Слово в Понедельник Светлой Седмицы

When they want to celebrate in honor of some high and important person, they usually try to find out what he especially likes and what is disgusting to him. “We, brothers, began yesterday a celebration in honor of the greatest and most important person - in honor of our Lord and Savior, who suffered for us and rose again for us. Therefore, it is all the more necessary for us to know for sure what may be pleasing to Him in our celebration, and what may be contrary to Him. Who will reveal this to us? They learn about the habits and inclinations of the mighty of the earth from their confidants. Those who are closest to our Lord are those who always do the will of His Father. One of these was Saint Paul, who enjoyed such constant and great closeness to the Risen One while still on earth that he could say about himself: “I live... for no one, but Christ lives in me” (Gal. 2:20). Tell us, Divine Apostle, how best to celebrate Easter - to celebrate in such a way as to please the risen Lord with this celebration. He suffered so much for us that it would be the greatest misfortune for us if our celebration also upset Him. When you really want, the apostle answers, to celebrate Easter in a worthy manner; then celebrate it “not with the leaven of alcohol, not with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but without leaven of purity and truth: for our Passover was devoured for us, O Christ” (1 Cor. 5:7-8). So, this is what our Lord does not like, and which, for that very reason, under no circumstances should we have among the present celebration in His honor: this is old kvass, otherwise the kvass of malice and wickedness! This is what pleases Him and what, therefore, each of those celebrating should stock up on as much as possible: this is the absence of leaven of purity and truth! “But why does the apostle, speaking about Easter, mention kvass? What is the relationship between kvass and Easter? - The following: when giving advice on how Christians should celebrate their Easter, the apostle had in mind the Jewish Passover. During the celebration of their Passover, the Lord commanded the Jews, under fear of death, to beware of all leavened foods (Ex. 12:15): therefore, several days before the Passover, they abandoned, and are now abandoning, the use of kvass. Bearing in mind such a custom and such strictness of the Old Testament Church, the apostle advises Christians to do the same during the celebration of their Easter, that is, to observe lack of leaven. But the Jew was wary of material kvass, for he was under the ritual law, “under the elements... of the world” (Gal. 4:3); and a Christian must beware of spiritual brew - malice and deceit. During Passover, the Jew ate unleavened bread, which was only a symbol of purity, but a Christian must eat the thing itself, have spiritual purity. That is why the apostle speaks in such comparative language, and when discussing how Christians should celebrate Easter, he also mentions kvass and tells him to beware of it! But the importance of the apostolic council is not in the expression, but in the essence of the thing; and to this, brothers, we must now turn all our attention. The Apostle demands that those celebrating Easter not have, firstly, malice. And why would she be here? Let it remain in the heart of the enemies of Jesus, in the heart of Judas, Pilate and others like him (oh, if only she were not there too!); But why should there be anger in the heart of a Christian? Who to be angry with? – Didn’t Christ die for everyone, and didn’t He rise again for everyone? He died and rose again for everyone, and we will not be able, for His sake, to endure any insult, any word? What kind of followers are we? If someone offended us with the most cruel offense, then we must forgive him now, for the sake of the Risen One. For with such joy there is no time to consider offenses. No one has angered the King of Heaven more than ourselves; but the risen Lord sought forgiveness for everyone. Should we, those who have been pardoned, continue our malice? Should debts be considered forgiven? On the contrary, if someone had the most cruel enemy, then deliberately make every effort to reconcile with him in these days: by turning his anger into love, you will greatly please the Risen One, and create the brightest celebration for him. “But how to appear before such an enemy?” And how the Lord appeared to His enemies for your sake! Appear in the name of Jesus, say: Christ is risen, and prove this in action; declare that the Risen One did not order to harbor enmity, that you are fulfilling what was commanded from Him, say this, and demand peace and love. Will he listen? – You acquired a brother, took him away from Satan and gave him to the Lord. Won't he listen? – You yourself have left the realm of death; for “hatred,” according to the apostle, “is death” (1 John 3:14). The second requirement of St. Paul is that those who celebrate Easter should not have guile. Evilness is never indecent for Christians; for why should those who should all be brethren, all created and recreated in Christ for the truth, go to the same goal, fight the same enemies, use the same means of salvation, for whom the truth is as necessary as air? But even more so, in these days it is indecent for a Christian to have the slightest appearance of wickedness. - For what does he now say to others, and what does he hear from others when he meets them? He says: “Christ is risen!” He hears: “He is truly risen!” That is, we all Christians are now becoming witnesses and evangelists of the truth of the Resurrection of Christ, and therefore we repeat it a hundred times, in spite of the Jews, who tried and are still trying to hide this truth in untruth, who slandered and are now still slandering the apostles of Christ, as if they stole the body of their Teacher. But what is most needed in a witness is love for the truth: they do not believe him when he speaks the truth, who often told lies. Therefore, by indulging in deceit and lies in these days, we will thereby deprive our tongue of all power, we will turn away from ourselves all trust, not only of the enemies of our faith, Jews, Mohammedans and others, but also of our closest relatives; for “from a lie,” everyone will say, “what truth!” (Sir. 34:4). In this case, it is better not to say: “Christ is risen!” And don’t answer: “He is truly risen!” And remain silent, knowing your unworthiness. But how can you remain silent when everyone is talking and testifying about the resurrection? Such silence would be worse than death. This means that you must love the truth and remove from yourself every form of double-mindedness: insincerity, cunning and deceit, in order to become a worthy witness to the truth of the Resurrection of Christ. Finally, the apostle demands purity and truth for a worthy celebration of Easter. Everyone loves cleanliness during the holidays; As a result, we cleanse our houses and clothes for the holidays; We wear ourselves out. But the Risen One does not need this purity. He is ready to receive us in rags, ready to seat us naked at a meal with Him, as long as the soul is pure and clothed in the clothes of innocence. And on the contrary, worn-out lips are disgusting to Him when lies and impurity of the heart are grafted onto them: and light clothing is worse for Him than sackcloth, when passions are hidden under it, when it is bought by oppressing others. Therefore, when celebrating Easter, one must take care not only about the cleanliness of houses and clothes, but even more about the purity of the soul and heart. Without this purity, with what face will we dare to come to church? For in these especially days there are many Angels in the church: how can one stand among the host of the purest spirits with an unclean soul? In addition to this, it is necessary in these days to often kiss the cross, the icon of the resurrection and the sacred bread: how can one approach this shrine with a blackened conscience, with the stench of sin? Even if he did not want to approach the cross and the bread, because of his uncleanness, but was content with just standing in the church; then you still cannot calmly look at the sanctuary. For, look, the royal doors are open all week! This means that the King of glory Himself is constantly looking at you from His throne. Will it be hidden from his eyes if there is any sinful impurity in you? And what audacity to stand before the face of the Tsar in the rags of sin, with wounds of conscience! Magdalene walked with fragrant myrrh on the tomb of the Risen One, but even here she was told: “Do not touch Me!” (John 20:17) What will they tell us if we are filled with evil thoughts and lawless plans? But we have already said enough about what a real celebration should be like; Let’s now say something about how it actually happens. Ah, brothers, how far our Easter celebrations are from the true celebration required by the Apostle! You know the customs of the world these days, the events that fill them, the activities in which they take place: tell me yourself, when is there less purity and holiness among people, if not in these days? When are they most likely to slander, lie, and blaspheme, if not in these days? When is there the most strife, abuse, even murder, if not in these days? – With the end of Lent, all good things seem to end for many; Christ rises, and they die in spirit! And for people with Christian feelings, it is difficult these days to look at the crazy games, at the oblivion by many of all abstinence, at the obvious triumph of unclean passions: what should it be like for the risen Lord, the One who will die for us for this purpose, in order to make us all pure and holy people? Therefore, brothers, have you noticed what request was offered to us in the name of the Risen One? “Be patient with Me, says the Lord,” it was read last Saturday at the liturgy, “be patient with Me “on the day of My resurrection, as a testimony” (Zeph. 3:8). I confess, brothers, that when I hear these words, I am always filled with shame and contrition. This is what I think Christians have come to, that they need to offer such a request! – The Savior no longer demands anything for Himself from those who have been redeemed by His Blood; does not say: “glorify Me,” or: “bring Me something as a gift”; no, that's a lot for His followers! He seeks less, asks not for debt, but for mercy, not for justice, but for indulgence: “Be patient with Me!” (Zeph.3:8) You, as He would say, do not want to serve Me, although you were purchased by My Blood; you do not want to follow Me, although you swore to be My follower. Show at least one mercy: “bear with Me,” do not indulge in vices in front of Me, do not cast Me out ahead of time, do not bless Me to my face. “Be patient with Me,” although not for long, although on the day of My Resurrection, on the day when prisoners are given freedom and enemies are treated friendly. Let My celebrations pass, the praises cease, the doors be closed: then, if you want to destroy your soul, then do what pleases you: and now do not change so brazenly, do not dishonor My Cross, do not defame your faith and My Church. “Be patient with Me, be patient for My testimony”; I need evidence! I am having a dispute, and it is not a small dispute: “my judgment is in a multitude of tongues” (Zeph. 3:8). These are sheep... which “are not” yet “from My fold” (John 10:16), which it is hard for Me to bring into the fence of the Church. But how to bring them when those brought will already be running away? - How to bring it when the infidels see in My followers all the abominations of paganism? How can I bring it when I myself am expelled from churches by outrages on the days of my very Resurrection? So, I also ask: “Be patient with Me; My judgment is before a multitude of tongues!” Otherwise, the Jew will mock Me for you; otherwise the Mohammedan will blaspheme My Cross for your life; otherwise My judgment with them will be longer; for I will lack the testimony of My followers. The devil himself will laugh at My triumph: I will show the plagues suffered for you, and he will show the plagues suffered by you for him; I will bring souls out of hell, and he will drag your soul to hell; I will spread Life and Resurrection, and through you he will spread death and corruption. “Be patient with Me... on the day of My resurrection, as a testimony: My judgment is for a multitude of tongues!” ( Zeph. 3:8 ) It is necessary, brothers, to have a heart of stone so as not to be moved by this voice of the Risen Lord. Therefore, I do not consider it necessary to add anything to it, except advice and prayer, so that you think about it yourself, in the freedom of your home. Whoever does this will probably be so moved in heart that he will try to celebrate a real holiday, as the apostle advises, and not as flesh and blood demand, that is, “not with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the leaven of purity and truth” (1 Cor. 5:8). Amen. You might be interested in: