To Young Men
December 12
(The Tale of Two Hermits, Brothers by Birth)
By Archpriest Victor Guryev
December 12
(The Tale of Two Hermits, Brothers by Birth)
By Archpriest Victor Guryev
Many young people today are indifferent to religion and do not practice piety. They think that only old age should concern itself with matters of faith. And of youth, they say: "Why waste youthful days in vain? Time will pass, and then pleasures will no longer be sweet, therefore it is necessary to seize them in due time." And so it follows that in youth it is permissible to forget about the future life, and one can devote oneself entirely to the world and its lusts. But if this is so, then the question arises: do you really think that the filth with which you were soiled in youth can be washed away easily and quickly in old age? Believe me, having entered you in your youth, it will become even more deeply ingrained in your wrinkles in old age, and then, understandably, washing it away or casting it off can be quite difficult even for great souls, not just ordinary ones. Besides, did God ever tell any young man that he would live to old age? No. This means that a young man, just like an old man and a man, even earlier than them, can be given over to God’s judgment at any hour and therefore must always be ready for it.
