313. Беседа по освящении храма Пресвятой Троицы, в Троице-одигитриевском общежитии

(Said Oct. 1st; printed in the Works of the Holy Father, 1855 and in the collection, 1861) “Unless the Lord builds a house, those who build it labor in vain,” says the Divinely inspired song (Ps. 127:1). The Word of the Spirit of God speaks, without a doubt, the exact and indisputable truth. So, if it is true that a house is built successfully and reliably only with God, under the protection of His Providence, with His blessing, with His help: then it is equally fair, upon seeing a house successfully and reliably created, to say: it is clear that “the Lord created” this house, when “they did not labor in vain to build it”; Apparently, God’s blessing and God’s help have been granted to this work. We see here not only a house, but also houses created by a good dispensation, not only houses of human habitation, but also a house of God, a house of prayer, sacraments and the glory of God, and not just one house of God, but already four altars prepared for the offering to God of a propitiatory, bloodless, but living and life-giving sacrifice. How can one not think and say, according to the thoughts of the sacred Songsinger: it is clear that “the Lord created” all this; it is clear that His good Providence and help helped so that “those who build would not labor in vain”; Apparently, there is His blessing and protection over this place. We will have to be more firmly established in these thoughts if we remind those who know, and show those who do not know, at least in part, a rather long chain of events, mostly composed of accidents, that made possible the current local holiday, with hope for good days for this place and beyond. Twenty-nine years before this, an old man who had lived in the desert for many years came to this place, and with him several virgins and widows who were under his spiritual guidance. They were birds deprived of a nest; sheep without a fence. The noble owner of this place offered them this land for settlement. And the desert dweller was afraid of the wildness of this place, in which he saw only forest and swamp, and which did not provide any convenience for meeting the needs of life. He turned to other places: but they presented more important inconveniences in relation to the silence of spiritual life. So, this place was accepted as a gift from fate, which did not seem pleasant, but which could not be refused. But who was this old man? Who are these virgins and widows who formed a pious community under his leadership, but did not have a place of community? – They were not born in this country; They didn’t live in this country: an unforeseen fate brought them here from the far reaches of Siberia. This accident was a consequence of other accidents. In the second half of the last century, Hieromonk Adrian (later Hieromonk Alexy) of pious memory lived in the Bryansk forests, with several disciples. A young noble warrior, who had experienced the vanity of worldly life, came to them; I was captivated by their lives and desired to cleave to them. Concerns from ill-intentioned people and the attack of robbers were the reason that they moved to the northwestern region of the fatherland, to the Konevsky monastery, in which Adrian was appointed abbot. Here the former warrior Zachary entered the monastic rank under the name of Zosima; and spent ten years, partly in a hostel, partly in desert solitude. When Adrian, out of love for silence, left the abbotship and the Konevsky monastery: then, with his blessing, Zosima, with another pious monk Basilisk, whom he revered as his elder, retired into silence into the Siberian forests and spent twenty years or more there. In the gracious reign of Christ the Savior, one can often see that He, among hidden deeds, shines a gracious light in the souls of the chosen ones: but then He acts according to His rule, expressed in the Gospel: not to hide the lamp under a bushel, but to use it to enlighten others through Him. This can also be noted in the lives of the elders Basilisk and Zosima. The basilisk remained hopelessly silent in the desert: Zosima had to sometimes enter villages to acquire the necessary needs of life, and, consequently, enter into relations with people. He met souls toiling and burdened in the world, seeking peace of mind and needing guidance to it. At strong requests, with the blessing of Elder Basilisk, Zosima accepted them into his leadership: and thus the community life that we now see here began in distant Siberia. How did it end up here? It experienced the inconvenience of living in a foreign land, without a church, without a priest, without a correct relationship with the spiritual authorities: and Elder Zosima, prompted by spiritual love for mankind, twice undertook and made a trip to St. Petersburg to the Holy Synod, and asked for the empty Turin monastery for this hostel, having at the same time received an order to improve it. The more success this order promised, the more infuriated the enemy of human salvation became and incited a grave temptation. He aroused in some the passion of lust; from this arose strife and tricks; they were brought to court; the court was damaged by man-pleasing: and the sisters of the hostel, faithful to the leadership of the elder, along with him, were forced to leave, and appeared in Moscow and here like birds deprived of a nest, like sheep without a fence. As a result, bitter accidents begin to turn into comforting accidents. A meager dormitory dwelling was established here: but there were no means of subsistence; there was no solid fence: there was no church. Zosima was forced to go to Moscow to get what he needed. Someone asked him: why are you not silent, but spread the word of the city? He answered: it is better for me to endure this than for the virgins dedicated to God. For this spiritually philanthropic word, a spiritually philanthropic ear was found. A pious man, whom God blessed with honestly acquired wealth, and who generously allocated from it for the creation and decoration of the churches of God, and for doing good to honest monasteries and needy neighbors - let us not keep silent about his name; because the Lord had recently called him to himself, and he had no need to beware of human glory, the servant of God Simeon decided to free the virgins dedicated to God from the need to often enter the rumor of the city for their needs. He supplied the hostel with everything he needed, as soon as he learned about it; built sufficient and durable buildings for it; surrounded it with a fence; gave him land that would always provide food for the sisters of the hostel. The spiritual community needed a church, while it, being only a private institution, could not demand it for itself by law. The finger of God pointed this out to the pious Princess Thomas, and she, by right of her name, having asked permission from the Holy Synod to create a church for herself, and having established it, with the assistance of other pious and benefactors, gave the community this heavenly treasure on earth, after which it was no longer difficult to ask for its open legal existence, approved by the blessing of the Holy Synod and the Highest authority. Since the church built by the Princess was not spacious, and turned out to be insufficient: then finally the ever-memorable servant of God Simeon tripled its composition and space, and more than tripled its splendor. Let us glorify God in a variety of ways, wonderfully, beyond our minds and aspirations, who arranges the paths of peace and salvation for people, according to their faith and zeal for good, giving a mentor to the ignorant, help to the helpless, shelter to the bloodless, refuge to the persecuted, “dwelling like-minded people into a home” (Ps. 67:7), to those deprived of everything, giving everything they need through the mercy of those who abound, and to those who abound, a guarantee the best acquisition of heavenly things in deeds of philanthropy and in the prayers of those blessed. No one can rely on themselves. No one despairs of the goodness of God's Providence. Deprived, grieving, embittered, do not deprive yourself of faith and patience, and constantly seek the Lord, although, apparently, He is hidden. “Those who seek... the Lord will not be deprived of any good” (Ps. 33:11). Delivered from bitterness, sorrow, and deprivation, do not slumber in your peace. Peace was arranged for you to do good without hindrance and freely serve God: if you neglect this, you yourself will destroy your peace. Constantly give thanks to the supreme benefactor God, and in Him also to earthly benefactors, good servants of His goodness. A heart grateful to God is an open vessel for His grace. Amen. You might be interested in: