Слово на Успение Пречистой и Преблагословенной Владычицы нашей Богородицы и Приснодевы Марии. (Небесная слава Матери Божией). Святого Леонтия Карповича

I will glorify those who glorify Me, says the Lord Himself (1 Samuel 2:30). What kind of glory? - Truly great glory, unspeakable glory. “What will happen to the man whom the king wants to glorify?” – Artaxerxes asked Haman (Esther 6:6). All the more justly can we say in the same words: “What will happen to that person whom the King of kings and Lord of lords wants to glorify?” Of course, whoever the omnipotent, generous and all-containing Lord wants to honor will receive as a gift not something, not something. He is the great Lord, and His greatness has no number, He is the abyss of mercy and the Father of bounties: therefore, what is the glory with which He glorifies those whom He wants to glorify on earth and in heaven? - Namely, this is the one about which He Himself speaks to God the Father: “I have given the glory that you have given to me, which you have given to them” (John 17:22). And if He gives, who can take it away from them? God glorifies: who dares to humiliate them? I was greatly honored by Your friends, O God (Ps. 139:17). For I know that in glorifying them, I glorify Your most honorable and magnificent name, from which they received everything with which they are consoled, and for which they joyfully endured the most severe troubles and sorrows and endured the most terrible and cruel torments. Praising their glorious deeds, am I not giving praise to Him about whom the Prophet says: God is marvelous in His saints, the God of Israel (Ps. 67:36)? And, truly, He is wondrous and wonderful and glorious in His saints; wondrous and glorious and all the saints. saints of God in the One who deigned to surprise and glorify them in Himself, and Himself in them! And if the glory with which the Lord glorifies His servants and saints is so great, then what should be the glory with which He glorified His most pure and blessed Mother? Truly, just as the sun surpasses all the stars in its luminosity, so She surpasses all the saints of God in glory, greatness and Her merits. Therefore, Holy Scripture calls Her not only the morning star and the dawn, not only the moon, but also the sun itself (Song. 6:9; Ps. 18:5); and not only the sun, but also the sky, and in heaven itself the highest throne (Ps. 113:24; 46:9), and the throne of the highest King. And finally, She is called that glorious royal city, to which these prophetic words mainly refer: the glorious verb spoken about You, the City of God (Ps. 86:3). And indeed, the glorious, great and wonderful verbs were uttered about this glorious animated City of the ever-reigning King - they were spoken both in the law and by the prophets, and will never cease to be repeated: for the Christian language will not cease to glorify the Mother of God, the mind not only of man, but also of the Angels will not cease to marvel at Her glory, will not cease a God-loving heart to love Her and be comforted by Her... The Most High Creator Himself deigned to build this animated City for Himself: Wisdom created a house for Herself (Prov. 9:1). This supreme wisdom, this eternal wisdom - Christ our Savior created this animated Chamber for His sojourn: how wonderful and beautiful it must be! The all-wise Creator of heaven and earth deigned to delineate this Paradise, this animated City of His, in various prototypes and sayings of the Old Testament. Firstly, in paradise, in that pure land from which He created a pure and innocent man, He prefigured that mental Earth from which, according to the word of the Prophet, the Truth - Christ arose (Ps. 84:12). Secondly, in Noah’s ark, in which all creations were preserved from the global flood, God prefigured that mental ark in which human nature was saved from the eternal fiery flood. And in many different images of the Old Testament She is represented. The Bush of Moses, burning with fire and unburnt, prefigured this Bush, into which, having entered, the Fire of the Divine did not scorch It, but only enlightened It. The Red Sea, both before the passage and after the passage of the Israelites through it, impassable, prefigured the seedless birth of God the Word and the immaculate purity of the virginity of the Mother of God before and after the birth. The miraculously flourishing Rod of Aaron prefigured this mental Rod from the root of Jesse, from which the Flower of Christ our Savior blossomed with a wonderful and incomprehensible birth. The Tabernacle of Moses prefigured that mental Tabernacle into which the eternal Word of God dwelt and dwelt in the flesh. The Ark of the Covenant, made of non-rotting wood, prefigured this mental Ark, whose pure flesh did not see corruption. The meal with the showbread prefigured that mental meal that carried the animal bread that came down from heaven. The golden stamna with manna prefigured the mental stamna containing manna, from which no one will die forever if he takes it away (John 6:50). The golden censer prefigured that mental Censer, Which, being prepared from pure gold - pure and unfeigned love, filled the whole world with the fragrance of spiritual aromas. The Tablets of the Testament prefigured that mental Tablet on which the eternal and co-essential Word was written with the finger of the Father. The Temple of Solomon and the Holy of Holies prefigured that mental Shrine into which only the heavenly eternal Bishop, Christ, entered. The closed gates of Ezekiel prefigured that mental Door into which no one else entered, except that almighty Prince who protected His people - Israel. Jacob's Ladder prefigured that mental Ladder that raised our nature, humiliated by sin, from earth to heaven. The Fleece of Gideon prefigured that animate Fleece onto which the Dew - Christ - descended from heaven in a quiet and unknown way, at a time when the whole earth was barren and subject to curse. The mountain from which, according to the vision of the prophet Daniel, a stone broke away without the help of hands and crushed the image, prefigured that mental Mountain from which the cornerstone, the living stone, came without a husband, Christ our Savior destroyed the kingdom of the prince of darkness and founded His eternal kingdom. But who could count all the prototypes in which this animated City, the Mother of God, was shown from afar to the forefathers who longed to see Her?... All those who cried many times with tears: Lord, bow down the heavens and come down. Sit on the cherubim, appear! They all knew well that they could not wait for the coming of Christ into this world until a living tabernacle was built for Him: did they really not long to see at least the prototype of that happy Great-Grandchildren, that glorious relative of theirs, for whose sake they themselves were exalted? Didn’t they really love Her with all their hearts, didn’t they greet Her: “You are the praise of Jerusalem, You are the joy of Israel, You are the glory of our people” (Jude 15:9)? One of the advantages of This Illustrious City is that the Most High Architect laid the very foundation of its walls on the highest mountains, as the Prophet testifies when he says: Its foundations are on the holy mountains (Ps. 87:1). Where the very tops of other highly erected buildings barely reached, or, better to say, they could not even reach, there the first stone was laid in the foundation of this city: what all the holy saints of God, with the perfection of life and piety, barely achieved, or, better to say, could not yet achieve, from that the Most Pure and Most Blessed Virgin in Her youth began to spend the first beginnings of life. From her very infancy, She was delighted by the abundant grace of the Most Holy and Life-giving Spirit. Other saints were given grace and spiritual gifts in part; and all the fullness of grace was poured out on the Most Holy Theotokos. That is why the Messenger and Governor of the heavenly ranks calls Her Delighted, that is, filled with grace (Luke 1:28). Therefore, this inhabitant of the heavenly dwelling, constantly standing before the throne of God, had to marvel at Her angelic purity, as the Church sings: Gabriel marveled at the beauty of Your virginity and Your radiant purity, crying out to Thee, the Mother of God: what kind of praise am I worthy of bringing to Thee? What shall I call Thee? I'm underwhelmed and alienated... And if She is full of grace, then there is not the slightest place or access in Her for anything ungraceful. And if the Archangel does not have enough words to glorify the greatness of the Mother of God, then how will we find them? She is truly above all praise, not only human, but also angelic. Oh, Mother of God! For this, one glorious name is enough: “Mother of God”! What the Apostle said about Your Son: He was so much better than the angels, so much more glorious than their inheritance was the name (Heb. 1:4-5), - in the same way one can say about You. You have been honored with the most honorable and most glorious name before all of them: for they are called servants, and You are called Matter; they are princes of the King of Heaven; and You are the Queen and Lady of the Heavenly Palace; they stand before the throne of the Almighty King of glory servilely, like servants, but You, placed at His right hand, have boldness like a Mother. So, rightly, and very justly, the Church of God calls You, the animate church, “More honorable than the Cherubim and More glorious than the Seraphim without comparison.” Him whom they stand before with fear and trembling (3 Ezra. 8:21), - You received into Your Most Pure womb; The One whom they do not dare to look at, covering their faces with their wings (Isa. 6:2), - You carried on Your Most Pure shoulders. You wrapped Him in swaddling clothes around Him who was clothed with light like a robe, You fed Him with milk who fills every living creature with favor. Oh, truly, I repeat once again, the glorious verb spoken about You, the City of God, if You have acquired such a glorious name! And truly, if, when the ark of the canopy of the law was brought into the temple of Solomon, it was so filled with glory that the priests, due to the weakness of their nature, could not stand there (2 Chronicles 5:13, 14; 1 Kings 8:10, 11): then what glory filled You, what splendor of holiness adorned You when there was no ark covenant, but the Creator of the Law and the Prophets Himself entered into You and remained in You as in the most beautiful Palace? It is not without reason that some of the glorious church teachers call Her the greatest and first miracle in the world. There is nothing in Her that would not be wondrous and glorious, as the Church says about this to this Animated Church: “all more than the meaning of all your glorious sacraments, O Mother of God.” Marvelous was Her conception, marvelous her Nativity, marvelous her upbringing; marvelous and above human nature is the holiness of Her entire life; marvelous and more than mind and words in Her virgin purity is maternal fruitfulness. Also marvelous and above the ordinary law of nature is Her glorious and all-honorable Dormition, and so marvelous that not only people, but also the armies of the disembodied should marvel at it, as the Church of God sings about this, saying: “The angels who saw the Dormition of the Most Pure One were amazed.” A great sign appeared in heaven (Rev. 12:1). The sign and miracle were very great and joyful, and no less joy appeared, not only on earth, but also in heaven. The earth marvels and rejoices, hearing and seeing wondrous and unusual events: for it sees the messenger of the Heavenly King, sees the great Archangel of the glory of the Lord, bringing from a distant country to this Glorious City not only news, but also a gift, never before seen in the world; sees him holding in his hands a palm branch from the garden and helicopter city of paradise, and giving it into the hands of this Animated Paradise, as a sign of virginal triumph and victory over death. He also hears from him this new news that the Son has prepared a most worthy inheritance or estate for the Mother. For, although children, according to the word of the Apostle, are not obliged to gain and prepare property for their parents (2 Cor. 12:14), here these rivers go backwards: not the Mother of the Son, but the All-Powerful and Most Rich Son has prepared the most worthy inheritance of His Most Pure and Most Blessed Mother. Oh, Our Most Pure and Most Blessed Lady Theotokos! You have heard truly welcome and all-joyful new news! For what more desirable, more comforting could be announced to You, such as resettlement to the One Whom You loved more than Yourself, and an inseparable eternal stay with Him? Before You, the Only Begotten Son and Your God went to His Originless and Co-existent Father, so that there, in His and His palace, He might prepare a place for You, the Animated Icon. The Mental Sun went to that mental horizon to illuminate that Heavenly Jerusalem about which St. John says that his lamp is the Lamb (Rev. 21:23); and You, the Great Light, - You, the good and perfect Moon (Song. 6:9; Ps. 88:37, 38), left in Your place on earth, so that the mental stars, that is, the Apostles and their successors, from You received the light of the Gospel teaching, which first and foremost shone on You, as on the highest mountain (Hab. 3:3), - so that, finally, in all their troubles and misfortunes they would draw from You, as the Source of life, the sweet water of spiritual joy and consolation. So, You, the Animated Tabernacle of the Covenant of God, remained for a long time under the bushes of earthly wandering; but You saw the urgent need for this, and patiently and willingly endured the burden of Your wandering. However, at this time, as reliable historians testify, She not only never omitted from her heart, wounded by love for Him (Song. 2:5), the memory of His Most Holy and Precious Face, but did not want to let go of the visible signs of His blessings from her eyes, having the custom of almost daily going around all those places with which the remembrance of His philanthropic Providence and the mysteries of our salvation were connected: the Nativity, the crucifixion, burial, resurrection and ascension into heaven; and she kindly kissed them and bathed them in tears. In the place where Your Beloved Son and Your God celebrated the Last Supper with the disciples, where even after the Resurrection you appeared as a closed door (John 20:26), where you generously and abundantly poured out the Most Holy and Life-Giving Spirit on them on the day of Pentecost - in that upper room called Zion, You, Mental Zion, constantly dwelt in the house of John the Theologian, who, like a pure the virgin, to You, the Most Pure Virgin, was betrayed by Your Son and God, according to His will, as a servant and son of grace (John 19:26). Grant, Merciful Mother of mercy, that at least some particle of this holy and reverent feeling be given to us, Thy poor and weak servants! Grant that at least some spark of this fiery love may fall into our cold hearts, so that with the fear of love and pious joy we may glorify that great and inexpressible joy of Thy, with which Thy most holy heart, full of all heavenly gifts, was filled - on that day on which such a long and ardent desire of Thy was fulfilled!.. Oh, if only we had seen the miraculous gathering of the universal preachers of the Gospel and the Apostles from all four countries of the world and the winds that happened before (the Dormition), and the carrying of them on the clouds of heaven, in order to render final service to You, the Animated Icon of God, and to receive a blessing from You, as from the Mother of Your Lord! The earth marveled, seeing such miracles performed on itself; it marveled, listening to this sweet and hitherto unheard singing not only of the entire God-chosen Apostolic Council, but also of the invisible Angels, during the escort of the Ark of God to Gethsemane and then for three days. I marveled, seeing the greatest miracles and blessings of God that the Lord showed, generously and mercifully opening at that time the rich treasury of His blessings: He did not distribute a monetary coin, but health to the sick, walking to the lame, sight to the blind (not only sensory, but also spiritual eyes), covered with wounds - healing not only the body, but also the soul, opened the mouth of the dumb He made clear the tongues of the wicked and, raising up the children of Abraham, even from the very stone (Matthew 3:9), commanded them to tell His greatness. The earth marveled at all this, but was even more surprised when it saw the descent upon itself of His Lord and Creator Himself with a countless multitude of His incorporeal servants and the Heavenly Powers, when He, as the Creator of the law, fulfilling the law commanding to honor parents (Exod. 20:12), showed respect befitting the Mother, as the Church of God testifies to this in its hymn: “The exceeding heavenly powers came with their Master, the God-pleasing and radiant body was sent forth, overcome with horror, beautifully before.” Finally, the earth marveled, seeing that the Source of life, as the Church of God sings on the same all-blessed holiday, was placed in the coffin, and the coffin became a ladder to heaven. She marveled and rejoiced together with that glorious city of Gethsemane, in which was the all-honorable Tomb, honored with many different miracles from God and filled with a sweet fragrance, when the earth, leading the Source of Life from itself to the heavenly palaces, was adorned with the splendor of blessing. And not only the earth, but also many ethereal Forces rejoiced. And truly, if there was joy in earthly Jerusalem when the glorious and strong King Solomon, with the priests, commanders and the whole multitude of the sons of Israel, escorted the Irk of the Covenant of the Lord from the city of David, which is in Zion, to the Sanctuary of the Church - the Holy of Holies (2 Chron. 5:12,13): was it really not far away that there was great joy and joy in the heavenly Jerusalem when the Mental Solomon, the One The King of eternal peace, with all His heavenly nobles, with the Principalities and Archangels of glory and with the countless hosts of heaven, accompanied this Animated Icon from the above-mentioned upper room, called Zion, to that heavenly Holy of Holies? The regiments of ethereal forces rejoiced, seeing that their King and Creator was accompanying the new Queen to His Palace. They rejoiced, and each of them, showing, as a servant, the Mother of His Lord, worthy veneration, wanted to best testify to Her his zeal and readiness to serve. They served Her with fear and rejoiced with trembling (Ps. 2:11), and to the highest officials, as the Church of God tells in the same hymn, they called out with these words: “Behold, the Queen of all, the Lady of God, has come, take away the gates, and this most peacefully lift up the Ever-Bearing Mother of Light, for for the sake of the omnipotent salvation of man there was; We cannot look at Nyuzhe and do not powerfully render her worthy honor; Because that which is exceedingly beautiful passes every thought.” They, hearing these words and marveling at the strange ascent, spoke in the words of Solomon: Who is this one who ascends, made white, and confirmed in her Brother (Song. 8:5)? They marvel at the fact that the Daughter of corruptible Adam enters the Holy of Holies, not made with hands, and, exalted before all the most ancient abodes of the heavenly Palace, stands close to the Throne of God itself. But is it surprising that such a high place is given to such a worthy Person? Is this Daughter of corruptible Adam, having become the Matter of the immortal God, not worthy of such a high place, such a great honor? And what greatness of glory, what height of praise and honor cannot be contained by She Who in her womb contained the Incontainable God? What place will be given to the One who ascends to heaven - She who prepared a place for God Descending to earth - Who, who did not have Him on earth (due to the unworthiness of the earth) where to bow her head, received Him into Her house, or better yet into a splendid palace, that is, into Her Most Pure womb, which, as said above, can decently be called both heaven and sun, and in glory, greatness and beauty even incomparably superior to both?! Could it be that the Most Pure Hands of the One Whom She carried on Her Most Pure Shoulders did not carry Her Most Holy Soul there, into that heavenly rest? But what am I saying - the Soul, when Her Most Pure Body, without seeing decay, was transferred to the same heavenly palace. He who deigned to inhabit this Most Pure Body resurrected it before the general resurrection and took it into His heavenly chambers. The Prophet spoke about this long ago: rise, O Lord, into Thy rest, Thou and Thy holy ark (Ps. 13:8)? The Old Testament Icon was a prototype and shadow of this Animated Icon: it was built from non-rotting wood, and this Most Pure Flesh did not submit to corruption, and was not even supposed to submit to It. It should not have been—truly, it should not have been—that Most Holy Body, Which gave birth to the salvation of the world, should have turned to dust. If this hay-like wooden Kivot could not be placed anywhere other than this glorious Solomon’s Temple, built in earthly Jerusalem with great expense and care, then what is surprising if the Mental Irk is buried in this Mental Church of the Mental Solomon, built by the hand and artistry not of some creation, but of the Creator Himself ( Hebrews 11:10) in that heavenly Jerusalem? So, in heaven, or better to say, above all heavens, and not somewhere else, a place had to be prepared for That Animated Heaven, into which the Sun of Truth had settled! It was fitting for She who, by the special grace of God, received that, having surpassed the order of nature and having conquered the universal law of human birth, she remained a Virgin, both before Christmas, and at Christmas, and after Christmas, it was necessary, therefore, to be taken away, by the same grace of God, from the universal law of human nature, so that She, without waiting for the general resurrection of all, would rise to that heavenly peace, and not only in soul, but also in body, she remained near the One who was pleased to be incarnate from Her. The Church of God beautifully sings about this in one hymn, composed by the holy canon writer Cosmos at the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, in the following words: “The rules of nature are conquered in You, O pure virgin, for the Nativity is virgin and the life is betrothed to death; at birth the Virgin is alive even after death, having saved everlastingly, the Mother of God magnifying Thee.” Just as Your birth is incomprehensible and above all word and reason (for, even before the birth, You were a Virgin, You conceived from the Holy Spirit, and after the birth of the Son Immanuel you remained a Virgin): so Your repose is wondrous and above nature, for You alone, by the love and special grace of Your Son and God, rose again before the universal on His second day the coming of the resurrection, and you are already living the Divine life in Your glorified and exalted Body, standing at the right hand of Your Son “dressed in gold and adorned” (Ps. 44:10). You do not die a death like the first Eve; You do not pass away from this world in illness, like she did, you do not hear these words: You are earth, and you will go back to earth (Gen. 3:19), but you hear from the sweet lips of Your Son and Your God this very sweet and comforting word: Arise, come, My Neighbor, My Good, My Dove, for behold, winter has passed away, the rain has departed, He departed for himself: he appeared in blossom on the earth, the time of circumcision has come (Song. 2:10–12). So, for those days in which You experienced immeasurable grief and sorrow in earthly Jerusalem, you now taste unspeakable blessings in heavenly Jerusalem - for those days in which You were humiliated and filled with heart disease more than all the women in the world - now You have been rewarded and exalted more than all the sons and daughters of the first Eve, and not only more than them, but also above the Angels and Archangels, Powers and Authorities, Thrones, Cherubim and Seraphim is exalted and adorned with God’s glory, so that it is not in vain that the Church sings to You, the Animated Church, this song: “Your dormition is glorified by the Powers and Thrones, Principalities and Dominions, the Powers, the Cherubim and the terrible Seraphim. The earth-born are rejoicing, painting themselves in Thy Divine Glory; The Kings and Archangels fall singing: O joyful one, rejoice! Through You, Lord, grant great mercy to the world through You.” At the invitation of the Church, we, too, who are unworthy of Gabriel and the ruler, sing this song with joy, and most of all, on this day of joy and glorification of Yours, we reverently greet You as the Queen of Heaven, and to You, Who has exalted our entire race so highly, we render earthly worship! But, O Most Rich Queen, look now with Your Merciful Eye; on your poor neighbors and kinsmen, and, not forgetting, like our Mother, by grace, kindred appropriation, have mercy on the prodigal and insanely wasteful sons! Extend Your most pure hands, with which You carried the Lord of all, like a baby, and quench His anger, righteously driven towards us! If with Him the prayer of the righteous can greatly be hastened (James 5:16), then much more will Your motherly prayer and intercession not return in vain. Appear to us, our warm Representative, in this life; do not depart from us, Favorable Helper, and at the hour of the exodus of our damned soul from our many-sinful body, drive away the dark images of crafty demons! Make us heirs of the ineffable glory of Your Son and God. For, if the earthly Solomon once freed Abiathar from the death penalty he deserved simply because he carried the ark of the Hay Covenant before his father David (1 Kings. 2:26): then will not the True King of the true world have mercy on those who carry You, the Mental Ark of the New Testament, in a reverent heart and incessant remembrance? Will He really remove those who love You for His sake and glorify Him in You from the good things prepared for those who love Him (1 Cor. 2:9)? is it possible to remove the glory with which He promised to glorify those who glorify Him? He will not remove, truly will not remove, all those who themselves do not withdraw in love from Him and from You. With tears we ask for salvation - You, who surpassed the love and the Seraphim themselves, fiery in love: ask, so that in our cold hearts the fire of this love, ignited, never goes out - ask this from Your Son and God, to Him we send up honor, glory and thanksgiving, with His Beginning Father and the Most Holy, Good and Life-Giving By His Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen 245. In short. See “Leonty Karpovich, church developments of Orthodox southwestern Rus' in the 17th century and two of his words.” Published. Emperor General Histor. and Ancient Ross. at Moscow University Moscow. 1878, pp. 63–118. You might be interested in: