473. Слово в Церкви Пресвятой Богородицы в честь иконы Ее Смоленской, в Новодевичьем Монастыре, о крестном ходе

And as they walked, He Himself came into the whole place: and a certain woman named Martha received Him into her house. (Luke 10:38). Blessed are you, who are not known by name at all: for Christ, the Lord of glory, visits you. Blessed are you, perhaps, a poor house: for Christ, rich in mercy, comes under your roof. Zacchaeus perished from the passion of covetousness; but by Christ’s visit “the salvation of the house” came to it (Luke 19:9). There will be salvation for the house of Martha, who accepted the Savior; it will be without a doubt. Blessed is every place and house that is worthy of a visit from the Divine. Most blessed is the person who worthily receives the Divine visitation; for it is only for him that the inconceivable God visits. The place where we now find ourselves testifies that even a seemingly small visitation from the Divine can leave behind great and lasting grace. There was no lower than an unknown weight here, lower than a wretched dwelling, when the Most Blessed Mother of God, with Her sacred and miraculous image, for a short time, just walking past, visited this place, and lo - we see here, and the house of the glory of God revered by the whole city, and the abode of salvation preserved for centuries. Performing in the present celebration, as it were, some kind of imitation of the initial grace-filled visit, blessed are we if at least this pious remembrance, as it were, of the most grace-filled visit, we receive with dignity. Oh, if only - another will say - oh if only God would visit me with His gracious visit! How could I not receive Him with reverence, with zeal, and therefore in a way that pleases the visitor? Contrary to this, it is more fair to say: oh, if only you were capable, disposed, ready to receive a worthy and gracious visit! Is it possible that God, who, according to Job’s words, “attends his mind” to man, “visits him every morning, and tests him at every moment” (Job 7:17–18), does not immediately visit you? But what prevents a person from successfully seeking God and worthily accepting His gracious visit? – The Gospel story about Martha, who received the Lord into her home, shows for our instruction that the greatest obstacle to this is worldly care or addiction to earthly things. Martha no longer sought only a visit from Christ, but also received it: “received Him into her home.” I said, and again I cannot resist saying: blessed is the house of Martha! She received the Divine Visitor with reverence: for she called Him Lord, and from Him she asked commands for her sister, being herself the authority to rule in her house. “Lord, are you not delusional, because my sister has left me alone? ... Give her a shout out." – Martha received the Lord with zeal: for she carefully prepared to entertain Him, just like Abraham, during the visit of the Lord. “Martha spoke of many services.” Until now, doesn’t everything make us think that Martha accepted Christ worthily and pleasingly to Him? But do not rush to a decisive opinion; wait for the judgment of Christ. What does He finally say? He does not approve of the reception that Martha gave Him, and bestows a preferential blessing on Mary, about whom Martha complained. What is the reason for this? What could Martha be blamed for? She is rooted in the cares of life. “Martho, Marfo, you grieved, and spoke of the multitude” (Luke 10:40–41). If in this way the grace-filled visitation already received was damaged by worldly care, and more or less stole its fruit: can it not do more harm and hinder those who are just beginning to seek God and His grace? Upon closer examination of the Gospel narrative, one can discern certain specific actions by which worldly care prevents a person from pleasing God, and acquiring His grace, or preserving what has been acquired. It entertains and confuses. It blinds the mind from the truth. It weakens the will to choose the best. The cares of life amuse and confuse. Look at Martha. Christ in her house, the One for whom multitudes of people ran through villages and deserts to see Him, or to hear His word, He Whom “many kings and prophets longed to see, but did not see” (Luke 10:24), He Whom “the day Abraham rejoiced... was... to see you,” and when he “saw” only from afar, “he rejoiced” ( John 8:56), - sought after, longed for, close to Martha, we see, we hear. But what about Martha? Does he rejoice in Him? Does he enjoy seeing Him and hearing His words? - Hardly! She has a completely different occupation, different feelings; she thinks and cares about flour and oil, about bread and fishes; It’s as if Christ doesn’t exist for her. “Martha spoke of many services.” Finally, indignation at her sister, who does not share this concern, turns her to the Lord: but also in order, through Him, not to reduce, but to increase this care and this entertainment. “And you began to say: Lord, are you not delusional, because my sister has left me alone to serve? Rtsy sir, let me help you." Christian! Do you know that Christ, if he is not yet actually visiting you, is at least standing at your gates and waiting for you to receive him into your home! If you don’t believe us in this: hear how He proclaims about Himself to all of us: “Behold, I stand at the door and tell: if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and sup with him, and he with Me” (Rev. 3:20). Shall we say to this: we do not see You, O Lord, standing; We can’t hear Your shuffling! - Useless argument! The Lord does not deceive us; “He will be justified in” all “His words” (Ps. 50:6). How does it happen that He stands at the door, but we do not see; He's talking and we can't hear him? Just like this happened to Martha. Everyday care takes us from subject to subject, from activity to activity, from care to care; and how for the most part it does not happen, and almost cannot be as successful as we would like: then failure confuses us, lack of help, or obstacles from others irritate us; desires and passions rustle like winds, like waves; we worry in vain; We are worried about our destruction, and in this overwhelm we do not notice the gentle presence, we do not hear the quiet voice of longed-for and saving grace. Worldly cares darken the mind from the truth. The Lord denounces such an eclipse of the mind in Martha when he tells her that “one thing... is needed” (Luke 10:42). It is surprising that Martha, before this admonition, did not understand this truth, if not in a deep and hidden way, at least in a simple and open sign of it. If she could not suddenly comprehend that the only thing needed is God and His Word, according to what was said: “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4); if it was not quite clear to her how the only thing needed is the kingdom of God, according to what was said: “seek... first the kingdom of God, ... and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33): as if, it seems, she would not understand at least what was for Him who said: “My food is, that I may do the will of Him who sent Me” (John 4:34), for the One who fasted for fourty days and nights, for He who feeds many thousands of people with a few breads, are not many kinds of food and drink needed? That He who came into the world, “that he may testify to the truth” (John 18:37), calling Himself the bread of animals, Calling those who thirst to Himself, is pleased not by having the things that are perishing in abundance presented to Him in abundance, but by receiving from Him the things that do not perish, the living water, that is, the word of truth and salvation? - No! She who cared about multiplicity did not understand this: and she did not understand, from the very fact that she cared about multiplicity, that the habit of being busy with everyday things and caring about everyday things like lead, aggravated the crook of the mind, and did not allow one to ascend to spiritual understanding. Isn’t it so among us, Christians, although they are under the same roof with Christ, as it truly happens in His churches, although they almost see Him in the sacrament, although they hear Him in the Gospel, they do not know how to use and enjoy so many benefits? The Gospel is quite incomprehensible to us; the sacrament is very closed; prayer is tiring. We do not know how they find Divine light in the Gospel, Divine power in the sacrament, Divine joy, bliss and heaven itself in prayer. And why are we not given spiritual intelligence and pure contemplation? – Because worldly care binds our mind, burdens it with heavy earthly thoughts, covers it with the darkness of impure passions and sensual desires; from an eagle, which should have been gazing at the Sun of truth in the pure air, it turns into a mole, rummaging in the earth and in the dust of earthly affairs, useless for the spirit. Worldly care weakens the will in choosing the best. “Mary... has chosen the good part,” says the Lord; She chose to “sit at the feet of Jesus, hearing His word” (Luke 10:42, 39). Why didn’t the other sister choose this good part? Didn't she want to get closer to Jesus? But this desire appeared in her even before it appeared in Mary, when “Martha received Him into her home.” Why did one seed of desire grow and bear fruit differently? – Because in Mary’s heart it grew freely, but in Martha’s heart it was choke out by the tares of worldly cares. "Rumor about the many services". – By the will of her spirit, she strove for the Lord and attracted Him to her; but by her inclination toward worldly things she was distracted from spiritually pleasing Him to bodily service, and did not achieve a grace-filled closeness to Him. One can notice at all times and everywhere how differently the desire for grace and salvation acts in different souls, depending on whether it is complete, free and individual in them, or whether in its action it is divided, subdued, weakened by some desire of earthly nature and worldly inclination. We see people who, over the course of many years, only begin the work of their salvation, but do not complete it; they search for God for a long time and do not find it; They see some dawn of grace above them, and cannot wait for its day, illuminating the heart. Why is this? Because they begin the work of salvation, but, due to their attachment to earthly and worldly things, do not completely abandon the work of destruction; they seek God, but do not want to lose creatures; They are waiting for the consolation of grace, but do not want to give up the consolations of corrupt nature. On the contrary, we see those who begin to serve God later than others, but are more successful in doing so. The prodigal son forestalls his elder brother in the grace of the father. Magdalene, a known sinner and demoniac, suddenly appears equal to the apostles; Saul, the persecutor, suddenly turns into Paul the Apostle. “Publicans and sinners *********** boil... in the kingdom of God” (Matthew 21:31) us, who pretend to be natural sons of the kingdom of God. How are these miracles performed? Strong, decisive, all other desires absorbing the desire for grace and salvation. Therefore, the word of God strongly rebels against the confusion of worldly concerns with spiritual desires, which, unfortunately, is so common among us. “No one,” says It, “can work for two masters” (Matthew 6:24). So, if you are a slave to worldly cares, then you cannot at the same time be a servant of God. “Where... your treasure is, there your heart will also be” (Matthew 6:21). So, if “your treasure” - what you desire, what you care about, what you love, is on earth, then do not think that your “heart” will be found in heaven with God. “No one who has been a warrior is obligated to buy money for this life, so that it may be acceptable to the commander” (2 Tim. 2:4). So, if you are internally attached to anything worldly, then do not deceive yourself with the thought that you are pleasing to the Leader Christ, the conqueror of the world. Therefore, often God Himself, when He prepares someone for His special visit, or gift of grace, with His strong hand dissolves and crushes everything, even the immaculate bonds that tie a person to earthly and worldly things. Should the promises have been made to Abraham? “Get out,” he was told, “from your land, and from your kindred, and from your father’s house” (Gen. 12:1). Could not God have blessed Jacob when Isaac blessed him in his house? On the contrary, he is taken from the arms of pious parents; with danger, without help, without a companion, brought to an unknown place; I slept in a deserted place, and here I found for myself both the house of God and the powerful blessing of God. What path led Joseph to the grace of a seer and to the glory of a savior? – The Egyptian Way, slavery and prison. When and where did God reveal himself more to the people of Israel? - Then, how he was torn away from Egypt, and was not yet tied to the Promised Land - where the land did not flatter him with anything earthly, but sent him to Heaven in everything. Wasn’t that the thought of our blessed fathers, who commanded us at certain times to run away with prayer from the many holy churches in the city to churches somewhat distant and more secluded; Isn’t that what their thought was, I say, to admonish us, as we need to, to seek God and grace, to leave behind everything that usually occupies us in the world, everything earthly, everything worldly? Let us, Christians, lay aside the burden, the burden of which we perhaps do not quite know, because we have not experienced walking without it; Let us put aside the burden of worldly cares. In the ordinary affairs and exercises of life, let us put aside unnecessary, vain, caring care, which comes from immoderate desires, from an unfounded judgment about things, from a lack of faith in God and hope in His providence. And when we are especially called to the works of God, to prayer, to exercise in the word of God, to spiritual exploits in order to obtain the grace of God, “let us now put aside all worldly cares” 962. Let us serve God in the spirit, “that we may receive the promise of the spirit by faith” (Gal.3:14). Let us not end the celebration begun in the spirit with the flesh. It was a pagan holiday when “people sat down to eat and drink, and rose to play” (Ex. 32:6). Having come here with prayer, let us return from here to our homes with grace and peace. Amen. In the meetings of 1844 and 1848. a word was placed on the day of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, similar to that offered here; In view of the significant difference, we decide to print both. "harlots" or "harlots" (Matthew 21:31) Divine Liturgy. Cherubic Song You might be interested in: