259. Слово по обновлении храма Знамения Пресвятыя Богородицы в селе Дубровицах

(Said on August 27th; printed in the Provincial Gazette of 1850 and in the collection of 1861) After the renewal of the material and artistic, this church has now been renewed with a spiritual and sacred renewal. Now he is what he should be: and therefore now is the time to see what he is. It already reveals itself as a house of prayer, a sanctuary of sacraments in its very action. When looking at the image of its structure and decoration, one cannot help but notice that the church builder tried to produce something unusual, to arouse the special attention of the viewer, and, consequently, to impart to the building the quality of a monument. In fact, this church has been preserving the memory of the Prince for a century and a half, who accepted the pious idea of ​​​​creating it - and at the same time proclaims the glorious memory of the great Tsar, who, with the goodwill of the nobleman, took upon himself to lead the execution of his pious thought, and who imprinted his dominant idea - to give Russia a new image, according to the models of other peoples of Europe - on almost every stone of this building. But time loves to humble the thoughts of a person who tries to become eternal in time. It extended an unfavorable hand to this monument, and threatened to overshadow the memory entrusted to it. Residents of the surrounding villages, who were given the opportunity to use this church, were unable to stop its dilapidation and restore its strength and splendor; and the one who would have had a rather strong duty and means, probably, and the desire, could not do this, according to the inscrutable destinies of God. How did it happen that we see this church not decaying and close to desolation, but renewed, strengthened, more beautiful than before? – The spirit of the united class of nobles and noble men, endowed with hereditary advantages and legal institutions, showed itself as a bright feature in this case. What would have been wonderful to do alone, but what he could not do, was taken to heart by another for him; and combining the authority of power with the motives of piety and love for mankind, he accomplished the deed by which he offered God a sacrifice from the incapable of bringing it with his own hands; gave numerous Christians in the surrounding areas the consolation of using the strengthened and splendid church; the memorabilia of the past century has been reliably preserved for the future. The Church will be grateful for the renewal, as well as for the creation of this church; to the memory of the past he will add the memory of the present, and lifting up the names preserved with gratitude to God, he will not cease to cry out, so that he may remember them in His Kingdom for good and bliss. This view of this church is enough in relation to its own destiny. We would not have fulfilled our duty if we had not accelerated our view of the church in relation to those entering it. When a house is built, one must live in it: otherwise, why would one build it? When any thing is acquired, it is necessary to make a useful use out of it: otherwise, what would be the purpose of acquiring it? Thus, when a church is landscaped and consecrated, one must visit it and gain spiritual benefit from it; otherwise, why would there be labor in its creation, and generosity in its decoration? The church is dedicated to God: not because God, Who lives in the unapproachable light, needs this dwelling, but because man needs a means of approaching and accessing the Unapproachable God. God condescends to this human need; touches his limitations with His infinity; commands or allows the creation in small measures of a limited “house of the Name” of His, cognizable, glorified, invoked, worshiped, God-powerful, God-effective, and not an incontainable being; and gives His church a blessing and a promise: “My eyes will be there, and My heart will be there all the days” - “eyes”, so that here especially a person will realize 715 that God sees him, - “heart”, so that here especially a person will experience and feel that God has mercy on him. Therefore, we can say that it is not so much man who creates and dedicates a church to God, but rather God Himself who gives His church to man. And if human affairs must be used prudently for the benefit, how much more must the gift of God be used reverently. How to use the church? “First of all, love to visit him, so that later he himself will help you learn how to use him.” Try to arouse in yourself the feeling of the one who said and wrote: “We rejoiced at those who said to me: Let us go to the house of the Lord” (Ps. 122:1). God Himself calls the church a “house of prayer” (Luke 19:46). And so use it to glorify God, for your exercise in prayer and for gaining the benefits it acquires. Don’t you hear how strongly the church calls you to prayer with frequent appeals: “Let us pray to the Lord,” how it guides you with the prayers it pronounces? Is it not convenient for you to listen and follow the prayer that is already ready? Listen and pray, not only with your ears or lips, but also with your heart, so that the Lord’s reproof and condemnation do not overtake you: “This people draws near to Me with their lips, and with their lips they honor Me, but their heart is far from Me” (Matthew 15:8). The Holy Scripture also calls the church a “sanctuary.” This name refers primarily to the sacraments performed there for the sanctification of a person. So, use the church to sanctify yourself with the sacraments, and especially with the high and Divine sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ. What could be more desirable and beneficial than this mysterious union with Christ, in whom “dwells every fulfillment of the physical Divinity”? The Church of Christ gave the Church of God and its orders such a structure that it can also be called a school of faith and virtue. Here the Evangelists, almost every day, in parts, in order, narrate the events of the earthly life of Christ, and preach His teaching; here the Apostles, through their writings, explain this teaching and apply it to various states and circumstances of the life of Christians; here the Prophets reveal to us the ancient destinies of God and teach us in various ways; here the mysterious teachings about the Most Holy Trinity, about the Incarnation of the Son of God and about our salvation through His life-giving death on the cross, announce to us both in readings and in church hymns as often as this is necessary due to their mystery and necessity for our salvation. Just be diligent and attentive to church services: and in time it will make you wise as much as a Christian needs for the well-being of temporary life and for achieving eternal salvation. How many losses for a Christian if he neglects to visit the church of God, or is not attentive and absent-minded in it! But aren’t many of us exposing ourselves to these losses, either without caring about it or apologizing for it incorrectly! The most common excuse is that the affairs of the home, family, household, and position do not allow one to be in church often, even on days especially dedicated to God. What can I say to this? I don’t know the number of your cases. But I know, and I can point out to you a person who, of course, had more to do than you, but not only was he not kept away from the house of God by them, not only often visited it, but he almost lived in it, at least with his heart and desire. David had affairs at home, family, economy, kingdom, he improved the kingdom that had not long been formed, and had already been destroyed, he built the capital again, he waged wars with many of his most powerful enemies: but look how leisurely he was to occupy himself with the house of God, as if the only subject: “I asked one thing of the Lord, then I will require that we dwell in the house of the Lord, and that we attend His Holy Church” (Ps. 26:4). We wish the heart of David to the brethren of this holy church, “that in the churches you may bless the Lord, and be blessed from the house of the Lord,” with temporal and eternal blessing. Amen. To the Governorate. Ved.: realized... You might be interested in: