Богослужение о. Иоанна

APPROACHING 70 years from birth, with incredible work, with his constant travel, with incessant spiritual and physical stress, surrounded primarily by human grief and suffering, Fr. John amazingly retained his youthful freshness and vigor. Where is the source of Fr.’s amazing bodily vigor? John, so weak from birth? Of course, in his incessant prayerful deeds, combined with the frequent communion of St. TaIn. The Lord strengthens me, with whom I unite daily through St. communion, otherwise, where could I draw strength for such constant intensified labors, with which I try to serve for the glory of His holy name and for the salvation of my neighbors. So Fr. himself testified. John. – In the church, the highest school of real, high, noble, useful and beneficial human life is supposed. Our church hymns are enthusiastic, victorious hymns of Christians. They glorify not the wasteland, but the struggle and victory of martyrs, ascetics, shepherds, and laity over the evil reigning in the world. A bright, powerful, holy ideal of Christian life comes to mind in them - an ideal that involuntarily attracts to itself every soul that is responsive to everything that is good, holy, honest, noble and sublime. These hymns are the best Christian poetry. The voice of church readings, songs, prayers and supplications is the voice of our souls, poured out from the consciousness and feeling of our spiritual needs and requirements. This is the best voice of all humanity, aware and feeling its poverty, its wretchedness, its sinfulness, its need for a Savior, its need for thanksgiving and praise for the countless benefits and endless perfections of God. These prayers and songs are wonderful; they are the breath of the Holy Spirit! But the trouble is that they often reach only our ears, without penetrating our inner sanctuary. If we were more attentive in the church, how wonderful all our chants would seem to us, constantly, no matter how many times we listen to them. I say it all the time. Anyone who listens carefully to church hymns will find more and more new meaning in them each time. Not only in the whole chant he will reveal new deep thoughts, but also in each individual expression of them. I have experienced this more than once. Is there a higher, holier, more beneficial place on earth, like the church of God? No. A Christian without a church, like a fish without water, cannot live a true life: the church is his element. Love the church with all your soul, revere it, for from it comes your life, your sanctification, your strength, help, glory, honor, from it comes eternal life: here are all your spiritual treasures. Oh, holy bride of Christ, our mother, the Church of God! Day and night you carry all your children in your mother’s breast, from the hierarch to the cleric and the commoner, from the Tsar to the warrior and the simple subject. You care and suffer for everyone, you intercede for all sorts of good things: for the goodness of the air, the abundance of earthly fruits, for deliverance from sorrow and need, for intercession, pardon and preservation by grace. How can one not honor the church for the fact that it saved a countless number of people in its depths, relocating them to a place of eternal peace and joy and, not forgetting them after their repose, announces them to this day on earth with eternal praise and glorification of their virtues, as its faithful children! Where will you find a more appreciative friend, a more tender mother? The Church is God’s, as it were, a great, holy family, in which is the Father God, our Mother the Most Holy Theotokos, the Mother of the Lord Jesus Christ, the elder brothers are angels and holy men, and we are all half-brothers, born of the church in the same baptismal font. How beautiful, deeply thoughtful, educational is the very environment of an Orthodox church! What are all the houses of worship that exist anywhere compared to it? Indeed, in what holy, high society does a Christian see himself in a church, surrounded by the faces of St. angels and saints pleasers! I look at the icons in the church: at Your icon, Lord, at the icon of Your Most Pure Mother, St. angels, archangels, on the faces of saints, decorated with gold and silver, and I think to myself: how You have honored and adorned our nature! By Your light Your saints shine, By Your grace they are holy, having conquered sinfulness and washed away the sinful defilements of the flesh and spirit; They are glorious by Your glory, They are incorruptible by Your incorruption. Glory to You, who has honored, enlightened and magnified our nature so much! Here are Your apostles and hierarchs, living images of You, the supreme Messenger of the Father, the Hierarch and Chief Shepherd who has passed through the heavens. Your kindness, Your wisdom, Your strength, spiritual beauty, power, greatness, shrine shines in them. These are Your martyrs, who by Your power overcame terrible torment, in Your blood they whitened the garments of their souls. Here are Your saints, who through fasting, vigil, and prayer received Your wonderful gifts, gifts of healing and insight. Your power strengthened them to rise above sin and all demonic wiles. Your likeness shines in them like the sun. In the church, its location and parts, in icons, worship with the reading of St. Scriptures, singing, rituals are depicted figuratively, as on a map, in faces, in general terms, the entire Old Testament, New Testament church history, the entire divine economy of human salvation. The spectacle of the worship of our Orthodox Church is majestic for those who understand it, who delve into its essence, spirit, significance, meaning. So, each of us is a member of the church, the same one to which these saints belong. Standing in a church, surrounded by the faces of such great and holy people, bearers and exponents of the truth of life, the lights of all humanity, a Christian seems to be in heaven itself. He is directly adjacent to the host of holy people. Between heaven and earth, any mediastinum seems to be eliminated. The younger ones naturally owe respect to the elders, they are naturally subordinate to them, as imperfect ones, they ask the elders for prayers for themselves from God. What a strong incentive for moral change and the desire for the same ageless life that they strived for and achieved! The church is a reliable road to eternal life. Walk along it steadily, stick to it, and you will reach the kingdom of heaven. If you deviate into the paths of wisdom and unbelief, then blame yourself: you will get lost and perish. “I am the truth, the way and the life” (John 14:6), says the Savior. We have only one saving door through which people pass into the kingdom of truth, goodness, light, heavenly beauty - this is Christ. Our worship is not only not detached, not isolated from real life, but is also connected with it by such ties that many are not even aware of. Through its worship, the Orthodox Church educates all of us into citizens of earth and heaven. Life is an ever-turbulent sea, and the church is an ever-quiet pier. The well-maintained pier has everything for every swimmer; and the church contains everything that a person needs for his rational and virtuous life. Let people change, new generations be born, let the most diverse teachings arise, let people succeed in external progress, they will still never get ahead of the church in their development, because its spiritual riches are inexhaustible and eternal. Therefore, it is necessary to urgently, wisely, reverently and willingly attend divine services, especially on holidays, participate in the sacraments of repentance and communion, and be attentive to all the institutions and canons of the church. And those who move away from church and worship become victims of their passions and perish. In the church we learn fidelity, courage, patience, meekness, kindness, humility, non-covetousness, abstinence, purity, chastity, self-sacrifice, uncomplainingly enduring all sorrows, love not only for our neighbors, but also for our enemies, and we learn other various virtues. Divine services always invigorate and liven me up,” continued Fr. John. It gives me the strength to endure whatever I encounter on my life's path. I thank my all-good, all-holy, wise mother - the Church of God, who guides me savingly in this temporary life and educates me for heavenly citizenship; I thank her for all the orders of prayer, worship, sacraments, and rituals. I thank her for her posts, which were so beneficial for me spiritually and physically. Through them I am healthy in spirit and body, calm, cheerful, light. Without fasting, it would be extremely difficult for me, as was experienced not during fasting. I thank my immaculate mother, the Church of God, who delights me with her heavenly service, who delights me with heavenly spirit, who enlightens my mind with heavenly truth, who shows me the path of eternal life, who delivers me from violence and the dishonor of passions, who makes my life blissful. Great is Your love, Lord! You exhausted yourself completely for the sake of loving me. I look at the cross and marvel at Your love for me and for the world, because the cross is a clear imprint of Your love for us. “No one has greater love than he can sow, but whoever lays down his life for his friends.” Your life-giving Mysteries, Lord, also serve as an ever-present loud proof of Your love for us sinners, for this divine Body of Yours was broken for me, for all of us; this Blood was shed for me, for all of us. God! I praise the miracles of St. Thy Mysteries over Thy faithful, to whom I taught them. I glorify the countless healings that I have witnessed. I glorify their all-saving action in me. I glorify Your mercy towards me, which is shown to me in them and through them, Your life-giving power, which acts in them. God! Because of Your love for me, how can I not love You with all my heart, my neighbor, as myself, love not only those who love me, but also my enemies? Oh, if we all understood this, how few renegades we would have, how much we would all love and honor St. church of God, how little would be said about the charm of life of people who left the bosom of Christ’s Church! If sectarians and non-believers understood the height and beauty of the Christian ideal and our worship, they would all rush back to our churches, forgetting their houses of prayer and their false shepherd leaders. “Seeing the fiery, tearful prayer of this true servant of God before the throne,” writes one person, “his deep reverence for the sacraments being performed, you involuntarily feel with your being that the bread and wine being transformed are truly the body and blood of Christ. At these moments you somehow detach yourself from everything earthly and see only St. the throne and before it the praying Fr. John; the soul prays fervently, although at these moments you cannot move your body; and how beneficially such prayer affects the soul! You will definitely be resurrected after it, and you can pray like this, it seems, only with Fr. John." Bishop Evdokim, (rector of the Moscow Spiritual Academy), who while still a student attended Fr. John in Kronstadt in 1895, this is how Fr. describes the Divine Service. John, starting with Matins. “During Matins, Fr. John approached the altar, knelt before it, folded his hands crosswise on the altar, and bowed his head on them. Under his hands he had all kinds of notes asking him to remember the sick and the dead. I looked at him from behind the columns. Her hair fell in strands over her shoulders; the whole of it was illuminated by a weak morning light, barely breaking through the thickness of the morning northern fog. He remained in this position for about ten minutes. It seemed from the outside that he seemed to have died, and before us there was only his body, abandoned, discarded by his soul, like some kind of clothing. At these moments I vividly remembered those pictures that depict how the soul, after being separated from the body, contemplates it from heaven. The body there really seems to be like clothing abandoned, discarded by the soul. Oh, what a prayer this is, what a most sacred moment... Man leaves the earth and ascends with his soul to heaven, the inhabitant of the earth penetrates into the higher worlds, the limited understands the secrets of heaven, the fleshly becomes spiritual, the weak is strengthened, the mourning is comforted, the strong becomes even stronger. Looking at Fr. praying. John, my thoughts involuntarily transported me even to the Garden of Gethsemane and imagined the Savior praying there for us. And in the altar, this great Christian sanctuary, they did not give Fr. Rest to John. First one, then the other, at a convenient moment, approached him with various requests and needs. Knowing well that each of those in the altar came here with some kind of hot, urgent need, Fr. John himself sometimes approached one or the other. He will ask about need, grief, and give good advice. It seems he gave money to some people. He will caress one and pat another on the shoulder. I read the canon on the choir myself, as always. It was impossible not to pay attention to this reading. Tenderness, enthusiasm, firmness, hope, hope, sadness, deep reverence - everything was heard in this wonderful reading. Reads about. John, as it were, is talking, talking with the Savior, the Mother of God and the saints, as if they were here in front of him, and not there, somewhere in the heights invisible to us, in the superstellar, cloudy worlds. The voice is clear, sonorous, sharp. Pronunciation is articulate, distinct, abrupt. He will read one word quickly, another in a drawn-out manner almost syllable by syllable, the third he will emphasize and highlight. Not a single word was read by him without meaning or meaning. He pronounces words that are more important in thought and content, even addressing the people, so that people can more deeply comprehend what they are reading. At the same time, he himself, of course, is entirely focused on what he is reading. Nothing will distract his thoughts at this time. He seems to experience everything he reads. Experiences victories over sin and evil accomplished by holy people, experiences human weaknesses and falls, experiences times of God’s favor and mercy to fallen and lost people. Much of what you read, apparently—and this is somehow felt—relates directly to oneself. What is happening in his soul at this time can be judged even by his appearance. Soul o. John is so imbued with the thoughts contained in the sacred chants he reads that he cannot resist making a wide variety of gestures. While reading, he constantly seems to be worried and seems restless. It is as if a blissful smile will shine on his face when he reads about the heavenly glory of God, the Mother of God and St. Pleasers of God. It’s as if a deep prayer begins to fall from his lips when he reads about weakness, sin and human failures. You hear, as it were, righteous anger, deep disgust, when the words “Satan” and “devil” appear in the canon. You hear tenderness, deep delight when he reads about the great feats, victories over sin that the saints accomplished. martyrs, ascetics. Sometimes he leans his head towards the book itself; sometimes he shakes it so decisively, so opportunely, so victoriously, so wonderfully solemn. Changes tones frequently. Then, finally, during the singing of the irmos or litany, when he himself is not singing with the singers, he bends one or both knees right there on the choir; covers his face with his hands and prays, prays. He prays fervently and tenderly... After the sixth song and litany, Fr. John: “kontakion” and reads it loudly, like a victory song of Christians over our defeated ancient enemy. Having finished reading the canon, he quickly enters the altar and falls in deep prayer before the throne. Having strengthened himself with prayer, he again goes to the choir and reads here “verses on praises.” I will never forget another moment. They began to sing stichera on “stikherons”. Father John at this time was almost dressed to serve the liturgy. The only thing he was missing was his robe. Quickly, impetuously, he walked out of the altar onto the choir, joined the singers and began to sing with them. He sang with enthusiasm, deep faith in every word, regenting himself, again emphasizing individual words and slowing down the tempo where it was necessary according to the logical meaning and content of the chant. The singers instinctively guessed these words, this tempo, and echoed it with considerable skill and animation. The singing, not entirely harmonious at first, quickly became harmonious, strong, sonorous, powerful, inspiring, flowing throughout the entire church, filling the entire soul of the worshiper. How touching it was to look at the singers at this time. It was as if one holy early Christian family sang. This is how they speak about the service of Fr. John, it seems, everyone who had the good fortune to be present with him. Here is a review of this service by one Kharkov observer. - Service, as usual, Fr. John began with an animated reading of the canon, which touched everyone. Divine service performed by Fr. John, defies description. This service is special, not conveyed in words, but directly felt and known through faith and love. A tender gaze, now touching, now sorrowful, in his blooming face the radiance of a well-disposed spirit, prayerful sighs, sources of tears exuding internally, impetuous movements, the fire of priestly grace penetrating, his powerful exclamations, fiery prayer - these are some of the features of Father John during the divine service. Life o. Joanna is all in Christ. Here is the main source of his popularity, people's love for him and devotion 8. Matins ended and the bell began to ring for the Liturgy. There were so many prosphoras at the proskomedia that they were brought here in whole large baskets. Fr. himself John could only take out a few prosphoras from each basket and read only a few commemorations and notes from the mass of them presented to the altar for commemoration by pilgrims who had gathered in the church from the most remote corners of Russia. And how else to do it? Prosphora is sometimes served up to five thousand, and three and a half thousand is quite often. During the proskomedia, many personally approached Fr. John and asked him to remember his relatives, to take out at least one prosphora, so that he did not have a single free minute. With o. Both hieromonks and white priests in kamilavkas and without kamilavkas, with crosses and without crosses, young and gray-haired, served as John. These were all “aliens”. Father John united everyone; all relatives and friends were here, even if they were only meeting for the first time. In a miter with a shining cross and a chain on his chest, with a slight pleasant blush on his face from inner warm prayer, stood Fr. John is at the head of a council of clergy who have gathered around him from everywhere. - Pray, bro. fellow servants, may the Lord grant us to perform divine service in peace. What profound words! How truly necessary it is for every shepherd to pray in these moments so that nothing will disturb his spiritual peace, so that he will always blaze like a seraphim, with one prayer and thought he will further penetrate into the wonderful heavenly world. The royal gates are open. The first exclamation was made. The liturgy began. So he suddenly, unexpectedly, impulsively takes the altar cross and lovingly kisses it, hugs it with his arms, looks at it so tenderly and enthusiastically, his lips whisper the words of prayer, kisses it three, four times in a row, clings to it with his forehead... His lips whispered something again. Exclamations about. John pronounces the same as he reads the canon at Matins. In the voice one can hear firm faith, hope, and tenderness. The gaze is turned to a mountainous place. Sometimes he utters exclamations, closing his eyes and going deep into himself. How concentrated and self-collected during the service Fr. John is difficult to even convey. All the time he is immersed in such depths of the soul that it is as if he sees nothing, hears nothing, notices nothing that is happening around him. He is in his own special world. At this time he is alone and not like the other. Missal Fr. John hardly reveals it, since he knows all the prayers by heart. He often reads in a low voice. They say that the missal should not be, so to speak, a tugboat for the priest. His prayerful mood should go beyond the missal. The missal is only for beginners and those inexperienced in prayer. During the service, Fr. John there are some features, many of which, I think, the most important ones are impossible to grasp. How interesting that would be. After all, these are all the fruits of a deeply religious mood of a pure believer and flaming soul, these are the best fragrant flowers in a lush flower garden, these are echoes from the “holy of holies” of his soul. I'll pass on some of them. Receiving the Gospel from Fr. at the royal doors. Protodeacon, Fr. John said: - Peace be with you, brother, I preach the gospel. Think about it, what does this mean? What a deep thought lies here, how much feeling there is, what attitude towards one’s junior colleague... How little in this case many resemble Fr. John. Walking with the Holy Gifts during the great exit of Fr. John said in a low voice: “I brought him out of the city and crucified him.” And again, how deeply touching it is, as these lines testify to his deep self-collection and penetration into the sacred rites that he performs. His entire soul is filled and imbued with church and liturgical grace. There is so much soul, meaningfulness, faith in everything... Upon placing the Holy Gifts on the throne, Fr. John reads the usual prayer, adding to the church words about the sending of grace on people the following deeply meaningful words: “on all nurseries of youth and adolescence, spiritual and worldly, male and female, urban and rural, and on all non-student youth; - on all spiritual nurseries, monastic - male and female, - on Your poor people, widows, orphans and wretched, - on those who suffered from fire, flood, storm and cowardice, - from shortage of bread and famine, - on all those who commanded me, unworthy, to pray for them and on all Your people.” Kissing the concelebrating clergy on both shoulders after shouting “let us love one another,” he said: – Christ is alive and active among us. I stood amazed by these words and involuntarily thought. Yes, here, and not there, somewhere in the distance is Christ the Savior, not dead, not just a famous historical figure, but alive, “alive and active.” He is among us. And even “act.” It became eerie, and my soul was involuntarily filled with great trepidation. I was ready to fall before the throne. After secretly reading the creed, he adds the following prayer. “Confirm in this faith and with this faith my heart and the heart of all Orthodox Christians; sowing faith and this aspiration to live worthy of understanding; unite in this faith all the great Christian societies that have sadly fallen away from the unity of St. The Orthodox Catholic and Apostolic Church, which is Thy body, and whose Head art Thou and the Savior of the body, overthrow the pride and opposition of their teachers and those who follow them, grant them with their hearts to understand the truth and salvific nature of Thy Church and to unite with it without laziness; gather together Your holy Church and those who suffer from ignorance, delusion and the stubbornness of schism, breaking through the power of the grace of Your Spirit their stubbornness and opposition to Your truth, so that they may not perish fiercely in their opposition, like Korah, Dathan and Abiron, who opposed Moses and Aaron, Your servants. All the languages ​​inhabiting the earth have been drawn to this faith, so that with one heart and one mouth all the nations glorify You, the only God and benefactor of all; in this faith unite us all with the spirit of meekness, humility, kindness, simplicity, dispassion, patience and long-suffering, mercy, condolences and rejoicing.” Everyone told me that with Fr. John does something extraordinary during the liturgy. And this is quite fair. The closer the minutes of the transubstantiation of the Holy Gifts come, the more and more the mood of the soul rises and begins to be reflected in both the voice and face of Fr. John. “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,” exclaims Fr. John. What is he experiencing at these moments? In his diary, Fr. John writes: “This apostolic benevolence is most opportunely pronounced by the celebrant, precisely at this time, that is, before the celebration of the Mysteries. The grace of Jesus Christ - merciful, cleansing, saving, enlightening, strengthening our soul, is needed at all times, and now, in these terrible, heavenly moments, when many heavenly warriors serve with us, tremblingly surrounding the throne of God - the grace of God, enlightening and strengthening the weak, scattered powers of the spirit, we especially need it for a possible understanding of the height and importance of the upcoming sacrament. Love of God and Father. At these moments, everyone needs to feel the boundless love of God and the Father for us sinners, Who “so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16); and love Him ourselves, with the Only Begotten Son and the Holy Spirit, rejecting all worldly passions. The communion of the Holy Spirit is especially necessary for us at this time, because without this communion we cannot love God the Father; for only by the Holy Spirit can we cry out to God with sincere love: “Abba Father” (Rom. 8:15). For only the grace of the Holy Spirit prepurifies, sanctifies, enlightens, pacifies and strengthens us for a worthy and fruitful presence during the most holy sacrament. “Woe are our hearts,” exclaims Fr. John turned to the people and raised his hands to grief. His gaze is directed to the sky, his spirit hovers where the throne of eternal truth and love stands. Secretly at the same time Fr. John says: “Lift up by Your Holy Spirit all those who stand here for You, the God of our life, and cast away from our hearts all passions of the flesh and soul.” And how can one not pray for the people at these moments? The people answer: imams to the Lord. But are we answering sincerely? No, or very few, because the hearts of most people are chained to the earth by various worldly passions. It is not easy and not suddenly that the heart will ascend to heaven, to the Lord. In order to sincerely ascend with one’s heart to God, a Christian must constantly live in God, reflect deeply on the works of His providence, give them their true, saving value, assimilate them with soul and heart and be a heavenly citizen on earth. And we come to the church with dispersion, with various worldly passions and lusts that nail us to the ground. Where is the grief of the heart? But woe to us if we do not have woe in our hearts at such moments of the greatest miracles of God’s mercy to us! This means we are insensitive and senseless. At this time, we are required to have complete devotion to the Lord Jesus Christ, His Most Pure Mother, complete trust (faith), complete trust in all circumstances of life, in all petitions, thanksgivings, praises; at the same time, a pure heart, hatred of sin in all its various forms and ardent love for truth in all its manifestations. “We thank the Lord,” Fr. exclaims again. John. He pronounces the first two words of the prayer: “Worship worthily and righteously” loudly, and the last ones more quietly, falling completely silent at the end. During the secret reading of the prayer after the words: “You brought us from non-existence into being,” Fr. John adds to strengthen the noble feeling: immortality has been brought into rational existence and according to the soul, that is, you have brought it; after the words “thou hast restored us who fell again,” he adds: and a hundredfold every day thou restorest those who sin and repent. After the words: “until now You have raised us to heaven, and You have given the kingdom of the future,” he adds: You, in our very communion of Your life-giving Mysteries, are already raising us to heaven: for where You are, there is heaven and heaven, and having given Yourself to the faithful, You have already granted with You the kingdom of heaven, the kingdom of the future, in pledge of Your most pure Body and Blood.” Take, eat, this is My Body. Pronouncing these words, he places special emphasis on the word Body and on the words: for you we break. He pronounces his last words, turning his face to the people. “Drink everything from her,” Fr. exclaims with deep faith. John. While pronouncing these words, he repeatedly touches the cup with his finger, as if even hitting it with force. The words are emphasized again: for you and for much that is poured out. This is what can be heard in the priest’s voice at these moments: Blood was shed for us, for you, for those very ones who are standing here at this moment, and not just for those who stood at the cross. It is shed not for some abstract humanity, but for living people, for every poor, wretched, rich, noble, man and woman. Your chest is barely covered with sackcloth, and Blood has been shed for you. You have forgotten and rejected God, and this most holy Blood was shed for you. Christ suffered for your sins here. After pronouncing the words of establishment, Fr. John reads in some extraordinary delight: O Divine One, O dear, sweetest voice! And what does he feel at these moments? There is an abyss of love here,” he says, the love of the Divine for the human race. There is something to think about for everyone impartially delving into the destinies of God regarding the human race and into themselves. A sacred thrill runs through all the members, throughout the entire being of every unprejudiced person, unbound by worldly pleasures and lusts, when he listens with his heartfelt ear to these words from the lips of the clergyman. Oh, the most perfect love, the all-encompassing love, the strongest love! “This Lord of all and Creator God, the impassive creation, having become impoverished, unite Himself, and Easter, for those who want to die. I have devoured Himself before Himself: eat My body, crying out, and be strengthened by faith.” What do we offer in gratitude to God for this love for us? Do we feed the hungry and give drink to the thirsty? Do we clothe the naked? Do we visit the sick and prisoners in prison? But in the person of them, as His members, Christ Himself, our Savior, who sacrificed Himself for us, demands our help. Yours from Yours,” proclaims Fr. John, placing special emphasis on the word about everyone, pronouncing it more drawn out than others. His soul feels how the people gathered in large numbers in this church need heavenly help, and he fervently prays for everyone. “When I pronounce the words: Thine from Thine,” he writes, “then I imagine the solemnity and greatness of this moment, when a bishop or priest, standing face to face with the eternal, perfect, unchangeable righteousness of the Heavenly Father, who punishes sin, offers on behalf of all and for all the one immeasurable, all-righteous, propitiatory sacrifice of Christ the Son of God, the only one able to bend to the mercy of God the Father, to redeem the whole world from righteous curse and to seek forgiveness of sins and blessings for all believers, and for those who have fallen asleep in the faith and hope of resurrection and eternal life - forgiveness of sins and peace with the saints - a sacrifice by which all the saints who have pleased God from the ages were justified, and in thanksgiving for whom it is also offered.” Transformed by Your Holy Spirit. Amen,” Fr. proclaims in a sincerely believing tone. John, and as if to further reassure those at the altar of this truth, adds: God appeared in the flesh. The Word became flesh and moved into us. And his lips whispered something else, but I only managed to make out “surrounded by angelic armies.” But even without words, from the expression on his face, it was clear that the thought of Fr. Joanna is completely occupied with St. Secrets. Yes, it was and is - something to think about here. “Who will comprehend the greatness of the blessing given to us by our Lord Jesus Christ in the sacrament of the Eucharist or Communion? Absolutely - no one, not even the mind of an angel. For this good deed is boundless and immense, like God Himself, His goodness, wisdom and omnipotence. What love for us sinners is expressed daily in the Liturgy! How close God is to us! Here He is here on the throne, every day, essentially, by all Divinity and humanity, offered and eaten by the faithful, or brought by the priest into the homes of the faithful and offered to the sick. What a wonderful communication, what a dissolution of the Divine with our fallen, weak, sinful humanity, but not with sin, which is burned by the fire of grace. What happiness, bliss of our nature, accepting the Divinity and humanity of Christ God and uniting with Him. In this acceptance within ourselves with faith is our purification, sanctification, deliverance from our sins and enemies, our renewal, our strength, the confirmation of our heart, our peace, our freedom, our glory, our life and immortality. Oh, how many blessings are given to us from God through the Liturgy! How do Christians feel about it? Mostly with ordinary coldness, inattention, indifference. They receive Holy Communion very rarely, as if out of necessity and established habit, once a year. What are they depriving themselves of, what priceless divine treasure, what immortal, life-giving gift of God, what help from God! This is why there is no true life in Orthodox Christians today, life according to the spirit of Christ. That is why vices and disasters have multiplied. That is why all creation has armed itself against us in revenge on the enemies of God, all the elements: water, fire, air, and death in all forms.” Fr. experiences deep feelings. John at these moments. His great reverence for the Holy Sacraments is also revealed in the fact that many times, slowly, without even the sign of the cross, he bows his head before them. Tears flowed abundantly from his eyes. First one, then another handkerchief he took out of his pocket and wiped them off. What did this wonderful husband cry about? There are no tears without deep emotional emotion. There are no tears without a feeling of love and living thought. If someone could, so to speak, analyze the tear of Fr. John, then what rich content could be found in it. Mood o. John is so high at these moments that it is involuntarily transmitted to others and significantly illuminates the mood of everyone present here at this time. I was told that some more than once saw angels above the throne at the moment of the transubstantiation of the Holy Gifts. The celestial beings are, as it were, co-servants of the earth-multiplier when he performs the sacrament. Strict with yourself, oh. In this case, John also treats the laity very strictly. “During Thee, we sing to the whole church, all those present in the church must pray with the celebrants, so that the Heavenly Father will send down His Holy Spirit on us and on the Gifts that are presented - and read to ourselves the prayer: Lord, Who is Thy Most Holy Spirit. At this time, not a single soul should remain cold, but every soul should be inflamed with love for God. At this time, may our souls be like burning lamps, like a burning and fragrant censer, like the smoke of incense rising into the mountain: for at this moment a terrible, life-giving sacrament takes place - the transformation by the Spirit of God of bread and wine into the Most Pure Body and Blood of Christ, and God in the flesh appears on the throne.” After the exclamation: Much about the Most Holy One, remembering every Orthodox bishopric, Fr. John adds: “Remember, Lord, all the Orthodox bishops, bearers of Thy Spirit, Thy title and dignity, Thy righteousness, Thy power and Thy judgment, Thy holiness, Thy immortality, Thy new creation and Thy deification, bearers of Thy mind and Thy heart, Thy lordship and splendor, all presbytery and adds secretly: to him you entrusted the ministry of reconciliation of people with God, repentance, restoration of renewal, enlightenment, blessing, multiplication of the race through the sacrament, marriage, sanctification and deification and all the heavenly sacraments, except for ordination - may it be worthy of its title, and may the right live and act sacredly and bring prayers to You, the Master, for everyone and for everything, pleasing to God: remember in In Christ is the diaconate, which assists the priesthood and serves the heavenly Mysteries, and every priestly order. We also bring to You this verbal service about the universe - about the holy, catholic and apostolic Church, composed of all nations, and in the storm of this world, pacify the prince of darkness of the existing Church, and plant firm piety in them; about our Most Pious Sovereign, about his Spouse, about his Heir, the Hope of Thy Church, and about the entire reigning House”... I’m not talking about his fiery prayer for the dead. She is distinguished by extraordinary boldness and depth. The deacon began the litany before the “Our Father.” During the secret reading of the prayer laid down at this litany: We offer you our life... grant us permission to receive communion... with a clear conscience, Fr. John adds the following: “for boldness before all Your people, for the eradication of the corrupting, flattering, annoying, violating, darkening, shaming passions that separate and kill the soul from You, - for the planting, return, establishment in the souls of all true, life-giving virtues - for the fulfillment of wisdom - to teach all people faith and Your commandment - to enlighten my light before Your people, for they may see my good deeds and glorify You, our Father who is in heaven, so that I do not in vain bear the great, heavenly, angelic, idolizing, sovereign rank of the priesthood - not into judgment or condemnation.” Never forget another moment from this time. During the litany, after reading the secret prayer, Fr. John bent over the throne and prayed in deep reverence. Then he took the paten with the Holy Body in his hands, raised it a little above the throne and, fixing his gaze, prayed with concentration before it. Then he took the chalice with the Holy Blood in his hands, pressed his forehead to it, and prayed fervently for a long time. At this time he did not utter a single word, did not make a single movement, and his eyes were almost constantly closed. What depth of inspiration, spiritual immersion in the mysteries of our life in Christ, what soulful contemplation of these mysteries! What a touching, touching, unforgettable picture. How it touches, elevates, excites, cleanses, enlightens the most callous, coarse, petrified heart. More than once later I lost heart, but as soon as I remembered these minutes, an invisibly new living stream poured into me from somewhere, and I revived in spirit again. The exclamation: and vouchsafe us, Master, ends with the words and verbs: Our Father. One cannot help but see deep thought in this addition. On behalf of all those present in the church, it confesses that God is the Father of us all, and that we are all brothers to each other. How important it is to experience at least one moment these words that we often forget about our universal brotherhood, brotherhood not on paper and in thoughts only, but in reality itself. After reading the prayer: I believe and confess, Fr. John secretly says the following words: “The Lord is in me personally, God and man, hypostatically, essentially, immutably, purifying, sanctifying, victorious, renewing, deifying, miraculous, which I feel in myself.” So, for Fr. John in these moments, Christ the Savior is not only with him, but also in him, Christ not as an abstract concept, but as a real, living Person, not just one idea of ​​Christ, a thought about Christ, but also the living action of Christ in him, felt in a real way by the heart of a pious shepherd. How many of us experience such thoughts and feelings at these moments?! Here Fr. joined. John of the Body and Blood of Christ. His face changed. There is no longer on him a trace of that fatigue and any kind of sorrow or sadness that could be seen when he just entered the church this morning. Extraordinary spiritual joy, extraordinary peace and heavenly calm, extraordinary strength and power were now displayed in every feature of his face. His face seemed to glow, as if emitting some kind of radiance. At the same time, I involuntarily recalled the halo (light circle) depicted on icons near the head of St. Ugodnikov. Father John was now ready to work again without any fatigue from morning until late at night; in the sacrament he received strength for all the daily labors and worries ahead of him. Persons standing close to him said that such a change happens to him every time he approaches St. Mysteries, for in St. From the mysteries he gained strength to carry out that work that exceeds all human strength. Views of Fr. John's services are extremely remarkable and worthy of all attention. They explain quite a lot of his behavior, life and activities. “Divine service,” he writes in his diary, “is for me an invaluable and greatest benefit in life; in Divine service - the whole life of our soul, all its treasure; “Here is her homeland, her upbringing, healing, her food and drink, her strength and glory, her shrine and life.” “How great is God’s mercy towards us sinners,” Fr. John I. T. 9 What invaluable heavenly consolation He left for us on earth in His holy church. And every day this joy and spiritual sweetness is given to us; Here we sing the praises of St. Pleasers of God, we remember the exploits of the saints, the sufferings of the martyrs, the valor of the saints, apostles, and, most of all, our most blessed Intercessor, the Mother of God - we are transported mentally to the days of their earthly life, we see high examples to follow. After all, they were people just like us, but they loved the Lord and managed to please Him. Here we sing their praises and please them; and they, in turn, as if in reward for our love for them, remember us before the throne of God in heaven, pray for us as for their younger brothers, and we feel this tangibly, tangibly! Do you believe this"? - I believe, father, how can I not believe? “Yes, it’s true - how can one not believe, but, unfortunately, there are unfortunate, non-believers, we must pray for them! And the liturgy is divine, what a wondrous sacrament! This is a foretaste of future bliss, this is a heavenly mystery, incomprehensible to angels. And we people commit sins, we perform sacred acts.” “Poor people,” he writes in his notes, “if you knew, if you fully understood what a great treasure, what gift you are depriving yourself of by moving away from St. Bowls! What a divine, priceless, life-giving, immortal gift of God, what help in your spiritual needs and weaknesses! - This is why there is no true life in Orthodox Christians, life according to the spirit of Christ - because they move away from Christ! That is why vices and disasters have multiplied among people! That is why all creation has armed itself against us - in revenge on the enemies of God who have retreated from their Creator! All nature, all the elements: air, water, fire, death in all its forms execute those who retreat from the Source of life! Here is a divine spectacle - the Liturgy. The spectacle of infinite love, wisdom, omnipotence, truth, holiness and renewal of the human being, corrupted by sin, a feeling of infinite sweetness, beauty, light, bliss: for in this sacrament are hidden for those who understand and pious the infinite sweetness, beauty, light, bliss, holiness, eternal truth, omnipotence, goodness and wisdom of God: they will not be satisfied with sweet and bright contemplation of the mind, admiration and bliss of the heart, when reflecting on this mystery of God’s boundless love for the perishing human race. Oh, how many blessings God gives us daily in the Divine Liturgy! – How do Christians feel about her? Cold, indifferent, inattentive. What boundless love of God for us sinners is expressed daily in the Divine Liturgy! How close God is to us. - Here He is, on the throne; - come and see! Taste and see! What a wonderful conversation! What happiness and bliss of our nature is in this acceptance of Christ within ourselves - purification, renewal of peace, greatness, freedom, glory, life and immortality! Oh, poor, poor people, why are you depriving yourselves with empty excuses of vain worldly concerns! You say, “I am unworthy, a sinner,” - repent, - here is purification, - here is the Son of God, who came into the world to save sinners, and not the righteous! - You say: “I’m busy, I don’t have time,” - do six days, and do your work in them, and although one in a week, give the seventh to the Lord your God. Render what is Caesar's to Caesar's, and what is God's to God's. Be abolished and understand. We find time for everything: for food and drink, for rest and peace, for the affairs of everyday vanity, for fun, theaters, games, often harmful and sinful, to please our passions - there is time for everything, but to visit the church of God, listen with due attention to the Divine Liturgy, - even more so - to say the Holy Communion and receive Holy Communion. Tain, we have no time, no leisure. Meanwhile, we know that in the early days Christians stood up in church, praising and blessing God; we know that they approached St. meal every week, repenting and confessing your sins out loud before the whole church.” This is what Fr. writes. John preaches this way in church, teaches this way from house to house wherever he goes, and confirms his teaching with his own example, having himself communed with St. every day for more than 35 years. Tain, except for those days when he is on the road. So, it is to this daily communion that he attributes the strength and strength that supports and encourages him in his amazing works among his extensive activities. “The Lord strengthens me, with whom I unite daily through St. communion; Otherwise, where could I draw strength for such constant, intense labors, with which I try to serve for the glory of His holy name and for the salvation of my neighbors! Wonderful prayer about. John before the service, written by him in his diary. “Oh, most holy, almighty, all-good Head of Your Church, Lord Jesus Christ, Alpha and Omega, Beginning and End! Give me, unworthy, the grace to perform Thy holiness, that is, Thy divine service is holy, peaceful and firm: cleanse my heart from all passion and from all slander of the enemy! Inflame me with Your heavenly fire and not only me, but also all those who stand and pray to You with me during my service! Humble the hearts of the arrogant of this age; subdue their minds to Your truth, and their hearts to Your Word; recreate, renew Your people, O Lord! “I am weak, but Your strength is in my weakness, that it may be made perfect.” When all the concelebrants took communion, Fr. John began to fragment St. Lamb for the communion of the laity. He crushed the Lamb with extraordinary speed. The service book does not contain any prayers in this case. But so that during such a St. affairs did not bother his soul, any idle thoughts, oh. John whispers prayers again. I heard fragmentary expressions from the canon of Simeon Logothet “on the crucifixion of the Lord and the lamentation of the Virgin Mary.” We will end our speech with a wonderful sermon by Fr. John about the sacrament of communion, pronounced by him in 1893 while visiting the city of Yaroslavl. And Jesus commanded the people to recline on the grass, and receive five loaves of bread and both fish, looking up to heaven, and bless them: and having broken them, they gave the loaves to the disciples, and the disciples to the people. And I ate everything and was satisfied. “With the blessing of the Right Reverend Bishop, calling on the Lord for help, I want to offer you, beloved brothers and sisters, a few words for general edification. As the basis of the word, I will take the gospel read today about Jesus Christ’s miraculous healing of the sick and also His miraculous feeding of five thousand people in the desert with five small loaves of bread and two fish. The Gospel begins with the words: At that time, Jesus saw many people and had mercy on them. The entire gospel, beloved brethren, in its main features is the sacred story of the countless acts of mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ towards people. For the sake of extreme mercy, He came down from heaven to earth, took on our flesh and became a man, like us in everything except sin, without ceasing to be God, in order to heal like with like, in order to heal the malignant scab of sin - the entire human race; lived with people, did not disdain a single sincerely repentant sinner, instructed everyone with a word, showing the path to salvation, performed countless beneficial miracles that demonstrated His immeasurable goodness and divine omnipotence, labored His most pure feet in travel, endured slander, reproach, persecution, beatings, suffering on the cross and death, and was resurrected as God. So great, so immense, is the all-encompassing mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ. He, as the Creator, Provider, Redeemer and Doctor of humanity, cared for everyone, called everyone to salvation and rejoiced for everyone who turned. But let us turn to the sacred story of the miraculous feeding of the people. The Lord’s mercy to the crowd of five thousand people, who, because of a thirst to hear His word, withdrew with Him into the desert and felt hunger, is extremely instructive and edifying. It shows that Jesus Christ is the Creator of all things, the Savior and Nourisher of the human race. Having sufficiently taught the people by word and nourished their souls with imperishable food, He feeds their bodies with material bread and fish, but He feeds them not as a man, but as Almighty God. The disciples of Christ, still imperfect and of little faith, ask Him to let the people go into the villages to buy bread, but He tells them that this is not necessary, and, commanding all the people to lie down on the grass, takes the heels of loaves and two fish that the disciples had, lifts up their eyes to heaven to His Father, blesses them, breaks them and gives them to the disciples for distribution, and the disciples distribute them to the people, and a wondrous miracle! No matter how much the loaves are distributed, they do not decrease, just like the fish, until they receive everything in sufficient quantities. Everyone was satisfied, no matter how hungry they were, and the pieces remaining after satiety far exceeded the amount of food that was at the beginning, for twelve baskets were filled with the remaining pieces. Wonderful creativity; wonderful blessing! Wonderful hands! For these are the Divine Hands that in the beginning created heaven and earth, and firmly hold them in order for many thousands of years. These are the Hands that produce beneficent thunder in the circle of heaven and illuminate the earth with terrible lightning, as those who did not sleep last night heard and saw 10 - thunder and lightning, from which everything that breathes trembles. These are the Hands that brought from non-existence into existence countless fiery servants of heaven, Angels, rejoicing in heaven in a harmonious hierarchical rank, constantly praising the Lord and enjoying the indescribable bliss of seeing God. These are the Hands that created countless animate and inanimate earthly creatures, and multiplied and multiply from one blood the entire human race. These are the Hands that destroyed hell, bound Satan, captured his multi-human wealth and brought out of hell the souls he contained. These are the Hands that grow everything the fruits of the earth and provide food for all flesh, which produce abundantly grain for men in the fields and grass for livestock. This - I will say, finally, those Hands that at the Last Supper blessed the bread and wine dissolved in water, with the words of the Giver: take, eat, this is My Body, broken for you, and: drink of it, all of you, this is My Blood of the new Testament, which is shed for you and for many, for the remission of sins. Yes, it is wonderful to be fed with five loaves, but immeasurably more wonderful is the feeding of us with the most pure Body and Blood of the God-Man, which we, unworthy, are so often granted by His mercy. It is instructive, touching – a touching spectacle of the miraculous feeding of the people with loaves and two fishes, but immeasurably more instructive is the feeding of faithful Christians with the Lord’s Own Flesh and Blood, which renews our nature corrupted by sins and adores those who receive communion worthily. Let us, beloved brothers and sisters, love, thank and glorify the generous and merciful Lord, who feeds us every day with bread and all the fruits and sweets of the earth; but let us especially love and thank Him for the fact that He gives us His Most Pure Body and Divine Life-giving Blood for food and drink, and we will love each other and show mercy to our neighbors, as He commanded us. “Amen.” He spoke with great enthusiasm and fervor. Yaroslavl residents heard about it for the first time. John at home, and there is no need to say with what reverence they caught every word of the dearly loved and revered Fr. John. It seems that never before in this ancient vast church of the Tolga Monastery have so many tears of tenderness been shed as now during this sermon spoken by Fr. John. The whole cathedral, packed to capacity, was crying. Kotlin. 1901 No. 233. 17 Oct. Wed. Diary Vladikavka. priest Abbess Taisiya. O. Archpriest John Ilyich Sergiev, as a shepherd. St. Petersburg. 1893 That night a terrible thunderstorm broke out over Tolga and Yaroslavl; they said the houses shook from thunderclaps. Author.