376. Слово в день Святой Пасхи

(Said in the Alexander Nevsky Lavra; printed separately.) Yes, He is risen, Christians! “Truth has risen from the earth” (Ps. 85:12), where human injustice and the just judgment of God have brought it down. The seal placed by unbelief on her cold tomb melted from the fire of the Divinity hidden in it. The heavy stone of temptation that covered him fell, and only struck the Jewish stiff-neckedness and the Greek arrogance. This tomb, in which “the hope of all creation” was recently buried (Rom. 8:19), is now empty, and the heavenly messenger, sitting at its head, seems to be drawing on it a tombstone that has hitherto been inappropriate for any mortal, but which from now on will be the common tombstone of mortals: “Where is the sting of death? where is the victory" (1 Cor. 15:55)? How one moment changes the face of the world! I don't recognize hell; I don't know what is heaven and what is earth. Is this hell, which imprisoned the slaves of damnation, which now gives away the sons of freedom? Is this the earth where the Divinity shines with heavenly glory? Is this heaven where earthly creatures settle and humanity reigns? An incomprehensible “transition” from complete exhaustion to the fullness of perfection, from the deepest misery to the highest bliss, from death to immortality, from hell to heaven, from man to God! Great Easter! Celebrate this Easter, happy wanderers of the unfortunate land! “And this day shall be a memorial unto you, and ye shall celebrate that feast of the Lord throughout all your generations: ye shall lawfully celebrate it forever” (Ex. 12:14). Let us reveal more about the properties of eternal Easter, in order to better determine the internal value of the triumph of the present. It is known that both the name of Passover and the holiday institution originally belonged to the Jews. Their Passover marked the “passing” past their Destroyer Angel of the firstborn of Egypt, the exodus from the house of work, and deliverance from a cruel tyrant. The lamb, consumed during the observation of certain rituals, depicted these events and constituted the celebration. A life preserved in Egypt, but soon pitifully lost in the desert - an exodus from the home of work, for which, however, tears were shed more than once during a fourty-year wandering - were the deliverances of such a people, who later became a model of misfortune, worth the “eternal” celebration? - But eternal Wisdom determined to present to her disciples an abbreviation of the book of destinies in the history of this amazing people - and his Easter became important, being the formation of another most important one. This is how “in these last days” (Heb. 1:2) ancient fortune telling is resolved. – Jesus Christ, “lamb” in meekness, perfect in the union of the Divinity with humanity, “male” in strength to bear our infirmities, “blameless” in purity from sin, even hereditary, a lamb “of one year,” that is, having reached the fullness of natural age, “slain” on the cross, tempted by “fire” (Ex. 12:5–8) of justice God, gives himself as spiritual food to the spiritual “tribe of Abraham”. At the mystical supper, always without lack, and always without excess, it is consumed in “unleavened purity” (1 Cor. 5:8). Meanwhile, as innate corruption kills in the sons of this age every thought, every desire, these firstborn of the mind and heart, and they produce dead only deeds; the cherished blood of Christ, sprinkling the souls of believers, revives in them the heavenly principle of life. Through this the work of sin ceases; clay and tares, base need and vanity, no longer distract from the free service of God, and the invisible “Pharaoh, the Ruler of the World... of the darkness of this world” (Eph. 6:12), is exhausted in his fury. This, listeners, is the new, blessed Easter, foreshadowed by the Old Law. However, this triumph is not yet complete and perfect. This is a mystery still hidden in the one house, in the interior of the reflected soul. Internally passing to God from the world, we still remain in it according to the outer man and, sharing grace by faith, we cannot suddenly destroy the curse that has penetrated, so to speak, through the entire damaged nature. That is why, in our spiritual meal, just like for the Jews at the Passover Supper, there should be a lot of “bitter ago” mixed in (Exodus 12:8): sorrows and misfortunes grow in abundance in this deplorable vale. We must eat the mysterious food with “thoroughness” (Exodus 12:11), with haste, and flee from the race obstinate. We must “gird our loins with truth” (Eph. 6:14); we must be in constant strife against her enemies. We must have “in our hands” (Ex. 12:11) the rods of courage, every step threatens us with stumbling and falling. We must have “boots on our feet” (Ex. 12:11), ancient. The “serpent” (Gen. 3:1), despite the fact that he himself received a deadly blow “to the head,” still “watches” our “heel” (Gen. 3:15), sharpens a dull sting on our flesh. O poor flesh! lazy dust with which the active spirit is suppressed! a burden that follows me even in flight from the world! Treacherous friend, flattering enemy! The assistant is a traitor! Scary - favorite! where can I hide from you? I make peace with you, without defeating you, and without enjoying the peace, I resume the battle. You moan when I exhaust you; When I favor you, you are self-willed. Sharp thorns pierce you; fragrant roses immerse you in bliss and relaxation. You serve as a target for the flaming arrows of the evil one and even cover his forges. I strive for the light of Zion: you keep me “in the darkness” of Egypt. And then, as you, in an incomprehensible melancholy, you yourself sigh for my Lord, - and then, approaching the very source of life, like that Magdalene, you are still looking for a dead body - sensual images. “Do not touch me” (John 20:17), the Lord says to you; and the spirit itself, more or less, is forced to share this condemnation with you. Who, which of us is protected from these various temptations that sometimes crushed apparently chosen vessels of grace? For “working with fear in the Lord,” we can “rejoice in Him” only “with trembling” (Ps. 2:11). We are allowed to “eat and see that the Lord is good” (Ps. 33:9), but not yet be satisfied. Our mysterious Passover of the exodus, being an event of ancient prototypes, is itself only a new prophecy and expectation of the solemn Passover of entry. The full and solemn Passover of Israel was to be celebrated in the Promised Land, “in a chosen place” (Deut. 16:6), the presence of God, in Jerusalem, “the city of ... peace” (Sir. 36:14), similarly our Passover will take place when we finish our earthly journey. Just as the ark of the covenant divided the waters of the Jordan for Israel to pass, so for us the tomb of the resurrected Mediator of the new covenant will open a safe path through the stream of corruption, for the half of our existence. We will throw away the old remains of the flesh like a pilgrim's garment and ascend to the Jerusalem above. Then it will no longer be the doors of this altar, but the tabernacle of God not made with hands that will be opened before us. The flightless lamb will appear to us not under the cover of a sacrament, but in all the radiance of its truth. The meal is rich, without hunger and without satiety! Angelic bread, new wine, no longer life, but immortality! not joy, but bliss. Then, finally, the eternal Easter will be coupled with the eternal Saturday, the eternal ascent to God with eternal peace in it. According to this understanding of the eternal Easter, we, the listeners, must also judge the present celebration. Because the solemn Easter of entry into eternity has not yet approached for us, and the mysterious Easter of internal union with Christ is hidden from us; then the Church, for the mutual edification of her children, precedes one, and in some way opens the other in the outward triumph of Bright Week. So, the more vividly this celebration depicts the great mystery of Christian teaching and piety - the reconciliation and union of man with God, the more perfect it is, the more majestic it is. Well, if some of us limit Easter week to days of joy, without thinking about constantly drawing closer to Christ? If “they are drunk with the fatness of the house” (Ps. 35:9) of God, but do not want to taste even a drop of the bitter cup of Jesus? If, instead of vigil over oneself, on holy days they indulge in pagan carelessness, “people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play” (1 Cor. 10:7)? If, amidst the triumph of spiritual freedom, one flesh works; celebrating the new Easter, they remain the old people; rejoice in the resurrection, but remain dead to God? -What kind of holiday will it be? Ah, such a holiday is a body without a soul; and for such Christians it is scary, but it must be said that for such Christians there is no resurrection of Christ. For “we were buried... by Him through baptism into death, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead in the glory of the Father, so we too will begin to walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:4). Oh, great and sacred Easter, Christ! Instruct us to celebrate the Easter of the Exodus lawfully and graciously, grant us the honor to celebrate the Easter of the Entrance gloriously and forever. Amen. You might be interested in: