128. Слово в день введения во храм Пресвятыя Богородицы 572

(Printed in Christ. Reading. 1836 and in collections l844 and 1848) For the saving grace of God has appeared to all mankind, punishing us, so that, having rejected wickedness and worldly lusts, we may live chastely, righteously and piously in this present age. ( Titus 2:11–12 ). If the memory of the life and deeds of the Saints naturally leads to reflection 573 on the virtues and perfections with which their lives were marked: then to the real solemn remembrance of the dedication to God 574 of the Most Blessed and Most Pure Virgin Mary, what could be closer than reflection on virginity and chastity? For was it not She who laid the solid foundation of virginity? Was it not She who raised it to immeasurable heights? The Old Testament world was jealous of childbearing, and therefore of marriage, striving to give birth to the Savior of the world. He understood and respected virginity so little that virginity, forever alien to marriage, was for him a subject of mourning. The daughter of Jephthah, who was to die “without knowing a husband,” not only “went herself and her companions, and wept for her virginity on the mountains,” but also after her death, “from days to days the daughters of Israel went out to weep for the daughter of Jephthah Gileadite four days in the summer” (Judges 11:38, 40). The life of John the Baptist, and, even earlier, the life of the Prophets Elijah and Elisha, are early indications of the dignity of virginity: but even these indications were not understood at the time; because the Jews more often saw Prophets who did not shy away from married life, such as Moses, Samuel and others. From the beginning of the world there have been men of God: but the first Virgin of God is the Most Blessed Mary. Having been dedicated to God for everlasting purity in her infant chastity, She became the first, forever unshakable, foundation of Angelic life on earth. And in what, more than heavenly, height, She showed us the dignity of virginity! From Eve to Her, the female sex, as well as the male, served the law of marriage, in the hope of that reward that sooner or later would bring into being the blessed Seed, which would “erase the head” of the hellish “serpent” (Gen. 3:15), and about which “all the nations of the earth will be blessed” (Gen. 22:18): but this reward was not intended for marriage. Marriage could only produce humans. Virginity alone was worthy to give birth to the God-man. But before I say anything about virginity specifically for you, who are listening to me, I am afraid of a thought that may want to reflect the word about virginity from your heart. - “The virginity of the Most Holy Theotokos, chosen to be the companion of the incarnation of the Son of God, is the only one in the human race, which, both before itself, had no examples, and will not have imitators in itself.” - It is true that there will be no other incarnation of God the Word, no other Mother of God: however, brethren, from this we should not conclude that the virginity of the Most Blessed Mary does not present us with any example to follow, does not provide any teaching for life. If the Virgin Mary was awarded the highest election of God: then reason why this was done? Will you say: by the special grace of God? - I don’t argue. But reason further: can the grace of God be in conflict with the truth of God? - No, without a doubt. If in a person disagreement with himself is an absurdity: how much more in God, an all-perfect being, there must be a perfect agreement of properties and actions, akin to the purest unity. So, if the Virgin Mary was awarded the highest election by the grace of God; then evenly and according to the truth of God. She is exalted above all by election; because above all she appeared worthy of election, by her spiritual qualities and dispositions, and, by the way, by the purest virginity with which She, like the sun, rose, obviously above everything ancient, and certainly above all the world to come. From this we must conclude that if the Most Blessed Mary, through her purest virginity, achieved the highest and unparalleled election of God: then, although an election equal to this is not possible, he who, if possible, imitates Her virginity, according to the truth of God, can, like Her, hope for the special grace of God, a special election, a special approach to God. If Her virginity made Her alone more honorable than the Cherub, and more glorious than the Seraphim without comparison, then at least it can make Her imitators equal to the Angels. If Her virginity made Her alone the overshadowed tabernacle of the Holy Spirit, the Matter of the Son of God, then it can nevertheless make other souls daughters of God, neighbors of the Heavenly King, brides of Christ. This is precisely what the secretly significant psalm proclaims to us: “the virgins will be brought to the King after her” (Ps. 44:15). If the conclusions do not seem quite reliable to you; and the speeches of the Prophets and fortune-telling are not quite clear: do you want to learn from the Lord Himself about the equal angelic dignity of virginity? Hear His own word: “At the resurrection they neither marry nor commit violence, but as the angels of God are in heaven” (Matthew 22:30); or, as another Evangelist retells it, “they are equal with an angel” (Luke 20:36). The state in which one neither marries nor encroaches, and therefore perpetual virginity, the Lord calls a state equal to the angels. Do you want to learn from the word of the Divine that virginity is not only possible for many to observe, but also desirable for everyone? – Hear the word of the Apostle Paul to the Corinthians: “I want all men to be like I” (1 Cor. 7:7). What does it mean: “like I am”? – He explains this further in the same Message: “food is not for the imams of power to take a sister’s wife! But we do not create things in this region, but endure everything, so that we do not cause the gospel of Christ to cease in any way” (1 Cor. 9:5, 12). That is, he deprived himself of the help and consolations of marriage, so that he could preach the Gospel more freely. Consequently, the Apostle would like everyone to devote themselves to serving God and piety in virginity. Do you want to see the high lot prepared for virginity by God? - See through the eyes of the seer John: “and I saw, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with him a hundred and forty and four thousand, having the name of His Father written on their foreheads.” He heard them “singing a new song before the throne of God, and no one could learn songs other than these” 575. Who is this? – you ask. - He answers: “These are the ones who have not defiled themselves with women: they are virgins; these will follow the Lamb, even if He goes; These are purchased from men, the firstborn of God and the Lamb” (Rev. 14:1-4). See the excellent dignity of virginity. Be curious to know what virginity is and how this virtue is accomplished. Everyone, from their own experience, knows virginity as a natural state that precedes marriage, which has not experienced the mysteries of marriage, not awakened to the knowledge of them. But this is only an imperfect beginning of what we are now talking about. This is still only the grass of a lily, and not a flower; only the summer growth of the apple tree, not the sweet apple. The virginity of infancy, because it is simply a natural state, is not a matter of freedom, nor the fruit of achievement, and therefore is not yet a virtue. It is fittingly called “innocence” because there is “no guilt” in it, which is the opposite of virginity; but that’s all: there is still no excellent dignity in him that belongs to perfect virginity. Virginity, as a feat, as a virtue, as the flower of purity, as the fruit of chastity, as a path of perfection, appears when a person, at an age, according to the ordinary course of bodily nature, more or less disposed towards marriage, without indulging in the attraction of nature, without being carried away by custom, examples, amenities and needs of the common life, decides not to join marriage, but to observe virginity forever. But just as the one who strives will not be crowned if he strives illegally (2 Tim. 2:5): then the one who decides to undertake the feat of virginity must know, always remember and observe the main law of this feat, which consists in the fact that we undertake and undergo the feat of virginity for God. “For the sake of the kingdom of heaven,” says the Supreme Lawgiver of virginity, Jesus Christ Himself (Matthew 19:12); and the Apostle: “He who is not married cares for the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord. “She who does not trespass cares for the Lord’s sake, in order to please the Lord, so that she may be holy in both body and spirit” (1 Cor. 7:32, 34). Pleasing God, and for this purpose the sanctification of spirit and body is the goal of those who strive in virginity. Whoever runs in the field of virgin life is not running towards this goal, he is not running towards the crown. This is why a virgin withdraws from marriage, so that his special inclination towards earthly beings does not delay or distort his desire for God. According to this desire with all the strength of the mind and love for the Lord, and in the direction of all activities to please Him, the virgin soul is called the bride of the Heavenly Bridegroom. From this main law of virginity, it is not difficult to understand that bodily removal from everything that belongs to marriage is not perfect virginity, but only a lower degree of it: for striving and approaching God, as a spiritual Being, can and should be accomplished in the spirit itself; virginity of the body only removes obstacles to spiritual aspirations and suppresses opposing aspirations. This is where various detailed rules of virginity come from. The Lord said: “Everyone who looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:28). Therefore, just as there is fornication of the heart, so there must be the opposite virtue to this vice - virginity of the heart. He who strives in this virtue must keep his heart pure from all carnal lust, from all thoughts contrary to chastity; To reflect the involuntary attacks of unclean thoughts without hesitation, for this purpose to carefully watch over the movements of your thoughts and desires, to occupy and protect your mind and heart, either by exercising in the Word of God, or by attentive, inner prayer. As the Lord showed that the fornication of the heart is served by the eye: then, in contrast to this, the eye must be trained so that it serves virginity, that is, to turn away the eyes from every tempting object, and inevitably to look at those that present themselves without passion, without thought, seeing without seeing, and, as quickly as possible, stopping dangerous vision. And this is, to mortify the sense of sight, according to the will of the Lord: “If your right eye causes you to sin, take it away and take it away from you” (Matthew 5:29). Hence the veil over the eyes, desert living, seclusion. But if in order to protect virginity from temptation and impurity it is necessary to mortify the sense of sight: then, by comparison, one can understand and be convinced that in a similar way it is necessary to mortify other feelings, such as: hearing - from hearing immodest and seductive speeches, taste, smell, touch - from the corresponding sensations that incline towards bliss and luxury. Hence the exercise in silence, fasting, dry eating, simplicity and severity in clothing, bed, housing, enslavement and mortification of the body through labor, prayer vigils, and kneeling. To reduce the image of virginity to one line, I cite the beautiful and significant saying of St. Chrysostom: “the root and fruit of virginity is the crucified life” (On virginity, chapter 79). But haven’t I already talked a lot about a subject about which many of those who hear may think that this does not concern them? In fact, the Lord Himself warned us that not everyone is capable of virginity: “not all can bear this word, but to them it is given to eat” (Matthew 19:11). He Himself did not call everyone to the feat of virginity, but only those who are capable, to whom this gift was given: “he who is able to contain it, let him contain it” (Matthew 19:12). And because virginity is not for everyone; then you may even ask: why are we talking about it to everyone? – I accept this question. He will lead me to the goal and to the end of my word. We speak to everyone about virginity: because among everyone there are those “to whom it is given to eat” this; and the word seeks among all those whom God calls to hear and do it, and whom man often does not know. We speak to everyone about virginity: so that those who are married know that there is a state higher than marriage; to think humbly about marriage; and so that, by respecting virginity, although in others, and humbly thinking about marriage, they acquire a blessing for marriage close to the blessing of virginity. We speak to everyone about true virginity: so that, knowing it, they should beware of the false paths of the wild virgins, who, with unlit lamps of the mind, without the oil of the heart, wander far from the palace, and, instead of heavenly love for the heavenly Bridegroom, harbor in themselves only enmity against the blessed marriage. For since Apostolic times, “the spirit speaks clearly, that in the last times some will depart from the faith, listening to spiritual flattery and teachings of demons, in the hypocrisy of a liar, having their conscience seared, forbidding them to marry” (1 Tim. 4:1-3). Finally, we speak to everyone about virginity: so that both married and celibate, from the high beauty of virginity, from the average goodness of an honest and immaculate marriage, with a careful and caring eye, discern the ugliness of that state, which neither the golden talent of virginity nor the silver talent of marriage faithfully cultivates according to the will of the Lord of all talents and gifts. Virginity and marriage are not for everyone: but chastity is for everyone. “For the saving grace of God has appeared to all man, so that, having rejected ungodliness and worldly lusts, we may live chastely, righteously and piously in this present age.” – What does “chaste” mean? - Either in the purity of virginity, or in the honesty of marriage, in both cases, with “the rejection of worldly lusts,” and especially “the lusts of the flesh, which make war on the soul” (1 Pet. 2:11). Only in this way can those living in the present age “look forward to the blessed hope” of the future (Titus 2:13). Amen. In Christ. Reading: Christian teaching on virginity and chastity, proposed in the homily on the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, August 15, 1836. In Christ. Read: If the death and memory of the virtuous and saints naturally leads to the thought... In Christ. Reading: To the true solemn memory of the glorious repose from earth to heaven... In Christ. 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