403. Беседа при торжественном священнослужении по случаю внесения в храм Святых мучеников Флора и Лавра и освящения креста, устроенного благоизволением и щедротами Государя Цесаревича, Великого Князя Александра Николаевича и Государыни Цесаревны Великой Княгини Марии Александровны

(Said on December 20; printed in Moscow. Gub. Ved. No. 52) About faith in communion with the saints who have gone to God, I want to say something to the brethren of this holy church. And it is not I who choose this subject of conversation for you now. But from the House of the Tsar, through me, a word of consolation and edification comes to you. The Holy Apostle Paul, writing a letter to Jewish Christians, and wanting to confirm them in faith and virtue, among other things, draws their attention to the superiority of the Christian faith, in comparison with the Old Testament, and says: “Do not come near a tangible mountain, and a burning fire, and a cloud, and darkness, and a storm, and the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of a verb that heard it.” denying, lest the word be added unto them, for I cannot endure him that commandeth” (Heb. 12:18–20). It is not difficult for you to understand that with these words the Apostle points to the terrible teaching of the law to the people of Israel through Moses on Mount Sinai, during which the people were not allowed to “come to understand God,” and out of fear said to Moses: “Let not God speak to us, lest we die” (Ex. 19:21, 20:19). Contrasting this with the New Testament of Christ, the Apostle continues: “But come near to Mount Zion, and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to the multitude of angels, to the triumph, and to the church of the firstborn in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to those perfect in the righteous spirit, and to Jesus, the Mediator of the New Covenant” (Heb. 12:22–24). That is: the ancients, entering into a covenant with God, stood before the visible Mount Sinai, and the sensory signs of the presence of God: you, Christians, entering into a covenant with God and Christ, approached the invisible Mount Zion, entered into immediate, spiritual communication with Heaven. They had as their intercessor, or mediator before God, a man, the servant of God, Moses, who himself trembled before the signs of the presence of God: your Intercessor before God is Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the true God and man, in whom dwells all the good will of God the Father towards Him, and through Him to men. Those, both by command and by their own fear, were kept from approaching God, from touching the place of His presence, from direct communication with the highest powers: you have free and unrestricted access to communication with many Angels, with the majestic cathedral and Church of the spirits of righteous people who have achieved spiritual perfection, “written in heaven,” as citizens of the Heavenly Jerusalem, sincerely assimilated to God, just as they once were the “firstborn” were symbolically assimilated to Him (Exod. 13:2); Finally, in this community of heavenly citizens, you have the boldness to approach the King of the heavenly city Himself, God and Christ. This, brethren, is the excellence of our faith. “In the same way,” the Apostle concludes, “let the imams have grace, and with it we serve... God with reverence and fear” (Heb. 12:28). By the same token, I will also say, let us remain faithful to grace and faith, in thought and heart, in deed and in life, and let us keep ourselves worthy of the high community into which grace has brought us through faith. But it seems to me that the words of St. Paul, cited now, and somewhat explained by us, raise another question: when and how did it happen that we “have come to Mount Zion, and to the city of the living God, heavenly Jerusalem, and the multitude of angels, the triumph, and the Church written in heaven”? The Jews clearly knew when and how they approached “the tangible mountain,” Sinai, and adopted the law. What the Apostle puts in correspondence with this obvious event, can it be indicated with the same obviousness? The Mediator of the new covenant, the Lord Jesus, as soon as he began to build his Church by the calling of the Apostles, said to its first members: “from here you will see Heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of man” (John 1:51). It’s almost the same as if He promised them that they would soon “begin to... the ranks of the Angels.” When and how was what the Lord promised and what the Apostle saw already fulfilled fulfilled? It is clear that this began from the very words of the Lord’s promise: “from here on you will see the heavens open”; it was accomplished completely and more solemnly, I think, in the resurrection of the Lord and in the ascension into heaven. Since the fall of the first man and his expulsion from paradise, the doors of paradise and heaven have been closed to the human race; a cherub blocked the entrance with a flaming weapon. The flame of this weapon was extinguished by the blood and water from the side of Jesus suffering on the cross. To the resurrected Jesus through the sealed tombstone, the doors of Heaven were opened as to God: but since he is corporate and human, they were also opened for humanity, and the opportunity was opened for us to approach the city of the living God, to the darkness of the Angels, to the Church of the firstborn, written in heaven. “Having ascended,” according to the expression of the Prophet and Apostle, “to the heights,” that is, to heaven, He “took captivity,” that is, He brought the captives of hell freed by Him to Heavenly Jerusalem, “and gave the gifts of man” (Eph. 4:8), that is, heavenly and Divine gifts. Thus, the firmly and solemnly established close communication of the earthly with the heavenly, without a doubt, could not but have a more or less influence on events in Christianity. This is what Evangelical and Apostolic History shows. Angels open the tomb of the risen Jesus and remain with him, waiting for people to delight them with the news of His resurrection. “Many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep arose, and the resurrected ones came out of the tomb, after His resurrection, went into the holy city, and appeared as many” (Matthew 27:52–53), no doubt serving the union of the earthly with the heavenly, the glory of the Heavenly Savior, and the faith of the earthly beings saved. An angel led the Apostle Peter out of his imprisoned and strict prison. And it is worthy of note that when Peter, thus freed, came to the gates of the house in which many Christians were gathered, and when the unexpected news of his coming reached them, then they, not believing, said: “His angel is” (Acts 12:15). The acquaintance with the Angels was so close that it seemed more likely to meet an Angel from the region of light than Peter from prison. True, even during the Old Testament the appearance of angels was not unknown: but then the pious looked at this as an extraordinary thing that threatened death. And then in the righteous who went to God, those living on earth believed some connection with heaven; for why else would they so love to call God in prayers the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob? But then this connection was not so firm and open: because the righteous themselves were still awaiting the confirmation and opening of their union with God through Christ. When the Christian Church on earth both learned through teaching and through experience discovered its, although mostly invisible, but real union with the heavenly Church, with the hosts of Angels, with the souls of the perfect righteous: then it was characteristic of its wisdom to choose and introduce into constant use decent means for preserving and maintaining this union in its beneficial power. For this purpose, the memory of the saints was introduced into Divine services; distributed by day of the year, and partly by day of the week. The Church praises their exploits and virtues before you in order to arouse our love for them and, following it, imitation; turns prayerful voices to them in order to incline towards you their love, which is beneficial for you. For the basis of a pure spiritual union is pure love. And if the beginning of the church memory of the heavenly saints cannot be explained otherwise than from the living knowledge of the union with them in the primacy of the Church, then the continuation and spread of this memory can also be explained only by the constantly manifesting and testing beneficence of this union. The Church is full of the glory of the saints: because, by the grace of God, it is full of their good works. If it is good to have friends on earth, whom kindness would encourage us to do good, wisdom would admonish us in difficulties; strength and access to higher power would strengthen and protect us: how much better is it to have friends in heaven whose kindness, wisdom, strength is pure, bright, Divine, from their continuous communication with God? Or is it far? Not far, brothers. Because distances and times and places mean little to the spirit, especially a pure one living in God. “I will and will give you all success and joy of faith,” the Apostle assured (Phil. 1:25) when he did not know how long he would remain alive on earth: and this word is true about all those like him. Let us at least have the beginnings of faith and love, with the hope of success in them. But here is the matter of faith in the communion of heavenly saints - a matter that gave the subject of this word, and more than a word of comfort and edification, not only for the brethren of this holy church, but also for all the sons of the Church and Russia. When God, having blessed the marital union of the Blessed Sovereign Tsarevich Grand Duke Alexander Nikolaevich and the Blessed Empress Tsesarevna Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna, gave Them the Firstborn Daughter: Their joy, as well as that of Their August Parents, appeared as Christian joy. The Tsar's heart, along with gratitude to God, was moved by love for mankind towards the poor, the orphaned and the sick, and opened a generous hand for them. The heart of the Son and Heir of the Tsar ascended to the Heavenly Father, and sought to make a sacrifice to Him, through the mediation of His saints. Remembering that the birthday of the Blessed Empress Grand Duchess Alexandra Alexandrovna is dedicated to the Church of the memory of the holy martyrs Florus and Laurus, and that there is a church named after them, the Sovereign Tsesarevich and Empress Tsesarevna deigned to honor and decorate this altar with this image of our Crucified Savior, commemorating with this sacred monument their gratitude to God for their the Firstborn Daughter, and completely entrusting Her to the prayers of the holy Martyrs. Brothers and children of faith! Let us be comforted by the faith of the Blessed Firstborn and Heir of the Tsarev. It is good for the House of the King when faith dwells in Him. It is good for us too when faith dwells in the House of the King. With joyful and prayerful movements of our hearts, let us now begin, and let us not cease to approach the Church of the Firstborn in heaven, written in heaven, and to the Intercessor of the New Testament Himself, the Lord Jesus, may He preserve His covenant of good will to our Most Pious Sovereign Emperor Nikolai Pavlovich, may it add and multiply to Him and His Heir, His Blessed Sovereign, Tsarevich Alexander To Nikolayevich every blessing and every perfect gift, especially the gift of blessed offspring, confirming forever the fate of the Throne and the Kingdom, through the prayers of the saints, to the glory of grace and eternal wisdom, by which the King reigns. Amen. You might be interested in: