Слово в неделю мясопустную

Yesterday we performed a prayer in memory of all our fathers and brothers who have passed away from time immemorial; and now we ourselves are transported in thought to the future and place ourselves together with them before the throne of the formidable Judge, who has to decide the eternal fate of each of us. Judging by this, if on any day, then this day it is fitting for us to reflect on our lives, examine our conscience, and cry and cry about our sins. For is it possible to think about the Last Judgment of God and not at the same time turn to one’s conscience? Is it possible to turn to your conscience and not immediately notice that we are covered with a multitude of sins, that we are all not in such a state as to appear with a bright face before the One who tests hearts and wombs? Therefore, the mere thought of the Last Judgment of God trembled the most righteous; and, without a doubt, if any day, then the real one they spent from morning to evening in tears and sighs. With us it’s the opposite! There seems to be not a single day in the year that is spent with such intemperance and carnality as the present one. One might think that we have formed a conspiracy against the holy institution of the Church, and want to show that we impute to nothing the Last Judgment, the image of which she thinks to mark our feet on the wide path of the world and flesh! The reason for this unfortunate contrast and neglect of the day, so important and sacred, is nothing else than the fact that today ends the consumption of our ordinary food. Could it be expected that a reason so unimportant would take away all the power from the holy institution of the Church, bring into oblivion the Last Judgment of God and produce exactly the opposite of what the Holy Church intended? But this is exactly the case, because there is no other reason. The Church, for its part, used everything that could arouse in us a feeling of repentance; her most touching and threatening songs are collected precisely in the service for this day; The Gospel and the Apostle just read today could enlighten the most inveterate carnivore. But, alas, nothing touches us or excites us from the destructive service of the flesh and the world. The terrible word of the Savior spoken about the people of Judea is coming true over us with all its power: “Let you weep and not weep!” (Luke 7:32). Where to look for the reasons for our so destructive insensibility? Is it not, by the way, that many of us do not know at all that on this day the remembrance of the Last Judgment of God is taking place? Unfortunately, many people really don’t know this; but what does this ignorance itself mean? Alas, it does not justify us, but even more accuses us. For who is to blame for this ignorance? We ourselves. How many church songs are there today, each of which depicts the Last Judgment? Isn’t the present Gospel alone enough to enlighten everyone who is not deaf in this? And why cover up our ignorance with lies? That today is the day of the Last Judgment, we do not know; but everyone knows, from great to small, that today is the last day of meat-eating. How is it that we all know so firmly one half of the church institution and do not know the other at all? We know for sure what serves to please the flesh, and we do not know what is for the benefit of the spirit and conscience! Isn’t this a clear sign that we value only our flesh and pleasing the belly, and that which is necessary for the salvation of the soul, we recklessly neglect? It is precisely this inclination towards the sensual that destroys us now, as always; It is this that makes all the good institutions of the Church fruitless for us. For is this one day turning us into such misery? Alas, this transformation is only the beginning of another, greater one. I mean the coming Cheese Week. What fate could be more pitiful than that of this week? It is intended, according to the intention of the Church, to serve as preparation for Lent and, so to speak, as an introduction to it. On this occasion, the Church showed all its maternal care for us. In order to gradually accustom us to the feat of fasting, she deprived us of half of the food for this week, so as not to shake our most sensual habits with a sudden and strong revolution. What did we get out of this condescension of the Church? A new reason and opportunity has arisen for carnivory and intemperance. There is not a single week in the whole year that would be filled with so much noise and rumor, so much gluttony and drunkenness, so much idle talk and blasphemy, so many vices and lawlessness, as the coming one. If about any week, then probably the Angels of God cry about this every year, the angels of darkness rejoice; If ever hell and Gehenna acquire the most victims for themselves, then at this unfortunate time. Alas, if only the founders of this week could have foreseen what we make of it! But they are innocent: they wanted our salvation and did everything they could for this. Read or listen with attention to the divine service of each day in the coming week. How clearly the purpose of establishing Cheesecake Week is explained there! So many holy thoughts and feelings for every day! The Church, one might say, takes us by the hand from the crossroads of the world and brings us closer to the field of holy fasting; but all this remains in vain. For during this Week we try to be and are everywhere, just not in church. After this, the good institution of the church does not seem to exist at all for us. But if only it didn’t exist! And this would be a dishonor to the Christian name and an evil to us, but still not so great. No, when we, burdened by intemperance in food and drink, doze, then the enemy of our salvation does not sleep and does not slumber. What did he not manage to do from this holy week? Just as before the end of the world, knowing that “time is short” (Rev. 12:12), he will show, according to the testimony of the Seer of Mysteries, all the cruelty and all the wickedness: this is what he does throughout the coming week. Threatened with fasting and repentance, he uses all his strength, lays out all the nets, scatters all the baits in order to catch as many victims as possible. And how many avoid these networks? At other times, the most sedate persons consider it a duty to give free rein to their sensual desires at this time; Even the elders do not consider it a shame to appear like foolish children. What about the young ones? Alas, if ever the flower of this beautiful age perishes, it is at this unfortunate time! That is, at what time? The very same which, according to the intention of the Church, should serve as preparation for fasting, and therefore itself is already a kind of fasting and days of mourning, that time that immediately follows the remembrance of the Last Judgment, now taking place! This is what we are learning today! Such and such a fruit produces in us the appearance of a formidable Judge! Oh insensibility! O petrification of souls and hearts! Meanwhile, this destructive habit is so rooted in all of us, it has become so close to us from infancy, it has entered into our morals, into our very nature, that to speak against it means almost obviously wasting words and time. For, behold, we are now discussing this, grieving and lamenting; you yourself cannot help but recognize the justice of our words and our grief. But is there even one of us who would take these words to heart and decide to act in accordance with the intention of the Church, to despise the customs of the world and spend the coming week not in pleasing the belly and in worldly amusements, but in preparing oneself for holy fasting and repentance? Ah, sad experience almost robs us of all hope for this; and if we speak now, it is not so much out of hope of fruit from our conversation, but to fulfill our duty. For it is the duty of shepherds to speak and proclaim the truth even when no one wants to listen to it. If, however, there could now be found at least one who, having heeded our word, or even more so the direction of the Holy Church, decided to spend the coming Week in abstinence, prayer and chastity; then we will thank the Lord for this too; for even one soul is a great acquisition; and for one soul the Savior shed His Blood, just as for all. We are confident that such a person will find more spiritual pleasure in his purity and abstinence than others find in noisy worldly amusements and carnal pleasure, which rarely does not lead those who indulge in it to the darkening of their senses and bodily ailments. What will everyone else do? They will do the same as they did before, in past years: they will surround themselves with all kinds of food; they will invent new kinds of amusements and pleasures, they will try, like the ancient sensualists, to leave everywhere the “sign of joy” (Wis. 2:9) of their own. It seems to me that the crazy games and laughter of the celebrants are already making themselves heard, “men are already seen walking like ancient trees” (Mark 8:24), the crossroads and haystacks are already groaning from disorder and impudence, the spirits of malice, uncleanness and wickedness are already rejoicing invisibly together with people; that death itself is already preparing to involuntarily absorb the victims falling of their own accord into its mouth from its intemperance. If you, my brothers, are in any way touched by such thoughts and expressions; if you, as Christians, value the honor of the Holy Church and your own salvation of your souls; If the Last Judgment of God, now presented before our eyes, is not something alien to you and does not concern you, then let us vow now to spend the coming week without those recklessness and intemperance with which it is usually associated with us, to spend it as the beginning and threshold of Holy Lent, and not as the height of pleasing our flesh and passions. Amen. You might be interested in: