Слово на Успение Пресвятой Владычицы нашей Богородицы. Святого Андрея, архиепископа Критского

I pray to all of you who have come to this venerable church of the Mother of God to be attentive and assist me, who labors in the field of the word and does not understand the depth of the miracle, so that, thus, having ascended, as it were, to the very pinnacle of the matter, it would be easier, at least, to contemplate the mystery of God and hear the funeral word. People were once destined to die forever, and this circumstance was completely inevitable for the human race; and precisely for disobedience, human nature had to accept this definition from above from the Creator. For this reason, of course, God also died once, in order, through this one death, to deliver us all from the unbearable slavery of death, as the inspired writer says: and He will deliver these, even though they are afraid of death, through all their life they are guilty of work (Heb. 2:15). “Well,” some may object, “are we really not going to die this death now?” Yes, we will; however, not as before, when people were certainly in the power of death. And if this is so, then death can no longer be called death in the proper sense. For there are some who will escape this death, although they, according to the holy voice and teaching of the apostle. Paul, will change (1 Cor. 15:51). True death is when once dead we are not allowed to return to life. Even if we die, then, after resuming life after death, we will enjoy a better life, since everyone knows that death is dormition and a return to the second life. Defining such a death more clearly, the ancient writer says: death is for a man’s rest: for God shuts those around him (Job 3:23). What else is meant by the name of death, if not the separation of the soul from the body, which arouses, as a result of the separation of parts and their union, then hope for restoration?.. So, the Creator of life and death Himself, the Life and Resurrection of all, in His mercy, by His death defeated the possessed power of death (Heb. 2:14) and for three days remained in the midst of the canopy of death (Ps. 22:4), preaching where the souls of the saints were kept bound by indissoluble bonds, as the apostle says about this. Peter: A sermon came down concerning Him also to those in spiritual prison (1 Pet. 3:19). It is obvious that even now the souls of not only all people in general, but also the souls of the righteous pass through this dark place, however, they are not held back, with the exception of those who acquired death for themselves by carelessness in this life, by sin. And the souls who surrendered themselves into the hands of the Divine commandments, manifesting the heavenly kingdom in the flesh, reposed and moved to bright places corresponding to the holy place of the righteous. The kindness and greatness of these places, the immeasurable beauty that surpasses the mind, will truly be seen by those who, having completed the career of this life, have become closer than us to God, by whose wise providence these places are prepared. So, the souls of the saints will pass through the gates of hell: for a disciple cannot be above his teacher (Matthew 10:24); and even they will not be restrained at all, as before, when, according to what is written, sin reigned unto death (Rom. 5:21). These souls will pass there in order to miraculously learn and contemplate the mystery of Divine creation (I mean the descent into hell, which the Life-Giving and not subject to death Jesus voluntarily accomplished, having suffered the death of the cross); and also with the goal that they would more deeply understand the inexplicable state of what was achieved there for them. This is how great and glorious the victory was acquired by Christ when the 166 eternal faiths were crushed! Regarding the mysterious and glorious Dormition of the Most Holy Ever-Virgin, we must admit, as was in fact, that natural death came to meet Her - however, not the one that conquered and kept us, as if in prison. No, but the Ever-Virgin experienced a dream similar to (for example) the first dream that the first man fell asleep during the removal of a rib to replenish the human race. In the same way, of course, She, who naturally fell asleep, tasted death only in order to fulfill the law of nature (but, of course, did not remain in the power of death, which all providential Providence had made strong); and also in order to make known the way in which She changed from corruption to incorruption. Since changing mortal life was legalized only by the separation of parts in accordance with nature; and since, according to Scripture, there is no man who will live and not see death (Ps. 89:49): then the One now Praised, as a man, fulfilled the same natural law with us, although, of course, in a more supernatural way. Be merciful, O Virgin, who received God and gave birth to Life, be merciful to us who dare to touch the hidden mysteries surrounding You and who try to understand the incomprehensible Divine actions, the mere contemplation of which, according to the laws of reason, produces fear even in people of high intelligence, not to mention those like us, carnal ones. We set forth this with great fear, to show that She (the Ever-Virgin) was subject to the same natural law with us; But the higher and more majestic actions performed on You, O Most Blessed One, You Yourself know more thoroughly and clearly than we can express in our speech. And first of all, the fact that Your Only Begotten Son Himself, the Creator of centuries Himself, He Himself (since You bestowed the flesh conceived for Him) surrounded You with appropriate glory, and precisely such that not only human, but even angelic understanding could not comprehend. And so that we do not remain completely indifferent to Your Divine mysteries, generously give us the word, for You Yourself are the Mother of the Word, and teach us at least the image of the transmigration You accomplished. For this purpose, let every listener of the Divine desire to hear Your Divine voice. Raising her voice, She says: “I rejoice in spirit and magnify in soul the Lord (Luke 1:46), most divinely, ineffably incarnated in My womb, the Lord, Who in His care for man looked upon the humility of His Servant (Luke 1:48), determining that the first slander of Eve should be immediately taken away through Her. He, the East from the heights of the east, directed our steps into the path of peace (Luke 1:78–79). Being true God, He passed prenaturally through My virgin blood and became man, presenting conception and birth alien to nature, so that, with the renewal of nature, the old would be abolished, and the non-decaying would take its place, and so that through this new and all-valid incarnation of the Word, everything would become new, and creation would become new. Was it heard in previous centuries that an ordinary woman would become the Matter of God? Or that God will become the Son of the Woman? Or that the human form, becoming higher than the cherubim, will appear in the Divine birth and will rule the universe? Who taught the celestials and earth-born to revere the Deity clothed in clay, to revere it as an indivisible Deity? Who raised the insignificant and humiliated human nature to heaven, showing the path unknown to earthly beings to be traversed, so that people would become close to the angelic world? And these glorious works are openly taking place in Me; It was for them that I acquired such fame and honor. Therefore, all your generations will bless Me: for the Mighty One has done great things for Me, and holy is His name (Luke 1:48–49). And what more is needed for greatness than to be called the Mother of God and to actually be Her? Regarding My transmigration, you have certain information from where it is said that the cover of My tabernacle, that is, the virgin and God-receiving body from which Jesus appeared, was translated. Anyone who wishes, from the very consideration of the Scriptures, can understand that everything said is true, and for those who consider Divine actions as some kind of open image, let the living and speaking properties of My transmigration appear. And, first of all, of course, the tomb carved into the rock, which is still unharmed and with a silent voice points to My relocation. The surest witnesses that I was lying body are those depressions that in the rock represent images characteristic of the sacred members; further, this swift Kidron (which washes the places where the tomb is on all sides), with a clear, trumpet-like voice, announces miracles; also the valley of Jehoshaphat, where the saving passion of the One who is free from passions began. Here the Savior often visited His disciples (John 18:1); here, kneeling, He begged the Heavenly Father for the passage of the cup (Matt. 26:39); here the Savior was betrayed by kissing Judas into the hands of the deicides (Matthew 26:49). So, whoever does not believe, let him look and personally know the power of what has been said; and whoever believes, let him understand with his soul what cannot be seen, and let him be amazed at what is worthy of a miracle.” This is what the grave is like and this is the position it is in! The very method of transmigration of the Mother of God, although it is common to everyone, however, it also has a special dignity in comparison with any others: this transmigration exceeds all hearing, but in such a way that it has some imitation of one of the ancient examples. This is what the Mother of God says, from whose tongue the sweetness of thought falls as if in drops, and from whose lips grace pours out (Ps. 44:3). What decent thing can we add to this, brothers, if not with astonishment we praise the immeasurably great and wisely caring Providence, reverently saying: O the depth of the riches and wisdom and understanding of God: for His judgment has not been tried, and His ways have not been tried (Rom. 11:33)! These are the actions of the right hand of God, above human understanding, so that the desire to understand them brings fear to a husband even with an exalted and pure soul - not to mention me, who does not understand anything due to my physicality and is unable to understand even earthly things. Therefore, I am embarrassed and afraid that the light and grandeur of this festive day will not lose its solemnity from the weakened speech of my wretchedness. Will any of the examiners say: “Why don’t we know anyone who compiled the Divine Gospels and gave us theological explanations, who would pay attention to such a venerable transmigration of the Mother of God?” This, say, was for the reason that the Dormition of the God-receiver happened after a long time (according to legend, She moved away from people, having reached the end of old age), or because those times did not allow this subject to be explained (for it was not appropriate that at the dawn of the writing of the first Gospel by those who distributed it orally, it was taken immediately for explanation: since the subject of the Dormition, obviously, was of such a kind that it needed something special than possible under modern circumstances, study and research). If men inspired by the Holy Spirit spread the teaching from the presence of the Word in the flesh with them, and did not say anything further than His ascension: then for this reason what they did not speak verbally was silent in the Gospel. However, so that someone does not consider the sacraments of God completely humiliated through silence, we consider it good to add to the word that it does not remain completely untransmitted in sacred narratives. There is one of the holy theologians who speaks about the transmigration of the Mother of God, a man to whom even the secrets and plans of the heavenly minds were revealed, who received the intimate details of the mysteries set forth by the Divine Paul from the teacher himself, the apostle. Paul, for perfect purity. This man is Dionysius, famous for his knowledge of the Divine, great for depicting the names of God. In the holy book: “On the Names of God,” he says, among other things, in a letter to Timothy: “in the presence of our God-inspired leaders, we, as you yourself know, and most of our holy brethren came to contemplate this life-giving and God-receiving body. There were the Lord's brother James and the supreme head of theologians - Peter; and it was desired that all the elders of the saints, each according to his own strength, should all praise the infinite goodness and Divine mercies. As far as I remember, I heard some excerpts of those praises from you. However, we leave these matters secret, as inaccessible to everyone, and as known to you.” This is what Dionysius tells us, this exalted interpreter of the Divine, an eagle soaring above the heavens, a soul filled with images of saints. This Divine man, therefore, says that the entire holy assembly united together for this wondrous and majestic spectacle of the Mother of God, even those who were scattered throughout the universe: among them was himself with the reverent and wisest Timothy and Hierotheus. “And we,” he says, “and many of our holy brothers have come to contemplate the body, life-giving and God-receiving.” By “life-giving” we do not mean any other body, but precisely the one that received God and the virgin village, from which the flesh received, having deified, the Most Essential One truly became incarnate; but, of course, it is not the Master's body that is meant: for those who believed after the suffering were not present before the suffering. Under "God-inspired leaders of the saints" the companions of the apostles are clearly designated as leaders of the word. It should not seem surprising that the Holy Spirit, Who once took Elijah and carried a chariot of fire into heaven, suddenly through a cloud united them in spirit: for God everything is very easy, as we read from Habakkuk and Daniel (Dan. 14:36). And how many students and followers gathered from everywhere! “And many of our holy brothers”: from this it is clear that the 70 subsequently chosen disciples of Christ did not abandon this God-chosen brother for the last time. Truly, some as ministers of this primary sacrament, others as bearers of a secondary one in theology, guided by the Holy Spirit, suddenly gathered at this time and at this very moment in Jerusalem... “And it was desired that the leaders of the saints, each according to his own strength, should praise the infinite goodness and Divine mercies.” Let us consider, if only with our mental eyes we can see this sight and this beauty, which theology praises in song as a beauty that delights God. A bright and splendid spectacle presented itself to the men inspired by God. The Divine Village of the Virgin was very brilliant, in which the life-giving and all-luminous body of the Mother of God was contemplated - the body through which the Life-Giving Jesus gave us the beginning of the most holy life, making the beginning of life our firstfruits, which in a wondrous manner, surpassing understanding, He formed from the virgin womb. If the first fruit is holy, according to the Apostle, then the mixture is also: and if the root is holy, then so are the branches (Rom. 11:16). So, the body of the Holy Mother of God is life-giving, having received the fullness of the Divinity. This, verily, is the precious necklace of virginity, exceeding the sky; the field adorned by God, the firstfruits given in abundance to Adam, the perfect likeness of the original image and glory, the God-sealed treasury of God's inexpressible decrees, the inexplicable height of the fullness of Him who fulfills all in all, the strongest support of secret aspiration, the treasure of majestic incorruptibility, the royal robe of the eternal Word made man, the earthly palace of the Heavenly King, matter most consonant with the Divine body, clay The Most Beautiful Artist, from whom the Most Essential One was completely and truly incarnated for the sake of people. And truly, blessed are the eyes and lips that contemplated and sang this. And what language could explain these mysteries and this most holy spectacle, this brightest container of spiritual light?! This was the light through which nature received the Sun of truth in a supernatural way; She was the mirror of the Father's light; this is that high and exalted throne, sitting on which the Lord of hosts was seen by Isaiah, the most insightful of the prophets (- 6:3). This is the royal dignity of the heavenly race, the spiritual censer of the Divine burnt offerings, the pincers of the purifying coal, the root of Jesse, the scepter of David, the Mother of the Creator, the breasts of the Nourisher, the gate of Christ coming from the heights of the east, the small breast that fills everything, the purest fleece of the heavenly dew, the virgin land of Him who recreated Adam, - the heaven of Him who raised the earth to the heavens - the great vision of the prophets, through which the saints learned in many parts and varied ways the mysteries of the Divine creation and were confirmed in the great mystery of the economy. And how could they not be surprised that she, exalted and glorified by such honor before the Creator and Provider of everything, God, appeared lying on her bed with her strength extinguished? The Mother of Life is buried; accustomed to Divine verbs, she is deprived of her voice; in the womb, as if in an ark, she lies on a bed of a dead woman, having received Life without any breath. Although this is not alien to nature, it is not surprising: for here a shrine seemed visible to the mental eye, if only someone could spiritually see the Divine; here is birth and virginity, here is greatness and humiliation. Here a wondrous view eclipsed the light of the sun: here was wealth filling all heaven and earth - there was a new spectacle that should be very valued among all other spectacles. And what a village of the Holy Mother of God, from which God, remaining in the form of a man, surpassed our image - and this body, in which the first fruits, given up by the nature of death, were transformed, and which, having clothed itself with the Divinity, is seen lying in the tomb! Such is the spectacle, or even greater than we are able to describe. May Christ the Word appear and give us wisdom, and may virtue show Himself to be the guide of our mind to the glorious luminaries of Divine praise, which may always illuminate our spirit and mind, in which we have been enlightened and confirmed in Christ our Lord. To Him, together with the Almighty Father and the Life-Giving Spirit, be glory and power, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen 167. Locks, bolts. Church Slavonic Dictionary. Note electronic edition In short. See Curs. Compl. Patrolog. Migne, series graeca, vol. XCVII, col. 1045–1072; cp. Biblioth. Patr. Concionator., vol. VII, p. p. 683–687. You might be interested in: