Глава 3. Нравственный облик пастыря по святителя Дмитрию Ростовскому

The ideal of the “good shepherd” (John 10:11), “the author and finisher of the faith” (Heb. 12:2) has attracted the hearts of people throughout the centuries-old history of the Church. And in our time, the true shepherds of the Church see in Him an example for their ministry, and strive to the best of their ability to bring this ideal to life. Jesus Christ is the first, in the full sense, greatest and most perfect Shepherd, the Founder of shepherding. The entire ministry of the Church is expressed in His life and ministry. The Gospel of Matthew testifies that Jesus Christ not only Himself shepherded, but, taking pity on the multitude of people, “that they were weary and scattered, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36), attracted and called to fellowship the apostles, and in their person - shepherds, priests, continuers of His work. “Follow Me,” He says to Peter and Andrew, “and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19). The verb “I will do” indicates an action combined with effort, and in connection with the following words: “fishers of men” - it acquires an educational meaning, suggesting the need for experience and labor. “The order of the priesthood,” notes St. Demetrius, “he was brought to earth by the Lord, not for the sake of peace and coolness, but because the saint worked hard and cared for everyone’s salvation” 109. This is how the saint of Rostov described the difficulty and complexity of pastoral ministry. He compares its meaning and height with the heavenly bodies. Just as the sky is illuminated by the sun and stars, “so the Church shines with its luminaries - its shepherds and teachers... each according to their rank and honor and title and according to the degree of perfection in a virtuous life and spiritual wisdom” 110. Like the luminaries, who constantly carry out their course according to established laws, “the shepherds of the church, constantly working and unswervingly in their calling, must follow the path established for them by the law of God” 111. The saint depicts the ideal of shepherding in some of his sermons, namely: in the “Sermon on the Most Honorable Memory of Our Father Tikhon the Wonderworker, Bishop of Amathunta,” in the “Sermon on the Shepherding of Spiritual Shepherds” and others. This is the ideal of good shepherding in Christ, to which Archpastor Saint Demetrius of Rostov has always strived, this is the virtuous life in Christ, of which he has always served as a bright example for his beloved verbal flock. Having received the covenant from “the Great Bishop Himself, the Chief of all shepherds”: “Feed My sheep,” he fulfilled his pastoral duties with love and offered his flock examples for edification from the Lives of the saints, the most effective of which was his holy life (John 21:16). Truly, imitating the Chief Shepherd, he was “an example for the faithful in word, in life, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity” (1 Tim. 4:12). In him, as in the image of Christ, “the following words of Christ are fulfilled: “I am the good Shepherd” (John 10:11).” Through his shepherding, he taught his brethren what a shepherd of the verbal flock of Christ should be. He did not limit his activities to administrative measures alone; priests always saw in him an example of diligent service to the Church of God 112. The high ideal of pastoral service is depicted by Saint Demetrius, praising Saint Tikhon, Bishop of Amathunta. An example of such service was set by the Chief Shepherd, our Lord Jesus Christ. “I am the good Shepherd” (John 10:11), he said to his disciples, the apostles, the successors of His shepherd, the priesthood, commanding them to shepherd His flock, the Church of God. The work of shepherding requires not only great labor, but also art, for “if Jacob, shepherding the dumb flock, endured such labor “in the burning days of the heat and in the cold nights,” without giving sleep to his eyes, then how much more labor and vigor are needed for the one who shepherds human souls” 113 . In his archpastoral messages and sermons, the saint identifies the main signs by which “a good shepherd is recognized. Firstly, the good shepherd enters the sheepfold through the doors... He who is elected and elevated to the rank of hierarchy by the good pleasure of Christ Himself” 114. It is no coincidence that the saint mentions this, since in his time there were many even “from the highest spiritual rank” who received rank “through secret purchases, striving for the bishopric in order to dominate, and not to serve, not for Jesus, but for the sake of bread” 115. Hierarchical service is high and difficult; the desire for this service is tantamount to voluntary martyrdom. “The Apostle did not blaspheme those who wished to become bishops precisely because in those apostolic times martyrdom followed the episcopacy,” says Saint Demetrius. Because of the great responsibility for the souls of his flock, he warned contemporary seekers of the order that archpastoral service is associated with many hardships, using as an example the holy fathers of the Church who ran from the episcopacy: “It is proper to fear and tremble for this both for the sake of conscience and for the sake of the burden of the authorities” 117. The shepherd of the flock of Christ must know the path leading to the Heavenly Fatherland, know the secrets of the Kingdom of God. Just as the Old Testament high priest, entering the tabernacle before the face of the Lord, had to have golden bells on his clothes, so the New Testament priesthood must be adorned with wisdom, be educated, and “educational.” If in the Old Testament God rejected and punished with death those who rejected wisdom (Hos. 4:6; Wis. 3:11), then all the more now “those who do not have these golden spiritual bells of reason and the art of books, who have not acquired the spirit of wisdom” are subject to spiritual death. Shepherds have the responsibility to evangelize the word of God, preach, admonish, convict the erring, and instruct them on the path of truth, for human souls are entrusted to them. Therefore, the silent one, “as if with his own hand, kills a sinner who did not try to admonish him with his tongue and turn him away from his sins: the silent tongue of a shepherd is like a sword killing the souls of sinners” 119. The saint, like a prophet, threateningly denounces the unloving shepherds: “Woe to the silent shepherd, woe to his tongue, which does not preach the word of God and does not teach. But how can the tongue preach the word instructively and profitably if the mind has not learned spiritual wisdom? (Ezek. 3:17–19)" 120. In his address to the clergy of the diocese, he commands: “On all Sundays and holidays, let the priest teach the people in the church from the holy books, adding useful advice from his own mind” 121. A practical measure to eradicate ignorance was the opening of a school in Rostov, so that “priestly children would not be stupid when they are awarded the priesthood in place of their fathers, so that they would be able to teach the people not only by reading books, but also by oral instruction in the word of God” 122. The second quality of the “good shepherd” “is that he walks before the sheep, and not behind the sheep... should be an example to the sheep, and not the sheep to him” 123. Christ gave strength to the apostles and disciples to perform sacred rites and evangelism (Matthew 28:19; Luke 22:19) and taught them practical instructions to facilitate this. He offered them His own example as a powerful educational and motivating means. “I have given you an example, so that you should do the same as I have done to you,” Christ bequeathed to the disciples (John 13:15). The Apostle Paul, who always had before him the example of the Divine Shepherd, also calls for imitation of Christ: “Let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith” (Heb. 12:1-2). Saint Demetrius also speaks about this in his pastoral letters: “No one can be a good shepherd unless he himself first becomes a good sheep of Christ. And the Son of God, who came to earth to fall and save His people, first became the Lamb who takes away the sins of the world” 124. Pastoral service in the Lord's field must be preceded by an exemplary life in God and worthy preparation, starting from a very early age. “It is a great and glorious thing to begin to work for God from one’s youth,” says the saint in his homily on the day of remembrance of St. Tikhon of Amafunt. As an example, he cites the life of a saint who, in imitation of Joshua, from his youth incessantly remained in the church of the Lord. Pious upbringing, affirmation in the Christian faith and the acquisition of virtues from a very early age are the key to successful shepherding. “For this is the solid foundation of an entire virtuous life, many in their old age want to build for themselves a kind of home, a life pleasing to God, and to acquire salvation for their soul, but they cannot, since they did not lay a solid foundation in their youth... And how can anyone touch those feats to which he has not been accustomed since his youth? He who has established his life in God from youth, in old age ascends to the very top of virtuous perfection and is awarded by God with great gifts” 125. Therefore, Saint Tikhon, “having accepted the rank of shepherd... truly showed himself to be a good shepherd. Just as in his youth he was a good sheep of Christ, so, having reached the age of perfect manhood, he showed himself to be a good shepherd of Christ’s Church” 126. The shepherd needs to follow the path of spiritual and moral improvement, and with his life, by example, teach others, “to be not only reasonable, skillful and teaching in the Divine Scripture, but virtuous and holy in life, for it is appropriate to teach verbal sheep not only with words, but also with the image of a good life in God” 127. If he does not lead a virtuous, righteous life, he will not be able to lead the salvation of his flock: “Will he who himself goes to hell guide anyone into the Kingdom of Heaven?” Can someone who is covered with scabby ulcers and is overcome by a serious illness heal ulcers and illnesses? Will not everyone say to such a person: “Physician, heal yourself” (Luke 4:23). The lofty words and speeches of a careless priest cannot produce any positive effect on his flock; on the contrary, his unworthy behavior and sinful life can destroy them and make all his labors in vain. The shepherd must lead a life equal to the angels, be immaculate, and this is the key to success: “Be an angel in life, and everyone will happily listen to your words and do what you command; If you yourself do not follow the path of salvation first, you will not motivate people to love God.” Therefore, “it behooves a shepherd to be a lover of God” 128. Purity and holiness of life, fulfillment of God's commandments, fear of breaking and transgressing them - this is evidence of true love for God! “What is the sign that someone loves God with all his heart?” - asks the saint. “This sign was indicated by Christ Himself,” he answers, “when he said with His most pure lips: “If you have My commandments and keep them, that is you who love Me” (John 14:21). A sign of love for God is the fulfillment of His commandments. And therefore, when God said that shepherds would be after His own heart, He also indicated that they would love Him with all their hearts, keeping His commandments. And if such were the shepherds in the Old Testament, then much more now in the new grace shepherds must be after God’s heart, fulfilling all His desires, keeping the commandments out of heartfelt love for Him” 129. If the shepherd’s deeds and life do not diverge from his words, then his teaching and labors will be successful and bear fruit: “first do it yourself, and then you can teach others, for the voice of action is more effective than the voice of word. The word is heard for those who are coming, but the work is preached to the ends of the earth. Why is it necessary for a pastor to have a virtuous life along with teaching” 130. Christian doctrine must be a deep conviction in the life of a clergyman. Deep, meaningful faith provides invaluable assistance in the proclamation of the gospel word and in the work of ministry, and “he who wishes to kindle the love of the Lord in others must himself not be ice, but flame, like a seraph, with divine desire; whoever wants to enlighten others should not be darkness, but light” 131. Faith leads to love, which contains the essence, the content of eternal life. Love is of heavenly origin: “the Father gave it to us, that we might be called children of God” (1 John 3:1). Love must occupy a central place in pastoral ministry. As the highest manifestation of the pastoral spirit, love is the key to the successful completion of a task. The shepherd's love for God is the main condition for worthy completion of high service. “Love for God is known,” the saint teaches, “by a virtuous life, revealing along with the word the life of a shepherd” 132. Our Lord Jesus Christ is not just an example for a shepherd, but a living, eternally active Divine Person. The shepherd is most closely united with Him in his shepherding, and from Him he constantly draws strength and Divine grace. The pastor has living communication with God in the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, as a manifestation of God’s immeasurable love for man. To be worthy of Divine communion, a priest is obliged to guard himself in all purity and integrity, to cleanse his soul by repentance. While performing the Liturgy, he must be embraced by love for God and his neighbors; at this time there should be no place in his heart for anger and enmity, grief or resentment; one cannot begin the service “until one destroys enmity through reconciliation and cleanses mortal sin through repentance” 133 . It is necessary for the priest to adorn himself with the basic Christian virtues: “In the beginning, before communion, let faith, hope, and love precede” 134 . With deep faith and reverence, the shepherd must approach the Holy Mysteries, giving them due worship, for the altar and the church are the “chamber of the Heavenly King.” It is necessary to believe “that the true Body of Christ is precisely that which was conceived in the Virgin’s womb by the Holy Spirit, and was born incomprehensibly, and ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father” 135. The priest must have hope that the Holy Body and Blood “are received for the healing of soul and body, and for eternal life, but not for judgment or condemnation.” In a gracious union with Christ still here on earth, having loved the Lord, the priest anticipates the blessings of eternal life 136. The shepherd's love for God is manifested in sacrificial love for his neighbors. Without love for one's neighbor there can be no true love for God. “Whoever says: I love God, but hates his brother,” teaches the Apostle, is a liar: for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has seen” (1 John 4:20). An example of genuine pastoral love for people, for humanity, was shown by the Founder of the New Testament shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ. His disciples, the holy apostles, followed the example of the Savior. Their love was active, capable of any work for the salvation of believers (1 Cor. 9:19). And the Rostov saint says that in addition to being a teacher and living a holy life, a pastor must also have “great care to work and be watchful” 137 . By performing the Divine Sacrament of the Eucharist, the clergyman himself perceives the grace of Christ, and then brings this gift of God to all participants and worshipers, contributing to their spiritual rebirth. And in order to be a worthy conductor of God’s grace, the priest requires special purity, external and internal purity. “Let a man examine himself,” writes the Apostle Paul (1 Cor. 11:28). Saint Demetrius, in his message “On the Preparation of Priests for Divine Communion,” compels priests to frequently confess their sins to their spiritual father. “And since a priest must often perform the Liturgy and partake of the Divine Mysteries, it is fitting for him to often confess even his small sins in order to be able to worthily enter into communion with Christ” 138. By daily testing of conscience, the shepherd determines his spiritual state, reveals shortcomings, noticing small sins and insignificant transgressions in himself, because “just as one large stone, being tied to a person’s neck, will plunge him into water, so sand, although small in itself, but if it is saturated with it, the full one will plunge a person into the abyss” 139. The creation of a repentant feeling and mood is facilitated by fasting, abstinence and moderation in the personal life of the pastor, modesty, and non-covetousness. It is necessary to abstain from food and drink before worship, one must keep oneself sober, not overeat, not get drunk, not talk too much and be attentive to oneself, the saint teaches the priests. It is necessary to avoid verbosity, “not to talk to anyone unnecessarily... to say what needs to be said.” Those of them who do not come to their senses, he sobers up with the words of Saint Epiphanius: “If any of you, my children, is worthy of altar service, take off the boots of carnal, wordless passions, do not approach the Divine altar bound by voluptuous lusts” 140. The great temptation on the path of pastoral service is the love of money, pride, and “woe to the shepherd who seeks only his own benefit, shepherds only himself, and does not care about the sheep! Woe to that shepherd who seeks only pastoral honor, but does not do the work due to him! Such a shepherd is like an idol!” - concludes the saint. And it is not in vain that the Scripture says to such a shepherd: “Oh, shepherd and idol” 141. The hidden life of the spirit, the constant desire to ensure that the inner church of the soul is the dwelling place of God - this is what the priest should pay special attention to. On the path of spiritual improvement, it is necessary to overcome many obstacles; personal feats and cultivation of high qualities are necessary. “It is fitting for a shepherd to be wide-eyed not only externally, but also internally,” teaches Saint Demetrius, “not only correcting the sins of others, but also carefully protecting himself from falls and temptations. He must watchfully look inside himself” 142. A priest who has taken the good yoke of Christ must devote all his strength to this great work. Like the Apostle Paul, he must fight the good fight (1 Tim. 6:12), be always bright in life and filled with inner strength in the performance of his ministry, “be like an angel standing before the throne of God and bringing warm prayers for the whole world” 143. One should approach service “with fear and great reverence, in order to perform one’s service with faith and love, having all one’s thoughts collected, and not scattered and scattered everywhere.” Like an angel standing before the throne of God in unceasing praise and prayer, the priest must perform prayers with great attention, firmly remembering that God invisibly receives every word from his lips, like some valuable beads. Prayer without attention, cold, mechanical, without tenderness, like “a censer clanking without fire and incense.” The Rostov saint cites in his memoirs “one terrible thing,” a case when in one of the churches a priest performed the liturgy without a Service Book, without prayers appropriate for the service, uttering only exclamations. To the remark that followed, he replied that he read the prayers at home and “learned this from the old priests.” “Oh, the extreme madness and negligence of the stupid priests,” exclaims the narrator, “or, better yet, the scoffers of Christ! Oh, how great is God’s patience, for fire does not fall from on high on such priests and does not burn them alive in the same places where they perform the Liturgy or, truly speaking, scold Christ. So, beware and pay attention to yourselves, priests... so that you do not perish, soul and body, and receive the same fate as those who crucified Christ and mocked Him” 144. When healing the ailments of his flock, healing their painful ulcers, the priest should not be proud of his clergy, but sacredly keep the secret of confession, and not be “a destroyer of the sacrament of God and a violator of the seal of the Holy Spirit” 145. And the piety of a shepherd who abhors the sinful wounds of his flock is false piety. The shepherd, as a spiritual doctor, must be able to penetrate into the depths of the human soul, and not reject those who seek his help: “We command the priests by the commandments of God to take every possible care for the salvation of human souls, both day and night, so that they do not despise the poor and beggars, but treat them equally as the rich, for during a terrible trial they will have to give an equal answer for everyone” 146. And in this the saint sees the main task, the goal of the calling, the third sign of a good shepherd, laying down “his life for the sheep entrusted to him, according to the word of the Lord: “The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (John 10:11).” An example of such service was shown by the holy apostles, the Savior Himself and the fathers of the Church. It is the duty of every true clergyman to love Christ with all the blood-bought members that make up His spiritual body. “The Lord Himself,” writes the saint, “wanting to make Saint Peter a shepherd of the verbal sheep, first of all asked him three times about love, saying to him: “Simon Ionin, do you love Me?” And when Peter answered Him three times: “Yes, Lord! You know that I love You,” the Lord entrusted him with the flock: “Feed My lambs” (John 21:15).” The grace of Christ received in the sacrament of ordination assists the shepherd in his difficult work, and here he “needs care for the flock, for God will demand an account of the flock entrusted to the hands of the pastor” 147 . Therefore, Saint Demetrius likens the good shepherd to the many-eyed cherubim, who prefigured the evangelists and apostles as shepherds of the Church. They, the shepherds, need great courage, like guards assigned to guard the city from the enemy. For the words of God spoken to the prophet Ezekiel apply to every shepherd: “I have set you a watchman for the house of Israel” (Ezek. 33:7). The ministry of a shepherd is difficult and responsible: he must always be awake, strengthen his spiritual strength, be internally collected, ready to protect the spiritual flock from the attacking “wolves”, “strong like a lion, hardworking in his rank like an ox, merciful and compassionate like a man, and soaring high in his God-minded mind like an eagle” 148. Love for the flock, care for each person as an individual, and above all, “great care for the flock” 149 should be the driving force of pastoral activity. This requires knowledge, teaching, experience of spiritual life, personal testimony, and an example of a good life. Following Christ's parable about the good shepherd, the priest is obliged, if necessary, to offer his shoulders to the sheep entrusted to him and bear its burdens. The saint compares the shepherd with a mother who carries her own child and feeds him herself: “Not only as a shepherd carries a sheep, but also as a mother carries her child and feeds it with her teats, so the shepherd must spiritually carry his verbal sheep, feeding them with spiritual food, like babies with milk, and not denying the needs of the body, but, if possible, making up for the insufficiency of the poor” 150. The care of Saint Demetrius for his spiritual children and fatherly love for them are known. He did not seek personal gain and earthly goods, as he wrote about in his will. The saint asks not to look for property after his death and not to torture those who served him for God's sake: “From my youth until I approached the tomb, I did not acquire property or take money, except for the books of the saints... even a few of the parishes: I paid for my needs and dependents, and for the needs of the needy. If no one wants to give me such a poor burial as usual, then let them throw me into a wretched house. Demand a bribe for the remembrance, I pray, that the poor may not remember me, leaving nothing for the remembrance” 151. He was a conscientious unmercenary who distributed all his meager funds to the poor, a beggar metropolitan who left 39 rubles 20 altyns in the bishop's treasury upon his death 152. But spiritual values ​​remained indelible for the Holy Church and the Fatherland after him! And the heavy burden of shepherding was light for him. Quote According to Nedosekin V., prot. Saint Demetrius, Metropolitan of Rostov, and his homiletical heritage. Zagorsk, 1970 typescript). P. 152. Quote by: Shlyapkin I.A. Decree. Op. pp. 410–411.