351. Речь Благочестивейшему Государю Императору Александру Николаевичу, пред вступлением Его Императорского Величества, с Государынею Императрицею Мариею Александровною, в Большой Успенский Собор

(Said on August 26th; printed in the Works of the Holy Father, in the Moscow Vedas of 1858 and in the collection of 1861) Most pious Sovereign! Two years before this, we saw You with joy on this day in Your Royal glory: with joy we now see You in the midst of Your Royal activity. From the outside, you continue to protect the world; and, in particular, you renew the world in the Far East; you open a peaceful path to the truth of Christ to “the people who sit in darkness” (Matthew 4:16) of paganism; You are establishing a new, solid, wide border of Your Kingdom on the banks and waters of the Amur, and, to the surprise of what other powers sought with weapons, Your peaceful word, anticipating them, achieves. Inside, you strive to enhance the improvement and prosperity of Your Kingdom. What do these Your travels mean through the regions of Your Kingdom, extending to the deep North? – We understand that You want to know Your Kingdom not only from information ascending to Your Throne, but also from direct personal observations, and in this we see the Royal truth that in order to govern reliably, you need to know exactly what is being governed. Most pious Sovereign! Your exploits are our hopes. You sow hard so that we can reap the desired fruits. But everything is under the Providence of God; and everything good is by the blessing of God. Therefore, You pray: and Russia prays with You, so that the “Lord” of Powers “will give Your kindness strength according to His will” (Ps. 29:8), and Your good intentions may be faithfully fulfilled; and may he make us, through Christian and loyal virtues, worthy of true prosperity. You might be interested in: