164. Слово по освящении храма св. Иоанна Богослова, что в Бронной

(Spoken October 14, printed in the collections of 1844 and 1848) 618 Or don’t you care about the Church of God? (1 Cor. 11:22). This is a reproach, the brethren of this church will probably think when they hear this Apostolic word; it is an expression of indignation. Is this what we should have expected now? Did those who used diligence, labor, and generosity for the renovation and decoration of this church, and those who diligently gathered for the solemn prayers of its consecration, deserve it? Do not be afraid, brethren, that the Apostolic truth will ever be cruel to those who love the truth, or that it will burden those who do the truth. Her reproach to the careless turns into praise to the careful. Her indignation against the unworthy contains consolation for the worthy. If the holy Apostle denounces those who are careless about the Church of God, it is because he recognizes it as necessary and approves of pious care for the Church of God. And so to those who fulfilled the sacred duty of such care, not our weak, but the firm and faithful word of the Apostle testifies that they acted according to the rule and image of the first Christians of the Apostolic Church, and that consequently there is for their work the Apostolic approval and for them the Apostolic blessing. However, this is enough for consolation, which, like honey, should be consumed moderately and sparingly. For this, let us turn to the word of the Apostle in order to derive from it precautions against negligence about the Church of God, which, without a doubt, will never be superfluous. “Or don’t care about the Church of God.” Negligence about the Church of God, or otherwise, inattention and disrespect for it, denounced by the Apostle among the Corinthian Christians, to whom he wrote the words we cited, consisted in the fact that the rich among them, bringing bread and wine to the Church for the Lord's Table, consumed them in the Church at the table of love, without order, with excess, with disdain for the poor. To make them feel the impropriety of such behavior, he draws their attention to the high dignity of the Church of God, contrasting it with simple houses. “Food,” he says, “don’t have houses to eat and drink? Or don’t you care about the Church of God?” (1 Cor. 11:22) Accusatory question: “Do you not eat food in houses?” obviously presupposes a strongly accepted opinion that the church in which the Lord's table is served, for the communion of the Body and Blood of the Lord, is therefore no longer an ordinary house, but a sacred place, requiring special attention and reverence; and thus it is revealed that in Apostolic times, just as now, there were special holy churches for the celebration of the sacraments, or, as we call it otherwise, Churches of God, although, however, the then power and strength of the enemies of Christianity did not allow them to be built with such splendor, and with such clear signs of their sacred purpose, as now. Further confirmation of this is another accusatory question of the Apostle: “or are you not caring about the Church of God?” For here the name "Church of God" is directly opposed to the name of simple "houses"; and the feeling of indignation with which Saint Paul arms his word against those who neglect the Church of God is nothing other than the reflectively effective force of deep respect and reverence for the Church of God, with which his soul is filled. At the same time, one cannot ignore the fact that the Apostle does not use evidence in order to instill in the Corinthians respect for the Church of God, but speaks of this duty as already known to everyone and recognized by everyone: “or do you not care for the Church of God?” It was as if he were saying to them: “You know that the Church of God, the house of prayer, the sanctuary of the sacraments, the dwelling of God, the church, although made by hands, is one in which the living churches of God, not made by hands, are built, in which, that is, believers are enlightened by the word of God and sanctified by the sacraments of faith, differs as much from simple houses as heaven from earth, as the Divine from the human; you know this, and you do not need to prove that in the Church of God one must act reverently, as if before the face of God Himself: therefore I am surprised and do not understand how you allow yourself to act in the Church of God as if in a simple house. Have you really reached the point where you have lost due attention and respect for the Church of God? “Or don’t you care about the Church of God?” With this understanding of the Apostolic saying, it is not difficult for everyone to see that reverent veneration of the Church of God, as a gathering of believers in whom the Spirit of God dwells, as the sanctuary of the sacraments of faith, is the faithful Apostolic tradition and the generally accepted custom of leading Christians. If some Corinthians in their actions showed something contrary to this custom, then the Apostle no further than in their own mind and heart, in their own conviction and inner feeling, showed us evidence of the reality and importance of this church decree. I don’t think, brethren, that I need to stretch my thoughts far to find reasons for your conviction that the church of God requires deep attention and reverent respect from a Christian. If you usually recognize that the house of a master requires reverence and respect primarily before the house of a slave, the hospitable church of a house primarily before his vestibule, the royal house primarily before the house of a subject: then you cannot help but admit, and it is not difficult for you to feel that the house of the King of kings and the Lord of lords requires reverent respect, reverent reverence. If the children's school strictly requires silence and attention of those present: then what kind of silence and attention does the house of prayer and Divine teaching require? When here, as once in the temple of Jerusalem, on this eminence, as on the mountain of Judea, as at the stern of Peter’s ship, the Lord Jesus, the same word of life and salvation, speaks to us in His Gospel; when here, as once in the upper room of Zion, the Spirit of the Lord breathes in the word of God and Divine hymns: oh, how the most silent silence, the deepest attention is still small before the terrible and longed-for greatness of what is heard and acted! Oh, that man would become all ears, all attention, so that he would all be imbued with the light of the word of God, so that he would all be embraced by the life-giving power of the Spirit of God! When at this sacred meal, as at the table of the Lord's Last Supper, one sees the Body of the Lord broken for us, and the Blood of the Lord shed for us, and the same thing is renewed that on Calvary made all creation tremble, and shook the earth and crushed the stones, and brought mortal darkness upon the life-giving eye of the world: then is it not especially characteristic of us that was our heart crushed by tenderness, so that, directed at the contemplation of the sacrament, it would disappear in the communion of the sufferings of Christ, so that a thrill of reverence would pass through our entire being? Or can man be more insensitive than insensitive nature? Or is this not only possible, but actually happens to our heart, which is harder than stones and petrified? The more exalted is the dignity of the church of God and what happens in it; the deeper reverence he demands from us: the more serious a crime should be considered lack of reverence in the church, and the more important is any precaution against crimes of this kind. Apparently, we can boast before the Corinthian Christians that we do not, like them, dare to eat and drink in the Church of God, as in ordinary houses. The disorder struck by the Apostolic rebuke seems to have disappeared. But let's be careful; Let's look around to see if other, no less, perhaps even greater, disorders have crept into its place. Doesn’t it happen in our Churches of God that those who come to the Divine service, forgetting about God, Whom they are standing before, turn to each other, greet each other, and enter into conversations about worldly affairs? They think that things are still in order when they speak quietly; sometimes they are forgotten to the point that the sinful noise of idle talk fights with the holy sounds of church reading and singing. Now the Apostle also tells us: “Do not eat in houses”? Have you no houses for your meetings, greetings, conversations and disputes? Are there not sometimes in the Church of God people whose inattentive appearance, wandering eyes, careless use of prayer signs reveal absentmindedness of thoughts and coldness of heart, who without care enter late, leave prematurely, crowd in curiosity to see, and do not “stand well,” as church rite commands, do not stand “with fear,” do not choose a publican as a model, in order to suddenly plunge into humility and silence and prayer? Are these the new Corinthians? And doesn’t the Apostle say this: “Or are you not caring about the Church of God?” Do you really think that instead of reverence, curiosity, absent-mindedness, inconstancy, and carelessness are allowed in the Church? – Sometimes less noticeable to the human eye, but nevertheless, or even more, the dignity of the church of God is gravely and miserably insulted by the fact that some enter it in the impurity of sinful passions and lawless deeds, without heartfelt repentance, without a sincere desire for correction. “Or don’t you care about the Church of God?” How can they not think that the Lord, who listens to the voice of prayer in the church, also hears the cry of sins, which can only be quieted by repentance, so as not to drown out the prayers? How are they not afraid when the All-Seeing One, who lives in the Church, sees them entering the sacred Chamber of His Son, not clothed in the wedding garment, not clothed with faith in the merits of Christ and living in Christian virtue? He sees - and who knows how long he will postpone the verdict of justice on the eruption of the unspeakable slaves into utter darkness. May the goodness of God ensure that this terrible parable does not become a sad truth for any of us, brethren; Let the goodness of God not become an obstacle to our arbitrary negligence about moving away from evil and vice. Let us not be careless, brethren, about the Church of God, but let us strive to continually decorate it with the most perfect and imperishable adornment - with spiritual attention, reverence, fervent prayers, unfeigned repentance, faith and good living, so that we ourselves may be “the Church of God alive” (2 Cor. 6:16), and “the Spirit of God lives” in us (1 Cor. 3:16) now and forever. Amen. “Or don’t you care about the Church of God?” (1 Cor. 11:22). It is not as a reproach to the brethren of this Holy Church that I now pronounce these words with which the Holy Apostle Paul reproached some of the brethren of the Church of Corinth. No, not a reproach from the servants of the word, but you deserve praise and thanksgiving for your obvious care for the Church of God - for this ancient church, in which, “according to power” and, perhaps, according to the Apostolic word and example, “more than willing powers” (2 Cor. 8:3), they restored the dilapidated, and decorated the not splendid, and for the sake of numerous prayers for the restoration of the Shrine, the Church Council wanted to move. But what can the Apostolic denunciation of those who are careless about the Church of God serve now? - to the consolation of those who care about the Church of God. For if the Holy Apostle denounces those who are careless about the Church, without a doubt he would approve of those who piously care about the Church. Therefore, if you fulfill to the best of your ability the sacred duty of such care, then not our weak, but the firm Apostolic word will testify to your conscience that you act according to the same rules as the leading Christians, and that there is a blessing of the Apostolic Church over you. However, this is enough for consolation, which, like honey, should be consumed sparingly and in moderation. For this, let us turn to the word of the Apostle in order to derive from it precautions against negligence about the Church of God, which, without a doubt, will never be superfluous. “Or don’t you care about the Church of God?” Neglect of the Church of God, or in other words, inattention and disrespect for it, denounced by the Apostle, consisted in the fact that the rich from Corinthians, bringing bread and wine to the Church for the Lord's Table, used it disorderly; in excess, with disdain for the poor. To make them feel the indecency of such behavior, he draws their attention to the high dignity of the Church of God, and contrasts it with simple houses. “Food,” he says, “don’t have houses to eat and drink? Or don’t you care about the Church of God?” Accusatory question: “Do you not eat food at home?” clearly shows the strongly accepted opinion that the place in which the Lord's table is served, for the communion of the body and blood of the Lord, is therefore no longer an ordinary house, but a sacred place, requiring special attention and reverence, and thus it is revealed that in Apostolic times, just as now, for the celebration of the sacraments there were special holy churches, as we otherwise call the Churches of God, although, however, the power of the world and the power the enemies of Christianity did not allow them to be arranged openly, with outward signs of their sacred purpose. Further confirmation of this is another accusatory question of the Apostle: “or are you not caring about the Church of God?” For here the name "Church of God" is directly opposed to the name "simple houses"; and the feeling of surprise or indignation with which Saint Paul arms his word against those who neglect the Church of God is nothing other than a reflection of the deep respect and reverence for the Church that he preserves in his soul. At the same time, one cannot ignore the fact that the Apostle does not use evidence in order to instill in the Corinthians respect for the Church of God, but speaks of this duty as already known and recognized by all. “Or don’t you care about the Church of God?” “It was as if he were telling them this: you know that the Church of God, the house of prayer, the sanctuary of the sacraments, the dwelling of God, the church, although made by hands, is one in which the living churches of God are built, not made by hands, in which, that is, believers are enlightened by the word of God and sanctified by the sacraments, is as different from simple houses as heaven is from earth; you know this and you yourself admit that in the Church of God one must act reverently, as if before the face of God Himself: therefore I am surprised and do not understand how you allow yourself to act in the Church of God as if in a simple house; Have you really reached the point where you have lost respect for the Church of God? “Or don’t you care about the Church of God?” With this understanding of the Apostolic saying, it is not difficult for everyone to see that reverent veneration of the Church of God, as a gathering of believers in whom the spirit of God dwells, and as a sanctuary of the sacraments, is the faithful Apostolic tradition and the undoubted custom of leading Christians. If some Corinthians in their actions showed something contrary to this custom, then the Apostle, not further than in their own mind and heart, in their own conviction, showed us evidence of the reality and importance of this custom. I don’t think, brethren, that I need to stretch my thoughts far in seeking evidence of why the church of God requires deep attention and reverent respect from a Christian. If you usually admit that a house requires respect primarily in front of the innkeeper, the hospitable church of a house primarily in front of its vestibule, the Royal House primarily in front of the house of a simple citizen: then you cannot help but admit that the house of the Most High God requires respect to the highest degree. If a school for children, if a vain spectacle, requires the attention and silence of those present: what attention and silence does a house of prayer and Divine teaching require? When in this quiet enclosure, on this modest elevation, just as once in the enclosure of the Temple of Jerusalem, as on the Mount of Judea, as at the stern of Peter’s ship, the same Jesus Christ, the same word of life and salvation, now speaks to us in His Gospel and always the same Spirit of God breathes in His word: is it possible to be as deep in attention, as silent in silence, as the greatness of what is heard requires? Oh, if only it were possible that the blood would not beat in the veins, and the breath would not vibrate the air, so that a person would become all ears, and all attention, so that he would all be imbued with the light of the word of God, all embraced by the power of the Spirit of God! When at this sacred meal, just as once in the Upper Room of the Lord's Supper in Zion, the body of the Lord appears, broken for us, and the blood of the Lord shed for us, and the same thing is repeated that on Calvary terrified all creation, and shook the earth, and crushed the stones, and brought mortal darkness upon the life-giving eye of the sun: then what is more natural than that our heart lamented with tenderness, so that the eye directed towards the mystery would disappear in the communion of the sufferings of Christ, so that awe of reverence would pass through our entire being? But as high as the dignity of the church of God is, and as deep as it requires reverence from us, it should be considered just as serious a crime to show disrespect in the church, and just as important is any precaution against crimes of this kind. Apparently, we can boast before the Corinthian Christians that we do not go to the Church of God to eat and drink there, like in simple houses. Yes! the disorder struck by the Apostolic reproof has disappeared: but let us be careful; Let's look around to see if other similar and even worse disorder has crept into its place. Doesn’t it also happen among us, in the Churches of God, that those who come to the Divine service, forgetting about God, Whom they are before and Who sees them, greet each other, enter into conversations about worldly affairs, think that things are still in order when they speak quietly; and sometimes they are forgotten to the point that the unclean noise of idle talk seems to fight with the pure sounds of sacred reading or singing? What are you new Corinthians? “Do you not eat food at home?” Have you no houses for your dates and greetings, for your conversations and disputes? Do we not notice people in the church of God whose inattentive appearance and fickle gaze reveal an absent-minded thought and a cold heart; who, instead of depicting the sign of the cross on themselves, make some kind of convulsive movement, as if to express that their spirit is turning away from this sacred sign; who walk from place to place and crowd together out of curiosity, in order to see, and not “stand well,” as the Church rite commands, in order to pray attentively and serenely? Shouldn’t we also say to these people what the Apostle said to the wicked Corinthians: “Or are you not caring for the Church of God?” Do you really think that instead of attention and reverence, empty curiosity and absent-mindedness, as if at a worldly spectacle, are allowed in the Church? Less noticeably, sometimes, but always cruelly and disastrously, the dignity and holiness of the church and those living in it is insulted by the fact that people infected with passions and lusts, defiled by lawless deeds, enter the church without heartfelt repentance and without a sincere desire to improve. “Or don’t you care about the Church of God?” Don’t you think that God, Who with favor accepts in it the prayer of a pure or at least a purified heart, like a fragrant incense, also hears the secret cry of your sins, and the stench of your passions and lusts, imperceptible to carnal people, tears away the stench of your passions and lusts with an indignant spirit from His all-pure presence? Why don’t you take care that God sees you entering the sacred chamber of His Son, not clothed in the wedding robe, not clothed with faith in the Divine merits of Christ, and living in Christian virtues? He sees - and who knows for how long he will postpone the decisive verdict of His justice on the eruption of the uninvolved slaves into utter darkness. May the goodness of God ensure that this terrible parable does not become an obstacle to any of us, brethren, with the sad truth: may the goodness of God not become an obstacle to our arbitrary negligence about avoiding evil and vice. Brothers of this Holy Church, who deigned to decorate the Church of God with visible splendor! Complete your zeal by constantly caring for the Church of God, in order to decorate it with your most perfect, priceless and imperishable adornment - in order to decorate it with your reverence, fervent prayers, unfeigned repentance and faith, good and pure life, so that you yourself will be “the Church of God is alive”, and “the Spirit of God lives in you.” Amen. According to Jew. collection Sermon on the consecration of the Church of the Holy Trinity in Pushkari, spoken on the 2nd day of September 1828. 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