Слово 54

(1) About perfect love, what is its effect? – (2) And that if we do not take care to receive the grace of the Holy Spirit here, in this life, then it is impossible for us to be faithful and Christians; We will also not be children of God. 1. If one who, being evil, keeps before the eyes of the world the appearance of a virtuous person, in order to deceive and destroy many; if, I say, such a person is accursed before God, vile and worthy of all condemnation before people, then it is clear that the one who, being dispassionate, shows himself to the world to be passionate (as many of the ancient fathers did in order to serve many for the good and salvation) is highly praised and blessed. For just as the devil, who alienated man from God and deprived him of all the blessings of paradise, by hiding himself in the serpent, advised him what was apparently good and useful, but in truth was deadly, turned out to be a fighter against God and a murderer, so, on the contrary, the one who, in the eyes of the world, shows himself to be not good and speaks certain words, apparently evil, with the intention of finding out the devilish deeds of those who seem only virtuous and reverent, in order to turn them to the path of repentance and salvation, truly he is an imitator of Christ, a follower of the will of God, a savior and deliverer of men. This, however, can only be done by those who are not attached to this world and have no predilection for its attractive appearances, but having completely alienated themselves from all worldly predilections, have been completely united with God and have the whole Christ within them, in deed, in skill, in feeling, in knowledge, and in contemplation. It is bad, of course, to spy on someone and curiously investigate what our neighbor says and does, but this is only when someone does it with a bad purpose, in order to blaspheme, or dishonor, or glorify him, divulging everywhere what he saw or heard. But if someone does this with a good purpose, in order to correct the mistakes of his neighbor, with love for him, prudence and knowledge of the matter, moreover, praying to God for his salvation with all his soul and with tears, then this is not bad. I know a man who used many ways and different techniques in order to see what those who lived with him were doing, but he did this not in order to cause any harm to them, but in order to then help them leave their bad deeds and evil thoughts, to attract someone to himself with a word, someone with some gift, someone in some other way, and sometimes he cried about one thing or another, sometimes he beat himself in the face and chest for saving someone, sometimes he himself took the face sinned in word or deed and, imagining himself to have sinned with the sin of his brother, confessed this sin to God and prayed for forgiveness, shedding abundant tears. I also knew another who rejoiced so much about those who strive, correcting every virtue and succeeding in goodness, as if he was sure that he would receive reward for their virtues and exploits, more than the laborers themselves; and again for those who sinned in word or deed and remained in sin, he grieved and lamented so much, as if he had no doubt that he alone had to answer for them all and be cast into hell. I also know someone who so strongly desired the salvation of his brethren that many times with warm tears he begged God, so that either they would be saved, or that he too would be given over to torment along with them. Moved by God-imitating warm love, he in no way wanted to be saved alone, without his brothers. For he was so united with them spiritually, by a union of holy love, in the Holy Spirit, that he did not want to enter the kingdom of heaven, having separated from them. O holy unity! O holy union! O the inexplicable power of the wise soul, or, better to say, the God-bearing soul, perfect in love for God and neighbor! 2. He who has not yet achieved the measure of such love and does not see any signs of it in his soul, still lives earthly and on earth, or, better said, he is still hidden under the earth, like a mole: for, like this mole, he is blind, and hears only by hearing those who speak above the earth. What a misfortune! We were born of God in holy Baptism, became immortal, were honored to be called by a heavenly name and to be heirs of God, joint heirs with Christ and citizens of heaven - and have not yet accepted by feeling and have not known by experience so many blessings. But just as iron does not feel, as it is placed in the fire, as soulless skin does not feel, as it is painted, so are we, when, having been surrounded by such God’s blessings, we confess that we have no feeling about them. By presenting ourselves as Christians, we show the world that we are faithful and perfect Christians, we boast in our faith and in so many blessings received from God in it, but we remain motionless in matters of faith and live a life that is truly damned and worthy of pity. In this respect, we are like theater actors who take on the image of kings and other great people, being themselves the poorest and most insignificant, or we are like harlots who are naturally ugly, but, having dressed themselves up and putting on rouge, imagine themselves to be beauties. The characteristics and attributes of Christians born of God are not like this. But just as a child, having come out of his mother’s womb, feels this air, without knowing it, and immediately begins to scream and cry of his own accord, so the one who, having been born by the grace of the All-Holy Spirit, leaves this world, as if from some dark womb, and enters the mental and heavenly light, and in some way penetrates somewhat into that divine light, - at the same time he is suddenly filled with inexpressible joy and he sheds tears without sadness, thinking about from what slavery of darkness he was freed, and into what brilliant light he was honored to enter. This is the beginning of Christianity! Those who did not see or experience such a good or, having experienced it, lost it, and did not seek it again from God, in patience and long suffering, in crying and tears, so that, having been cleansed by works of repentance, that is, fasting, vigil, prayer, heartfelt contrition and other similar things, they could again receive this lost good, that is, the grace of the Holy Spirit and unite with it - such as can, tell me, even call themselves Christians when they are not at all what Christians should be? That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. The one who was born of the Spirit and became a perfect man, and, however, never thought about what grace he had lost due to his unkind life, and did not realize that he had a duty to be renewed spiritually through repentance and again accept Divine grace to change his life, and did not have any care and concern about this - how can such a one be a spiritual child of God? Or how can one be counted among the true Christians, who are the spiritual children of God? Will he himself secretly intervene among the children of light and sit down with them at the royal meal? But for this they will cast him out as not a son of light, but of flesh and blood, and, having tied his hands and feet, he will be cast into eternal fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. And righteously. For someone who has received the realm of being a child of God and an heir to the kingdom of heaven and eternal blessings, and has been taught in every way how, by what virtues and what commandments of God can achieve this honor and glory by fulfilling them, but has despised all this, preferring earthly and perishable things to heavenly incorruptible things, and placing temporal glory above eternal glory - how can one not separate such a person from the rest of the faithful? Therefore, I beg you, my beloved brothers, while you have time and are still in this life, strive. Strive to become sons of God and children of light, which gives us birth from above through repentance; hate the world and everything in the world; hate the flesh and the passions that arise from it; hate all evil lust and covetousness, even down to the smallest thing. And all this will be easy for us to do if we keep in mind what great glory, joy and peace we can receive through this. For, tell me, I ask you, what else can be greater on earth or in heaven than to be a son of God, an heir with God, and a joint heir with Christ? Truly there is nothing. But we, preferring earthly and temporal things, not seeking heavenly blessings and not loving them with all our souls, clearly show to those who see us, firstly, that we are unfaithful, as it is written: How can you believe, accepting glory from one another, and not seeking glory other than the one God? (John 5:44), then, that we have enslaved ourselves to passions and clung to the earth and earthly things, we do not at all want to raise our minds to heaven and God, but, senselessly transgressing His commandments, we fall from sonship to Him. And what, tell me, could be more senseless than someone who disobeys God and does not strive to be His son? He who believes that God exists, thinks about Him all that is great and glorious, confessing that He alone is the Master, Lord and Creator of all, and that He is immortal, eternal, incorruptible, incomprehensible and ineffable. Who knows this and believes that God is like this, how is it possible not to love Him? Or how is it possible not to surrender oneself to exploits (pleasing Him) to the point of being ready to sacrifice one’s very life to Him out of love for Him, in order to be honored to be, I won’t say, His son and heir, but at least one of His faithful servants standing near Him? If everyone who strives and inviolably keeps the commandments of Christ is a son and child of God, then, of course, he is also faithful, and reveals to everyone that he is a Christian. But we, despising the commandments of God and transgressing His laws, for which He Himself will take vengeance on us when He comes again with much glory and terrible power, show by our deeds that we are not faithful and are faithful only in words. Don’t be flattered (don’t be deceived. – Ed.). Faith will not bring us any benefit without Christian deeds, because in this case it is dead, and it is impossible for the dead to accept life except if they seek it by fulfilling the commandments of God. Through the fulfillment of God's commandments, love, almsgiving, compassion for others, meekness, humility, patience with temptation, purity and purity of heart, through which we are honored to see God, return within us as a kind of multi-part fruit. And in a pure heart already shines the grace and enlightenment of the Holy Spirit, Who regenerates us, makes us sons of God, clothes us in Christ, lights a lamp in our soul, makes us children of light, frees our souls from darkness, and from now on, in this life, makes us partakers of eternal life, although we do not know it. Why don’t we dare to base the hope of our salvation on certain private virtues that we demonstrate, such as fasting, vigil and sleeping on bare ground, and other various bodily sufferings, with neglect of the demonstrated doing of God’s commandments, in the thought that we can be saved without it with just these bodily virtues, because this is impossible, impossible. Anyone can be convinced of this from the example of the five foolish virgins and those who performed miracles and signs in the name of Christ, but since they did not have the love and grace of the Holy Spirit in their souls, they will one day hear from Christ the Lord: We do not know where you are from, depart from Me, workers of unrighteousness (Luke 13:27). One can be convinced of this from the example of many other Christians who have neither shown a life worthy of their name, nor committed Christian deeds, nor become children of God, but are flesh and blood, since they have lost the grace received through holy Baptism, but have not sought or made the effort to receive it again through repentance. Such people cannot overcome either carnal lusts or spiritual passions; They cannot perform a single virtue, as God wants, that is, pleasingly and perfectly, as the Lord said: without Me you cannot do anything. But I beg you, my brothers, let us exert as much effort and effort as we can in order to be worthy to receive the grace of the Holy Spirit in this life and through this become worthy of eternal blessings, by the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom belongs honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. You might be interested in: