Слово 52

(1) What are these unspeakable verbs that the Apostle Paul heard? - (2) What are the goods that man has not seen with his eyes, nor heard with his ears, nor sighed into his heart? – (3) What is the kingdom of God, and how does it effectively appear in us? 1. The Lord of all, Christ, teaches us every day through the Holy Gospels, where he says other things in secret, so that many would not understand Him, when he speaks in parables, from which he again explains other things in private to His disciples, saying: to you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, but to others in parables (Luke 8:10); He speaks otherwise without hesitation, openly for all to see, as the Apostles told Him: Behold, now you speak without hesitation, but speak no parables (John 16:29). Why is it our duty to investigate and find out in which words the Lord taught openly and openly, and in which he taught in secret and in secret. So, for example, He clearly announced the following: love your enemies... do good to those who hate you (Matthew 5:44); Blessed are those who weep... woe to those who laugh (Luke 6:21,25); repent, the kingdom of heaven is drawing near (Matthew 3:2). And again: he who loves his life will destroy it; and he who hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternity (John 12:25). And: if anyone wants to come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross, and come after Me (Matthew 16:24). There are many other similar places in which Jesus Christ offers His teaching not covertly and in parables, but openly and without any hidden thought. In addition, He said, for example, the following: the kingdom of God is like a piece of grain, which a person was cast into his heirloom; and age, and the tree became great (Luke 13:19). Again: the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant man seeking good beads (Matthew 13:45). And one more thing: the kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three flours until it was all leavened (Matthew 13:33). The Lord speaks of this and many similar things in parables, likening the kingdom of heaven to such objects, and calls them parables. Hence, please think about how great is the wisdom of God, that with such sensual examples, which seem so low to us, He depicts before us and, like some painter, outlines in our minds the unthinkable and incomprehensible. He does this so that the unbelievers remain blind, deprived of the knowledge of such blessings, since they became unworthy of it due to their unbelief, and the believers, on the contrary, hearing and accepting the parable word with faith, see the truth and clearly recognize the event in themselves of the things signified by the parables. For parables are images of spiritual things, and how and what things they are images, listen. The pea seed is the Holy Spirit; a person is every believer who wants to receive this grain by doing the commandments; Vertograd is the heart of a believer, into which that grain is thrown (one, he says, and not many, because naturally indivisible and indivisible cannot be divided into many parts, but always remains one). Then, when we guard ourselves with all attention and care, the grain sprouts; when the sprout rises, it becomes obvious; when he still grows up and becomes quite great, then he becomes known to those in whom he has grown so much; and when it finally becomes like a tree and sends out many branches, then it fills with indescribable joy the one who is worthy to receive this in himself. So, just as a garden without sown seed does not produce any useful potions, except for thorns and wild herbs, and the seed, without being sown, does not germinate and does not bear fruit, but remains alone as it is, in exactly the same way our souls, if they do not accept the divine seed, remain fruitless, full of thorns, that is, sins; Likewise, the divine seed, before it is cast into our souls, remains in itself as it is, does not accept either increase or decrease, and does not give rise to a sprout in us, nor grows into a tree. For how is it possible that that divine seed, not being sown in our hearts and not uniting with us, but being apart from us, just as a seed that is not sown in it is separate from the garden - how, I say, is it possible for it to grow in us, as it grows in those in whose hearts it is sown and with whom it is united? This is in no way possible, just as it is also impossible for the fire to ignite wood without being placed under it, or for the wood to ignite without coming into contact with the fire. But just as some of the words of the Holy Gospels are told to us gloomily and in parables, and others are spoken clearly without concealment, so the words of the Apostles are not all spoken openly without concealment, but some of them require great interpretation and explanation, because they contain the hidden depth of thoughts. And if you recognize it as blessed, let us take into consideration one saying of the Holy Apostle Paul and see what depths of the Spirit are hidden there, for, according to the word of God, the Holy Spirit tests all things, even the depths of God (1 Cor. 2:10). What saying do we have to consider? - About the ineffable verbs that the divine Paul heard when he was caught up to the third heaven. But first we need to explain what the verb means - ρημα, in order to correctly understand the meaning of the apostolic words. The verb - ρημα - means the word - λογος, just as, conversely, the word is called a verb. So, the centurion said to the Lord: rtsy word, - λογος, and my boy will be healed, and Job’s wife said: rtsy verb, - ρημα, one to the Lord and die. - Verbs and words of men are spoken by human lips and heard by human ears. But the word of God and the word emanating from His mouth are completely ineffable and inexpressible for the human language and inconceivable for the human ear, and it is even impossible for the word of God to enter human feeling, because feeling cannot feel that which is above all feeling. – Further, by word and verb in God, according to the first contemplation, we mean the Word of God and the Father, our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, the true God; and by His mouth, with which He utters unspeakable verbs, we mean the Holy Spirit, just as the Prophet says: for this is the mouth of the Lord speaking (Is. 1:20), that is, the Spirit of the Lord. Why is the Holy Spirit called the mouth of God, and the Son is called the Verb and Word? Because just as our own word, which exists in our soul, is pronounced and made manifest to others through our lips, and it is impossible to pronounce or make it manifest in any other way except by speaking our lips, so the Son of God and the Word cannot be known or heard unless it is revealed through the Holy Spirit. - What we say: cannot, we say this in relation to God instead of ου æ ενδεχεται (it does not happen that, - inappropriate, not appropriate) and instead of - does not want, as they say, for example, it is impossible to lie to God, and it is not possible to create many signs. And just as it happens with us that if we do not open our own lips, then our word cannot come out, so if the mouth of God (that is, the Holy Spirit) is not opened through the illumination and illumination that occurs in us (I do not say that the Spirit is opened, but our mind, when it is illuminated and enlightened by the Spirit), the Son and the Word of God is not seen and is not evident in the sense of sight and hearing of our (smart). Having explained this, we conclude that these ineffable verbs, which the divine Paul heard, are nothing else (in my feeble-minded opinion) than the hidden and truly inexplicable and invisible, through the illumination of the Holy Spirit, contemplations that occur, and divine and inconceivable understandings of the most luminous and unknown glory and the Divinity of the Son and the Word of God, which, being revealed, appear clearer and purer to those who are worthy of it. This, I say, is what those unheard hearings of ineffable verbs are, that incomprehensible comprehension of incomprehensible things. If the Apostle said that he heard verbs (that is, by hearing), and we, explaining these verbs, said that it is the Son of God and the Father who is spoken through the Holy Spirit, and at the same time through His illumination is revealed to those worthy, and such illumination or revelation occurs, we said, through contemplation, and not through hearing, then let this not seem strange and incorrect to you. But listen to the solution to this perplexity and understand the matter as it is, so that you will not be unfaithful, but faithful. This is what permission is. Listen! God, who is the first cause of everything else, is one. And this is one - there is light and life, Spirit and Word, mouth and verb, wisdom and knowledge, joy and love, the kingdom of heaven and paradise, the heaven of heavens, like the sun of suns, and the God of gods, and any other good that you may say, borrowing the thought of it from these visible things, or from that which is above all of them - you will find that it is this one, about which I spoke, and you will be convinced that it is and is called comprehensively, essentially and dominantly – the Good. It has no complete similarity with the visible, but is above all visible good, incomparable and ineffable. And this is inseparably one, just as the visible is separated from one another, but remains one and the same, without any change. It is all good, the highest of all good. - On the other hand, man, created in the image and likeness of God, is honored by the same way of being, and has in a single soul a mind, a word, and a single feeling, although it, according to the five natural needs of the body, is divided into five senses. In relation to the body, it is inseparably divided through the five private senses - sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch, and being unchangeable, it manifests its effectiveness - and sees (not the sense itself, but the soul through it), and hears, and smells, and tastes, and distinguishes things by touch. In relation to the spiritual, there is no need for this general feeling to be divided into five senses, as if into five windows - it is not required, I say, neither eyes to open them to see things there, nor ears to hear the word, nor an organ of smell to smell the good things there, nor lips and tongue to taste and distinguish sweet from bitter, nor hands to distinguish between hard and soft, heavy and light. But it goes beyond all this that we have said, and will naturally follow the mind, without being separated from it and carried entirely with it; but, being entirely one feeling, it has with itself and in itself five feelings (or, more precisely, more), since they are all one in essence. Now, I ask you, understand more precisely what my word expresses. The soul, the mind, the word are one, in the one essence and one nature of man - and this one feels, reasons as a rational being, understands, remembers, consults with itself, wants or does not want, chooses or does not choose, loves or hates, and - so as not to lengthen the words - this one is a living (creature or force), which at the same time sees, and hears, and smells, and tastes, and touches, and understands, and knows, and speaks. - Listen carefully and delve into the power of what is being said to you, so that you can understand what ineffable verbs these are and how Saint Paul heard them - which were both revealed to him and visible to them in the Holy Spirit. God, the Creator of all things, is one, and this one, as we said before, is all good. On the other hand, the soul, rational and immortal, is also one. And it is all one - a feeling that combines all the feelings that exist. So, when the one God of all appears through revelation to a single rational soul, then every good is revealed to it and at the same time is contemplated (felt) by all its senses together. This one and every good thing is both visible and audible, and delights the taste, and fragrant the sense of smell, is touched, cognized, speaks and is spoken, knows and is known, and what it knows is recognized. For whoever is known by God knows that he is known, and whoever sees God knows that God also sees him. But whoever does not see God does not know that God sees him, since he himself does not see Him, although he sees everything else well. So, those who were worthy to see with all their senses together, as one of many senses, this all-good, which is both one and many, because it is all-good, those, I say, have known and are daily cognizing with different feelings of a single sense different goods together, as one, do not recognize any difference in everything that has been said, but contemplation is called knowledge and knowledge is called contemplation, hearing with sight and sight with hearing, just like the prophet Habakkuk says: Lord, I heard Your rumor and was afraid. Lord, I understood Your works and was horrified (Hab. 3:1). Who else did he hear this from? Prophesying, he preached about the Lord. How does he say: Lord, I have heard Your hearing? And what does he want to reveal through double hearing when he says: I have heard Your hearing? What else, except that through the illumination of the Holy Spirit, or revelation from Him, I knew with certainty our Lord Jesus Christ, and again, through the secret speaking of this same Holy Spirit we teach, I knew all the incarnate economy of the Lord; and then this teaching about the Lord, which he received from the Holy Spirit, he assimilated to himself as if it were his own, and as if seeing the Lord, as in fact he saw Him with certainty through the illumination from the Holy Spirit, he said to Him: in the midst of two animals you will be known, when you approach in the summer, you will be known, when the time comes, you will appear (Hab. 3: 2). So he calls the teaching together and the knowledge that occurs through contemplation, the action of the Spirit, the hearing that he heard about the incarnate economy of the Lord. And by saying: “Lord!”, he shows that he saw Him before him and talked with Him, for what kind of person talks with someone whom he does not see? Can anyone, without seeing the earthly king in front of him, say to him: Oh, king! I heard the definitions that your royal power laid down? No way. And the prophet speaks, and says not only, “I have heard Your ear,” but also, “You will be known, and you will be known, and you will appear.” why, as one who has known with all certainty the whole counsel of the Lord, he says to Him, as it were: You want to do this and that, O Lord, as Your Kingdom has determined. And all prophetic sayings mostly mean the same thing. So, it is customary for Divine Scripture to thus call hearing the contemplation of God and contemplation the hearing of God. Likewise, the divine Paul unusually called the inexplicable contemplations and illumination of the Holy Spirit, teachings and revelations that surpass the measure of human nature and power verbs, saying and writing that he heard ineffable verbs. But after this he wrote: and for many revelations and so on. So, if the divine Paul said before that he heard, then why, after he heard, does he call it revelations, when revelations come through contemplation, and not through hearing, as David also says: open my eyes, and I will understand the wonders of Your law (Ps. 119:18)? For what else, if not because, as we said, he uses hearing instead of contemplation and contemplation instead of hearing? The Apostle Paul also mentioned that he was caught up to the third heaven. And again the question is: how did he say what he heard later? And this is for no other reason than the one we have just indicated. From here we conclude that by admiration he designated, firstly, the contemplation that he saw, then the mysteries that were in this contemplation - and about what most clearly revealed its glory and the Divinity that shone to him, he said that he heard that - since this informed knowledge, taught the one who saw this and revealed to him that which is ineffable and unthinkable for everyone. So, in relation to spiritual things, as we said, both the auditory and the visual sense are one and from what someone contemplates or hears here, he cannot say definitively what exactly this or that is, judging by how he sees or hears it. This is why the Apostle said that it is impossible to express it in human language. We, however, must strive to cleanse ourselves through repentance and humility in order to unite all our feelings as one with the one good and all-good God, and then everything that we cannot imagine and explain in many words, we will know and understand all at once, hearing with sight and seeing with hearing, learning by contemplation and listening by revelation. However, there is also another kind of hearing in relation to the most spiritual things. What is it? That by which the promise of the blessings that are to be given to us is accepted. Like the prophets who prophesied about the first coming of the Lord, although they contemplated Him and knew exactly, but since it had not yet come true in their days, but was going to happen after, they said about what was revealed and shown to them regarding it that they heard it, as it was going to happen later. So Saint Paul, because he saw the blessings of the kingdom of heaven, which are to be given to the righteous, and because he knew and was absolutely convinced that those who love God with all their souls and keep His commandments will undoubtedly receive these blessings at the second coming of the Lord and after the resurrection of the dead, according to the promise of the Lord, he said: I have heard inexpressible verbs, even if man should not fly. - But why did you first call them goods, and then call them verbs? Because these blessings are truly some wondrous and wonderful words, through which every rational nature will be delighted with inexhaustible, ever-living and life-giving pleasure, will be (always. - Ed.) enlivened by divine revival and rejoiced. For since the Word of God and the Father is God, it is right that the illumination and revelation of God’s Words are called verbs. The Word is God, and His words are the rays and brilliance of the Divine, which shine from God like lightning and are most clearly revealed to us. I cannot explain or interpret these verbs, but the beloved disciple of Christ, John the Theologian, according to the grace given to him by God, said something in explanation of what Saint Paul heard, saying: beloved, now we are children of God, and not appearing that we shall be; We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He is (1 John 3:2). Saint Paul said that he heard ineffable verbs that no man can utter. And John the Theologian says: We know that when He appears, we will be like Him and we will see Him as He is. This is what Saint Paul says in another place: now I understand in part, but then I know as I was also known (1 Cor. 13:12). Do you see how, in relation to spiritual things, knowledge and likeness, vision and knowledge are one and the same? “For Christ is everything to us—knowledge, wisdom, word, illumination, contemplation, knowledge, and He gives those who love Him to partake of His blessings in this life, and He also allows them to mysteriously hear certain ineffable verbs, mostly hidden. For if Christ is not all together for us, it will follow that the kingdom of heaven and its blessedness are incomplete and imperfect. That is, if Christ will not be for all the righteous, along with what we said above, also a robe, and a crown, and shoes, and joy, and sweetness, food, drink, a meal, a bed, rest, indescribable beauty, and everything else that is suitable for pleasure, glory and joy, but will be insufficient in even one good and for only one of those who have to dwell there, then the deprivation of this missing good will give place to sadness, and, consequently, sadness will enter the midst of the inexpressible joy of those who are having fun, and from this it will clearly become that the word of Scripture is false, which says: sickness, sorrow and groaning will escape (Is. 51:11). But this will not happen in any way, but there will be every kind of good in everyone, and every good will be abundant along with all the good, and will saturate beyond measure all the feelings of those called and sitting at the marriage of Christ the King, and Christ God Himself will be eaten and drunk, since He Himself is every kind of food, drink and sweets. Christ will then be visible to everyone, and Christ Himself will see all the countless myriads of saints, without taking his eyes off anyone, so that it will seem to each of them that He is looking at him, talking with him and greeting him; and no one will be saddened by the fact that Christ did not pay attention to him and despised him. Christ, as we said, will then be the crown having to crown the heads of all the saints. Not accepting any change, but remaining unchanged, He will show Himself different for one and different for another; will devote Himself to everyone, as befits and as he deserves. Christ Himself then has to be a garment for everyone, such a garment as everyone put on asceticism and put on while still in this life; and it is in no way possible for anyone to enter that mysterious marriage without being clothed in this radiant robe. If such a thing were to happen, having mixed with the worthy, to enter there secretly (which, however, is in no way impossible), then he would immediately be expelled. And the Lord Christ, wanting to show us that it is impossible for anyone dressed in dark rags to stay at a wedding, interpreted this with a parable, in which, having said: friend, how did you come in without a wedding garment, he then added: having tied his hand and nose, throw him into utter darkness (Matthew 22:12-13). I believe that the Lord spoke in this way not because he entered the marriages darkly dressed, hiding from God, before Whom nothing is hidden, but because the time had not yet come to reveal such a sacrament, and He did not want to say directly that it was impossible for anyone to enter there for the marriages who was not dressed in the robe of My Divinity, which is why he hid the word about it under this manner. But the Apostle Paul directly revealed this, saying: as we have put on the earthly image, let us also be clothed in the heavenly image (1 Cor. 15:49). And what is the image of the heavenly, about this listen to what the same divine Paul says: Who is the radiance of glory and the image of His hypostasis (Heb. 1:3), - the most accurate image of God and the Father. So, the image of the Father is the Son, and the image of the Son is the Holy Spirit. He who has seen the Son has seen the Father, and he who has seen the Holy Spirit has seen the Son. The Apostle says: The Lord is the Spirit (2 Cor. 3:17), and again: the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings that cannot be uttered (Rom. 8:26), crying: Abba, Father! (Rom.8:15). The spirit calls: Abba, Father! Not because the Spirit is the Son - may such blasphemy pass us by! - but because the Son of God is seen and contemplated by the Holy Spirit, and that neither the Son is revealed to anyone without the Spirit, nor the Spirit without the Son; but together with the Spirit the Son is revealed and through the Spirit Himself cries out: Abba, Father! 2. But you, beloved, if you don’t yet know what I’m talking about, don’t despair and don’t say: I don’t know what you’re talking about at all, and I can’t learn it, and I don’t think I could ever reach the height of such knowledge, contemplation and purity. But again, don’t say this: if it is impossible for someone to enter the kingdom of God who in this present life has not yet put on Christ as God, has not ascended to the contemplation of Him and has not achieved His dwelling within him (I cannot succeed in anything like that), then what is the use for me to strive for this, to deprive myself of the enjoyment of real blessings because of these exploits? - Look, don’t say such a word and don’t even think like that. But if you wish and if you want to listen to my advice, I, with the help of the Holy Spirit, will explain to you what the real path and method of salvation is. So, first of all, with all your heart, believe that everything I have said is the most perfect truth, testified by the Divine Scriptures, and that everyone who believes in the Son of God has the duty to be just such, for we have been given the opportunity to be children of God, and if we desire, there is no obstacle to this. This was the purpose of the entire incarnate dispensation and the descent of the Son of God to earth, that is, in order to make us fellow members and heirs of His Divinity and His kingdom through faith in Him and keeping His commandments. For if you don’t believe that this happens exactly as I said above, then, of course, you won’t even look for it, and if you don’t seek it, you won’t receive it. And the Lord says: seek and you will find; ask and it will be given to you (Matthew 7:7). After you believe, follow the Divine Scriptures and do everything they tell you. By doing this, you will find all this, as I have written, infallible. And not only this, but you will find many other things, greater than this, you will find written in the Divine Scriptures. What is this? What the eye has not seen, what the ear has not heard, and what has not entered the heart of man are the blessings God has prepared for those who love Him. And if you undoubtedly believe what I said, then you will certainly see it, like Paul, and you will be caught up into paradise, where the thief entered with Christ, and you will hear inexpressible words there. Do you want me to explain to you in some other way what blessings these are, which the eye has not seen and the ear has not heard and has not sighed in the heart of man? “I believe that it would be desirable for you to listen in every possible way, which Paul himself, who saw it, did not say or express. Why didn't he say this? Therefore, I think, so as not to subject people to the sin of unbelief - they will hear and not believe; so if you are not sure that you will believe what I have to tell you, then it is better for you not to hear about it. For if you hear and do not believe, but disobey my words, or, better said, the words of God, then this very word will condemn you on the day of judgment - what you heard and did not believe. Why, without hesitation by doubts, listen to my words or, as I said before, the words of God. - Know the solution we are looking for about the ineffable verbs heard by St. Paul in paradise, that these are the essence of these eternal blessings, and that these blessings, which the eye has not seen, which the ear has never heard of and the human mind has never thought about, which, however, God has prepared for those who love Him - these blessings are not hidden on high, not contained in any place, not in hidden in the depths and not found in the last reaches of the earth or sea, but they are before your eyes. -What are they? – Along with the goods treasured in heaven, there is the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, which we see, eat and drink every day. This is the essence of these benefits! - And besides them, go through all of creation, nowhere will you find any of those blessings that I spoke about. If you want to be convinced of the truth of my words, first become a saint through doing the commandments of God, then partake of the holy and most pure Body and Blood of Christ, and then by experience you will definitely know the power of my words. And to make it easier for you to believe these words of mine, listen to the Lord’s own words, which He said to the Jews, and also to His disciples: Amen, amen, I say to you: Moses did not give you bread from heaven: but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is to come down from heaven and give life to the world. Deciding then to Him: Lord, always give us this bread. Jesus said to them: I am the bread of animals; He who comes to Me will never be hungry, and he who believes in Me will never be thirsty again... The Jews murmured about Him, as they said: I am the bread that came down from heaven. And the verb: Is not this the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can this man say that he has come down from heaven? ( John 6:32–35, 41–42 ). Take heed to yourself, so as not to grumble, like the Jews, and say: Isn’t this the bread that’s on the paten, and isn’t this the wine that’s in the cup? How does this one say that this visible bread and this visible wine are these blessings, which the eye has not seen and about which the ear has not heard and the human mind has never thought about? But listen to what the Lord said to those who grumbled then and said these words: Jesus answered and said to them: Do not grumble among yourselves. No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him, and I will raise him up on the last day (John 6:43–44). It was as if He were saying to them: Why do you not believe and doubt this? No one can know My Divinity (for this is what the words mean: no one can come to Me) unless My Father attracts him and raises him to this knowledge. But the attraction here does not show any kind of violence or coercion, but a calling through revelation. whom He foreknew and ordained... and called through the revelation of His Son (Rom. 8:29-30), delighting them, in some way, with the love of His Son, revealed to them. This is shown more clearly by the following words of the Lord: It is written in the prophets: and they will all be taught by God. Everyone who hears from the Father and learns will come to Me. It is not as if anyone has seen the Father, but he who is from God, in this sight of the Father (John 6:45–46). So, only those taught by God can believe in the Son of God. And again the Lord says: Amen, amen, I say to you: believe in Me, have eternal life. I am the bread of the animal. Your fathers ate manna in the desert and died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that whoever eats from it will not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven: whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread which I will give, which I will eat, is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. The Jews are shaking among themselves, saying: How can this one give us His flesh to eat? Jesus said to them: Amen, amen, I say to you: unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you do not have life in you. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood will have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For My flesh is truly meat, and My blood is truly beer (John 6:47–55). Have you heard that communion of the Divine and Most Pure Mysteries is an eternal life, and that those who have this eternal life within themselves will be resurrected by the Lord on the last day? It is not so that others remain in graves, but so that those who have life in them will be resurrected for eternal life, and others will be resurrected for eternal torment. And so that you understand that this is true, listen to what follows: He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. Just as the living Father sent Me, and I live for the Father’s sake: and he who eats Me, will also live for My sake (John 6:56–57). Do you see what he says? Do you hear how clearly and clearly the Son of God cries out that through the communion of the Most Pure Mysteries, we have the same unity and life with Christ as He Himself has with the Father? For just as He is one with God and His Father by nature, so, he says, we are one with Him by grace when we eat His Flesh and drink His Blood. And so that we do not think that all this is accomplished by visible bread, He said: I am the bread that comes down from heaven. He didn’t just say: He came down (for that would mean that He only came down once), but what does He say? - descend from heaven, that is, I always descend and come to those who receive communion worthily. At the same time, wanting to distract our mind from the visible or, better to say, wanting to lead us through the visible to the contemplation of the invisible glory of His hypostatic Divinity, Christ the Lord said: I am the living bread, and again: My Father will give you the true bread, not from earth, but from heaven. By saying: the true bread is from heaven, he showed that the bread that is from the earth is not true, as it does not bring the necessary benefit. And to show this more clearly, he says: the bread of God is come down from heaven and give life to the world. Again he says: go, and again: give me your stomach. For what? So that you do not think that He is talking about anything corporeal and, when receiving communion, do not imagine anything earthly, but this very small part with which you are receiving communion, with the intelligent eyes of your soul, contemplates the deified one, which has become completely similar to the bread coming down from heaven, who is the true God - the bread and drink of immortal life; so that you do not remain in unbelief, with only the bread that you see with your senses, and thus not eat only earthly bread, and not heavenly, and not lose your life for this, as if you did not taste the spiritually heavenly bread, as Christ Himself says: The Spirit is the one who gives life; the flesh profiteth nothing (John 6:63). Who does this not benefit? Those who say that He is a simple man and not God. And you, faithful one, if you partake only of bread, and not of the body of the deified, and if you do not believe that at the same time you are receiving all of Christ Himself into yourself, how do you hope to receive life from Him and have Him in you tangibly for the feeling of your soul? For do you hear what He says? Poisonous Me, that is, the bread that comes down from heaven, will live forever. And again: the flesh does not profit, but the Spirit is the one who gives life. Truly there is a Spirit who cleanses us and makes us worthy to partake of the Body of the Lord. For those who partake of communion unworthily eat judgment to themselves and drink without discerning the Body of the Lord, as the Apostle says. So, the faithful elders, the elders, learned the power of the sacraments about which we have spoken and are talking, the elders tasted the heavenly bread and with it acquired eternal life, given by this heavenly bread, that is, the Son of God, and began to abide in Him and with Him - come, let us be delighted spiritually and mentally to the third heaven, or, better to say, to the very heaven of the Most Holy Trinity, so that we may see and hear all that was spoken and that, however, remains unspeakable, and let us taste, let us smell and touch that goodness with the hands of our soul, that is, let us know it with a truly intelligent feeling, and then let us thank and glorify the man-loving God, saying: glorified be, O Lord, who has deigned to appear and reveal Himself in us, and in all, let’s say, our brothers in general. Fathers and brothers, monks and laymen, rich and poor, slaves and free, young men and old men, and every age and race, listen! God is not false and is not powerless to do what he has promised. He will not suffer to visit all languages, and it is impossible for anyone to hide from His eyes or endure the revelation of His glory on the day of judgment. For when the heavens pass by with a noise, and the elements are destroyed by fire, as St. Peter says (2 Pet. 3:10), then it is impossible for man to endure the day of the coming of the unapproachable God, who lives in the unapproachable light, who, always abiding in it (the light) and coming into the world with it, is thus destined to be seen by every man. Then sinners will be overcome by truly great fear and trembling, and there will be no sorrow and sadness, no illness and torment that could equal those that sinners will then experience. But those who believe this and desire salvation for themselves, listen to what the Holy Spirit says: may each of you turn back from the evil path that you are walking, that is, may you forsake the sins that you commit; learn to do good; deliver the offended; Seek the Lord with difficulty, and your soul will live; turn away from evil and do good; kings, love to be clothed more in chastity, righteousness, truth and pious faith than to be adorned with a royal crown and royal robes; Patriarchs, if you are not friends of God and not His sons, come down from your thrones and first teach yourselves from the Divine Scriptures, and when you become a reflection of God and become like Him, then approach with fear and trembling, and touch the divine; if not so, then when God appears, then you will know that He is a consuming fire, not of those who loved Him, but of those who did not want to accept Him when He came to enlighten them. Rulers, submit and humble yourself; and the rich should better become poor, because it is inconvenient for the rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. And if it is inconvenient for a rich man to get in, then it is completely impossible for a ruler to get in. Yes, it is impossible, for the Lord says to His disciples: princes of the tongue rule over them... It will not be like this in you, but whatever He wills to be in you, let him be your servant. And if anyone wants to be first in you, he will be your servant (Matthew 20:25–27). Scripture calls a prince the one who seeks only his own honor and glory and, by the power of his power, does only his own will. But if our Lord and God, who descended to earth for our salvation and set a saving example for us in everything, said: I came down from heaven, not to do My will, but the will of the Father who sent Me (John 6:38), then which of those who believe in Him can be saved, not doing the will of God, but only his own? And what am I saying – to be saved? It is impossible for such a person to be faithful and to be called a true Christian. This is declared by Christ Himself, our God, when He says: How can you believe, receiving glory from one another, and not seeking glory that is from the one God? (John 5:44). Why is it that everyone who seeks the glory of God and strives in every way to do not his own, but the Lord’s will, never dreams of ruling over anyone else, or presenting himself as superior to anyone, small or large, but the more authority he is given and the more extensive control he is entrusted with, the more he will consider himself sincerely inferior and lesser, and consider the servant of those whom he has under his authority. But those who do not have such a disposition, but seek human glory and thirst for wealth and pleasures, such (it is truly shameful to say) are pagans, and not real Christians, as the divine voice of Jesus, our Lord and God, said: the pagans seek all these; But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you (Luke 12:30–31). 3. But do you know what kind of kingdom He tells us to seek? Is it the one that is on high in heaven and will be revealed after the resurrection of all the dead? And when He commands us to seek him, how far does He consider him from us? Listen carefully, so that you will know what kingdom the Lord tells us to seek. God, the Creator and Organizer of all things, reigns over everything, heavenly, earthly, and underworld; Most of all, He reigns over us with righteousness, knowledge and truth. And this is the kingdom the Lord commands us to seek, that is, to seek, so that God may reign over us. How then may he reign? May He sit on top of us, as on a chariot, and hold with His hands the desires of our souls like reins, and, finding us obedient, may He direct us where He wants, driving our desires like horses, according to His will, so that we willingly obey His commandments and commandments and fulfill them. In this way God reigns in those in whom He has never reigned, after they are cleansed through tears and repentance and become perfect in spiritual wisdom and understanding. So people in this world are like Cherubim in heaven, having God on the back of their souls. Who is so foolish and insensitive that he did not desire to see such divine glory and did not use all his efforts and exploits to acquire it, but rather wanted to acquire wealth, or glory, or worldly power? Or, better said, who is so damned and maddened that he would think that besides the kingdom and glory of God there is something else greater, glory, or kingdom, or wealth, or honor, or power, or pleasure, or anything else that is called and considered good on earth or in heaven, so that, having compared, it is better for him to choose this rather than that? For those who have understanding, there is truly no other good than the kingdom of God. Therefore, let no one dare foolishly drive away Christ, who walks everywhere, seeking to reign over us all. No one, I ask you, should deprive himself of this great and longed-for gift. Let no one fall from this true glory. Let no one abandon the Generous God, the Creator of all things, because of temporary wealth. Let no one be denied the Lord of all things because of partial love for parents, friends and relatives. Let no one destroy the sweets of true life because of carnal lust. Let no one alienate himself from eternal and endless glory because of temporal glory. O come, let us unite ourselves all together and seek, that He who is above every principle and power and every name that can be named will come and reign in each of us; Let each of us accept all of Him into ourselves and have Him inseparable from us day and night, so that He will enlighten him with His bright and unapproachable light (that light that will then burn the enemies of God, when He comes to bring judgment on them, those who do not believe in Him, who do not accept Him and do not want, may He reign over them), descend with him into his dwelling, rest with him on his bed, He embraced him with His invisible arms and kissed him with an indescribable kiss; so that he would console him in illness, drive away sorrows and sorrows, cast out demons, every hour give him joy and tears, the sweetest honey and honeycomb, heal mental and physical passions, destroy the fear of death, ineffably drain away the sources of life and after death raise each of us to the heavens of heaven. All this must be known to you, beloved, by the very act and experienced with all the feeling of your soul, in order to acquire within yourself God, who would raise you with Him to heaven, now, in this life, without a body, and then, in another life, He would resurrect this body for you, making it all-spiritual, and then reign over you for endless centuries, carry you, and be carried by you Himself, He is God above all, to whom all thanksgiving, honor and worship are due, together with His beginningless Father and His Most Holy, good and Life-giving Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen. You might be interested in: