What does it mean to go to church? Sparrows fly into churches, and mice come, and I even saw a cat. Going into a church and even praying does not mean becoming a Christian. This is only the beginning. A person must be taught. Taught to love one's neighbor. Here is a fat, stooped, foul-smelling, drunk person. How to love him? As yourself. It happens that I am disgusting to myself, but I do not ask the Lord for a hot iron to fall on my head from the fifth floor... You love yourself. The path of repentance and understanding of a person that his role in this world is service is long. You must teach.
God does not need candles, not money, but our heart, softened by meekness, humility, patience. That is what God needs. He needs peace of mind, peace with his neighbors. He who bears his cross in a humble heart, with patience and humility, receives healing from his sins from God.
If we want our family to continue, our faith not to fade away, so that our children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great-great-grandchildren also come to Christ, we must show an example of Christian life at least in something, we must be strikingly different from worldly people, but not hypocritically, not put on some kind of mask, because you cannot deceive a child. Children, by virtue of their angelic state, are clairvoyant creatures, spiritual things are open to them, which for adults have long been closed due to their sin. Therefore, they perfectly sense people, relationships, perfectly understand lies, hypocrisy, but understand not with the mind, but directly with the soul. Therefore, the only way to raise children correctly is to begin raising yourself.
Christianity is not about what the people around you should be like. Christianity is about what you should be like, regardless of what kind of people surround you.
Archpriest Dimitry Smirnov
