Поучение 58 69 . В среду крестопоклонную. О том, что нынешняя временная пасха есть прообраз и подобие будущей вечной пасхи и терпении.

Brothers and Fathers! Now, with the help of God, we have reached the environment of the Holy Pentecost, and the soul of every Christian rejoices that Holy Easter is approaching, so that on it we can rest from the great labors and feats of Lent. But why did I say this now? To the fact that our entire temporary life is likened to the Holy Pentecost, serving as preparation for this eternal Easter. Although this Easter is great and venerable, according to the teachings of the Holy Fathers, it is an image of something else—that heavenly Easter. For the real Easter lasts one day, it comes and goes, but it is eternal and endless. And here holidays and celebrations are mixed with the temptations and sorrows of the world, and in the future Easter there will not be a single sorrow, not a single illness or sadness, but everything is joy and eternal joy. There is unceasing, all-joyful psalmody and the harmonious hymns of those celebrating. There is a rich meal filled with eternal blessings. There is a new drink, about which at the Last Supper Christ said to His Apostles: “For I am not to drink from this fruit of the vine now, until that day when I drink with you new in the kingdom of My Father” (Matthew 26:29). About this royal enjoyment of eternal blessings, when He wanted to ascend to heaven, He said to His disciples: “I am going to prepare a place and rest for you; and...again I will come and take you to Myself, so that where I am you also will be” (John 14:2,3). And he also says: “In that day you will understand that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you” (John 14:20) and also says: “Father... I will, that where I am, I also may be with Me, that they may see My glory, which You have given Me, because You loved Me much before the foundation of the world” (John 17:24 ), that is, before You created the world. Christ said these words not only about the Apostles, but about all Christians; listen to what He says above: “I pray not for these only, but also for those who believe their words for their sake in Me” (John 17:20), that is, he says: not only about My disciples, Father, but also about all who have faith in Me through their teaching, that they may all be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I am in You. Can anything be more comforting than these words of our Lord Jesus Christ, demonstrating His love for us? What kind of spiritual cruelty will they not soften, and what heart will they not touch? It seems to me that not only the human heart and soul, but, so to speak, the very nature of stones can bring such words of Christ into tenderness and tears. Remembering this, all the saints, who pleased God, endured what they endured: they accepted sorrows as joys; tightness as a consolation; martyrdom as pleasure; fasting and suffering are like peace; and death is like life. Therefore, we, brothers, since we strive for the same desire for the eternal kingdom, we seek and expect the same heavenly Easter, we will, if possible, imitate the life of our former Holy Fathers: we will courageously endure the difficulties and temptations of the present time; Let us not be overcome by sadness and negligence, but with even greater zeal we will encourage ourselves to practice the virtues and commandments of God and have constant care and vigilance for the sake of the serpent, that is, the devil, who invents every trick to poison our souls. For he is transformed into an angel of light, but he distorts things and shows them as other than what they are in essence: he shows darkness with light and bitter with sweet. Thus he deceived our forefather Adam, showing him the fruit of disobedience as beautiful and desirable; so he deceived him, and Adam ate of the deadly and bitter fruit and was expelled from paradise. We, having now recognized his abominable deeds and deception, will have great caution and attentiveness: when he shows us sin and disobedience in good ways, we will immediately turn the eyes of our souls and bodies to God, and we will beware lest the cunning and insidious devil deceive us and drive us out of paradise, that is, from the commandments of God. What is this fruit of disobedience that seems beautiful and desirable? - The evil desire of the body, the evil lust of the flesh and these most shameful passions, from which we, brethren, will, if possible, move away, so that here we can be freed from the snares of the enemy, and there enjoy the eternal Easter with all the Saints, in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom belongs glory and power with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen. See Patrol. Vol. 99. Page 597. You might be interested in: