Слово в неделю Пасхи. Святителя Илии Минятия Кефалонитского

The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord (John 20:20). I also rejoice with you, divine disciples of the risen Master. All Christ-bearing peoples will rejoice with you, having finally seen the unflickering light of the luminous day of the Resurrection. The blessed faces of the mountains rejoice and, surrounding the throne of the King of Powers, the Angels of the world sing to Him a victorious song. Hell itself rejoices below and all shines from the bright appearance of the rising Sun of glory, bringing a non-evening day of life to the sorrowful ancestors. The lightly dressed bride of Christ, the Church, rejoices and joyfully greets the Bridegroom, who has emerged from the tomb as from a palace. Golgotha ​​itself changed its appearance: it was a terrible place of a deplorable event and became a glorious spectacle of worldwide joy. The cross, the spear, the crown of thorns, cruel instruments of terrible suffering, magnificently adorn the triumph of the Divine Victor. The tomb, the sorrowful abode of former corruption, now appears as a life-giving palace of incorruption; wounds, the culprit of death, became sources of immortal life. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Let us, the triumphant listeners, rejoice and praise the God-given grace of Christ’s glorious Resurrection. When the gates of heaven, from which man was expelled, were closed, the gates of hell immediately opened, through which death entered the world, entered along with curse and corruption. She, like a tyrant, reigned over the unfortunate human race, which with difficulty and suffering bore a heavy yoke and invariably paid with its own life for the gravest debt. But just as Adam was the first of all people to sin, so he had to be the first to die. And yet, before everyone else and Adam himself, the righteous and innocent Abel died, killed by his envious brother, Cain. Was it not fair that just as sin began from Adam, death also began from him, and not from Abel? Brothers! Each kingdom is stable only when it is based on justice: if justice reigns, the beginning of the kingdom is firm and its existence is eternal. On the contrary, a kingdom is not durable if it is unjust; and very short-lived if it lives by violence. If it begins with injustice, its beginning is shaky, and if it is maintained by violence, its end is near. Of course, the unjust is fragile and the violent is unstable. Now look at the high work of God’s self-loving providence. God allowed it - and the first to die was not Adam, who was the first to sin, which would have been fair, but innocent Abel. Behold, the kingdom of death began with injustice, and therefore its beginning is shaky. Abel not only died first, but (in addition) suffered an unnatural, violent death, killed by his brother. Thus, the reign of death, which began with injustice, attracted violence to its aid, and therefore came close to its end. So, death reigned in the world, but its kingdom was unjust and violent, and therefore unsteady and short-lived. This is the thought of St. Athanasius the Great (in his 61 questions and answers): “if Adam had died first, then death would have had a solid foundation, for it was the first to take away the sinner: but since it was the first to accept the unjustly killed, its kingdom is shaky and weak.” From the very beginning it was discovered that death, although a tyrant, still does not have free royal power over the human race. Enoch slipped from her hands, laid alive; Elijah escaped, ascending to heaven in a chariot of fire. Elijah delivered the son of the widow of Sarepta from the power of death, and His disciple Elisha delivered the son of the Sumanite woman. In the last days, the incarnate Son of God, the Lord of the living and the dead, the terrible Destroyer of death, came and revealed to her all her weakness. With one word, he took away her daughter Jairus, who had already died, and, as if from a dream, raised her to life; he took away the widow’s son, who was already being carried on a bed to the coffin, and aroused him with one touch of his hand; he took Lazarus from death, whom hell had already held in chains for four days, and with one cry he tore him out of corruption; took away so many bodies of the departed saints, brought from the graves to life, whom (hell) had already contained for so long. Finally, (the Lord) deposed the tyrant, killed death, destroyed her kingdom, when the third day gloriously rose from the dead. Descendants of Adam, we all, like birds, were in that fatal unfortunate net that death kept stretched out everywhere. The God-man Jesus betrayed Himself into the same network, accepting a free death. But He gave Himself up with His Divine power, broke the net, and after His glorious resurrection He was the first to soar (to heaven), saving us from the power of death. The net is broken, and we are delivered. Help is ours in the name of the Lord (Ps. 123:7, 8). We are saved and are no longer prisoners of death. We look at her and are no longer afraid of her fierce appearance. Before the resurrection of Christ, death was terrible for man; After the resurrection of Christ, man became fearful of death. Since the risen Jesus conquered death, the disciples of Christ boldly despise it. Among the martyrs, even small children and young virgins laugh at her. Here is the gift of the risen Master, the advantage of the glorious resurrection! Christ has risen and death has been put to death. Christ has risen and corruption has been resolved. Christ has risen and immortality has shone. Christ has risen, and heaven has again opened. Death! Where is your sting now? Hell! Where is your victory? As mortals we fall, but as immortals we rise. We are imprisoned in a dark grave, but the blessed light of the Master's rebellion penetrates there and revives us. We await death, but we foresee immortal life, the guarantee of which was given to us by the resurrection of the Savior. Christ is Risen! Supreme Conqueror of death, eternal Bridegroom of our souls, Most Divine Jesus! My tongue turns to You, my morning spirit turns to You, I turn the souls of these beloved listeners to You. Where I sowed the seed of Your Gospel truth, send down the abundant rain of Your Divine grace, so that the fruit of salvation may grow. Accept, Divine Word, my words as a mental sacrifice offered for the glory of Your holy name, for the salvation of my sinful soul and this entire congregation. Appear in your mind and make us glad with the light of Your glorious resurrection. And even if you find the doors of our hearts closed, still go inside, as You went through the closed doors to Your disciples, and breathe there the grace of Your Holy Spirit and Your Divine peace. Tell us again: receive the Holy Spirit! Peace be with you (John 20:19, 22)! Amen 223. Sermons of Saint Elijah Minyaty of Cephalonite. Ed. St. Trinity. Serg. Laurel. 1902, pp. 98–101. You might be interested in: