May 26
(A discourse on how the devil leads people out of church before the dismissal.)
By Archpriest Victor Guryev
Some people, out of laziness, leave church before the end of the service and think that it is nothing serious. But in reality, brethren, this is very wrong; for it is none other than the devil himself who leads us out of church before the proper time. Therefore, when we leave church before we should, we thereby do what is pleasing to the enemy of our salvation. We shall now prove this to you.
There was a clairvoyant elder in the Monastery of the Caves, by the name of Matthew. Once, while he was standing in church in his usual place, he looked at the brethren standing on the kliros and saw a demon in some strange garment, carrying certain flowers in his field-cloak. The demon went around among the monks and threw a flower at each one. Whoever had a flower cling to him became weakened in mind, invented some trivial excuse to leave the church, departed from it, and upon returning to his cell lay down to sleep. But whoever the flower did not cling to stood firm in the chanting. The elder told all this to the brethren. Hearing it, the monks resolved in their hearts not to leave the church before the dismissal.
Therefore, brethren, know that when we leave church before the proper time, we sin and do what is pleasing to the enemy of our salvation. He does not sleep, but in every possible way and at all times strives to lead us into sin. Therefore resist him, and when he tempts you to leave church before the proper time, say to him the same words once spoken by the monk Isaac: “No, devil, I am not yours, but God’s,” and continue standing in the temple of God vigilantly and reverently until the end of the service, lifting your mind to the heavenly, eternal, and divine. Amen.
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
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