167. Речь к преосвященному Иосифу, Епископу Дмитровскому, по рукоположении его, в кафедральной церкви Святителя Алексия

(Spoken December 27; printed separately and in collections of 1844 and 1848) By your sacred calling and the sanctification that has now been completed, you have been attached to the council of co-priestly rulers and instructors in the Church, according to Her statutes, you still stand here for a short time, as a priestly leader and a church-instructed one. Without a doubt, you would not want to lose these moments, and I am called to help so that they are not lost for you. And without me you understand what has happened to you today: but, according to the Apostle’s word and example, and what is known, “I am not lazy,” but to you “it is steadfast” (Phil. 3:1). You have now made a “good confession in the presence of many witnesses” (1 Tim. 6:12). Confessed the holy dogmas of the faith, the sacred rules of the Church, the duties of your new ministry, God the Helper to serve the faithful, God the Avenger to the service of the unfaithful. By this you have consoled and reassured the Church about yourself, justified your election, set up two strong supports for yourself: hope in God the Helper to reinforce the exploits of faithful and zealous service, fear of God the Avenger against the hesitation of careless or unfaithful service. In the midst of the high Trisagion hymn, we received you into the Sanctuary, and, so to speak, into the midst of the solemn doxology of the Most Holy Trinity, we immersed you in the mystery of your consecration. This signifies both that from the glory of the Most Holy Trinity the light of the Holy Grace mysteriously shines, and also that the primary purpose of the sending of this grace is to serve the mystery and glory of the Most Holy Trinity. You have bowed your knees among us before the Throne of the invisibly present Great Bishop, who has passed through the heavens, before Whom every knee of heavenly, earthly and underworld bows. Remember this when you stand on an elevated place and represent His high image for the Church: - remember that you can be exalted in the Church of Christ because you are a kneeling 621 servant of Christ. The words of the Holy Gospel have covered your head. Let the Word of Christ rule in you over every thought, over every human wisdom - God's wisdom. The power of the Word of Christ has been taught to you as “a spiritual weapon, mighty of God, that we stand strong for destruction, that you cast down all thoughts, and every exaltation that is raised upon the mind of God, and that you bring into captivity every mind into the obedience of Christ” (2 Cor. 10:4-5). What can I say about the mystery of prayers and the ordination of fellow shepherds? Is this only the Church rank? Is service only human? – With the word of man to create the Builder of the mysteries of God? Can we do God's work with human hands? Who would dream this? Who would open his mouth to this senselessly? Who would boldly stretch out his hand? Blessed be God, marvelous in the Saints! “The Holy Spirit set up bishops” (Acts 20:28) at the beginning: He sets them up until the end of the age. He breathed on the Apostles with His power in the likeness of a stormy breath: and He still breathes in the movement of mysterious words on the one who works secretly and who works secretly. He rested on the Apostles in tongues of fire, and on the disciples of the Apostles in the laying on of Apostles: He also rests now on those chosen by Him and sanctified in the mystical laying on of hands from those previously sanctified by the succession of the same Spiritual 622 ordination. Thus you believe together with us: and therefore, when you also lift up the mystical verb, when you also stretch out your mystical hand; With all the strength of faith and divine desire, surrender yourself into a humble instrument of the Spirit of God: and you will send down grace, and you will multiply the living offspring of the Spirit of God and vessels of grace. You are dressed in holy clothes and signs. Yes, these are all signs of how, from day to day, you must clothe yourself more gracefully and more perfectly in the properties and virtues of the Supreme Saint of our confession, Jesus Christ, in His wisdom, in His zeal for the glory of God, in His purity, in His humility, in His love for mankind, as it behooves you to carry the image of His Divine love and the cross of His patience more essentially in your heart than on your heart. After the others, accept the sign of your more external work - the shepherd's rod. May it remind you of the rod of Aaron, which vegetated with flower and fruit, and the rod of Moses, which cut through the sea. And let the rod of your leadership bloom and be fragrant with the word of truth and piety, let it grow the fruits of good deeds, and let it cut through obstacles in order to open the path of salvation to the people of God. “Take heed to yourself and to the flock” (Acts 20:28): and may the Lord feed you and your flock in green places, and may He nourish us on calm waters! Most of all, God-loving Brother, we pray for our Most Pious Autocrat Nikolai Pavlovich, the beneficial Defender of the Holy Church and Patron of those who serve Her, and for His entire August House, for the peace and welfare of the Holy Churches of God and the prosperity of Orthodox Russia, and finally for those who, by the will of God, served your election and sanctification. In the department ed.: kneeling... In the department ed.: Spiritual. .. You might be interested in: