The Church is primarily a Hospital, and only then a Bridal Chamber! To whom Christ is not the Savior (Doctor, Healer), He will never become the Bridegroom (until he repents)! First healing, then Love! One can only love by the Holy Spirit, and He is given only to the humble-minded, whole-minded, courageous, steadfast, faithful, which in turn is the fruit of obedience-slavery-catechism! The Lord God Jesus Christ is everything for us (Bridegroom, Friend, Brother…), but primarily – Savior, Healer!
And now we will say something about catechism and its place in the work of salvation, using the analogy of slavery, hireling, and sonship. The Lord Jesus Christ is building the Kingdom of God in every soul. I, knowing that the Lord saved me and gave me everything, out of love and gratitude want to serve Him in His construction, to help Him. The Lord asks: what can you do? Can you be the manager of the whole construction process (over the whole house)? Or maybe a foreman of some front of work?! Or maybe you can do something with your hands: lay bricks, plaster, install plumbing or electricity…? – I can do nothing! Then you will be a helper – fetch, carry, step aside: don’t interfere! And I with joy in the Lord Jesus Christ give myself for the sake of the Lord into slave service to Christians (saints), into their disposal (this is the will of God)! The Lord says (if you love Me and want to serve Me, thank Me): go to the parish (to the working group, brigade), and there they will tell you what to do – be a slave-servant for all Christians (and in due time you will become a foreman, and later the manager, the son who is over the whole house – the Kingdom of God)! Here is the beginning of salvation, the beginning of Christianity. Everything is in joy – even the lowest work – because everything is for Jesus Christ, everything in love for Jesus Christ! And the foreman performs the service for Jesus Christ, and the son also works with joy in the building of the Kingdom of God in every soul for Jesus Christ. Everyone, as much as he can and how he can, performs the service – for the glory of God the Father in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. One doubles five denarii, another – two, someone – one, and someone – 0.000001 denarii… but all who doubled their talents (working creatively, sincerely, without guile with humility and constant repentance), entered (and still enter) into the joy of their Lord, gain the fullness of the Holy Spirit, the entire Kingdom of God! But everything begins with us in joy-gratitude giving ourselves to Jesus Christ into slavery (not to people: priests, elders, spiritual fathers… but to Jesus Christ! Do not become slaves of people!). And the Lord sends us to the construction brigade (to the parish, to the catechism), where we must in the name of Jesus Christ be in obedience to everyone (Christian) in this brigade (renounce our will and let it be in me the will of the neighbor-parishioner, which is pleasing to the Lord Jesus Christ). This is very important – to serve others (parishioners, spiritual father – mentor, friend-counselor) in the name of Jesus Christ, for the sake of Jesus Christ, and not to act according to our will (our will can be renounced only in slavery-obedience).
“I am a wicked and lazy slave, but I want to become God’s, Christ’s,” – then fight against wickedness and laziness (selfishness and pride) with obedience (with extreme prudence) and humility (reliance on the mercy of God, not on self-reliance).
All humanity can be conditionally divided into groups-states: wicked and lazy slave (in the matter of doubling the talent of seeking-desiring God, the meaning of life, Truth), good and faithful slave, hireling, and son. A wicked and lazy slave has no relation to Christianity (he is not even a catechumen – a disciple who is preparing for Marriage with Christ, for baptism by the Holy Spirit). A good and faithful slave (who sincerely seeks God, the meaning of life, the goal of life) is already a catechumen, who is preparing for baptism-union with Truth-Christ (consciously or unconsciously: everyone who sincerely seeks Truth, answers to ontological questions of the being of everything that exists, – such a person seeks Christ, and such a sincere person will be found by Christ, will appear to him and send him to the Church for preparation-catechism for baptism, union with Christ in the Holy Spirit – see about Cornelius the centurion in Acts 10). A hireling is one who in the process of catechism experienced the breath of the Holy Spirit (anticipated, as much as possible in the Old Testament, before Baptism, how merciful the Lord is, and with all his might strives not to lose the Kingdom of God), and a son – is already Christianity, this is already the area of knowing Christ by the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the path of salvation for each person can be schematically represented as follows: wicked and lazy slave – good and faithful slave (Christ’s: consciously through catechism by Christians or through conscience – the law written in people’s hearts and mercy, leading to conscious catechism in the Church) – hireling (threshold of baptism) – sonship-deification (state when nothing can separate from the love of God). Let each person ask themselves and know: who are they? If you are reading this book (wandering your eyes over the shelves of our poor village pharmacy), then your choice is small: a wicked and lazy slave or a slave who daily zealously fights with wickedness (self-justification, condemnation, lack of mercy, unforgiveness, etc.) and laziness (faithfulness in small things), being in obedience to Christ through people – friends-advisors. To speak now about hireling and sonship is a vain matter! The main question is whose slave you are: a wicked slave of yourself, your passions-idols-mammon-flesh, or one who is trying to become a slave (not yet a slave, not a catechumen, but only wants to become one!) of Christ, and in this slavery-obedience-catechism prepare for baptism by the Holy Spirit, for Marriage with Christ!