If until this day you have been putting off regular reading of Christian literature, then two reasons have appeared for this grace-filled deed. Firstly, March 14th— Orthodox Book Day. The holiday is very young, introduced 4 years ago. But reading for a Christian is an important part of spiritual work. And now, the other day, a wonderful time for spiritual exploits begins!
The most important book for a Christian should undoubtedly be the Holy Scripture. In addition, these are patristic works, the lives of saints. In addition to this, in Lately A lot of different books by Orthodox authors have appeared on the book market. And, of course, we must remember that not all of them are equally valuable. Among these books there are completely non-Orthodox in essence, there are those in which genuine Orthodox teaching is mixed with occult or pseudoscientific ideas. Every person has their own favorite books. According to the website lib.pravmir.ru, we offer you 10 most read modern books, useful in spiritual work.
1. - book by Archimandrite Tikhon Shevkunov. Published in 2011. The book aroused great interest among the reading public. Thus, by October 2012, the total circulation of the book was one million one hundred thousand copies. As Archimandrite Tikhon himself said: “I told almost all the stories that were included in the book during sermons. All this is part of our church life.”
2. — last piece Orthodox author Viktor Likhachev, who passed away in 2008. The writer did not have time to finish his book, but he hoped that everyone who reads it would recognize himself in it, feel that boundless love for Russia, for the Russian village that the author had, and let into his heart faith in God and hope that that the Angels, our heavenly patrons, will never leave us...
3. " Prologue in teachings for every day of the year"— the book was compiled in 2007 by Archpriest Viktor Guryev. “Prologue” is an ancient Russian hagiographic collection, originating from Byzantine month books, in which the lives of saints are arranged in accordance with the days of their church memory. In addition, the “Prologue” is decorated with understandable and often entertaining passages from the ancient Patericons, parables imbued with thoughts of repentance, mercy, Christian love for one’s neighbor, spiritual perfection and salvation of the soul.
4. "Father Arseny" is a book that came from the pen unknown author, clearly shows the reader the triumph of love over evil, life over death. Father Arseny is the image of a holy elder - a zealous prayer book, sober, meek, who has completely surrendered himself into the hands of God. The first editions spread throughout Russia and beyond its borders and made the book “Father Arseny” one of the most beloved in the Orthodox world.
5. "Soul after death"(O. Seraphim Rose) - there is probably no book that so clearly, accessiblely and understandably reveals a person’s post-mortem experience and gives the concept of the angelic and otherworldly world. The book contains two thousand years of experience of the holy fathers. The publication has a twofold purpose: firstly, from the point of view of the Orthodox Christian teaching O afterlife, give an explanation of modern “posthumous” experiences that have aroused such interest in some religious and scientific circles; secondly, cite the main sources and texts containing Orthodox teaching about the afterlife.
6. "Red Easter"(Pavlova N.A.) - it was after this book that the author became widely known. The book is already 11 years old, but it does not lose popularity. It tells the story of the three Optina new martyrs - Hieromonk Vasily and the monks Ferapont and Trofim. This is three absolutely different people, their paths to God were special. The ascetic life is amazing; many readers note that after this book they immediately want to visit Optina Pustyn.
7. “Who will hear the linnet?”(Likhachev V.V.) — a novel about the Motherland and the Russian soul. He leads the reader along the roads of the Russian province. Main character drawn into real adventures: he carries miraculous icon, evading a gangster's pursuit... And internally, one goes through the path of spiritual growth: from unbelief to faith, from confusion to blessed peace, from mental blindness and deafness to insight and hearing the miracle of God.
8. "Heavenly Paths"(Shmelev I.S.) - a novel about the fate of the skeptic-positivist engineer Viktor Alekseevich Weidenhammer and the believer, meek and internally strong Darinka, a novice of the monastery who left the monastery to connect her life with Viktor Alekseevich. Through suffering and joy, in mysterious and incomprehensible ways to the worldly mind, these heroes are led to the Source of Life. The internal plot of the book is “spiritual warfare” with passions and thoughts, temptations and attacks of dark forces.
9. "Chief of Silence"(Vsevolod Filpyev) - the book is addressed to eternal questions- love and hatred, loyalty and betrayal, truth and lies. The characters in the book resolve these issues differently and sometimes unexpectedly. An action-packed, realistic narrative draws the reader into the events that take place in the winter of 2002 in Moscow and North America. Together with the heroes, the reader finds himself in St. Petersburg of the 19th century and in historical times princes Boris and Gleb. The parable story is intended for a wide range of readers, and everyone is free to interpret it in their own way.
10. "Repentance is left to us"(abbot Nikon Vorobyov) - letters addressed to his spiritual children, laity and monastics. Father Nikon edifies, instructs, calls for repentance and patience, shows what needs to be done, what thoughts need to be kept, consoles, teaches how to properly relate to sorrows: “The Fathers have long said about our times that people will be saved only by sorrows and illnesses. Healthy and happy people forget about God, oh future life: they live as if they will live on earth forever and will never die. And sorrows and illnesses force a person to break away from earthly interests and turn to God... Save your souls through repentance, patience and humility.”
Enjoy reading!
Prayer before reading spiritual books:
Lord Jesus Christ, open the eyes of my heart, so that when I hear Your Word, I understand it and fulfill Your will. Hide not Your commandments from me, but open my eyes, that I may understand the wonders of Your law. Tell me the unknown and secret of Your wisdom! I trust in You, my God, and I believe that You will enlighten my mind and meaning with the light of Your mind, and that then I will not only read what is written, but also fulfill it. Make it so that I do not read the Lives of the Saints and Your Word as a sin, but for renewal and enlightenment, and for holiness, and for the salvation of the soul, and for the inheritance of eternal life. For You, Lord, are the illumination of those who lie in darkness, and from You is every good gift and every perfect gift. Amen.
Veronica VYATKINA
Prologue is an ancient Russian hagiographic collection, originating from Byzantine monthly books, in which the lives of saints are arranged in accordance with the days of their church memory. In addition, the Prolog is updated big amount edifying articles that were never placed in the Greek Synaxarii. While their presentation is brief, they contain the teachings of John Chrysostom, Basil the Great, Ephraim the Syrian, and Theodore the Studite. How flowering meadow The prologue is decorated with understandable and often entertaining passages from the ancient Patericons, parables imbued with thoughts about repentance, mercy, Christian love for one's neighbor, spiritual perfection and the salvation of the soul. All this made the Prologue a kind of Orthodox encyclopedia, an everyday companion for the Russian person. Undeniable and literary influence Patericon: collections of teachings abounded in stories from it, they were quoted from the later lives of saints and Domostroy, and spiritual poems were written on them. In modern times, stories from the Prologue were often used by Russian writers. This collection of teachings was compiled according to the leadership of the Church Slavonic Prologue by Archpriest Viktor Guryev, a famous spiritual writer XIX century.
For wide range Orthodox readers, as well as for specialists studying certain aspects of homiletics, moral theology, sectology, liturgical theology, general church history, history of the Russian Church, church art. The publication can be used as educational material for pupils, students and teachers of spiritual educational institutions, teachers, students and graduate students of theological universities and faculties.
Guryev Viktor Petrovich
Biographical Dictionary. 2000: Guryev Viktor Petrovich - archpriest-writer (1842 - 1912). He completed a course at the Moscow Theological Seminary. He collaborated in “Soulful Reading” and in “The Helmsman”. Several editions of teachings for the people on the guidance of the Chetiih-Menai, Patericon of Athos, Kyiv and others. - See “Archpriest V.P. Guryev" (Tserkovnye Vedomosti, 1912, No. 3).
encyclopedic Dictionary F. Brockhaus and I.A. Efron: - Guryev Viktor Petrovich (born in 1842) spiritual writer, archpriest. His works: The Fourth Menaion in teachings for every day of the year (M., 1896; this is not a presentation of the Fourth Menaion, but moral lessons, extracted from the lives of saints); Prologue in Teachings (Moscow, 1889; 3rd ed., Moscow, 1901)
Dear reader!
This book - "Prologue in Teachings" part I and part II was adapted to modern language from the following source: Edition of the Holy Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius 1992 (reprint reproduction of the publication of the Athos Russian Panteleimon Monastery. 1912)
Adaptation of the text to modern Russian language Troyanov Alexandra. Internet version © 2002, Pagez.ru
Elder Paisios (in the world Arsenios Eznepidis) was born on July 25, 1924 in Pharas of Cappadocia, in Asia Minor, and was the tenth child in the family. Saint Arsenius of Cappadocia, who baptized the baby, gave him his name, prophetically saying: “I want to leave behind me a monk.” Fleeing Turkish persecution, the family soon moved to Greece. Arseny spent his childhood in the city of Konitz. Here he successfully graduated from school and worked as a carpenter, wanting to imitate Christ in this too. In 1945, he was drafted into the army, where he showed extraordinary courage. Many times during the battles, he took the place of his family soldier colleagues in the front line, saying: “Wives and children are waiting for you, but I am free.” Having left the army in 1949, he immediately went to Holy Mount Athos. Elder Paisios spent forty-five years in severe labors on the Holy Mount Athos, in the Stomion Monastery in Konitsa and on the Holy Mount Sinai. Having completely surrendered himself to Christ, he wanted to remain in obscurity, but God’s Providence revealed him to people. Thousands of pilgrims came to the blessed elder and found guidance and consolation, healing and peace for their tormented souls. Despite the serious illnesses that constantly haunted him, every day from sunrise to sunset, Father Paisius instructed, consoled, solved people's problems, filled hearts with faith, hope and love for God. At night, when the flow of pilgrims dried up, he prayed and read the letters that came in huge quantities, and only at dawn rested for two or three hours to regain strength before the new day. For all of Orthodox Greece - and not only for Greece - the elder became a spiritual support, a healer for many human souls.
To be honest, this text is already on the page - it is included in the collection of stories “Bogdan and his family ( Sunday School)". But the collection is quite large, more than 30 stories, and not everyone likes thick books. Therefore, it was decided to place each story separately, so that the reader could choose whether to watch a small story of a couple of pages, or the entire book at once.
Orthodoxy is one of the ancient religions
The word means “to praise correctly.” Orthodox religion- one of the most widespread in the world, along with Catholicism and Protestantism, it ranks third in number among generally recognized Christian religions.
The Orthodox Church emerged as an independent religion in 1054 after the Great Division, during which the final division into the Roman Catholic Church, centered in Rome, and the Orthodox Church, centered in Constantinople, took place.
What do adherents of Orthodoxy believe?
Here we will look at the main beliefs of the Orthodox, what they worship:
Icons . Believers of this movement treat icons as shrines: they kiss them and ask for help. Especially revered are icons with which cases of “miraculous healing” are associated.
"Holy relics" . According to Orthodox believers, Saints are friends of God or “pleasers.” They do not doubt the authenticity of the relics; unlike scientists, on the contrary, they endow them with miraculous healing properties.
They believe in the Trinity. This theological term was first used by Theophilus of Antioch, who lived at the end of the 2nd century; this word does not appear in the Holy Scriptures. According to the Orthodox faith, the “Trinity” is God the father, God the son and God the holy spirit. All three persons live in one, in complete unity.
According to one reference book, God can come out of Himself and still be identical with Himself. The Holy Spirit, at the same time, can be on the border of being and other being. “Trinity” is one of the main holidays of Orthodoxy.
Into the immortality of the soul . The “Holy Fathers” teach that the soul and body are united for a certain time. After death, the soul returns to its creator, where it awaits judgment. Evil souls go to fiery hell, and good souls go to heaven.
Honoring Guardian Angels . Angels glorify God, I proclaim his message. They are endowed with a mind that surpasses the human mind and help in the work of preaching. Guardian angels supposedly protect their people from death or something bad.
The Twelve Spies and the Promised Land (from the Book of Numbers)
The Israelites emerged from Egypt after four hundred years of slavery under the leadership of Moses. . Soon they approached the border of the land promised to his people. Moses sent twelve spies ahead to find out everything thoroughly.
When they returned, ten of them spoke only bad things about that land. They claimed that the people of that area were of enormous height in comparison with them, that they were good warriors with excellent weapons. They even became indignant, speaking harsh words to Moses.
Ten spies lamented with one voice that they would all die as one by the sword of these Canaanites. They wanted to choose another leader to take them back to Egypt. What's happened? They, seeing how God brought ten plagues on the Egyptians, did not believe that He could deliver them from the Canaanites.
Two of the spies, Joshua and Caleb, believed that the Israelites could easily defeat them. Due to the fact that the people believed most of the intelligence officers and did not enter Promised land, they had to wander through the desert for another four decades.
The entire generation that came out of Egypt and did not believe God did not enter the land promised by God. After the death of Moses, the people were led by the faithful Joshua and Caleb. What does this Bible incident teach us?
Then as Today, Satan Uses Scare Tactics . It corrupts a person morally and spiritually. Those with weak faith easily fall for his bait and fall into his deadly net.
We need to develop faith in God, trust in His strength, power and what He wants for us better life. Read the Bible on our website online for free, study it and strengthen your faith!
Most people begin their acquaintance with Orthodoxy by reading fiction. Orthodox literature. Uninvented stories from the lives of Orthodox people make you worry and sympathize with the heroes, introduce you to Orthodox customs, often involve the reader in the life of an Orthodox parish.
Reading Orthodox fiction is a fascinating activity that allows you, together with the characters in the works, to seek and find the truth, and to think about the truly Orthodox understanding of events. Gradually, the reader develops favorite Orthodox writers, favorite works of art. Some Orthodox authors write so heartfeltly that you will definitely want to have their works in your home.
Our online store will help you with this. From us you can buy both already beloved works of art and new ones that have just come out of print.
With the advent of the Internet in everyday life, buy Orthodox art books it has become much easier and cheaper. There are no “store” markups, which means that you can replenish your home library without compromising your family budget.
Features of modern Orthodox books
Modern Orthodox spiritual literature attunes a person to positive thoughts and is a kind of psychological tool that can help choose the right way, protect from bad thoughts, survive the pain of loss and show the path to spiritual improvement.
Spiritual fiction is a promising direction in Orthodoxy. Church books are always valued; they are passed down from generation to generation and are family heirlooms. Reading them is useful and soul-saving.
Top authors and significant works
Our online store presents best authors artistic Orthodox literature, such as:
- and many others.
Russian writers were able to reflect the whole essence in their works Christian faith. They feel spirituality, morality and reflect the soul of the author himself. Reading church prose allows you to consider everything life situations from a different angle. They are written in clear language even for the average reader and hold attention until the last lines.
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