Слово в неделю Ваий. Св. Мефодия, епископа Патарского и мученика

Blessed be God! Let us hasten, brethren, from miracles to miracles of the Lord, and let us go from strength to strength (Psalm 83:8). As in a golden chain composed of rings interconnected, each of them holds on to the other of those in contact with it, one is attached to the other and one follows the other: so in the series of miracles that the holy Gospels narrate, one leads to the other the reader of the festivals, the Church of God; and they all delight it together, not with food that perishes, but with food that endures to eternal life (John 6:27). Therefore, beloved, we too will listen with ready hearts (Psalm 9:38) and attentive ears (Proverbs 25:12) to what the Lord God will tell us, through the prophets and the Gospel, about this most holy festival. In truth, He will speak peace to His people and to His chosen ones and to those who turn their hearts to Him (Psalm 84:9). Now the broadcasts of the prophets, like the sounds of trumpets, set the universe in motion, filled all the churches of God with joy and delight and, having distracted the faithful from the field of holy fasting, from the exploits of the struggle against passions, aroused them to sing the hymn of victory and a new song of peace in honor of the Victorious Christ. So, come, all of you, let us sing to the Lord (Psalm 94:1)! Come, all nations, let us clasp our hands, let us shout to God our Savior with a voice of joy (Psalm 47:2). Let no one remain unaffiliated with grace, no one shirk the call: for the tribe of those who disobey comes to destruction (Isa. 33:2). Let no one neglect to meet the King, lest he remain outside the bridal chamber (Matthew 25:10). Let no one be among us with a gloomy face when it is necessary to accept Him, so as not to be condemned along with the wicked citizens, and precisely with those who did not want to accept their Lord as King over them (Luke 19:27). Let us all flock together with joy; Let us all receive Him with zeal and triumph with splendor. Instead of stretching out our garments, let us pour out our hearts before Him (Ps. 61:9), let us give thanks to Him with psalms and songs, and let us cry unceasingly: blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord (Mark 11:9)! For those who bless Him are blessed, and those who curse Him are cursed (Gen. 27:29). And again I will say, without ceasing to encourage you to a holy deed: come, beloved, to bless the Blessed One, so that He may bless us! The Word of God equally invites all ages and ranks to bring praise to the Lord - kings of the earth and all nations, princes and all judges of the earth, young men and maidens (Ps. 149:11, 12), and, what is new and surprising, honors the young and gentle age of infants and nursing children, so that they, as in ancient times Moses before the people who came out of Egypt, first began glorify the Lord with a divinely inspired song: blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Now blessed David, seeing his psalter in the hands of babies, rejoices with joy, rejoices in spirit and triumphs with them, as once before the ark of God, merges his harmonious songs with their songs and joyfully calls out: blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Let us ask him: tell us, Prophet: who is he who comes in the name of the Lord? “Now,” he replies, “it is not my business to teach: it is granted to infants by Him who, from the mouths of babes and sucklings, made praise to silence the enemy and the avenger (Ps. 8:3), so that, through a miracle, the hearts of the fathers may be returned to the children and the disobedient to the way of thinking of the righteous (Luke 1:17).” “Tell us, children, where did you get this wonderful zeal and joyful song?” Who inspired it, who composed it? Who gathered (you)? From what books, from what mentors did you borrow (it)? “Accept,” they answer, participation in our celebration and song, and you will learn what Moses and the other prophets wanted to know (Luke 10:24).” - So, when the invitation has been made to us, and the children have given us their hands as a sign of communication, come, beloved, with zeal we will take part in the sacred rejoicing, and together with the Apostles we will accompany him who ascended to the heavens of heaven to the east (Ps. 67:5, 34), and on earth he was pleased to sit on the son under the yoke (Matt. 21:5). Let us take the branches together with the youths and intertwine them with olive branches, so that the Holy Spirit may overshadow us, and we can harmoniously sing the inspired song: blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest (Matthew 21:9)! Now the patriarch Jacob, seeing his prophecy fulfilled, triumphs in spirit, and with the faithful worships the Father: for he who tied his colt to the vine (Gen. 49:11) sat on a colt. Now a colt is being prepared, a wordless image of the once senseless pagans, as a sign of the submission of the pagan people; and babies depict their infancy in the knowledge of God and their subsequent perfection in knowledge of God. Now, in accordance with the prophecy, the King of glory is glorified on earth, and makes earth-born participants in the heavenly triumph, in order to show that He is the Lord of both, as he is glorified here and there in agreement. Therefore, those on high, proclaiming the salvation that was taking place on earth, sang: Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of His glory (Isa. 6:3)! And those below, accepting joyful happiness in heavenly triumph, cried out: Hosanna in the highest! Hosanna to the son of David! Those on high praised: Blessed is the glory of the Lord from its place (Ezek. 3:12)! And those below exclaimed: Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Meanwhile, all this was happening, and the disciples rejoiced over all the miracles they had seen, and said: blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! peace in heaven and glory in the highest (Luke 19:37–38), - the city began to move and said: who is this (Matthew 21:10)? trying thereby to arouse blind envy against the Lord of glory (and by city meaning the ancient disorderly gathering of the Synagogue). The ungrateful ask: who is this?, as if they had not yet seen in Him a benefactor, glorious in Divine miracles. But the darkness did not embrace the everlasting light that shone in it (John 1:5). Therefore, the prophet Isaiah directly cried out about them: deaf, listen, and blind, look to see. And who is as blind as My servants, and deaf as those who own them? and the servants of God became blind. Many saw and did not notice; their ears were open and did not hear (Isa. 42:18–20). Observe, beloved, the faithfulness of the prophecy, how the providential Divine Spirit, through the saints, announced the future as the present. Truly, the ungrateful saw and felt in miracles that God was working miracles, and remained in unbelief. They saw that someone who was blind from birth confessed that God had restored the light to him. They saw how the paralytic, whose illness lived and grew with him, was freed from his illness with one word. They looked at Lazarus, who escaped death. They heard how the Savior walked on the sea, prepared wine without cultivating grapes, effortlessly delivered bread for satiation, drove away demons, and restored health to the sick. Their streets preached miracles, their ways proclaimed His healings to those who walked. All of Judea was filled with good deeds. And they, having heard the song of praise to God, ask: who is this? O mad, false teachers! Oh, unbelieving fathers! oh, senseless old men! the tribe of the shameless Canaan, and not the pious Judah (Dan. 13:56)! The children recognized the Creator, and the unbelieving fathers said: who is this? The young and inexperienced glorified God, but those who were old in evil days (Dan. 13:52) asked: who is this? Babies preach theology, but elders blaspheme. Children reverently offer songs of praise, and unconsecrated priests are outrageously indignant (Matt. 21:15)! You who oppose the way of thinking of the righteous (Luke 1:17), turn your hearts toward your children: know the mysteries of God. The present event testifies that the one so praised by unlearned lips is God. Search the scriptures; You have heard from the Lord that they testify of Him (John 5:39), and do not remain ignorant of this miracle. Listen, you most ungrateful and alien to grace, to what the prophet Zechariah preaches to you. Rejoice with joy, he says, daughter of Zion! Behold, your King is coming to you, righteous and saving, meek and riding on a colt (Zechariah 9:9). Why do you reject this joy? Why, and in the sunlight, do you love darkness? Why, against an inviolable peace, are you plotting war? If you are sons of Zion, then rejoice with your children. Let the piety of your children be an incentive to joy for you. Find out from them who taught them? who collected it? Where do they get such thoughts? Where does this new theology come from with ancient prophecy? If none of the people could teach them this, if they sing a song of praise on their own, then know that this is God’s work, as it is written in the law: from the mouths of babes and sucklings You have created praise (Ps. 8:3). Rejoice greatly that you have been honored to be the fathers of such children who, at the inspiration of God, proclaimed what even the elders did not know. Turn your hearts to your children, and do not close your eyes to the truth. If you are all the same, hearing without hearing, seeing without seeing, and foolishly retreating from infants, then they will be your judges (Matthew 12:27), according to the word of the Savior. Therefore, by the way, the prophet Isaiah foretold well about you: not now will Jacob be ashamed, and not now will he change his face. But when their children see My works, they will sanctify My name, the Holy One of Jacob, and fear the God of Israel. And those who wander in spirit will learn wisdom, and those who are disobedient will learn obedience, and tongues that are silent will learn to speak peace (Isa. 29:22–24). Do you see, foolish Jew, how from the first words the Prophet foreshadows shame for your unbelief? Learn from him that the song of your children was inspired in them from God, as blessed David also predicted, saying: from the mouths of babes and sucklings You have ordained praise. So, either acquire the proper holiness of the children yourself, or give us the children along with their piety. We will rejoice with them and sing an inspired song to the new glory. Once upon a time, Elder Simeon met the Savior, accepted him into the arms of the Creator of centuries in the form of a baby, and confessed Him as Lord and God; and now, instead of the wicked elders, the children met the Savior, like Simeon; Instead of hugging, they spread out their branches and blessed the Lord God, who was sitting on a donkey, as if on Cherubim: Hosanna to the son of David! blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Together with them, let us exclaim: blessed is God who has come, the King of glory, who by His nature, being not involved in poverty, became poor for us in order to enrich us with His goodness (2 Cor. 8:9)! Blessed is he who comes in humility, and has to come again in glory; now appearing meekly on a colt and glorified by the exclamations of infants, so that what is written may be fulfilled: we have seen Your procession, O God, the procession of my God, the King in the holy place (Ps. 67:25), and another time having to come on the clouds formidable, surrounded by Angels and powers! Oh, honeyed lips of children! Oh, the pure teaching of the God-loving youths! David prophetically hid the thought under the letter: the children, having opened the treasury, spoke out the wealth with their tongues and with gracious words clearly called everyone to enjoyment. Let us also, together with them, take advantage of our inalienable wealth. Let us begin to store Divine gifts in the vast depths and treasuries (of the heart). Let us cry without ceasing: blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. – True God in the name of true God, Almighty from the Almighty, Son in the name of the Father, true King from the true King, having a co-eternal and pre-eternal kingdom, just as He who begat Him! For indeed their kingdom is common; and the Word of God appropriates royal honor to the Son, not as if it were given to Him from the outside, or had a beginning, or could receive an increase - no, as natural and truly characteristic of Him. For there is one kingdom of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, as one being and one dominion; Therefore, we honor with one worship the one Trihypostatic Deity, beginningless, uncreated, infinite and eternal. For neither the Father will ever cease to be Father, nor the Son to be Son and King, nor the Holy Spirit to be what He is by Hypostasis; not a single Person of the Trinity will decrease either in eternity, or in community, or in kingdom. Thus, the Son of God did not become a king because he became a man for us and overthrew our tormentor in the flesh, gaining victory through her over our evil enemy; but both now and after taking flesh, and always because He is a King, like Him who gave birth to Him, because He is eternally Lord and God. So, heretic, do not blame the kingdom of Christ, so as not to offend Him who gave birth to Him. And if anyone is faithful, approach Christ our true God in faith, and not as those who use freedom to cover up evil (1 Peter 2:16). If you are a slave, submit to the Master with trepidation. Whoever is at enmity against the Word is no longer a good servant, but an open enemy, as it is written: whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him (John 5:23). But let us return, beloved, to those words on which we stopped, and exclaim: blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! This good and good shepherd is coming to voluntarily lay down his life for his sheep. Just as trappers, through the means of sheep, catch the wolves devouring the sheep, so the Chief Shepherd, having given himself up in the form of a man to spiritual and murderous wolves, catches these predators for Adam, who was once caught by them. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! - God (coming) is against the devil, not with open power, which even sight cannot bear, but in weak flesh, in order to bind the strong one who rises up against us. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! - The (coming) king is against the tormentor, not with omnipotent power and wisdom, but with the imaginary madness of the cross, in order to snatch prey from the serpent, wise for evil. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! - this (is coming) the True One against the Liar, the Savior against the Destroyer, the Prince of Peace against the Author of Wars, the Lover of Mankind against the Hater. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! – it (is coming), the Lord will have mercy on His creation. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! - it is (coming) the Lord to save lost people, dispel deception, enlighten those sitting in darkness, destroy the delusion of idolatry, introduce saving knowledge of God, sanctify the world, stop wickedness and grief from serving imaginary gods. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! - one (coming to give Himself) for many, in order to deliver the poor human race from the hands of the strongest, the poor and needy from its robbers (Psalm 34:10). Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! - (He is coming) to pour wine and oil on those who have fallen among the robbers and those who have been neglected (Luke 10:30–32). Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! - (He is coming) to save us with Himself, as the Prophet says: not an intercessor and not an angel, but the Lord Himself saved us (Isa. 63:9). Therefore, we bless You, Lord, blessed with the Father and the Holy Spirit before the ages and to the ages of ages, who existed incorporeally before the ages and to this day, and now and forever with Your deified and unchangeable and indivisible flesh. Let us see further what the Divine Evangelist says. When the Lord entered the church, the lame and blind came to Him, and He healed them. When the high priests and Pharisees saw the miracles that He performed, and the children shouting and saying: Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord (Matthew 21:14–15:9) - they could not bear the honor shown to Him: therefore, they came to Him and said: “Do you hear what they say” (Matthew 21:16)? How would they say: and You are not upset that You are glorified as God? Isn’t it saddening for you to hear from innocents (babies) praises befitting the only God? Didn’t God reveal in ancient times through the Prophet: I will not give My glory to anyone (Isaiah 42:8)? And how do You, being a man, make Yourself God (John 10:33)?“ What was the answer to this from the Long-Suffering, the Much-Merciful and the Slow to Wrath (James 1:19)? He stops the insane, tames their rage with His answer, reminds Himself of the words of Scripture, brings evidence from it about the present event, and does not refuse to ask them themselves. “Have you, He says, never heard what I said through the Prophet: “In that day you will know that I am the same who said: Here am I (Isa. 52:6)? - and also: from the mouths of babes and sucklings You made praise for the sake of Your enemies, in order to make silent the enemy and the avenger (Ps. 8:3)? These enemies are you who listen to the law and you read the prophets, but you reject Me, who was proclaimed by the law and the prophets. Under the guise of piety, you think that you are defending the glory of God; and you do not understand that he who hates Me also hates My Father (John 15:23)! I came from the Father and came into the world (John 16:28). Our Savior God, they stopped contradicting him, since the truth blocked their lips; but they undertook another crazy plan, formed a conspiracy against Him. We will sing: great is our Lord, and great is His strength, and His understanding is immeasurable (Psalm 146:5)! For all this was done so that the Lamb and Son of God, Who took upon Himself the sins of the world (John 1:29), would voluntarily suffer for our salvation, so that He might be converted, as it were, into an article of purchase, and the buyers would put down thirty pieces of silver for Him who redeemed the world with His life-giving blood, and so that our Passover, Christ, would be sacrificed for us (1 Cor. 5:7), so that those who are sprinkled His precious blood, and whose lips, like the tops of doors, are sealed with it, could avoid the arrows of the destroyer, and so that Christ, who suffered in the flesh, after the three-day resurrection, received from all creatures, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, equal and equal worship. For before Him every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth (Phil. 2:10), giving Him glory forever and ever. Amen 155. Curs. Compl. Patrolog. Migne, tom. XVIII, b. 384; Wed Research by Prof. E. Lovyagina: “Saint Methodius, Bishop of Patara and martyr, father of the 3rd century.” A complete collection of his creations. St. Petersburg. 1877, countries. 137–146. Comp. with this word from St. Methodius the word inscribed with the name of St. Chrysostom (in the complete collection of works. Chrysostom. Vol. VII, pp. 899–905) and classified, in the Migne edition, in the category of Spuria. You might be interested in: