165. Слово в день собора св. Архистратига Михаила

(Printed in the 1844 and 1848 collections) 619 Isn’t the whole point of serving souls, that we send them into service for those who want to inherit salvation? (Hebrews 1:14). In honor of the Council of disembodied heavenly spirits, the now flesh-bearing, but also spiritual, Church Council has gathered here. Wonderful, only possible to faith, the rapprochement of the earthly with the heavenly, the visible with the invisible. Angels are in heaven, and we are on earth: however, we celebrate for them, as if having them with us. They are invisible to us; without a doubt, we are not always visible to them, as we are not present everywhere and not all-seeing: however, we celebrate for them as if they were before our eyes, as if we were before their eyes. For it would be strange and useless to organize a holiday for them, to address words of praise and prayer to them, if they do not see, do not hear and do not know. So this holiday is a witness to us that the Holy Church recognizes our close communion, Christians, with the Angels. In what relation are they to us? What attitude should we have towards them? We find the main and general image of the attitude of Angels towards people in these words of the Apostle Paul: “Are not all souls of service sent into service for those who want to inherit salvation?” The Apostle gives in these words three noteworthy information: first, that Angels are “ministering spirits,” although by the nature of their service they are sometimes called “authorities” and “dominions,” and by grace “sons of God,” and, consequently, their dignity should not be confused with the supreme dignity of Jesus Christ, the Son of God by nature, consubstantial and co-throne with God the Father, the true God and Lord Almighty; second, that although Angels live in heaven, they are nevertheless “sent” by God “to serve” and on earth: third, that He directs the ministry of Angels in a special way in favor of those people whom He foresees, by faith and good, or repentance, corrected life, capable of “inheriting salvation” and eternal bliss. If we want to learn in a little more detail how the Angels perform their service for the benefit of those who want to inherit salvation: Saint John of Damascus tells us, having learned from Saints Dionysius the Areopagite and Gregory the Theologian, that the Angels “guard parts of the earth, represent peoples and places, as the essence of the Creator did for this, govern our existence, and help us, both in every possible way according to the Divine desire and command, as there is a higher existence than us, and an everlasting presence to God” (Theological Book 2, Chapter 3). In the revelation of St. John we see an Angel “having a place on the fires” (Rev. 14:18), “Angel of the waters” (Rev. 16:5), “four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth” (Rev. 7:1). So there are Angels who are entrusted with the custody and good management of certain parts and forces of the elemental world. And one can understand how beneficial this is. For if the longsuffering of God allows the devil to act on the elements, just as he was allowed to stir up fire in the air to burn Job’s sheep and shepherds, and raise a storm to bring down the church, and beat his children: then how much more appropriate and beneficial is it for good Angels to have power over the elements, in order to direct their action for the preservation and good of people, and frantic efforts to repel and destroy the destroyer. In the visions of the Prophet Daniel, we see a heavenly messenger who informs him of his heavenly (no doubt prayerful) feat for the fate of the Jewish people, and adds: “and behold, Michael, one of the first elders, came to help me,” and further: “and there is not one who helps me about these, but Michael is your prince” (Dan. 10:13, 21). So there are guardian angels and heavenly helpers of nations and kingdoms. Finally, - what should be closest to each of us - there are guardian angels of every person who belongs to the kingdom of God's grace. We can understand this from the words of Jesus Christ Himself: “Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones: for I say to you, for their angels in heaven have seen the face of My Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 18:10). The power of this saying lies in the fact that the Lord, urging us not to neglect children, points to the example of the Angels, who, although “they always see the face of the heavenly Father” in heavenly glory, do not consider it low for themselves to care for the little children of men, and to be called “their” Angels. If, therefore, for small children, whose spiritual powers and abilities are not yet sufficiently revealed to self-activity, and who are therefore less susceptible to temptations than those of age, this dispensation is not considered superfluous so that they have their Angels: then all the more it must be concluded that those of age are not excluded from this dispensation, more tempted, and consequently having more needs for spiritual help, and, with a higher revelation of spiritual powers, more capable of spiritual communications. The Orthodox Church is so strongly convinced of the need for this angelic ministry for each of those who want to inherit salvation that every day several times it asks us from God “An angel of peace, a faithful mentor, guardian of our souls and bodies.” Delving into this prayer of the Church, we not only learn in what relation the Angels are to us (that is, that they secretly or openly instruct us, protect our soul and our body), but we also partly learn in what relation we should be to them. Having heard from the Apostle that Angels are “ministering spirits sent to serve for those who want to inherit salvation,” you might have overprotected yourself and dozed off in the hope of these ready guardians. That is why the Church often sends a minister of prayer to excite you, so that you ask God for a messenger who will save you: “Let us ask the Lord for a guardian angel!” But what is the need to ask for an Angel, you might say, when to protect people is the purpose of all Angels according to the immutable destinies of God? What is the need to ask for a Guardian Angel when it is given to babies who don’t even know how to ask for it? – The questions are somewhat daring: since one command of the Church should be enough for us to offer prayer of this kind with confidence in its need and benefit. But I do not shy away from asking boldly in order to find edification in the answer. So I answer. The angel is God's servant, and not yours: so do you dare to wish that he would come to you as a slave, careless in his service, and not as a messenger, honestly received and accepted? How will you go to meet someone coming from heaven if you do not ascend with your mind and heart to heaven, through prayer? “I came in the words of yours,” says the heavenly messenger to Daniel the Prophet (Dan. 10:12), - without a doubt, in the words of your prayer: with his prayer Daniel paved the path, or set up a ladder, along which the heavenly messenger descended to him. But if you do not pave such a path for the Angel, if the faithful servant of God sees you turning your spine and not your face to your Lord: then beware; his truth and holiness will require that he be more zealous for the glory of his Lord than for you; and it is not surprising if he becomes indignant, moves away from you, and takes away from you his wing, ready to cover you. If you don’t want this, then be diligent and attentive to prayer in general, and especially to that with which the Church encourages you to ask God for the help of the Guardian Angel. A Guardian Angel is given to infants even if they do not ask, due to their weakness. Do you think that in a similar way it is necessary to send him to you, who does not ask out of laziness? The soul of a baby, purified by baptism, not defiled by arbitrary sins, with its innocence, simplicity, and gentleness, represents a certain fellowship with the angelic nature, and therefore not only does not pose obstacles to the approach of the Guardian Angel, but, perhaps, attracts him. Have we, as adults, preserved our souls in this angelic state? Do we not reflect the purity of the Angels from ourselves through our sinfulness? For just as bees are removed from where the stench spreads, so the angels are removed from where sin spreads. Is it surprising that we are so often invited to ask for a guardian angel as a new mercy of God, although we received it even at the baptismal font? From what has been said now, it is not difficult to guess what else, besides prayer, is needed on our part in relation to the holy Angels: namely, trying to achieve fellowship with them by cleansing ourselves from sin and striving for holiness of life. “What is the fellowship between light and darkness” (2 Cor. 6:14)? asks the Apostle, expressing through this the law of spiritual communication. So, what kind of communication does the Angel of light have with people of sinful darkness? What kind of communication does a pure spirit have with those who voluntarily plunge into the impurities of the flesh? What kind of communication does a good and holy Angel have with people in whom virtue is suppressed by passions, who consider holiness to be a quality not intended for them? Prepare yourself for communication with the Angels through prayer, and at least a sincere desire to purify and sanctify your heart and life: and be sure that the Lord “with His Angel will keep you in all your ways” (Ps. 90:11), that is, in all circumstances of temporary life, and especially in the path of eternal salvation. Amen. In the index on Thursday. O. L. D. P. is listed as pronounced in 1842. You might be interested in: