My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Our Only true Lord, God, and Savior,
CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.
ON THE DUTY OF CHRISTIAN CHILDREN
By Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk
"Christians ought to perseveringly study their religion; they ought
to read the Gospel more frequently, to study the Divine Service,
to fulfill the commandments and rules of the Church; to read the
writings of the Holy Fathers, and religious publications, in order to
become imbued with the spirit of Christianity, and to live in a Christian
manner. Such should be your occupations and recreations."
[Saint John Kronstadt]
1. First, conscience itself convinces a man to honor his parents with love. The pagans taught and made it a law to give parents first honor after God. The word of God also commands us to honor our parents, "HONOR THY FATHER AND MOTHER" [Ephesians 6:2; Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 5:16, and elsewhere). Then give all respect, Christian, to those that gave you birth, that it may go well with you. Whom should you honor, if not your parents?
2. Second, because your parents are your great benefactors, you should render them due gratitude. Remember, the pains and labors they undertook for your upbringing, and be thankful to them for it. Know well that you can give nothing in return for the benefits you have received from them. They gave to you much, and you are greatly obligated to them. Then give them heartfelt gratitude for it throughout your entire life.
3. Third, show them every obedience. "Children obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right" [Ephesians 6:1], and again, "Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord" [Colossians 3:20].
4. Fourth, do not undertake anything new without their advice and consent, but you ought to take counsel with them in everything and seek their consent, lest you offend them with your disrespect and lest the matter that you have undertaken go without success.
5. Fifth, be ashamed to show disorderly conduct before them and avoid it. Say no indecent word and do no indecent deed, though Christian duty demands this of your everywhere.
6. Sixth, resolutely avoid offending them with any crude word, but speak to them and reply with every courtesy, so that they may know that you love and respect them.
7. Seventh, if they punish you for something, and you know that you are genuinely at fault for it, acknowledge your fault with humility and endure the punishment with meekness. For they punish you so that they may correct you and that you should be good. But if you know that you are innocent, and your conscience justifies you, then declare your innocence with every courtesy and humility. Show judicious meekness everywhere that they may know that you are their child.
8. Eighth, do not abandon them in any need and want, but help them and serve them, and especially in their old age. Remember how much they labored for you, you should also render them service.
9, Ninth, cover with silence any infirmity you may see in them, which occurs even in good people. But even if you should see something scandalous, resolutely avoid judging them and revealing it to any else. Do not imitate Ham, the son of Noah, who saw his father’s nakedness and went out and told it to his brothers. But follow his brothers, Shem and Japhet, "who took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father" [Genesis 9:23], and so on. Then you should see as though not seeing when you see anything in your parents.
10. Tenth, if your should somehow offend them in your actions and you know it in your conscience, do not delay, but fall down before them that very hour and beg their forgiveness with humility, lest you fall under God’s judgment.
11. Eleventh, even the pagans have established great punishment in their books for those children who do not honor their parents…Therefore, Christians, beware, lest you experience God’s avenging hand on ou at that very moment. After God’s we have no greater benefactors than our parents. Then it is a fearful thing to be ungrateful to them.
12. Twelfth, know of a certainty that as you are to your parents, so will your children be to you, according to the words of Christ, "And with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again" [Matthew 7:2]. [Source: Journey to Heaven]
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"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"
– Saint John Chrysostomos
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With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George
The Eastern Orthodox Christian Ethos 