62. Слово при гробе блаженныя памяти Государыни Императрицы Елисаветы Алексиевны

(Said at the Mozhaisk Nicholas Cathedral, in the presence of the Empress Maria Feodorovna, May 26; published separately and in collections of 1835–1844 and 1848). Hear my prayer, O Lord, and inspire my supplication; do not silence my tears: for I am a stranger to you and a stranger, like all my fathers. Relax me, so that I won’t even leave before, and I won’t do anything to anyone. ( Psalm 39:13–14 ). When one of the High Ones on earth, according to the fate common to earthly beings, goes to earth: with this, echoes of the glory that accompanied him during his earthly life are usually heard. We hear them now; but more majestic than glory itself is heard here - silence. Daring to speak, I hesitate fearing so as not to disturb the silent lamentation of the Queen-Mother, so as not to break the last silence of the Queen-Daughter, who, even in the midst of the glory of the most famous of the Royal Houses, on days especially loud with glory, loved to plunge into silence. But the word of prayer, I hope, will not be contrary to the silence that is animated by prayer. And I accept this word from the Psalmist, so that in reflection, although necessarily sad, I may seek some kind of remedy against sadness. “Hear my prayer, Lord, and inspire my prayer, do not silence my tears.” Who brings such a sad prayer to the Lord? – The Book of Psalms says that David. But what plunged him into such bitter sadness? – The psalm does not provide a clear answer to this. There is no guilt to be seen here by which the sufferer deserves the suffering; He who wants to “keep his ways, so as not to sin even with his tongue” (Ps. 38:2) suffers. “I am a stranger to you and a stranger, like all my fathers”: this is how the King of Israel continues his prayer. But isn’t the whole kingdom in some way the house and family of the King? How strong the inner feeling of deprivation must be for the Tsar to lose sight of not only his home, but also his entire kingdom, and find himself alien, lonely, a stranger, a wanderer! Finally, the sad Tsar calls out to God: “Weaken me, let me rest, before I even leave, I won’t be with anyone.” What inconsolable sadness! He no longer asks for joy and well-being: he begs to grant him relief from sadness, rest from suffering: “relax me, let me rest.” He is no longer seduced by the continuation of life; but he thinks to be content with the silence of the last minutes: “Let me rest, I won’t even leave first, and I won’t be with anyone.” When imagining this grave state, even one little familiar with misfortune, the heart is torn: when thinking that such was the state of man, not only not abandoned by God, but also beloved by God, and praying to the Holy Spirit, an amazed thought, like a boat torn from the shore, rushes along the abyss of destinies, covered in the darkness of incomprehensibility. Let’s not let ourselves run around and worry uselessly for too long. There is a refuge of faith, always open, always close to those overwhelmed; there is an anchor of hope that can hold a small boat or a great ship in safety. What kind of fate is it that either sends or allows temptations, sorrows, and disasters of life to pious and virtuous people? – None other than the fate of love: “Whom the Lord loves, he punishes” (Heb. 12:6). Why are noble and exalted souls sometimes more exposed to sorrows than ordinary people, so that neither the cover of visible happiness with which their very breed and rank vests them, nor the care of those who love, the most active and the most tender, shelter them from the blows with which the invisible hand strikes them? – This happens to noble and exalted souls precisely because they are exalted and noble; because they are as precious as gold and pleasing to God as a chosen sacrifice. “God tempt them, and you will find them worthy of Himself: as gold in the furnace you have tested them, and as the fruitfulness of the sacrifice I have accepted” (Wis. 3:5-6). But what kind of order is there when the best souls suffer so cruelly? - The same as is observed when gold is placed in a furnace, a sacrifice on the altar. The gold will be pure; sacrifice will bring down grace; Through the fire of suffering, the tempted soul will shine with purity, and finally with bliss: “when they visit them they will shine” (Wis. 3:7). After this reflection, it is not so hard for me to touch on a subject that touches my heart so painfully. Empress, whose spiritual properties and dispositions were as exalted as Her rank; – Whose mind shone and through Her beloved silence; - Whose heart, meek and humane, no matter how closed with modesty, appeared in Her very eyes, was recognized especially by the suffering and compassionate, opened to the compassionate for participation and patronage in matters of compassion, to the suffering for charity, mostly secret; – Who, in the most difficult adventures, not only did not faint in spirit, but was also animated by unexpected strength for the most difficult feats, such as during the illness of Her Spouse, overcoming both Her weakness and Her sadness, so to speak, settled and lived at the bed of the Sick; – wasn’t such a soul worthy of all possible happiness on earth? And wasn’t She surrounded by the means of happiness as much as She was worthy of it? Oh! if the Most August Spouse, overcoming all difficulties, moved with Her to the edge of the State in order to bring Her either health, or at least relief and pleasure in a serious illness; - if the Most August Mother, overcoming all difficulties, tearing Herself away from another, also maternal care, flowed far to meet Her in order to shed the joy of love into Her long-suffering heart; and the body abandoned by the beloved soul another time pursues far, with kisses already fruitless, but still longed for by Mother’s love: - what were Alexander and Mary not ready to do so that Elizabeth would be happy for a long time, continuously, completely? Despite all this, fate led Her along the path of life not to great happiness, like Her virtues, but to majestic misfortune. Maybe nature, maybe upbringing, and finally, maybe childlessness, especially not corresponding to the desires on the throne, sowed a secret, pathogenic seed of despondency in Her heart 347 . This seed was nourished by the disastrous flood of the Capital; and the unusually excited heartfelt sorrow of compassion vegetated and developed into a physical heart disease. In the heart of the Spouse, the most effective healing for Her heart was found: but the life that fed and supported Her fading life with love suddenly died out; and left Her in the land of the newcomer, as the evening fading in the clouds leaves a wanderer who has exhausted his strength in the dark desert. Blessed is the power of faith! Only Her heavenly fire could prevent mortal cold from soon engulfing the heart, which illness was rapidly bringing to the grave, and love was completely placing in Alexander’s grave. The goodness of His Brother and Successor moved to protect and comfort His widow, and for this, if possible, return Her to the bosom of the family. From the distant city of Her residence She undertook a return journey. On this path, like a guiding star, after setting the sun, like a new spark of life, the hope of consolation from the heart of Alexander’s Mother flashed to Her. The wandering woman hastens to this longed-for light, straining her remaining strength; extends his arms; The Most August Mother extends them mutually. Reach this life-giving embrace; rest, although little, in them, Elizabeth, tired of physical and mental suffering! - Alas! Idle embraces fall; Elizabeth rests not in the peace that she waited for in the arms of her Mother, but in the peace that awaits Her purified soul through seven sorrows in the bosom of the Father of the pure in heart. Without finishing her wandering, She went to the fatherland, from which they no longer wander: “she will leave and no one will be.” Heavenly Father, as incomprehensible in Your destinies, as infinite in Your goodness! We do not dispute Your immutable will, which was accomplished over Your crowned servant, the Most Pious Empress Elizabeth, on earth: but we pray, with the boldness of hope we pray, fulfill Your good and ever-blessed will over Her in heaven. Crowned here with a heightened crown, Royal - from an honorable stone, and Christian - from thorns, a crown of greatness and a crown of patience, crown her there with increased glory, so that the one who is silent in earthly suffering will finally open Her lips in heavenly joy to gratefully confess before You the blessed mystery of this suffering: “Because of the multitude of my illnesses in my heart, Thy consolations make my soul glad” (Psalm 93:19). Not just one suffering Royal soul, the whole House of Tsars, the whole Kingdom of Russia is crying out to You, the King of Kings: “Weaken me, let me rest!” Our hearts had not yet rested from the old sorrow when a new one befell us. Our entire land from edge to edge, from Capital to Capital, is lined with the Royal burial routes. The Lord is sufficient! may Thy wrath rest 348 ; may our heart rest before You. Death and sorrow triumphed enough; Afterwards, celebrations of life and joy to the courageous successor of Alexander, and to His August House, and to Russia. Amen. In the department ed.: The desire to have children, sometimes completely unsatisfied, sometimes more irritated than satisfied by the birth of short-lived ones, long ago, it seems, sowed a pathogenic seed of despondency in Her heart. In the department ed. and collection 1835: Thy wrath is upon us. You might be interested in: