356. Беседа по освящении храма святого Александра Невского, при Покровской Богадельне Московского мещанского Общества

(Said December 8th; printed in the Works of the Holy Father, 1859 and in the collection of 1861) The prophets Haggai and Zechariah had a special purpose from God to encourage the Jews to build a temple in Jerusalem after their return from Babylonian captivity. This work was begun: but the enemies of the faith and the Jewish people prevented it. The Jews stopped in despondency, which then turned into cooling, excusing themselves with the thought that the time was not yet favorable to the matter. At this time, the Prophet Haggai appeared and encouraged him to begin building the church: “Build the church, and I will delight in it, and I will be glorified, says the Lord” (Hag. 1:8). Zechariah appeared after him; and besides, he encouraged with confirmation of God’s favor and the hope of success: “Here says the Lord: I will turn to Jerusalem with compassion, and My church will be built in it” (Zech. 1:16). As a result of this, the church was created: and the prosperity of Jerusalem increased. We are not here in Jerusalem. This church was not created for the city and the people. No one prevented his creation, and no one forced him to do so; and this city, from ancient times to this day a lover of the churches of God, never requires coercion to do such a thing. Good will, pious zeal, and the philanthropy of the community of citizens created this church, in connection with this house, so that “Lazarus,” poor, exhausted in strength, helpless, would not “lie at the gate of the rich man” (Luke 16:19–20), or in the dilapidated hut of another, almost also helpless; so that here what is called for blessing at the Judgment of Christ is publicly fulfilled - charity for the strange, the weak, the helpless, food for the hungry, clothing for the naked. But this is not enough; Christian philanthropy also desired that those contemplating here would use not only their peaceful home, but also the house of God, so that it would be close to them to find spiritual food and spiritual healing for mental illnesses in the priesthood and sacraments of the holy church. And this wish is now being fulfilled. Blessed be God! Blessed is Christian philanthropy! After this, you can ask: why did I recall here the circumstances of the Jerusalem temple building? – I answer: so that from these circumstances one can draw thoughts that will be comforting for the church builders and useful for all visitors to the church. In Jerusalem we see that when people did not show zeal to build a church to God, then God Himself sent His extraordinary messengers to encourage them to do this. From this we can see how God desires that the church of His name be created. And this gives the creators of the church of God a joyful thought that, by creating and decorating the church, they are fulfilling what God especially desires. And if happy were those who successfully worked in building the church, having been strongly urged to do so by God’s messengers: are those less happy who take part in the building of the church, without being forced by anyone, out of pure free zeal for God, and out of love for His shrine? Not only for church builders, but for all who believe in God and want the salvation of their souls, the fact that God Himself desires and demands a church for Himself is worthy of deep attention. The first church of the true God on earth among the Israelites, after their exodus from Egypt, at Mount Sinai, moved according to their then wanderings, was built and consecrated solely by the command of God, and according to the immediate destiny of God, without the preliminary desire of man. After several centuries, when King David wanted to create a stationary one instead of a moving church, the Lord God took this church-building into His special vision; and having removed David from it, as having shed a lot of blood in battle, he gave it to his son, Solomon, who reigned peacefully. This first temple in Jerusalem was allowed, for the sins of the people, to be destroyed by the Babylonians: but even before this judgment was carried out on it, the just and at the same time merciful Lord predestined, and through Isaiah the Prophet foreshadowed the creation of the second temple in Jerusalem; and to begin this work he chose King Cyrus, who was not yet born. And further, when the construction of the second Jerusalem temple, begun under the patronage of Cyrus, was stopped under his successors; The Lord again took this matter into His hands, and with His “great zeal” (Zech. 1:14) accomplished it, sending motivators invested with His Divine power, the Prophets Haggai and Zechariah. Finally, the second temple in Jerusalem was finally destroyed by the Romans, according to the justice of God, for the unprecedentedly grave sin of the Jews - for “killing the ruler of life” (Acts 3:15), our Lord Jesus Christ - and together, according to the wise fate of God, so that the Old Testament worship gave way to the most perfect, New Testament, Christian one. And at this time, when with the spread of Christianity throughout the universe, it was necessary to spread Christian churches throughout the universe, since God Himself appeared as the creator of holy churches: for the incarnate only begotten Son of God, upon His ascension into heaven, “endowed His disciples and Apostles with power from on high, which is the Holy Spirit”; and they, through the action of the Holy Spirit in them, “were strong in deed and word, gave birth to baptism, erected churches, established altars, laid down rules and laws for the priesthood,” which we also “keep tradition” (Prayer in the consecrated church). And about the first church of this reigning city, didn’t God say to the Grand Duke through the mouth of Saint Peter almost the same thing that he once told Jerusalem through the mouth of Zechariah: “build a church” to the Mother of God, “and I will turn” to Moscow with “generosity”? - And now, five centuries testify that it was the true word of God, in the mouth of the saint of God. Seeing such from ancient times the destinies of God over the churches of God, what should we think, brethren? – Anyone who ponders thoroughly will find in them the following instructive truths: 1. The church of the true God with His shrines, orders and sacraments is not a human invention, but God’s own dispensation. 2. The structure of the church of God and its sacred rites in it should not depend on human arbitrariness, but should be based on the “rules and laws of the priesthood,” which “were laid down by the Apostles, endued with the Holy Spirit, strong in deed and word.” 3. The wisdom of God recognized the construction of the holy church not only as useful, but also as a necessary aid for the salvation of people: for it is not characteristic of the wisdom of God to do anything unnecessary and not useful. 4. Therefore, every person who desires salvation for himself must diligently come to the church of God, with attention, and, as far as possible, with understanding, participate in its prayers and praises, listen to and follow the word of God and the teaching of life heard in it, and sanctify himself with its sacraments, in accordance with the rules and laws that the God-inspired Apostles and God-wise Fathers laid down and handed down to us. What, therefore, should we think about those who, having heard an unreasonable or ill-intentioned slander against the Orthodox Church, move away from the church consecrated according to the Divine rite and from its grace-filled sacraments, remain without a house of prayer, or arbitrarily set up unblessed prayer books for themselves and attempt to form some kind of ghosts of fragmented church societies? - Daring arbitrariness, and, moreover, not only fruitless, but also harmful to the soul! They cut themselves off from the unity of the living and life-giving body of Christ, that is, from the one, true, holy Church of Christ. But a member cut off from the body has no life. So they also do not have the life-giving grace of Christ and gracious sanctification. The apostolic word warns you against such, brethren: “Beware of evil workers, beware of being cut” (Phil. 3:2). What shall we say about those of us who are not kept away from the holy church by false wisdom, but who are often kept out of it by negligence and the vanity of the world? “We will judge ourselves severely for this, if only we think about it sensibly.” Near us, or not far away, we have a church, created by the will of God, consecrated according to God’s order, filled with the presence of God and mysterious grace, according to the Lord’s own saying: “My eyes and my heart will remain all the days” (2 Chronicles 7:16), ready to animate our prayer with the breath of the Holy Spirit, to enlighten us with the word of God, to feed us with Body and Blood. Christ's. The Lord prepared great spiritual and Divine treasures for us in His church, opened them, offered us to use them for our eternal good, and together for the fulfillment of His will, which is eternally beneficial to us: and with all this, when the day comes, especially dedicated to God, and the hour assigned to His church, others rush not to the church, but “to go to their village, but to their purchases” (Matthew 22:5), or to vain, unnecessary amusements, even sometimes contrary to good morals, pleasing only to flattering spirits, enemies of our salvation, seeking to drag us into their destruction. What imprudence! What enslavement to vanity! What inattention to our own true and eternal good! What ingratitude before God the Benefactor! What a lack of fear of God! For just as it is characteristic of God’s mercy to open for us, even unworthy ones, the treasures of His grace, in anticipation of our repentance and correction: so it is also characteristic of His justice to take away Divine gifts, insulted by neglect, and to punish ingratitude. We wish you the best, brothers. Just as the creation of the Jerusalem temple was once connected with the bounties of God to Jerusalem itself: so now may the grace of the holy church, according to your faith and pious zeal, be a blessing, sanctification and salvation of your soul, and an increase in the bounties of God for all your temporary life, in the hope of blessed eternal life. Amen. You might be interested in: