428. Речь пред ракою Преподобного Сергия, по случаю возложения на главу Его покрова, устроенного Их Императорскими Величествами, Государем Императором Александром Николаевичем и Государынею Императрицею Мариею Александровною

(Spoken in the Trinity Lavra on September 19th; printed in the Works of the Holy Fathers in Moscow, in the Provincial and Police Gazette of 1856) Reverend Our Father Sergius! Upon the reversal of the summer circle from the previous visit, our Most Pious King with His Most Pious Spouse, then newly crowned, now newly crowned and sacredly anointed, visits you again. Then He offered through You a prayer to the Lord of Hosts, for the protection of His kingdom from the enmity that had moved against us the enormous forces of several kingdoms, and which sought to make peaceful neighbors dangerous for us, and for the restoration of peace, which had not been broken by Him, and was always dear to Him. Now through You He brings thanks to the Lord of hosts for the protection shown to us and for the speedy achievement of peace. And then, and now, with Your intercession, He asked and asks from the King of the reigning blessings and help for a great feat to arrange the well-being of a great people through legal justice, good governance, good state house-building, and protection from external attacks. As a sign of thanksgiving for the goodness of Your prayers, the Most Reverend Father, the Most Pious Sovereign and His Most Pious Spouse bring You a gift - with Their zeal, a decorated cover for Your sacred head. You, a beggar-lover during Your earthly life, all the more do not need earthly wealth in Your heavenly life: but a good and grateful heart desires to manifest itself as a sign, and we believe that You, like Your Lord, look on the heart, and accept the gift of the heart, and present yourself to the Heavenly King with prayer, so that He may spread the cover of His grace over our Most Pious Sovereign, and over His most pious Spouse, and over His Most Pious Mother, and over His Blessed Heir and all His Children and His family, and over His entire Kingdom: may he give strength to our King and lift up the horn of his anointed, may the Russian people prosper under His scepter, and may the nations please Him. You might be interested in: