463. Слово в день святого Апостола Варнавы, при посещении города Волоколамска

And he sent Barnabas to go even to Antioch: having come and seeing the grace of God, he rejoiced, and prayed for everyone to endure with the will of his heart in the Lord. (Acts 11:22–23). When the holy Apostles, being in Jerusalem, heard that in Antioch not only the Jews, but also the pagans began to accept faith in Jesus Christ: then they, to ascertain, as they should believe, in this longed-for event, and in case of its authenticity and to confirm the believers, from among themselves “sent Barnabas to go even to Antioch.” I dare to say that the Apostles sent me to this faithful city, if not by word of command, then by example, just as this same Barnabas and Paul, in another case, without demanding a new command from the Apostles, they themselves decided to repeat the work of their envoy. “It is fitting,” they said, “to visit our brethren in all cities, preaching the Word of the Lord in them as they abide” (Acts 15:36). Saint Barnabas, having come to Antioch “and seeing the grace of God,” that is, by the grace of God, the faith of Christ accepted and maintained by the Antiochians, “rejoiced.” I also rejoice, seeing in this city the grace of God, that is, the faith of Christ, received from our ancestors and held in accordance with the entire Orthodox Church. Great was the joy of Saint Barnabas, especially because, beyond their hopes, the pagans also again accepted the faith of Christ: great is the joy when faith, long accepted, is faithfully preserved; for just as there are obstacles to replanting the faith of Christ, so there are obstacles to preserving it in its original purity and strength, although, however, it can overcome both. Therefore, Saint Barnabas did not completely surrender to the joy of the believers, but also cared about them, “and begging everyone to endure with the will of their hearts in the Lord.” I also wish to share this saving apostolic instruction with everyone who will not refuse to hear and accept my prayer. What does it mean to “endure in the Lord”? The most similar thing to the thought of patience is the thought of disasters and suffering. Therefore, “endure in the Lord” means generously enduring disasters and suffering for faith in the Lord. Our Lord truly commands this kind of patience when he says to His followers: “brother will betray brother to death, and father will give up his child: and the children will rise up against their parents and kill them. And you will be hated by everyone for My name’s sake: but he who endures to the end will be saved” (Matthew 10:21-22). So did the holy martyrs “endure in the Lord”! But just as the Lord promises salvation only to those who endure to the end; martyrdom ceases, which is why patience of this kind ceases: then we must further seek what it means to “endure in the Lord,” even if there are no disasters and sufferings that test patience. In the word of God we find that “to endure the Lord” sometimes means to pray diligently and unremittingly until we have propitiated God and are heard. We see this in the Psalmist, who says: “I have endured the Lord, and listened to me, and heard my prayer” (Ps. 39:2). Also, in general, people who are courageous and constant in deeds of piety are called “those who endure the Lord,” which can be seen in the following saying: “those who endure... the Lord will change their strength, they will take wings like eagles, they will flow and not tire” (Is. 40:31). All these kinds of pious patience, or in a word, constancy in faith, were commanded by Saint Barnabas to the Christians of Antioch, when he prayed for them, not only out of need, as required by circumstances, but “to endure with the will of the heart in the Lord.” In this mind of the Apostolic Word, and I, although unworthy, am a servant of the same Word, “I pray to all” who listen to me, “to endure with the will of the heart in the Lord,” that is, to maintain firmness and constancy both in understanding and in every deed of faith, and in a life worthy of a believer. “You were not born from a seed who was corrupted, but was not destroyed by the word of the living God and abides forever” (1 Peter 1:23); and it has been given to you “children,” each according to the measure of his age, “to know the Father” (1 John 2:12–13), to know “the only true God, and it was Jesus Christ who sent him” (John 17:3). With the same uncorrupted and unchanging love, love the “verbal and unflattering milk” of the teachings of Christ, “so that through it you may grow into salvation” (1 Pet. 2:2); on the contrary, do not be, like “babes,” frivolous and fickle, “driven and tossed about by every wind of doctrine, in the lies of men, in the deceit of the wiles of flattery” (Eph. 4:14). Just as a baby naturally desires a single milk and constantly clings to the single breasts of its mother, so you constantly cling to the teachings of Christ, which you feed from the breasts of the true mother, the Orthodox Church. Do not be deceived by the word of men, do not be carried away by flattering advice, be constant in following the Word of God, since it is known to you; “Be patient in the Lord.” – Even if persecutions that produce martyrdom are not now being raised against the followers of Christ: and now, however, as always, “through many tribulations it is fitting for us to enter into the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22). So, is disaster and sorrow sent to you, and with a thorough examination of your conscience, you will recognize in this the punishment for your sins: “be patient... in the Lord,” and speak with the Psalmist: “Thou art righteous, O Lord, and Thy judges: it is good for me, for Thou hast humbled me, that I may learn by Thy justification” (Ps. 119:137, 71). If you do not notice that your guilt has brought upon you the calamity that befalls you: and then “be patient... in the Lord,” and speak to Job: “As the Lord willed, so be it: blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:21). The grace of God teaches you to pray to God for deliverance from troubles, to ask for His help in needs, and especially spiritual ones related to the salvation of your soul and your eternal bliss: beware in this holy exercise of inconstancy and impatience. The Lord commanded us to “pray and not be cold” (Luke 18:1), that is, not to be burdened or bored with prayer, but to remain in it unremittingly. And the Apostle tells us: “pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17). “I want,” he also says, “that men say prayers in every place, lifting up their holy hands, without anger or reflection” (1 Tim. 2:8), or doubt. Do you see the fruit of your prayer? Compound it with thanksgiving to God, “fulfilling your good desires for him” (Ps. 102:5). Are you not getting what you ask for? Recognize the imperfection of your prayer and continue it with new zeal, thinking that the all-good Heavenly Father, if apparently does not fulfill your desire, then, without a doubt, invisibly cares about your good more than you can know and imagine. So it is in the prayer “be patient... in the Lord.” But in order not to continue the words, I will say in general: no matter what pious feat you undertake, no matter what virtues you begin to practice: do not change the good intention you once accepted; and even if there are obstacles ahead of you, even if it seems to you that success does not correspond to your expectations, do not despair, do not be faint-hearted; and on the contrary, even if it seemed to you that you had enough time in a good deed and feat, do not be lazy, do not be careless, recognizing yourself as an “unbreakable slave,” even if you “did everything commanded,” for even in this latter case you would “do” “only what was necessary” (Luke 17:10), and therefore would not have the right to remain idle. Thus, in the difficulty of the feat, trust in the Lord, “and endure... in the Lord”; for the success of your business, do not rely on yourself, and again “be patient... in the Lord.” “I pray to all” to delve into this Apostolic teaching; and let everyone apply it with attention to themselves, to their faith and life. For many sin greatly against this. They “endure” for an hour, listening to the Word of the Lord; and then for several days they listen to everyday, idle, vain, often even evil and shameful words of men: how can the little seed of the Word of God vegetate in the midst of so many tares? In the morning they pray and celebrate before God; and the rest of the day is sometimes given over to gluttony and drunkenness: how can the spirit of prayer be preserved in the fumes of wine and in the heavy satiety of the flesh? They fast for several days, repent for one day; and then for a long time they return to their previous intemperate and sinful life: where is the fruit of fasting? Where is the fruit worthy of repentance? If your son were obedient to you one day, and then spent many days in self-will: would you be pleased with him? How can the Heavenly Father, Who, without comparison, is more worthy of our obedience than earthly parents, both because of our best spiritual birth from His Spirit, and because of His unparalleled and countless good deeds, how can He be pleased with us if we do His will for one day or hour, but throughout almost our entire life we ​​do the will of our flesh and lusts? If your slave or temporary hireling rarely did your work, but was always almost idle, or worked for himself: would you consider him worthy of a reward? Wouldn’t you consider him, on the contrary, worthy of punishment or expulsion from home? What reward can we receive from the Lord, to Whom we and everything we call ours eternally and inalienably belong, when we occasionally do some good deeds according to His commandments, and at other times we remain idle for Him, or work for ourselves, or, what’s worse, we serve the world and do what is pleasing to the devil, and do not think about the will of our Lord. They will say: is it really fasting every day, prayer every minute? How to live if you do nothing for temporary and physical life? Unnecessary fears! Fast at the appointed time: but at other times do not be luxurious and intemperate, and you will preserve the fruit of fasting. Come to prayer on holy days and hours: and then begin and finish every task by invoking the name of God; remember God with reverence in your thoughts and hearts everywhere and always, where and when you can; do not speak ungodly words and do not listen to them; do not indulge in unclean and lawless thoughts and desires: in this way, at all times and in every activity, you will learn to maintain the spirit of prayer within yourself. Eat, but do not be satiated; drink, quenching your thirst and strengthening your weakness, but do not drown your mind in wine and do not quench your spirit; acquire the needs of temporary life through legal and honest labor, but while taking care of this, do not forget the spiritual needs and eternal life; repent and do not return to sin; “Lay your hand...on the forehead, and do not turn back” (Luke 9:62). If people, themselves fickle and temporary, do not love other fickle people, how much more befitting of the unchangeable and eternal Lord constant and zealous service of faith and virtue. “I pray,” for “all” who wish to be His servants, worthy of heavenly rewards, and His children, worthy of a spiritual and eternal inheritance, “have endured the will of the heart in the Lord” in every work of faith, and in every feat of virtue. Amen. You might be interested in: