Father Dimitry on how to Get Rid of Vanity

Russian Hour with Archpriest Dimitry Smirnov (October 3, 2005). Radio Radonezh.

Archpriest Dimitry Smirnov (1951 - 21.10.2020)

Listener's question:

How to get rid of vanity?

Archpriest Dimitry Smirnov in the studio:

Nothing could be simpler. For this, there is a technique developed by the ancient Fathers: first, you must get rid of talkativeness. Never initiate a conversation and answer only when asked a direct question and not beyond what is asked. That is, answer as briefly as the question itself was asked. That's the first thing.

Once you've mastered this, you need to move on to another exercise. This is something more serious: you must get to love reproach. That is, the average person is usually a rather proud creature: you can't say anything to them, you can't make a remark to them, you can't correct them—they'll immediately get offended, pout, and sometimes even quarrels break out. The usual response is, "Look who's talking!," and so on. If someone wants to get rid of vanity so seriously—like you, I feel — they need to learn to love being criticized. That is, every time someone points out our shortcomings, or judges us in some way, we need to drink these moments in our lives like nectar. Like cool water—well, not cold, icy, so as not to catch a cold, but cool on a hot day. So, with pleasure. And when you learn this, vanity will completely leave you.

Because vanity is a derivative of pride. And pride takes all such attacks, especially undeserved ones (usually deserved, but sometimes undeserved), very hard. A person is always in a state of self-justification. And when a person is humbled, humiliated, constantly shown their place, it's extremely beneficial. But still, it's precisely in this order that you need to move from one exercise to the next. If you begin with the second, then, of course, nothing will work. First, you need to teach yourself not to push forward, not to assert your "I," not to say "I'm a professor" at every turn, so to speak, but rather to be as modest as possible. The fight against vanity begins with cultivating humility. First, externally, and then it will become internal.

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Is It Possible To Be Admonished by God During Prayer?

Archpriest Dimitry Smirnov (1951 - 21.10.2020)

Question on air of Radio "Radonezh" to Archpriest Dimitry Smirnov on March 28, 2020.

Question:

I have often noticed that during prayer, deep thoughts about events, people or God come to me. But Ignatius Brianchaninov wrote that demons try to instill in us imaginary spiritual thoughts in such a way. To induce arrogance and vanity. Does it always happen like this, or is it possible to receive some kind of admonition from God during prayer? (19:59)

Archpriest Dimitry Smirnov answers:

Not always. But in 99.9% of cases. Demonic in 99.9%.

Archpriest Alexander Berezovsky:

Because people really say: suddenly the solution to the problem has come. They say, I am standing in the church, and what I have been struggling with for a week seems to have opened up.

Archpriest Dimitry:

Seems to.

Archpriest Alexander:

People perceive that this is an answer from God.

Archpriest Dimitry:

I don't need to be told what people perceive. People generally perceive all sorts of nonsense. From any completely insane person. Who speaks self-confidently, with aplomb, with mockery.

Archpriest Alexander:

The more assertive, the more convincing. Oh, how assertive demons can be! And they will present it so colorfully!

Archpriest Dimitry:

Of course. Therefore, Bishop Ignatius is absolutely right. Not only did he read everything, all the Holy Fathers, he himself was a person with mathematical thinking. All his such characteristics - they are simply impeccable and beautiful in form. A truly brilliant person.

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An Elderly Woman is Ashamed to Confess to a Young Priest

Archpriest Dimitry Smirnov (1951-21.10.2020)

Questions to Archpriest Dimitry Smirnov on the air of the Radonezh radio.

Question: I'm an elderly woman, in my sixties. I can’t walk for many years and a priest comes to me, whom I have known since the age of nine, very young. And in old age, I am suddenly visited by such thoughts and sinful feelings, which I am ashamed, as an old woman, to tell him, the child, because I know him from infancy. What do I do?

- Shame is like a mustard plaster. It burns, but heals. Therefore, there is nothing special about this. As before a doctor, one has to undress and talk about his sores, the same is here. For many people, this is a rather serious barrier. But we must overcome it. Age has nothing to do with it. After all, the main thing is still healing. You see, if you are tormented, it is better to apply a plaster to this. Therefore, I would advise you to pray stronger, and, as they say, go into battle. May God help you.

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An Ordinary Person Cannot Bear True Visions from God

Question to Archpriest Dimitry Smirnov in the Radonezh radio studio. October 29, 2006.

Archpriest Dimitry Smirnov

Question.

The servant of God Sergius asks: In the life of the elder Paisios of Mount Athos there are examples of how the enemy can lead a person into delusion with false visions. The elder, of course, coped with it. But how can we, Orthodox Christians, avoid falling into this delusion? May the Lord save you.

Archpriest Dimitry answers.

There is nothing easier. All visions must be rejected. And that’s all. Because you and I are not elders, we are not of Mount Athos, we are not the men of fervent prayer, we are not saints, we are ordinary sinful people. Therefore, all visions to us - if any - come from the evil. Very simple. And there is no need to philosophize here somehow for a long time. Because a person is blessed with some kind of spiritual vision only in one case - when he can bear it. That’s it. However, an ordinary average person immediately becomes arrogant. Therefore, from God, who knows everything, there can be no such visions that put a person into such terrible conditions.
http://oprelesti.ru/index.php/how-to-avoid-or-get-rid-of-spiritual-delusion/784-an-ordinary-person-cannot-bear-true-visions-from-god

From the Lack of Sobriety and Repentance, New Converts Fall into Delusion

Question on Soyuz TV channel on December 8, 2013.

Archpriest Dimitry Smirnov answers, the host is Archpriest Alexander Berezovsky.

Archpriest Dimitry Smirnov and Archpriest Alexander Berezovsky

Question: In the writings of the holy fathers and in your sermons, sobriety is often mentioned as an extremely desirable condition for success in the Christian life. Define this term as applied to modern laity, if possible, with examples.

Archpriest Dimitry answers:

Sobriety is a derivative of discernment. Besides, sobriety can be considered as a certain step. Discernment is a very high virtue, which many Holy Fathers put even higher than love, because everyone can achieve love, while discernment can not be achieved by everyone. But the first stage of reasoning is sobriety, and every Christian must somehow succeed in this. Because, unfortunately, very often, especially in the beginning of the Christian life, a person falls into some kind of euphoria. It is simply explained. Because, firstly, a person discovers a new world, and this always happens. He experiences a certain fascination - quite legitimate - since he plunges into the two-thousand-year-old tradition. He begins to meaningfully read the Holy Scriptures, because for a person far from tradition, this is generally a closed book. Thirdly, he immediately encounters new, one might say, objects: a church, a priest, vestments, a choir, and icons. And to research everything, dozens of books are needed. He begins to plunge into it, and, of course, he becomes overwhelmed. Many people, when facing churchliness like that, even stop reading secular books - everything seems tasteless. And one more aspect. This is a contact with the church world, and yet there is also the grace-filled life. And the grace of God affects not only our spirit, but also the soul and body. Man is also transformed externally - he is radiant, dozens of miracles happen every day in his life, and he almost flies. And he still does not know how to fly. And much of what he perceives as the direct action of the grace of God is not really this - it is a spiritual perception of his real contact with the grace-filled life. That is, indirectly. Therefore, there is always a danger to take one thing for another.