Поучение 72 88 . На предпразднество Божественного Преображения Господа нашего Иисуса Христа. О том, что нам должно хранить красоту и благообразие души и девство неоскверненным, и о покаянии.

Brothers and Fathers! Having been honored to celebrate and now celebrate the pre-celebration of the Divine Transfiguration, from this holy holiday in a few words let us begin the beginning of teaching and instruction in order to fulfill our duty. Let it be known to us that all the Lord's holidays bring to mind the mysteries of the coming in the flesh and the appearance of the Lord our Savior Christ, such as: how He was born, baptized, buried, resurrected on the third day and ascended in glory. But the feast of His glorious Transfiguration reveals and prefigures the state of the future century. For as His face shone like the sun, and His robe became white as the light of day; so He will again descend from heaven like lightning, with great power and terrible glory, to judge the whole world. And how at the time of the Transfiguration Peter, John and James were with Him on the holy Mount Tabor; so then, in the kingdom of heaven, the saints with Christ will enjoy unspeakable blessings. Therefore, who and what kind of person is sufficient, and so perfect, and worthy to enter into this joy? Who else but one who does not live a pure and undefiled life? For our God is pure, or better yet, He eats the highest and perfect light, and He receives the pure and holy. He gave each of us a pure soul, and He seeks it from us; for since He created her in the image and likeness of God, it is clear that she, as the queen of God-originating beauty, was created adorned by God. Having recognized this, the Prophet hymnist says this: “Lord, by your will give strength to my kindness” (Ps. 29:8), that is, do not allow the kindness and beauty of the soul, he says, to turn to stinking sinful passions, so that it, having become ugly and dishonest, does not fall away from God, from Divine gifts and rewards. So, since it is recognized that we have such a beautiful soul, beautiful and splendid, and have received it as a pledge and an entrusted property, then it is necessary for us on the day of judgment to give it to God, who gave it to us. Therefore, I implore your love and remind you, let us love this beauty of virginity and preserve this splendor. And we will not turn our minds and the love of our hearts to the beauties of the world and to the beauty of flesh and blood, for this is not beauty, but a semblance of beauty, or rather corruption and rottenness. This we can know from the end of things; for whoever now shines with beauty and splendor is put in the grave tomorrow and stinks, and everyone runs away from him. Thus, brethren, human nature has no beauty; Only human virtue is beautiful, which we should especially love with all our love. But since it often happens that the soul is carried away by sin, and becomes black and ugly from unclean thoughts (and this is not possible without someone being wounded; for “who can boast of having a pure heart?” (Prov. 20:9)); however, if we sin, we will immediately atone for our sins, and again return to the previous order and order, so that evil does not become ossified and give birth to death. No one should say: “I have committed many sins and cannot cleanse myself.” Let such a one listen to the Prophet, who says: “Though your sins be as scarlet, that is, black as pitch, I will make them white as snow; And if they be like scarlet, that is, like blood, they will be like wool of sheep” (Isa. 1:18). You see, brethren, God’s indescribable love for mankind, how He not only cleanses the sinner, but also restores his beauty so that he would repent. We have many examples for this, and firstly David, who was a Prophet. Although he fell into the sin of adultery and murder, he did not fall into despair, but immediately repented and cried a lot, and therefore again received the gift of prophecy that he had before. Manasseh, king of Israel, did much evil, for he was an idolater for fifty-two years; but since he repented, he received salvation. Peter, the Supreme Apostle, wept bitterly over his threefold renunciation, and again accepted the primacy of Apostolic grace. Mary of Egypt, let us leave the rest, did she not surpass all the harlots in fornication? But since she brought wonderful and glorious repentance and ascended to the pinnacle of virtue, she was granted such grace from God that she walked on the waters as if on earth. Thus, there is no excuse for anyone who wants to be saved; Only those who do not love their salvation and voluntarily want to suffer are not saved. But why do we die an eternal death and not love life? Our good Lord always calls and says to everyone: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28); but we do not want to throw off the burden of our sins. Again the Lord says: “I am the light of the world; If you walk on Me, you will not have to walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12); but we walk the dark and opposite path; Our deeds say: we do not want to walk in Your ways. For this reason we will hear: “Walk by the light of your fire and by the flame that you kindled” (Isa. 50:11); for “those who do such things,” it is said, “will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Gal. 5:21). But let this not happen to us. “You are naturally my friends,” says the Lord, “and whatever you do, I command you” (John 15:14). Therefore, we must, with all good zeal, fulfill everything commanded to us, in order to be considered worthy to be friends of God and inherit the kingdom of heaven, in Christ our Lord Himself, to whom belongs glory and power with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen. See Patrolology, vol. 99, p. 535. You might be interested in: