Поучение на Благовещение Пресвятой Богородицы. (О таинстве воплощения Господа нашего Иисуса Христа, и о том, что мы должны праздновать оное духовно). Преподобного Феодора, игумена Студийского и исповедника

The Annunciation has come, and we must celebrate it not just like most people, but with reverence and understanding of the sacrament. What does this sacrament consist of? - in the fact that the Son of God became the son of man, choosing the Most Holy Virgin as a mediator, dwelling in Her and from Her building a church for Himself, and becoming a perfect man. For what? - in order to redeem man from the legal curse, so that we may receive sonship (Galat. 4:5), as it is written, - so that we would no longer be slaves, but free, - so that we would no longer be passionate, but dispassionate, - so that we would no longer be lovers of peace, but lovers of God, - so that we would no longer walk in the flesh, but in the Spirit. For those who are according to the flesh, the carnal, reason; but those who are according to the Spirit, the spiritual. For carnal wisdom is death; but spiritual wisdom is life and peace. For there is carnal wisdom, enmity against God: for one does not submit to God’s law; one can do less. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God (Rom. 8:5–8). Such, in short, is the power of the sacrament! And therefore, we must spiritually celebrate in honor of it, and spiritually behave in its continuation - in truth and reverence, in love, in meekness, in peace, in long-suffering, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, so as not to show the incarnate economy of our Lord Jesus Christ as fruitless and ineffective in relation to us. And not only that; but we must still pray for peace. Why? - because the Son of God came to save the world, and the world rejects Him: tribes and languages ​​reject Him; Those who call upon His Holy Name reject Him, some by the unrighteousness of their faith, others by the badness of their life. What should have been done that He did not do? - Being God, He became man: He humbled Himself, was obedient even to death, the death of the cross (Phil. 2:8), - He gave us His Body to eat and His Blood to drink, - He deigned for us to be called our Father, brother, head, Teacher, groom, and did many other things. And yet He was rejected and endures all this: I have not come, He says, that I may judge the world, but that I may save the world (John 12:47). What should we say about this? – The fact that true disciples grieve over the renunciations of their fellow disciples, showing them their love for both the Teacher and the disciples: thus, true slaves suffer in their hearts at the infidelities of their brothers. Therefore, the great Apostle commands Christians to make prayers, supplications, petitions, and thanksgiving. for all men, for the king, and for all who are in power (1 Tim. 2:1, 2). He also speaks about himself in another place and more: I speak the truth about Christ, I do not lie, my conscience obeying me through the Holy Spirit: for I have great sorrows, and an unceasing pain in my heart. I would pray for I myself would be excommunicated from Christ according to my brethren, my relatives in the flesh (Rom. 9:1-3). Do you see the power of love? Do you see the height of philanthropy? Moses showed the same thing, saying to God: if you forgive them their sin, forgive them; otherwise, blot me out of your book, you have written it in the book (Ex. 32:32). So we, as true and not false disciples, must not only take care of ourselves, but also about the brethren and the whole world, grieve and pray for them. Thus, by doing what is pleasing to the Lord, we will become heirs of eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom belongs glory and dominion with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen 145. See Curs. Compl. Patrolog. Migne, series graeca, vol. XCIX, col. 592; cp. “Catechetical teachings of St. Theodore, abbot of the Studite monastery and confessor.” 2nd edition of Kozelskaya Optina Hermitage. Kaluga. 1896, pp. 207–210; “Philokalia”, in Russian. translation, vol. IV, published. 1889 Moscow, countries. 540–542. You might be interested in: