Слово на Успение всепетой, преславной и преблагословенной Владычицы нашей Богородицы и Приснодевы Марии. Преподобного Иоанна Дамаскина

The memory of the righteous is with praise, says the wise Solomon (Prov. 10:7), because, as the Godfather David said, the death of His saints is honorable before the Lord (Ps. 116:6). If the memory of all the righteous is glorified, then who will not give praise to the Author of righteousness and the treasury of holiness, not in order to glorify Her, but in order to glorify himself with eternal glory? This tabernacle of God, this city of God, about which the glorious word was spoken, has no need for our glorification, as the divine David says: the glorious word was spoken about you, the city of God (Ps. 86:3). For what other way can we understand the city of the invisible and indescribable God, who contains everything in His hand, if not that one, Who, in an incomprehensible and supernatural way, indescribably contained within Herself the supernatural Word of God? The Lord Himself spoke about Her most gloriously, for what could be more glorious than the perception of the ancient true advice of God (Is. 25:1)? Neither the human tongue nor the mind of the worldly Apgels can adequately praise the One through Whom it is given to us to clearly see the glory of God. So what? Without the strength to praise properly, will we remain silent, bound by fear? - No. Shall we walk with fearless steps, and, forgetting about our limitations, throwing off the reins of fear, let us fearlessly touch the inviolable? - No. It is better to dissolve fear with love and zeal and, having weaved one crown from them, with sacred trembling, trembling hands and spiritual flame, we will bring the imperfect firstfruits of our mind, as a due tribute of gratitude to the Queen Mother, the benefactor of all nature. They say that one day some farmers, cultivating the land, saw their Emperor passing by, dressed in a magnificent scarlet robe, with a shiny (on his head) diadem, surrounded by a numerous retinue of bodyguards; and since they had nothing that could be presented as a gift to the Tsar, one of them immediately scooped up handfuls of water from a large stream flowing nearby and presented it as a gift to the Autocrat. Then the King said: “What does this mean, my son?” The farmer boldly answered: “What was in front of me, I brought to you, considering it best not to hide my zeal with poverty. You, without a doubt, do not need our (gifts) and desire nothing from us except love and affection. But for us, what I have done constitutes both a duty and an honor, because fame very often follows grateful people.” The surprised King praised the wisdom of the farmer and, favorably accepting his zeal, generously paid him with many gifts. So, if this proud Sovereign preferred love and zeal to magnificent gifts: then will not She, the truly good Lady, the Mother of the only good God, whose condescension is infinite, who preferred two mites to large offerings, more favorably accept our intention, not paying attention to our strength? She will faithfully accept the due tribute we bring to Her and will reward us with incomparably greater benefits. So, since it is absolutely necessary for us to speak in order to fulfill our duty, let us now turn our word to Her. But how can we magnify You, Lady? What words should we turn to You with? With what praises shall we crown Your sacred and glorious head, the Author of blessings, the giver of treasures, the adornment of the human race, the glory of all nature, because through You it has become truly blessed: through You it has contained Him Whom it did not previously contain, and to Whom it was previously powerless to raise its gaze, (now) it looks with an open face. O Word of God, refine our sluggish tongue; grant us the word of grace at the opening of our mouths (Eph. 6:19); breathe into us that grace of the Spirit with which fishermen speak, and the illiterate speak superhuman wisdom, so that we, weak-voiced, can proclaim, albeit quietly, the greatness of Your beloved Mother. She, chosen from ancient times, by the predetermined advice and goodwill of God and the Father, who painlessly and dispassionately gave birth to You outside of time, She gave birth to You - our cleansing and salvation, justification and redemption, You - life from life, light from light, true God from true God, incarnate from her in the last times. Her birth was extraordinary, surpassing the nature and thought of Her birth, saving the world; Memorable and truly sacred and all-glorious is Her Dormition. She was predestined by the Father, She was foreshadowed by the prophets by the Holy Spirit, and the sanctifying power of the Spirit overshadowed Her, cleansed, sanctified and, as it were, enriched Her. Then You, the limit and Word of the Father, indescribably moved into her, and called our insignificant nature to the boundless heights of Your incomprehensible Divinity. Having received the firstfruits of our nature from the most pure, undefiled and immaculate blood of the Holy Virgin, You formed Yourself flesh, animated by a verbal and rational soul, took it upon Yourself and became a perfect man, without ceasing to be perfect God, and consubstantial with Your Father, who only through ineffable compassion took on our weakness. And You came from it, one Christ, one Lord, one Son, God and at the same time man, and, moreover, a perfect God and at the same time a perfect man, one hypostasis, composed of two perfect natures - Divine and human, and in two perfect natures - Divinity and humanity, not just God and not just man, but one Son of God and God incarnate, one and the same at the same time, both God and man, who did not undergo fusion and did not suffer division, containing in Himself The natural properties of two different natures, united in one person unmerged and inseparable, (namely) created and uncreated, mortal and immortal, visible and invisible, limited and unlimited, Divine will and human will, Divine action, moreover, however, human action, two free wills, both Divine and human, Divine miracles and human inclinations (I mean natural and immaculate). The whole of the first Adam, as he was before the crime, free from sin, body, soul and mind, with their natural properties, You accepted, Master, according to the compassion of Your mercy, in order to grant salvation to all of me: for what is not accepted is not healed. And thus, having become a mediator between God and people, You destroyed the enmity and brought apostates to Your Father, converted the lost, enlightened the darkened, renewed the decayed, turned the corruptible into incorruptibility, freed the creation from polytheistic error, made people children of God, revealed the disgraced as partakers of the Divine glory, elevated those condemned to hell above all authority and power, doomed to return to the earth and to dwell in hell, he seated himself on the royal throne. Who was the service chamber in which these boundless benefits were prepared, exceeding any mind and concept? Is it not the Ever-Virgin who gave birth to You? You see, God-loving fathers and brothers, the grace of this day! You see how high and venerable is She Whom we glorify today! Aren't Her mysteries scary and wondrous? Blessed are those who see how decent it is to see! Blessed are those who have acquired mental sense! What a blaze of light illuminates the real night! What angelic guards guard and adorn the Dormition of the Life-Giving Mother! What divine prophecies of the Apostles delight the burial of the God-receiving body! How the Word of God, who in His mercy deigned to become Her Son, receives Her sacred soul in His sovereign hands, serving Her, the All-Holy and Divine, as His Mother! O good Lawgiver! Not being subject to the law, He fulfills the law given by Himself, because He legislated that children should give due respect to their parents, saying: Honor your father and your mother (Ex. 20:12). And that what we have said is true is obvious to anyone who is at least somewhat knowledgeable in the Divine sayings of the Holy Scriptures. For if the souls of all the righteous are in the hand of God, as the Divine Scripture says (Wis. 3:1), then did She not much more give Her soul into the hands of Her Son and Her God? This word is true and above all controversy! But let us tell you, if you allow, who She is, where she comes from, how She was given into this life, She is the highest and most precious gift of all God’s gifts, what kind of life she led on earth and what sacraments she was awarded. If the pagans, paying honor to those who had passed away from life with a funeral oration, diligently collected everything that they found possible, in order, on the one hand, to make the praise of the glorified more perfect, and on the other, to arouse in those who remained more zealous for virtue, and, moreover, for the most part, weaved into their words fables and endless inventions, because those they praised had nothing of their own that would deserve praise, then wouldn’t we are extremely ridiculous and will we not be subject to the same condemnation as a person who hid his talent if we cover with deep silence the most true and venerable deeds - that which, in essence, has brought blessing and salvation to everyone? - Let us begin our word and try to keep it short, so that it does not turn out to be disgusting to the ear, as excess food is disgusting to the body. Her (the Mother of God) parents were Joachim and Anna. Joachim, as a kind of shepherd of sheep, tended his thoughts like flocks, leading them where he wanted, and being himself a shepherd, like a sheep, by the Lord God, he had no shortage of blessings. Do not think that I call goods what is desired by many, to which the thoughts of sensualists are always directed, which is not likely to last, and which cannot make its richest owner better, (i.e., that I call goods) the pleasures of real life, which cannot be durable, but soon disappear and are immediately destroyed. No, it is not for us to admire them, and this is not the lot of those who fear the Lord. I mean those blessings that are desired and dear to truly prudent people, blessings that last forever, which are pleasing to God and bring ripe fruits to their acquisitors; I mean the virtues that will be given to those who labored worthily and to those who have labored to the best of their ability in due time, that is, in the next century, the fruit of eternal life: for labor precedes, and eternal bliss follows after it. So, Joachim constantly nurtured his thoughts within himself, staying in the green place, that is, in meditation on Divine sayings, enjoying on the water of rest (Ps. 23:2), Divine grace, distracting them (thoughts) from unclean paths and leading them along the paths of righteousness. And Anna, which means grace, was as much connected with him by the bonds of sameness as by the bonds of marriage. She was adorned with all blessings, but, for some secret reason, she suffered from the disease of infertility. For true grace (then) was also unfruitful, being unable to bear fruit in the souls of men, because everyone strayed, every one of them became unprofitable: there was neither an understanding nor a seeking God (Ps. 13:2). Finally, the good God, having looked upon the creation of His hands, having mercy on him and desiring to save him, resolves the barrenness of grace, that is, of the God-wise Anna, giving her a Daughter, which was not before and which will not be after. This resolution of barrenness showed in the clearest way that the world will henceforth be freed from the barrenness of goods, and that the dry stump will begin to bear the fruits of ineffable bliss. From such and such parents, according to promise, the Mother of God comes. The angel announces the conception of the one who is about to be born: for it was necessary that the Mother of the one truly perfect God, who would be in the flesh, should not be inferior to anyone and not take second place. Then She is dedicated to the holy church of God, and lives here, showing special purity and perfection in her way of life before everyone, withdrawing from all communication with wicked husbands and wives. When She reached adulthood and, according to the law, could not remain in the sanctuary, then the council of priests entrusted Joseph with the betrothed, or, in other words, the guardian of virginity, who, in comparison with others, kept the law unbreakable until old age. The Holy and Most Pure Young Lady stayed with him, completely devoted to household chores and not knowing anything that was happening outside Her house. But when the fullness of time came, as the Divine Apostle says (Gal. 4:4), then the angel Gabriel was sent to this true Daughter of God, and said to Her: Rejoice, full of grace: the Lord is with Thee (Luke 1:28)! Beautiful is this angelic greeting to the One who is higher than the angels: it brings joy to the whole world. But she decided to preserve her virginity inviolably and was unaccustomed to conversation with her husband, and was embarrassed by this speech. “What would such a greeting mean?” – She thought to herself. And the angel said to Her: Do not be afraid, Mariam: for you have found grace with God. Indeed, grace worthy of grace has been found; Those who have cultivated the labors of grace and received a rich harvest have found grace. The one who gave birth to the seeds of grace and gathered the abundant classes of grace has found grace. She found an abyss of grace who preserved the ship of pure virginity unharmed, for She kept the soul, no less than the body, virgin, which is why the virginity of the body was also preserved. And give birth to a Son, said the angel, and call His name Jesus. And “Jesus” means “Savior”. He will save His people from their sins (Matthew 1:21). What does the Treasury of True Wisdom answer to this? She does not imitate the foremother Eve, but, on the contrary, corrects Her carelessness, and, having protected herself by nature, this is how she responds to the words of the angel: “How will this be for me, if I don’t know a husband?” You are saying the impossible. Your words destroy the limits of nature set by the Creator. I will not agree to be the second Eve and trample on the will of the Creator. If you do not say anything contrary to God, then resolve the doubt and explain to Me the method of conception.” To this the angel of truth answered Her: “The Holy Spirit will come upon You, and the power of the Most High will overshadow You: in the same way the Holy One who will be born will be called the Son of God.” What is happening now is not subject to the laws of nature: for the Creator and Ruler of nature, by His power, changes the laws of nature.” She, having heard with sacred reverence this always desired and venerable name, uttered words of submission, filled with fear and joy: behold the handmaid of the Lord, be unto me according to thy word (Luke 1: 29-35). O the depth of the wealth and wisdom and understanding of God, I will now say, together with the Apostle, that His judgment has not been tried, and His ways have not been tried (Rom. 11:33)! What immeasurable goodness of God! What unsearchable love! He who calls the non-existent as the existing (Rom. 4:17), who fills heaven and earth, for whom heaven serves as a throne and earth as a footstool, made for Himself a spacious dwelling in the womb of His Servant, and in Her performed the strangest of all sacraments. For He, being God, becomes man, at a certain time is born prenaturally, and opens the falsehood, leaving the keys of virginity unharmed; and, like a baby, he is carried in the earthly hands of the One who is the radiance of glory and the image of the Hypostasis of the Father, who upholds all things with the word of His mouth (Heb. 1: 3). Oh, truly Divine miracles! Oh, sacraments that surpass nature and understanding Oh, the glorification of virginity that surpasses human nature! What does this great sacrament mean about You, O Holy Mother and Virgin? Blessed are You among women, and blessed is the fruit of Your womb (Luke 1:42)! Blessed are You throughout all generations, the only one most blessed! Behold, they all give birth to You, as You said (Luke 1:48). The daughters of Jerusalem (Song. 6:8), that is, the Church, saw You, and the queens, that is, the souls of the righteous, blessed You, and they will glorify You forever. For You are the royal throne, which the angels stood before, seeing their Lord and Creator sitting on it. You are the mental, sacred and most divine Eden of the ancient Eden, because the earthy Adam dwelt in the ancient one, and the Lord from heaven dwelt in You. You were represented by the ark that kept the seed of the second world, since You gave birth to the salvation of the world - Christ, who drowned sin and tamed its waves. You were foreshadowed by the bush, you were foreshadowed by the written tablets of God, you were foreshadowed by the ark of the Covenant, you were clearly foreshadowed by the golden frame, and the lamp, and the table, and Aaron’s vegetated rod. For from You bodily arose the flame of the Divine - the limit and the Word of the Father; from You came the sweetest and heavenly manna - the name that has no name, and which is above every name; From You arose the eternal and unapproachable light, and the heavenly bread of life, and the uncultivated fruit. Wasn’t You also represented by the cave, which showed the fire growing and flaming at the same time, the image of the Divine Fire that dwelt in You? You were most clearly predestined by the tabernacle of Abraham. For to God the Word, who entered into the tabernacle of Thy womb, human nature presented bread baked in ashes, i.e., its firstfruits from Thy most pure blood, which the Divine Fire, as it were, baked and turned into bread, i.e., took into His Divine Hypostasis and brought into the true essence of the body, animated by verbal and rational soul. I almost forgot Jacob's ladder. So what? Isn’t it clear to everyone that Your image was destined and visible in it? Just as he (Jacob) saw the sky connected by the ends of a ladder with the earth, and the angels descending and ascending along it, and the educational struggle with himself of the truly strong and invincible: so You united what was divided, becoming the mediator and ladder of the descent to us of God, who accepted our weak composition, assimilated it to Himself and united it with Himself, and made man a mind that sees God. As a result of this, the angels descended to Him, serving Him as God and Master; and people, having perceived the angelic life, began to ascend to heaven. To whom, if not to You, should I apply the messages of the Prophets if I want to show them to be true? In fact, what is this fleece of David, on which the Son of the All-King God, co-originating and co-royal with His Father, descended like rain (Ps. 72:6)? Isn't it clear that it is You? What kind of Virgin is this, about whom Isaiah prophetically foretold that She would be pregnant and give birth to a Son, who is God with us, i.e., who, having become man, will also remain God (Is. 7:14)? What kind of Mountain is this in Daniel, from which, without a man’s knife, the cornerstone, Christ, was cut off (Dan. 2:34)? Is it not You who gave birth without seed and was again a Virgin? Let the most Divine Ezekiel come, and let him show those closed gates, passed through from the Lord and not opened, about which he prophetically foretold (Ezekiel 44:1, 2) - let him show the fulfillment of his words. He, without a doubt, will point to You, through whom God, who is above all, passed with the assumed flesh, without opening the doors of virginity: since the seal remains forever unharmed. So, the Prophets foretell You, the angels stand before You, the Apostles serve You, and (among them) the virgin and the Theologian - You, the Ever-Virgin and Mother of God. For now, when You departed to Your Son, You were surrounded by angels, the souls of the Righteous, Patriarchs and Prophets, You were accompanied by the Apostles with countless numbers of God-bearing Fathers, by Divine command, as if on a cloud, gathered from the ends of the earth to this Divine and sacred Jerusalem, and with inspiration singing sacred hymns to You, the source of the life-giving body of the Lord. Oh, how the source of life is translated into life through death! Oh, how the one who transgressed the limits of nature at Christmas now submits to the laws of nature, and the immaculate body is subjected to death! It is fitting that, having laid aside this mortal body, you should put on immortality (1 Cor. 15:53). The Lord of nature himself did not reject the test of death: for He dies with the body, and through death destroys death, through corruption He bestows incorruption, and He makes mortification the source of resurrection. Oh, how the Omnipotent One accepts with His own hands the sacred soul departing from the God-receiving tabernacle, rendering the rightful honor to the One Whose servant by nature, in the unattainable depth of His love for mankind, He wisely made His mother, having become truly incarnate, having become truly human! For this was seen by the army of angels, who were awaiting Your departure from among men. Oh, how wonderful is the departure that comes to God! Although this is granted from the Lord and to all God-bearing servants of God (and we believe that it is granted); but – the difference is immeasurable between slaves and the Mother of God. What name will we call this sacrament that has taken place over You? Death? But although Your all-holy and glorious soul, according to the natural order, is separated from the blessed and undefiled body, and the body is given over to lawful burial; however, it does not remain in death, nor is it destroyed by corruption. She, whose virginity remained unharmed at Christmas, upon repose, had her body preserved indestructible, and was only changed into a better and Divine village, which will no longer fall under the blows of death, but will remain for endless centuries. Just as this radiant and ever-luminous sun, being briefly covered by the body of the moon, seems to disappear, become covered in darkness, and from brilliant becomes dark, and yet, in fact, is not deprived of its light, but has within itself an always flowing source of light, or, better said, is itself, according to the establishment of its Creator - God, an inexhaustible source of light: so You, the ever-flowing source of true light, an inexhaustible treasury of self-life, an abundant spring of blessing, the culprit and accomplice of all our blessings, although for a temporary period you are hidden in the body by death, however, you unenviably pour out on us intermittent, pure and inexhaustible streams of boundless light, immortal life, and true bliss, rivers of grace, sources of healing, everlasting blessing. You have blossomed like an apple on the trees of the forest, and your fruit is sweet in the throats of the faithful. Therefore, let us not call Your sacred repose death, but Dormition, or relocation, or, rather, installation, because, moving from your bodily dwelling, You are installed in a better village (2 Cor. 5:8). The angels and the Archangels carried you: the unclean, airy spirits were afraid of your departure. The sky, rejoicing, accepts your soul. The Powers meet you with sacred songs and bright triumph, saying these or similar words: Who is this rising, white, penetrating like the morning, good like the moon, chosen like the sun (Song. 6:9)? How beautiful you are, how pleasant! You are the flower of the field, like a lily among thorns! For this reason the young virgins loved You. We flock to the smell of Your incense. The King brought You into His palace, where the Authorities surround, the Principalities bless, the Thrones sing, the Cherubim, rejoicing, are horrified, the Seraphim glorify You, who became, by nature and by true dispensation, the Mother of Their Lord. For You did not ascend into heaven like Elijah, not like Paul was caught up to the third heaven, but You penetrated even to the very royal throne of Your Son, You see with Your eyes and rejoice, and with great and unspeakable boldness You stand before Him. You are inexpressible joy for the angels and all the worldly Powers, unceasing joy for the Patriarchs, unspeakable joy for the righteous, constant triumph for the Prophets, blessing for the world, rest for the weary, joy for the weeping, medicine for the sick, refuge for the distressed, forgiveness for sinners, ready help for all who ask! Oh, a truly supernatural miracle! Oh, amazing things! Death, formerly so terrible and hateful, is now praised and pleased! Previously bringing only sorrows and sorrows, tears and grief, now it has become the cause of joy and bright triumph! However, although for all the servants of God, whose death is glorified, with death comes the undoubted confidence that they are pleasing to God, and for this reason their death is pleased, for it perfects them and reveals them blessed, granting the immutability of their virtue, according to what is written: before death, do not please anyone (Sir. 11:28); however, we will not say this about You. It is not death that is Your bliss, it is not death that makes You perfect, and it is not transmigration that gives You security. You Yourself, (Your) seedless conception, Divine (in You) indwelling, (Your) incorruptible Nativity - that was the beginning, the middle, and the end of all good things that exceed the mind! Truly You said that not from your death, but from your very conception, all generations will please You. So, it was not You who made death blessed, but You who adorned death, taking away sorrow from it and revealing it with joy. Therefore, when Your sacred and all-immaculate body was given over to an honest burial, the angels preceded (it), surrounded and accompanied it, and did not omit any service befitting the Mother of their Master, and the Apostles and the entire church council, led by the Spirit, exclaimed Divine songs: We will be filled with the good things of Your house: Holy is Your church, wondrous in righteousness (Ps. 64:5, 6), and also: the Most High has sanctified his village (Ps. 45:5); The mountain of God, the fat mountain, the mountain of the south, God is pleased to live in it (Ps. 67:16, 17). You, the true ark of the Lord God, the face of the Apostles, having laid you on the shoulder, as the priests once did - the educational ark, and placed in a tomb, through the tomb, as through a certain Jordan, they were transported to the true promised land, that is, to the highest Jerusalem, the native city of all the faithful, whose artist and builder is God Himself. For Your soul was not left in hell, and Your flesh did not see corruption (Ps. 15:10). Your most pure and all-immaculate body did not remain in the earth, but You, the Queen, the Lady, the Lady, the Mother of God, the true Mother of God, moved into the royal palaces of heaven! Oh, how the sky received the most expansive of heaven! And how the coffin contained the receptacle of the Divine! But they definitely accepted, they definitely gave me a place. For it was not in her bodily composition that She was more spacious than the sky (how can a body, extending three cubits and constantly decreasing, be equal in breadth and length to the sky?), but primarily by grace it surpassed the measure of all height and depth, for the Divine cannot be compared with anything. Oh, sacred, marvelous, worthy of honor and worship! The tomb, which even now is surrounded by angels, standing with great reverence and fear, which demons tremble, to which people resort with faith, giving honor and worship to it, kissing it with their eyes, lips and desire of the soul, and from which they draw abundant benefits! For, just as precious ointment, having been placed on clothing or in some place and then taken back, leaves a fragrance even when it is already taken: so here, the Divine, sacred, all-immaculate, full of Divine fragrance, body, an abundant spring of grace, having been laid in the tomb, although it was later taken to a better and higher country, however, did not leave its tomb without honor, but communicated Divine fragrance and grace to him, and made him a source of healing and all benefits for all who come with faith. We stand before You now, Lady, and I will say again, Lady, unfathomable Mother of God! We have attached our souls to hope in You, as to some strong and indestructible anchor; We offer ourselves entirely to you, mind, soul, body; We honor You as much as possible (since it is impossible to adequately honor You) with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. If, as the sacred word has taught us, the honor we give to slaves like us serves as proof of our zeal for the common Master, then can we not honor You, who gave birth to the Lord? Shouldn't we, on the contrary, honor You incomparably more diligently? Should not worship of You be preferred to breathing itself, which is so necessary for the maintenance of life? For in this way we will more clearly express our zeal for our Lord. But why am I talking to the Lord? For those who piously honor Your memory, remembrance of You is truly a precious gift: for it gives inalienable joy. Indeed, what pleasure, what blessings will not be fulfilled by the one who makes his mind a repository of Your all-holy memory? As a testimony of our gratitude, we offer You, on our part, these beginnings of words, this libation of a poor mind, moved by love for You and having forgotten about its weakness. Accept this zeal of ours favorably, for You know that our strength does not correspond to it. Look upon us, good Lady, Mother of the good Lord; manage our affairs, calm the impulses of our vile passions; lead us into the serene haven of the Divine will, make us worthy of the future bliss of sweet and immediate illumination from God the Word incarnate from You, with Whom is glory, honor, power and greatness to the Father with the Holy and good and life-giving Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen 175. Jug. Etymological dictionary of the Russian language. Note electronic edition Curs. Compl. Patrolog. Migne, Tom. XCVI, col. 699–722; compare "Christian Reading" 1844, III, 159-185 countries. You might be interested in: