Часть 1

The first word on the day of the Nativity of Christ and the remembrance of the deliverance of the Church and the Russian state from the invasion of the Gauls and with them twenty languages The entire universe is now gloriously triumphant in honor and glory of the appearance in the flesh of God the Word, who came to save the fallen human race from sin and eternal death; and our Orthodox Fatherland, as if as a reward for its fidelity to the God of the fathers, commemorates with gratitude its miraculous deliverance, in thirty (thirty) five years, from the fierce and difficult invasion of the Gauls (French) and with them twenty languages ​​(twenty nations). It is not surprising if the mystery of the salvation of the whole world through the incarnation of the Son of God, due to its unparalleled greatness and depth, today attracts the reverent attention of both those preaching and listening; but the secret of saving our Fatherland from the unheard-of invasion of hostile tribes is worth remembering, at least from time to time, from this sacred place and turning it into an object of teaching for the whole people. How to convert? Not with reproaches and majestic exaltation of themselves over those who, without knowing what they were doing, brought fire and death to us (they were sufficiently punished by their terrible fate, in which heavenly wrath was apparently reflected); not by reproaches, but by the perception of an instructive lesson from those events in which one of the greatest judgments of God was revealed in full force over kingdoms and nations. And when is the remembrance of this formidable lesson more necessary than in our dark days, when the same Gauls and with them two dozen tongues, having forgotten their previous frenzy and the wrath of God that befell them for it, their strength was again restless, while against them (in the person of the conqueror) there was the wrath of God, which could be rejected and softened, but not with weapons and earthly wisdom, but with repentance, humility, correction of one’s way of thinking and feelings, who, unfortunately, had long been captured by the Gauls... After this, every uprising against the universal enemy prepared for him only a new victory. Less than ten years had passed before almost all the kingdoms and peoples of our part of the world formed one huge chain of new Gali dominance. What would happen to the universe if the lot of kingdoms and peoples were really left to the mercy of the son of fate, as those who, in the darkening of their minds and hearts, did not want to see in the events of the wise right hand the supreme Ruler of human destinies liked to call the proud ruler of the Gauls? Bearing in mind how he acted, especially at the end of his reign, not only with the peoples, but also with their rulers, one cannot help but say in the words of the ancient seer of people's destinies: “If the Lord of hosts had not left us Seeds, as Sodom would have been, and as Gomorrah would have been like” (Is. 1:9). But always merciful in His very wrath, the Lord left this precious seed to the lost tribes and languages... While the unfortunate West, first in the person of the Gauls, and then in the person of other peoples, was agitated by the spirit of unbelief, violence and bitterness of heart, in the northeast of our part of the world, under the shadow of altars and the throne, a people lived in peace, from time immemorial distinguished by the very virtues from which the ill-fated Gauls suffered. When they madly mocked everything sacred, this people abandoned first and above all the holy faith of their fathers; when the violent Gauls did not want to see even a shadow of the former legitimate power above them, he reverently recognized in the person of his anointed ones the sacred image on earth of the King of Heaven; when they contemptuously rejected everything that had happened before, this people treasured the customs and traditions of their fathers as a precious heritage. Probably, not only the Gauls, but also other tribes, blinded by their corrupting spirit, looked at this only people as covered in the darkness of ignorance, and meanwhile, in this sacred darkness, which for them only, like the wonderful pillar of Israel for the Egyptians, was dark, contained that wondrous light from above, which, together with this God-protected people, would lead them all out of the Red Sea of general captivity on earth (other shore) restoration of being (better being) of civil. Could such a people be left alone by a world conqueror? Without the complete humiliation of this people, their dominance over other peoples could not be secure for one day. And so, our fate is decided in the mind of a proud enemy! The thought becomes numb at the imagination of those extraordinary means that he collected and invented to achieve victory over us and the triumph of the all-perfect. What power and strength could provide for this, inventing intelligence and experience - all this was in the hands of our enemy; there was and could not be one thing: the justice of one’s cause and blessings from above!.. Shall I depict before you, my brethren, the very domestic battle, before which all the battles that have happened since that battle are nothing more than the dull hum of a distant, passing cloud? To those who lived at that time, every image will seem small and weak; and to those who came into the world after, it will appear enlarged. Suffice it to say that many, and not the gullible, thought then to see the beginning of those worldwide sorrows and disasters, which, according to the word of Scripture, precede the end of the world. Whole rivers of blood had to be shed, hundreds of villages and towns had to be devastated, and our capital city itself had to be devastated; it was necessary to exhaust all means and efforts on our part; It was necessary for each and every one to almost lose all earthly hope before one could say with confidence: “The enemy has been overthrown and Russia has been saved!” Do you want to know what our dear Fatherland could do in this unprecedented struggle for life and death? It was made possible by living faith in the God of its fathers, which animated everyone, from small to great, and forced everyone, like the ancient Ninevites, to bring sincere repentance before Him for their sins; it was made possible by unshakable loyalty to its blessed king, who himself, in the hearing of everyone, calling on the Lord of hosts for help, doomed himself rather to all the labors and hardships than to the humiliation of his sacred crown; it was made possible by love for the Fatherland, for which no effort seemed difficult, so that, for the redemption of its existence and glory, she did not hesitate to sacrifice the very capital city. Inspired by holy faith, the Russian Land rose up, and twenty languages ​​fell! No, they did not fall, but rose up! The Gauls themselves were freed from the rule of the insatiable conqueror: only the one who was to blame for the humiliation of everyone and, in his insane pride, dreamed of overthrowing Russia fell!.. How can the sons of Russia from generation to generation not remember after this such a great danger and the equally great mercy of God shown over it! How can one not thank the Lord forever and ever, Who, with a truly lofty muscle, not only miraculously delivered our Fatherland from the darkness of the evils that befell it, but also gave our king strength and glory - to be the liberator of all other peoples from the iron yoke placed on them by the new Nebuchadnezzar! Don’t forget, Russian, at the same time the secrets of your victory over your enemies! Do not produce it from the number of your warriors - other nations exhibited even more, but fell; not from any of the art of your military leaders - who could compare in it with our powerful enemy? You yourself before (although not for yourself, but for others) rebelled more than once against the proud Goliath with your own strength, but your strength did not put you before God; did not confront the enemy victoriously, although she did not bow down shamefully before him. If, finally, you turned out to be the winner, it is because you became completely and established yourself on a foundation that was natural to you - on the rock of faith, self-sacrifice and love in Christ for your very enemies. Because, having rejected hope in your own strength, you have put on “the whole armor of God,” put on your head the “helmet of salvation” from the Lord, received in your right hand and shoulder the “shield of faith... and the sword” of the word of God, girded your “loins” with “truth,” shod “your nose for the preparation of the gospel” not of warfare and victories, but of “peace” (Eph. 6:13–17) to each and every one; then the ancient promise to the people of God began to be fulfilled over you with all its power, that “in one way his enemies will come out against him, and in seven ways they will flee from before him” (Deut. 28:7). Here, my brothers, we must remain silent for a while and give way to another crowned preacher, to whom the Church now proclaims eternal memory... Who could know closer and better than him the secret of our victory over the proud and all-crushing enemy? What did our David say from that wondrous and unparalleled height to which the hand of Providence raised him? After each defeat of the enemy, he always said the same thing: “not to us... not to us, but to Your name, Lord, give glory!” (Ps. 113:9). Before the battle and among it, he was a leader, and after the victory he turned into a world teacher: he turned, one might say, involuntarily; for from his unparalleled height he could not help but see the all-governing right hand of God. And this is the meaning of that eternal memory, which, amid the bright triumph of universal salvation, the Holy Church now proclaims to him! This is not a lamentable funeral hymn, but, one might say, an echo of that choir of Angels, which, despite the slaughter of the infants of Bethlehem, said: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men!” (Luke 2:14). Don’t forget this, son of Russia, and learn! Do not forget, for perhaps, in the words of the Seer of Mysteries, “one sorrow has come: behold, two more sorrows are coming!” (Rev. 9:12). Yes, my brethren, just as the apostle said of the ancient pagan world that “in the wisdom of God the world was not understood by the wisdom of God” (1 Cor. 1:21), so, unfortunately, it must be said about the new world that, despite its imaginary enlightenment, in the greatest of God’s judgments that took place over it, thirty-five years before this, it did not understand either the truth or God's mercy towards him. In vain the blood and tears of the entire past generation cried out - not to indulge in more seductive dreams of unrealizable equality and wild freedom, which always end in general exhaustion and slavery. In vain the order, silence and prosperity of the peoples, which followed their return through the victorious Russian sword under the shadow of legitimate governments, cried out not to violate this divinely established charter of government. Another fourty years have not passed, and the great lesson of the twelfth year is completely forgotten... For what do we see? Instead of the former single fire-breathing Gaulish vent, many of them appeared, as if each people could not tolerate not having its own all-consuming abyss. What has not been done in the past single year? Everything that the hellish spirit of unbelief and sedition could inspire was done. There is almost no people who would not be shaken at the very foundation and not embraced by the deadly spirit of anarchy. United Russia, protected by God, like Ararat, rises unshakably above the waves of the universal flood, with the ark of universal salvation. The terrible consequences of new crimes are already obvious. The infernal tree of evil again began to bear fruit everywhere according to its appearance. The very people who did not want to obey the one meek and legitimate ruler are now forced to submit to the unbridled tyranny of many power-hungers. They proclaimed that they would make everyone happy, but in fact they brought even those who had previously had no need for anything into poverty and disaster. They considered the most lenient laws to be grave, and having rejected them, they could not exist a single day without a sword raised above the head of all. What happens next? Only the Lord sees. But anarchy has already given birth, and will continue to give birth to general sorrow, fear and sighing: general misfortune will finally force one to seek joy and peace under the sword of one of the strongest; the strongest, no matter who he is, will not forget the conditions of his existence - to preserve and increase his strength; the multiplication of strength in one cannot be without the weakening and humiliation of all. A series of previous terrible clashes between tribes and peoples will be repeated... A new so-called son of fate will appear, but in fact - a new scourge of God's wrath... The peoples, weakened by their own civil strife, will one after another fall before the new idol and slavishly proclaim it a miracle of perfection... And you, dear fatherland, you will remain united again - under the shadow of “the mercy of God!” (Job 29:4) And who knows whether the great lot will again fall to you - to be the last shield of universal order and truth, and the Pattern Angel for those very nations who are now so unjustly at enmity against you?.. This destiny may not suddenly reach you (and God grant that there is no need for it!); but it may come!.. Don’t close your eyes: look and learn in advance! When fire-breathing mountains spew out destructive lava, natural scientists, through the artificial decomposition of its composition, try to reach those causes that, hidden in the bowels of the earth, produce all-destroying shocks. The lava of folk volcanoes is before our eyes. Its composition is obvious! This is the impoverishment in the souls and hearts of the sense of heaven, combined with that gross unbelief, which, together with Pilate, is ready to ask the most heavenly Truth: “What is truth?” (John 18:38). This is criminal pride and disgust from any obedience to anyone, not only to the boss, but also to one’s father and mother, growing to the point that the very shadow of legitimate authority, necessary and saving, seems like injustice and oppression. This is an insane contempt for the traditions of our fathers and for everything that previously happened and exists, not knowing and not wanting to know that in the composition of human societies only those transformations are decisively lasting and beneficial, which emerge over time by themselves from the essence and state of things, and not from the imagination and frivolity of daring dreamers. This is blind and boundless devotion to feelings and passions, for which everything truly good and lofty is alien and incomprehensible, for which they are ready to sacrifice everything for their petty and selfish views. Finally, this is the muffling in the soul of conscience itself, for which the only joy in life is sensual pleasures and vanity, an imaginary insignificance after death!.. Behold, the origins (sources) of destruction and death, from which almost all languages suffer! Behold, the abyss (abyss) of heavenly wrath, shaking the entire universe with its blows! Do you see, dear compatriot, how can these blows be prevented and averted? If you truly want this, then first of all, contrast the unbelief and bitterness that is raging outside your land with living faith in the God of your fathers and filial obedience to the holy statutes of the Church, which from time immemorial was the Guardian Angel of your fatherland, and raised it to true greatness not by imitation of foreign wisdom, not by the desire for worldly dominance, but, like a compassionate mother, with your tears and patience and prayer. Do not be inattentive and cold to her needs and holy desires: in her strength lies the secret of your power. Moreover, do not praise (do not avert) the unreasonably beneficial influence of her on the darkness of your lesser brothers, for whom she - with her teachings and Sacraments - replaces on earth everything that they lack, in anticipation of the coming age. Oppose the foreign spirit of rioting and sedition, son of Russia, with the good and constructive spirit of obedience and love for the powers that be, remembering that in the autocratic scepter of your kings and in their God-moved hearts there is contained a hundred times more guarantees of prosperity for each and every one than in those brilliant-in-look-only speculations about the fate of nations, in those perishable charters of rights that alone the wind brings them, and another takes them away in the morning, before their very creators have time to understand the meaning of their content. Let other peoples madly betray their entire national existence into the hands of chance and to the mercy of blind fate; over you, dear Fatherland, may the “mercy of God” be and abound, in the name of which you obey your crowned ones! Continue, son of Russia, to nurture in yourself full respect for the memory and traditions of your fathers and love for everything native and patriotic, with a clear consciousness and firm conviction that your Fatherland has been predetermined from above, a lot special from all other peoples, for the greatness and radiance of which in the future both its majestic past and all its great present serve as a guarantee. But let the evidence of the feeling of domestic and just self-respect of the people be not only the learned, but dead collections and repositories of domestic antiquities, but the living and faithful adherence to the holy customs of your forefathers, who, perhaps, knew less than you, but believed more firmly and felt more deeply, did not indulge in vain dreams and did not like to flit about the impossible, but did, forever did, what is necessary and true useful; in all enterprises and institutions they thought not only about themselves, but also about future generations, and with their firmness in faith, their simplicity of morals, their love for the Fatherland and self-sacrifice, they prepared and redeemed for you the current greatness and strength of Russia. Finally, beloved compatriot, “keep with all care” (Proverbs 4:23), keep the purity of your morals and conscience, keep it not only in yourself, not even in your sons and daughters alone, but in all whom, by the delusion of the powers that be, or by lot of birth, are made dependent on you. Reject with contempt those luxury and whims, for the satisfaction of which the hard labor and sighing of your lesser brethren for Christ are inevitable, and which, first of all, destroy your own soul. Seek the best pastime, the purest pleasures, a way of life that could go with you into eternity. The true good of families and generations, kingdoms and peoples grows and sings not from the corrupting heat of passions, not among the destructive dust of choking readings, spectacles, gatherings and conversations, but under a quiet and clear sky of purity and abstinence, in the beneficial light of the promises of the Gospel, from the life-giving dew of grace-filled gifts, among the mysterious and creative spirit of the Spirit of God. When, beloved Fatherland, you stand firmly on the rock of the Orthodox faith, fenced in by purity of morals and love for the law and the powers that be, then there is not and will not be an enemy on earth who can frighten you... Then let “the darkness extend over tribes and languages; let kingdoms and peoples be troubled and plot in vain: the unstoppable light will not cease to shine over you; and in times of need, glory will not cease to shine. earthly only, but the Lord’s will also be seen on you!” (Isa. 60:1–2). God of mercy and bounty, God of our fathers, when we have sinned before You and are unworthy of Your favor; then, when punishing, punish us with everything that will please Your all-wise truth and love; just do not betray us “into an unskilled mind to create” (Rom. 1:28), what is happening now among foreign languages! Grant, on the contrary, if possible (“everything is possible for You” (Mark 14:36), and they will be able to see the abyss to which pride and unbelief inevitably lead them; and, having seen it, may they turn from the obstinate paths of lies and bitterness to the peaceful path of truth and love to You, the God of minds and the Lord of rulers and nations! Amen. The second word on the day of the Nativity of Christ “And the angel said to them: Do not be afraid: behold, I bring you great joy that is good news, which will be to all people: that this day a Savior, who is Christ the Lord, has been born to you in the city of David” (Luke 2:10–11) Thus, for the first time, the glorious event of the incarnation of the Son of God was announced! And to whom was it first announced? To shepherds - simple people who, by their very condition, were removed from all earthly enlightenment. However, these people, despite their simplicity, immediately understood the mystery of the joy announced to them from the Angel, and, leaving everything, they hastened to enjoy it. “And the shepherd men said to one another, “Let us go as far as Bethlehem, and we will see this verb which the Lord spoke to us” (Luke 2:15). After this, is it possible for any Christian not to comprehend the bliss brought to earth by the incarnation of the Son of God? Moreover, is it possible for this bliss to remain unknown to any of those present in this sacred assembly, the beginning and the purpose of which are concentrated in one thing, so that glory may be given in the highest to God, who was pleased to establish peace on earth? And so that it remains to be uttered from this sacred place, as soon as with a joyful feeling to point out the event of these prophetic words: “Behold, the days are coming ... in the Lord he will not teach every one of his sincere and every one of his brothers, saying: Know the Lord: for all will lead Me, from the least even to the great” (Heb. 8:8, 11). But the Church, the listeners, despite this, repeats the gospel of the Angel. The reason for this, on the one hand, is that the beatitude announced from the Angel to the shepherds is so great that no matter how much one succeeds in understanding it, it can always be the richest source of the most edifying thoughts; on the other hand, the fear of the Church, so that one of her children, either through weakness or disobedience, in the midst of universal triumph will not be left without incentives to spiritual joy. So, imitating the voice of the Church, let us delve into the foundation of the joy announced by the Angel. The lips of men are full of words, listeners, but the tongue of angels is short. Announcing great joy to the earthly, the heavenly messenger concludes all victories for it in these short words: “For today a Savior has been born to you” (Luke 2:11). But these words are significant and contain innumerable treasures of grace, as the divinely inspired teachers, prophets and apostles, reveal when they reveal them. What do these our Angels tell us? They all tell us: Rejoice, for a prophet has been born, guiding you into all truth; Rejoice, for a priest has been born who will reconcile you with the Divine; Rejoice, for a King has been born, protecting you from enemies visible and invisible. So, listen, Christian! The Savior who is born returns to you the light of truth that you have lost; returns the truth stolen from you; returns the security that left you. Sensual blindness is painful, listeners, but spiritual blindness is a hundred times more painful. The first deprives the enjoyment of the light of the visible sun, which itself experiences the west every day, and will someday forever have to change into darkness; the latter (spiritual blindness) does not allow one to enjoy the contemplation of the invisible Sun, which does not know the rising and the west, which at the same time illuminates the world, Angels and men, shines with equal brilliance for those who live on high mountains, as for those who groan in underground abysses, and which is God Himself. Well, listeners, was the entire human race before the coming of the Son of God into the world, if not a five-thousand-year-old blind man? What were all nations but people sitting in darkness and the shadow of death! Oh! We can hardly imagine the terrible absurdities with which the religion of ancient times was filled. What could be more reckless than saying “to the tree: for art thou my father: and to the stones: thou hast begotten me!” (Jer. 2:27). But all the peoples, with different but united lips, uttered this crazy speech. For what were their gods, if not wood and stone? Perhaps, under the roof of these visible images, certain truths were hidden, but the signification of these symbols was lost. However, there were whole herds of animals that did not mean anything other than animals, and whoever killed them, at least without intention, what do you think he was revered for? God-killer. And if only this limited the blinding of man! Originating initially from a crime, it had to end in a crime. Virtue was forced to share its only refuge - the church - with vice. The god of robbery took his place next to the goddess of justice. The idol of carnal impurity was also honored as a sacrifice, like the idol of chastity, and he who preserved his innocence did not dare to look at the debauched deity... To great misfortune, man, not knowing God, was constantly enriched by the knowledge of creatures. We are now amazed at the enlightenment of ancient times; but it was this enlightenment that exposed their extreme ignorance. The churches of the Greeks and Romans rose to the skies and surprised everyone with their beauty; but the deities who possessed them were low and rude. The origin of the gods was narrated with all the art of eloquence; but the idols remained mute. The sacrificial hymns were full of sweetness; but the idols were deaf. The sacred dances were distinguished by their entire harmony; but the idols remained motionless. Everything in the temple was majestic, striking, except the gods; and the sensible pagan, leaving the temple, dreamed not about the insignificance of his nature, but about the insignificance of the god whom he worshiped. So man was already higher than his god; but by exalting himself, he could not exalt the deity; since God, not giving “His glory to another” (Is. 42:8), does not want to receive glory Himself, except that which He creates for Himself in man. Who will confess You to us, living in the unapproachable light? Behold the sacrifices offered to Your name, but stolen from You by idols; Appear, O Lord, and by Your appearance abolish vain deities. Thy Throne is surrounded by thousands of thousands and darkness of those Angels; They ate even one of the most delicious things, so that they might confess Your name to men; They will forget all their wisdom, they will listen only to what he speaks in Your name. Be amazed, mortal! The Son of God Himself is coming to teach you. He, to whom hosts of Angels listen in silence, is coming to enlighten your darkness. Collect all your perplexities; think up new thoughts, let them be as dark as the night: and the night as the day before Him. You did not know: to whom to liken “the Lord, and to what likeness to liken Him!” (Isa. 40:18). Ask: this is “the radiance of the glory of God and the very image of His being” (Heb. 1:3). You didn't know where you came from? Ask: this is He to whom your Creator said when creating the first man: “Let us make man in our image” (Gen. 1:26). Didn't you know what would happen to you beyond the grave? Ask: behold, in whose right hand are “the keys of hell and death” (Rev. 1:18). Did you not know whether the world in which you live is eternal? Ask: behold, He who “in the beginning... founded the earth... and the works of His hand are the heavens” (Heb. 1:10). Let not the greatness of your new Mentor frighten you: He appears to teach you, not with the thunders of Sinai, but with the meekness of a child; He chooses as a place of instruction not a noisy city, but a silent den, and so that you are not ashamed to appear before Him with your bestial inclinations, He extends the first speech to you from the manger; in order to instill in you confidence in His compassion for your weaknesses, His preaching begins with tears. What a delightful spectacle the whole world presents! The pagan gods, one after another, fall into the dust from which the artist’s hand extracted them. Peoples divided by the worship of gods, often hostile to each other, are united by the confession of the One. The rulers of the world, having learned that “the Most High rules the kingdom of men” (Dan. 4:22), learn to be servants of God for the good of the nations; subjects, believing, “for there is no power except from God” (Rom. 13:1), begin, in the commands of even obstinate rulers, to honor the fate of the Most High. The servants of the altars cease to be slaves of their own selfishness, and having no need to fear for the weak gods, they learn only one fear, lest they become unworthy of the greatness of the altars, which they stand before. Philosophers, having found the seeds of all truths in Christianity, only try to return them, and unselfishly share their fruits, for they know that wisdom not communicated is sacrilege. The commoner does not envy the philosopher, for he is sure that he worships the same God with him, has a single Intercessor, and expects a single eternity. The whole earth is filled with the knowledge of the Lord of Israel; and where is the beginning of this beneficial change? In Bethlehem. Yes, listeners! If Christ had not been born, the world would still worship either demons or its own passions. Philosophers would not have enlightened him. What benefit did the existence of these sages bring to the Greeks and Romans? - Most of the pagan philosophers thought of curing superstition with unbelief. The best saw the truth, but hid it in the untruth of public opinion, and with the combined works of Pythagoras, Plato, and Aristotle, they erected an altar to the unknown God. What would have happened to us, listeners, if the light of Bethlehem had not shone upon us? Instead of the fact that we are now present in the church of the Living God, perhaps we would be at the performance of some cold-free idolatry festival; instead of the fact that we now listen to the chants in praise of the Lord of all, perhaps we would utter disorderly cries; Instead of now performing verbal service, we offer incense prayers, perhaps we would slaughter our own kind, and even our own relatives; instead of now secretly forming the Cherubim, then, oh horror! -Apparently they would portray demons. But why do we say: maybe? What is happening now to those peoples over whom, due to the unknown destinies of God, the light of Christ did not shine? They have intelligence, but do not know God; have a will, but honor idols; have a heart, but kill their own children. The same, listeners, would happen to us... Let us rejoice that we have been led into the wonderful light of the now born Savior! In His school they do not learn how to fly into the air, but are taught how to ascend in thought and heart to God; they do not prescribe rules on how to delve into the hearts of the mountains and into the depths of the seas to extract jewelry, but they give the truest instructions on how to delve into one’s own heart to find the gold of pure love and the pearls of holy prayers; they do not show how far the sphere we inhabit is from the sun, but they show how far fallen man is from God; They do not instill a way to deflect thunder strikes, but they instill means of how to evade the blows of Divine justice. The knowledge is brief, but it contains everything. It takes little time to study it, but the benefits it provides extend throughout all eternity. Oh, blessed are you, Christian, guided by the light of the star of Bethlehem! But you are blessed when you use this light in order to be endowed with the merits of the born Savior. So, listeners, spiritual light in a person’s present state is not only useless for him, but even harmful if other benefits are not combined with it. Would it be joyful for a blind man to receive sight if he knew that at the moment of his insight he would see the whole sky falling on his head? But isn’t this what a person whose spiritual eyes are opened should see? Even more. For what kind of insight does he find himself in? He finds himself a transgressor of the Divine laws, a violator of the most holy covenant that must exist between creation and the Creator, and therefore, he finds himself an enemy of God, before whose unapologetically majesty he cannot help but revere. What does a single blow from an angry God mean in comparison with the fall of the entire sky? But this blow is inevitable. "How! - his own conscience tells the sinner, - do you consider it unfair if the criminal remains unpunished by the human court, and do you think that without violating the truth, he can remain unpunished by the court of God? Do you really think that the True and Righteous God loves truth less than vain and flattering people? Or, according to your concept, God’s truth is not similar to human truth? But it is not similar only in that this one changes, like the face of the earth, and that one remains, like the days of heaven. Or do you hope for the goodness of the Creator? But remember, justice is also goodness, only changed by your sins. And don’t I put a seal of rejection on you after every crime?” What does shame mean? Where does the inner awe come from? Why self-loathing? Either affirm that there is no God, that I am just a ghost, or be sure that punishments commensurate with your crimes await you.” This is what a person’s conscience tells him! An indistinct voice among the noise of the world, but terrible among the solitude of the soul! Where and when did you not pursue a person? In the peaceful times of patriarchal life and in the menacing days of the rule of the Greeks and Romans, under the sultry sky of the south and under the cold sun of the north - everywhere and always man found himself an enemy of God, the Creator and Benefactor. Dressed in purple and covered with rags, they equally said: “I am a sinner.” They hid all kinds of shortcomings with all possible care, but publicly confessed their guilt before heaven. Thus, amid the general transformation of human rights, the rights of God over man remained immutable, and merciful Providence, in the words of the Apostle, turned “all into rebellion, that He might have mercy on all” (Rom. 11:32). Alas! man, without waiting for mercy from God, tried to have mercy on himself... The example of the forefathers, who thought of covering their nakedness with fig leaves, spread among their descendants... They slaughtered calves... They burned the fat of lambs... They performed ablutions... and imagined themselves to be clean from sin. As if the fat of lambs could soften the dryness of a heart broken by sin! As if the blood of animals could whiten a conscience darkened by sins! As if the cries of the victims could drown out the cry of the iniquities crying out to heaven! Almighty! You have seen the insignificance of the sacrifices made by the sinner; He saw the inability of a criminal man to ascend to heaven, to bring down an Intercessor for himself, and in the mystery of Your destinies He Himself prepared a cure for him; but this medicine remained unknown. You spoke through the mouth of Your Prophets: “I will think on you the thought of peace, and not evil” (Jer. 29:11); but these good thoughts remained sealed in the treasury of Your mercy. As if You were filled with grace, You thought good, and, meanwhile, only traces of Your justice appeared everywhere. Now, now, listeners, the treasury of God’s love has been opened, for now the saving grace of God has appeared in the person of the born Savior. God does not say to this: I think, I deliberate; but - I fulfill, I accomplish. And how does he do it? Listen and wonder. The beginning of all our sins and, therefore, our enmity against God was that we desired with our ancestor to be like God, we dared to steal the glory of God; and behold, our Advocate, in the image of God, renounces the Divine glory, takes on the form of a slave and is found like a man. From birth we strive to immerse ourselves in the pleasures of the world; Our intercessor - from the womb of Mother is thrown into the abyss of hardships, the most severe for the flesh. For us, self-interest is, if not the only one (for vice does not tolerate monotheism), then a beloved idol to which we sacrifice both body and soul; Our intercessor is born in such a poor state that he does not find refuge for Himself in the place that is built for a general refuge. We chase honors to the very grave and, being dust and ashes, cannot tolerate our superiors; Our intercessor, being the Lord of all, from the very cradle is included in the number of the last subjects of Caesar. Isn’t this enough, sinful soul, to revive in you the hope of salvation? For the born Child is the eternal God, whose one tear is sufficient to wash away the sins of the whole world. But His love for us is not limited to this. Soon we will see Him circumcised, then baptized in the Jordan, as one of the unclean, and brought to the church, so that He may be presented as a sacrifice before the Lord; Finally, we will see Him, hanging on the Cross, naked and wounded. For whom is all this? For you, sinful soul, He will be circumcised in order to blot out the uncircumcision of your hardened heart; He will plunge into the waters of the Jordan to wash you, covered with the impurities of carnal life; He will be sacrificed to atone for the sacrifices you make to the vain world; He will stretch out His hands on the Cross, just as you have stretched out your hands to the pleasures that deceive you; It will be crowned with thorns, since you loved to adorn yourself with roses; He will be drunk with alcohol, since you loved to drink from the cup of the abominations of the earth (Rev. 17:4–5). Events are deplorable in themselves, but which can and should become for every Christian a source of inexhaustible consolation and constant edification, through deepening in him with faith and love! The Son of God suffers for my sins; what will keep me in the area of ​​lawlessness? The delights of the world! You seem to me like serpentine poison, after the pleasure of you cost the suffering and death of my Savior. If God did not spare His Only Begotten Son, Who took upon Himself satisfaction for my lawless enjoyment of you, then can He spare me if I, having despised His satisfaction, again unlawfully indulge in you? The power of sin! And you cannot turn me away now from my determination to go to the Heavenly Father. Let me come to Him, burdened with all kinds of iniquities: can He not accept the price for sin that is determined by Himself? Can he not recognize in me the merits of His Son? Will the Son deny interceding for me, laying down His life for me? No, His tears are my tears, His suffering is my suffering, His death is my death. Why should I be afraid? Angels! You have not sinned, but you are not more right than me, for I am clothed with the righteousness of God Himself. You do not understand this voice of a believing heart, sage, rich in your own truth! You do not understand his bliss; and righteously! God fills hungry souls with His gifts. since the Blood of His Son is the highest of His gifts; then can he fill your soul, filled with Himself? But woe to those who say: “I have become rich and demand nothing” (Rev. 3:17). Woe to those who trample on the Blood of the eternal covenant! Jehovah said to His Son “and will not repent: Thou art a Priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek” (Heb. 7:21). For you will repent: if you repent, your spiritual eyes will be opened, you will see your spiritual nakedness; God forbid that they should be opened when the light in the eyes of the body is darkened. Christian! Listen to your own conscience; she will explain to you the joyful mystery of the manger and the Cross. It was not in vain that Paul, Chrysostom, Gregory, and Vasily prostrated themselves before the Child lying in the manger. They saw in Him a great Bishop who had passed through heaven. You too will one day see Him, standing at the right hand of the throne of the Almighty, and the twelve elders casting their crowns before Him. Oh, blessed are you if you are able to cast down your crown before Him! But will this happen soon? Ah, long is the road leading from Egypt to heavenly Canaan! How many enemies, how many dangers lie ahead of us on this path! The fierce Pharaoh - the god of this age - is pursuing us with all the spirits of evil in high places. Hostile Amalekites - passions - expect only our spiritual inaction in order to crush our spiritual strength. The desert of the world is filled with serpents, stinging temptations. The most beautiful things - innocent pleasures with which we pretend to sweeten the sorrow of earthly wanderings - can erect for us the coffins of lust. Who will be our leader? Where is the pillar of fire and cloud? Who leads us to the holy mountain? “I am the King set over Zion, the holy mountain” (Ps. 2:6), the now born Savior answers us: I will lead you through the desert of this world; I will defeat the enemies of your salvation; I will arrange an eternal place around you; I will house you in the holy mountain: I am the King! “Where have the nations reeled, and the people learned in vain?” (Ps. 2:1), - the prophet once cried, listening to this voice of our King. God! I see that at the very appearance of Your Kingdom in the world, everything rushes to plunder Your blessed inheritance: the warlike sword of the Caesars and the intricate cane of the philosopher, and the superstitious staff of the priest. Some are trying to drown it in the blood of Your chosen ones; others think of overthrowing it with flattery; These are trying to destroy him with slander. But why all these attempts? “You will strike them with a rod of iron, as you will break the vessels of the wicked” (Ps. 2:9). Christians! These miracles of the power of our now born King, foreseen from afar by the prophet, long ago took place in the presence of all people for the glory of spiritual Israel. Entire generations of Caesars, who were at enmity against God and His Christ, apparently ascended to the throne, so that they would be crushed, like a poor thing, by the rod of heavenly wrath. Where is now the terrible colossus of kingdoms opposed to the Kingdom of the Son of God? Where is the gold and silver of Babylon and Persia? Where are the copper and iron - the pagan Greek and Roman? Where is the clay and the staleness, the masses - the peoples who persecuted the name of Christ? Where are they? The stone, which was torn away without hands from the uncut virgin mountain, struck down everything, consumed everything, and their place was not found (Dan. 2:31-34). Let the new sages, who have taken the place of the ancient persecutors of Christianity, continue their enmity against the blessed Seed of the Woman; let blasphemies and reproaches against the Cross of Christ flow from their mouths like great rivers: the Christian will not be shaken; he knows that the more they succeed, the deeper their fall will follow, that these tares are tolerable, lest by their rapture the wheat should also be raptured, that in the Kingdom of the Son of God, in the kingdom of truth, “it is fitting... for heresies... to be, so that trials may be revealed” in faith (1 Cor. 11:19). Indeed,” says one teacher of the Church, “wouldn’t it be pleasant to look at the heaving sea, at the waves fighting with each other like mountains, at the earth arguing with the heavens, if we were absolutely sure that the ship on which we are located will not be exposed to the slightest danger? But the state of a Christian, continues the same father, is exactly like this. The ship in which he sails, the Holy Church, is governed by Jesus Christ; Can He, who holds heaven and earth with one hand, suffer shipwreck? “But domestic enemies - passions - can cast us out of the ship of Christ.” ABOUT! Let us beware, listeners, of these enemies, who alone are worth this name. However, these enemies are not dangerous for us as long as we do not leave the scepter of our King. His treasuries are filled with weapons of all kinds. Here everyone will find according to their needs “the breastplate of righteousness, and the helmet of hope, and the shield of faith, and the sword of the word of God, and the arrows of prayer; over all these the grace of God finds itself” (Eph. 6:14–24), which can accomplish even a few victims and establish them on the path to the Kingdom of Heaven. All we have to do is use these invincible weapons with trust in our Hero of Heroes - and the most cruel temptations will only come to us to weave a victorious crown for us. After this, shouldn’t we, instead of fear, be filled with joy at the sight of spiritual dangers, just as a warrior rejoices at his enemies rising up against him: so that in their overthrow the valor of his king will be seen. But in all these cases, joy about the power of our King is combined with fear because of our weaknesses. Do you, Christians, want to enjoy the radiance of the royal crown, not darkened by our unfaithfulness to Him? – Let us rise in spirit and move our thoughts beyond the boundaries of the Kingdom of Grace. For the kingdoms of the earth have their splendor in the midst of their continuation, and the Kingdom of grace - at the end. What miracles amaze our spiritual gaze? The order of nature changes: the sun and moon change into darkness; stars, like leaves, fall from the firmament; the heavens, like clouds, pass with noise; mortals in all corners of the earth are hastily rising from their graves; hosts of Angels descend to earth, hosts of people ascend to heaven - the world is transformed... Who is this, for whose voice all tribes and languages ​​wait in silence? Who, Whose throne, in the midst of heaven, is surrounded by darkness of those Angels, Who is this King of glory? Christians! Behold your King, the One Whom you now worship as a Child lying in a manger! And for whom will He shake heaven and earth? - To take revenge on you, persecuted by the malice of people, but constantly persecuting the truth. For whom will He build the heavenly Jerusalem? To settle you, expelled from the earthly fatherland, constantly seeking the heavenly fatherland. For whom will He plant the tree of life? To satisfy you, tormented by hunger, but hungry for righteousness. Who will reign with Him forever and ever in the cities of heaven? Listeners, we, if we are worthy. This, Christians, is the mystery of the present event in Bethlehem. Having begun in Eden, it will end in Zion. Having shone from Bethlehem, it should illuminate all the ends of the earth. O “holy brother, partaker of the title of heaven, consider the Messenger and Holy Hierarch of our confession” (Heb. 3:1), understand Him as a Prophet, who confessed to you the true God, and taught you to worship Him in spirit and truth; understand as a Priest sacrificing himself to God for you; understand as a King who fulfills all your desires for good; understand, learn, go deeper. You will never see the full picture of the joy that the birth of our Savior brings us. The very prophets, the very apostles, were only amazed when they turned their gaze to this joyful mystery. We often lament the fall of our forefather. But what have we lost that the incarnate Savior would not return to us? What can compare with the purity of the light with which a Christian is illuminated? What could be higher than the holiness with which a follower of Christ is clothed? What is more reliable and inviolable than the peace that is enjoyed under the scepter of Christ? On the contrary, should we not consider ourselves happy that we sinned in Adam? What were we before the fall, and what now? Then we were the rulers of the earth, the guardians of the helicopter city, - now the whole sky belongs to us; then the Angels were our interlocutors - now they are the servants of our salvation; then we were honored with the image of God - now God Himself bears our image. O man! You have fallen, you have fallen, so to speak, not down, but up, for you have fallen into the depths of Divine love. But, listeners, being lifted up to such a height by the condescension of the Son of God, let us remember that He is being made our Prophet, Priest and King, in order to make us “kings and priests” to God (Rev. 5:10). In this case, the Heavenly Father, introducing His Son into the world, says to us the same thing that he once said to Moses: “See that you create in the image shown to you” (Ex. 25:40). Look, Christian! For this reason your Savior was born and for this reason he came into the world in order to testify to the truth, and your existence on earth, in the plan of Providence, has no other purpose than that your light should shine before people, and that everyone who sees your good deeds will glorify the Father who is in heaven. Your Savior came to give His soul as the price of deliverance for the sins of the whole world; Let there be no less love for you than to lay down your soul for your friends in case of need. Your Savior has appeared, may He overthrow all the enemies of your salvation, may joy and peace reign everywhere - and for you there is no greater glory than to conquer your own passions, to rule over the desires of your heart. Christians! When we imagine in ourselves these three qualities of the face of Jesus, then our real joy will be filled, and no one will take it from us; then Jesus Himself, the Author of our joy, will be imagined in us. Amen. The third word for Christmas “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men!” (Luke 2:14) So the Angels sing from heaven, but on earth, instead of peace and silence, warfare and the mere hearing of warfare rages; Instead of love and mutual goodwill, hatred and bitter enmity reign! In this situation of entire kingdoms and peoples, of which we have been the closest witnesses and the first victims for so long, how can we calmly open our lips to the proclamation of the joyful song of the angels? Isn’t it more convenient to love silence, or, having left the joy of peace proclaimed by the Angels to those who are more worthy of it, we ourselves should perceive not joy, but the bitter weeping and sobbing of Rachel, crying over the beating of Bethlehem’s “children and not wanting to be consoled, because they are not the essence?” (Matthew 2:18). And yet, my brethren, the Holy Church, which sees our misfortunes no less than us and shares them with us, does not in the least change now, as a result of these sad events, its voice and together with the Angels, as before, loudly and joyfully exclaims: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men!” (Luke 2:14) What does this mean? The fact that peace on earth, proclaimed by the Angels, is not an ordinary and earthly peace, very often violated and almost never completely existing on earth, which, when it continues anywhere longer than usual, almost always, like too long silence in the air, ends in storms and thunderstorms; that the good will in men, proclaimed because of the coming into the world of the Savior of the world, is above all human ties and communities, which quickly arise and disintegrate even more quickly, and rarely, rarely do not lead to “unanimity of wickedness” (Wis. 10:5). Naturalists claim that the sea, no matter how moveable and open to waves, at a certain depth is always constant and quiet, and cannot be subject to any winds or storms, so that if the greatest boats could arbitrarily descend to this depth, then during the most terrible disturbances on the surface of the sea, they would be there in silence and safety. The same can be said about the sea of ​​life, about the world and human societies: those who are subject to crushing storms and disturbances are mainly those who always remain on the surface of things and events, and do not know the precious art of hiding for this time in the depths of faith and hope, in the depths of the Providence and love of God, where man’s unhappy dependence on external changes and transformations ends. Those, on the contrary, who, according to the Savior’s expression, although they are, like all other people, “are of the world” (John. 15:19), but do not belong to the world with their soul and heart, which have transferred all their essential needs and aspirations, all the secret treasures of the heart in advance to the other side of earthly existence and handed them over, so to speak, for the preservation of eternity; those, finally, who, while still on earth, acquired the holy opportunity to hide from the very rebellions of men “in the secret of the face” of God (Ps. 30:21), - those, among the most terrible troubles of the sea of ​​life, among the upheavals of kingdoms and peoples, can remain in peace and spiritual trust, can even rejoice in their very sufferings, as the example of St. Paul and other true servants of God shows. Yes, my brothers, there is peace, which no earthly war can disturb or disturb! This is the inner world of a person with God and his conscience; this is the reassurance of sinner man in the endless merits of the Son of God, by which the heavenly favor lost by our sins and the hope of eternal life are returned. This world did not and could not exist on earth until the great Mediator and Reconciler of all appeared in the flesh and until by His death on the Cross, for the sins of the whole world, He reconciled man-sinner with the Righteous and All-Holy Divinity. After this, instead of the previous anger and curse, the benevolence of the satisfied and reconciled Divinity towards the redeemed and delivered humanity could not help but be revealed in its entirety. The pardoned sinner, from being an enemy of God, became again a beloved, a son of God, a friend and future cohabitant in heaven of the Angels, a direct and complete heir to heaven and eternal bliss. Moreover, the greatest glory of God was naturally revealed - the glory of truth, the glory of wisdom and the glory of Divine mercy, who invented, for the salvation of mankind perishing in sins, such a great and unthinkable means as the incarnation and death for us of the Only Begotten Son of God, by which everything that was needed for our salvation is achieved in abundance, and, at the same time, not one of the properties of God’s being is offended and not one of the laws is violated moral world. This is what the Angels and the Holy Church mean when they now proclaim: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men!” (Luke 2:14) Is it necessary to say what necessarily follows from this? It follows, obviously, that for each of us the first task in life and the first duty on earth should be to take a living and unceasing participation in this world of God and in this good will of the Heavenly Father towards people, and for this - to sincerely believe in the great Mediator and Reconciliator given to us by God, to assimilate the atoning sacrifice He made for us on the Cross, to unite with Him forever in the spirit, to arrange our lives and actions according to His Gospel, to surrender ourselves completely to Him forever, and to spend our lives in good deeds, waiting until He, our most merciful Savior, calls each of us from this vale of tears to His eternal abodes, where there is no longer any sorrow or sighing, but only peace and endless bliss. Whoever does all this - and everyone and everyone must do it - whoever even begins to do it truly, will soon learn from experience that it is possible to enjoy inner peace amid the noise of battles, and among human strife and bickering to rejoice in God’s favor towards people. We wish this desired state to all of us, my brothers, on behalf of the great Reconciler of heaven and earth, who now rests in a manger! Amen. The fourth word on the second day of the Nativity of Christ Yesterday, while talking with you, brethren, we, according to the circumstances, tried to show that even among the horrors and disasters of war, one can enjoy that longed-for peace, which at the birth of the Savior was announced by the Angels: “and on earth peace!” . That no hostile force, not only earthly, but even hellish, can violate and abolish that immutable determination of God about our salvation, for which the Only Begotten Son of God appeared in the flesh: “there is good pleasure in men!” And that the glory of God, revealed in this great Sacrament, no matter how much people darken it with their recklessness and sins, will always remain more than the sun shining in the firmament of heaven: “Glory to God in the highest!” (Luke 2:14) Now we intend, with God’s help, to talk with you about the same subject, only from a completely different angle, namely, to show that mutual warfare and unrest between Christian peoples, no matter how sad and outrageous they are to the heart, do not in the least serve as a criticism of the holy Christian faith, but only testify to the pitiful spiritual state of Christians themselves. Such reflection is always useful, because, unfortunately, there are people who are always ready to criticize Christianity; all the more timely in the present circumstances, when the whirlwind of warfare raging around us can obscure the vision of the short-sighted. “From the Christian faith,” some argue, “as Divine, one should have expected that benefit to humanity that, as a sign of its origin from above, in addition to granting him eternal and spiritual blessings, it would greatly contribute to its earthly well-being and, among other things, would wean people from brutality and enmity, and teach them to live in peace and mutual harmony, as children of the one Heavenly Father, who have one thing.” and the same promise of eternal life. But now the nineteenth century has passed, and the Christian world is still a very pitiful sight, in many respects, and most of all, with its bloody strife and civil strife! Shall we deny the truth of these remarks? No, on the contrary, we will add to this that, according to the legends of all the prophets who depicted the future kingdom of the Messiah, the Savior of the world, all kinds of prosperity should reign in this kingdom, that His followers will surpass all other nations in their prosperity, and will be so unkind that “they will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks, and the tongue will not take up the sword, and they will not learn how to fight” (Isa. 2:4). This is what the ancient prophets said and promised from Christianity! Who will deny that this glorious promise has not yet been fully fulfilled? And yet, didn’t much of this actually come true? Who now holds primacy in the entire human race? Christian peoples. Who is distinguished by knowledge, arts and various fruits of education? Christian peoples. In whose hands is the fate of all other non-Christian peoples? In the hands of Christians. Seek whatever reasons you like for this worldwide phenomenon, you will never sufficiently explain it without turning to the Christian faith and the Gospel. Here is the main source of power, greatness and much greater (comparatively) prosperity of the Christian peoples! With all this, as noted above, we are the first to admit and mourn that Christianity has not yet produced all that it was and is supposed to do for humanity, even in an earthly sense; that Christians are still below that prosperity, have not achieved the prosperity for which they are destined. But what is the reason for this? Is it faith? It could be blamed for this then, if it did not contain undoubted principles and solid guarantees for the desired well-being of human societies. But who can say this? Those who are coldest towards Christianity admit that it contains everything that is needed for the improvement of human societies. But this recognition remains without application to the case, for show me at least one human society that would be organized completely in the spirit of the Gospel. Alas, not a single experiment of this kind has yet been made. And after this, can Christianity be blamed for the fact that the present situation in human societies is so far from its perfection? It’s the same as if someone, leaving good seeds to lie in his barn and sowing chaff in their place, would complain and complain that his field is not covered with good wheat, and that the fault is for the seeds that he did not use for business. As for, in particular, mutual strife and warfare between Christian peoples, one has only to pick up the Gospel to see how Christianity condemns all this, and how it is opposed to all human envy and enmity. Let us imagine that the high and holy rules of the Gospel have become the rule of conduct not only for private people, but also for entire kingdoms; then all the fighting between them would cease and be destroyed by itself, and exactly, as the prophet expressed it, language against language would never rise up as an army. But why imagine when you can turn to experience and reality for evidence? Let us remember the first centuries of Christianity, when holy faith was not just an object of external respect, but a real rule of life and actions for its followers; when the Cross of Christ rose and shone not so much in churches and altars, but in the souls and hearts of true believers; then in reality it was what we now want from Christianity. The entire ancient world, with its foolish ruler - Rome, constantly fluctuated from end to end from civil strife and battles, sometimes internal, sometimes external; and Christians lived among themselves in deep peace, not participating in public unrest. Mutual distrust and hatred reigned among the pagans: the son rebelled against his father, the daughter cheated on her mother, the brother built feats against his brother; and between Christians love and mutual harmony reigned: they all, throughout the world, formed, as it were, a single family. Whoever, for example, was baptized in India, at the same time became near and dear to the Christian living in Spain and Britain. What is most remarkable is that the very cruelty of the persecution inflicted on Christians by the pagans could not force Christians to resort to defending themselves with weapons: they suffered the most terrible torment for Christ and died in the thousands; could, filling all the regions of the empire, Rome itself and the Senate, oppose the violence of the pagans with their own strength; could even shake and destroy the decaying colossus of the Roman Empire; but, following the rules of their faith, they never drew a sword against their persecutors, and to the end remained obedient and peaceful citizens. This is what Christianity produced: so far did it remove its followers from any kind of hostility and vengeance! Nowadays, as you can see, it’s different! Nowadays Christians calmly unite their banners with the banner of Mohammed and bring treasures and their lives as sacrifices to support the falling Mohammedanism; but why? Because the Christian faith, remaining on the tongue of many, has disappeared from the soul and heart; because, instead of the Divine rules of the Gospel, they used to indulge in the guidance of only earthly wisdom and worldly calculations; because many decided to live and act as if there were no other God on earth other than human reason, no other salvation other than dominance and self-interest. Tell me, what should faith and revelation do when they are not heeded and do not want to follow their instructions and guidance? What should God's Providence do? To bind the insane tyranny of man? Force people to unwittingly follow the path of love and humility? But the Kingdom of grace is the kingdom of freedom; there is no place for violence and necessity; otherwise it would also resemble the kingdoms of men. “All this,” someone else might think, “is fair; and yet, to the honor of the Christian faith, which is Divine, I would like it, in order to commemorate its Divine dignity, and in earthly terms, although against the will of people, to show good to the human race, so that it would pacify people among themselves, and settle between them more love and mutual respect.” So what? Hasn’t this desire already come true? Hasn’t there been any change in the mutual relations of kingdoms and peoples, in their strife and warfare among themselves since Christianity became, although mostly in one name, the dominant religion? Compare the ancient wars of pagan peoples with the battles of Christian peoples, and you will immediately see the great difference between one and the other and give honor to the Christian faith, among other things, for the fact that it knew how and was able to make wars themselves more humane and, so to speak, more peaceful. Let us point out one example in this regard: which of the Christian commanders and conquerors would allow himself, like Tamerlane, to erect in memory of himself a pyramid of one hundred thousand heads, purposely killed for this purpose - already defeated and disarmed enemies?.. But why always delve into antiquity? Enough to pay attention to the real abuse. Of course, it serves, and will serve, to the everlasting shame of Christianity, representing the unnatural combination of the Cross with the Moon of Mohammed, in favor of Islam and to the detriment of Eastern Christians; but, with all the recklessness of our Western opponents, fooled by pride and self-interest, who can say that this warfare would not have been combined with even greater ferocity if it had been waged against us only by fans of Mohammed? Their first steps onto our land within the borders of Iberia and the fortification of St. Nicholas that they suddenly captured sufficiently showed what should have been expected from their fanaticism if it had not been restrained and mitigated by their Christian allies. Considering all this, let us give glory to God, brothers! Christianity, although it leads people to heaven, has also done more for earth than all the wisdom and all the art of man could do. About the Christian faith we can say in the words of St. John that it is “a light that shines even in darkness” (John 1:4). For what is thicker and more impenetrable than the darkness with which humanity is covered, both by its corrupt nature, and by the multitude of human passions, each of which forms a cloud of darkness around itself? But the light of the Gospel, like the sun, penetrates with its beneficial warmth to all ends of the universe, to all peoples, in all degrees and, so to speak, bends of humanity; and wherever it appears, it revives souls and hearts not only for heaven and eternal life, but even for earthly well-being. What would happen if people allowed the light of the Gospel to shine over them in all its Divine power? Then heaven with its peace and joy would descend to earth, and “the tabernacle of God would dwell among men” (Rev. 21:3). Let us earnestly pray to the Savior of the world, who rests in a manger, to penetrate with His grace the cold and inert hearts of men, to turn them to the light of the Gospel and to dispose them so that, leaving the obstinate ways of the false mind, they begin to seek not only their eternal, but also their temporary well-being in His holy statutes. Amen. The fifth word for Christmas “Greatness is the mystery of godliness: being seen as God in the flesh” (1 Tim. 3:16) And we must proclaim this great secret to you, brothers! And this appearance of God in the flesh should be the subject of our preaching to you!.. Do not be surprised after this if our thought sometimes becomes impoverished, and our tongue becomes numb before you. Who is able to confess the inscrutable, to utter the unspeakable? If prophets and apostles stood before you instead of us, then they would not be able to reveal the full depth and embrace the full height of this mystery. “The great mystery of piety: God has appeared in the flesh!” However, this does not at all mean that this mystery consists of only incomprehensible things, or that there is something contrary to human reason in it. No, this mystery is like the sun; You cannot only look at it directly and see its essence, but its reality and beneficial influence, just like the sun, can be felt by everyone: both the greatest sage and the lowest commoner. Therefore, as if in a sensual image of this truth, we see at the manger of the Savior the wise men of the East with their gifts, and the shepherds of Bethlehem, with their simplicity and humility. And just as astronomers, not being able to clarify the essence of the sun, by its own light determine all the changes that occur with it and from it, so we, not being able to clarify the secrets of the appearance of God in the flesh, can, by its light in the Gospel, learn its importance, basis and beneficial consequences. To enter into a discussion about this from all sides would not be due to the brevity of the present tense; Therefore, let us choose, as an example, one that is apparently the most inaccessible, namely: we will show the basis of this mystery in human nature itself. So, the essence of the great mystery of Bethlehem is that God appeared in the flesh. To understand the image of this phenomenon is beyond our reason, but not above reason - to see that the appearance of God in the flesh, although not in such completeness, serves as the basis for the very existence of each of us, as a person. In fact, let us rise in thought to the origin of the human race. How is a person created? The dust is taken from the earth, and the soul is inhaled directly by God Himself. And what kind of soul? Like God. Therefore, man is the image of God, or, so to speak, a small god. So, here is the first appearance of God in human flesh. Of course, this phenomenon is much weaker than the appearance in the flesh that was seen in the face of our Savior. But it apparently contains something similar and serves as a sign of greater phenomena. Let us turn to the very essence of the soul. Despite her humiliated state, she is strikingly imprinted with the appearance of God in the flesh. What perfection of the Divine will we not find in it - in a small form? Let's count the largest ones, apparently not reported... The sixth word on the day of the Nativity of Christ Bethlehem and Jerusalem present a great and instructive spectacle during the birth of the promised Redeemer of the world. Who will not glorify with reverence the Eternal Youth, who is coming to bring good to one and all, and despite His obscurity and humility, subject to persecution by Herod? Who will not be joyfully amazed at the sight of the Eastern sages, called by a heavenly phenomenon and coming to worship the King, Whose name they know not, nor place of birth? Who would not heartily ache for Jerusalem, which is troubled by the news of its salvation? Finally, who would not feel horror and disgust at Herod, who appears as a fox, only to later appear as he is, a tiger? How many objects for reflection, teaching, surprise and boundless reverence for the destinies of Providence!.. But, my brethren, we would understand only half the matter if in these days we only occupied ourselves with thinking about what happened in Bethlehem and Jerusalem in the days of our Savior, and did not pay attention to our own hearts. For if we do not take the name of Christians in vain, then in our hearts something similar to what happened in Bethlehem and Jerusalem should happen, because for this purpose Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem once, so that he would be born continually in the souls and hearts of those who believe in Him. This is the truth spread throughout all the books of the New Testament; this, one might say, is the essence of the moral teaching of the apostles. According to their unanimous testimony, every true Christian is a Christ-bearer, so that Jesus Christ lives and acts in him. Do you think that His birth in us takes place without any contrary actions on the part of our enemy? Ah, there is often more confusion, shock, violence and anger here than there was in Bethlehem and Jerusalem. If there are wise magicians and humble shepherds here, then there are also unfaithful scribes and frantic Herods. And we must pay all our attention to this. For Herod of Jerusalem could not destroy the Child in Bethlehem; and our inner Herod can destroy Him in our hearts. Who is this Herod? This is our old, carnal man; this is our sinful, unclean pride; this is our evil will! In fact, how many people are there who felt within themselves the gracious presence of their Savior, and then, through negligence, lost this grace and became like Bethlehem after the Savior departed from it. Let us enter by meditation into the interior of our hearts, and see what happens there at the gracious birth of the Savior. The mystery of our rebirth in Christ, or, what is the same, His birth in us, takes place, like the mystery of Bethlehem, in obscurity from our minds, for it is accomplished directly by God Himself. “The Spirit breathes where it wills, and you hear its voice, but do not consider where it comes from or where it goes: so is every (man) born of the Spirit” (John 3:8). But it is impossible for her not to become aware: the mind, like the Magi, appears for worship, the lowest abilities, like shepherds, rush to meet the miracle. With these movements of spiritual forces, the news reaches Herod. Old Jerusalem - flesh and blood are troubled... The first word on the eve of the new year This evening, brothers, serves as the last limit of the past year: tomorrow we will awaken to a new summer. But will we wake up? Will we all wake up? And we don’t know this for certain: much less we don’t know what awaits each of us in the coming summer. Will the happiness of those who have no choice but to continue their joys last? Will the tears of the one who has nothing left to desire but the end of suffering be dried? Will the earth bear fruit for the weary worker, or will it bury the seeds entrusted to it irrevocably in its depths? Will the nations rest in peace, or will a new whirlwind of war disturb the face of the earth? Will the dissolution of the air follow, or will some Angel of Death come again to decimate the cities and towns? All this: both great and small, and concerning entire nations and you and me, listener, is covered with an impenetrable veil, sealed with seven seals. Why is it sealed? Was it really impossible for a person to know the future as clearly as the present and the past? But the example of many holy men, who, possessing the gift of clairvoyance, saw the future, the most distant and random, shows the opposite. A person could accommodate the ability to foresee the future, but in his present state he could not accommodate it without harm to himself; That’s why I’m deprived of it for a while. Indeed, brothers, what joy is it for the father of a family, surrounded by merry household members, to see that the object of his love is doomed to the grave next year? What consolation is it for a preacher of the word of God to know in advance that all his words will remain without effect on the hearts of his listeners? What is the use for a lover of science to foresee that he will not complete the great discovery he has begun? Явно, что во всех сих и подобных случаях гораздо лучше не знать будущего. “But knowledge of the future,” you say, “would be useful for people’s morality and would save us from passions and sins, preventing the end of our lives from leaving our memory.” But what we need to know from the future for this purpose is all open to us, and we have known everything for a long time. For this we especially need knowledge of our death. And what is more famous than this? We just don’t know when we will die; but this should even more produce saving fear in us and keep our passions in check. We also need to know what will happen to us after death; and who can say that this was unknown? Heaven and hell, judgment and reward, are open in the Gospel to one and all. We do not know only what serves as a subject for curiosity: such as, for example, when the end of the world will follow, where exactly the judgment will be, how the righteous will live. But knowledge of these things would not add anything to our salvation: and therefore it is not given to us. But look what everyone has been given in return! Everything is real. It is obvious that it is more important than both the past and the future; for both depend on him; and now, what is most important in time, the Lord of times has provided to each of us. Act as you wish, dispose of what you can, as you wish: fulfill the law or listen to the passions, recognize the Creator over you or reject His Providence, go to heaven or hell - all this is in your will, it depends on you, it is provided to you. Here the omnipotence of God itself remains, as it were, without action and does not interfere at all. The love of God constantly calls to itself, acts in our mind and conscience, teaches with the external events of life, admonishes with the voice of the Prophets and Apostles; but our freedom remains inviolable - every minute we can turn wherever we want: to the Heavenly Father - or to the enemy of our salvation. And, more importantly, by making good use of the present, we can act beneficially in the future, for what is sown will also be reaped; It even influences the past, for if the present is carried out well, then the bad past is erased. Let us recognize, brothers, the mercy of God towards us and our advantage; Let’s abandon the attempt to see into the future and torment ourselves with guesses: let’s use what is given to us, using the present tense as it should. As a reward for this, we will calmly go towards any future. Whether it brings us happiness with virtue, we will not be blinded by its brilliance. Whether misfortune brings us, with virtue and a clear conscience, we will endure it indifferently and turn to the eternal good of our soul. Will the very angel of death come for us, and he will find us with a burning lamp of faith and love. Amen. Second word on New Year's Eve, at the all-night vigil And it’s not yet one year, beloved brethren! It probably seemed slow and long for some, but now, no matter what you do, you cannot continue it for even a single minute. Such is the time! In the present, we can dispose of our days and hours as we please: but once any of them has passed, it will never return. Therefore, we all need to be careful in our actions, when everything we do remains for all eternity! For in this order of things, just as our good deed will remain good forever and will serve to adorn our soul, so a bad deed will remain bad forever, being an eternal stain on our conscience. Now oblivion sometimes comes to the aid of this misfortune: a bad deed, forgotten, ceases to exist for us and no longer burdens the soul; but this oblivion is only temporary. And in this life, from time to time, much of what was forgotten is vividly remembered, and with the transition to eternity the soul will remember everything that has passed: its whole life and all its actions will appear to it, as in a mirror. How difficult and painful it will be to suddenly see all the past sins and crimes! See this throughout all eternity! And yet, my brothers, how many sins everyone has! Let's take one past year: what will each of us see in it? He will see that he did not do a lot of what he could and should have done. The most convenient opportunities presented themselves for many good and wonderful deeds; our own heart urged us to do them, but we did not: a great loss! This will be an empty gap in our moral existence for all eternity. But in the past year, not only did we not do all the good that was possible for us, but often we did outright evil, and not only the easy, which presented itself by itself, but even the difficult, which we had to look for and, as it were, create out of nothing. How can I excuse myself for this? Everyone had the opportunity not to do evil; and everyone who has not lost his conscience cannot help but now grieve over his sins, by which the truth of God is irritated, the holiness of the law is violated, and the soul and heart are blackened. But no matter how much you grieve or complain: what is done is irrevocable! You may not do evil in the future, but the former will remain and will forever bear fruit according to its type. In general, looking at the past year, if you look at it in a Christian way, should fill each of us with despondency and sadness, shame and contrition. One hope - and this is the lot of only true believers - is in our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. For Him, for the Almighty and Eternal, there is neither past nor future, but only one present. Therefore, for Him it is completely possible that which is inaccessible to us: He can make amends for the evil that we have committed, can make up for the good that we have omitted, and in general can redo and correct what has been done not as it should. Let us therefore resort to Him, my brothers, at the end of this year with our sins and untruths, as the only one who can blot them out by the power of His Cross. But let us resort not only with cold prayer and petition, but as a criminal condemned to death would resort to someone who can save him from execution. Meanwhile, resorting to the mercy of the Savior, let us do on our part what we can to blot out not our sins - they are irrevocable for us - but their consequences. If any injustice has been done to our neighbor, we will try to reward it by giving him what he deserves. If there is any temptation given by our behavior, let us hasten to weaken it with an example of the opposite. Meanwhile, let our unhappy past serve us as a lesson for the future. If the past is irrevocable, then the present is always in our complete power. So, let's try to protect ourselves from the sins that we suffered in the past year; Let us delve into their causes and hasten to block all entrances to evil forever. And so that we, having adopted a good intention: to be kind, do not become lazy in guarding our soul and conscience, let us remember that the time of our life (and without that short) has now been shortened by another year, that we have come closer to the end of our existence on earth, and that we face death and judgment, followed by eternity: either blessed for the righteous, or ill-fated for sinners. Amen. First word for the new year “...Lord, this is my hope from my youth. I was established in You from the womb, from my mother’s womb You are my protector: I will take out my song about You” (Ps. 71:5–6) Saint David was once in one of those unfortunate states, for which he was honored to be not only an inspired herald, but also an animated prototype of the Divine Sufferer - the Lord Jesus. Fierce enemies (as he himself describes his misfortunes) surrounded him like bees on a honeycomb; the arrows of disaster penetrated his soul; he became a subject of reproach for everyone he knew; силы его истощились; The Lord Himself, who had done good to David, withdrew from him: a terrible state! But the righteous does not faint! Finding no consolation in the present, he turns to the past; recalls various events that happened to him; passes through all ages of his life in thought; восходит к ее началу; seeks the Lord, who has withdrawn from him, in all traces of his existence. And behold, the darkness dissipates! Providence, invisible in the present, is revealed in the past; the believing sufferer sees that the Lord more than once subjected him to great and fierce troubles, but always saved him from them; that the more bitter the cup of temptation was, the greater it was always rewarded with sweetness; sees - and, assured of future deliverance by past help, exclaims: “Lord, my hope has been from my youth; I was established in You from the womb, from my mother’s womb, You are my protector: I will sing about You!” (Ps.70:5–6) The God of David, brothers, is together our God and Lord. And natural faith teaches us that Providence controls the life of every person; and the Gospel assures us that without the will of the Heavenly Father not a single hair can fall from our head (Luke 12:7). But how many people are there who, being forced, like David, to turn to their past life, like him, could find in it comforting traces of Providence that benefited them? On the contrary, among Christians there are even a considerable number of those for whom their own lives serve as a source of doubt about Providence. Why don’t many people find the Providence of God in their lives, when He, according to the correct teaching of faith and reason, controls the life of everyone? This subject, brethren, is, as you can see, worth the most careful study, for, not being able to find traces of Providence in our lives, through this we deprive ourselves of the greatest consolation in the midst of suffering, and arbitrarily expose ourselves to despondency and sometimes despair. So, let’s devote these moments to thinking about the ways of God’s Providence in human life. The ways of God, brothers, are generally mysterious: for they are separated from our ways, “as heaven is separated from the earth” (Isa. 55:9); but the ways of Providence for the human race are especially incomprehensible. Since man was created free, destined to act on his own, the Wise Creator, in order not to violate this advantage, controls our destiny invisibly and inconspicuously. In this regard, the same thing happens to us as to small children, from whom educators sometimes hide their presence in order to give them complete freedom to act according to their own will. The nature of our life greatly favors such secrecy of Providence. For what is our life? It is a constantly evolving scroll, filled with many writings, of which one part is always hidden. We are often unable to understand well the meaning of the letters we have written; the less able to notice those, so to speak, amendments that are made in it by the invisible hand of Providence. What is our life? This is an ever-increasing fabric, the composition of which includes countless different threads, the surface of which is visible to everyone, and the base - to no one. It is difficult for us to determine how these threads, with all their heterogeneity, are combined into one composition; the more difficult it is to indicate how the invisible finger of the world Artist produces new images and views in this fabric. What is our life? This is a collection of countless and heterogeneous phenomena, which, like animated shadows, move around our consciousness, amaze the senses, occupy the imagination, nourish the mind, delight or sadden the heart, and soon disappear, leaving a faint trace in the memory. We are all spectators and participants in this spectacle, but not a single sage has yet discovered how it happens. Given such the mystery of our own lives, what is required of those who want to see traces of Providence in their lives? What is required, firstly, is constant and strict attention to your life and the Providence of God, and secondly, a true and pure view of life and Providence. These are the main and necessary conditions, for both those who look little and those who look badly either see nothing, or see very little, or wrongly. These necessary conditions most often remain unfulfilled. In fact, there are so many people who are completely inattentive to their lives! Like careless sailors, they are happy that the ship of their life is sailing along the stormy stream of time, not bothering to find out how it changes its direction, what winds it uses, what harbors it should enter, whether it is in danger, whether there is any damage. One would think that these people relied on Providence for everything, just as swimmers rely on an experienced helmsman, and that is why they are so careless. No, they don’t think at all about God, they don’t even think about themselves; the mechanical execution of well-known affairs, entertainment, communication, games - this is their occupation! Example, habit, addiction, willfulness - these are their rules! Knowledge from hearsay of certain truths of faith, presence, on occasion or necessity, at the performance of a small number of sacred rites - this is their religion! Judge for yourself: can one expect such people to find traces of Providence in their lives? To see what such inattention can produce, one need only remember the pagans. Before them, just as before us, was the entire magnificent world of God, in which everything proclaims the wisdom of the Creator. In addition, this wisdom used, according to the testimony of the Apostle, special and varied means to instruct them about itself. However, the pagans did not understand the Creator in creation, they bowed their knees before idols, saying to the tree: “My father... you: and the stones: you gave birth to me” (Jer. 2:27). If the pagans, due to their inattention, did not find God in the whole world, then is it surprising when many, due to the same pagan inattention, do not find Him in their lives; for what is our life compared to the life of the whole universe? In some people the opposite seems to happen; but in fact the same thing: that is, they show great attentiveness to their life, but they lack attention to Providence. For such people, thinking about their own lives is their favorite subject; they do not leave a single case unattended; delve into the beginnings and consequences of all the changes that happen to them; from everything they extract rules for their behavior; they know the art of living in all its secrets; they can tell and explain their story from infancy: this is their perfection! But here are the shortcomings: they never considered this story in relation to the Providence of God, and would be surprised to hear that without Him it is just as little possible to explain the life of each person as the existence of the world. According to these people, everything that happens to them is either the fruit of their prudence, or a play of passions, or a matter of surprise and chance; The recognition of the impossibility of explaining something with reasons seems to them a shameful weakness of the mind. Judge for yourself, can we expect that these people, distrustful and afraid of Providence, will find Him in their lives? In order to see what this, so to speak, attentive inattention to one’s life can produce, let us turn again to the pagans, but not the simple ones, but the philosophers. What works did they not undertake in the study of nature? Some of them can be called martyrs of their science. And yet, there were philosophers (it’s a pity that there is no other name for this) who saw one case all over the world. Why? Because they did not want to see Providence, they wanted to do without the Creator, they imagined themselves, so to speak, creating the universe. If the ancient philosophers, due to inattention to Providence, did not find Him in the whole world, is it surprising that their (moral) descendants for the same reason do not find Him in their lives? For again we say: what is our life compared to the life of the universe? No, that’s not what God’s holy men did! We are amazed at how they saw the Lord in all the paths of their lives, and we think to explain this by the fact that the Providence of God participated in the adventures of their lives in a special way. Without rejecting this, - for the Lord Himself calls them His “fellows and others” (John 15:14-15; James 2:23), - it must be said that the holy men were all extremely attentive to the ways of God. Let's look at one David. Like a king, how many worries, enterprises, labors, and sorrows he has! However, what is he thinking about on his royal bed, at a time when all Israel and all nature are silent and at peace? He reflects on the fate of God's truth, on how the Lord raised him from the flock to the throne of Israel. “At midnight we rise,” he says to God, “to confess to You about the judgments of Your righteousness” (Ps. 119:62). And he rises at “midnight” when, in his own words, we have already “praised the Lord” by “the seven days of the day!” (Ps. 119:164). Here is an example to imitate, here is a rule that must be followed! We must love the ways of the Lord, and they will become noticeable to us. “Give someone who loves,” says St. Augustine, “and the beloved will be revealed.” If we constantly observed our lives, had a childlike trust in the saving truth that without the will of God not a single hair falls from our head, then so many times, when thinking about our fate, that same mind of ours, which now misunderstands, is at a loss, does not know what to do, - how many times would it itself stop your attention, saying: “Look, this is the hand of God! It was she, the Almighty, who warded off this or that calamity from you, laid down this or that barrier in front of you, saved you from those evils that have burdened thousands like you! It was she, the wise one, who led you unharmed through so many dangers and difficulties, placed you in a place where you can not only be calm and happy yourself, but also edify the happiness of others! It was she, the all-merciful One, who sent you so many unexpected joys, so many undeserved gifts, compensated for so many apparently unrequited losses, warmed and nourished your infancy, curbed and corrected your youth, blessed and overshadowed your courage.” “But there are,” someone will say, “very attentive people who, with all the zeal of children, would like to see and kiss the fatherly right hand of Providence; however, they are deprived of this happiness.” Indeed, brothers, there are such people; but there are other reasons in relation to them; It can be said affirmatively that such people lack a timely, faithful and pure view of Providence. And, firstly, when do they mostly turn to the ways of Providence and seek consolation in them? When struck by any calamity; when they find no joy in anyone or anything on earth; when the mind is confused, the feelings are darkened, the heart is overwhelmed with grief. That is, those moments in which they often forget themselves, which are considered incapable of thinking about ordinary things, choose those very moments to think about the ways of Providence! It is true that in times of sorrow we need more than ever the comforting confidence in Providence; but it is equally certain that we are then least able to follow in the footsteps of Providence. Are there many Davids who, being in the midst of the fire of temptation, would have retained all faith, could have remained calm contemplatives of the fatherly love of God even when it is hidden under the guise of anger and enmity? This holy art is the fruit of long-term experience; we do not have it and, meanwhile, we dare to do what is possible and useful for only the experienced. No! In advance, you must accustom yourself to find consolation in Providence. When the mind is bright, the feelings are light, the heart is peaceful, then one must reflect on one’s life and learn from it the destinies of God’s truth. Such moments, for the most part, follow fervent prayer, therefore prayer should serve, so to speak, as an approach to these reflections. Whoever acquires skill in this holy work, like David, will not fall among temptations. Without this, during times of disaster, it is better to seek consolation from others rather than rely on one’s own reflection on God and His Providence. How else do you want to see the action of Providence in your life? Usually more or less miraculous; everything natural, simple, universal is first excluded from the circle of these actions. As if the realm of heavenly Providence consisted of nothing but miracles and extraordinary things! As if what seems unusual and rare to us were the same for God Himself! In this case, we are not like ourselves: usually we love to explain everything, but here we want to see the inexplicable; we are upset if we don’t see the reason for something, but here we are unhappy that we see it! And what is the need to find out how help was provided to us: was an Angel sent from heaven, or a charitable person? It is enough that we are saved. The Israelites, dying of thirst, would not have had to thank God if He, without bringing water out of the stone, had pointed them to it among the stones? Everything is natural in the birds of the air and the lilies of the field, but the Savior presents them as a striking example of God’s fatherly care for creatures and man (Matthew 6:25–34). Нет, желая видеть в своей жизни следы сего попечения, мы должны предварительно освободить себя от пристрастия к чудесному, иначе и о нас может быть сказано: «род лукав... знамения ищет, и знамение не дастся ему» ( Мф. 12:39 ). Подобно оным Израильским старцам ( Исх. 24:10 ), будем довольны, если нам дано будет увидеть в приключениях нашей жизни хотя малые следы Бога, нам благодеющего; and we will leave it to Moses and David to talk with Him face to face. Господь и так сотворил для всех нас много чудес: извлек нас из ничтожества, искупил Кровью Сына Своего, освятил Духом Святым; and we have not yet paid anything for these miracles. Одного только чуда, коего мы должны ожидать в жизни от Господа, и коего Он ожидает, возможно, от нас, – это исправления нашего сердца, обновления нашей жизни, духовного воскресения. If anyone does not find this miracle in his life, then woe to him, woe to him! In what other adventures are they most likely to look for traces of Providence? Happy or unhappy? Но что и спрашивать? Misfortunes are generally seen as something gloomy and terrible, about which it is best not to talk or think. Much already, if they are considered to be the action of God’s justice, punishing our iniquities; and that they (misfortunes) could constitute a gift of God’s love, this does not even come to mind. It is true that it would be most fitting for the Heavenly Father, Who is goodness itself, to reveal His Providence through good deeds alone. But what to do when we are all struck by a severe illness? The Merciful Physician, out of His very love, uses bitter substances. What to do when we are self-willed and often strive for our own destruction? The wise Pestun, out of his very zeal for our good, stumbles the feet of reckless children so that they do not fall into the abyss. Let's look at the universe: in it not only the sun, moon and stars tell the glory of God; but hunger and cold, and “fire” and “a stormy spirit” (Ps. 149:8), as St. David noted, glorify the name of God. It’s the same in our lives: what seems difficult and regrettable to us, that same thing can be a direct action of God’s Providence for us, an instrument of His glory in us and our prosperity. Ah, brothers, the time has passed when we were all created for joy alone, introduced to dwell in the paradise of sweetness, having ourselves sowed the path to bliss with thorns, we should not grumble if Providence leads us this way; glory to Him and good to us, if at least we do not go astray from him. Let our feet bleed - this is the path of our Savior, it leads to the heavenly fatherland. Our heart has become so coarse that the law of truth and righteousness can only be inscribed on it again in the midst of storms and thunder (Ex. 19:16–18). Let us be attentive to these menacing voices - and we, like the ancient Israelites, will understand in them the voice of the Lord our God, the God of our fathers, punishing us in small ways, in order to have mercy on us with great mercy; we will see that accidents, from which our hearts once groaned, later turned to the greatest good for us and for our neighbors; that the fulfillment of many desires, which we tried with all our might, but without success, to put into action, would be evil for us and would entail disastrous consequences; that the very thing we prayed for, asked for, and worked for in vain contained destruction for us, and that which we turned away from, which we looked upon as harm and punishment, was a true blessing, reflected in the change in our way of thinking and in the correction of our behavior; We will see - and we will revere the Providence that has done us good! What other shortcomings are those who seek traces of Providence in their lives exposed to? For the most part, his actions are limited only by himself, and in himself - by temporary benefits, by bodily life. What need is it that our well-known disaster was very instructive for others, and some, taking advantage of our experience, turned to the right path? If we ourselves have not felt significant benefit from it, then this is enough for us not to see Providence in it. What does it matter that some sorrowful incidents were true healing for our souls, they tore before our eyes the veil behind which our spiritual destruction was hidden, and returned to us a virtue that had long been lost? If they upset our external state, if the lesson they taught is associated with damage to our health or honor, then these cases are not from God, they befell us without Providence. These are the rules of judgment of our pride, of our inattention to the good of our neighbors and to our own good of our soul! Is it possible that God’s Providence should conform to them? Is it really because “our eye is evil” (Matt. 20:15), and does he (Providence) need to stop being good? No, it is enough that we limit everything to ourselves, do not look at the needs and benefits of others, we would like to place ourselves as the focus and end of the entire human race and all events in the world: the love of God is higher than all of us, and therefore embraces all our brothers, through the misfortunes of one it teaches others, with the happiness of some it edifies everyone, in order to thus unite us all again, who are constantly breaking the union of unity. It is enough that we ourselves care more about the body than about the soul, that we cling madly to the temporal and do not think about the eternal. Промысл вечен и свят; and therefore, in all His destinies for us, He means not so much temporary bliss as eternal, not so much well-being in the body, but well-being in the spirit. Let our outer man be amazed, let the flesh suffer at least as much as it suffered in Job: if the spirit is able, if the inner, “hidden man of the heart” (1 Pet. 3:4) is intact and growing, then we prosper. This is the image of Providence’s judgment of us! How much, if not everything, would appear completely different to us in our life if we constantly applied this holy way of judgment to it! No matter how many times, considering our life, we are forced to say to ourselves: “This is how it had to be, for we were created not for earth, but for heaven!” So, the wisdom of God should not have allowed this, for she cares not only about me, but about everyone!” With so many reasons preventing us from seeing traces of God's Providence in our lives, is it surprising, brethren, that many do not see it? They don’t see because they don’t know their life well, they’re not attentive to themselves; they do not see, because they stop at the surface of events, do not penetrate to their foundation, where the hand of Providence is hidden; they do not see, because they want to see when the gaze is darkened, not where it should be, not in the form in which Providence reveals itself; - they finally do not see, because judgment about the ways of Providence is controlled by pride and passions. Let us free ourselves, brothers, from these shortcomings, and in judging the ways of God we will unswervingly follow the opposite rules - and we will soon learn by experience that the Lord “is not far from each of us” (Acts 17:27). And how can He be distant? Isn't He omnipresent? Can His wisdom and omnipotence remain without action anywhere? Only the pagan gods were idle spectators of human fate: our Heavenly Father continually does (John 5:17). Only the Baals and the Weelphogors could sleep: our Provider. “He will not sleep, he will fall asleep, protect Israel!” (Ps. 121:4). How can He be far from us? Isn't He our Creator? Isn't He our Father? Do we remember the Creator so much that we forget Him about Whom we “live and move and are?” (Acts 17:28). Do we know the Father so much that we doubt His care for the children? Earthly fathers, like humans, “are evil”; however, they do not give stones to their children instead of bread (Luke 11:11–13). Will the Heavenly Father do this, He who can raise children from stones for Himself? (Matthew 3:9). How can He be far from us, when He has expected and expects so many good things from us! What has He not given us as a pledge of His? care for us? Earth? Man was first appointed king of Heaven? Оно давно обещано в наследие верным чадам. Angels? Они служат нашему спасению. Будем требовать, чего угодно – все получим! To assure us, is it necessary that He Himself come down from heaven, live with us, even die for us? And it's done! The Son of God came down from heaven, dwelt among men, and out of love for us laid down His life for us all. После сего кто может сомневаться в попечении о себе Промысла? With this faith in the Providence of God, and with this disposition to see Him in the adventures of your life, we wish, brothers, to enter the gates of the New Year, firmly believing that the Lord Himself will not hesitate to reveal the traces of His fatherly Providence to those of you who, without closing your eyes with doubts, will always be ready to kiss His wise right hand with reverence, no matter how it reveals its presence: openly or secretly, according to expectation, or against it, with gifts of love and mercy, or with deprivation and admonishing blows. Amen. Second word for the new year “I say this, brethren, because time is cut short and so on... for the form of this world is passing away” (1 Cor. 7:29, 31) Perhaps some of us would not want to hear now about the shortening of our lives and the vanity of earthly affairs - now when the human heart, and more so the tongue, following the accepted custom, is exhausted, wishing everyone long years and a happy future. But what to do? It is better to listen to a truth that is apparently sad, but in fact very useful, than to be exposed to real disaster by forgetting it. What, brethren, could be truer than the thought that all current good wishes cannot add a single hour to our life, and that this New Year, like all the previous ones, will not so much continue as shorten it? Equally, what could be more necessary for us, wanderers and newcomers to the earth, than to know for sure that the short time given to us to prepare ourselves for eternity has now been reduced even more, that we are still closer to that decisive moment in which a strict account will be required in our entire lives? Applying these truths to my own heart, “I say this, brethren, because time has ceased to exist... For the image of this world is passing away!” (1 Cor. 7:29, 31). However, brethren, when the Apostle Paul announced to his Corinthian disciples about the shortening of their earthly life, he not only did not think of bringing them through this into any sorrow, on the contrary, he announced this truth to them in the form of comforting news, instead of a strong incentive to exploits and patience. That's how it should be! For the Christian who does not have an abiding city here, and constantly seeks the future, who incessantly awaits the coming of his Lord and in this expectation places his joy, his peace and glory; For a true Christian, I say, it is very comforting when he hears that the time of his coming on earth has been shortened, that the glorious day of the Lord has drawn near. This subject can only be sad for those who, having given themselves up to the world and clinging to the earth, have forgotten heaven and do not remember their eternal fatherland. In this case, the words of the apostle that we have chosen are purely useful for us and befitting of the present meeting, for they will bring true consolation to those of us who alone are actually worthy of it, and can produce sorrow for God in those who must lament in order to make themselves worthy of true joy. Applying these truths to the eternal destiny of each of us, “I say this, brethren, because time has ceased to be anything else... for the image of this world is passing away!” (1 Cor. 7:29, 31). And, firstly, may this comforting truth be proclaimed to you, holy men of God, who in the past summer did not stop not only for themselves, but also for us, lazy slaves, to work in the heirloom of the Lord, and sowed, as it should be assumed, judging by the corruption of this age, which does not tolerate truth and righteousness, they sowed mostly with their own tears: be comforted and lift up your heads; the time of your exploits has been shortened; the number of temptations awaiting you has decreased; you have come closer to the place of your peace, and some of you, perhaps in the coming summer, will be forever released from the bonds of the flesh, and will appear to the heavenly Rewarder to receive the victorious crown. Oh, holy brothers! What then can compare with your bliss? What word, whose language will depict what you will see, how much you will receive, where you will be placed? How will all your past labors, all your sorrows and exploits, all your long-suffering earthly life seem to you then? A short sleep in which ghosts appeared, terrified by dangers, attacked by enemies, and which, the more terrible it was, the more pleasant it was after awakening. Then you will experience the great truth spoken by the apostle, that all our present temporary sufferings are nothing in comparison with the glory that is destined for us (Rom. 8:18). Therefore, brethren, without a doubt, those of you who are still destined to fight the temptations and misfortunes of this age, who are destined by Providence to perform new feats of faith and self-sacrifice, to perform new miracles of love and humility, will accept with joy from the hand of the Lord the continuation of your earthly lot. So, you will all flow with new zeal along the path in which the hand of the Almighty will lead you; even if she led you along the path of darkness and the shadow of death, even if you saw nothing on this path except illness and humiliation. You once and forever dedicated yourself to the Lord, completely surrendered your temporal and eternal destiny to Him, inextricably combined your lot with the lot of your Savior: after this, it doesn’t matter to you what happens to you in the future; If only you would unswervingly follow the Lord, if only you would always do the will of Him, the All-Wise and the All-Good. It is not surprising if this loving Father, for the greater perfection of His children, to cleanse you from the last impurities of flesh and blood, allows you to undergo new temptations, demands from you new sacrifices, the purest, most perfect, and therefore the most difficult: this will be a new, surest guarantee of His wise love for you, a new beneficial experience of the medical right hand, healing your ailments, the final preparation of you for eternal freedom and triumph of the children of God. You can't be better - what did I say? – you cannot compare yourself with your Savior; and He, He Himself, did not endure what for the truth; in what way, if not through suffering, did He ascend to the throne of eternal glory? You will not place yourself above your predecessors who reached the heavenly fatherland: and they all, more or less, in one way or another, endured, suffered, and bore the cross of their Lord. It is not surprising, brethren, when you, being followers of the Crucified One, successors of martyrs and confessors, sometimes have no place to lay your head, and do not find joy on earth, in anyone or anything. If you were of the world, conformed to its spirit, then the world would love you as its own children; but since you are not of the world, since your rules completely contradict its unclean rules, your good deeds expose its evil deeds, your aspirations put its absurd hopes to shame; Since you constantly humiliate and conquer the world with your life, is it surprising if the world hates you too? This hatred is a necessity both for him and for you: for him it is dishonorable and disastrous, for you it is glorious and saving. It is through this constant struggle between you and the world that it is known that the world, persecuting you, lies entirely in evil, is the enemy of God and all good, and you, persecuted by the world, are free from sin, belong to the region of the children of God, and constitute the kingdom of Jesus Christ. What else can I tell you, brothers? It is difficult to go against the stormy impulses of the pernicious spirit of the time, it is difficult to be the subject of suspicion, slander and contempt, it is painful to see the triumph of untruth, and innocence deprived of the last consolation. But, sons of light, children of hope! Be bold, take courage, stand firm! It’s still a little, and the Lord will come and will not become obdurate; Yes, He will not be stubborn for you; a few more years, maybe months, days of patience, and the angel of death will snatch you away from the midst of wickedness and deliver you to where truth alone lives. “I say this, brethren” (1 Cor. 7:29). But to whom do I dare say this? Are you, God's chosen ones, no matter who you are, should you hear advice from unclean lips! How comforted we would all be if any of you today taught us instruction; If only, guided by your own experience, he would show us the royal path by which you march to heaven! What effect would your words, dissolved by the grace of the Holy Spirit, have on us? But you are known only to God alone, we do not see or hear you; We only believe in your existence among us: we believe, for for your chosen sake this world is preserved; For the sake of us sinners, he would have died long ago noisily. Let us turn, brethren, to ourselves and apply the instructive words of the Apostle, firstly, to those of us who can be called doubtful Christians, and who really are such; since hitherto they have not accomplished anything decisive over themselves, in relation to eternal salvation, and have not yet been confirmed in either good or evil; sometimes they turned to heaven, but more often they were carried away by the temptations of the world; often accepted, but never retained the determination to live holy; they fell, apparently, in order to rise, but they also rose, as it were, only in order to fall. There is no need, brethren, to prove how great the number of such half-good people is among us; You yourself know that the majority of Christians belong to it, and therefore it is all the more necessary to point out how dangerous this indecisive state is, how unworthy of a Christian this half-bad life. So, in the name of the Lord, Whom we all would like to serve, although we do not serve constantly, in the name of the Lord I say to you, weak and wavering brethren, because the time we need to establish ourselves in faith and virtue, “we have ceased to eat other things” (1 Cor. 7:29). You have often found the practice of piety quite boring; the hours devoted to piety and philanthropy are too long; they did not know what to use their idle time for, and spent it absentmindedly, in amusements, often reprehensible and harmful. Look, these boring hours have now passed, this idle time that weighed you down has flown away - idly, without good deeds!.. How good it would be if the entire past year was spent as it should be, for the glory of God, for the good of your neighbors and for your own salvation! With what a bright and joyful face you would now appear before the altar of the Omnipresent to offer a sacrifice of praise for His benefits! How comforting it would be for your heart to now remember the temptations to sin you overcame, the deeds of virtue you accomplished, the persecuted innocence you protected, the inexperienced youth snatched from the abyss of sin, the tears of a widow wiped away by your hand, as if, I say, it was gratifying for the spirit to remember every good deed to your neighbor! Meanwhile, now many of us cannot even think about the past without trembling; They cannot look back without encountering either victims, or accomplices, or witnesses of their weaknesses, their unfaithfulness to God and virtue. You yourself, brethren, feel this sad truth and, without a doubt, many of you would like to return to good opportunities that they missed, would like to start the past year again in order to spend it in true love for God and neighbor. But, brethren, the past summer will no longer exist (Rev. 10:6); no matter what we do, we cannot return it; God Himself cannot do this for us. The scroll of time constantly unfurls in front of everyone, the sheets rotate one after another; write whatever you want and however you like, but you cannot turn a single sheet back; it is impossible to rearrange, change or destroy a single letter: as it is written, whether bad or good, it will remain so forever, and so it will once be read by Sutia in the ears of Angels and men. How gloomy and disgusting must be the traits, brethren, which are written either by deceit and slander, or by cruelty and inhumanity, or by greed and dishonest gain, or by sensuality and base lust, and how hard it will be to hear what is written in such traits!.. But the past is irrevocable! All that we can do with our sins is to, in the spirit of true repentance and living faith, leave them blotted out to the omnipotence of our Redeemer, for Whom there is neither past nor future, and Who, by that same token, can always cover our iniquities with His abundant truth. At least, brothers, let’s do what we can, take advantage of the present and the future; Let us no longer abuse the long-suffering of God; Let us hasten to end the unhappy struggle between light and darkness over us, let us tear our hearts away from the world and dedicate it to the Lord. O brothers, let us hasten to do this! Let us no longer allow ourselves to be deceived by that evil and disastrous thought that our weaknesses are small, that our sins are not serious, that we have strayed not far from the path of righteousness, that, while pleasing the passions and customs of the world, we do not lose sight of our salvation. Oh, what are the needs of what we can perish from, small or great, heavy or light: it is enough that we perish. Does it matter what weapon is used to take a person’s life, big or small? It is important that if it is taken away, it is important that a person’s life is taken away. But, brethren, every sin, whatever its kind, takes away life from our spirit; every sinner is dead before God. Without a doubt, all those of us who do not try to establish ourselves in virtue, whose lives, despite some praiseworthy deeds, are filled with betrayal and infidelity to the law of God, whose whole virtue consists in the fact that they do not sin incessantly, of whom all Christianity is limited by the fact that they consider themselves sinners, would like to become righteous, and, however, continue to live as they lived, do not have a spiritual life. If we can recognize in these people some remnant of spiritual life; Shouldn’t their state be likened to that of a patient struggling with death, who either shows some signs of life or falls into insensibility? My God, what a condition! And it is on this, however, that throughout this mortal struggle of the spirit with the flesh, the carelessness of the majority of people in the matter of their own salvation is based! A small number of good thoughts, good desires, good deeds serves as proof for them that they are not completely dead to God and virtue! The unfortunate ones do not know that this small remnant of goodness, this dubious sign of spiritual life, is, perhaps, nothing more than a blush that sometimes remains for a long time on the face of the dead. But let it really be what they want it to be - a sign of the still ongoing struggle of spiritual life with spiritual death: what kind of sign? What hope?.. And, above all, can the mortal struggle of the spirit with the flesh last for a long time? Can't; such is the law of nature and grace! A small number of good deeds may remain, just as the blush remains on the face of a dead person; but there will be no more spiritual life. Such, I repeat, is the law of nature and grace that the struggle of life with death - whether in the body or in the soul - cannot be prolonged; and those who, on the basis of some praiseworthy actions of theirs, think that they are still alive for God are in pathetic self-delusion. There is no life in them, they are dead; and if people do not become completely depraved, then what keeps them from doing so is not the faith living in the heart, not conscience, but external motivations: some are weak in health, others are afraid of dishonor, others are decency, place, time, chance... But is this rein strong? Is this support strong? Is this kind of honesty reliable? How long can this random, so to speak, inspiration by external means - the wind of passions, the breath of decency, a coincidence of circumstances - replace the lack of true spiritual life in the heart? Remember, brothers, what happens to those people who are forced to walk for a long time over the abyss, and turn their faces first to one side or the other: their vision is finally confused, their reason is darkened, their senses are lost; and unless someone’s hand saves them, they fall into the abyss. The same thing happens with lovers of peace, who waver for a long time between heaven and earth, for a long time slide over the abyss of sin; as time goes on, they lose their moral sense, are overcome by a certain spirit of whirling and, in disastrous self-forgetfulness, finally indulge in all kinds of depravity. And is it not through this gradual cooling towards faith and virtue, through reckless neglect of their supposedly unimportant vices, that all the giants of sin, whose very name makes the friends of humanity tremble, plunged into the abyss of crimes? Isn’t this how all the vessels of wickedness are formed and created, isn’t this how all the sons of destruction grow? Without a doubt, they were never what they later became, they did not suddenly rush to every evil; at first they indulged in small and specious sins, and followed the path of wickedness, deceived by the same seductive thought that there would be time to correct their shortcomings and return back; but the evil, neglected at first, intensified in the heart, the spark of passion turned into a flame, the sense of good dried up, conscience fell silent, nature became coarser, grace receded; and they, as if drawn by some secret force of evil, rushed to create inappropriate deeds and all kinds of uncleanness. May God save us from such bitterness in sin, from falling into this depth of evil! But, brothers, terrible examples of evil are not in vain allowed by Providence; they get confused for this reason, and when we see them, we are guarded against obstinacy in sins. Knowing this, let us hasten to eradicate the seed of destruction in our hearts before it grows, penetrates our nature, occupies our imagination, fills our hearts, or suppresses our conscience; Let us hasten to leave the path of unrighteousness, before our weak feet refuse to serve us. Let us abandon, if it is inevitable, all other matters, just to accomplish this one great thing; We will not spare any sacrifices for this, even if it were necessary to dissolve the most pleasant ties, to be subjected to reproach, dishonor, persecution. Let us decide on everything for the glory of God and our salvation. It is in this determination that the secret of true conversion lies; It is on this determination that the grace of God descends. It was difficult for us to constantly follow the path of the law, because the bonds of earthly attachments lay upon us; because we carried the whole world on our shoulders: let us break these bonds, throw off this damned burden, and we will soon learn from experience that the law of God is good, the ways of the Lord are good, the yoke of the Savior is easy. “I say this, brethren” (1 Cor. 7:29). You can and must follow what is proclaimed to you in the name of the Lord; and it is good for you if you follow and use the new year to cleanse yourself from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, to firmly establish yourself in goodness and forever abandon all bad habits, unclean inclinations, vicious deeds - everything that conscience does not approve of and that faith condemns. You can, to your own detriment, remain in the same indecision - continue your oscillation between heaven and earth, between virtue and vice: but know that you will never have time to combine both in yourself, you will not be able to reconcile light with darkness; know that the time you need to cleanse yourself from evil has shortened, and the image of the world, with which you do not want to part with, necessarily passes and disappears. “I say this, brethren, because time has ceased and everything else... for the image of this world is passing away!” (1 Cor. 7:29, 31). Now, let those of us who in the past summer did not think at all about our salvation, who blew at all winds of passions, allowed ourselves all kinds and types of vices, lived as if there was no God and eternity, and, what is most criminal, not only perished in sins ourselves, but also served as a temptation and destruction for many others, heed the word of the apostle. But are there really such people? Between Christians? A chosen, holy people, purified by the blood of the Son of God? - Alas, city of God, holy city, Church of Christ! - “Glorious words were spoken about you” (Ps. 87:3); but what is happening in your bowels? “It was not enough that the mad sword of the Caesars reaped your young shoots; It was not enough that the sacrilegious hand of the enemies of truth encroached on the sanctity of your altars: it was finally necessary that your own sons should become a reproach to you, so that you would be deprived of the last consolation - to see them walking in purity and truth. Where are those blessed times when Christians shone, “like lights in the world” (Phil. 2:15), and differed from everyone else more by their virtues than by the rites of faith, when it could be said that in Christ Jesus “there is no difference between Jews and Greeks” (Rom. 10:12): for everything is “a new creation!” (Gal. 6:15). And now, it seems, there is no difference either between the Christian and the infidel; but because everyone is an old creature, sinners! However, the Church, like a child-loving mother, never gives up hope that among her most obstinate and unworthy sons there are many in whom the feeling of all goodness has not yet faded; who, among all the temptations and crimes, retained within themselves, although cold and weak, the desire to correct their lives and turn to God. And who knows? Perhaps among the great sinners there are people who, over time, will not only recognize their deplorable state and hate sin, but will also become a model of true repentance for sinners like themselves. Didn’t grace make apostles out of persecutors, fasters and chaste out of intemperate people, martyrs for the truth out of persecutors of the truth? What was done before can be done now; the hand of the Lord never shrinks, the omnipotence of our Savior is always the same: the same goodness, the same love for all sinners. So, no matter who you are, afflicted by sins, brothers, no matter how far you have wandered from the path of truth, no matter how hard your heart may be, no matter how heavy the voice calling you to repentance may seem to you, hear the word of the Apostle, “for the time for you, enslaved to the temporary and perishable, is shortened; and for you, who are completely devoted to the world, the image of this world is passing away” ( 1 Cor. 7:29, 31) So, this evil world, which you work for in soul and body, constantly passes and changes; its deceiving image, which you worship as a god, constantly darkens and becomes more disgusting. You do not notice this, but how can you notice anything like this, when “the god of this world has blinded” your eyes (2 Cor. 4:4) vanity? Take a closer look, however, at your way of life, and you will see that it consists entirely of vanity and insignificance. What are you not doing to continue your pleasures? But how much time do you have? They run away like a shadow, and there is only emptiness left in your heart. Where are now the disorderly gatherings, luxurious feasts, seductive spectacles, shameful gestures, criminal delights, violent outbursts of passions, unclean looks, hellish thoughts, feelings, where is everything that you were doing, that made up your being in the past year? Where is it? You see for yourself that all this has now turned into nothing. But the same thing will follow with all your future years, if you do not change your life, do not turn to God, law and conscience; after every year spent in sins, only vanity will remain; finally, after all your life there will be only vanity of vanities... And what will happen to you, unfortunate ones, then? What will your immortal spirit be nourished by when the world passes away for you with all its lusts? What will replace unclean carnal pleasures for you? What will your unbridled passions turn to then? Not finding food similar to themselves anywhere, won’t they begin to torment your own heart? Will this heart, beating only for the world and sin, then itself constitute hell? Thus, lovers of peace, hardened in sin, your lawless pleasures are worthy of reproach and disgust, not only because they pass away like a shadow and disappear, but also because, when they disappear, they leave behind them indelible traces of destruction and disaster. Do not think that your sins do not exist, because you no longer feel criminal pleasure from them; no, they all exist in order to once torment and torment you. Sin is short-lived only because of the vain pleasure it provides; but it is eternal due to the ugliness and destruction that it brings into our nature. Don't ask what this destruction is. It is in the perversion of your nature, in the exhaustion of your spirit, in the corruption of your heart, in the loss of conscience, in the inclination towards evil, in the aversion from all that is good and holy, in the constant struggle of thoughts and feelings that liken you to outcast spirits. If you now do not feel all the destructive power of the evil living in you, do not learn from experience that a lawless life is its own punishment, it is because our earthly existence is so arranged by Providence that sin does not exert most of its disastrous actions here, so that the service of virtue will be all the more free and selfless; because your spirit, constantly drinking from the cup of carnal pleasures, always whirling in a whirlwind of fun and dreams, is in a state of insensibility; because, finally, the physical composition, like ashes, hides the hellish fire of sin smoldering in your soul and prevents it from turning into an all-consuming flame. How much, however, peace lovers, you suffer even now! How miserable your life is already here! Despite your vain pleasures, isn't there a constant feeling of boredom that urges you, like the wind, to move from one place to another? Isn’t there, from time to time, a secret voice heard within you that it would be better for you not to have been born, than to live the way you live: to the destruction of yourself and others? Are there moments when you are ashamed of yourself, even of the inanimate things around you? Does it happen that you envy (not just in words, as in pampered poems, but in reality) dumb animals? Don't you sometimes feel a thrill that pierces your soul and heart when you encounter something that reminds a person of his eternal destiny? Doesn’t a terrible feeling awaken from time to time that humanity is disfigured in you, that you are somewhere lower than other people, in some kind of abyss, that you belong to the ranks of the outcasts, that a certain spirit of malice lives in you, that you are driven by some hostile force of evil? Doesn’t all this poison your pleasures, doesn’t it amount to “ruin of the spirit” (Eccl. 1:14) with which the word of God threatens those who love peace? The flesh, the author of iniquities, the seat of uncleanness, does not it suffer like the spirit? Why is it that the skill and vigilance of doctors do not keep up with the countless hordes of diseases, constantly growing, always changing, more and more ferocious? Ask them who is the parent of these diseases? And everyone will unanimously tell you: sins and depraved life. Ask spiritual doctors what they mostly see when they are at the bedside of dying sinners? Is it not the fierce torment of a body long ago corrupted by the poison of sin? What do they hear? Is it not the curse of the former lawless life? If, brothers, even on this sinful earth, in this carnal world, sin already so viciously betrays you: it hides its sting in flowers, it dissolves poison in sweetness; if you are unhappy here in spirit and body, then what will happen to you there, where only truth and purity live? What will you not have to endure in the land of retribution and judgment? In what terrible forms will the destructive power of sin not burst forth there, no longer sanctified (distracted) by the bonds of God’s mercy? The very opposite of rudeness, impurity, corruption of your spirit, and spirituality, holiness and purity of the disembodied world, will not constitute for you an eternal inexhaustible source of torment and fear? As for a diseased vision, daylight is unbearable; so for a mind sick with sins the radiance of heaven will be unbearable; just as unclean insects are disgusted by well-dissolved and clean places, so for a heart mired in lusts the purity of the disembodied world will be hard; Just as the very air we live and breathe is deadly to those whose respiratory organs are damaged, so for a spirit corrupted by wickedness the holy element in which the immortal Angels live and bliss will be deadly. The soul of every sinner, having separated from the body, will itself take the form of a rejected spirit, will seek darkness, strive into the abyss, hunger for horror and destruction... This, brethren, is what your corrupt life leads you to, it certainly leads you. The paths of lawlessness are smooth and pleasant, but their end leads straight to the bottom of hell. Before every mortal sin, as the prophet puts it, there is a paradise of sweetness, but behind it is a field of destruction. What, brethren, prompts you to remain on this path to hell? Why don't you hurry to leave the field of destruction? Time is shortening, and you are prostrating yourself in iniquity! The evil world is passing away, but you remain motionless in evil! Death snatches victim after victim from our midst, and you imagine establishing here an eternal dwelling of vanity! My God! who could blind you like that? And what will happen to you if some Angel of the Lord does not forcibly bring you out of perishing Sodom? Let us remember, brothers, the beginning of last year, how many people, like us, entering the New Year, indulged in hopes for the future? And where are they now? Where is that dishonest minion with whom you shared crazy conversations, wasted your precious time, sold your conscience and virtue? Where is that low friend from whom you took harmful advice, to whom you revealed the secret of your passions and crimes? What would they not agree to give now in order to be allowed to return to earth to correct their lives! What has become completely impossible for them is still possible and easy for us. The Angel of Death, bowing perhaps to the prayers of some righteous man, spared us; but for how long? Let us move our thoughts into the future, imagine that this new year has ended: again there will be a sacred meeting in this church, again a teaching will be delivered from this sacred place; but will we be alive then? It is known that death annually snatches away a fortieth part of the inhabitants of this vast city; This means that a fortieth part of us who are here now will not be there next year; This means that among us there are a considerable number of people who are entering the new year for the last time and, perhaps, are now hearing the word of repentance for the last time. For the last time!.. I shudder, brothers, at this thought; I tremble, imagining that I must be the last messenger of salvation for these souls who will soon appear for judgment. God! You Yourself speak in the hearts of these people with Your omnipotent grace! Instill in them yourself that the number of their years has shortened for the last time, that they are already on the threshold of eternity, for what do all our words and convictions mean if You, O God, do not grant power to the one who preaches the gospel and grace to those who hear! So, brothers, there is not the slightest doubt that among us, now, in this meeting, there are people who are not destined to see the end of the coming year. And these, already doomed victims of death, should especially heed the words of the Apostle that I proclaimed, and use the small remainder of their lives to prepare themselves for eternity. But who are these victims? We don't know them; We only know that nothing protects from death: neither strength of strength, nor youth of age, nor wealth, nor art - we only know that each of us can become a victim of death at any moment. Therefore, we all must be vigilant to guard our salvation; Everyone is now obliged to consider his life, to begin and continue the new year so that there is no fear, if the Lord wills, to end it in eternity. Most of all, let those of us who have hitherto neglected our salvation be struck by the saving fear of death, and, carried away by the temptations of the world, enslaved to the flesh, spent our lives in uncleanness and sins. O brothers, what will happen to you if death suddenly snatches you from among the living! How will you appear before the Judge? What can you present from your cases? Where can you go for help? Where will you hide your crimes?.. I know that such words for some sinners, who add a riot of mind to the depravity of the heart, may seem invalid; I know that an ungodly life, among many terrible consequences, entails unbelief in the most sacred objects, and especially, unbelief in the punishments awaiting sinners beyond the grave; and, perhaps, in this church, among us there are people who put insane glory in doubting the promises and threats of the Gospel. But my word is not to those giants of sin (who, however, are more cowardly than children on their deathbed): to excite these people, thunders of heavenly wrath are needed, and not a meek voice of conviction. I speak to sinful souls, but those who have not reached such madness and despair as to doom themselves to destruction and insignificance. I wanted to stop them on the way to hell. And why shouldn’t I have this hope? Why do you, brothers, no matter how great your sins, despair of your salvation? The door of repentance is not yet closed - anyone can come. Let evil penetrate your nature, let harmful habits overcome your reason and conscience; let sin become like a certain necessity for you - all this will turn into nothing if you so desire. How! The devil managed to make you sons of wickedness and destruction, but God and His almighty grace are not able to make you again sons of salvation? Who can say this? Believe only in the Savior and be courageous - and you will emerge from the devil’s snare. The Lord did not abandon you when you lived in sins; will he leave you when you turn to Him? But, I say, be courageous. If in order to save bodily life one decides to endure the most cruel measures of medical art, then in order to save the soul, to destroy evil habits in it, to transform a nature corrupted by sins, all the more so one must decide on deprivation and sacrifice. The further you move away from the terrible abyss of sin, the more it will lose its power to attract you; finally, when you cross, so to speak, the line separating the region of wickedness from the Kingdom of Light, then some invisible force will draw you to heaven. Just do not tarry, brothers, in the abyss of sin, until it closes over you and encloses you within itself forever; begin now to work out your salvation. There cannot be a better place than this, a more fitting time than the present for starting this holy work. Whoever sincerely tries to become good, God Himself will teach him everything. “I say this, brethren.” The servant of the word can only proclaim the will of God, indicate the paths of life; but he cannot give strength to fulfill what is proclaimed; he himself belongs to the number of people who require admonition and help from above. Only God can root and cultivate the word of salvation in your heart, therefore, to Him, as often as possible, we should all raise our eyes and hearts; the Throne of Grace must be our common and everlasting refuge. But, brothers, God Himself will not be able to save us if we remain stuck in sins, neglect our souls, and strive for destruction. The Savior has done and is doing everything for sinners; after this, our salvation or destruction depends on us. Amen. The third word for the new year The Holy Church often has the consolation of seeing a confluence of festivities within itself, aggravating the brightness of the days it celebrates. But this day, brothers, as the beginning and crown of a new summer, is constantly decorated with the confluence of three great festivals. We celebrate, firstly, in memory of the circumcision of our Lord Jesus Christ, secondly, in honor of the new summer, thirdly, in honor and memory of St. Basil the Great of Christ. The festivals are very different in their subject, but similar in spirit, having the same main goal. For every new summer is given to us for no other purpose than to perform spiritual circumcision on ourselves; on the other hand, spiritual circumcision alone can make the present summer truly new for us; and the life of Saint Basil provides a striking example of both spiritual circumcision and the spiritual renewal that he bestows. Let us reveal these truths for our edification for the new summer. Every new summer, as we said, is given to a person for spiritual circumcision. There must be, brothers, some purpose, and a considerable one at that, for the time given to us. For the wisdom of God cannot, without intention and in vain, spend so much of its Providence to support us in this world and this world for us. What is the purpose of time and our life? Is it the one that we are born, grow, eat, grow old and die? But to think like this would mean to reduce a person below the circle of the dumb, for they too have a higher goal. Or is it so that during the course of our life we ​​become enriched with the knowledge of various things, achieve honors, gain wealth, enjoy the various comforts of life, have fun, enjoy? But all this: science, honors, treasures, and pleasures - leave us irrevocably at our grave. Can the purpose of time be that which ends with time? And would it be worth working for a whole century to achieve something that disappears when the work is completed? No, earthly life must have as its goal that which is above the earth; time is given for eternity. What do heaven and eternity require of us? And why should everything earthly and temporary be used for? Heaven and eternity, into which we all must enter, require, brethren, from all of us - our correction, purification, renewal, improvement, that is, spiritual circumcision. There is no need to look far for the reasons for this demand; you just have to look at ourselves and our nature - and you immediately see how fair and necessary it is. Indeed, we are all clearly conceived in iniquities and born in sins; Can we really go on into eternity with this hereditary corruption? But even there it would constitute an eternal burden for us, an eternal source of ailments and sorrows, and therefore must be corrected here. Throughout our lives, we fall into various vices and are carried away by many passions; Is it possible that we will appear with them in the cohabitation of pure Angels, before the face of our Creator? But this would cover us with eternal shame there, would desecrate our heavenly home, would forever turn away from us the bright Face of the Heavenly Father; therefore, all our vices must be eradicated here, passions suppressed here, evil and sinful corruption cleansed here. But this correction and purification of our nature, accomplished through self-sacrifice and therefore combined with coercion, deprivation, and illness, is the very thing that the Holy Scripture calls spiritual circumcision. For this very reason, this circumcision constitutes the main goal of our present life on earth, all our activities, all our knowledge and acquisitions, labors and pleasures, titles and relationships. Whoever forgets this goal will live without a goal, will go without knowing where, build without knowing what, will work and suffer in vain. It will be necessary to leave the earth someday and go to heaven, it will be necessary to change time to eternity; but there is no other heaven except God’s - pure, holy; and there is no other blessed eternity except God’s, which does not tolerate impurity and evil at all. Therefore, while there is time, you must take care of your correction, cleanse yourself from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, reject everything unworthy of heaven and eternity. The action is painful, the occupation is difficult, the work is long; for this you need to fight with the world and with yourself, renounce what most attracts you, do violence to your mind, will and heart; but what to do? After our fall, this is the only means to achieve the goal of our existence, a necessary path to a blissful eternity and the most reliable way to renew our being, to enter into a new and never-ending summer of grace, peace and unity with God. Indeed, brothers, in the new summer many new things will happen around us and with us; but everything new both in us and outside of us will not renew us in the least, will not bring us closer to the goal of existence, will not achieve true perfection without correction of our heart, without renewal of our spirit, without cleansing our conscience, without spiritual circumcision. You will receive new dignity, title, power; but if at this height you do not put aside your former baseness of feelings, arrogance and contempt, then everyone will say about you: he is the same - just as arrogant, cruel, oppressive, low. You will enter into new connections, new friendships, kinship; but if you do not put aside your former coldness, obstinacy, carelessness about the good of your neighbors, then your very friends and blood will say: he is the same - the same lack of love, the same guile, the same pride, irritability, restless spirit. You will settle in a new place, move to a new house; but if bad habits pass with you, if new walls see the former betrayals of duty and conscience; then this relocation of former evil is the housewarming of sin. All this and similar news will not renew us if the heart remains old, if you remain in sin. On the contrary, if through true repentance we put aside dark deeds; let us prune our criminal connections and habits like dry and barren branches; Let us renew and confirm within ourselves the determination to live godly and righteously, then at least no change has occurred in our external relations, and we have not acquired anything new; everything will be new to us because we ourselves will be new. Everyone who knew our weaknesses, our uncleanness and sins, and not seeing them in us, will say: no, he is completely different from what he was before! But, most importantly, this is what the Angels themselves will say about us, God Himself - He Himself will say: “This son of mine was dead, and is alive: and he was bent, and is found!” (Luke 15:24). Such is the power of spiritual circumcision! It, and it alone, brings us true renewal and a new summer; therefore, time, as we said, is given to us to perform this circumcision on us. The life of Saint Basil, now blessed by the Church, serves as a striking example of these truths, for all of it was a continuous feat of circumcision and spiritual self-sacrifice, and at the same time, grace-filled renewal in Christ. He spent all his time and all his strength on this, to this he turned knowledge and wisdom, to this - wealth and dignity, to this - affection and enmity. The Cross of Christ was everything for him: the first and last occupation of the mind and heart, the first and last decoration and reward. Neither tenderness of build, nor weakness of health, nor high rank, nor stay in Athens - nothing could distract him from the poverty of Christ and his spiritual and physical exploits. Every day he saw some kind of victory over himself, every day he laid down something, renounced something. Therefore, when the arrogant ruler once wanted to frighten him with deprivations, he could not do this: there was nothing to threaten Vasily, for there was nothing to take away from him. He all belonged to heaven, eternity, and God. Therefore, God revealed Himself in him in a most special way. During his lifetime, everyone recognized him with reverence as a man of God, a vessel of grace, a temple of the Holy Spirit. And upon his death, the Church immediately began to honor his memory, as an example and imitation to all her children. Few people, brethren, can contain as many perfections as there were in this saint; but we are all called to the same inheritance with him, to the same blessedness in God. And we are given time for the same thing that he used it for: for cleansing our hearts, for renewing our spirit, for repentance and virtue. Let us not let this truth out of our memory, and with the beginning of the New Year we will begin to strive more diligently to correct our being, for there is and cannot be anything more necessary and useful for us than this. Lord and Master of our life! You have led us into a new summer, unclean, unworthy of Your goodness; do it, so that it will not pass without cleansing us! Grant us, through the prayers of Thy saint and saint, to see in ourselves that pleasant summer of grace and renewal, which You Yourself, O All-Good and All-Wise, have called on earth! Amen. Word four for the new year “This... I say, brethren, because the time is shortened and other... for the form of this world is passing away” (1 Cor. 7:29, 31) The sad duty of preachers! While you are surrounded on all sides by well wishes and greetings, when both your heart and your hearing would like to see and hear nothing except one pleasant thing; at that very time, we, following the example of the apostle, must tell you something else, we must remind you that the time of our life has been shortened; that we have all come closer to that formidable limit from which there is no return, beyond which there is either an eternal reward or an endless loss. I say this, brethren, because the time has been shortened and there are other things!.. However, if you think about it well, then why should this news be sad for a Christian? Does a beloved son, who is in a distant place, grieve when he is reminded of his return to his father’s home? Does a prisoner complain when he learns that his time in prison has been shortened? Is the patient annoyed when he sees that the hour of his recovery is approaching? What then, brethren, are we all here on this earth, if not strangers in a foreign land, if not prisoners of flesh and blood, who must be released to the freedom of the spirit, if not seriously ill people, for whom recovery awaits? This means that if the news we proclaim about the shortening of time and life is regrettable for someone, then for those who have forgotten about their fatherland, do not remember their bonds, they are addicted to their illness. What is the reason for this transformation of things? The world with its blessings, earthly life with its sensual joys, blood and flesh with their delights... Thus, the image of the world, life, carnal pleasures is charming for those whose eyes are blinded by pride and vanity. But come closer to this image, look at it more closely: what will you see? This is the image of Nebuchadnezzar, whose head is golden, his chest, arms and chest are silver, his belly and thighs are copper, his legs are iron, and his legs are meager! As the prophet puts it, a stone appears without hands, some sudden adverse event occurs, and the idol falls; gold, silver, copper and iron are reduced to dust. “I saw,” says the Psalmist, “the wicked one exalted and towering like the cedars of Lebanon: and I passed by, and behold, I sought him, and his place was not found” (Ps. 37:35-36). This is the story of the sons of happiness! And how often it is repeated! - Solomon once did not believe the frailty and emptiness of earthly blessings, and I thought, contrary to everyone’s experience, to find peace for my soul in them. Why didn’t he turn to this? Turned to wealth and acquisitions; built houses, planted helicopter cities, sent merchant fleets to the ends of the world. The ships brought countless amounts of gold and silver, but they could never bring Solomon peace. Turned to sensual pleasures; I forgot among them both the greatness of the king and the dignity of man, but could not forget my conscience. The flesh was dozing on a luxurious bed, and the heart was awake and aching; around him everything bloomed with fun and joy, but in him there was vanity and ruin of spirit. Finally, he turned to wisdom; Solomon's mind embraced everything: from cedar to hyssop, from the running of the heavenly lights to the imperceptible trace of a snake on a stone. What did earthly wisdom bring to Solomon? Same as other benefits. “I have understood,” he says, “that this, that is, wisdom, is vanity and ruin of the spirit... and whoever applies understanding will add disease” (Eccl. 1:17-18). After this, don’t we, brethren, have the right to compare the whole world that seduces us with that Sardanapal church, in which a hand suddenly appeared and wrote on the wall those terrible words: “mani, fekel, fares!” (Dan. 5:25). A prophet was needed there to explain what was written; and here the indication is so clear that a small child can see and understand it. In fact, no matter how you measure the greatness and blessings of the world, you will always find that they are short and fleeting: “mani!” No matter how you weigh them, they will always turn out to be light and empty: “fekel!” And no matter how you multiply them, it will always happen in the end that they must scatter and pass from your hands to others: “fares!” In other words: everything in the world is vanity of vanities, and all vanity. “Sons of humanity,” the prophet once exclaimed, referring to this frailty of earthly goods, “sons of humanity, how long... for you love vanity and seek lies!” (Ps. 4:3–4). Vanity destroys the spirit, it torments your heart; and you love her! Lies surround you from everywhere, pursue you, and you are looking for it! “Sons of humanity, how long... love vanity and seek lies!” If, however, the world were not so frail with its pleasures, and with its incessant rotation it did not lead us to the search for the one thing we need, then our own life, with its frailty, should keep us from being addicted to earthly things and make us sigh for the eternal. It was not in vain that the Prophet compared human life to a web: “the days of our years... are like a spider!” (Ps. 89:10). Look at the spider's work! How much work, patience, patterns, considerations! But a breath of wind comes, and the work lies down with the artist. Isn’t this how the plans of many ambitious people and the plans of many covetous people are destroyed? Even if we extend our life to its final limits, how far is the sea into which this channel must inevitably flow? Moses once, at the command of God, took a census of the people he had brought out of Egypt, and now about six hundred thousand were found, some of whom were capable of bearing arms. After thirty-eight (thirty-eight) years, he was ordered to repeat the census. What happened? That everyone included in the previous census had already died; only Joshua and Caleb remained; Moses himself, who carried out the census, died that same year without reaching the Promised Land. Let us fast forward, brethren, with our thoughts fourty years into the future: how many of us, now present here, do you think will remain alive then? Will there be at least enough left so that they can perform a sacred act of remembrance of us, then already resting in the bowels of the earth?.. “I say this, brothers!” - Why am I saying this? - “Yes, he who demands peace, as if he does not demand” will: - so that those who are blessed here with the gifts of happiness do not forget that all this is given for a time, with a condition, with an account; and therefore, taking advantage of the blessings of the world, we would try to gain the highest and eternal blessings. Why am I saying this? “Yes, those who weep will be like those who do not weep”; so that those who are destined to walk here along a hard and thorny path do not lose heart under the weight of temptations, remembering that the sorrows here, as well as the joys, are not only temporary, but also for our benefit and, enduring them in patience, more often direct their gaze to where there is neither sorrow nor sighing. Why am I finally saying this? So that we all lead our lives as is fitting for strangers and strangers seeking the city on high, “of whom God is an artist and maker” (Heb. 11:10). Amen. One ancient sage was asked: what, in his opinion, would be most precious for a person? Time,” he answered, “for through time everything can be acquired; and time itself cannot be bought for anything. In fact, if anyone tries to extend the day for himself even by one minute: no matter what he does for this, he will not add a single moment to the fixed number. Anyone try to return it back for themselves, even if only for one minute: they will never return a single one. Time is irrevocable and irreversible! Therefore, it is most precious for a person, for through it everything can be acquired: heaven itself and blissful eternity, but time cannot be acquired for anything. Let us give thanks, my brothers, to the Lord of times and years, whose right hand has now opened before us the gates of a new summer! By this we have been given what is most necessary and precious for all of us, time has been given! And since the property of God’s gifts is universality and impartiality in their division, then we all equally received a new gift from the hands of God, no more the first of the earthly rulers, no less the last of the earthly servants. The difference will no longer depend on the Lord who gives, but on us who have received the gift; and will consist in how each of us uses what has been accepted. If the very first of the rulers of the earth does not use time as he should, then at the end of time he will appear as if he has come to nothing and “whatever he thinks he has will be taken away from him” (Matthew 25:29). And on the contrary, if the last of the slaves uses the gift of God, then there is time as it should; then at the end of time he will appear as if he has everything, and will be rewarded a hundredfold for what he endured and suffered from throughout his life. After this, for everyone, both great and small, both strong and powerless, the first important question is: who uses time as it should, and who abuses it? He uses time as he should, who uses it to prepare himself for eternity, and no matter what he does, he always and in everything extends his gaze beyond the temporal and earthly. For is it not for this very reason, that is, to prepare ourselves for eternity, that time has been given to us all? Isn’t it precisely for this purpose that each of us is placed on this earth for a short time, in order to pass through death forever to heaven? The one who uses time as he should does is the one who, throughout it, tries to do as much good as possible and as little evil as possible. For our very destiny consists in doing good; and allowing evil harms us forever, both in time and in eternity. Doing good brings us closer to the goal of our existence and constitutes an inalienable acquisition, a wonderful reserve for heaven; and the admission of evil always takes away from us a part of perfection, removes us from the goal of our existence, puts us in unfortunate contradiction with God, with all created beings, and with ourselves. The one who uses time as he should uses it is to blot out everything unclean and sinful in himself and his life. For what better way to spend the time of a sick person and a leper, as we all are in spirit and conscience, than first of all to heal himself from his illness? And can a disease be worse and more dangerous than sin and lawlessness? Therefore, time cannot be better used for anything other than healing the ulcers of our soul and conscience. After this, it goes without saying who is abusing time. The one, firstly, for whom it proceeds in inaction and idleness. Is it possible to neglect such a precious treasure? Is it possible to waste time in inaction when eternity depends on it? When is there so little of it at all and when not a minute of wasted time can be returned? The one who abuses time is the one who, although he does not allow it to pass idlely, limits all his activities to the visible, earthly, sensual and fleeting. For in this case, from all that is done, from all the activities, labors, sorrows and deprivations, nothing will finally come of it; and we, having toiled and worked our whole life, at the end of it, when everything visible and temporary disappears for us, we will appear as if we have nothing. Time is abused even more by the one who uses it for deeds contrary to the law of God, for deception, carnal lust, worldly pride, for persecuting neighbors and the like. For by acting in this way, a person greatly spoils his godlike nature, goes madly against the almighty will of the Creator, imperceptibly approaches the state of the spirits of evil, and thereby prepares for himself the most ill-fated fate in eternity. These few indications are enough so that each of us who wants to can easily find out what he has done with his time so far: did he use it as he should, or did he abuse it unreasonably? We can only say that this is a subject of extreme importance for everyone. Now no one demands from us an account of our time: every day, from morning to evening, it is left to our arbitrariness. Use it and act as you wish; do or do not; benefit from it or abuse it: all this, apparently, is equal for Him who gives us time; but it won't always be like this! Finally, the last hour of time will come for each and everyone, when we will have to appear before the judgment of the Lord of ages and times, and give an account of all our days and hours, the consequence of which will no longer be new years, but eternity, blessed for those who used their time as they should, and ill-fated for those who used it in vain. Will we carelessly await this terrible hour? But what could be more reckless than such carelessness? This would mean dooming oneself to obvious destruction. And if so, then, upon leaving this church, having found a secluded place, let us diligently reflect on how we have spent our time until now, and how we should spend it from here on. Such reflection will serve as the most edifying lesson for everyone, and not just for this day, but for the whole coming year, for life. Amen. Word six on the second day of the new year Happy New Summer of Grace, noble students! Happy new summer of grace and new happiness, for where the grace of God is, there is happiness. In fact, isn’t it fortunate that with the New Year all of us, great and small, can again do a lot of good? Isn’t it fortunate again that with the New Year, all of us, both small and great, can reward and correct if something evil and unkind was done before? This double opportunity - to continue to do good and to continue to blot out evil, is already great happiness, and this is what the New Summer of God’s grace brings to all of us equally! “But is the circle of good that we can do at our age and condition large?” – one of you will think. It is all the more unpardonable, beloved, if we fail to fill even this small circle of actions with pure good; and such a misfortune, perhaps, can easily befall us if, under the pretext of the smallness of our circle of actions, we indulge in laziness and negligence, and what is even worse, pride and grandeur. But to think that your circle of activity is too small and cramped would be sheer injustice. How much good can you all do? First of all, in the new summer you can be diligent in the church of God, in home prayer and in practicing the law of God: this is a great good and will last your entire life! In the new summer, you can be attentive to the sciences and arts taught to you, develop correctly the abilities of your soul and heart, enrich your mind with useful knowledge - this is also a great good for your whole life! In the new summer, you can constantly show devotion and obedience to your superiors and mentors, carry out their orders and lessons with all accuracy, follow the rules of prudence in all actions, accustom yourself to purity of soul and body, to order, modesty and simplicity - this is a great good and will last for your entire life! You can, without being family, live like family, share good thoughts and feelings among each other, learn to help each other and correct each other’s shortcomings - this is also a great good for your whole life. Finally, although your life here is, as much as possible, freed from want and protected from trouble; but as human life is necessarily subject at times to some hardships and even sorrows, therefore you can learn in advance patience, generosity, the ability to rise above unpleasant circumstances - this is also a considerable good for your whole life, in which, after holy faith and virtue, nothing is so necessary for each of us as patience and humility. You see how much good can be done to you, noble pupils, at your present age and condition! Who dares to say that this circle of goodness should be small and cramped? Rather, we need to pray to the Lord to give us the strength to fill him with pure goodness. For, left to ourselves, without the help of God’s grace, we, as the word of God and experience teach, cannot fulfill one virtue as we should, we cannot even think about anything truly good, as the Apostle assures, on our own, but all the ability for this comes from God. All this will become even more important if we look at what good things we can do for you in the New Year in relation not only to your present, but also to your future state. For your stay here is temporary and preparatory to eventually entering the circle of life, which for many of you will be both extensive and varied: there your abilities and talents should fully reveal themselves; there your knowledge and your good qualities should bear fruit. What good cannot be expected for your families, even for the whole society, if you, emerging from under the blessed canopy of this house, appear prepared for everything that is good and holy, accustomed to all types of virtues, able to defeat evil, no matter in what seductive ghost it appears before you. But in order to be such, in order to have this precious ability, for this you must first educate yourself in the spirit of faith and good morals, you must get used to goodness and establish in yourself forever an unrepentant aversion from every kind of sin. Without this, even if you, upon entering here into the circle of social life, have the desire to be good, we will encounter many obstacles to this within ourselves, from our own unclean hearts, for we must accustom ourselves to goodness through constant exercise, so that it becomes our inalienable property. From this side, the new summer, as you can see for yourself, is again a precious gift of God, for with its continuation we can acquire the skill in goodness, which is so necessary for all of us. Let us take advantage of this grace; Let us not abuse the gift of heaven, that is, time, let us hasten to decorate our souls with faith and good morals, for only these decorations never grow old, are always new and always attract to us not only the eyes of people, but also the blessing of God Himself. We say all this so that in the new year you can take the opposite path, you can neglect the sciences and arts, you can show a spirit of stubbornness and disobedience to your superiors, you can indulge in waywardness, absent-mindedness, secrecy, deceit, unclean thoughts and reprehensible actions. Alas, in our fallen nature there is an unfortunate possibility, and even an inclination towards all this! But what will happen to that one of you who, forgetting the fear of God, forgetting the purpose of her upbringing, would follow this ill-fated path? Such a person would lose the peace of her conscience and heart, would cause grief to her parents and benefactors, grief to her superiors and mentors; such a thing would outrage your bright and pure circle; would remove her Guardian Angel from herself; would have lost the grace and blessing of God; would fall into voluntary, terrible dependence on the spirit of malice - that common enemy of ours, who, according to the testimony of the Apostle, walks invisibly everywhere, like a lion, “seeking someone to devour” (1 Pet. 5:8). The New Year, spent in this way, would be a source not of success and happiness, but of the greatest sorrows and disasters. To live in this way does not mean to live, but to die daily in spirit. May the Lord save you from this spiritual death! And so that she does not approach us, let us give before this throne the Living and All-Seeing God, let us vow from the bottom of our hearts to do only good during the coming year and to flee from every kind of evil; and if, by misfortune, it somehow invaded our soul, we should immediately drive it out with sincere repentance and prayer to the Lord. With such a disposition of our spirit, thoughts and actions, no matter what happens to us, rest assured that everything, with the help of God, will turn out for our good. Amen. First Homily on the Day of the Presentation of the Lord Fourty days have already passed since we celebrated the coming of the Son of God to earth. Anyone who was not an idle spectator of the festivities celebrated by the Church could learn a lot at this time; whoever followed the Savior with a vigilant and pure thought already knows where the path of Christ leads: to Golgotha, and then to heaven! – Now Jesus is in the church, not as the Lord of the church, for He came to serve and give His soul as a deliverance for everyone, but as a sacrifice to the God of Israel, as the Firstborn of the Mother, or more than the entire human race. The same deep humility in the church that was visible in Bethlehem, but also the same Divine glory. Just as in Bethlehem there were people who worthily greeted the Divine Child, so here the human race managed to send to the Meeting of His two Angels in the flesh: Simeon and Anna, aged in years, but young in spirit - an example of a life spent in serving the Lord! But let us not hesitate, brethren, to transport our thoughts to the very temple of Jerusalem, in order to see how all this actually happened. “And when the days of purification by her, according to the law of Moses, were fulfilled, He was taken up to Jerusalem, to set Him before the Lord, as it is written in the law of the Lord: For every child of manhood, having opened his womb, shall be called holy to the Lord” (Luke 2:22-23). So, the reason why the fourty-day-old Child was brought to the church was because of the law of Moses about the firstborn. Therefore, the real holiday, as well as the holiday of circumcision, can be called the holiday of the fulfillment of the law. The law commanded that the firstborn be placed before the Lord forty days after birth, in memory of the miraculous exodus of the Israelites from Egypt, which, as we know, was preceded by the miraculous slaughter of the firstborn of Egypt (Exodus 13:1–3). In order to perpetuate the memory of this good deed among the Jewish people, the Lord commanded every firstborn of Israel to appear before His face. This reason and purpose of the law concerning the firstborn obviously had nothing to do with the great Firstborn Mary. As the Son of God, He was free from the law of the sons of men. And yet he fulfilled it with all precision! For what? To give us all an example of obedience to existing laws. This is what He did throughout His entire life - he fulfilled the requirements of the law, not only the moral one, which was necessary for Him, but also the ritual law, although the latter, as having come to its end, had to be destroyed by Him. The Lord canceled it later - through His apostles, and fulfilled it Himself! An example for all who are called to be legislators and leaders of others! They must often perform more than what is required of others, in order to force others to perform no less than what is required. When fulfilling the law of the firstborn, sacrifices also had to be made. “And to give a sacrifice, according to what is said in the law of the Lord, two turtle doves, or two chicks of a dove” (Luke 2:24). The sacrifice in this case had to consist of a lamb and turtle doves. Only the poor, who did not have lambs, could bring only turtle doves or pigeon chicks. The evangelist, probably referring to the poverty of the Mother of Jesus, kept silent about the lamb. In such a state, brothers, was our Lord and Savior that He could not, due to poverty, even fulfill the law, as others - the rich - fulfilled it! Isn't this a consolation for you, who are in similar circumstances, would like to sacrifice to God what others sacrifice, but cannot do this? Your holy intention, brothers, is already a pleasant sacrifice to the Lord, who does not require our good things, and looks not at gifts, but at our heart. Hitherto the humility of the Divine Childhood; now let us see His glory. The Holy Spirit has long formed loud heralds of His appearance, who are only waiting for a sign from above to come forth to meet the “Joys of Israel” (Luke 2:25). Come, people of God, and stand before Him with your virtues! “And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon” (Luke 2:25). Who and what Simeon was in the flesh, the evangelist does not say; but the image of his soul is depicted by him in all detail. In Simeon there was the whole council of virtues: “if this man is righteous - this is love for his neighbors, pious - this is love for God, the tea of ​​the Joy of Israel - this is faith in the promised Redeemer! Greater perfections could not be demanded from a member of the Old Testament Church. But in Simeon there was more! - “The Holy Spirit is in him!” To such and such a person - God has no respect for persons! - it was promised “by the Spirit, he will not see death before he even sees Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:26). What is it promised for? It was necessary, firstly, that the Lord of the church, having come to the church, should not be left without a worthy meeting. Alas, the hands of the Jewish priests were no longer able to bless the Blessed One! On the other hand, for the holy elder this was the greatest reward, a foretaste of heavenly joys on earth. We are accustomed to consider the sight of the gracious mysteries of God as nothing, and the Old Testament righteous were gladly ready to sacrifice their lives in order to see what our unworthy eyes always see. You can judge, brothers, what, after such a promise, his whole life became for Simeon! Without a doubt, with each sunrise the elder expected the East from above, with each west he remembered his west. The promise, as if with intent, was vague. Promised to see; but how, when and where? - this is not said, so that faith and hope find new food for themselves every day. And then, one day, the Spirit tells Simeon to go to church: a familiar thing, but an unusual call! One could already have a presentiment that in the church there was now something more than a church. He comes and sees: the most ordinary thing - a Mother and Child, but, God of Israel, Who is this Child! – Messiah, Christ of the Lord! Deep simplicity and poverty surround Him, but for Simeon He is all the more holy and precious. Inspired by delight, the elder accepts the Child into his arms, looks at Him and does not dare to look, blesses and asks for blessings, prays for Him and prays for Him for himself. Finally, from the fullness of the heart, the mouth opens, and the tongue speaks the word of good. “Now you are releasing Your servant, O Master, according to Your word, in peace: for as mine eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared before the face of all people: a light for a revelation by the tongue, and the glory of Your people Israel” (Luke 2:29-32). That is, it’s as if the holy elder said this: I have nothing to do on earth now; for I saw everything, Salvation itself! From himself and Israel, Simeon then turns his gaze to the guardians and servants of the Joy of Israel: he greets them with an extraordinary lot, and blesses them for a great feat. “And I bless Simeon” (Luke 2:34). But at the same time, the future appears to his spiritual gaze: he sees that the eyes of Israel are not enlightened by the Light of tongues, but are darkened; how the synagogue does not recognize the great “time of visitation” (Luke 19:44), how the Cornerstone, despite its great value, is rejected by those who build it (Matt. 21:42); how many stumble and are distressed over Him, - as in the new Israel, among the Christians themselves, there are “enemies of the cross of Christ” (Phil. 3:18), the name of Jesus serves either as a sign of enmity and persecution, or as a cover of hypocrisy, or as the head of spiritual idleness, he sees - and in contrition of spirit he exclaims: “Behold, this One is set for the fall and for the rising of many in Israel, and in a sign that cannot be disputed... that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed!” (Luke 2:34–35). – “And for you too,” the elder continues, turning to the Mother of the Messiah and not being able to restrain the actions of the gift of prophecy, “and a weapon will pierce your very soul” (Luke 2:35): before that, that is, you will be subject to misfortunes and sorrows! Such a prophecy about the Son and His Mother could not, brothers, rejoice the heart of Mary. And it was inspired to say it now to the holy elder! On that day when, apparently, it was only decent to rejoice, bless and speak words! So carefully did Providence take care of Mary’s humility! Being destined for unparalleled greatness - to be the Mother of the Son of God, She, like Her Son, had no place on earth to rest her head, crowned with thorns, until she found peace in the arms of the Son - in heaven. In fact, think: at the time of fruition to be the subject of terrible suspicion for the guardian of His virginity, at the time of birth - to have no place in the monastery and lay the Baby in a manger, in the church to accept, along with a blessing, a weapon in the heart, then to flee to Egypt, returning from there, to live in poverty and destitution in Nazareth, then to be a witness to slander and persecution of the Son, then to stand on Golgotha: is this not the ladder of the cross, reaching the heavens? And is it surprising if, walking along it faithfully and unceasingly, Mariam went further than the Cherubim and Seraphim? They have an ocean of light and flame of the Divine, but they do not have their own cross! Maria knew how to walk up these stairs. When the Archangel brought Her a branch of paradise and greeted Her as the Mother of the Son of God, She said: “Behold, the handmaid of the Lord!” (Luke 1:38). When Simeon pointed to the weapon in her heart, She accepted it too: and sweeter “these words in her heart!” (Luke 2:19). He who has truly devoted himself to God does not discern the gifts of God, no matter what they consist of, for he knows that the Heavenly Father does not give stones instead of bread! (Luke 11:11) Simeon’s solemnly sad prophecy could conveniently conclude the entire sacred rite. What more - the elder is released from the bonds of life, the Blessed One is blessed, the Light of tongues is proclaimed, the fall and uprising of many is predicted, the weapon of the Mother Herself is indicated: what more? But Providence was pleased to introduce and show to the whole world another person who could serve as an example for wives, just as Simeon is an example for husbands. This is Anna the prophetess, “the daughter of Phanuel, from the tribe of Asher” (Luke 2:36). Death stole her husband from her in the seventh year of marriage. But Anna knew how to find a new, eternal Groom for her heart, dedicating herself forever to the God of Israel. From then on, her life became a continuous service to the Lord. “You did not depart,” says the evangelist, “from the church, serving with fasting and prayers day and night” (Luke 2:37). And such a holy life was lived - more than sixty years! It is not difficult to conclude after this how highly this holy woman stood! From such a height it was impossible not to see the Sun of Truth, and the holy old woman saw Him. “And she... came, confessed to the Lord and spoke about Him to all who were looking for deliverance in Jerusalem” (Luke 2:38). “Picked up”, that is, as if by accident and not on purpose; and yet this accidental and unintentional event was announced to the whole world, and, without a doubt, was predetermined by Providence with all accuracy. Such are the most accidents in the lives of God’s holy men! While Simeon goes to testify about the Joy of Israel, who are looking for deliverance from her, in another world, Anna will remain on earth, and her story about what happened now in the church will be for unworthy Jerusalem instead of the voice of an angel. “And she all died according to the law of the Lord,” the evangelist concludes his description, “returning to Galilee, to her city of Nazareth” (Luke 2:39). That is, as the evangelist would say: everything that now happened to Jesus in the church was a tribute from Him to the law of Moses. That is why we called this holiday the holiday of the fulfillment of the law. Let's take another look at everything together. The Young Mother with the Eternal Child, - O Her country, the elder Joseph, the guardian of Her virginity, - before them are two more elders: Simeon and Anna, - and some Jewish priest: here is the entire cathedral of the temple of Jerusalem, the entire current retinue of the King of glory! Where is the king of Israel who wanted to bow to the Child? He signs the death warrant for the babies of Bethlehem! Where did the high priests and scribes go? They rest on the laws and consult in books: “where is Christ born” (Matthew 2:4), and does “a prophet come from Galilee?” (John 7:52). Why aren’t there, at least, “those looking for deliverance in Jerusalem?” (Luke 2:28). One, perhaps, was not told by the Spirit to go to the church now; the other may have been told, but he did not go; and another, perhaps, went, but returned back. Be that as it may, only the Lord of the church came to the church today and made a sacrifice for Himself; and Jerusalem will learn about this only later - from the lips of an eighty-four-year-old old woman! И когда узнает о сем, то Узнанный уже будет в Египте, – там, откуда Он самый неблагодарный народ вывел некогда «рукою высокою!» (Deut.3:24). So soon, brothers, the fall of many, predicted by Simeon, begins! Why and where does it start? Is it due to lack of light and revelations? But it will be enough to enlighten even the pagans. От восток и запад приидут возлечь со Авраамом, Исааком и Иаковом, а Израиль не уразумеет «времени посещения своего» ( Лк. 19:44 ) и после, как не уразумел теперь! Не уразумеет потому, что «не восхоте разумети» 1 , потому что одебеле и умом и сердцем, смежил очи, чтоб, «видя, не видеть» , затворил слух, чтобы, «слыша, не слышать» ! (John 12:40. Matt. 13:13). Let us, brethren, also beware of this “spirit of insensibility” (Rom. 11:8) and bitterness, which destroyed ancient Israel, but did not perish with it. We can no longer, like the Jews, fail to recognize our Savior, for each of us, from infancy, is dedicated to Him in the church, just as He Himself is now dedicated to the Lord: but we can, like them, reject Him with our unbelief, insult Him with our uncleanness, crucify Him with our sins. And this, brothers, is a hundred times worse than what happened to the Jews; for if the rejection of the Unrecognized is a great sin, then what can we say about the rejection of the Known! The Apostle once saw in the spirit the fate of those who, having come to know the Son of God, betray Him with their lives, and exclaimed in horror: “It is terrible to fall into the hands of the living God!” (Heb. 10:31). Let us, I say, like Simeon and Anna, without slumbering stand guard over our salvation, accept the Lord until He comes to us in His gracious visits, not with flattering and lofty lips, but with a pure soul and a contrite and humble heart. Thus He will be for our glory and salvation. And without that, we are afraid, - He was laid and still lies, not only for an uprising, but also for the fall of many, many! Amen. Second Homily on the Day of the Presentation of the Lord Of the many questions that we can ask ourselves regarding our life on earth, perhaps, brethren, the most important question is how best to die? Some, even among the pagan sages, put all human wisdom in this, and called it nothing other than the science of death. Who will teach us this great and necessary science for everyone? Those who themselves have already walked through the doors of the coffin, and have passed through serenely, in peace, with joy, can teach best, most conveniently and quickly. One of those truly lucky ones is the righteous Simeon. Listen to what he says to God, ending his life: “Now you are releasing Your servant, O Master, according to Your word, in peace!” (Luke 2:29). One might think that the holy elder was hitherto in exile, and is now only returning to his native roof; was hitherto in bonds, and now he is just about to be released! What made him so close friends with the terrible image of death for all of us? Why does the coffin seem like a pleasant bed to him? Why does he rush with such joy to places where others cannot even look without fear? Part of this secret is told by Simeon himself: “as you have seen,” he cries out to the Lord, “my eyes have seen Your salvation!” (Luke 2:30). That is, as the righteous man would say: I have nothing left to do on earth, for I have seen everything - the Savior and salvation itself; Having seen Him, I have nothing to fear outside the earth, for with Him - my almighty Savior - “even if I walk through the shadow of death, I will not fear evil” (Ps. 22:4). But here, brothers, as I said, is only part of Simeon’s secret, and not the whole secret. The salvation seen by Simeon was seen by many of Simeon’s contemporaries with their own eyes, they saw it much more and longer than Simeon, however, we do not see in the Gospel that anyone other than Simeon said: “Now you are releasing Your servant, Master... in peace!” There was something in Simeon that salvation, which he saw on an equal basis with others, assimilated to him incomparably before others. This important something, kept silent by Simeon out of humility, is revealed by the evangelist when he depicts Simeon’s face. “And this man,” he says about Simeon, “was righteous and pious, seeking the Joy of Israel: and the Holy Spirit was in him. And he was promised by the Holy Spirit not to see death, before he even saw Christ the Lord" (Lk. 2:25–26), that is, in Simeon there was a whole council of virtues: love for others fueled in him love for God and fear of God; fear and love strengthened faith in the Redeemer; faith attracted the Holy Spirit; The Spirit granted revelations and made it possible to see the Savior; the sight of the Savior banished the fear of death, and Simeon departs in peace to where others cannot even look without trembling! Thus, here is the holy secret of Simeon! This is how he reached the precious opportunity - to die in peace! Whoever wants Simeon’s death, follow Simeon’s path: be righteous and pious, believe in the Redeemer, try to become the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit, and you will be worthy of seeing your Savior! And, firstly, for a peaceful death, brethren, truth and integrity are required. And throughout life it is difficult when the conscience vividly imagines any offense inflicted on one’s neighbor, but a hundredfold this should happen at death, when the conscience itself becomes incomparably more alive and purer. The fading gaze, of necessity, then seeks something to calm down on: judge what this calm should be like when it is presented with a whole series of victims of its own cruelty or cunning! And aren’t these those terrible ghosts that often torment the dying with their appearance? We are accustomed to explain their torment by the suffering of the body, but is the body to blame for everything? Oh, how different, completely different we would have heard from many dying people, if their tongue, bound by the bonds of death, had been allowed to loosen and tell us the terrible truth! Even righteous people experienced bodily suffering, but their souls went to the Lord in peace. Why? Is it not because she lived with the Lord in peace? Is it not because their conscience, being completely peaceful, pacified the body, and the soul, being free from the burdens of sin, therefore comfortably rose above the earth and soared to heaven? As is life, so is death! The second most reliable remedy against the horrors of death, according to the instructions of Saint Simeon, is love of God, or piety. It is not difficult to guess how this remedy works and what its strength is. Look at the son who loves his father and has been separated from him for a long time! He is ready to endure everything in order to return to his father’s house; Moreover, he does not look at the fury of the waves of the sea, nor at the height of the mountains, nor at other dangers. So a person who loves his Lord joyfully hurries through the doors of the tomb, despite their cramped and gloomy state, for he knows that this is the only way to return to his father’s house. And without this love for the Heavenly Father, without this childish attachment to the mountainous fatherland, the transition to another world, of necessity, must be difficult and unpleasant. How can you go in peace where you don’t want to go forever? How can we appear before the God Who has been either forgotten or insulted all our lives? In this case, the dying sinner is like that slave who is caught in flight and is forcibly returned to his master. Is it possible here not to tremble and not torment your soul? The third remedy against the horrors of death, according to the instructions of the righteous Simeon, is living faith in the Redeemer. It is bad, brethren, very bad without faith in the continuation of life, but a hundred times worse in death. During life, many things, apparently, can replace faith, and, unfortunately, for many; but in death, alas, nothing can replace it! The moments of death are clearly the most important and decisive: is it then possible to rely on ourselves, on our courage, on our wisdom, even on our virtue itself? Here we disappear for the world and the world for us; here is the end of the world for everyone, the Last Judgment for everyone! Therefore, higher, omnipotent help is also needed; what is needed is not an intercessor, not an Angel, but the Lord Himself. Heaven and earth listen only to His name, only hell and all the spirits of evil tremble before Him; therefore, only with living faith in Him can we pass through the terrible abyss of corruption in the world and unfalteringly emerge into the freedom of the children of God. This necessity of faith in the Redeemer at death is beautifully expressed by the Holy Church, placing a cross in the hands of each deceased. But, brethren, in order for this cross to have the power to act for us at death, it must first act during life and destroy our sins. The cross, placed in the hands of the deceased, remains in the coffin and decays with the body; With the soul goes the cross that she built for herself, throughout her life. Do you want to know how this imperishable cross is built? In two ways: first, by generously bearing in the name of the Lord Jesus those disasters and temptations with which Providence visits each of us for our purification; secondly, by exercising oneself in various arbitrary deprivations for the sake of His holy name. Such a cross will not decay in the ground; with him the soul will appear at the world court; it will serve as her decoration for all eternity! The fourth reason why death was peaceful for righteous Simeon was that he was filled with the Holy Spirit. It is not difficult to understand the effect of this reason. How can the angel of death weigh down his hand on those in whom he sees the Spirit of God? And a breath of cool air eases the suffering of the sick; and the breath of the lips of a mother or friend sweetens the anguish of one lying on his deathbed: what kind of relief cannot the gracious breath of the Spirit of God produce? And can He not overshadow, in the moments of death, a soul that was faithful to Him throughout its life? Oh, blessed, a hundredfold blessed are the dead who die in this way “in the Lord.... The Spirit Himself says that they will rest from their labors” (Rev. 14:13). And such bliss, brothers, one might say, without any effort on our part, would reach each of us, if we ourselves did not deprive ourselves of it. For, with all the importance of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, His grace is brought down into the soul of each of us at the very beginning of our life - in the Sacrament of Baptism. At the same time, in the Sacrament of Confirmation, we are visibly imprinted with the seal of the Holy Spirit. And throughout life, in all other Sacraments, through the prayers of the Church and its shepherds, we accept the grace of the Spirit. Thus, we Christians are all Spirit-Bearers from birth, and therefore we ourselves have within ourselves a great remedy against the fears of death. Why do we mostly tremble at it? Because without the oil of good thoughts and deeds, the fire of the Holy Spirit soon dies out in us from the breath of passions, and the seal of deliverance fades and is erased in the soul from the attack of the waves of the sea of ​​life; because we are filled with the spirit of the world, which, even during our life, often turns into a whirlwind and crushes us like dust and stalks, and even more so at death cannot help but burst into a stormy breath that shakes our entire mortal frame. Oh woe, brethren, great woe to those of us who, until the end of our lives, allow ourselves to howl (worry like a storm) with this corrupting spirit! His hellish breath will cool the soul on the deathbed, corrupt the heart and disturb all the sources of life! The last parting word for Simeon at the time of death was that he saw with his own eyes the Savior of the world. “Now you are releasing Your servant, O Master... in peace, for my eyes have seen Your salvation!” This path is such that I don’t know whether to point it out to you as a general path to a peaceful death: it is so far from our thoughts, from our morals, from our lives! But, brethren, should this really be the case if we were not Christians in name? Simeon was promised by the Holy Spirit not to see death, before he even saw Christ the Lord; But haven’t we been given this promise? Listen to what He Himself says, Whom Simeon now carries in his arms. “He who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and appear to him Myself” (John 14:21). What could be clearer, more definite and more decisive than this promise? Love the Lord and you will see the Lord! How He appears to those who love Him, neither I can say, nor do you need to know in advance: this is the mystery of the One Who Appears, which He Himself reveals when He visits. But it is certain that having seen Him, you will forget all the beauties of the world, and will joyfully rush to Him, to the abode of His Father, even if you had to go there by the way of the cross. Oh, the Lord knows how to draw people after Him! ( Song 1:3 ). Witnesses, all the holy men of God, who, having seen the Lord in their souls, went to death, just as a groom goes to marriage. In order to commemorate for some - the worthy, and for others - the less capable - to replace this invisible appearance of His, the Lord appears at the bedside of almost every sick person and visibly - in His Body and Blood. At least we knew how to use this Epiphany! At least here they hastened to receive the Lord and be illuminated by the light of His countenance before the light in their eyes dimmed - they opened their lips and hearts for Him before they were forever locked in illness! So what happens? They look at the priest carrying the cup of life as if he were an angel of death, and therefore try not to see him as long as possible! They accept the Body and Blood of the Lord when they can no longer accept anything, and thus do not shit (do not meet halfway), but, one might say, stumble over their Savior! O Lord, is it not here that You yourself lie most especially at “the fall of many... in Israel, and it is a sign that is reproached!” (Luke 2:34). In such a sign, about which it is impossible to say with certainty what it serves for those who receive it: eternal life, or judgment and condemnation. Truly, here “the thoughts of many hearts are revealed” (Lk. 2:35); It can be seen what life was like, and what to expect after death!.. But instead of freeing you from the fear of death, I quietly instill fear in myself and in you. What should we do, brothers, when we and our life are such that no matter what comforting truths you talk about from this holy place, you will imperceptibly and involuntarily reach something that is terrifying! But this fear is for salvation, while our false world and our vain joys destroy us. Let's conclude what we started with. Whoever wants the death of Simeon, follow the path of Simeon: be righteous, pious, believe in the Redeemer, do not extinguish; and if you have destroyed, acquire the Spirit, and try to be worthy of seeing the Savior. Amen. Third Homily for the Day of the Presentation of the Lord What has now happened to our Lord and Savior in the Temple of Jerusalem, something similar to what happened, my brothers, once happened to each of us. And we, like Him, were brought to the church, placed before the Lord, churched and dedicated to Him for eternal service. All this was done to us at an age when we, like babies, still had no idea about ourselves, and therefore we did not know what was happening to us. But the Holy Church could neither engage itself nor occupy us with idle rituals; what was done to us had an important meaning; along with bringing us to the church and becoming a church member, we accepted many rights and promises; just as at the same time important and sacred responsibilities fell upon us. Without fulfilling the latter, we will lose the first, and not only will we lose, but we will also be judged, as if we appeared before the face of God in vain, and received the grace of the Spirit in vain. Therefore, as we come to age, we must, as often as possible, renew in our memory what was done to us by the Church in infancy, delve into the spirit and power of what was perfect, so that, conforming to it in our graying and morals, we actually become what we were promised to be, and accept what is given to us for this. The present day, as the day of the bringing of our Lord into the church, in whose image we were brought into the church, is therefore the most fitting day for such memories and reflections. So, let us, my brothers, take our thoughts back to our infancy and see what happened to us on the fortieth day of our existence. What kind of wife is this who, with a baby at her breast, approaches the church threshold with trembling feet, apparently in a hurry to go to church for some holy business, but, approaching the church doors, stops, and, as if cradled (retracted) by some invisible force, does not dare to go further? Who is this wife and who is this baby? This is your mother, beloved listener! And her baby is you! The fortieth day has come since your birth, and now, according to the law of the Holy Church, your mother carries you to church for churching. Why does she hesitate at the threshold of the church and does not enter the church? Who stopped her? This is the same law of the Church, which forbids a woman who has given birth, until fourty days after birth, to enter the house of God. Why is this prohibition? Let us understand that we are all conceived in sins and born in iniquities, and through this we become unworthy to appear to the face of God, as if His holiness is unapproachable to sinners. But let us not be embarrassed: we will not be forced to stand outside the church for long, because, thanks to Divine love, we all have an omnipotent Intercessor and Intercessor. Covered by His merits, purified by His grace, adorned by His name, we, despite our innate corruption and imperfection, will be accepted into the house of God, presented to the very Person of the Tsar, even included among His friends and associates. In fact, the servant of the altar appears, takes into his arms, like Simeon, the baby, that is, you and me, beloved listener, lifts him up in front of the gates of the church, forms a cross from him in the air, and exclaims: “The servant of God is being churched, in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit!” (Rite of churching) When, after this, the doors of the church, as if yielding to the sign of the cross, open, the priest enters with the baby, speaking on his behalf in the words of Saint David: “I will go into Your house, I will worship at Your holy church!” (Ps. 5:8) Having reached the middle of the church, he stops, again lifts up the baby mountain and, forming a cross with it, proclaims: “The servant of God is churched in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit”; and then adds: “in the middle of the church I will sing to Thee!” (Heb. 2:12) Then he comes to the royal doors of the altar, again the youth rises up in the form of a cross, and for the third time proclaims: “The servant of God is churched in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” Thus, what is born is already dedicated to God, already introduced into the house of the Kings. This could have ended the ritual. But a Christian, as a joint heir of Christ, is granted great rights; to him, like the “royal priesthood,” it was given to enter the inner veils (Heb. 10:19); and so the clergyman, according to the same Charter of the Church, carries the baby through the southern doors into the sanctuary itself, walks with him around the throne and, coming from the altar in the opposite way, that is, by the northern doors, places him on the ground in front of the Royal Gates, from where the mother herself must receive him, as if from the face of the Lord. What could be more significant, and at the same time more touching, than these sacred rites! This is the threefold formation of the cross from the baby, this is its bringing into the sanctuary and walking with it around the throne, this is its position on the ground in front of the royal gates and its acceptance from here by the mother herself: how many lessons there are here both for what is brought, and for the one bringing it, and for the children and for the parents themselves. Cross! They apparently mean that if we now have access to both the earthly church and the heavenly Eden, it is through the suffering for us on the Cross of the Son of God, through which paradise was opened for all of us, concluded for all by the crime of our forefather and our own sins. Meanwhile, by this same cross, the born person is given to know for the rest of his life that he, as a Christian, must be a crusader, that his share on earth is not serving the world, but fighting against it, not pleasing feelings, but crucifying the flesh with its passions and lusts. The bringing of the baby into the sanctuary, not by the mother or father, but by the priest, shows that the forces of nature are sufficient only to give him one natural life, but are not sufficient to introduce him into a spiritual and grace-filled life; and walking around the throne apparently indicates the high destiny of a Christian - to contemplate the glory of God with a frank face, to be a partaker of the mysteries of eternal life on earth, to prepare oneself for blissful cohabitation with the Archangels and Angels surrounding the throne of God - to the place of residence of the very glory of God. In particular, by walking around the throne, reminiscent of the rite of dedication and marriage, the baby is, as it were, dedicated as a priest to God, and his soul is comforted by the Holy Spirit. Finally, the position of the baby on the ground in front of the royal doors makes it clear that, despite the many spiritual rights that have now been acquired to him, he, as a Christian, must remain in humility of spirit and heart all his life, counting himself as nothing before the Lord; look at oneself as if at a sacrifice that is once and forever dedicated to the Lord, and from now on no one lives for oneself and no one dies for oneself, but the Savior who died and rose again for him. And the mother, who lifts up the fruit of her womb from the royal gates, must remember that from now on it is entrusted to her again by the Lord Himself, so that the rest of him will be sick for him in spirit, as before she was sick in body, “until Christ is imagined in him” (Gal. 4:19). How expressive, finally, is the very name of this sacred rite! - “The servant of God is becoming churched!” That is, it is introduced into the Church, inserted as a part into its great and holy whole and, at the same time, it itself becomes a church, a living church of the living God. The mother brought it as a fruit of nature; accepts back as a gift of grace. Remember, brought and taken, by what you were brought and by what you were taken! Remember where you were, to whom and why you were presented! Remember what a sign the gates of the house of God opened for you! Remember the throne around which you were carried and which was destined for you, and the land on which you were placed, and to which you will go! Remember that you will once again, and also by alien hands, be brought to church with a cross in your hands! Oh, if only you could then assimilate the words of the righteous Simeon: “Now you are releasing Your servant, O Master, according to Your word, in peace. Яко видесте очи мои спасение Твое!» (Luke 2:29–30) But they will be assimilated to you and you will rest in peace until the day of the general resurrection, if throughout your life you do not forget your churching. Amen. Слово четвертое в день Сретения Господня “For this we tell you by the word of the Lord... for the Lord Himself will come down from heaven with a commandment, with the voice of the Archangel and with the trumpet of God, and those who are dead in Christ will rise first: then we who are alive and rise up together with them will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord” (1 Thess. 4:15–17) Hearing and, one might say, seeing in the Gospel today how the righteous Simeon and Anna meet in the Temple of Jerusalem the promised Savior of the world, with which at this they are filled with joy and bliss, probably not one of us is ready to envy their rare and happy fate, and would consider it the top of desires and rewards for himself, if it were given to him, let’s not say - to become in their place (this is too high and holy!), but at least to stay with them (near them) in the temple of Jerusalem, so that together with them we can enjoy the sight of our dear Savior. Let everyone be comforted and rejoice to whom such a pious desire now comes into their hearts, for it will be fulfilled! There will be no second birth of the Savior according to the flesh; there will be no second baptism from John; there will be no second resurrection, no ascension into heaven; and the second meeting of the Lord will take place, and it will follow in such a form that at His meeting it is no longer Simeon and Anna who must come forth, but all of us who bear the name of Christians. When, where and how will this new world meeting take place? All these questions are answered in the above words of St. Paul: “For this we speak to you by the word of the Lord... for the Lord Himself, by command, in the voice of the Archangel and with the trumpet of God, will come down from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first: then we who are alive and remain, together with them, will be caught up in the clouds, to the meeting of the Lord in the air, and so always with We will be Lord." Do you see now where this second meeting takes place? Not in the temple of Jerusalem or any other place, but above the earth, in the air: “at the meeting of the Lord in the air.” Do you see when it will follow? At the end of the world, when our Lord and Savior again appears from heaven, to carry out the final Judgment over the entire human race: “as the Lord Himself... will descend from heaven.” Do you see what will accompany the second meeting of the Lord? Not by the bringing of two turtle doves, or chicks of pigeons, as now in the temple of Jerusalem, but by the voices of the Archangels and Angels, by the sound of trumpets and thunders of God, as at Sinai: “in the voice” of the Angels “and in the trumpet of God.” Do you see who has the honor of meeting the packs of the coming Lord? To everyone - the living and the dead, who will then cease to be dead, for they will rise again: “along with them We will be caught up in the clouds." Do you see, finally, what will follow this worldwide meeting? It is no longer separation from the Found One, as Simeon and Anna were separated from Him, although not for a long time, but eternal coexistence in His Kingdom: “and so we will always be with the Lord.” Oh, how joyful and majestic this day of the second and worldwide meeting of the Lord should be, if we judge it even by its outward appearance! For imagine: the present earth and the present sky, the whole present order of persons and things will no longer exist then... the impenetrable curtain that now separates the invisible world from the visible has been taken away forever and destroyed... innumerable hosts of the dead who slept in the womb of the earth arose and took on flesh... the survivors, changed in their entire being, as if in the twinkling of an eye, copulated with them and made up a single family of Adam... after various signs, preceded by Archangels and Angels, the Lord finally appears from heaven in all the glory of omnipotence... and the entire human race, renewed, transformed, like a host of incorporeal ones, rises into the air to meet Him!.. Tell me, what could be more majestic and holier than this spectacle, even just by its appearance? Let us imagine, my brethren, that the hour of this glorious event has already come, that we have already been caught up into the air to meet the Lord and are waiting only for what the Lord who has appeared speaks about us; What feeling should then be in our hearts? A feeling of greatest joy if we are even little worthy of shamelessly meeting the coming Redeemer and Judge. For with Him comes the complete fulfillment of all our obvious hopes and secret hopes; eternal peace of souls and endless bliss of hearts is coming. But if we, both raptured from the earth and standing in the air, see ourselves surrounded by dark and evil deeds, if our conscience, without waiting for the judge, begins to cry out against us for our previous sins, and even more, for our unrepentance for them, then, alas, the sweetest hour of meeting the Lord will not be peace and joy for us, but shame and contrition: we will appear as criminals, who, even being brought to the royal palace, are nevertheless embarrassed and tremble at the very proximity of the king’s face. For with what should a sinner appear before the face of his future Judge? What do you say to justify your evil deeds and your unrepentance? Should we say that we did not know the ways of truth and the paths of righteousness? But in addition to our conscience, we had in our hands the Gospel and the Cross of Christ. To say that our passions and the temptations of the world were strong, but we were weak and carnal? But we had with us the all-powerful Sacraments of the Church and the almighty grace of the Holy Spirit. To say that we did not have the means to blot out our sins, to restore the lost image of God? But before us there was always confession with the Body and Blood of Christ; before whom no sin and no iniquity can stand. No answer, no apology! There is no more hope, for the time of long-suffering and mercy is over - the time of judgment and retribution has come! Now, my brothers, during the continuation of earthly life, we must prepare ourselves for what will follow us after death. As we lie in the grave, such will we appear at the meeting of the Lord in the air. May this thought accompany us on all the paths of our lives! Let us remember that we all, like Simeon and Anna, are awaiting the meeting of the Lord, that this meeting will be followed by either eternal union with Him and endless bliss: “and so we will always be with the Lord”; or eternal distance from the Lord and unceasing disaster: “depart from Me... into eternal fire!” (Matthew 25:41). Let us, I say, remember this and, celebrating in honor of the first meeting of the Lord, consider carefully what would happen to us if the second meeting, about which we were talking, followed today or tomorrow. Amen. Fifth Homily for the Day of the Presentation of the Lord At every great event in the life of our Lord, we find certain faces of Him, who seem to represent all of humanity: at the birth according to the flesh, the wise men of the East and the shepherds of Bethlehem appear at the manger; on the Jordan, during Baptism, John serves the Sacrament; on Tabor there are three supreme apostles present as witnesses of glory; on Golgotha, at the Cross, the Mother and the virgin disciple stand. Now, in the temple of Jerusalem, Simeon and Anna go to meet the Lord. In addition, not one of the great events in the life of the Lord occurs silently, but some word and, as it were, a sermon are always added to explain what is happening. On the Jordan and on Tabor, the Father Himself proclaims this word: “This is My Beloved Son... Hear him!” (Matthew 17:5). In Bethlehem, a choir of Angels who appeared from heaven preaches: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men!” (Luke 2:14). Upon entering Jerusalem, the youths who sang hosannas to the Son of David became teachers and mentors for all those who met the Lord; on Golgotha, in addition to the silent testimonies given by earth, heaven and church, the Roman centurion proclaims the Divinity of the Crucified. Now in the temple of Jerusalem, the great duty of the preacher of Jesus is entrusted to the righteous Simeon. Although you have all heard his preaching in the current Gospel, since it is impossible to find greater edification for the present day than in what this holy elder proclaims to us, let us again turn all our attention to his words. Simeonov’s sermon apparently consists of three special parts: the first can be called grateful, which contains his own feelings on the occasion of the joyful fulfillment of his ancient aspirations - to see the promised Messiah and at the same time receive permission from the bonds of the flesh; the last part should be called prophetic, for it predicts the future fate of the Mother of Jesus, with the great temptations and sorrows that awaited Her. The third - middle part - consists of a worldwide admonition regarding the Person of Jesus Himself and a warning to all those who must find their salvation in Him. No matter how gratifying Simeon’s grateful feelings are, no matter how instructive the prediction he made about the Mother of Jesus; but since both relate more to their own persons, then, due to the shortness of time, they can now be left without special consideration. The middle part of Simeon’s sermon, consisting of admonition and warning, comes closer and closer to us. So, let's focus our attention on this part. “And I blessed Simeon, and said to Mary His Mother: Behold, this One is destined for the fall and for the rising of many in Israel, and is a sign that can be reproached” (Luke 2:34). This is the part of Simeon’s sermon that, as we said, concerns us all! You can see for yourself that it contains important admonition and an important warning. When the Savior of the world appeared on earth, appeared for the salvation of the whole world, it was difficult to think that He Himself, this Savior of the world, would not serve for the salvation of everyone, that about Him Himself, Who should “lead” with Himself “all things” (Eph. 1:23), many would stumble and fall even deeper than before. But sad experience has shown the opposite. So, it was necessary to reveal the terrible truth, indicate the danger, warn against false hope; and all this was done through Simeon at the very beginning. “Behold,” he proclaims, “behold, this One is destined for the fall and for the rising of many in Israel!” Do not imagine, as Simeon would say, that if the promised Savior of the world has appeared, then everyone will be saved, even if they did not want it. Do not remember that if with His appearance on earth all the means were revealed to everyone to get out of the ill-fated state of sin and death, then there will no longer be a single sinner left. No, the Savior of the world will not be a salvation for everyone; for some, His appearance will lead to even greater condemnation. “Behold, He is laid down for the fall of many in Israel... as a sign we can argue!” Despite the Divine greatness of His Person, the holiness of His life, the purity of His teaching, the beneficence of His actions, the very miracles and signs with which He will be surrounded, He will be looked at differently, they will talk about Him, and they will not accept Him in the same way. When they, filled with delight, exclaim: “...to whom are we going? the verbs of the eternal life are imashi” (John 6:68), - others will repeat in bitterness: “He has demons and is frantic: why will you listen to Him?” (John 10:20). And so it will be not only at the beginning of His appearance and preaching, but also at the end; not only during His life on earth, but also after His ascension to heaven; not only when His kingdom begins to spread among the pagan nations, but also when the whole world is filled with His name and glory, in the depths of the Church itself; not just during a certain time, but throughout all centuries until the end of the world and His Second Coming: “Behold, it lies... for the fall and rising of many in Israel... as a sign!” If, as is probable, some of the Jews were in the church at the time these menacing words came from the mouth of Simeon; then they should have come not only to bewilderment, but also to horror, for what he said about the appearance of the Messiah was in complete contrast to their dreamy aspirations about the times of the Messiah. Due to the false concept of some prophetic expressions, and more due to pride and national pride, the sons of carnal Israel imagined that salvation in the person of the promised Redeemer inherently belonged to each of them, that among those rejected from His presence there would be only pagans who did not know the true God. And so, from the Person of this Messiah Himself, it is now proclaimed that this hope is vain, that even in Israel, among those who are circumcised according to the flesh, there are a considerable number of people to whom His appearance will not serve in the least for salvation. “Behold, this one lies about to fall... many in Israel!” Such admonition should have opened the eyes of the Jews, forced them to think about their condition, and ask themselves: to what class of people does each of them belong - to those for whom the promised Redeemer lies in rebellion, or to those for whom He will serve to fall? We don’t know how many of the Jews took advantage of Simeon’s admonition. But there is no doubt that even after the end of Jesus’ earthly career, on Golgotha, and on Olivet itself, it was possible to repeat with all our might the same thing that was said now in the church: “Behold, this One lies for the fall... of many in Israel!” And what can we say about those times? These terrible words have not lost any of their power over this Israel during the eighteen centuries that have elapsed until now. And until now, for the majority of the sons of Israel, their promised Savior, apparently, continues to fall. This alone is worthy of tears, but even more so when you think that our dear Savior is still lying at the mercy of many in spiritual Israel, in the Church of Christ. It would seem that with the end of His earthly life, with the dispersion of the dreams and prejudices of the Jews about the earthly kingdom of the Messiah, with the spread of the Christian Church, with the establishment of the dominion of Christ throughout the world, everything that tempted the Jews in the person of the Savior should have disappeared irrevocably; that the conditions of salvation brought by Him to the human race, having become known, will drive away all bewilderment; that the followers of Jesus, having understood what has been done for them and what remains for them to do, will each begin to work out their own salvation, as the Gospel and conscience teach; but, alas, not only the spirit of false hope, but also the spirit of proud opposition, with which the ancient Jews were blinded, always continued to haunt many Christians. If Simeon appeared in every century and country, in every church and house, then always and everywhere, when looking at Him whom he once held in his arms, he should proclaim the same thing that was said to him now in the temple of Jerusalem: “Behold, this One lies for the fall and for the rising of many in Israel, and is a sign that cannot be denied!” In fact, look at this scribe, overcome by false wisdom, who, not content with the fact that he himself places faith in the Gospel at nothing, finds hellish pleasure in forcing others to reject it, using all means for this - the very lies and slander. Is it not obvious that the Savior of the world lies for him to fall? It no longer constitutes a sign of controversy for him; no, the false sage long ago decided in his mind that Christian perfection is a dream, that salvation should not be sought anywhere except in one’s own mind and strength. If the light of Christ had not been before the eyes of this false sage, if he had been born in pagan Rome or Greece, then his opposition to faith would have been somewhat understandable and excusable. But now, blind in the middle of the day, going against universal conviction, trampling on what he was sanctified by from his youth, the effect of which he had experienced more than once even, probably, in his soul and heart, he is subject to a terrible answer for blasphemy against the Holy Spirit... Look at this false Christian, who by name belongs to Christ and the Church, but in fact and in life knows no other God than the mammon of unrighteousness, leads a life of which an honest Jew and pagan would be ashamed, who, daily drowning in new sins and iniquities, never thought about returning back and bringing repentance. Is it not obvious that the Savior of the world lies for him to fall? For what awaits such a false Christian after death for his lawless life and unrepentance? The torment of hell awaits, the more severe, the more he, as a Christian, used the means to bring him to his senses, the closer and easier salvation was to him. Look at this arrogant false righteous man, who, like the Gospel Pharisee, having looked at his beautiful appearance, at the absence of gross vices in his life, at some deeds of piety that he constantly performs, no longer knows the price and measure of his imaginary virtue, and is ready to expose his merits before the very Court of God. It’s hard, but one cannot help but say that even for this supposed righteous man the Savior of the world does not yet lie in rebellion. For he, dreaming of his all-contentment, does not try in the least to assimilate for himself the merits of Christ, he thinks to get along on his own, without an Intercessor and Mediator at the Judgment of God's righteousness; Thus, he humiliates and denies himself the only means of salvation - the Cross of Christ. This Pharisee pride would not have been so criminal if in the light of grace and truth of the Gospel it had not been seen that all our honesty and truth are like darkness and impurity before the face of God. Thus, my brethren, the sweetest Jesus continues to this day not only for the uprising, but also for the fall of many; not because this was His will and such was the property of His ministry - the property of service and His will to be the Savior for everyone, but because those by whom He is proclaimed and from whom He is received do not look at Him the same way and receive Him differently; for although it is said about Him that He was “believed in the world” (1 Tim. 3:16), that is, as if He found faith in everyone; but how different this faith is! Some see in Him nothing more than an extraordinary Teacher of virtue; others are not higher than the Prophet and Messenger of God, similar to the former Prophets; others recognize in Him the Son of God, but by no means consubstantial and equal to the Father. Even of those who honor Christ in Him, God’s power and God’s wisdom, who worship His Cross as the only instrument of universal salvation, since many stumble over Him like a falling stone! The unrepentant sinner stumbles over Him out of excessive hope in His merits and the Cross; and the proud false righteous - out of excessive hope in his own merits and virtues. It’s time to ask: what then is Christ for us? What has He been and is lying in until now - for our fall or for our uprising? Oh, what if it's a fall! Then woe to us! Then this and all other holidays of Christ should dispose us not to joy, but to crying and tears! For how can we rejoice at those for whom salvation itself turns and serves—it’s scary to say—into eternal destruction! Do you want, beloved listener, to know for sure whether you are participating in the salvation of Christ? Listen. If you believe firmly and undoubtedly in Christ and His Gospel, as the prophets and apostles taught you to believe, and as the Holy Church instills, then the Savior of the world lies in your rebellion. If you, maintaining the right faith, try to be imbued with the spirit of the love of Christ, to bear the fruits of faith in your deeds, to keep yourself free from passions, clean from worldly defilements, then the Savior of the world lies in your rebellion. If you, as a person, contrary to your will and intentions, stumbling over the temptations of the world, do not hesitate to rise from your falls through repentance and try to erase, as much as possible, the traces of your falls, then the Savior of the world lies in your rebellion. Here are the three main signs that Jesus is behind our rebellion! If anyone lacks even one of them, then they are in obvious danger of losing their salvation. Let us look around, my brethren, one and all, to see if this danger threatens us? Let us look around while there is time and convenience, while it is up to us, by changing ourselves and our lives, to make sure that the Savior, who has hitherto been laid to fall, will become the fault of our uprising. Amen. The first word on the eve of the Epiphany of the Lord. Before the blessing of water Now, from the lips of the Holy Church, you will hear, brothers, the voice of the Lord on the waters, calling each and every one to receive “the spirit of wisdom, the spirit of understanding, the spirit of the fear of God, the revealed Christ” 2 . since this voice thunders not just for the sake of decency, and, to which everyone is so solemnly called, is, without a doubt, given generously to everyone who is disposed to receive it, then we should expect that we, being filled with the spirit of reason and the fear of God, will not have the need for instructions on how to behave at the upcoming sacred rite and how to use the consecrated water. But the sad voice of experience says something else: on no day of the year does so much indecent confusion occur in our churches as now. Therefore, before we go out to bless the water, we considered it our duty to come before you to demonstrate its importance and to protect it from abuse. What will we do for this? Let us point out, firstly, the origin of the upcoming sacred rite. Who established it? Are any ordinary people? No, we received it from great and holy men, from the apostles and their successors. Saint Gregory the Theologian theologized over this water in his time; Saint Chrysostom once extended his golden word about the extraordinary effects of this water; Basil the Great was responsible for the consecration of this water. And the first, highest example of this was set by the Lord Himself, when He sanctified the entire nature of the waters by immersing His Most Pure Body in the Jordan. After this, to disturb with any disorder a sacred act so important by its very origin means to have no respect for that which the greatest and holy men revered, which for so many centuries served to sanctify entire countries and peoples. If many of us do not know this, then at least everyone has eyes and ears to see and hear what is happening and being said now over the consecrated water; and this alone is enough to force her to be treated with all respect. For how is water sanctified? – Any ordinary blessing? – Although every blessing, when it is given in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, is important for a Christian, but here there is a greater blessing and a greater sacred rite. Here, not one person, but the entire Church pours out warm prayers that the being of water be sanctified “by the power and influx of the Holy Spirit, the cleansing action” of the entire Holy Trinity” 3 and that the blessing of the Jordan be imparted to it. Here, in the most solemn way, the terrible and venerable Name of the One before Whom all creation trembles is invoked over the consecrated water. Here, finally, a threefold immersion into the consecrated water of the Cross of Christ itself takes place, the Cross, before which all the powers of heaven revere, and from which all the powers of hell flee. Tell me, what more could be used for sanctification and, therefore, for instilling respect for that which is sanctified? And why is water blessed? For any small or ordinary purposes? No, for the most important ones. “In the hedgehog,” as the deacon proclaims, “this water will be a gift of sanctification, the deliverance of sins, the healing of soul and body, to drive away all slander from visible and invisible enemies, leading us into eternal life itself” 4 . Is it possible to ask for greater gifts? And is it possible after that not to reverence the instrument of such gifts? Finally, how does the Holy Church itself use the now consecrated water? – Uses it with extreme respect for it, in very important cases; for example, this water is used during the consecration of the holy world for the Sacrament of Confirmation, during the consecration of holy antimensions for churches, on which a bloodless sacrifice is performed; This water is given instead of communion to those who, by the court of the Church, are declared unworthy to approach the Holy Mysteries. The Church itself values ​​the current holy water so highly! How, after this, should we now approach this water? Is it not with faith and reverence, as for a great shrine? Is it not with the spirit of reason and fear of God, to the acceptance of which for this very reason, at the very beginning of the sacred rite, the Holy Church calls each and every one? This is how those who actually begin to approach holy water are those who understand where they are and what they are starting to do: they partake of it as a great shrine, and having prepared for this with fasting and prayers, they keep it in the most honorable places of their homes, near the holy icons and the Cross of Christ; they use it in important cases, namely for the healing of soul and body, for the sanctification of themselves and their property. But what can we say about others, which are the majority? How to call what happens now in churches after the consecration of water? One might think that a fire had suddenly broken out in the church, or that it was suddenly surrounded on all sides by some terrible enemy: such excitement arose between those standing in the church, such noise, such pushing of each other! And it’s not just small, foolish children who do this, but young men, even fathers and mothers, even elders!.. Is this how they remember the Baptism of their Lord? Is this how they seek sanctification of soul and body? And why all this chaos? To draw holy water faster than others. As if what is drawn after is less sacred! Or, as if there were not enough of it for anyone! Even if you didn’t receive it today, you will get it tomorrow; sanctification today and tomorrow is the same. But there would never be a shortage even now if we managed to properly divide what we come for: we did not come for sacred water with the same vessels with which we go to the rivers for simple water, and we did not often spill more on the church platform than we take with us to our homes. Think for yourself, is such indecency appropriate for such a sacred place, such a holy day, such a holy object? What will the Jews, who are in such large numbers in our countries, think of us when they learn (is it difficult to find out?) about our behavior in the churches? Let the chaos stop! May everything be within proper limits! – We will sanctify the water with the grace of the Holy Spirit; and do not dedicate it with the spirit of foolishness and disorder. The clergy, to maintain decorum, will distribute it to everyone, as they distribute sacred bread: and you come to receive it in silence and order, with meekness and reverence, being content with little; because the power of holy water does not depend on its quantity, but on the faith with which it is used. Thus, for us on this day, like on others, everything, according to the will of the Apostle, will happen gracefully and in order. Amen. Second word on the day of the Epiphany Baptism is one of the most important events in the life of our Savior and in our lives. For the Savior, it served instead of His solemn consecration to the great office of the world Intercessor and Mentor, for with baptism His private life in Nazareth ended and public service to the human race began. For us, the Sacrament of Baptism serves as a door to the community of believers; through him we accept the grace of the Holy Spirit and become Christians. And therefore, at the present moment, brothers, we cannot do anything better than to renew in our memory the circumstances of the Baptism of the Lord, and then touch upon our Baptism with reflection. From the time of Baptism, as we said, the public ministry of Jesus Christ to the human race was to begin. Therefore, it was necessary to expect that it would happen as early as possible, so that He could teach longer and do more and more things. Meanwhile, the Savior received Baptism when, according to the Evangelist Luke, He was “about thirty years old” (Luke 3:23): and until that time He constantly remained in poor Nazareth, in the house of His tutor Joseph, sharing with him, in all likelihood, the labors of woodworking. Such a long stay of the Son of God in obscurity was allowed by Providence, no doubt, for the most important reasons: the people of Judea, excited by the rumor of the birth of the Messiah, had to give themselves as much time as possible to prepare themselves for the meeting of their Savior. And the Chief of Salvation himself had to first grow completely “in wisdom... and grace with God and man” (Luke 2:52), and then appear to take away the sins of the whole world on His shoulders. But for us in this matter, the most important lessons are humility and devotion. The Son of God spends most of his earthly life in complete obscurity, in the most ordinary labors: who after this has the right to grumble about the smallness of his lot? Consider work reprehensible? Complain about obscurity? The Savior of the whole world, until the age of thirty, humbly awaits a call from above to begin His immeasurable journey; How ashamed are those impatient people who, feeling any abilities in themselves, complain if they do not suddenly have the opportunity to discover all the good that is contained in them and, out of impatience anticipating the path of Providence, often, instead of good, cause harm to themselves and their neighbors! There is “a time for everything, and a time for every thing, and, of course, for every person under heaven” (Eccl. 3:1): the time will come - you will reveal yourself as what you are destined to be; will not come - it pleases the One who knows better than us what should happen. But now, the voice of one crying in the wilderness begins to be heard! (Mark 1:3). John goes to the Jordan, and preaches in the hearing of all Judea that the time of the Messiah has come, the Kingdom of God has come near, the King Himself stands among His subjects, although not yet known to any of them (John 1:26). One can imagine what this sermon produced among the Jewish people, who were expecting their Messiah from day to day! Everything rushed to the Jordan for baptism. Even the Pharisees and Sadducees began to confess their sins; the Sanhedrin itself sent an embassy to the Ioannis desert with the question: is he the Messiah? - How not to rush there to the One for whom everyone is waiting with such impatience? But Jesus is not there! The long-awaited King remains in Nazareth! The Messiah continues to share the labors of woodworking with Joseph! Why is this so? Because there is still no call from above for Him. Oh, who by this one trait does not recognize the second Adam, Who through selflessness wants to heal what was destroyed by the arrogance of the first Adam! Finally, the time has come for the Sun of Truth to rise: Jesus goes to the Jordan. Accept honor from Your Forerunner? Appear triumphantly to the people?.. No, he asks for Baptism, which was taught for the cleansing of sins (which He did not have!), which served as preparation for the Kingdom of God, of which He Himself was King and Head! That the short-sighted people will think that He, like others, has a need for cleansing from sins, that in any case baptism gives preference to the baptizer over the baptized - the Son of Man has no need for this. He sees that John's baptism is an institution very beneficial for morality, and wants to strengthen its effect by His example. He knows that in this case the will of God regarding His own destiny must be revealed, and he hastens to fulfill this will. If the Jordan now flowed not with water, but with fire, Jesus would have appeared for baptism even then. This is how those in whom God acts act: they do not look at what will come out of their action for themselves. It makes no difference to them whether it is in life or death, as long as the will of Him is accomplished, to whom they have forever betrayed both life and death. But what about John? Despite his close relationship with the Son of Mary in the flesh, and his close relationship with Him in spirit and purpose of his ministry, John did not yet know for sure that Jesus was the Messiah. For He who sent to baptize John told him that the One on whom he would see the Holy Spirit descending at Baptism was the true Messiah, but who exactly this Lamb of God was was not revealed to him (John 1:33). (So ​​inseparable is the sacred darkness of faith from the greatest revelations! The humility of the Greatest of the Prophets was so tested!) However, John knew his great Relative so much that he placed Him much higher than himself in terms of the gifts of grace. The conversation, although short, with Jesus, before performing Baptism on Him, could even more strengthen in John’s perspicacious soul the idea that the One asking for Baptism is the very One who will baptize himself and everyone else with the Holy Spirit. After this, could the hand of the Baptist be raised? “I demand to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?” (Matthew 3:14), he exclaimed, imbued with a sense of his own unworthiness and the Divine greatness of Jesus. For Jesus, Who Himself was meek and lowly in heart, the voice of John’s humility could not be unpleasant. But now it was necessary to create God’s righteousness, and not show or hide one’s righteousness. “Leave now,” He said already in the voice of the Messiah, “for this befits us, fulfill all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15), that is, every definition of the righteousness of God. John leaves, Jesus descends into the Jordan and is immersed in the waters. Did the Baptist say anything at this time? - Most likely, nothing. Where can I get the words to perform Baptism on the Son of God? This was a time not to speak, but to revere and learn. But Jesus, during His Baptism, talked - with God - prayed (Luke 3:21). The action is extremely instructive! He prays in Jordan, He prays on Tabor (Luke 9:28), He prays on Golgotha ​​(Luke 23:34) and Olivet (Luke 24:50). Everything important in the Savior’s life took place in the midst of prayer: prayer baptized Him; prayer committed His Spirit to God; prayer carried Him to heaven. What did He pray for in the Jordan? - it's a secret. It is enough to know that He prayed, without a doubt, for sinners; therefore about you and me, listener. Until now, everything happened naturally: look what miracles will happen from prayer! And abye, rising from the water, seeing the heavens parting, “and the Holy Spirit descended... like a dove of Nan: and a voice came from heaven... You are My Beloved Son, in You I am well pleased” (Luke 3:22). This means that after baptism with water over the Savior, a new, higher Baptism began and took place - with the Holy Spirit, and was performed in the most solemn way. And, firstly, “the heavens opened,” that is, the vault of heaven above the head of Jesus appeared to be split in two, similar to what happens during a strong and prolonged flash of lightning from the clouds. At the same time, the Holy Spirit appeared from the open heavens in “bodily form” (Luke 3:22) like a dove. The coming out from the depths of heaven, immediately after their opening, and the direct rush towards the head of Jesus, inspired everyone who saw that this was not a simple feathered creature, but the Spirit of God, who had taken on a bodily form. The appearance of a dove was adopted, no doubt, because the dove has always been revered as a symbol of purity, meekness and gentleness, which constituted the main qualities of the soul of Jesus. The opening of the heavens and the descent of the Spirit in themselves were already striking evidence of the Divine dignity of the Baptized One, for to whom did the heavens ever open? On whom did the Spirit descend in this way? But so that there is not the slightest room for doubt, in order to testify even more fully how great the participation of heaven is in what was now happening on earth - “a quick voice: This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). For whom is this voice? For John, if only he could hear, after what he saw; for John's disciples, some of whom may have been nearby; for all the Jews who later heard about the miracles that happened at the baptism of Jesus; finally, for all of us, who, following this voice, recognize and confess in the Son of Mary the Only Begotten of the Father, our Savior, Lord and Judge. Could this voice be needed in some way for the One being Baptized Himself? Is it for His infinite humility, which was always ready to renounce, if possible, the very glory of His great destiny (Phil. 2:6, 17; Matt. 26:39). The voice from heaven and everything else did not last long. After this, Jesus, filled with the Spirit without measure (John 3:34), no longer returned to Nazareth, but went straight to the desert adjacent to the Jordan, where, as is known, he spent forty days in fasting and prayer, overcoming the temptations of the spirit of darkness and preparing Himself for the great work of saving the human race. John remained at his Jordan, continuing to proclaim the voice of repentance and pointing to everyone who hoped for salvation to the Messiah, no longer to the one who was to come, but to the one who had come; until the voluptuous Herod, denounced as a righteous man, sacrificed his sacred head to the cold-free Herodias. Thus, brothers, the Baptism of our Savior took place! Let us pause in spirit over the Jordan and reflect on what we have seen. Many centuries have passed since these miracles took place. And yet they are always important, because our faith and salvation are confirmed on them; without them we would not be Christians and would not have the promise of eternal life. Besides, we all have, so to speak, the closest remedy to the miracles of Jordan. And the Jordan received us, and the Spirit descended on us, and we were called beloved children of God; for what does the baptism of each of us mean if not a repetition of the events of Jordan over us - the Baptism of Jesus? So, let us ask ourselves, do we keep the great vow of a good conscience and holy life given at baptism? Is the pledge of the Spirit that we received then whole? Do we walk worthy of the high calling of children of God? How necessary and important these questions are is evident from the fact that the tempter dared to appear to our Savior Himself after baptism. It is impossible that he does not appear in different forms before each of us. How do we respond to the proposals of the spirit of darkness? Ah, if instead of repelling temptations with the help of God’s grace, we fall and worship the god of this age, then where is the grace, where is the Spirit? And what are we ourselves then, whoever we are, if not traitors to the faith, scoffers of the sacred? Let us remember that we are all baptized “into the death of Christ” (Rom. 6:3), that our souls are cleansed not by water, but by the Blood of Jesus Christ, hidden in it. After this, what terrible report lies on those who do not take advantage of a remedy that cost so much? The kings of the earth have ways of persecuting those who have not kept their vow of fidelity: will the Heavenly King lack the means to repay those whose lives betray the title of His children? Such thoughts may now seem not so important, but the time will come for everyone when one thing of salvation will remain important, and everything else that previously deceived will disappear like a dream. Now there is an opportunity to compensate for the loss of the grace of baptism: there is another font - repentance; You can be baptized again - with tears. But woe to him who, having lost the power of the first baptism, does not take advantage of the second! Such a one will undergo a third - terrible, endless baptism - with eternal fire! Having deigned to be baptized in the Jordan for the sake of our salvation, Christ our true God, may His grace preserve us all from this last baptism! Amen. The third word on the day of the Epiphany of the Lord Have you heard, brethren, the word for this day? A word not composed on earth, but thundering from heaven? From the mouth not of an Angel or Archangel, but of God the Father Himself? Only twice, during the entire stay of the Son of God on earth, was the voice of the Father heard to Him: at Jordan and at Tabor; in both cases it is the same. How important should this voice be after this! And who is it for, if not for us? For the Son Himself? But He, being the Son of “the love of the Father” (1 John 2:15), already knows completely how the Father loves Him. For John? And he “rebuked Him, saying: I demand to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?” (Matthew 3:14) Therefore, he knew Whom he was baptizing. For the disciples of Jesus? They were not yet under the Teacher. For the people of Judah? And he is not at all visible at the Baptism of Jesus. After this, what does a voice from heaven mean, if not a word and a sermon to the whole world! What does the Father say? “This is My Beloved Son, in Him I am well pleased!” (Matthew 3:17) O kind and sweetest voice! So, what the forefathers expected, what the prophets foretold, what the law and rituals foreshadowed, what all creation hoped for and sighed about, that same thing was fulfilled in all its power: God, God Himself and the Lord, has appeared to us! And how did you appear? Clothed with our flesh, taking upon Himself our sins, bringing us all His wisdom and truth, all life and all blessings. About the joys and triumphs of the truly universal! Ill-fated forefathers of the human race, rise from the dust and worship the One who, being the Son of God, deigned to become your son in order to erase the head of the serpent who deceived you! Lawgiver of Sinai, hurry to the Jordan to see no longer the traces of the glory of God, but the very face of God, which you so ardently desired to see, and did not see: for now, “having seen ... the Son, you have seen the Father” (John 14:9). Wise of Israel, stop asking: “if God truly dwells from man on earth!” (1 Kings 8:27). He truly indwelled, He partook of our blood so that now nothing will separate the flesh and our humanity in it from His Divinity. But what is the power of the Divine voice? Why does the Father testify this way about the Beloved Son? So that we cannot fail to recognize what has been given to us by His boundless love, so that we may know the Son, accept Him as we should, and receive from Him everything that He brought to us from His Father and ours, His by nature, ours by grace. “You,” as if the Father were telling us from heaven, “having departed from Me, are in darkness and the shadow of death; no efforts of your mind can lead you out of this darkness; Here is the Light and the Source of all light, the Teacher, in Whom are all the treasures of wisdom and understanding: “This is My Beloved Son!” – You, carried away by the serpent’s advice, became unpaid debtors to My justice, fell into a grave captivity of sin and passions, so that our very good will, despite all our efforts, is not able to break these bonds, to uproot the root of innate corruption; Here is the Solver of all debts and bonds, the Healer of souls and hearts, Who will take from you all your untruths and give you all His truth: “This is My Beloved Son!” (Matt. 3:17) Eating the fruit of the forbidden introduced into your nature the seeds of aphids and destruction; Death, armed with the sting of sin, strikes you at every step of your life, and there is no deliverer; Here is the Lord of life and death, who, having “life in Himself” (John 5:26), like Me, “whom He wills, He lives: This is My Beloved Son!” (John 5:21, Matt. 3:14) The dark power of “he who has the power of death” (Heb. 2:14), the spirit of wickedness in high places, is hovering over you, who, having destroyed the forefather, is trying to destroy all of you, his descendants; To fight him, to overthrow him, you will need non-carnal weapons, which you do not have; here is David, who can overthrow this proud Goliath: “This is My Beloved Son!” He will with all faithfulness put into action all My good advice about you and your salvation; He will correct everything that is unclean, ungodly and deadly in you and your nature. He will open to you all the paths to achieving the goal of your existence, to returning to the path of truth and bliss, to uniting with Me. So, leaving all bewilderment, all illness and all pride, accept with all your heart, with all your being, My Beloved Son, sent down to you: “Listen to Him!” Follow Him wherever He leads you, do whatever He commands you; will say: love your enemies, love; will say: take the cross, take it; orders the flesh to be crucified on him - crucify! He knows what He commands, and He will give you strength for everything that is commanded. “This is My Beloved Son: Hear Him!” What, brethren, can a human word add to this Divine voice? So, instead of all the instructions from ourselves, we will repeat to you with reverence: “Listen to him!” Now all our salvation lies in obedience to our Savior. But the sure sign of true obedience to Him consists in nothing other than living according to His holy commandments. With this alone we can thank the love of the Father, who sent down to us His Beloved Son, who appeared for our salvation; By this we will be rewarded with the grace of the Holy Spirit, which now descends on our Intercessor for this purpose, so that through Him it may be poured out in His gifts on all of us. Amen. A word a week on enlightenment This weekly day contains considerable teaching for us in its very name, for it is called “Week of Enlightenment.” The name is very instructive, resulting from the fact that the feast of the Epiphany, followed by the present week, was called in ancient times the day of Enlightenment, or lights; and it was called so because at the evening of the evening the catechumens were enlightened by faith and baptized, as a sign of which many lamps were kindled. Wearing white clothes for seven days after Baptism, the newly baptized on this week's day for the last time appeared in these clothes to church; and for the last time she had the consolation of seeing them clothed with the sign of purity and innocence communicated to them through the Sacrament and expected of them in their morals and lives. Now, brethren, the day of Epiphany serves as a time of baptism only in distant countries, where, during the conversion of wild peoples, not only the customs, even the miracles of the apostolic times are often repeated. We all accept baptism soon after our birth and then put on white clothing. Despite this, the Week of Enlightenment should not lose its significance for us. For even in ancient times, without a doubt, it was not the newly baptized who imparted light to the past holiday, but the holiday enlightened those who were baptized with its light: but the holiday is always the same. On the contrary, if for the newly baptized the past days were days of enlightenment; then for us, who had been baptized long ago and therefore grew in faith and love, all the more so should the past festivities be luminous. What, brothers, were they really for us? “Thy Nativity, Christ our God,” the Church sang, “shine the light of the world’s understanding” 5 . And truly, the whole world is illuminated by the light of the star of Bethlehem; the terrible darkness of idolatry was driven away by them, the name of the true God, previously unknown to the sages, was revealed to the very babes. But, brothers, has this life-giving light touched our minds too? Is it not fruitlessly refracted in the imagination and memory alone? Doesn't it fade, as in unclean glass, in our heart? We saw the Magi, guided by a star, coming from the distant east to poor Bethlehem to worship the Child in a manger: did we learn in this journey of the Magi the path of true knowledge, which in its correct march should always lead to Bethlehem, to the worship of the Savior of the world? Have you learned, like the Magi, to read the will of God in the phenomena of visible nature, to hear the voice of heaven and in so-called natural events? Have you learned to go where this voice calls? Should we sacrifice to God all our acquisitions of wisdom and art, our gold, frankincense and myrrh? And, having been worthy of the revelation of the truth, not betray it to Herod - lusts and passions? We saw shepherds, at the voice of an Angel, crossing at night to Bethlehem: did we recognize in them the path of naked faith, which, being far from knowledge, by the simplicity of heart and purity of life attracts, accepts, and preserves heavenly revelations? Have you learned, like these shepherds, to keep vigil on your watch, to correctly carry out the title in which the hand of Providence has placed us? But, most of all, we beheld the Divine Child lying midwifed in a manger. What is it that we receive from Him? Has our pride and majesty fallen before His manger? Has our luxury been humbled by His swaddling clothes? Have we understood that in order to achieve the Kingdom of Heaven, we need infantile simplicity, humility and spiritual poverty, indicated to us by the Lord at His very appearance in the world? In whom, on the occasion of the Savior’s birthday, a firm desire was revived to be born of grace himself, to walk in the light of faith, to live on earth, as befits the children of God, for that “the light of reason” shone: and whoever at this festival changed only one food for another (if that needed to be changed), the quiet exercises of fasting for the noisy amusements of the holiday, he remained in the former darkness “and no one knows what goes on, like darkness blind his eyes!” (1 John 2:11). After the Nativity of Christ, we celebrated, brothers, the day of New Summer and the Circumcision of the Lord. Have you understood the internal connection of this instructive confluence of festivities? Do we understand that the new summer is given to each of us for spiritual circumcision, to cleanse ourselves from everything sinful and corruptible? And that without this circumcision, without curbing passions and mortifying the flesh, there is not and cannot be a new summer; for the old sinful man only grows old and decrepit as time goes on? Having realized this, has each of us looked at our past life and noticed that in our inner helix we are heading towards destruction and beheading? And did you decide to do it immediately? And the tree needs pruning every year, and the more carefully it is pruned, the stronger and more fruitful it becomes. It cannot be that our soul, so fruitful in evil thoughts and dry desires, does not need circumcision. So, has each of us paid as much attention to this as we pay annually to the plants in our gardens? Has it ever occurred to you that perhaps our soul is that unfortunate fig tree (Luke 13:5-9), which is already condemned to be cut and left in the new year solely by the mercy of the Heavenly Vertogradar? Whoever understood why he entered the New Year, and what he should do with time and with the garden of his soul, that the former should be used in a Christian way, and the latter should be consumed (purified) in a Christian way, for that New Year’s Day was a “day of enlightenment.” And whoever is satisfied with expressing and accepting only soulless good wishes, without thinking about changing his character and life, about renewing his mind and heart, for him there is neither a new summer, nor a new light; he is in the old, old darkness, “and no one knows who is coming, for the darkness has blinded his eyes!” Finally, brothers, according to the voice of the Church, we went to the Jordan. There are even more secrets and light! What cannot be seen in the “open skies!” (Matthew 3:16). What cannot be learned from the Father who testifies of the Beloved Son? The Spirit descending on this Son in the form of a dove? The Son Himself, receiving baptism from a slave? Here is all theology and all morality, all faith and all hope! The voice of the Father was to teach us that there is no other Teacher for us, neither on earth nor in heaven, except His Beloved Son. The descent of the Holy Spirit on the Son, in order to prepare Him to assume the great office of the Intercessor, should have taught us that without the grace of this Spirit nothing truly good and pleasing to God could be done. Finally, the humility of the Son, along with sinners receiving baptism from a slave, should have convinced us that there is no other way to enter paradise, lost by pride and self-will, except humility and obedience. It was meant to be! But how was it? Has drinking holy water quenched the thirst for sensual pleasures in any of us? Having gone to the river for consecration, did we return cleansed, even from one sin? Everyone’s conscience, brothers, must answer these questions. She only can and should tell each of us what kind of week it is now for him: after enlightenment, or after complete darkness? I say in all seriousness: for whoever, in the midst of the greatest light, has not become at all enlightened, has therefore become darker: the great light, if it does not enlighten, then darkens and blinds. And material darkness is terrible, brethren, even more terrible is spiritual darkness! Now we have many lights that apparently replace the light of Christ: there is the light of the mind and sciences, the light of experience and prudence, the light of the sun and the moon; the insects themselves, through their industriousness, provide us with the means of illumination; The rudest animals enlighten our darkness with their fat. But what will happen when all these lights, both great and small, sensory and spiritual, are suddenly extinguished by the hand of death? Who will enlighten us when our eyes close forever and we walk into darkness and the shadow of death? What will happen then to those in whom there is no light of Christ? “Arise, every one who sleeps” (Eph. 5:14), and rise by the grace of Christ from the dead; and then, and only then, will Christ illuminate you. Amen. The first word on the eve of the Transfiguration of the Lord “Come now, let us be better changed by change, in the morning we will prepare for the goodness of God’s holy mountain, having invariably seen the shining glory of Christ, clearer than the sun, and illuminated by the Trinity with the light, for this we will glorify that descent” 6 So, the Holy Church does not want, brethren, for us to be only listeners to the Transfiguration of her beloved Bridegroom; He wants, on the contrary, for all of us to ascend the holy mountain ourselves and be witnesses of the Divine greatness of our Savior. And truly, if in any case it is necessary to add vision to hearing, then here. The Transfiguration of the Lord is one of the most delightful spectacles for the spirit and heart: Peter, who wanted to stay on Tabor forever, is a witness to this. In addition, what is happening on Tabor with the Savior, with all its greatness, is not alien to all of us, for every Christian, according to the word of the Apostle, awaits transformation “from glory to glory” (2 Cor. 3:18). since our transfiguration must take place not according to any other model, but according to the image of the Transfiguration of the Lord, then how can we not want to see in the face of the transforming Lord the image of our own future transfiguration? So, “come... let us prepare” ourselves to ascend “to the mountain... holy of God.” “But how can we climb a mountain that is so far away from us? How to see something that is no longer there? For even if we came to the Promised Land and ascended Tabor, we would not now find any traces of the Transfiguration of the Lord there.” So! But for this reason it is already clear, brethren, that the Church does not at all mean sensory vision when it invites us to behold the glory of the Transfiguration of the Lord. The spirit of a person can be transported everywhere and at all times - to be with what has long passed, to see much that is hidden from the eyes of the body; and such a vision can be even more valid and beneficial for our inner man than seeing with our bodily eyes. The Holy Church now invites us to a similar spiritual ascent to Tabor, to contemplate the Transfiguration of the Lord there! But such a sunrise and such a vision, by their very essence, require a pure and sublime spirit, a light and soaring thought, a heart free from earthly bonds. Whose spirit is suppressed by the flesh, who is captive to passions, darkened by lusts, covered with the dust of vanities, he often does not see what is before his bodily eyes, does not hear what is said in his ears, forgets everything around him, even himself. Is it possible for such a person to be exalted in spirit on Tabor? Is it like this to see Moses and Elijah? Can you hear the voice of the Father testifying about the Son? Tabor is a holy place, holier than the bush of Moses and Sinai; in order to ascend it, you must remove the “boots from your feet” (Ex. 3:5), leave everything at its sole, I don’t say sinful, even earthly; here is the place for one faith of Peter, one love of John, one hope and patience of Jacob. But “who is happy with this?” (2 Cor. 2:16). Where to look for such virtues? The Church knows this, knows our impurity and heaviness, sees the extreme inability of many to be transported in pure thought to Tabor and to be in spirit visionaries of the Divine glory of the transforming Lord, and therefore advises everyone with such zeal to prepare “yourself in good spirits” for this feat, and to “be changed by a better change.” This change should consist not in a change of clothes and decorations, not in ablutions and embellishments, not in just putting aside work and activities, for after such a change the spirit and heart can remain with all the former ugliness, but in a change of feelings, so that the heart, as much as possible, is freed from attachment to visible, perishable goods, and turned to a feeling of spiritual joy and heavenly bliss, appearing in the face of the Savior; in a change of thoughts, so that the mind, occupied with the concept of earthly things, judgments about everyday affairs, turns to the contemplation of the mysteries of faith and hope revealed on Tabor; in a change of will, so that she, leaving all the unclean and ungodly rules by which she is guided in her actions, turns to the will of God, decides, following the voice from above: “Listen to him” (Matthew 17:5), to obey the law and the Gospel in everything, and not her prejudices and lusts. Only such a change is truly the best; and all other changes made for the holiday, no matter how plausible they may seem or be, are the worst. He who has been changed by such a change, and only he alone, is able to ascend Tabor and see the glory of the Transfiguration. “But is it possible to make such a great change in yourself in such a short time that remains until morning?” It is impossible for us ourselves, brothers, to perform this miracle, not only in a short time, but also throughout eternity. The grace of the Holy Spirit alone can do this. But it is always with us and in us, as soon as we begin to think about God. Moreover, it will help us when we decide to turn entirely to God. With it, with the grace of God, in the shortest possible time one can “change” with the “best change” required by the Church. In order to deeply root in ourselves this confidence necessary for us (sinners), let us listen to Saint Chrysostom, who also once invited his listeners to a similar change for the better. “Let no one tell me,” he said, “that there is not much time until the future meeting. For you can change your entire life not only in five days, but in an instant. What, for example, is worse than a robber and a murderer? Isn't this an extreme evil? However, he did not require whole days, or even half a day, but in an instant he ascended to the heights of virtues and entered into paradise. Therefore, you can suddenly change and become golden instead of mortal. Since virtue and vice are not by nature, the change, being free from all necessity, is convenient. “If you are willing and listen to Me,” says God, “you will destroy the good land” (Isa. 1:19). You see, one desire is required: only the desire is not simple and like many have, but an active one! “I know,” continued Saint Vitija, “that you want to fly to heaven; (Oh, if only this could be said about all of us now talking!), but there must be a desire to show this in practice. For a merchant, wanting to get rich, does not stop at having this desire only in his soul, but prepares a ship, gathers sailors, invites a helmsman, and supplies the ship with other needs, borrows gold, sails across the sea, sails to a foreign land, is exposed to many dangers and all other disadvantages that are known to seafarers; This is how desire should show us! For we too float, only not from earth to earth, but from earth to heaven. So, let us make our thought capable of successfully managing the voyage, which would bring us to grief; Let us prepare servants submissive to her, and a solid ship, which, just as it would not sink from the misfortunes and sorrows of everyday life, would not rise high in the spirit of pride, but would be comfortable and light. If we have such a ship and such a helmsman and servants, then we will sail safely, and we will attract the Son of God, the true Helmsman, to ourselves, who will not allow our ship to sink, but if the countless winds howl, He will rebuke the winds and the sea, and instead of the storm will produce great silence.” “Having prepared yourself in this way,” concludes Saint Chrysostom, “come to the next meeting, if you wish to hear and retain something useful in your soul” 7. Let us now conclude with the same thing, brethren, when we invite you to tomorrow’s interview. Meanwhile - “the blessing of the Lord be upon you through the grace and love of mankind” 8 of the transfigured Lord! Amen. Second Homily on the Day of the Transfiguration of the Lord “Come, let us ascend to the mountain of the Lord and to the house of our God, and we will see the glory of His Transfiguration, the glory of the Only Begotten of the Father: with the light we receive the light, and having been exalted in spirit, we will sing the Trinity of the Consubstantial One forever!” 9 After yesterday, on behalf of the Holy Church, I invited you, brethren, to pre-clean yourself and prepare yourself for the Divine ascension to the Holy Mountain of God, so that there you could be a witness of the Transfiguration of the Lord, after this some, probably, had already preceded us with this holy deed, and were in thought and spirit on the holy mountain; and some, perhaps, were not only there, but also partook of the glory of the Transfiguration of the Lord, which, according to the assurance of the Apostle (2 Cor. 3:18), is an event that should be repeated over all true followers of Christ. But nevertheless, everyone, both those who were and those who were not, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord!” Those who were there will not be surprised that they are being invited back to where the supreme of the apostles wanted to stay forever; and those who have not been should all the more hasten to the place where truly “there is goodness... to be!” (Matthew 17:4). But who will be our leader in this, as the Church calls it, “Divine Sunrise”? The leaders will be the three holy evangelists: Matthew, Mark and Luke, who, although they themselves did not contemplate the glory of the Transfiguration with their bodily eyes, were nevertheless awarded by the Holy Spirit not only to contemplate this glory with spiritual eyes, but also to proclaim it to the whole world in their writings. And so that we, through weakness and Since our inexperience does not lag behind these great leaders, we will more often, in the midst of this spiritual procession and contemplation, consult with those who have accomplished this many times and very successfully: I mean the holy fathers, who left us many beautiful reflections on the Transfiguration of our Lord. In the hope of such leaders and mentors, let us, brothers, be transported in spirit to Mount Tabor. “But according to these words he was quick as the day was born” (Luke 9:28), - this is how the story of the Transfiguration begins. Not without an important reason, the evangelists, who for the most part do not indicate in detail the time of events, in this case all point to it. There must be a close, internal connection between the event to which they point and the Transfiguration of the Lord. What happened in eight days? In eight days, two important things happened: one very pleasant, and the other very unpleasant. It was pleasant that Peter, in response to Jesus Christ’s question to the apostles, “Who do you say that I am!” (Matthew 16:15) - a question proposed on the occasion of a disagreement in popular opinions about Him - he answered with all firmness: “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God!” (Matthew 16:16). The God-Man, as a reward for such a solemn confession of His Divine dignity, which had not yet been clearly revealed to any of the disciples, prophetically called Peter the stone of His Church, promised to give him the keys of His Kingdom, and from that time began to conduct Himself more openly among the disciples, like the promised Messiah; but at the same time he began to often predict His death on the cross. It was very unpleasant that this same Peter, having heard for the first time about the cross, and thinking that such a terrible fate was completely incompatible with the dignity of the Son of God, whom he had confessed, considered it a duty of love to reproach Him about this, saying: “This should not be for You!” (Matthew 16:22). This bickering and compassion were so untimely, so contrary to the plans of the wisdom of God for the salvation of the human race, but at the same time so tempting for the weak human nature, which always turns away from suffering, that the Savior, in order to uproot the dangerous thought at once, was forced to say to Peter: “Follow Me, Satan, you are My temptation!” (Matthew 16:23). This is what happened eight days before the Transfiguration! For the first time, both the Divine dignity of the Teacher and His future cross were completely clearly revealed to the disciples: the first was accepted unanimously, but the latter found strong contradiction. Considering what is happening now on Tabor, it is not difficult, brothers, to see the internal connection between this and that event. Peter, contrary to the opinion of the people, who revered Jesus as Elijah, or as one of the Prophets, confessed Him as the Son of God; and behold, on Tabor the Father Himself confirms the same thing, and Moses and Elijah appear before Him as servants. But the same Peter, following the general erroneous opinion of his fellow tribesmen, believed that the Cross was completely incompatible with the dignity of the Messiah; and behold, Moses and Elijah, in the midst of the very glory of Tabor, speak of nothing other than the Cross; Let all those who were tempted by the Cross know that its foundation is not on earth, but in heaven, that it is inseparable from the glory of the Son of God, and is the fruit of His own will and love for people 10. Such is the connection of the Transfiguration of the Lord with the events that preceded it, and such is its internal meaning and purpose! The Holy Church expresses this very clearly and powerfully when she sings: “You were transfigured on the mountain, so that when they see You crucified, they will understand your suffering freely.” 11 Let us now follow the story of the evangelists. “And after the sixth day Jesus gave drink to Peter and James and John... He brought them up to a high mountain alone” (Matthew 17:1). The greatest miracle required more than one witness; therefore three of them will be eaten; a special ability for spiritual contemplation was required in witnesses; therefore, the most chosen are received: Peter is the first of the apostles by faith (Matthew 16:16-18), John is the first by love (John 21:20), James is the first by patience and the crown of martyrdom (Acts 12:2). The other disciples were probably not yet able (John 16:12) to bear the glory of the Transfiguration of their Teacher and Lord. I say: reschedule. For, although it was very good to be on Tabor; but at the voice from the cloud, even the chosen ones will fall on their faces and be beside themselves with fear. For others, such a phenomenon could be fraught with extreme danger; Moreover, for a traitor, the rays of heavenly glory could be unbearable, and he could not be left alone without giving rise to suspicion and a complaint of neglect. “A high mountain” was chosen as the site of the Transfiguration (Matt. 17:1), - according to the most ancient legend, 12 Tabor, glorified by the victory of Barak (Judges 4:14–16). Great heights involuntarily elevate the spirit and detach, more or less, from everything earthly; and solitary silence, not disturbed by the presence of creatures, is conducive to conversation with the Creator. Therefore, since ancient times, most of the Epiphanies - to Abraham, Moses, Elijah - were followed on the mountain. Favor was, as it were, created for this purpose, for even now, according to the testimony of travelers, there is the best place in all of Palestine. The creative right hand of God the Father deliberately decorated the place of the future Transfiguration of the beloved Son. The dream (Luke 9:32) in which the apostles were at the beginning of the Transfiguration makes it clear that they were ascended to the mountain at a time conducive to sleep, and that the extraordinary purpose of the ascension was not previously revealed to them. Otherwise, was it possible to indulge in sleep? The Teacher used to retire to the mountains to pray (Luke 6:12), and now he “went up,” notes the Evangelist Luke, “to the mountain to pray” (Luke 9:28). What would happen in the midst of this and from this prayer - knew only “He” Himself. No matter how easy it was to pray on the top of Tabor, in the silence of everything around, close to the Divine Teacher, the disciples could not share it with Him to the end, and yielded power over themselves to sleep, which, as they rightly note, attacks a person with the greatest force during prayer, and then most of all takes possession of him when for some reason he most needs to be vigilant. The God-man continued to pray alone. Can you imagine, or better yet, it is impossible to imagine how the Only Begotten Son, the Beloved, prayed to the Father in such important moments! The Evangelists do not tell us what exactly was the subject of His prayer. But this is partly obvious. Just as there is nothing for us in the matter of salvation, so for the God-man in the matter of serving this salvation, there was nothing more important than the Cross (Luke 9:22–24). Could therefore this Cross itself have been forgotten in prayer on Tabor? Moses and Elijah, of course, did not so much begin themselves as they continued the conversation between the God-Man and the Father that began in prayer, but they “spoke His outcome!” (Luke 9:31). But whatever the subject of the Tabor Prayer of Jesus, only this prayer was one of the most extraordinary even among His prayers, for, “whenever He prayed, the vision of His face was different” (Luke 9:29): it “shone like the sun, and His robe was white like light” (Matthew 17:2), “glittering” (Mark 9:3). That is, - as far as one can explain such phenomena with weak human words - prayer so aroused and moved the fullness of the Divinity hidden in the humanity of Jesus that it, filling the soul of the God-man with its light, penetrated the body and shone in the face; not fitting here, it shone and transformed the very clothes. If you, brethren, have read the lives of the saints, then, without a doubt, you will now remember that, with all the Divinity of this miracle, something similar happened in the lives of the saints. And sometimes, during prayer, from the inner delight of the soul, inflamed with love for God, they seemed surrounded by heavenly light and took on a glorified appearance - for example, Arsenius the Great (Chetiy Menaion, May 8), Theodore of Edessa (July 9), Gregory of Omirite (December 19). This was all the more natural in the prayer of the God-Man, in Whom the Divinity, no matter how hidden under the veil of human flesh, on every special occasion revealed its presence and “shone,” according to the expression of the Church, like lightning (service for the Transfiguration of the Lord). Tabor glory required rigorous witnesses; but the chosen ones on earth are witnesses of “burdened by sleep”! (Luke 9:32). Therefore, others appeared, from another world, attracted by the power, perhaps, of the same extraordinary prayer, in the midst of which and from which the Transfiguration itself followed. “Moses appeared to them and Elijah spoke with Him” (Matthew 17:3). Moses appears, as the intercessor and founder of the Old Testament, before the Author and Perfector of the New Testament; Elijah - as the most important of the prophets, in his zeal and actions, before the One in Whom all the prophecies now received fulfillment. Both appear - “in glory”, similar to the glory of the God-man, and apparently borrowed from Him, - thereby showing in themselves that all His followers will be “enlightened” through Him, once “like the sun in the Kingdom of the Father” of Heaven (Matthew 13:43). To this, early in comparison with other righteous people, enlightenment with the glory of heaven, the beginning was made in Elijah an unprecedented taking him to heaven with his body (2 Kings 2:11), and in Moses - a miraculous reflection of glory on his face from an interview with God (Exodus 34:29-35), as a result of which even at the time of death, as the holy historian notes, “his eyes were not darkened, his lips were not corrupted” (Deut. 34:7). Whom all the righteous people and prophets of the Old Testament wanted to see and did not see, was a new reward for both the lawgiver of Sinai and the desert dweller of Carmel. At Tabor, their desire was finally fulfilled: to see God face to face (Ex. 33:13, 1 Kings 19:13), for they saw here the One who is “the radiance of glory and the image of His hypostasis” (Heb. 1:3), and were honored to talk with Him face to face. And for the Son of Man, the first meeting in glory with the greatest of His predecessors and heralds served, without a doubt, as a kind of consolation in the midst of His long-suffering earthly career. But the subject of Favorsky’s interview was not joyful! “Having appeared in glory, He spoke His departure, which He wanted to die in Jerusalem” (Luke 9:31). Why did the inhabitants of heaven speak of the outcome, that is, they talked about the last days and death of the God-man, and not about anything else, joyful and pleasant; We have already touched upon some of the motivation for this in our reflections. That is, the Cross, as one must assume, was already, even before the appearance of the earthly celestials, the subject of Jesus’ prayerful conversation with the Father, and they did not themselves begin, but only continued the word of the cross already begun by the Crusader Himself. How did you continue? A reverent deepening into the causes and purpose of the suffering and death of the Son of God, bringing to memory ancient prophecies and events that prefigured it, a detailed depiction of the circumstances of the future sacrifice of Calvary. Such an interview with the Teacher about the Cross of two of the greatest persons of the Old Testament could most of all serve in the minds of the apostles to remove temptation from the Cross. Was there any need for this interview for the God-Man Himself? If there was, then it was known to Him alone. When the two witnesses of the heavenly world again completed their ancient Divine service on earth, the three witnesses of the earthly world almost slept through their great watch: they were heavy with sleep! Such is human nature! On Tabor and in Gethsemane she is equal to herself: she sleeps when she needs to be awake, and, on the contrary, sometimes watches out of spite when she needs to rest. Finally, an excess of heavenly light penetrated into the eyes closed in sleep. Before the end of the conversation, when Moses and Elijah were already preparing to depart back to heaven (Luke 9:33), the disciples awoke from sleep to be plunged into delight! Before them is their Teacher, but which one? and with what? – Everything is full of light, greatness, bliss! There was no need to ask, who are those talking with Him? If the illustrious appearance of Moses and Elijah and their inner character, reflected in their very appearance, did not speak about them, then the heart would let us know that it was “they” – the foremost of the inhabitants of heaven! Confused, trembling, the disciples did not know after this from delight what to say and what to do (Mark 9:5-6). Only Peter’s mouth opened, as usual; but it was not the mind that spoke with them, but the heart, according to the first impression of the senses. Noticing (Luke 9:33) that Moses and Elijah wanted to leave, and not wanting to part with Tabor bliss so quickly, he involuntarily exclaimed: “Lord, it is good for us to be here: if you want, we will create three canopies here, one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah” (Matthew 17:4). That is, - as Saint Chrysostom explains these words, - why leave such a beautiful place to go to Jerusalem, to the Cross? “It is better to arrange a home here for everyone, and in solitude, as long as possible, enjoy bliss.” “He is ignorant of what he says” (Luke 9:33), notes the Evangelist Luke about this exclamation of Peter. In fact, they assumed that the Transfiguration and the glory of the Teacher are not temporary phenomena, but will continue forever; that Moses and Elijah with their glorified bodies can remain to live on our mortal earth - unrealistic assumptions! What kind of lifestyle would it be like on Tabor? How would the salvation of the human race be accomplished? How would the prophecies be fulfilled? How would Peter himself receive the keys of the Kingdom there? (Matthew 16:19). But a person driven by feelings, which this time was the son of Ionin, does not want to know anything like that, and often expresses desires and gives advice that are completely unrealizable: “ignorant, as the saying goes!” With such ignorance, which prevailed over Peter’s mind more than once on Tabor, son Jonin always firmly knew and firmly maintained one thing - his love for the Teacher. “Don’t look for this,” notes Chrysostom, “for it is not so much consolation that the image is, but how warm it is, how passionate it is for Christ” 13. Indeed, why is it especially good to be on Tabor? Because there is no cross for the Teacher. - And speaking about the creation of three vestibules, Peter forgets himself and his fellow disciples. As if to prove that Peter in vain, in the midst of a spectacle not made by hands, cares about the canopy made with hands, and wants to mix human efforts into the work of God - “I also say to him, behold, the clouds of the light of their autumn” (Matthew 17:5); that is, the Lord Jesus with Moses and Elijah, who, for this very reason, now separated from the disciples and presented themselves as imprisoned in a cloud, as in some kind of sanctuary 14. The overshadowing of the cloud should have further strengthened in the disciples the idea of ​​the immediate presence of God Himself now on Tabor, for “such,” in the words of Chrysostom, “God appeared evermore”: He appeared in the cloud both on Sinai (Exodus 20:21), and in the tabernacle (Exodus 40:34), and at the church (1 Kings 8:10). And the thought of the direct presence of God filled my heart with a new, powerful thrill. They were especially “afraid” when they themselves “entered into the cloud” (Luke 9:34), that is, when the cloud then overshadowed the disciples. “They were afraid,” for God Himself once said to Moses and others: “No man shall see My face and live” (Exodus 33:20); and here this face was so clearly revealed in the enlightened image of the God-man! Faith was now supposed to inspire something else - to calm the disciples from the Old Testament fear: but the Tabor witnesses had not yet fully entered into the spirit of the New Testament, and just as they themselves were ready a little earlier, following the example of Elijah, to bring down fire on the disobedient (Luke 9:54), so in the Tabor Epiphany they were afraid to see the God of Elijah. To complete the solemn spectacle, but also the fear in the disciples, “a voice came from the cloud, saying: This is My Beloved Son, Hear ye Him!” (Mark 9:7). With this the whole dignity and the whole mystery of the Divine Face of Jesus was finally proclaimed: a greater testimony could neither be given nor received on earth. For Moses himself, the legislator of the Old Testament, managed to earn only the title of “faithful servant” (Heb. 3:5) in the house of God, and the Son of Mary is now called the Only Begotten Son, the Beloved. He is commanded to listen to Him, and not to the scribes, not to the princes of the Jews, who attracted the poor people to themselves, to listen in everything, for He, as He Himself asserted about Himself, always does not His own will, but “the Father’s who sent Him” (John 6:38), preaches and says “only what He heard” from the Father (John 8:26), for “He and the Father are one!” (John 10:30). “Listen,” and therefore do not argue with Him, both when He Himself goes and when He calls you to the Cross. As if so that the power and significance of this testimony could be more indivisibly and more visiblely concentrated on the face of the One Witnessed 15 - “when a voice came, Jesus was found alone” (Luke 9:36) - without Moses and Elijah, who suddenly disappeared, giving place to His glory - the only one. Nothing could be more joyful for the disciples than the voice with which their Beloved Teacher was called the Beloved Son of the Heavenly Father. But only the Son could hear the fearlessly similar voices of the Father. “Children” (John 13:33), as the Savior called the disciples according to their childish feelings), when they heard this voice, “they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid” (Matthew 17:6). The height of the glory of the Divine Teacher seemed to them their last minute on earth! “Rise up and do not be afraid,” said the Lord, approaching the fallen. But one voice was dissatisfied with the uprising, although it was enough for defeat. Therefore, “Jesus came and touched them” (Matthew 17:7), - without a doubt, with that all-restoring touch from which the blind saw, the dead rose from their graves (Dan. 10:8–10. Rev. 1:17). Encouraged by the voice, healed by the touch, the disciples began to see everything calmly; but the Divine vision had already ended: “he lifted up his eyes, seeing no one except Jesus alone” (Matthew 17:8), as if in a visible sign that the times of the Mosaic law and Elijah’s severity had already passed, giving way to grace and truth (John 1:17). The Lord did not say anything to the disciples to explain His Transfiguration. What was seen and heard spoke for itself. On the contrary, during the descent from the mountain (which immediately followed the Transfiguration), He forbade the disciples to even tell anyone about what had happened until the Son of Man rose from the dead. “And to those who came down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying: Show to no one a vision, until the Son of Man rises from the dead” (Matthew 17:9). The prohibition, apparently contrary to the voice of heaven: “This is my beloved Son, listen to him” (Matthew 17:5), but in fact it is very necessary. The rumor about the extraordinary glorification of Jesus on Tabor and the appearance of Moses and Elijah before Him could have excited all of Judea and brought the Jewish people, already prone to rebellion, to the point of falling away from the Romans; and this was completely inconsistent with the spirit of the ministry of Jesus, whose kingdom was not “of this world” (John 18:36). And for the other disciples of Jesus, who had not yet been purified by the Cross and the Spirit, who still dreamed of crowns and primacy (Matt. 20:20–24), news of the Tabor event, which took place without them, could serve as a reason for complaints, rivalry and mutual suspicions. After the resurrection, when the earthly life of the God-man ended, and what was most mysterious and incomprehensible to the mind in it was resolved by the Cross, when the apostles ceased to “understand their Teacher according to the flesh” (2 Cor. 5:16), and parted with the dreamy thought of the earthly kingdom of the Messiah, the voice of the Father, testifying about the Son, could already be easily heard by everyone and therefore began thunder through the trumpets of the Gospel to all the ends of the universe. Thus, for a considerable time on earth only three disciples knew about the glorious event of Tabor! The Son of Man valued earthly glory so little! Now, brothers, we know everything about Him, from small to large. We know so much that, just as Paul once spoke to the Galatians, wanting to express the clarity of their concepts about the Cross of Christ: among “you He was crucified” (Gal. 3:1), we can say: “among you He was transfigured!” We even know that the Transfiguration of the Lord is an image of our transfiguration, that we all, looking with open face... at the glory of our Lord, must be transformed by the Spirit of God into the same image... from glory to glory (2 Cor. 3:18). What does all this knowledge produce in us? Do you have any incentive to achieve the Transfiguration that is destined for us? Do we listen to Him Whom the voice from the cloud commands us to listen to? Are we listening to him alone? Don't we choose other teachers for ourselves? Are we looking for other saviors? He who listens to the Beloved Son, as He Himself says, always walks in Him (John 10:4), sees everything in His light, desires only what is pleasing to Him, does only His will, delights in His promises and love - for this Jesus is everything: “the way and the truth and the life” (John 14:6), - “wisdom... and truth... and deliverance” (1 Cor. 1:30). Is our Lord for us? And are we for Him? It is not in vain that a voice thunders from the cloud: He “judges us on the last day” (John 12:48), if we do not know how to find our salvation in Him Who is the Savior for one and all! And our sensual man sees that it is good to be with Jesus. Where is there so much life, light and bliss as with Him? And He Himself, our Savior, wants good things for us: for this He left heaven, lived on earth, suffered and died, so that It was good for us. He ascended into heaven in order to “prepare” mansions (John 14:2), not for Himself, but for us, the bloodless pilgrims of the earth. What, I say, does faith in all this produce in us? Are we preparing for eternal transfiguration with Jesus? - Do we not, on the contrary, create eternal shadows on earth? (Ps. 29:7). But, brethren, no matter how much we erect canopies here, no matter how much we apply our hearts to the earth, we will not escape the heavenly determination: sooner or later, an outcome awaits us (Luke 9:31). It is good for us if he goes to Heavenly Jerusalem, even if on the way he must be baptized with a baptism of fire (Matthew 3:11). But what if we go to where they don’t come from, “until the last penny will be paid!” (Matthew 5:26). But let us pass, if we do not cease to be Christians in one name, we will not arise from the sleep of sin. What prevents us from doing this? Doesn't everyone demand this? How? Moses and Elijah, the law and the prophets are above our heads, and we are sleeping! The Lord is transformed in the glory of Providence before us, now afflicting us with sudden mercy, now striking us with sudden deprivations, now prophesying to the mind, now touching the heart, while we sleep! Oh, the hour, “the hour is already for us to rise from this disastrous sleep!” (Rom. 13:11). - “It is enough” for us to live “the will of the pagans, who walked” in all the “impurities” of sin! (1 Pet. 4:3, 2). Amen. The third word on the Transfiguration of the Lord. By the blessing of the fruits The real celebration, brothers, as you can see for yourself, has, among other things, the peculiarity that now the fruits of our gardens are brought to the church and blessed. The custom of appearing before the Lord with the firstfruits of fruits is so ancient that we find the first traces of it in the family of the first man. In the Church under the law, in accordance with the spirit of the Old Testament, even a strict law ordered the entire people of Israel to dedicate to God the firstfruits of all the fruits of the earth, which, brought to the church, then became the inheritance of its priests. There is no such commandment in the New Testament, but the feeling of filial love and gratitude before God the Benefactor, so characteristic of the children of the New Law of Grace, naturally predisposes one not to encroach on the use of the fruits of the new summer, but to sanctify them by bringing them to the church of the Lord and invoking the all-sanctifying name of God over them; Therefore, the custom of bringing new fruits to the church for consecration belongs to the most ancient Christian customs. In Orthodox Greece, from where, along with faith and worship, all sacred customs came to us, by this day the bunch of grapes has already ripened, which is why in prayer a blessing is asked primarily for the bunch, which is especially abundant in the eastern countries. In most of our Fatherland, this fruit is not available due to the northern position of our country, but instead of this, the Providence of God, which shares its gifts to everyone in abundance, has blessed our country with many other fruits, which, for that very reason, are now brought to the church for consecration instead of clusters. The spectacle is pleasant and at the same time instructive! Yes, brothers, and an instructive one: when we offer the fruits of our fields and heaps as gifts to the Lord, let us not forget that we should all be the most fruitful trees in the heaps of the Lord, which is the Church of God. It is not in vain that Saint David likens a pious man to “a tree planted at the issue of the waters, which will yield its fruit in its season” (Ps. 1:3). It is not in vain that the Savior Himself compares His true disciples to bunches or branches of vines, which, borrowing from Him, like the Divine vine, the juice of life, should bear much fruit. Otherwise, that is, failure to bear the proper fruits, every sinful soul is threatened with eruption from the helicity and being thrown into fire, just as heligraduators do with barren trees. This is how it must certainly be, for if it is extremely unpleasant for the earthly gardener when his many years of work on a tree do not bring him the fruit it deserves; it is a hundred times more distressing for the Heavenly Master when the human soul, which has cost Him so much care, remains barren. For what do earthly heli-graders do for their heli-grads? They depend on them only for their property and spend their cares, but the Heavenly Heli-Grader laid down His very soul for the heli-graduate. After this, how precious every tree should be to Him—every believing soul! How pleasant is the fruit of the garden and how bitter is the barrenness of bad trees! What fruit will we now bring, brethren, to the Lord from the heap of our souls and hearts? This fruit is our spiritual Transformation. Don’t think that I am using this expression just to adapt it to the present day: no, the matter itself requires it. Unfold the books of the Holy Scriptures - and you will see that the fall of the human race consisted in nothing other than the fact that through sin it lost the image of God, which during its innocence adorned it and was the source of all other perfections; You will also see that our salvation, accomplished by the power of Christ’s merits and the grace of the Holy Spirit, consists in nothing else than the restoration in us of the primitive image of God, that is, in other words, in our transformation from children of sin, curse and wrath, into children of holiness, love and blessing. Such a Transfiguration is the main subject of faith, our activity, our life; and for that very reason it should be the first and last fruit from us to the heavenly Vertogradar, who acquired us with His blood. Looking now with reverence at the face of the Lord, shining on Tabor like the sun, let us think, brethren, that similar glory awaits us: “for the righteous, it is said, will shine like the sun” (Matthew 13:43) in the Kingdom of the Heavenly Father; and having thought about this, let us pay attention to our heart and our life in order to see whether they contain, at least, the beginnings of that purity and that perfection that are required for this glorious Transfiguration. Those who find in themselves a certain guarantee of this future bliss, let them hasten to offer it as a gift to their Lord and Savior, as the fruit not so much of their own efforts as of His all-powerful grace. And those who, penetrating to the face of their existence, find the image of their soul dark and unsightly, may they not hesitate to be enlightened by the light from the face of the transformed Lord. Amen. First Word on the Day of the Image Not Made by Hands Christian holidays are such that each of them contains a lesson in itself; but in some celebrations this teaching is hidden in the depths of the event being celebrated, and in others it lies, so to speak, on its surface. Thus, a real holiday in honor of the Image Not Made by Hands teaches many and important things by its very name. It is known why it is called this way: because the Lord Jesus was pleased to miraculously imprint His image on the lining for Abgar, the owner of Edessa, while the painter sent from Abgar to remove this image could not do it with his art. The event itself is private, concerning only Avgar and his artist; but the truth expressed in it is important and instructive for everyone. In fact, does Abgar alone need to have the image of Christ? This is a necessity for one and all. Since we have lost through sin, in the person of our ancestors, the image of God, the first and last duty of every person who wants to achieve the goal of his existence is to restore this lost image in himself. Who will return this precious image to us? Who is able to imprint it on our soul and our entire being? No one except God Himself, His Only Begotten Son and the All-Holy Spirit. The true image of God, both supplied in innocent man and restored in fallen man, has always been and is not made by hands. Only those who have never sincerely embarked on the great task of restoring the image of God in themselves can doubt this, and are guided in judging this not by experience, but by their own thoughts and imagination. In this deceptive mirror, it may certainly seem possible for a person to completely correct himself and achieve godlikeness through his own efforts: otherwise - the mind wonders - what will human freedom mean? Why the natural desire for perfection? Why is there a law that requires purity and likeness to God from a person? All these are beautiful thoughts in appearance, but begin not to think, but to act, begin to form yourself in the image of God, not only in thoughts and on paper, but in reality in life, then you will see what our freedom means - this is now the ability to no longer get up and walk, but to allow yourself to be raised and lead; you will find out how much can come from your natural desire for perfection. The following can happen: a good intention and temporary determination to achieve perfection, temporary diligence and faithfulness in the use of means that serve this purpose, external improvement of one’s life and some beginnings of correction of the internal, but not perfection itself, not that purity of thoughts and hearts, not that spiritual splendor, not that firmness in goodness, which are necessarily required of a being created in the image of God and destined for eternal blissful communion with the Being. all-perfect. Then you will understand what the law serves, constantly reminding you of perfection; although you cannot achieve it with your own strength, it serves to ensure that, not finding the means to achieve this goal in yourself, you turn with your whole being to the One who alone can give you the ability and strength to do this, that is, to your Lord and Savior, who, being the only and perfect image of the hypostasis of the Father, came to earth for this purpose in order to imprint this image with Himself in all those who represent their souls to Him for this purpose. theirs, like clean rubbish. To further explain the important truth that a person, having lost the image of God through sin, cannot restore it in himself, that is, completely cleanse and correct his heart and nature, for this we will use a simple comparison taken from the present celebration. What happens in order to reimprint on something an image that has been erased or damaged? It is necessary, firstly, to soften the substance on which they want to make an imprint; secondly, a faithful and durable seal with the image is necessary; and finally, this seal must be applied in a known manner to the prepared substance. Now look, is a person able to penetrate with his will to the depths of his nature, cleanse all his strengths and abilities from everything extraneous and unclean, soften them and bring them to that degree of perfection so that they can take on and preserve within themselves the holiest features of the image of God? It is obvious that for this softening, this melting of our rough nature, the warm, cool breath of our lips is not enough, the weak fire of our love for God is not enough. For this, the all-powerful breath of the Spirit of God is needed, the all-penetrating fire of the love of Jesus - they can only penetrate to the division of our soul and spirit, expel from the heart everything alien and ungodly, soften the hard, open the dead, revive the dead; briefly: to make the soul and heart capable of imagining the first goodness, in the image of the Creator. Even if a person had so much strength within himself to prepare his being for the imprint of the image of God in him, then this preparation is only a beginning to the task, and not the task itself. To imprint the image of God in oneself, as we have noticed, a seal with this image is necessary. But where is this seal? There is no seal equivalent to the face of God anywhere except the Son of God Himself. He, and He alone, is the imprinted image of the being of the Father. Who is able to act with it, (the seal) except itself? It is true that the Son of God, out of His boundless love for us, is always ready to give Himself to us, so that through Him we may imprint in ourselves the image of His and our Father; but who can act by Him without Himself! We cannot approach Him Himself, if not the Father, “having sent Him, will draw” (John 6:44) us, and having approached, we can do nothing more than surrender ourselves to Him, as a substance, to recreate us in His image. With all this in mind, let us, brethren, use all our strength to cleanse ourselves as much as possible from everything sinful and ungodly, so that day by day we may advance in virtue and draw closer in spirit to our Creator and Lord. But let’s stop thinking so that we can achieve the goal of our existence on our own; so that through their own efforts they manage to restore the image of God in themselves: this is the work of the almighty grace of God. The true image of God is always not made by hands. Amen. The second word on the day of the Image Not Made by Hands and at the beginning of academic teaching At the conclusion of the Gospel of John we read: “And these are many other things that Jesus did (Gospels); the essence is not written in these books; “Even if,” the evangelist continues to explain the brevity of the Gospel, “if they had been written one by one, I would not be able to contain the books that were written” (John 21:25). One of those miraculous actions of Jesus Christ, not described in the Gospel, serves, brethren, as the basis for this celebration. Abgar, the owner of Edessa, - as the ancient legend says, - who was suffering from an incurable illness, heard a rumor that an extraordinary Man had appeared in Judea, called Jesus, who healed all kinds of diseases with one word. Driven by the desire for health, Abgar immediately sends one of his servants, named Ananias, versed in the art of painting, with a letter to the great Wonderworker, which contained an invitation to come to Edessa to provide healing to its owner and to share with him, as a reward for this, all the benefits of royal life. At the same time, the command was given to Ananias to remove, unknown to the Wonderworker, the image of His face. Ananias successfully fulfilled one part of his assignment: he handed over the letter from his owner and received a letter in response, in which it was said that the Divine Wonderworker should remain forever in Judea, until the day of His ascension into heaven, but that after this event one of His apostles would be sent to Abgar with salvation not only physical, but also spiritual. But Ananias could not fulfill the other part of the assignment - to remove the image of the face of Jesus: the Divine image remained above all the efforts of art, and the artist did not find the desired similarity in his image with the great Original. The man of the heart saw all this and did not want the work of Ananias and the diligence of his ruler to remain unrewarded. Having deliberately washed His face with water in his presence, He wiped it with a rug, and suddenly His Divine image, which constituted a most precious gift for the Edessa owner, was imprinted with all precision on this rug. After the Savior’s ascension into heaven, the promise regarding the Apostle’s message to Abgar was also fulfilled. Thaddeus, one of the seventy, having reached Edessa, taught him healing from a physical illness and, at the same time, brought eternal salvation to him and his subjects, baptizing them in the name of the Lord Jesus. And even after the death of Abgar, the Not Made by Hands Image of the Savior for a long time formed an insurmountable wall for Edessa from enemies visible and invisible, until it was acquired as a precious treasure by Romanus, the king of Greece, and transferred to Constantinople on the sixteenth day of the month of August - on which occasion the current celebration began. From this same festival - in honor of the Image of Christ Not Made by Hands - our teaching should begin annually; and this same image was chosen as a sign of distinction for those who, among their education, showed particular success in the spiritual sciences! The bringing together of things may be unintentional among people, but, of course, not without intention among Him, Who not only Himself created everything with a purpose, but without a purpose does not allow others to do anything in such cases. This celebration very clearly makes us understand what the essence and main goal of our education is: on Whom it mainly depends and in what way it is acquired. It is not without reason, brothers, that we are accustomed to calling every teaching education, and people familiar with enlightenment, educated. What does this mean? Is man really a being without an image? What education could still be necessary for one who is called and is the image of God? Man was once the image of God not made by hands, and as long as he was, he did not demand “let anyone teach” him (1 John 2:27); for the very image of God taught him everything, guiding him into all truth. But the son of dust was not content with the image of God, neglected His instruction, opened his ears to alien advice, and at the same time accepted a new, terrible image - the image of the destroying serpent. “His eyes were opened” (Gen. 3:7) to see his own nakedness, but the inner eye was closed. Man began to give birth to others like himself, no longer in the image of God (for he could not communicate to others what he himself had lost), but “according to his own appearance” (Gen. 5:3), according to the appearance of earthy, gloomy, and ugly Adam. But the evil did not stop there either: darkening more and more the remains of the image of God within himself, the disfigured man reached the point where, instead of becoming like the Creator, he began to be likened to “foolish cattle and become like them” (Ps. 49:13); and finally, he began to change the glory of the incorruptible God, his archetype, “into the likeness... of corruptible man, even of birds and four-footed creatures and creeping things” (Rom. 1:23). That is, not only was the list completely damaged, but the original was also lost, from which it would have been possible, although it would not have been possible to restore the damaged list (for this required the hand of the first artist - God), at least to see what it was like in the beginning. In vain “the invisible... conceived of God’s creatures was visible... and His ever-present power and Divinity” (Rom. 1:20): “vain men... naturally... were not able to understand the things that exist from visible goods, nor did they recognize the cunning by deeds with heedfulness” (Wis. 13:1). In vain, many sages, like Ananias, attempted, either with the visible universe and its beauty, or with the inner world of the human spirit, to remove the image of the Divine and present it for imitation by man who was looking for his original; but could the original be restored from the damaged lists? The divine image constantly remained above the efforts of human wisdom; all man-made ideals of the Divine were inevitably resolved into the concept of the “unknown God” (Acts 17:23). Finally, the entire ancient world came of its own accord to the sad conviction that in order to see God - its prototype, for this a person had to give up his life (Ex. 33:20); and the very first of the sages proclaimed that the Father of Nature is difficult to find, and if anyone found it, then one cannot talk about Him to everyone (Plato). That is, man moved so far away from his prototype that he saw in himself the impossibility of approaching it on his own; condemned himself to eternal ugliness! But Providence was waiting for this awareness of his weakness in order to reveal in its entirety the great work He had begun long ago of restoring the image of God in man. - “God spoke of many parts and manifolds of old for this purpose in the prophets, and later spoke to us in the Son... Who is the radiance of glory and the image of His hypostasis” (Heb. 1:1-3), - “He made Himself a little for us, and received the form of a servant, being in the likeness of mankind, and found in the likeness of man” (Phil. 2:7). And so that we recognize in Him not only our prototype, but also the path to restoring it in ourselves, which consisted in humility and self-mortification, He “humbled Himself, becoming obedient even to the point of death, even the death of the cross” (Phil. 2:8), and thus “Having made purification for our sins, He sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty on high” (Heb. 1:3). Now, when “the Word became flesh and dwelt in us, and we saw His glory, the glory of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14); when “the life that we lost and was with the Father appeared again to us” (1 John 1:2); now, when, along with the manifestation of our Divine prototype to us, all the forces necessary “for life and godliness” (2 Pet. 1:3), or, what is the same, for conforming ourselves to Him, are given, now we can no longer say: “who will show us good things!” (Ps. 4:7). Who will ascend into heaven to “bring together Christ, our prototype” (Rom. 10:6) to imitate us? Or who will give the strength to “descend into hell” (Ps. 139:8), in order to “raise Christ from the dead” (Rom. 10:7), in order to restore the image of God in us from the depths of the fall? “The word of faith is near” (Rom. 10:8) - listen and learn! Christ on earth - ascend! Given wings - strive for the eternal Sun! Now there is no reason for our mind to be exhausted in fruitless efforts - to embrace the incomprehensible, to explore the unsearchable, to reason about God without God, to create for ourselves, so to speak, our Creator - now all of humanity and individually each person has only one thing left - to look steadily at the image of God that has appeared before us, and transferring it feature by feature - through reflection and deeds into our soul, ourselves gradually transformed - first into the same humility, meekness, love, and then into the same glory, the same greatness. I say it is the duty of all mankind. So, brothers, we should not think that we alone, engaged in science, study and accept education. There is a universal school for all humanity - this is the world of God and the Church of God! There are lessons that are understood and heard in all languages ​​- these are experiences of life and grace. There are universal and incessant mentors who admonish everyone coming in the world - this is the Providence of God and the Holy Spirit! Oh, what would happen to humanity if it were left only to the care of earthly mentors alone! And the model for all those being educated is one: it does not and cannot exist on earth, for here man himself is above everything; he is in heaven, in God, in His Only Begotten Son and Word. And since man could not ascend after Him to this height, He descended to earth and, having descended, “left us an image, that we might follow His steps” (1 Pet. 2:21). After this, to look for any other models for your education means to go clearly against the boundless love of God and against your own perfection. Man is destined to be educated, to bear the image of the one God, Who will be in him only when he is clothed in the image of Christ: for God Himself has no other image of His hypostasis (Heb. 1:3), except His Only Begotten Son. If the success of any true human education depends on the greatest similarity of those formed with the Model of all perfection, with the incarnate Wisdom, with Him in Whom “dwells bodily all the fullness of the Divinity” (Col. 2:9), then our education, which is destined to be teachers of faith and morals, to follow in the footsteps of the red feet of the apostles, to continue the great work of upbringing and education of humanity, begun by Jesus Christ Himself - our education, I say, should consist entirely in assimilating ourselves to our great prototype. How will we try to imagine Christ in others if He is not imagined in us? How can we call for the subjugation of the thoughts of the proud human mind to the mind of Christ, without ourselves having the simplicity of the Gospel? Will we be able to teach others life in Christ without living by Christ ourselves? For us, therefore, the first and last success, the main object of all studies and all efforts, should be nothing else than conforming ourselves to Christ, Who should be everything to us: “the way and the truth and the life” (Jn. 14:6), and “wisdom... and righteousness... and sanctification and deliverance” (1 Cor. 1:30). He who has succeeded in this has achieved the goal of education, has everything he should, and is capable of serving in the house of God, even if he does not have much earthly knowledge. And whoever does not succeed in this great undertaking, even if he has exhausted all the treasures of earthly wisdom, knew everything that is on earth, he has lost time, ruined his talent, and is nothing for the Kingdom of God (1 Cor. 13:2). But let no one delude himself with idle hope, as if this success depends solely on ourselves. We can and should try to conform ourselves to our Divine Model, the Lord Jesus, but we ourselves cannot imprint His image in ourselves. This is a matter of His omnipotence and love. Just as His true image was in an innocent man, so it is in a justified man—always not made by hands. The goal of our efforts, studies, sciences should be only to present our souls to Him as pure lining, capable of receiving the Divine image. And this image can only be produced by the Spirit of God, Who transforms a sinner from an enemy of God into a son of love, in the image of the Only Begotten. The purification of his spirit, soul and body is therefore our constant duty. Water is also needed for ablution; Instead, tears of repentance and love can best serve. But am I doing well by mentioning tears as a necessary thing at the very beginning of your new career? Will this not cool your zeal for science and cause despondency? No, beloved, do not be afraid of these tears: they are more pleasant than all worldly joys. “Those who sow with such tears” (Ps. 125:5) reap with eternal joy. “Those who mourn in this way are blessed” (Matthew 5:4), for they carry within themselves the guarantee of eternal consolation. If the image of the king of the earth constitutes a high reward, and those who are honored to wear it do not remember, for joy, past labors, dangers and sacrifices, then the image of the Heavenly King, imprinted in the soul, what will not reward it? Which of the lucky people in the world was not bored with his condition and did not want to change it for the better? Was there even one of those in whom the image of Christ shone, who would have been willing to exchange his fortune for the very royal crown? So, “let us strive with patience for the task set before us!” (Heb. 12:1). Let the image of the Lord Jesus always be before the eyes of our minds until it is imprinted on our very heart. Let us purify our mind until it becomes “the mind of Christ” (1 Cor. 2:16); Let us perfect our will until it is clothed with the will of Christ; let us draw closer and closer to our Savior with all our lives and with all our being, until we are able to say with Paul: “we live not as who we are, but Christ lives in us” (Gal. 2:20). This is the main goal, and together the reward of our and your labors. We exhort you to strive for this now, and we will not cease to exhort you always, “in time and even, as the apostle puts it, in timelessness” (2 Tim. 4:2). Lord, look down from heaven and enlighten Your face on all of us Your servants, and You Yourself teach us Your justifications! For what can we all do, those who plant and feed, if You and Your grace do not send a blessing and increase what is planted! Amen. Third Homily for the Day of the Image of Christ Not Made by Hands “Show me Samago to You, that I may see You with understanding” (Ex. 33:13), Moses once spoke to the Lord. All the previous revelations of God were unsatisfactory for him; and he wanted to see God face to face, that is, to enjoy the sight of the very being of God. What's the answer? “Surely man will see My face and live” (Exodus 33:20). “I am ready,” as the Lord answered, “to satisfy the desire of My faithful servant and to appear before him as I am: but your human nature cannot bear this Epiphany: it will cost you your life... “For no man will see My face.” The lawgiver of Sinai was given, however, later as a consolation to see not the face, but the back of God (Ex. 33:23), that is, as if some image and shadow of the Divine being: “and when I saw it, I rejoiced!” (John 8:56). In this case, Moses represented, my brothers, all of humanity, all of us. To see the face of God, to know the very being of the Divine, this desire, sooner or later, cannot but be achieved by one who is created in the image of God. But, while on earth, each of the people is in the same impossibility of satisfying this desire in which Moses was. The frailty of our earthly nature is such that the full appearance before it of the being of God would exhaust it with its greatness. “Surely a man will see My face and live.” Therefore, for the elect themselves, like Moses, there remains only one consolation - to be worthy of contemplating at least the back of God, that is, to see the Divine being not in Himself, in all the fullness of His perfections, but insofar as it can be reflected in visible nature, and in the human soul itself, which is, although darkened, the image of God. In such a position, or more precisely, in such alienation from the sight of God, all fallen humanity would have remained forever, if the love of God, seeking and not seeking it, much less despising those who desire its face, had not found in the abyss of His wisdom, a means to reveal Itself not only before the eyes of those who, like Moses, managed to shake off the mud from the mind of the wise, but also for the most unworthy. “And the Word became flesh and dwelt in us, and we saw His glory, the glory of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). After this, it is no longer possible to say: “show us the Father” (John 14:8), as one of the apostles said; for there will always be the same answer to this question that was given to him: “He who has seen Me in the form of the Father: and as you say: show us the Father; Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me!” (John 14:9–10). Indeed, in our Savior, as the Apostle Paul teaches, dwells “all the fullness of the physical Godhead” (Col. 2:9). In His face, therefore, even with the simplest eyes one could see God, just as He is invisible nowhere. But the God-Man had to remain on earth among men for a short time, and then had to ascend to heaven and remain there until His final Second Coming to earth. So that during this period of time we do not remain without consolation to see His image, behold, He now imprints His Divine face on the ubrus and sends it not so much to Edes to Abgar, but through him to the entire human race, so that each of us may see the face of Him who is the radiance of glory and the “image of the hypostasis” of the Father (Heb. 1:3). This is how far the self-revelation of God’s being has extended for us! We can now say, together with John: “Even with our eyes we have seen, and with our eyes we have touched, and with our hands we have touched the words of the living: and the life was manifested, and we saw and testified... He was with the Father and appeared to us” (1 John 1:1-2). This great condescension towards us is not without a great purpose for us. If the Lord shows us His image, it is not in order to satisfy curiosity and give us, so to speak, an object to entertain our senses. No, He appears to us because we ourselves are all His image, although this image in us is darkened and blotted out; appears with His face not made by hands so that, having before us the highest original, we would gain the opportunity to restore this image in ourselves. This is the goal of all heavenly Epiphanies! Behold the purpose and present miracle! Everything has been done on the part of the Lord so that we will no longer be left without the restoration of the true image of God in us; All that remains for us to do is to use all our efforts and means. Without this, the image of our Savior, which is now taken out before our eyes, instead of benefiting us will turn into reproach and reproach. Let us recognize, brothers, the spirit and purpose of the event now being celebrated. The Image Not Made by Hands, as we said, was sent not to Abgar alone, but to each of us; sent not so that we would only decorate it with silver and gold, but so that we ourselves would decorate our souls and hearts with it; not so that it remains on the cold ledge, but in order to move on to our entire being and transform it according to His appearance. Previously we said to the Lord: “Show us Your face, that we may see You with understanding.” Now the Lord will say to us: Show Me your face, so that I can see you with understanding. Have you not been honored and exalted by Me in My image even since the very creation of you? Do you not still enjoy many advantages associated with it, ruling over the whole earth and its inhabitants? But when I look at you, I do not find this image in you. Instead of light and truth, I see darkness and lies; Instead of purity and truth, I find lust and deceit; instead of love and peace, hatred, malice and enmity appear before Me; Instead of life and immortality, I find a coffin and decay. I did not create you like this: this is not My image! These are the traits of My enemy and yours! And who is to blame for this disaster and your humiliation? You yourself - you surrendered to the father of lies and wanted to create his lust instead of My will; you have turned your face and heart away from the living God and have followed the idols of the dead; you, constantly committing sin and being wounded by its deadly sting, fell into death and corruption. For all this, I could forever abandon you, as unworthy, and provide you as a sacrifice to your own passions; The very truth and holiness of My being demanded this. But I am sorry for My image: My love could not bear your destruction. To give you the opportunity to be “imagined by the first kindness,” behold, before you is My Son, the image of My hypostasis, the very One to whom I spoke: “Let us make man in Our image!” (Gen. 1:26). By looking to Him, everyone can know what he was and what he should be. By following His example and command, everyone will find all the means to restore their former likeness to God. Show Me now your face, “so that I can see you rationally,” and see you as you should be: show truth in your mind, holiness in your will, purity in your heart, truth and fidelity in all your actions. Only then will I see in you My true children, rational creatures, and not like dumb ones, heirs of My eternal Kingdom, and not the minions of My enemy. I will see and rejoice: for for Me there is no greater joy on your land than to see you like Me. Amen. Word for the day of the festival in honor of the icon of the All-Merciful Savior “And it shall come to pass when your sons shall say unto you, What is this service; and shout to them: The Passover sacrifice was sacrificed to the Lord, who covered the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when the Egyptians smote, but delivered our houses” (Ex. 12:26–27) I bring you these words from afar, but I bring them because they are very close to the present day and place. They were said by Moses, and, as you can see, they contain a commandment regarding the Easter holiday. Having established it in memory of the miraculous deliverance of the firstborn of Israel in Egypt from the deadly Angel who struck the firstborn of Egypt, Moses foresaw that for new, coming generations, the details of the long-past good deed of God would become less known, and the very rituals of the holiday would not be so intelligible. Therefore, in the above words, he prescribes that during the Easter holiday, celebrated in houses, each father of the family should become its interpreter and, so to speak, preacher for his household, so that in this way everyone, from great to small, would know exactly why, to whom and why they are celebrating. “And it shall come to pass when your sons shall say unto you, What is this service; And say unto them: This Passover sacrifice is unto the Lord, who covered the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when the Egyptians smote, but delivered our houses” (Ex. 12:26–27). No matter how great the distance of places and times, our present celebration apparently resembles the ancient Israeli festival. For we also celebrate today in memory of the liberation of the once city and our country from the deadly Angel that struck them. The length of time that has passed since then can easily lead new generations to forget not only the details, but the very essence of God’s beneficence shown to our ancestors. since diligent memory of this is strongly needed for all descendants, we also considered it our duty to repeat in your hearing the commandment of Moses, with a request to fulfill it as diligently as possible. So, fathers and mothers, if during this holiday your children ask you, what does this service mean? Take the trouble to tell them that this is a thanksgiving sacrifice to the Lord for the fact that He once covered our city and our country with His mercy from the deadly plague that raged in them. And even if there were no such question from the children, then they themselves would start a conversation about this and ask them: do they know why our whole city is celebrating so brightly now? How nice it would be if it even became a permanent family habit to devote the meal of the day to such a conversation! Thus, this meal would take on a sacred character; the blessings of God would not fall into oblivion, and, living in the memory of new generations, would dispose them to accept new blessings of God; the very festivities on the occasion of these blessings would cease to resemble those of the tombstones, which, having lost the inscription that was on them, cannot indicate over whom they were erected. And in order to make the holy work that I propose to you easier for all of you, and through reviving the memory of God’s good deed, to strengthen in each and every one the feeling of gratitude and spiritual joy of the present day, we will collect stories from the chronicle about the event itself and bring it to your attention. Almost two centuries before, during the reign of the most pious Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, our Fatherland was visited by one of those terrible scourges that the righteous heaven in its anger sometimes sends to earth to awaken entire countries and peoples from the sleep of sin. An ulcer appeared. Like all such scourges, it came from the east and moved slowly; but where she passed, there was no one to die for a long time. Our city, protected by its very remoteness, was one of the last victims, but the plague showed over it that it made no difference to it: the first or the last victim. No amount of strength or age protected; no precaution helped; no art could save me. Added to the mortality was a terrible suddenness: whether someone was walking, standing, or sitting, they suddenly fell and died in agony. The fear of death finally broke all the strongest and most tender ties, suppressed all other feelings: children ran away from their father, the mother abandoned the infected baby; houses and streets (streets, squares) were filled with unburied dead. Fourty days passed in such a terrible situation. Suddenly, like lightning from a cloud, a bright thought flashed across the city: to erect a church to God the Savior one day to repel the plague. The chronicles do not say in whose mind or heart this holy thought was born, but the very consequences showed that it came from above. Everyone grabbed for this idea, like drowning people holding onto a rope from the shore. The holy feat was immediately understood in all its details; means and obstacles are weighed; workers and labor managers have been appointed; this day has been chosen for the accomplishment of a great deed. And so, with the onset of night, a touching sight opens up! Instead of giving in to sleep and peace, the whole city is in motion; everything still living tends to one place. Some are in a hurry to work, others to at least be witnesses of labor; the stronger ones carry on their shoulders what should form the strength of the building and form the foundation; the weakest and the youngest are what is necessary for its decoration; everyone - great and small - has in their hands a sign of zeal for God the Savior. And so the whole city, with the illumination of the lamps, was gathered in the place where we now stand. Everything is ready; only the arrival of the sacred minute is expected... Finally, midnight strikes, and at the same time the first sound of those building is heard. The building grows so quickly, as if it were coming out of the ground ready-made; The first rays of the rising sun are already illuminating the church of God the Savior, and before the last rays of the setting sun a bloodless sacrifice has already been made in it for the salvation of the living and the repose of the dead. Such a feat of faith and love could not remain without action and a response from heaven. The terrible ulcer from that very day lost its strength and soon completely disappeared, leaving behind only one memory - the wrath and mercy of God! Let us not, beloved, weaken and disappear from this holy memory! May the sons of your sons never cease to know that the right hand of God was once visibly stretched out over this city, threatening and merciful, punishing and saving, and may they learn to walk in the fear of God, in the footsteps of their pious ancestors. Ah, if the memory of the ancient heavenly execution had been kept alive, it would have saved us from further corruption of morals, and we would not have been subjected to the new heavenly scourge, which in recent times passed through our country with ancient devastation and horrors. For why are plagues sent from the Lord? Is it really just to kill and exterminate? No, they are sent in order to awaken, admonish and save through fear those who are inattentive to meek voices. Why did the last terrible plague visit us? Without a doubt, because we forgot our previous punishments and imagined that we could live and sin unpunished. Let us take advantage of our very punishment, and with the living memory of what happened, we will protect ourselves from what, in the event of our spiritual insensitivity, may happen again. Meanwhile, while we are concerned about preserving temporary life from all kinds of physical ulcers, let us not forget that there are terrible spiritual ulcers from which thousands of souls and hearts perish. Ulcers of this kind seem destined to come from the opposite direction - from the west. One of them is especially rampant in our times and steals many children from the Church of God. Do you know what it is? A person struck by it remains, apparently, the same, but loses faith and conscience, ceases to be sensitive to the word of God and the Sacraments, abandons the hope of eternal life and arbitrarily places himself among the creatures that are perishing. Oh, guard your souls and hearts, brothers, from this terrible plague; keep, “with all care” (Prov. 4:23) keep your children and members of your household from her; and when you come with prayer to this icon of God the Savior, first of all pray and ask that He may cover your houses with His grace from this stifling illness. Amen. Antiphon 3, Chapter 2 Reading the 12 Gospels on Maundy Thursday evening Troparion of the Great Blessing of Waters Litany of the Great Blessing of Water Troparion of the Nativity of Christ On the pre-celebration of the Transfiguration of the Lord, verse, for eternity. 3 John Chrysostom. Discourse 2 on the Gospel of John Blessing at the Liturgy of the People before the Dismissal John Chrysostom. Discourse on the Gospel of Matthew 56 Kontakion of the Transfiguration of the Lord Saint Cyril of Jerusalem. Catechism 12 Conversation 56; on the Gospel of Matthew Ladies. in the word on the Transfiguration of the Lord John Chrysostom, conversation on the Gospel of Matthew You might be interested in: