disgust and hatred - it will little by little warm up and begin to move.”

Elder Paisiy Svyatogorets:

A person is enslaved to passions, giving the devil rights over himself. Throw all your passions in the devil's face. This is what God wants, and this is in your own interests. That is, turn anger, stubbornness, and similar passions against the enemy. Or, better said, sell your passions to the tangalashka (this is the nickname the elder gave to the devil), and with the proceeds, buy cobblestones and throw them at the devil so that he doesn’t even come close to you. Usually we, people, through inattention or proud thoughts, ourselves allow the enemy to do us harm. Tangalashka can use only one thought or word. I remember there was one family - very friendly. One day, the husband jokingly began to tell his wife: “Oh, I’ll divorce you!”, and the wife also jokingly said to him: “No, I’ll divorce you!” They just said that, without a second thought, but they joked to the point that the devil took advantage of it. He created a small complication for them, and they were already seriously ready for a divorce - they didn’t think about children or anything else. Fortunately, one confessor was found and talked to them. “What,” he says, “are you getting a divorce because of this stupidity?”

Anger destroys, mortifies the soul and removes you from God.

An angry person... kills his soul because he spends his whole life in confusion and anxiety...

An angry person loses peace and health, because his body constantly melts, and his soul grieves, and his flesh withers, and his face is covered with pallor, and his mind is exhausted, and his thoughts flow like a river, and everyone hates him.

An angry person is far from long-suffering and love, he is easily confused by empty speeches, and starts quarrels out of trifles; where there is no need for him, he interferes and incurs more and more hatred.

Saint Basil the Great:

Those who submit to the passion of anger do nothing healthy.

Saint Gregory the Theologian:

Anger is a dangerous advisor; what is done in anger is never wise.

Tell me, what other evil is worse than excessive anger? And is there a cure for this? In other diseases, a wonderful healing is the thought of God. And anger, once it has exceeded its limits, first of all blocks the door to God. The very remembrance of God increases evil, because an angry person is ready to insult God. I sometimes saw that people threw stones, and dust, and reproachful words (what a terrible frenzy of the mind!) at Him whom no one, anywhere, could in any way catch. Laws were swept aside, friend, enemy, father, wife and relatives were all swept away by the rapid flow.

Reverend Abba Isaiah:

Woe to people who insult and dishonor their neighbors, for they do not know the bliss of love.

Saint John Chrysostom:

“The angry do not see anything sensibly and do nothing properly, but are likened to people with damaged feelings who have lost the ability to reason.

Nothing darkens the purity of the soul and the clarity of thoughts more than being unbridled and strong.

Anger is a strong, all-consuming fire; it harms the body and corrupts the soul, and makes a person unpleasant to look at and shameful.

If you say an offensive word, if you offend your brother, you will not grieve him, but the Holy Spirit.

Christ does not want us to be angry even for Him. Listen to what He said to Peter: “Return your sword to its place” (Matthew 26:52).

There will be no room for anger if you free yourself from attachment to yourself.”

Venerable Neil of Sinai:

It is not permissible to be angry either without a reason or for a good reason, for this is forbidden by the Lord.

Venerable John Cassian the Roman:

Just as there is nothing higher than love, so, on the contrary, there is nothing worse than rage and anger. It is better to neglect the useful and necessary in order to avoid anger. Just as it is better to accept and endure everything unpleasant in order to maintain the calm of love and peace, because there is nothing more destructive than anger and sorrow and more useful than love. (Abba Joseph).

Saint Demetrius of Rostov:

“Everyone who is angry with his brother without cause is subject to judgment,” says the Lord (Matthew 5:22). Do not be angry with any person, even if you have been greatly offended by someone: “For the anger of man does not bring about the righteousness of God,” says the Apostle (James 1:20).

“Let not the sun go down on your anger (Eph. 4:26), says the apostle. “Let all irritation and rage and anger and shouting and slander be put away from you, along with all malice; but be kind and compassionate to one another.” Forgive one another, just as God in Christ forgave you" (Eph. 4:31-32).

Beware of even unreasonable anger, so as not to cloud your spiritual eye with rage: “My eye is withered with sorrow, it is worn out from all my enemies” (Ps. 6:8). You should not be angry with anyone for anything, except if someone were to separate you from God and His love. If no one excommunicates you, you are angry in vain. But, as the apostle says, no one can separate Him from God and from His love, not only man, but also sorrow and the sword (Rom. 8:35, 39).

Who, in vindictiveness and unconsciousness of anger, did something good? Who, without meekness and long-suffering, has shown any perfect virtue or victory? Nobody! For even the apostles, if they had been unreasonably irritated and angry at those who sinned, would not have guided anyone on the path of salvation, would not have drawn anyone to Christ. Although sometimes they became embittered against those who sinned, they corrected and instructed them not with rage and without being blindly angry, but prudently and with patience, praying to God for those who sinned.

God prudently created the queen bee without a sting: if she had one, she would kill everyone. This is an example to those in command: for a commander should not at all indulge in blind, unconscious anger and rage, lest he kill all those who obey him with his furious attack. So, overcome evil with good, and not evil with evil, for just as you cannot extinguish fire with fire, but only with water, so you cannot overcome rage with rage, but you will overcome it with meekness and long-suffering.

Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk:

“Look at anger, what signs of its torment it leaves. Look what a man does in anger: how he becomes indignant and makes noise, curses and scolds himself, torments and beats, hits his head and face, and shakes all over, as if in a fever, in a word, he looks like a demoniac. If his appearance is so unpleasant, what is going on in his poor soul? How this demon torments her! Do you see what terrible poison is hidden in the soul, and how bitterly it torments a person! Know with all diligence and testing this deadly poison hidden in your heart and soul! His cruel and pernicious manifestations speak of him.

Both anger and malice are born from immense pride. For a selfish person seeks his own self-interest, glory and honor in everything. And if he sees an obstacle in something to his intention and desire, he becomes embarrassed, upset and angry at the one who creates the obstacle. And therefore he tries to help the cause with anger, that is, to take revenge, which is characteristic of anger.”

Being earth, I am at the same time deprived of the possession of this earth: various passions steal it from me, especially ... fierce anger, I am deprived of all the power of meekness over myself. Meekness gives me back this power.

Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk:

Anger turns into malice and rancor when it is held for a long time and nourished in the heart. Therefore, the Lord will command that it be stopped soon, so that it does not develop into hatred and malice, and thus greater evil is not added to evil. “Let not the sun go down on your anger; and do not give place to the devil” (Eph. 4:26-27), says the apostle. Just as a fire, if it is not put out immediately, consumes many houses, so anger, if it does not stop soon, will cause a lot of evil and is the cause of many troubles. Therefore, according to the admonition of the Apostle, we must immediately drive out anger from the heart, so that, having intensified, it does not cause even more harm and destroy ourselves, those who are angry, and those with whom we are angry.

Saint Ignatius (Brianchaninov)

If you allow your heart to be hardened by rancor and justify your anger with pride, then the Lord your God will turn away from you and you will be handed over to be trampled underfoot by Satan.

Abba Isaiah:

There is natural anger, without which it is impossible to acquire purity: it is impossible to acquire it if we are not angry at everything that the enemy instills in us. Sin replaced this anger in us with anger at our neighbors for the most insignificant, meaningless reasons.

Saint John Chrysostom:

That’s why you insult because you yourself are nothing: it is not human nature to insult.

This is nobility, this is freedom, not to say anything humiliating to anyone, even if someone else is worthy of it.

Are you angry? Be like this in relation to your sins, beat your soul, scourge your conscience, be a strict judge and a formidable punisher of your own sins - this is the benefit of anger, for this God put it in us.

This is why God gave us the weapon of wrath, so that we would not strike our own body (that is, our neighbors) with a sword, but so that we would plunge its entire edge into the chest of the devil. Stick your sword in there up to the hilt, if you want the hilt, and never remove it from there; on the contrary, attach another sword. And this will happen if we spare each other, if we are peacefully disposed towards each other.

Venerable Maximus the Confessor:

For one whose mind is incessantly directed towards God, lust develops into the desire for God, and the irritable (power of the soul) is transformed into Divine love. Thanks to long-term Divine illumination, the whole mind becomes light-like. Having constrained and suppressed his lustful part, he transforms it into an incessant desire for God and unflagging love for Him, completely turning it from the earthly to the Divine.

Saint Basil the Great:

You can avoid getting angry if you always remember that you are before the eyes of the All-Seeing God.

Venerable Ephraim the Syrian:

If you see a snake lying down, you run away, afraid that it might bite you, and you allow anger, which is full of deadly poison, to remain in your heart.

Abba Isaiah:

Christ tasted gall for us, so that we would quench our anger and all vain confusion.

Saint John Chrysostom:

Let us not leave this beast free, but we will throw a strong bond on it from all sides under the guard of future judgment.

In order to boldly approach God, do not allow anger when it wants to enter your soul and unite with it, but drive it away like a mad dog.

What water is to fire, meekness and gentleness are to anger.

Let us exercise ourselves against our household before temptation: we often become angry with our children; let us keep our anger here so that we can easily curb it in front of our friends, and then in front of our enemies.

Anger is fire, a flame that engulfs, kills and burns. But we will quench it with long-suffering and self-control.

When anger and rage come to you, enduring something terrible and unbearable, remember the meekness of Christ, and you will soon become meek and humble... deriving the greatest benefit from meekness not only for yourself, but also for the enemy, instructing him (by example ) be kind.

By always keeping ourselves from anger, we will become like God.

Venerable Neil of Sinai:

By sparing others and not showing your anger, you yourself will find mercy, in general opinion you will appear prudent and retain the ability to pray.

Venerable Anthony the Great:

When you feel anger, reject it immediately so as not to disturb your joy in the Lord. I implore you, both young and old, not to allow anger to possess you.

Abba Evagrius:

Anger is tamed by psalmody, long-suffering and mercy.

Abba Evagrius related the saying of a certain elder: I also reject carnal pleasures in order to cut off the reasons for indignation by anger. I noticed that anger always fights me about pleasure, disturbing my mind and taking away my reasoning.

Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk:

“There is no need to be angry with anyone for using an accusatory word. Do not be angry, man, at the mirror that reflects the shortcomings of your face. Why be angry with a preacher who points out your sins?

Just as fire is not extinguished by fire, so anger is not overcome by anger, but is kindled even more. From here arise quarrels, wars, fights, bloodshed, murders and other evils. And with meekness and love, even the most ferocious enemies often bow down and are reconciled.” (

Saint Ignatius (Brianchaninov):

The Old Testament forbade the gross consequences of anger, the Lord forbade the most heartfelt action of passion.

Saint Gregory the Theologian:

How can one resist so as not to be inflamed with anger from the anger of others, like fire from fire? For it is equally bad both to give yourself over to evil first and to come to the same disposition with the one who has given himself over to it. First, immediately resort to God and ask Him to mercilessly crush the hail of wrath that is striking you, but to spare us, who have not offended others. And at the same time, put on yourself the sign of the cross, of which everyone is horrified and trembles, and whose protection I use in every case and against everyone. Secondly, prepare to fight with the one who gave the reason for this anger, and not with the one who indulged in it, so that, being well armed, it will be easier for you to defeat passion. For those who are unprepared cannot withstand an attack, but those who are well prepared will find the strength to overcome. And what does it mean to win? To endure external victory over oneself with indifference. Thirdly, knowing where you came from and what you will turn into, do not think too much about yourself, so that you are not embarrassed by a high and unworthy opinion of yourself. For the humble one indifferently endures victory over himself, but the too arrogant one does not yield to anything. Those who, in order to somehow stop their exaltation, call themselves earth and ashes... are friends of God. And you, as if perfect, refuse to tolerate insults. Be careful not to be punished for your conceit... Fourthly, know that our life is nothing and we are all not sinless judges of good and bad deeds, but for the most part and most often we rush here and there and constantly wander. What is bad for us is not bad for the Word; and what is good for me may not be so for the Lord. One thing, without any doubt, is bad: it is evil. And the local glory, earthly wealth and nobility are just children's toys. Therefore, what I lament, I should rejoice at... Fifthly, let us have more prudence. If there is not the slightest truth in what one who is inflamed and blinded by anger says, then his words do not concern us. And if he speaks the truth, then it means that I myself have caused some kind of offense to myself. Why am I complaining about the one who declared what had remained hidden until now? Anger does not remain faithful. For if he often resorts to untruth, will he keep the secret within himself? After this, you will reassure yourself this way: if this outbreak is not evil, then it is unfair to blame it. And if it is evil, which is indeed the case, then isn’t it a shame to tolerate in yourself what you condemn in others when you suffer from them yourself, and not be taught by the example of your enemy? Moreover, if the person who gets excited and breathes insolence has not previously enjoyed a good opinion of himself, then now the blame will obviously fall on him, and not on you. And if he is an excellent person, they will not consider you sane for your answer, because the opinion of the majority always leans in favor of the best. But did you do him good? Moreover, he will be condemned. But did he hurt you? You (a disciple of Christ, listen to the Lord) do not harm him. But should he be stopped? What if more violence comes? Did he start it first? Let him who is admonished by your word and good behavior crush his rage as soon as possible... Is this offensive? It would be a shame if you fell with him too. Are we really going to respond to the reproaches of the sick with reproaches? Do you not indifferently endure the frenzy of those who are raging - I mean those who involuntarily spew slander? Why not endure this from someone who is insane and in a strong rage? Of course, you should endure it if you are of sound mind. What can we say about drunks whose minds are darkened by wine? What if a mad dog runs past you? What if a camel, out of natural impudence, screams at the top of its lungs and stretches out its neck to you? Will you fight him or will you run away out of prudence? ...And you, if you think about the similarity of an angry person with such, you will begin to despise insults. I'll tell you one artificial way. Although he is not worthy of the attention of those who prefer meekness, I will nevertheless name him, because he can extinguish trouble... Try to bring down the one who is enraged with jokes. Laughter is the most powerful weapon for victory over anger... Anyone who insults a person who is not angry at his attacks, but laughs at him, is most upset and weakened by this. On the contrary, if he encounters resistance to himself, it brings him some pleasure, because new food for anger is provided, and anger is very pleasant to him. I conjure you, anger is the friend of vices, my hostile protector and patron, who puffs me up and betrays me to hell, submit now to God and the Word. Submit, anger, murderous passion, obvious ugliness of the face, overwhelming thoughts, evil rapture, horns pushing into Tartarus, a legion of demons, complex evil... submit. For Christ, Whom the world cannot contain, Who moves the universe with His helm, devoting life to both people and Angels who diligently call on Him, grants permission both from evil spirits and from passions. Christ wants the demons of wrath to immediately flee from the servants of God and, entering the pigs, hide in the abyss. This herd, falling into the depths, is ready to receive them. But do not touch us, for whom God Himself cares.

Venerable Ephraim the Syrian:

Let him who is angry with his neighbor be reconciled with him, so that the angry, righteous Judge can be reconciled with him.

Saint John Chrysostom:

This (reconciliation) is the healing of our souls and wounds, this is the best way to please God, this is the truest distinction of a God-loving soul, when we do everything for the sake of the law of the Lord and do not succumb to ignoble thoughts, but rise above passions , imagining the benefits that God shows us every day.

Venerable Isidore Pelusiot:

The reconciliation of us with each other is most desirable for God the Word. For He who reconciled the heavenly with the earthly also puts an end to our enmities, not allowing them to arise, but uprooting what has arisen.

Saint John Chrysostom:

If you reconcile here, you will be freed from judgment there...

Venerable Isidore Pelusiot:

“You seek,” says the Lord, “philanthropy; but the one offended (by you) seeks revenge. You call Me merciful, and he calls me truthful. You ask for mercy, but he cries out that no help has been given to him. Calm him, who rightly cries out, and You will not be deprived of My favor; reconcile with the offended one, and then beg for My reconciliation with you... I do not show favor to the offended one while the offended one complains. It's time to satisfy the offended."

Saint John Chrysostom:

The enemy will not harm you so much, no matter what he does, as much as you harm yourself by not reconciling with him and trampling on the laws of God.

If you wait for the enemy to come first and ask for forgiveness, then you will not receive any benefit - he will anticipate the reward and receive a blessing. And when you yourself come, you will not remain inferior to him, but you will overcome anger, overcome passion, and discover great wisdom by obeying God.

It is not easy and unpleasant to go to someone who is hostile and angry against us... and start talking to him. But if you think about the high dignity of this commandment (reconciliation), the greatness of the reward and the fact that the benefit from this good deed is not directed to him, but to you, then everything will seem easy and convenient to you.

It is a difficult and difficult task to quickly reconcile with the enemy, difficult not in itself, but because of our negligence.

It is difficult to begin reconciliation, but when this is done, everything that follows will be easy and convenient.