October 4, 2024

True Orthodox Diocese of Western Europe

Russian True Orthodox Church (RTOC)

Then the person becomes noble in the eyes of God because of his heart’s disposition, although on the outside he may sometimes seem unprepossessing to other people.

The drying up of righteousness and love is the root of all disharmony both in society and in every person.

St. Theophan the Recluse

[I Thess. 4:1-12; Luke 11:42-46] The Lord reproaches His contemporaries by saying that they pass over the judgement and the love of God. The drying up of righteousness and love is the root of all disharmony both in society and in every person. It comes from the predominance of self-love or egoism. When egoism enters the heart an entire horde of passions is multiplied. It itself strikes out against righteousness and love, which require selflessness; while the passions generated from it chase away all other virtues. And the person becomes, by his heart’s disposition, unsuitable for anything that is truly good. He can still tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, but he does not have the courage to do anything more substantial. This does not mean that his outer behaviour is improper. No, in every way it is adorned with decency, only on the inside he is as a grave which appeareth not, and the men that walk over it are not aware of it. The beginning of self-correction is the beginning of the appearance of selflessness in the heart, after which righteousness and love are restored. Then, one after the other, all other virtues begin coming to life. Then the person becomes noble in the eyes of God because of his heart’s disposition, although on the outside he may sometimes seem unprepossessing to other people. But the judgement of man is not an important thing, provided that God’s judgement is not against us. 

🇷🇺 Святитель Феофан Затворник

(1 Фес. 4, 1-12; Лк. 11, 42-46). Господь начинает укор Своим современникам тем, что они “нерадят о суде и любви Божией”. Иссякновение правды и любви – корень всякого нестроения как в обществе, так и в каждом человеке. Само же оно происходит от преобладания самолюбия или эгоизма. Когда эгоизм вселится в сердце, то в нем распложается целое полчище страстей. Сам он поражает правду и любовь, требующих самоотвержения, а страсти, им порождаемые, изгоняют все другие добродетели. И становится человек, по сердечному строю, негодным ни к чему истинно доброму. Дать “десятину с мяты, руты и всяких овощей” еще может, а сделать что-либо посущественнее не находит в себе мужества. Это не значит, чтоб и внешнее поведение его было безобразно. Нет, оно всячески скрашивается добропорядочностью, только сам в себе он “гроб скрытый, над которым люди ходят и не знают того”. Начало самоисправления – начало возникновения в сердце самоотвержения, вслед за которым восстанавливается правота и любовь, а от них потом начинают оживать одна за другою и все прочие добродетели. Человек по сердечному строю становится тогда благообразен перед очами Божиими, хотя для людей, снаружи, может иногда казаться невзрачным. Но суд людской не важное дело, лишь бы суд Божий был не против нас.


He can still tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, but he does not have the courage to do anything more substantial

1 thought on “Then the person becomes noble in the eyes of God because of his heart’s disposition, although on the outside he may sometimes seem unprepossessing to other people.

  1. Thank you for your courage to tell the Truth which has most of us fearful: surrounded as we are by sycophants and false “brethren’
    Praying to stand with Christ Who comes to gather us the Wheat , into His Kingdom,
    Presbytera Irene Matta MTh

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