Речь в неделю о слепом, сказанная в Предтеченской церкви архиерейского дома 27-го апреля 1858 года.

“Whenever I am in the world, I am the light of the world” (John 9:5). Having said these words, our Lord, as if to justify them, immediately opened the eyes of the man born blind and thus enlightened him (John 9:6-7). But not only for the blind, whom the Lord so often healed and enlightened, He appeared on earth as a light: no, He was and remains the light of the world, the light for all people, and therefore for each of us. The first property of light is that it drives away darkness and makes objects visible. And the Lord Jesus said about Himself: “I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness” (John 12:46). He dispersed the spiritual darkness that had enveloped the entire human race for thousands of years: the darkness of ignorance, prejudice and error, the darkness of polytheism, idolatry and all kinds of superstitions. He “gave us light and understanding, that we might know the true God,” whom “no one has seen anywhere” (John 1:18; 1John 5:20). He made clear for us our own destiny from beginning to end, telling us about our origin and high destiny, about our fall and the means of restoration. He also revealed to us the secret of the existence of the world: its beginning, purpose, relationship to God and man. And now, walking in the light of the face of Christ, we see everything that exists in its true form, although we see by “faith” and not by knowledge: because the area of ​​​​the holy truths revealed to us by Christ is a region of higher experience, and is not subject to either our feelings or the research of our mind, which, even at the highest degrees of its development, while a person remains in darkness, is only able to guess about it, and express only opinions and assumptions. But light not only shines, but also gives life: it promotes the development, growth, and maturation of living beings. And the Lord Jesus said about Himself: “I am the Light of the world: walk in Me, not to walk in darkness, but to have the light of life” (John 8:12). Christ is an animal light for us: because, “enlightening every person who comes into the world” with his teaching (John 1:9), He actually revives every believer, or regenerates spiritually in the sacrament of baptism, imparts to every believer “all Divine powers, including life and godliness”, through the sacrament of anointing (2 Peter 1:3), worthy of everyone the believer to partake of the eternal life in the sacrament of the Eucharist, again revives every sinner but repentant Christian in the sacrament of repentance. Christ is an animal light for us: because, having enlightened our minds with the truths of faith and hope, he enlightened our will with the truths of love, showed us the path of the spiritual life, clarified the moral laws, which, although inscribed in our conscience and heart, were darkened in us as a result of the Fall and weakened; and on the other hand, because with its grace it helps us to follow this path of life, to grow and strengthen in Christian piety, to bear spiritual fruits, as we “work” in us “both to will and to do” all that is good “for good will” (Phil. 2:13). Let's turn to ourselves. We are called “into the wonderful light” of Christ (1 Peter 2:9), surrounded by this light, called “sons of light” (1 Thessalonians 5:5): well, does it really enlighten us and revive us? Alas! Many, even very many of us know little of the truths of revelation proclaimed by Christ, and therefore remain in darkness; others, even if they know these luminous truths sufficiently, but weakly believe in them, or almost do not believe, and thus they themselves close their spiritual eyes from the light of Christ: for only the one who believes, as it is said, will not remain in darkness; the third - the largest part - are little warmed by the rays of Christ's grace and do not live a life in Christ, but indulge in the “unfruitful work of darkness” and death (Eph. 5:11). Tell me, was this supposed to be? Is the light of Christ given to us so that we may remain in darkness? Did we become Christians in order to live like pagans? All of you who know little of the truths of revelation, try to study them, so that the light of Christ may shine on you; all of you who weakly believe in the truths of revelation, try to acquire and strengthen faith in yourself, may Christ enlighten you; all of you who are in death due to your sins, try to turn to God, may Christ revive you. May we all, brethren, appear, not only in name, but in life itself, as “sons of light” of Christ. Amen. You might be interested in: