Red sofa, green pillow, black cat. The reflections of a bright fire in the fireplace shimmer in his golden, slightly narrowed eyes. What is he thinking about? Maybe it’s about the fact that there is very little left for the fire to blaze, because spring is already playing its magic symphony on the tips of the mustache. Or maybe he is wondering why he was nicknamed Diesel? I struggle to read in black pupils the story of past life in which we have not yet met. But the cat is silent...

A piercing and very demanding “Meow” broke the evening silence of the winter grounds of a country restaurant complex. Startled, we turned around at the same time. Getting stuck with small paws in snowdrifts, a black kitten was rapidly making its way across the field towards us. Looks like a small teenager. At times, only the tip of the tail on the surface of the snowdrift, and the increasingly loud, growing "Meow" signaled the inevitability of a future acquaintance.

“Suddenly mad?” I caught myself thinking, instinctively squeezing the hand of my youngest son. “He wants to be friends, mom, look!!!” - eight-year-old Timurka stared in amazement at his shoes, around which, having already run, the mustachioed danced a pretzel. Purring heart-rendingly, the cat expressed affection, universal love, and the joy of meeting, deducing unthinkable eights at our shoes. And we froze like idols, struck by an unprecedented pressure. And this picture certainly looked funny. Not leaving us a single step, running from me to my husband and children, jumping up and looking into our eyes, the black kitten got underfoot all the way to the threshold ...

Goosebumps ran down her back like icicles. “I want to be with you. Don’t leave…” the baby seemed to whisper to me. Burying his nose in his palm, snoring confidentially and like a child, he finally calmed down ... And only his fingers felt the live trembling of his hot breath.

“It seems that the black cat is my talisman,” I suddenly thought. Even without believing in omens and supernatural signs, it was difficult to get rid of the strange feeling. What happened was like a mystical story. And if in the next moment the cat suddenly spoke in Pushkin's poems, she would have decided that this is how magical messengers are supposed to behave. But why, why did he choose us? And now what to do with this tailed gift? Gently and as gently as possible, returning all four paws to the ground, we returned to the car in complete silence. Black, of course, did not lag behind.

In general, so, brother - suddenly, like a man and without unnecessary curtsies, the head of the family turned to the cat, opening the doors.

If you jump into the car now, let's go home! Keep in mind, however, that you are welcome, most likely there will not be animals already “registered” there. And from now on you will be called Diesel ...

The husband did not have time to finish the phrase, - Diesel was busily settling in the front seat.

Red sofa, green pillow. Our talisman and everyone's favorite, a black cat with golden eyes, sleeps on the pillow. Nothing betrays in him a homeless, timid savage, who shudders in his sleep for a long time. Only occasionally does a small predator pull out the sharp blades of its claws. Probably dreaming from a past life... But don't be afraid, Diesel, we won't leave you.

One evening with the same family

There was a heartfelt conversation:

What would anyone give as a token of love

Savior who came down to earth?

Father said: "There is nothing in the world,

What is He worthy of loving!

I would wash His feet in tears,

Tired of the paths of the dusty world."

"And I would like a bed of the best sheet

She covered the weary Savior,

So that He may find rest and rest,

With a gentle smile, the mother spoke.

And only the little boy was silent,

Thoughtfully looking into the darkness, out the window.

"And what would you, son, give Jesus? -

Father asked - Tell us honestly, baby.

The boy answered quietly: "I have

There is a toy for the heart dear

From plush, I will give Christ a horse."

And the whole family laughed.

We laughed for a long time... Suddenly there was a knock.

The door opened. Everyone fell silent at once.

Fear flashed in the eyes of the father of the family:

A sad bum in dirty clothes entered.

In the supports of the legs, sticking out of the holes

Feet unwashed. Unshaven, ugly.

Humiliation in posture and in the eyes ...

What do you need? - asked the father disgustedly.

Is it possible for me to spend the night in your shed

Sleep? asked the homeless man humbly.

No no! - said the mother. - Go away!

We don't let strangers in at night.

Wait, uncle! the boy screamed

Wiping away a tear with a stealthy palm,

I promised God to give a horse...

Take, uncle, at least my horse! ..

The gate quietly creaked again,

The family remained in a tight circle.

But neither father nor mother dared to look

Raise the boy; not to each other...

We often do not spare words in life,

Beautiful words, pompous, insignificant.

In fact, only love is known

And Kindness - words without deeds are false!

The theme of the judgment of God.

If you read the gospel passages that are set for today, you will see that the theme of judgment runs through them like a red thread; and it puts before us the question: what are we?.. What do we appear to be, what we really are not? What is our false righteousness, what is our false being in the face of the real?

In Greek, the judgment is called "crisis": we are now - and throughout history - are in a state of crisis, that is, the judgment of history, that is, ultimately, the judgment of God's ways upon us.

Each epoch is a time of downfall and renewal; and everything that appears will perish, everything false will perish. Only the whole will stand, only the true will stand, only what really is, and not what supposedly exists will stand.

Each of us seems to be something: both in a good and in a bad sense; and everything that seems to be, sooner or later, will be washed away and carried away: by God's judgment, by human judgment, by coming death, by life. And we must, if we want to enter these days of passionate experiences, first of all think: what are we really? - and only standing up in real before the court of your conscience and God, enter into the following days: otherwise we are condemned ...

Metropolitan Anthony of Surozh

I would like this statement to become a symbol of the meeting with Olga Dmitrievna Bessonova for all the participants. Olga Dmitrievna has been heading the "School of New Relations" consulting center at St. Nicholas Cathedral for more than 7 years.

It is not often that guests come to the colony, and even more so with the “strict” regime. Therefore, the meeting, which took place within the walls of the school, which operates at IK-24 of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia in the Volgograd Region, became a significant event. The students who came to the meeting are studying at school and serving sentences for especially dangerous crimes.

They, I think, are most often tormented by the questions "For what?" or "Why me?" or "What injustice happened to me?" And to translate these questions into the mainstream "Why did I end up here? What did I do wrong? Where is the truth? What is my sin?" - very difficult.

The dialogue between Olga Dmitrievna and the students was interesting. Questions were asked. Those who did not want to voice their problems in front of everyone had the opportunity to talk one on one with Olga Dmitrievna or even write a letter with a guarantee of receiving an answer.

Questions were raised about the soul, spirituality, religiosity. It was said that the spiritual life of a person has the same clear and immutable laws as in the visible physical world, and ignorance of them leads to pain and suffering. About the fact that "we all come from childhood", and our today's problems grow from there. And that there are no bad feelings, and often, by suppressing anger, we expel joy from life, we are not responsible for the feelings that have come to us, but are responsible for the actions committed under their influence.

The result of the meeting was a conversation about what is important, first of all, to remove the feeling of impasse from life. This may not reduce the amount of pain or the drama of the situation itself, but the meaninglessness will go away - the most terrible experience for a person.

The conversation ended with this question being asked again: “Is this so for you personally?” And the answers were different!One of them was: "Is it worth opening the door at all?!"

The students asked me to convey to you, Olga Dmitrievna, words of gratitude and, if possible, to come again. In IK-24 you are very welcome!

Olga Dmitrievna Bessonova heads the "School of New Relations" consulting center at St. Nicholas Cathedral.

Direction of work:

- help in crisis situations (death of loved ones, divorce, illness...)
- consultation regarding issues interpersonal relationships
-support for families where relatives drink or use drugs
-constantly working group "Treatment by communication". The purpose of the group is to make your life more conscious and joyful.

Reception is conducted once every two weeks on weekends free of charge, preliminary registration by phone 4-77-17 (secretary of St. Nicholas Cathedral).

E.B. Doroshenko, teacher of the Russian language and literature, State Educational Institution of Higher School No. 1 of the Volgograd Region

Nobody is random and nothing is random.

In this world where we are lucky enough to live, every meeting and chance acquaintance serves a purpose.

Sometimes we need people to wake us up and help change the direction of our lives; sometimes - to cheer us up and remind us who we are on this earth. And sometimes these are the ones that meet us only for a moment.

Ironically, we don't have to know the purpose of every person we meet, but we must remain open to everything that each new acquaintance brings with it.

Sometimes it is worth looking at the whole world as an interweaving of threads - silver or red, each of which reflects a meeting with a specific person, maybe not even happened yet.

Our whole life is interaction with each other. And although modern technologies, the Internet, social networks are trying to convince us that this interaction can be minimized, something changes in our minds when we understand that everything in life does not happen by chance.

Not all meetings have to be long: sometimes they can only last a moment. Maybe to slow you down so you don't get into a car accident, or to meet potential love. Sometimes the Universe sends us people to help us in our lives, even if they do not become something important for us.

And although we cannot predict it, we can prepare ourselves for these life surprises.

People who should wake us up.

These are the ones who come for a long time. Sometimes they are our partners, kindred spirits. These are the ones who completely change our lives.

People who help remind us who we are.

Sometimes along the path of life we ​​begin to lose ourselves. In everyday fuss and worries, we forget about who we wanted to become, what we dreamed about (and still dream of), who we really are. We just sell ourselves to an adult and responsible life, forgetting how real we are. And it's not even about a place of work or a city for life, it's about the soul and inner worldview.

And now there are people who come into our lives to help us understand who we are, so that we begin to be ourselves.

People who are important for a moment.

When we start a conversation with a random fellow traveler and just can't stop. Or when we just exchange smiles with a person who has passed on a nearby escalator. And it really seems like some kind of unearthly connection that just has to be.

Just because someone doesn't stay in our lives for long doesn't mean there's no point or purpose in meeting them. Everything has a meaning. And it is these invisible threads that connect us to each other that make life in this world so amazingly unpredictable, because we never know when we will meet someone who will make us change our lives.