Беседа на день Вознесения Господня. Святого Григория Двоеслова, папы Римского

The Lord’s disciples did not quickly believe His resurrection: this happened not so much from the weakness of their faith, but to strengthen us in the faith, for, contemplating the many, and moreover, obvious, evidence with which they (the apostles) were convinced of the resurrection, we are more and more confirmed in the faith. Thus, Mary Magdalene, who soon believed, brought me not so much benefit as Thomas, who doubted for a long time: since he was allowed to touch the wounds, by which he healed us from the disease of unbelief. The following words of the Evangelist Luke can also serve to assure us of the truth of the resurrection of the Lord: the poisonous one also commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem... And to those who saw him he was taken away, and a cloud was lifted from their sight (Acts 1:4, 9). Notice the words: poisonous... will be taken with them, and understand the sacrament. He ascends poisoned in order to prove by eating that His body was true, and the Evangelist Mark narrates that the Lord, before His ascension to heaven, reproached the disciples for unbelief and hardness of heart. Let us note here that the Lord reproached His disciples (before He had to physically separate from them) in order to more deeply imprint His last words in their hearts: for after the rebuke He said to them: Going forth in the world, preach the Gospel to every creature. Do not think, brothers, that the Lord, having said: preach to all creation, commanded that the Gospel be preached to both soulless creatures and senseless animals. Here, by the name of creature we must mean man: for among created things, stones are lifeless and insensitive; plants and herbs, although they live, do not feel, and animals, although they feel, do not have reason; angels live, feel and reason. Man has something in common with each of the creatures, because he exists like stones, lives like trees, feels like animals, reasons like angels. If man has something in common with all creation, then that is why all creation means man. Consequently, the Gospel is preached to all creation when it is preached to man, because through this he learns for whom everything on earth was created, and who has similarities with all creatures. By the name of all creation one can also mean the pagans: for before the apostles were told: do not go into the way of the tongue (Matthew 10:5); and now it is commanded to preach to all creation, i.e. That is, the apostolic sermon was supposed to serve us for salvation when, as evidence of their condemnation, the proud Jews rejected it. - But let's move on. He who has faith and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not have faith will be condemned. To this, of course, each of us will say: “I believe; therefore, I will be saved.” He will not speak falsely, if only he proves his faith by deeds: for that faith is true, which does not refute its words with life. That is why the Apostle Paul says about some false believers that they confess God, but His works are averted (Titus 1:16); and the Apostle John says: He says, “I knew Him, but kept not His commandments; it is a lie” (1 John 2:4). If this is so, then our way of life should confirm us in the truth of faith, and we can be called true believers only when we actually fulfill the promises given at baptism to renounce Satan and all his works, and all his ministry. Therefore, let each of you pay careful attention to himself: and if anyone has kept all the promises after baptism, he is a true believer; and if someone did not keep his promise, turned to lawless deeds and set his heart on the pleasures of the world, he must mourn his sins. The most merciful Lord will accept into the number of believers those who turn from the path of error to the truth; accepting all those who truly repent, He atones with His mercy all our iniquity. And these signs will follow to those who believe: in My name the demons will give birth; new tongues will speak; they will take up the serpent; even if they drink of death, it will not harm them; they will lay them on their sick hands, and they will be healthy. If you, brothers, do not create those signs that were necessary at the beginning of the Church of Christ: then, for this alone, do not exclude yourself from the number of believers. Miracles were needed only to spread the faith, just as when we plant trees, we water them only until they take root; and when they grow and put down their roots deep into the ground, we stop watering them. Therefore, the Apostle Paul says: even so the Gentiles are a sign not to believers, but to unbelievers (1 Cor. 14:22). However, we also possess these signs and wonders, only in the spiritual sense: for St. The Church does not cease even now to do in a spiritual way the same things that the apostles did in a visible way. Thus, when priests, when exorcising unclean spirits, lay hands on believers, then by the grace of Christ, like the apostles, they cast out demons; in the same way, when a believer, leaving worldly conversations, talks about the spiritual, speaks about the sacraments of the Church, sings songs of praise to the glory of the Creator: what else does he do if he does not speak in new tongues? He who, with his good advice, eradicates evil in the heart of his brother, will take up the serpent; whoever, hearing bad advice, does not follow it, even though he drinks of mortal things, it does not harm him; whoever by all means helps his neighbor who is not yet established in a pious life, and establishes him in piety by the example of his virtuous life, he, as it were, lays hands on the sick, so that they may be healthy. These miracles are all the more important, the more spiritual they are, the more important that they restore not bodies, but souls. With the help of God, you, brothers, can perform these signs if you want. Meanwhile, external miracles alone cannot convey eternal life to those who perform them: for visible miracles sometimes only testify to the holiness of the miracle worker, but do not make him holy, while spiritual miracles, acting on the hearts, not only prove the holiness of life, but also produce it. Evil people can create the former, but the latter is left to the virtuous alone; That is why the Savior said: My nose said to Me in that day: Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, and in Your name we have cast out demons, and in Your name we have created many mighty powers? And then we will confess to them, for “no one has known you better: get away from Me, you who practice iniquity (Matthew 7:22; Psalm 6:9). Do not, beloved brethren, seek after those signs that even the wicked can perform; but look for signs of love and piety: although they are not visible, they are very real: for them, in the future life, the Lord should have a greater reward, the less glory they are rewarded from people in this life. The Lord, when He spoke to them, ascended into heaven and sat at the right hand of God. In the Old Testament, Elijah was caught up into heaven, but into the air, which is different from the ethereal, for it is closer to the earth (why do we call birds flying through the air “heavenly”), so Elijah was suddenly taken to some hidden region of the earth, where he must dwell in bodily and mental peace until, at the end of the world, he again appears on earth to pay the debt of death (because, according to the wise destinies With His own, God only delayed his time of death, but did not deliver him from it at all); Meanwhile, the Savior conquered death, and by His glorious resurrection destroyed it and showed the glory of His resurrection in the ascension. And it should be noted that Elijah ascended to heaven in a chariot, as proof that, as a man, he needed outside help. The Angels provided him with this help when he ascended to the airy sky: for he could not ascend there by himself, since the weakness of nature did not allow him to separate from the earth; Meanwhile, the Savior did not need a chariot, did not need angels, for the Creator, by His Divine power, ascended to heaven, because He returned to where He had descended - He entered where He had abode from eternity (for although He ascended in humanity, He possessed both heaven and earth in Divinity). But just as Joseph, sold by his brothers, prefigured the sale of our Redeemer, so Enoch, transfigured, and Elijah, taken into the air, prefigured the ascension of the Lord. Consequently, the Lord had heralds and witnesses of His ascension - one before the law, the other under the law in order to come to Himself, who was already able to truly pass through the heavens. That is why the very order in their ascension - both of them differ in certain degrees. For it is narrated that Enoch was laid to rest (Gen. 5:24), and Elijah was taken (2 Kings. 2:11), so that later He would come, Who was neither put nor taken, but would penetrate the ethereal sky with His power. At the same time, it is not superfluous to pay attention to why (Evangel.) Mark said about the Lord that He is seated at the right hand of God; and the first martyr Stephen says: I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God (Acts 7:56)? What does it mean that, according to the testimony of Mark, the Lord sits, and Stephen sees Him standing? – To resolve this, first note that sitting is characteristic of a judge, and standing is characteristic of someone fighting or helping. So, the Evangelist Mark describes the Lord as sitting because He, the Lord, after His Ascension will appear in all His glory as the Judge: for the Savior, having ascended into heaven, took judgment over everyone; and Stephen, set on the feat of battle, saw the Lord standing during his martyrdom, because He (the Lord) helped him: for in order to defeat the unbelief of the tormentors, the Savior Himself fought for Stephen, with His grace. They went out preaching everywhere, hastening the Lord, and confirming the word with subsequent banners. What is worthy of note here is that on the part of the apostles the commandment was immediately followed by miracles.... But, having explained, with the help of God, in brief words the Gospel read, let us say a little about the very greatness of this holiday. The first question presented to us is the following: why is it that when our Lord Jesus Christ was born, although the angels appeared, they were not in white robes, but during His ascension the angels sent appeared in white robes: for the Scripture says that to those who beheld He was taken away, and a cloud was lifted from their sight. And as I looked up to heaven, I went to Him, and behold, two hundred men were before them in white clothing (Acts 1:9,10)? During the Ascension of the Lord, the angels were dressed in white clothes as a sign that the Ascension of the Lord in the flesh constituted the greatest triumph for them, because white clothes are a sign of joy and joy of the heart; and at His birth they did not appear in white robes, because, at the time of His carnal birth, the Divinity seemed humiliated, while at the Ascension of the Lord His humanity was deified (for white robes are more appropriate for exaltation than for humiliation). But, especially during the present celebration, we must reflect on the fact that now the handwriting of our sins and condemnation has been torn, and the definition of our condemnation has changed, because the very nature to which it was said: you are earth, and you came to earth, has now been ascended to heaven. The psalmist says the following about this triumph: for Your splendor is taken above the heavens (Ps. 8:2); God has come forth with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet (Ps. 46:6); Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast taken captivity captive: thou hast received the giving of men (Psalm 67:19). Having ascended into heaven, He truly took captivity captive: for by the power of His incorruption He destroyed our corruption, and gave gifts to people, because He sent down the Holy Spirit on the Apostles, giving to one the word of wisdom, to another the word of knowledge, to another the spirit of knowledge, to another the gifts of healings, to one diversities of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues (1 Cor. 12:8,10). The prophet Habakkuk also says the following about this glory of His ascension: the sun was exalted, and the moon was a hundred in its order (Hab. 3:11). Here under the name of the sun we mean none other than the Lord Himself; and under the name of the moon St. Church: for until the Lord ascended into heaven, St. The Church, contrary to the world, was everywhere seized with fear, but after His ascension it strengthened and openly preached what was secretly believed. Thus, indeed, the words came true: the sun was risen, and the moon was a hundred in its rank, because when the Lord ascended into heaven, then His holy Church increased in the power of preaching. That is why Solomon, on behalf of the Church, said: Behold, He comes galloping to the mountains, and galloping to the hills (Song. 2:8). The Savior, going to deliver us, really seemed to make some kind of leaps. Would you like to know what kind of horse racing these are? Here they are: firstly, He descended from heaven into a virgin’s womb, - from a virgin’s womb He came into a manger, - then from the manger he ascended to the cross, - from the cross he descended into the tomb, - from the tomb he ascended to heaven. Thus, passing through all degrees of human life, He paved the way for us to follow Him. Therefore, the Holy Spirit, through the mouth of the Prophet, says: He will rejoice, as the giant mother-in-law’s way (Ps. 18:6), - so that we from the heart say to Him with the Wise: “Draw us to follow You, into the stench of Your world we flow” (Song. 1:3). So, beloved brethren, let us follow with all our hearts where the Lord ascended in the flesh. Let us reject all attachment to earthly objects, and, having participation in heavenly settlements, let us not seek bliss on earth. Most of all, we must remember that the Lord, Who now ascended into heaven with meekness, will one day appear in a formidable form, and what He now teaches with meekness will one day demand with severity; Therefore, let us not neglect the time given for repentance, let us not neglect ourselves while there is time, because our Savior at His Last Judgment will demand an account from us the more strictly, the more patiently we are now. Think about this circumstance, brothers, constantly, never letting it out of your mind. Let the waves of the sea of ​​life disturb your spirit; you will be strengthened in the hope of the heavenly fatherland, and your mind will be confirmed in the true light. Now the Lord has ascended into heaven; Let us reflect more often and more carefully on what faith teaches us. If the weakness of the flesh still keeps us on earth, then at least let us lovingly follow our Savior. Our desire will be fulfilled in good things by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and to Him, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen 94. Bibliot. Patr. Concionator., volume IV, p. p. 427–429; Wed Conversations of St. Grigor. Double words, trans. archim. Clement. St. Petersburg 1860 Book 2–I, pp. 103–117; Christ. Read 1846, II, 332–345 pp.; Sunday Read IX (1845–46), pp. 41–42. You might be interested in: