This pocket-sized book, originally published in Russian in 1904, is a short but comprehensive work offering guidance to the Christian on how to conduct himself through the course of the day. In a eminently straightforward manner the author describes how to conduct oneself in the morning, in relation to God, in common situations of life, in daily work, during meals, during the afternoon rest, in the evening, before sleep, and during sleeplessness. He concludes with a consideration of prayer and guidance and on how to spend Sundays. A biography of the author, Metropolitan Gregory (Postnikov) of St. Petersburg (1784-1860), concludes the work. Seraphim Englehardt (Editor) : Gregory Postnikov (Author) : How To Live A Holy Life A Day of Holy Life, Or the Answer to the Question, How Can I Live A Holy Life? By Gregory Postnikov Holy Trinity Publications Copyright © 2005 Holy Trinity Monastery All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-0-88465-089-8 Contents Appeal to the Christian, How Should We Conduct Ourselves in the Morning?, How Should We Conduct Ourselves in Relation to the Lord God?, How should we conduct ourselves in relationship to other people?, How Should We Conduct Ourselves in Some of the Most Common Situations of Life?, 1. How to Conduct Ourselves in Happiness, 2. How to Conduct Ourselves in Misfortune, 3. How to Conduct Ourselves in Wealth, 4. How to Conduct Ourselves in Poverty, 5. How to Conduct Ourselves When People Praise Us, 6. How to Conduct Ourselves When People Speak Evil of Us, 7. How to Conduct Ourselves in Illness, 8. How to Protect Ourselves from the Harmful Effect of Bad Example, How Should We Conduct Ourselves in Our Daily Work?, How Should We Conduct Ourselves During Meals?, How Should We Conduct Ourselves During Rest After Lunch?, How Should We Conduct Ourselves in the Evening?, How Should We Conduct Ourselves Before Sleep?, How Should We Conduct Ourselves During Sleeplessness at Night?, The Most Important Thing Concerning Prayer, Conclusion, How Should We Spend Sundays?, Afterword, Biography of Metropolitan Gregory, CHAPTER 1 APPEAL TO THE CHRISTIAN Do you call yourself a Christian? Are you a Christian in actual fact? Do you live as a Christian should live, that is, do you fervently desire and earnestly seek after that which a true Christian desires and seeks after? The blessings that the Lord promises the true Christian in the future life are to be highly desired. And inexpressibly horrible is the misfortune into which sin plunges us, if we do not desire and do not seek what a Christian must desire most fervently and seek after most earnestly. What will happen if you do not receive the promised blessings and are cast into eternal torments? You have already lived a considerable time, but have you ever asked yourself these and similar questions? In particular, have you ever contemplated upon them seriously? The Christian must be such as was Jesus Christ. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, said the holy Apostle Paul (Phil. 2:5). Are you the kind of person that Jesus Christ was? Do you behave as He did? Do you live by His teaching, or Gospel, that He gave us as a rule of life? A Christian must not love the world (I John 2:15). But many are completely bound to the world, so that it seems like they live only for the world: they always think like the world, they behave like the world, and all the rules that they follow in their likes are precisely those rules that the world follows. Aren't you such a person? Such a life is not a Christian one and is quite disastrous. The Lord once said in the Old Testament through the holy prophet to His Chosen People: Judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard. What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes? And now go to; I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; and break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down (Isa. 5:3-5). Can not the Lord God with incomparably greater right in the New Testament tell us who are disobedient to Him, "What could I do for you that I have not done? I redeemed you with My Blood, gave birth to you in the bosom of My church; enlightened you with the light of the true faith, gave you all the means and abilities for salvation, prepared eternal blessedness for you and constantly in every way disposed you to seek this blessedness. Did I not sufficiently show My love for you? Wretches! I became your Savior and try in every way to lead all of you into eternal blessedness, but you only endeavor in every way not to find yourself in eternal blessedness, but for Me to become your judge and give you up to eternal torments. I created you to be eternally with Me and to experience My joys, but you behave yourselves in such a way that I would abhor you and repudiate you. I am