28. Слово в день обретения мощей Святителя Алексия

(Spoken at the Chudov Monastery on May 20, printed in collections of 1822, 1835, 1844 and 1848) Otherwise, the crown of righteousness will be kept for me, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will reward me on the day, not only to me, but also to all those who have loved His appearing. 2 Timothy 4:8. Extraordinarily brave words! One might think that this person forgets himself and dreams when, before God’s judgment, he justifies himself before God and assigns himself a crown from God. But his well-known modesty and deeply humble opinion of himself do not allow him to think so. For this same man at another time called himself “the least of the Apostles, unworthy of the name of the Apostle” (1 Cor. 15:9), a “persecutor” of the Church, a “blasphemer” and a “troubler,” and only by grace “received mercy, the first of sinners” (1 Tim. 1:13, 15). How did it happen that a man who so loves to humiliate himself exalts himself with such boldness? - Without a doubt, faith gave him a presentiment of what was in store for him: and I think love prompted him to reveal this presentiment. “Suffer evil,” he wrote before this to his beloved child Timothy: and immediately, in order to dissolve this bitter commandment with consolation, he points out to him the example of his own suffering: “I have already been eaten”; and for his undoubted reward: “For the rest the crown of righteousness is kept for me, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will reward me in the day” (2 Tim. 4:5–6, 8). But as soon as love for the student removed the secret of high hope from the teacher’s heart; humility immediately comes, and places the high teacher alongside the last disciples: “not only for me” is the crown of righteousness, “but also for all those who love His appearing” (2 Tim. 4:8). And all men of God do not like to be in glory among men: but if they appear among them in glory, or show in themselves the aspiration of glory; then in order to, by showing them the crown of righteousness, attract them to the path of righteousness. And you, the Spirit-bearing successor and imitator of the Apostles, “who has done the work of an evangelist, who has fought a good fight” (2 Tim. 4:5, 7), when you shine with some rays of your heavenly crown here on earth - and you, Alexie, after your death, like Paul before his death, preach to us the hope of the heavenly crown, and encourage us to seek it. “Not only a crown of righteousness for me, but His appearing to all who love.” It is worthy of note, Christians, that the Apostle promises the crown of righteousness “to all those who have loved the appearing of the Lord.” Through this he teaches us that, among other saving feats, in order to achieve a crown from the Lord, it is necessary that we “love His appearing,” that is, diligently reflect on the coming of Christ, expect it incessantly, desire it with our hearts, and actively prepare for it. When Jesus Christ ascended to heaven, and the Apostles, although already forewarned of His ascension to His Father, stood with their gaze fixed on His trail, either in amazement at the wondrous 165 event, or in bewilderment about its consequences, or in lamentation over separation from the Divine Savior: then Angels were sent to calm their worried thoughts and feelings 166. What are they doing? What kind of medicine is used? – As a strong medicine, they use the thought of the future appearance of Jesus, who has hidden from view. “This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw Him going into heaven” (Acts 1:11). And how truly this spiritual healing helped! “Having returned,” the Evangelist tells about the Apostles, after the Ascension of the Lord, “returning to Jerusalem with great joy” (Luke XXIV, 52). It is clear that, having accepted the medicine given by the Angels, the Apostles truly and abundantly tasted in it the powers of the coming age. That is why they so often give medicine to other people, that is, they give them a taste of the hope of the future appearance of Christ, whether it is necessary to cleanse the infected, or strengthen the weak, or relieve the suffering. “Christ,” writes the Apostle Paul to the Hebrews, “being brought in one to bear the sins of many, the second will appear without sin to those who wait for Him for salvation” (Heb. 9:28). Instructing Titus to teach the doctrine of saving grace, he says that this grace teaches us, “having renounced ungodliness and worldly lusts, let us live soberly, righteously and godly in this present world” (Titus 2:12): but how can we fulfill such great demands of grace? - In response to this, he adds: “waiting for the blessed hope and revelation of the glory of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ” (Tit. 2:13). Encouraging Timothy to “advance in righteousness, piety, faith, love, patience, meekness, to fight the good fight of faith, he bequeaths him to keep this commandment purely and blamelessly” - for how long? Perhaps an exhausted ascetic would sometimes ask; and the perspicacious mentor, warning of this, indicates the joyful limit of exploits: “even until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Tim. 6:11-14). Likewise, the Apostle Peter, calling on the shepherds to true pastoral feat: “be a model of the flock,” arouses in them zeal for the feat by no other than the thought of the appearance of the Crowned Shepherd: “And when I appear to the Chief Shepherd, you will receive an unfading crown of glory” (1 Pet. 5:3-4). With this hope he also dissolves the bitter cup of those who suffer: “before you partake of Christ’s passion; Rejoice, for even when His glory is revealed you will rejoice and be glad” (1 Peter 4:13). The Apostle John demands from the Christian the highest “purification of himself, as” Christ Himself is “pure.” By what kind of non-destroying fire, or by what kind of fiery water does he think to carry out this radical cleansing? The hope of Christ's appearance. “We are,” he says, “for when He appears, we will be like Him: for we will see Him as He is: and everyone who has this hope will purify himself, as He is pure” (1 John 3:2-3). It can be said that the thought of the expected appearance of Christ was in primitive Christianity the universal foundation by which the entire building was supported, the universal force by which the whole body was animated, the universal motive instrument by which great and pure actions were carried out. But why did I say: in primitive Christianity? When and what kind of Christianity can stand without this foundation, live without this power, act without this weapon? “We are saved through hope” (Rom. 8:24), says the Apostle; we are saved in hope, not in the complete accomplishment of salvation. What does “salvation by hope” mean? - “Waiting,” as the same Apostle defines, “for the blessed hope and manifestation of the glory of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ” (Tit. 2:13). So, where this expectation is not there, there is no hope; where there is no hope, there is no salvation; where there is no salvation, there is no Christianity. If to anyone these conclusions do not seem quite clear because they were deduced from the testimony of a mentor in Christianity, and not from simple and obvious principles of reason; - although in matters of faith it is much more reliable to rely on the testimony of those who know, rather than on the own research of natural reason, arrogant and vain, which in such cases, with all its questions and perplexities, does not deserve any other answer than Christ’s accusatory answer to Nicodemus: “We know, we say; and by seeing it, we testify; and you do not accept our testimony” (John 3:11)! - if, I say, despite this, someone wants to explore with his own reasoning to what extent hope and incessant expectation of the appearance of Christ enters into the essence of Christianity: let him consult with his best understanding and conscience. Whoever feels sin within himself: isn’t it essential for him to have the firm hope of perfect forgiveness and cleansing? Without this, would he not be threatened by despair, which is hell in the soul before it brings the soul down to hell? Whoever suffers does not really need the joyful hope of a better state? Whoever experiences, or even sees, injustice: to calm his heart and conscience, doesn’t he also need the hope of justice? Whoever strives to the point of exhaustion, does he not need the encouraging hope of reward? The Christian knows that forgiveness and cleansing of sins has been acquired for him by the blood and death of Christ; however, he also feels that the root of sin has not yet been plucked out of him, as the Apostle admitted, that he feels “sin living in himself,” and that his “good” “does not live in the flesh” (Rom. 7:17-18). One can even say that a saint feels sin within himself more than a sinner, because this inner feeling is not drowned out in him either by external sensual pleasures or by the lull of conscience: therefore, what would happen to a Christian if he did not hope and incessantly expect the appearance of Christ, which in all parts, even to the body of humility, should transform him into the glorious image of Christ, and without a doubt even the slightest remnants of sinful impurity disappear, and all warfare of sin, all temptation will cease forever? A Christian suffers, and suffers almost more than other people; for he, in addition to the common inevitable sufferings for the corrupted human nature, was given a special lot as a cross, similar to the one on which Christ suffered: how unhappy would a Christian be if he did not think, if he did not feel in his suffering that “who through suffering entered into glory” (Luke XXIV, 26) is approaching every minute to illuminate the sufferers with glory? A Christian both sees over others and experiences the injustice of the world over himself, according to the prophecy of the Truth: “Because you are not of the world..., for this reason the world hates you” (John 15:19); and the more clearly he understands the truth of God, the more ardently he is “jealous,” the more painfully he is consumed by jealousy, “in vain is the world of sinners” ( Psalm 73:3 ) and the misfortunes of the righteous: he would have melted away from his own zeal if, like a thin voice of cold, the cool hope of justice had not breathed upon him: “Behold, I am coming quickly, and with Me will I repay to each one according to his deeds.” him" (Rev. 22:12). Finally the Christian struggles; for since sin has reigned over evil in the world, no good has been acquired in it except by feat, battle and victory; and he must strive, following the example of the Hero, sometimes to the point of bloody sweat, and to the point of exhaustion of all his strength: what is more necessary to encourage him in the feat, and to renew his strength, than to see with the eye of hope at the end of the race the Hero Himself, who is already the Crowned One; - not because in a true ascetic there is self-interest or vanity, hungry for a crown, but because his soul thirsts for the Most Beloved Ascetic and Crown-Giver, for Whom the true ascetic “conquers in all things,” as “for those who love us” (Rom. 8:37)? If a true Christian did not have this only hope, then any other hope could lead him to despair. “Even if in this life we ​​have confidence in Christ: we are the most wretched of all men” (1 Cor. 15:19). Everything shows that true Christianity must be essentially connected with hope and expectation of the appearance of Christ. What, therefore, should be said about those in whom either this hope and expectation is completely absent, or it is weak and mostly covered with oblivion? - That either there is no true Christianity in them, or their Christianity is weak, and they forget what they owe to this name. - “Am I food?” (Matthew 26:22) - perhaps a true disciple will think about this, fearing crime. - “Am I food?” (Matthew 26:25) the false one will also say, running away from exposure. We cannot give anyone an accusatory sign: but to those who have eyes, deeds expose everything. “By their fruit you will know them” (Matthew 7:16). “My Master hesitates to come,” says the evil servant mentioned in the parable, “and begins to beat his minions, and eat and drink with drunkards” (Matthew 24:48–49). “The bridegroom is confounded” (Matthew 25:5), the foolish virgins think, and sleep carelessly, while the last drops of oil burn out in their lamps. Thus, in weak or false Christians, forgetfulness about the upcoming coming of the Lord and His righteous judgment entails all deeds that are contrary to the spirit of Christianity, and completely exhausts all Christian virtues. “The Prince of the kings of the earth” (Rev. 1:5) touches, says the mighty of the earth, seduced by the lust for power, and begins to trample on the weak. The rebellious peoples are crying out, and plotting anarchy. The King touches the crown of thorns, says the son of sensual pleasures, and, having crowned himself with flowers, falls asleep on the flowers, which must soon wither and leave behind only future thorns. The Tsar the Lender touches, says the slave of the love of money or laziness, and buries deeper into the ground a talent that could have been worth a kingdom. The Bridegroom languishes, says the soul, which has doomed itself to the heavenly Bridegroom, and slumbers, not noticing that in its spiritual vessel the oil of tenderness and Divine love is becoming scarce; and therefore the light of understanding may soon fade away. He hesitates, the scolders shout; “Where is the promise of His coming? Wherefore the fathers have come to rest, all things have endured since the beginning of creation”; and in the hope of this inertia, or better yet, in despair, “they walk after their own lusts” (2 Peter 3:4, 3). No, wicked servants and frivolous servants, “the Lord does not impair the promise, as the Neti think that they do not, but is patient with us, not that any should perish, but that all may come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). And who knows whether the measure of His long-suffering has not already been filled? - Note, Christians, how from day to day the signs of His coming, destined for Himself, are multiplying: the throng of tongues, famines and destruction and cowardice in place, many temptations, betrayal of each other, the increase of lawlessness, the drying up of love - and this is already a sign that so many are dozing, not paying attention to the amazing signs of the times; for, according to the spoken words from your holy Prophets and Apostles, “the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night” (2 Peter 3:10). “Behold, he is coming from the clouds, and every eye will see Him” (Rev. 1:7)! Blessed is he who can say with all his heart: “Come, Lord Jesus” (Rev. 22:20)! “A crown for those who love His appearing!” Amen. In collection 1822, 1835 and 1844: one could... In collection 1822 and 1835: accidental. .. In collection 1822 and 1835: to restore and revive the stricken and put in order their confused thoughts and feelings,... In collection 1822 and 1835: strong and revitalizing... In collection 1822 and 1835: quickly and strongly influenced... You might be interested in: