390. Речь по освящении храма во имя праведныя Елисаветы, устроенного при сиротском училище 1812 года, находящемся в ведении Санкт-Петербургского женского Патриотического Общества

(Spoken May 27; printed separately). 1817 Praise the Lord, young men and maidens, old men and young men. Let them praise the name of the Lord: for the name of the One is exalted, His confession on earth and in heaven. (Ps. 149:7, 12–13). When will this blessed time finally come, in which not only the name of the Lord will be exalted, but also “the name of the One will be exalted,” and the reverent “confession of Him” will be one “on earth and in heaven”? When will the single name of “the only true God, and whom He sent, Jesus Christ” (John 17:3) become everywhere the silence of children, the teaching of elders, the song of virgins, and the shouting of young men? When will all the idols of wood and stone, especially all the idols of the heart and mind, the idols of passions and sins, be crushed from the face of the living God, “and the whole earth will be filled with His glory” (Ps. 71:19), just as the whole heaven is filled? As long as the fullness of this bliss, even on the heavenly earth, is still hidden in the destinies of the Eternal, it is good for us, Christians, that at least in part we can anticipate these blessed events; that there are times in which we are solemnly called to “... magnify the Lord” with all His Church “and exalt His name together” (Ps. 33:4). There are places that are not only dedicated to His only name, but are also sanctified by Him, filled with the power and glory of this great name and mysteriously combine His earthly confession with His heavenly confession. “Behold, the name” of the Lord is called “on this church” (1 Kings 8:43). “The Lord reigned” here with his gracious presence; “He clothed himself” invisibly in this visible “blindness” (Ps. 92:1). Whoever has passed through the region of bodily feelings, which can only place us in the forecourt of the house of God, “the spirit of faith and “he is introduced into the inner courtyard” - into the spiritual contemplation of the mysteries taking place here - he sees here too what some of the ancient contemplatives saw somewhere - he sees “the house of the Lord is full of glory”; sees the “place of the throne” of God and the “place of the sole of His feet,” “where His name will dwell,” not only for the short days of a church made with hands, but also “forever” (Ezek. 43:5-7). And therefore, let not the joy of the present event—the joy, without a doubt, common to all those gathered here—be turned into praise and glory only human. Let us not here praise this beneficent class, which, in the unforgettable days of social disasters, having founded their union in order to be all the more attentive and active in “mindful of the poor and wretched” (Ps. 40:2), with the generous love of mankind characteristic of love for the Fatherland, unites humble Christian love for mankind, not ashamed to leave the palaces to visit poverty under its bowed dilapidated shelter; and, at the inspiration of the same Christian spirit, he adorns and exalts this monastery of love for mankind with this sanctuary of piety. Let us not exalt - however exalted - the name of the porphyry-bearing mother of orphans, whose spirit lives within this class and acts in its deeds. Christian benefactors, of course, do not want us to preach their “shuytse”, what their “right hand” “does” (Matthew 6:3), and with the meager reward of earthly praise weaken their right to a great reward in heaven. What path will we show to the feelings of hearts moved by this event? – The very path along which “the name of... the One” is now exalted here is the path of prayerful praise to the Lord. “Praise the Lord! Let us lift up His name together!” “Praise the Lord,” you, to whom He has placed in your heart the desire to establish this place of His praise and to whom He has blessed with the fulfillment of this desire. Do not think that you brought Him any gift that He needed; but believe above all that He has given you the grace to offer Him this service. It was not you who chose Him as your helper and patron of your philanthropic deeds, - He, through his secret, but all-powerful providence, chose and accepted you into the instruments of his Divine philanthropy. And in what high dignity He accepted you because you forget your virtues in the world in order to devote yourself to serving the poor, the weak and the orphaned out of respect for the virtues forgotten in the world - a person and a Christian! He accepted you into the dignity of not only neighbors, but also benefactors of His Only Begotten Son. The election is perfect, if only it remains in your hearts, and was proclaimed by the Son of God himself to the whole world in the Gospel: “Before you have made one of these brothers” (or these sisters), “the least of mine, you have created for me” (Matthew 25:40). Therefore, glorify, you who do good on earth, him who does good from heaven, who does good to you, so that he may do good to you. “Praise the Lord!” “Praise the Lord,” you too, virgins placed under this beneficent shelter. It may be that “father... and mother... abandoned you,” but it is all the more obvious that “the Lord... accepted” (Ps. 26:10) you. His destinies, incomprehensible to us, sanctified your parents as a sacrifice of domestic dangers - but His goodness moved in the hearts of the chosen daughters of the Fatherland and granted you parental love and care in strangers. Your life is provided for from needs, protected from dangers, surrounded by means of improvement and - most importantly because true human life on earth is the path to God - you are taught the fear of the Lord, to walk blamelessly in His law, to approach Him through prayer in faith and love and, for this approach to the Invisible and Incomprehensible, apparently this “house of God” is opened to you here at your very dwelling, and this and the gates of heaven" (Gen. 28:17). Children, children! Hurry to use the means of approaching the Lord so mercifully given to you. You are closer to Him than you think. The Kingdom of God is almost in your hands. “Leave the little children to come to Me,” said our beloved Savior, “for of such is the kingdom of God” (Mark 10:14). But then the Apostles forbade children to approach Jesus Christ, but now you are called and guided to Him. Lift your thoughts and hearts to Him; resort to Him both with your sorrows and with your joys; “Remember Him on your beds; learn about Him in the morning” (Ps. 62:7); and especially here, at the solemn hour of general prayer, pour out your hearts before Him with all the simplicity and sincerity, only characteristic of your age and only dear to the Lord, Who does not require from us anything more than a “heart” (Prov. 23:26), childishly devoted to Him. Lord, “bringing Thy praise forth from the lips of infants and those who piss” (Ps. 8:3), “revealing to babes what is hidden... from the wise and understanding” (Luke 10:21), promising in the last days to “pour out Thy Spirit on Thy servants and on Thy handmaids” (Joel 2:29)! Receive into Your grace the children who come to You in this church, and open Your hidden kingdom in their hearts. Confirm those who have received from You the grace of love for mankind in their deeds and make them worthy to “receive from Your fulfillment and reward grace” (John 1:16). May virgins and mothers, elders and youths praise Your exalted name forever. Amen. You might be interested in: