Слово в Пяток Светлой Седмицы, по совершении в академической церкви литургии на языке греческом

“If anyone speaks with a tongue, he speaks in twos, or multiplies in threes, and in parts: and let him speak alone” (1 Cor. 14:27). These apostolic words are very rarely heard in church, and I don’t know if they were ever proclaimed from the church pulpit at the head of an interview, but in the present case they come to mind of their own accord and demand to be repeated for the hearing of all. You will see this for yourself, brethren, when you remember on what occasion they were uttered by the apostle. The Corinthian Church, like all the Apostolic Churches, abounded in the wonderful gift of tongues, so that many, without learning, spoke, by inspiration from above, in different languages. No matter how important this gift was for those times, when Christianity had to spread throughout the world, and there were almost no people knowledgeable in foreign languages ​​among Christians, it soon suffered from inconvenience. Some of those with the gift of tongues suddenly began speaking in many languages ​​in godly assemblies. Although they spoke about holy objects and for a good purpose - some, perhaps, out of an inner impulse from the gift they possessed and possessed; but since their speech was incomprehensible to the rest of the meeting, it could not produce edification. There remained one general edification; that is, what one can have, seeing in a person similar to oneself the extraordinary effect of the omnipotence of God. The teacher of languages, Paul, having heard about this state of affairs in the Church of Corinth, considered it his duty to admonish its members and give them a rule on how to act in such cases. For this purpose, he commands, firstly, that those who have the gift of tongues should not suddenly speak in foreign languages, so that confusion does not occur. “If anyone speaks with a tongue, let him speak in twos, or multiply in threes” (1 Cor. 14:27). Secondly, the apostle demanded that the gift of tongues be constantly combined with the gift of telling, or interpreting tongues, so that what is spoken in foreign languages, becoming understandable through interpretation, can bring edification: and let one speak. Otherwise, that is, if there is no interpreter, the gift of tongues, according to the Apostle, should not be used. “If there be no speaker, let him remain silent in the Church” (he who has the gift of tongues): “Let him speak to himself and to God” (1 Cor. 14:28). No matter how small, brethren, our Church is in comparison with the Church of Corinth, our present meeting apparently fits under the apostolic rule. And our divine service is now performed in a language unknown to many present here; Therefore, our congregation also needs a storyteller, or interpreter. What is to be interpreted? – In the Church of Corinth, the mysteries were pronounced in tongues: and we, although in a language unknown to many, pronounced what was known to everyone. Our Liturgy, thanks to our zeal for the churches of God, is so known to every Christian that no matter what language it is performed, everyone, by what they see, already understands what is being done. So from this side there is no need for an interpreter: he could be needed for the unbelievers if they were here, and not for the faithful, of whom each can be an interpreter in this regard, both for himself and for others. What needs clarification in the present case? – It seems to me that the very case is why and for what purpose we celebrate the holy liturgy in a language that is not natural to us. – Without the gift of heart knowledge, one can guess that this question came to the minds of many during the present service: we must resolve it now. Let it be known, brethren, that celebrating the Liturgy in Greek and on other days can be edifying for the son of the Russian Church - because it awakens many instructive memories and comforting expectations. But it is especially proper to celebrate this liturgy at the present time and in the present place. -Let's reveal each thought separately. The Greek liturgy, I said, naturally awakens in the mind many memories that are beneficial to the spirit and heart. And, firstly, it necessarily brings to mind the beginning of our faith. For in what language was our faith proclaimed to the whole world? Mainly in Greek. – In what language is the Gospel and the entire New Testament written? In Greek. Hearing this language in the church, you can’t help but imagine Paul talking in the Areopagus of Athens with philosophers about the resurrection (Acts 17:31); as John writes: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was to God, and God was the Word” (John 1:1); as Saint Luke preaches: “For the Lord has risen in truth” (Luke 24:34). Many centuries have passed since all this happened; many nations are illuminated by the light that shone from the tomb of Jesus; heaven and earth testified that the Risen One was definitely given... all authority in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18). But, brethren, all this will not bring us any benefit if we ourselves, together with the risen Lord, are not resurrected in spirit: if we do not surrender to Him power over our entire being; Let us not be led by His Most Holy Spirit and walk in the newness of life received from Him. Therefore, remembering, on the occasion of this divine service, the beginning of our faith in the world, let us not fail to delve into our own hearts in order to see whether this holy faith began within us, and whether it stands so firmly, whether it grows so victoriously, and whether it is as fruitful in us as in the whole world? - For what good is it if our holy faith spreads throughout the whole world, but dries up in us; if everything is resurrected with Christ, and we remain dead? Secondly, the Greek liturgy celebrated in our churches cannot fail to bring to mind the beginnings of the Christian faith in our Fatherland to the son of the Russian Church. For many nations were converted to Christianity by the preachers of the Western Church; and according to the wise dispensation of Providence, the holy faith came to us from Orthodox Greece, and at first our liturgy, in all likelihood, was often celebrated in Greek. A memory that, with proper attention to what happened, should fill our soul with a feeling of lively gratitude to God’s Providence. We came late to the feast of faith, but we were called back when it was ecumenical, when there was not yet the division of Churches that now exists. Therefore, our Church can rightly call itself the daughter of the Universal Church: a precious title in many respects! On the other hand, how close we were to being carried away by the stream of innovations that was already beginning to flood the entire West! And yet it flowed past our Fatherland, and we were filled with clean streams. Is it possible not to thank Providence for this? But one can truly give thanks only with warm love for the Orthodox faith, and especially with a strict life according to the Orthodox faith. The darkness of paganism has long been driven out from the face of the Russian land: may it disappear from our minds too! Idols have long since fallen in our Fatherland: may they not remain in our hearts! Otherwise, the Fatherland will be the living city of Christ; and in this helicopter city we will remain dry and dead branches. Thirdly, the celebration of the liturgy in Greek must, of necessity, bring to memory the beginning of the liturgy itself and its divinely wise compilers. How ancient and holy this beginning is! How great and blessed are those people who compiled the liturgy! Just by their name you are already filled with reverence. For who is higher than Basil the Great in intelligence and height of feelings? Who is purer and more striking in words than Chrysostom? Who is stronger and better than them in faith, love, selflessness and all Christian virtues? Such people, if they themselves composed the liturgy, would compose it in the best possible way. Meanwhile, they acted in this case not so much with the powers of their minds, but with the grace of the Holy Spirit. Tradition directly states that Basil the Great gave the present form of his liturgy as a result of the revelation given to him, and for the first time he performed it without preparation, with the words that were inspired to him from above. And St. Chrysostom, as we know, was only an abbreviation of Vasily’s liturgy: therefore our liturgy can be called truly divinely inspired. Will you, brethren, marvel after this that we wanted to sanctify our lips, and your hearing, with the most god-inspiring words? – Having resurrected for some time in this church the language of Basil and Chrysostom? – Oh, if, along with the words, their spirit of faith and love, purity and truth, humility and patience were resurrected in us! - At least, we believe that they are now not far from us with their spirit and with their prayers they animated their own words that came out of our weak lips. Fourthly, the celebration of the Greek liturgy should bring to mind the union of our Church with the Eastern Churches. This union is always so important and beneficial for faith and morals that to renew it in memory, to revive it in rituals and sacred rites, is a sacred duty; all the more so in our times it is necessary to strengthen the union of these great Churches by all means: for what is the character of our times in relation to faith? On the one hand, unbelief would like to trample all faith as something unimportant; on the other hand, superstition, leaving the true faith, rushes to the false, calling it the old and right faith. In such circumstances, the Greek liturgy celebrated in a Russian church is a striking denunciation of both unbelief and superstition. The first must feel, if not respect, then fear from the faith that is professed by entire countries and peoples; and superstition should come to shame and embarrassment, seeing that the ancient Greek liturgy does not differ in any way from ours, and that, therefore, there is no reason to suspect the Church of distorting the faith, and leaving the churches of God to follow Orthodoxy into the wilds and monasteries. Finally, celebrating the liturgy in a foreign language, instead of a natural one, should remind everyone of the important truth that we will all have to leave our private, natural, earthly language and begin to speak in a new, universal, heavenly language. So, brothers, the time will come when we will have to enter the tabernacle not made by hands in heaven, whose artist and creator is not man, but God, whose High Priest is our Lord and Savior Himself, and where the eternal liturgy will be celebrated according to the great order of Jesus. Therefore, brothers, we must carefully look after ourselves, so that even during this great and Divine Liturgy we do not find ourselves ignorant of the heavenly language in which it is to be performed. Here on earth, you can listen to divine services in an unknown language with spiritual benefit; and there - in heaven, whoever does not understand the language of the church will not be in the church - he will remain in pitch darkness. Keeping this in mind, we must accustom ourselves in advance to the heavenly language. What language is this, and who is its teacher? “This language, brethren, now on earth does not consist of specific words, but of the thoughts, desires and feelings of saints, who there themselves will find words and expressions akin to themselves and heaven. The teacher of this language of faith and love is the Holy Spirit Himself, who still descends on every true Christian, just as he once descended on the apostles, and, putting new thoughts and feelings into his heart, thereby predisposing him to a new language. And the main means to study the heavenly language is prayer and effort for purity of conscience and life. – Who will try to live on earth as they live in heaven; he, having come to heaven, will not find himself there as a stranger who does not know the language of heaven. Our true liturgy excites so many different thoughts and feelings, brethren! - That is why we ourselves, having abandoned the natural language, decided to now perform the divine service in the Greek language: now and here, and not at another time and not in another place; for the feast of the Resurrection of Christ itself reminds us of the beginning of Christianity, the wonderful gift of tongues with which it spread throughout the world, the universal union of peoples and tribes in Christ and our future meeting in heaven, in the Church Triumphant; why the Holy Church itself, from ancient times, was in the habit of proclaiming the Gospel in different languages ​​on the first day of Easter, among which Greek takes first place. On the other hand, Orthodox Greece, recently resurrected from three centuries of death, fully deserves that, as a sign of its resurrection and fraternal union with the Russian Church, the vaults of Russian churches should be read from time to time in its language. Our local church has a special right to this; for the very foundation of the sanctuary of sciences, built at this church, was accomplished in the presence of the eastern patriarchs, who, as if on purpose, appeared then in this city in order to bless the cradle of beginning enlightenment. By performing the liturgy in their language, we thereby bring a certain tribute of gratitude to their sacred memory. As for you, now pupils, and soon teachers of the faith, then you, without being reminded, know what the language of Basil and Chrysostom, heard in the church, calls you to: it calls you to follow in their footsteps and lead those who will be entrusted to your care. In keeping with the decency of the present occasion, I will limit myself only to bringing to your memory the rules given by the great teacher of languages ​​regarding the use of the gift of tongues, which many of you, although through science, possess completely. This gift must always and everywhere be used for the glory of God: which use may not be in churches alone; for every good deed is service to God when done to His glory. Secondly, the use of the gift of tongues must always be connected with the edification of others. It is better to speak five words with edification than ten thousand words without edification (1 Cor. 14:19). Finally, having the gift of tongues, we must remember that this gift in itself cannot save us in the least, and that there are much higher gifts, the acquisition of which is necessary for salvation. This is faith, patience, meekness, hope, and most of all, Christian love. For, I will conclude with the words of the Apostle, “Even though I speak with the tongues of men and with the tongues of angels, I am not an imam of love, but it is like a ringing brass, or a clanging cymbal” (1 Cor. 13:1). Amen. You might be interested in: