16. Слово на Благовещение Пресвятой Богородицы (В чем состоят наши права на радость и как нам вступить в них? Войди в Царство Христово дверью покаяния; вошедши внутрь, пройди там поприще правды; прошедши поприще, вступишь в область мира, за которою и сретит тебя невозмутимая и нескончаемая радость

The heavenly evangelist Archangel Gabriel greeted the Blessed Virgin with a joyful greeting, saying: “Rejoice, full of grace.” Having perceived along with this word the very act of joy, God’s chosen one then sings: “And my spirit rejoiced in God my Savior!” . In response to this, the Holy Church, calling her joys Friend, sings to her: “Rejoice, our Joy!” From the Lady Theotokos, as an inheritance from a mother to her children, joy passed on to all Christians and became their inalienable property, to the point that one Apostle puts among the commandments: “rejoice always” (1 Thessalonians 5:16), and another adds to this: “have all joy, my brethren,” even when “you fall into various temptations” (James 1:2). On this joyful day, let us explain to ourselves, brothers, what our rights to joy are and how we can enter into them. Christians cannot help but rejoice. By the merciful Lord they have acquired such advantages that nothing on earth can compare with them, about which one thought should gladden their heart and flesh. There are many things that make people happy. But the Christian assimilates the incomparably highest blessings of all, which - and it cannot be compared more - should cheer his soul. People rejoice when they are freed from any misfortune or danger. But what troubles can compare with those from which Christianity saves a Christian? We were captured by the enemy - and now, we have been redeemed by the honest blood of the Lord. We were in bonds and prison of sin and passions, and behold, we are being led into the freedom of doing good. We were in a painful relaxation of mind and heart - and lo, we receive healing of sanity and feelings trained for all good. We were under anger, like criminals - and lo, we are again accepted into the mercy of our Heavenly Father for pardon. People rejoice when they have at hand everything they can use to satisfy their needs and desires. But is there anyone in the world as rich as a Christian is rich in everything he needs to satisfy his Christian needs and aspirations?! He needs the light of knowledge: - behold, he has the true word of God, which can make him wise in everything, powerfully leading him to accept and receive special grace-filled inner enlightenment from above. He needs the strength of moral strength - all Divine powers, including life and piety, are abundantly given to him through the Divine Sacraments by those who called him. He needs protective and instructive guidance - and it is ready for him in the structure of the Holy Church and, closer, in the multi-degree and numerous priesthood! People rejoice when they have a favorable environment from their parents, kinship, other contacts and the whole course of affairs. But who in the world has such a parent as Christians? “Their Father is God, to Whom from the depths of the spirit-driven heart they cry out: “Abba Father!” and from Whom they received the grace to be called and to be children of God (John 3:1-2). Who has such a relationship as Christians! – The Lord and Savior Himself is not ashamed to call them his brethren according to humanity (Heb. 2:11) and makes all heaven akin to them, saying through the Apostle that through faith in Him they come “to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to the multitude of angels... the church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and... those who are perfect in the righteous spirit” (Heb. 12, 22–23 ). Who has such a favorable course of affairs as Christians, for whom “all things work together for good” (Rom. 8:28), for whose work “ministering spirits are sent to serve” (Heb. 1:14), for whom “a hair from the head” does not fall without the will of the Heavenly Father (Luke 21:18), and whose course, unless they want, nothing in the world can disturb - “neither death nor belly... neither present nor to come, neither height nor depth, nor any other creature” (Rom. 8:38). People rejoice when they undoubtedly expect that soon - one of these days, tomorrow - they will receive something very valuable, dear to their hearts. But what worldly hopes and expectations can compare with the hopes and expectations of Christians? See what was promised to them? - “An inheritance that is incorruptible, undefiled, unfading, kept in heaven for their sake” (1 Pet. 1:4), such an inheritance about which he who was caught up to the third heaven and heard ineffable verbs there testified that “eye has not seen, ear has not heard, and the heart of man has not breathed what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Cor. 2:9), the receipt of which, however, so true and undeniable that it seems to already be in their hands: “your whole essence,” says the Apostle, either the world, or the life, or the present, or the future, your whole essence. You are Christ’s, but Christ is God’s” (1 Cor. 3:22-23). Thinking about all these sources of joy, so abundant, one holy father (Abba Apolos, see Lavsaik, ch. 47) could not bear the mournful and sorrowful face of anyone and immediately addressed each of them with a reproachful speech: he said, those who have such promises should not grieve on the path of salvation. Let the pagans groan, let the Jews cry, let the unbelievers and heretics mourn, but those who walk the path of salvation should always rejoice. If those who think about earthly things find joy in earthly things, how can we, who have been awarded such hope, not rejoice unceasingly, when the Apostle urges us to always rejoice, to pray unceasingly, to give thanks in everything?! This is how it should be for all of us, and yet not everyone has it. Who would not want his heart and flesh to continually rejoice in the living God (Ps. 83:3)? But who is able to make the heart rejoice when it does not feel joy? – Joy, like any feeling, is not in the will of man. Is it possible to feel, for example, full when you are not full? Get enough and you will feel full. So it is with joy. Put yourself in a joyful state - and you will rejoice. Then you won’t even be able to help but rejoice, even if you wanted to. Christianity is so closely and relatedly connected with joy that it certainly puts everyone who is faithful to its demands into a joyful state, so the word “rejoice” can be replaced with the words “put yourself in a joyful state,” and this last one with the words “do what Christianity requires.” What is this? I will introduce this to you in short words. – Do you remember what the Savior brought to earth? – He brought the Kingdom. – “The kingdom has come” (Matthew 3:2), preached John the Baptist. The Savior’s first words were: “The kingdom is at hand” (Matthew 4:17), and when He sent the apostles to the people, He ordered them to proclaim everywhere: “The kingdom is at hand” (Matthew 10:7). The kingdom is something gratifying, comforting, joyful. But look what is in this Kingdom? - Food and drink? - No. “There is no food and drink in the kingdom of God,” says the Apostle. So what? – There is “truth, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Rom. 14:17). It's inside. How do they enter this Kingdom? - Nothing other than the door of repentance. “Repent” (Matthew 3:2), preached John the Baptist. “Repent” (Matthew 4:17) the Savior demanded. “Repent” (Acts 2:38) taught the apostles. So, enter the Kingdom of Christ (this is the same as Christianity) through the door of repentance; Having entered inside, walk there the field of righteousness; Having passed this field, you will enter the realm of the world, beyond which you will be greeted by unperturbed and endless joy. Joy from peace, peace from truth, truth from repentance. Repentance is the seed and the root, truth is the vine, peace is the flower, joy is the fruit. This is the whole heavenly tree of joy, a tree that must be sown on the earth of our hearts, grow and bear fruit in our spirit. These are the conditions for rejoicing. What all this requires, I believe, is known to you, brethren, it is known that repentance requires recognizing sins, mourning them and setting the intention not to sin in the future. It is known that the truth requires that every deed be done only according to a clear commandment, according to the consciousness of God’s will for it, or having the testimony of the word of God, to which the repentant immediately begins, setting the intention not to sin, or, what is the same, to evade evil and do good. You know that the work of walking the path of righteousness, the work of doing good according to the commandments kills the passions that trouble the heart and brings boldness before God from the consciousness that not a single obligatory deed was missed and not a single thing was done with negligence, but, on the contrary, everything was done unsociablely with fear and trembling. And this is what the world requires and what the world achieves, that is, an inner serene state, or dispassion and calmness of conscience, not confused by anything, neither from our relationship to God, nor from our relationship to our neighbors. Let it also be known to you that whoever achieves this cannot help but rejoice. It is fitting for the worker who labors in this way to partake of the fruit, and this fruit is joy and bliss. For in this there is what the Savior promised: “blessedness are the pure in heart, that they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8). He is one of those for whom the Lord prayed: “that they also may be one in us” (John 17:21). The following word of praise also applies to him: “Let us come to him and make our abode with him” (John 14:23). And where the blessed God is, there is all joy and bliss. This is the path that began with the Holy Annunciation! This is the kind of field the Apostle invites you to go through when he says: “Rejoice in the Lord always, and again, rejoice” (Phil. 4:4). Joy is indicated at the beginning, although it is fully achieved at the end, so that with its hope one can arouse strength and ease the difficulties of the procession. So, if you want to rejoice, this is the path to joy! Repent, and then do all righteousness; this will lead to the peace of God that surpasses all understanding; and from the world will be born joy, indescribable and unspeakable! All other paths are false and do not lead to joy, but to ghosts that captivate and stupefy for a minute, and then only leave you with more languor. Through the prayers of our Most Pure Lady Theotokos, may the one blessed God, worshiped in the Trinity, grant you all to achieve true joy. Amen. You might be interested in: