What is obedience? Obedience in the monastery. The meaning of the word "obedience"

In the Orthodox Church, obedience is perceived as the fulfillment of a certain kind of orders. However, in order to understand this correctly, we must first carefully study what obedience is. And most importantly, what does it mean?

The very meaning of the word "obedience" means obedience and obedience and consists in a certain duty or work that can be entrusted to a monk or novice in a monastery. It can be fulfilled in atonement for some sin or deed, and then obedience and prayer are imposed. The meaning of the word "obedience" for ordinary people is that this is a belief-based position that there is a certain order of the situation, which is the subordination of the subordinate rank to the superior.

Parental obedience

If we talk about obedience in the family, we immediately want to understand who is in obedience: parents of children or children from their parents? When a child is born, his parents obey him, who raise him and at the same time constantly look after him. When a child grows up, parents begin to listen to him and want to know what is in his heart, what thoughts in his head and what he lives. This is the hearing of another person and is called obedience. Parents are always obedient to children, and in time, and children will in the most natural way be obedient to their parents.

Obedience to the spiritual father

In spiritual practice, the same thing happens. As a doctor through a phonendoscope hears his patient, so the confessor listens to the person who came to him. Then the doctor prescribes the treatment to the patient and is in obedience to him. Then what is spiritual obedience? It turns out that the priest is also in obedience to his spiritual child, and when he understands all his problems, he begins to give useful advice. So there is mutual obedience. And it is a mistake to think that it is only through the spiritual elder that one can know the will of God. A person who has inner humility will always ask for admonition, and then the Lord will surely hear and lead to His will.

The Will of God

We often say the prayer words "Thy will be done ...". In this way, we ask that the will of God be fulfilled. But do we really want this? After all, the will of God is a cross and there is a mystery. Then how to understand the will of God? And for this you need to work hard on yourself and your desires. It is not easy to find the will of God's man, for this he will have to plod among the mystical signs and tests that the Lord will send him, and he must solve them and endure all. God really wants everyone to feel His will, which will unfold and penetrate through spiritually experienced people and the circumstances of life, through his conscience and the conscious fulfillment of God's commandments. Of course, mistakes and falls are inevitable, but if a person wants to live by the will of God, he will definitely come to this.

Obedience in the monastery

The monastery is the abode for those who seek salvation. What is obedience in a religious community? How is it performed? In the monastery there are two orders - internal and external. Obedience, which is imposed, is the external order of life and the way of the monastery. To serve a monastery is a special calling of God. Life in a monastery is not as difficult as it might seem. But it's not the physical works themselves that are heavy, but the lack of one's will. What fathers, brothers or sisters will order, it is necessary to do in resigned obedience and admonishment. And in return for this God gives peace, humility and inner peace of mind. And the more important is the general obedience, which helps to get rid of pride. With obedience comes humility from him and dispassion, God settles in the soul of man and is planted every good. Monastic life requires complete obedience and obedience, therefore in monasteries such grace of God reigns, where tranquility and tranquility of soul are found.

Obedience is better than sacrifice, because there is a strange flesh on the slaughter, and on the obedience - own will. For obedience to the elders and all God's commandments, the novice receives great grace. Therefore, we must obey the mentors, because they will tirelessly take care of the soul of their novitiate. We also know from the Bible that the will of God's original people was expelled from paradise. And obedience to the Father again brought them to paradise. Thus, great obedience triumphed and his sins were forgiven to man.

A little bit about the essence of the concept

Today we often hear the word "obedience". But often we do not fully understand what obedience is. It is assumed that this is the performance of some work in the monastery monastery with the blessing of the hegumen. But obedience is seen more as the main component in spiritual monastic life and the main one of the ways to salvation in monasticism. In this, perhaps, the main definition of the term, which for the most part refers to monastic life.

Man's salvation is impossible without obedience, he accepts the Sacrament of Baptism and restores his nature, in the Mystery of the Eucharist, he unites with God, in the Sacrament of Penance he becomes closer to the Most High. The main goal for an Orthodox Christian is a union with Christ, which can only happen according to God's will.

Spiritual life in obedience

No wonder they say that obedience is higher than prayer and fasting. The meaning of the word "obedience" is great. In the spiritual life, one must learn to hear, listen, and ultimately always be obedient. We ourselves ask God in our prayer: "Thy will be done ...", this indicates that the person is ready to bear obedience, to listen to advice, to the voice of conscience and to conviction of his sins. And without the will of God it is not given.

Having obeyed the will of God's will, man will truly always remain with God. This could not be done by Adam and did not fulfill the Old Testament Israel. This opportunity appeared only when we received the gracious gifts for the redemption of the sins of man by the Savior. Christian obedience is the fulfillment of God's will and a more draw, for example, human. It is necessary to clearly understand this.

Obedience. Preaching

How can you know the will of God? For each person, it is very well revealed in the Holy Scripture, which is impossible to know outside the Church and outside the Holy Spirit. The perverted interpretation of it by sectarians and apostates of the Gospel leads these poor people not to salvation and to God, but to complete destruction. For each person, the gospel sermons are a kind of source that quenches thirst. Answers to different burning questions can only be found in them. They can perform the function of fencing, focusing on which, a person will never get off his road.