Слово на Святую Пасху. Святого Иоанна Златоустого, архиепископа Константинопольского

Now is the time for all of us to exclaim in the words of blessed David: whoever proclaims the mighty powers of the Lord is heard, will create all His praises (Ps. 106:2)? Here comes our longed-for and saving holiday, the day of the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, the foundation of the world, the cessation of hostile actions, the destruction of death, victory over the devil. Now people have united with the Angels, and the lightened bodies, together with the incorporeal Forces, offer chants. Now the power of the devil has been overthrown; now the bonds of death are broken, the victory of evil is destroyed; Now is the time to say the following prophetic saying: where is the sting, O death? Where is the victory (1 Cor. 15:55; Hos. 13:14)? Now our Lord Christ has broken in pieces the gates of brass (Isa. 45:2) and struck the very face of death. What do I say: “face”? He changed its very name (death): for it is no longer called death, but “tranquility and sleep.” Before the coming of Christ and the economy of the cross (our salvation), the very name of death was terrible, and the first person, as a great punishment, heard the following sentence: if you take away this day, you will die (Gen. 2:17). Death was the name given not only to the separation of the soul from the body, but also to hell itself. In fact, listen to what the forefather Jacob says: you will bring my old age with sorrow to hell (Gen. 42:38), the Prophet also says: open hell with your mouth (Is. 5:14), and another Prophet says: you delivered me from the lowest hell (Ps. 85:13). When Christ our God was sacrificed and performed the resurrection, the philanthropic Master destroyed these names and introduced a new wonderful law into our lives: the departure from this life is no longer called death, but “tranquility and sleep.” Where can you see this? Listen to Christ (the Lord) Himself, Who said: Lazarus is our friend, but I go and awaken him (John 11:11). Just as it is easy for us to awaken and raise the sleeping one, so it is easy for us all to resurrect the Lord who is common to us. And the teacher of the universe, blessed (Apostle) Paul, says: We who are living and left behind are not imams to precede those who have fallen asleep, and again: if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, so God will also bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus (1 Thessalonians 4:14,15). Do you see that death is everywhere called peace and sleep, and whereas before it was feared, now, after the resurrection, it is easily despised? Do you see the bright victory of the resurrection? Through him, countless blessings have been delivered to us, through him, the wickedness of demons is dispelled, through him we laugh at death, through him we are animated by the hope of future blessings, through him we, clothed with flesh, can be in no way lower than incorporeal beings, if we only want to. Now a brilliant victory has taken place; Now our Lord, having raised the banner of victory over death and overthrowing the power of the devil, through the resurrection has opened for us the path to salvation. So, let us all rejoice, rejoice and be glad: for although our Master has won and raised the banner of victory, we also have joy and joy in common, since He did all this for our salvation. And by what the devil overcame us, by the same token Christ overcame him: the Lord took the same weapons and used them to defeat the devil - but how, listen. The virgin, the tree and death were the instruments of our defeat: the virgin was Eve (for she had not yet known her husband when she was tempted), the tree was the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, death was the punishment for Adam. Do you see how the maiden, the tree and death were the instruments of our defeat? Look how they later became instruments of victory. Instead of Eve - Mary, instead of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil - the tree of the cross, instead of the death of Adam - the death of the Lord. Do you see that by what the devil conquered, he was also defeated? The devil defeated Adam with a tree; Christ defeated the devil with the cross. That tree cast man into hell, and this tree, the tree of the cross, brought those cast down there out of hell again; this forced the stricken man to hide as if he were a prisoner and naked, and this showed everyone the Victor, nakedly nailed on high to the cross. That death condemned everyone who lived even after Adam, but the death of Christ truly resurrected everyone who lived before Him. Whoever speaks of the mighty powers of the Lord will make all His praises heard (Ps. 106:2)? Through death we became immortal, through fall we rose, through defeat we became victors. These are the effects of the cross; they are the greatest proof of the resurrection. Now the Angels rejoice and all the heavenly Powers rejoice, rejoicing at the salvation of the entire human race: for if there is joy in heaven and on earth over one repentant sinner (Luke 15:7), then how much more over the salvation of the universe. Now Christ has elevated human nature to its former dignity, freeing it from the power of the devil. When I see that my firstfruits has thus conquered death, I am no longer afraid, I am no longer afraid of the struggle, and I do not look at my weakness, but I think about the ineffable power of Him who is ready to help me in the struggle. Having conquered the dominion of death and destroyed all its power, what will he not do for his kindred, the image of which He deigned to take upon Himself out of His great love for mankind, and in this image to enter into a struggle with the devil? Now there is joy and spiritual joy throughout the entire universe; the hosts of Angels and the faces of all higher Powers rejoice over the salvation of people. Imagine, beloved, the greatness of this joy, when the Highest Powers triumph with us: because they too rejoice in our blessings. Although grace is bestowed upon us by the Master, it brings joy to them too; therefore they are not ashamed to celebrate with us. But why do I say that “our fellow servants are not ashamed to celebrate with us”? Their and our Lord himself is not ashamed to celebrate with us - and what do I say: “not ashamed”? He wants to celebrate with us. How is this known? Listen to how he himself said: I desired to eat this Passover with you (Luke 22:15). If He wanted to eat Easter, then, obviously, to celebrate with us. Therefore, when you see that not only the Angels and the hosts of all the heavenly Powers, but also the Lord of the Angels Himself is celebrating with us, then what else is missing for you to rejoice? So, let no one grieve today because of his poverty: for this is a spiritual holiday; Let none of the rich be proud of their wealth, for this holiday cannot be increased in the least by wealth. On worldly, everyday holidays, there, rightly, the poor are sad and regrettable, but the rich are pleasant and happy. Why? - because the latter puts on brilliant clothes and offers a rich meal, while poverty prevents the poor from showing the same luxury. But there is nothing of the kind here: all inequality is destroyed; one meal for the rich and the poor, for the slave and for the free. If you are rich, you will receive no more than the poor; whether you are poor, you will receive no less than a rich man, and poverty will not diminish your spiritual feast at all; (for this is Divine grace, which does not distinguish persons). What do I say: “the same meal is offered to the rich and to the poor”? The same meal is offered to him who rules over the universe and to the poor man begging for alms... These are spiritual gifts; God allows people to participate in them, not in accordance with their title, but in accordance with their will and way of thinking. With equal boldness and honor, both the king and the poor man begin to accept and partake of these Divine sacraments. So, I exhort you, let us not degrade such a holiday, but let us observe wisdom worthy of the blessings given to us by the grace of Christ. Let us not indulge in drunkenness and gluttony, but, reflecting on the generosity of the Master, by which He equally honored both rich and poor, slaves and free, and poured out a common gift to everyone, let us repay the Benefactor for His favor towards us; and the reward befitting Him is a life pleasing to Him and a sober, cheerful soul. For such a holiday and celebration, what is needed is not money or expenses, but one good disposition and a pure heart. Let us celebrate this holiday on which the Lord rose. He rose again and resurrected the universe with Himself. He Himself rose again, breaking the bonds of death; and he raised us up, breaking the net of our sins. Adam sinned and died; Christ did not sin and also died. This is extraordinary and wonderful: he sinned and died, but this one did not sin and also died. Why and for what? - so that the one who has sinned and died can, through the One who has not sinned and died, be freed from the bonds of death. This often happens with money debtors: one owes money to another and cannot pay, and therefore is subject to trial; the other, not owing anything, but having the opportunity to pay the debt of that debtor, pays and frees the guilty person from bondage. So it was with Adam and Christ. Adam became a debtor, guilty of death, and was in the power of the devil; Christ was not a debtor and was not in his power, but came and paid with death for him who was in his power, in order to free man from the bonds of death. Do you see the effect of the resurrection? Do you see the Lord’s love for mankind? Do you see the greatness of His care? Let us not be ungrateful to such a Benefactor, and because the fast has passed, let us not be negligent; but now, even more than before, let us take care of the soul, so that it (at a time when the flesh becomes fat) does not become weak; while caring for the slave, we will not neglect the mistress. Let us be content with what is moderate and necessary, so as to provide both soul and body as much as is needed (so as not to suddenly waste all the goods acquired by fasting). All real life is a feat and struggle, and once those who have entered this field of virtue must be abstinent in everything: everyone who strives, says the Apostle, will abstain from everything (1 Cor. 9:25). Don’t you see how in gymnastic wrestling those who go out to fight people take a lot of care of themselves, and with what restraint they exercise their body? This should be the case here too. But since our struggle is not with people, but with evil spirits, then our exercise and abstinence must be spiritual: for our weapons, with which Christ has clothed us, are spiritual. So, let the eye have its limits and rules, so as not to be immediately carried away by everything that presents itself to it; and let the tongue have a fence so as not to prevent thoughts. For this purpose, both teeth and lips were created to guard the tongue, so that the tongue would never rush uncontrollably (having opened these doors), but would arrange everything well in advance (that relates to it), and then speak with all decency, saying what serves to edify the listeners. One must refrain in every possible way from indecent laughter, and wear modest clothing, and in general, one who has entered the field of virtue must arrange oneself well in everything: since the decency of the external members is some expression of the internal state of the soul. If we acquire such a skill for ourselves, then, walking along this path with ease, we will succeed in every virtue without much difficulty, and we will acquire for ourselves great help from above. In this way, we will be able to safely navigate the waves of this life and, having become above the snares of the devil, receive eternal blessings, by the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, be glory, power, honor, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen 37. In short. “The Triumphant,” i.e., a collection of words for the great feasts of the Lord, the Mother of God and great saints, handwritten. IX century, Moscow. Synod, bib. (284– CCLXXI), l.l. 314–319; Wed Words and conversations of St. Zlat. for different occasions, ed. St.–Petersburg Spirit. Acad., 1865, vol. II, pp. 137–149; Full Collection created, St. Zlat., ed. 1897, vol. III, pp. 820–826; Sunday Read ХVIII (1854–55), pp. 1–4; Bibliot. Patr. Concionator. Parisiis. 1662 ann., vol. IV, p.p. 48–51. You might be interested in: