НЕДЕЛЯ 2-Я ПО ПЯТИДЕСЯТНИЦЕ

The Lord's Calling of the First Disciples Seeing two young brothers - Simon, called Peter, and Andrew, throwing nets into the sea, the Savior, as if in passing, said to them: Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men (Matthew 4:19). The brothers did not ask their Divine Master who He was, by what power He commanded them, and where He would lead them, but they immediately left their nets and followed the Savior. Walking further with them, Jesus Christ saw two more brothers - James and John, sitting with their father Zebedee in a boat and mending nets. Despising the hearts and wombs of men, the Son of God called these young men; and they immediately responded with full readiness to the voice calling them: they left their father, boat and nets and followed Jesus. Here is the Gospel story of the calling to the apostolic service of the first disciples of the Savior. How simple and uncomplicated it is, but in fact how instructive for us Christians! “Look,” says Saint John Chrysostom, “what was the faith and obedience of those called. All these four people were poor people, they earned their living by fishing and were busy with their business while the Savior passed by them. However, all of them, as soon as they heard the calling of the Savior, did not delay, did not postpone until another time, did not say: “Here we go home and consult with our relatives,” but, leaving everything, they followed Him at that very moment.” Isn’t every one of us who confess God and Christ called from the day of our baptism to follow Christ? Shouldn’t everyone strive for heavenly glory, following the example of Christ’s apostles, following the holy saints of God, blessed by the Holy Church? True, we do not hear a voice calling us from the lips of the Savior Himself, as was the case with the apostles Peter and Andrew. But this was awarded to the people who were destined to capture the universe, to gather the flock of Christ from the people. For us, the call that we hear in the speeches and words of the Savior conveyed to us by the apostles is quite sufficient. Whoever listens to the reading of the Gospel in the church of God should listen to it as if Jesus Christ Himself was speaking. We must remember that in the church the Lord Himself is always invisibly present among us according to His immutable promise: where two or three are gathered in My name, there. I am in the midst of them (cf. Matthew 18:20). Here, in the Church of God, the Divine voice of Christ is heard in everything: in the sacred rites performed before our eyes, in the reading of the Divine Scriptures, in the singing of touching church songs, and in the contemplation of holy icons. All this tells our hearts that we should leave our addiction to the vanity of the world, cleave to Christ and relentlessly follow Him, fulfilling His holy will. How do we relate to the call of Christ the Savior addressed to us? Do we follow Him, our Redeemer, as hastily and irrevocably as the apostles Peter, Andrew, James and John? Most of us, modern Christians, it is true, accept the divine call to salvation with tenderness and humility, but we postpone the implementation of saving advice from hour to hour, from year to year, for an indefinite time. Worldly pleasures, worldly needs and sinful habits bind our hearts to such an extent that because of them we often seem to completely forget the law of Christ, “and we do not do good if we want, but if we do not want evil, we do it.” How often, because of some petty and insignificant matter, many decide to omit God’s service, and sometimes to offend their neighbor. Having thought about all this, let us try to take care of correcting our lives, abandon our usual laziness and negligence in the matter of salvation, and strive to pave our way to the honors of the heavenly calling in Christ Jesus. The Lord wants all people to be saved and to come into the understanding of truth (1 Tim. 2:4). He stands at the door of the heart of each of us and knocks, and if anyone opens the door, he comes in and dines with him (see: Rev. 3:20). What else, if not God’s call to repentance, mean misfortunes that suddenly befall us in this life, terrible natural phenomena that happen to us from time to time, unexpected mercies or remorse of our conscience? Therefore, if anyone hears such a call either within himself, or from somewhere else, if anyone gets the idea to start “living according to God,” let him immediately put this thought into execution. Let the saint not postpone his resolve under any pretext, not for one day or hour, but, leaving all his will, follow Christ. Don’t say: I’ll live another year for the world, I’ll arrange my affairs, and then I’ll get down to pleasing God. No, as Simon and Andrew did when they heard the call of the Savior, so we must do. They didn’t even tidy up their nets, but simply abandoned them, so we must immediately part with everything that stands in the way of salvation, renounce worldly ties and pleasures. On obedience to the word of Christ The apostles of Christ showed us a wonderful example of true obedience to the word of God. One day Jesus Christ walks along the shore of the Sea of ​​Galilee, and then He sees two brothers, Simon and Andrew, casting nets. “Follow Me,” He says to them, “and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19). And they immediately left their nets and followed Him. They go further, and Jesus Christ sees two more brothers, James and John, they are sitting in a boat with their father and mending the nets. And he called them. And they immediately left the boat and their father and followed Him. Oh, if only we Christians were just as ready to listen to the word of God and fulfill the Gospel law! But, unfortunately, we give so many excuses for not following Christ, not fulfilling His Holy Law. For example, Sunday or some holiday comes; the sound of a bell is heard, prompting us to leave everyday affairs and inviting us to go to the church of God for prayer. So what? Are we listening to the call of our Orthodox Church? Unfortunately, not always and not all. “The worries of life overwhelm us,” some say, “that’s why there is no time to go to the church of God.” What unreasonable concern for immediate needs! Don't we know that success in our affairs depends on God?! Listen to what is said in the Prologue. There lived two neighbors, and both were tailors; one had many children, and his father and mother were old men, and he fed the whole family unnecessarily, and went to church every day. His neighbor was more skilled at work and worked tirelessly, even on Sundays, but did not go to church at all; however, he could not feed himself either. And so the latter became envious of the former and once said to him with annoyance: “Where does everything come from for you? I work more than you, but I live like a beggar...” He answered him: “I go to church every day and every time I find gold on the road, so little by little I got rich. Do you want me to come get you, and what we find, we’ll divide it in half?” The neighbor readily agreed and began going to church with him. And God blessed him for this, and he soon became rich. Then a good neighbor says to him: “Do you see, brother, how useful it is to go to the Church of God? But believe me: I didn’t find any gold on the road, but I went to the church of God simply because God Himself promised: Seek first the Kingdom of Heaven, and everything else will be added to you (cf. Matthew 6:33). You see for yourself that I did not lie: God has also given you the church of God for your zeal.” “I’ll pray at home,” some say. Do people know that one “Lord have mercy”, said in church with a community of believers, is worth a hundred prostrations of home prayer? The Church has decreed that on holidays we should be in the church of God, and we must obey it, and not philosophize in our own way: “I’ll pray at home.” Listen to the story of one pious warrior about a certain merchant. He was a kind man, he was happy to give his last penny to the poor. But he did not like to go to church, although he was a very devout person. “It makes no difference,” he reasoned, “whether you pray at home or in church: there is only one God. I’ll do something during the service, and in the evening before going to bed I’ll pray better.” And it used to be that during summer service he would go to the field to look at the crops and grain, and in the winter he would do some work around the house. Once, on Peter’s Day, he went into the field, and they rang for the all-night vigil. The evening was beautiful, when suddenly a black cloud approached from behind the forest, rain poured down, terrible thunder struck and lightning flashed two steps away from the merchant... This time God had mercy on him: he remained unharmed. Another time, during mass, on the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord, he went into the forest lodge and barely managed to close the door behind him when the ceiling collapsed behind him in the hallway... And then the Lord saved him; but he did not come to his senses and still did not go to church, although his friend often persuaded him. Finally, the Lord guided him on the true path. The feast of the Holy Trinity has arrived. The merchant was in the city, where he received his labor money from the bank in order to transfer it to another bank. They announced the service for the all-night vigil, and the merchant decided to go home. His friends tried to persuade him: “Where are you going to go? Tomorrow is a big holiday, I should go to church and pray - there’s no hurry.” But he didn't listen. “At home,” he says, “I’ll pray, but in the cold it’s better to go.” And I went. The divine rides and sings; Meanwhile, the sky became covered with clouds, it began to rain, and it began to get dark. He rode into the forest, and suddenly someone grabbed his horse and shouted: “Stop!” From fear he could not even move. Several people attacked him, pulled him off the cart, and he doesn’t remember anything what happened next. He woke up and saw that it was already light - there was no horse, he was undressed, blood was flowing in several places, but he could not move a finger and felt that he was starting to shake with a fever. It was then that the merchant turned to God with a fervent prayer of repentance: “Lord! I am a sinner, I did not visit Your Holy dwelling; Forgive me, Merciful Father, don’t let me die like a dog!.. I will, I will certainly go to church!” After this prayer, he again fell into unconsciousness and woke up in the house of his friend, who found him by accident. The merchant was ill for six months, but never once complained about the Lord God; He kept praying and saying: “I’m not worth this: glory to You, Lord!” And when he recovered, he began to go to church diligently: he would go even before the good news, but would be the last to leave; He stands there, praying, and tears just flow. A year has passed, the day of the Holy Trinity has come again. The merchant went to the all-night vigil and tearfully, fervently prayed that the Lord would place him somewhere: not everyone can live on someone else’s bread. He comes from the all-night vigil, they give him a letter. And who do you think this letter was from? From the one who robbed him a year ago and left him without a piece of bread. And this unkind man writes that his conscience has tormented him, that he can no longer keep his money and wants to return it in full to the owner... The merchant read the letter, began to cry, fell to his knees in front of the image of the Savior and began to pray... The money was returned to him, and he improved his affairs. Needless to say, after such mercy from God, the merchant became even more zealous for the Church of God, for church service. So, Christians, listen to the voice of your Mother Church: go to the church of God! Church pastors often exhort Christians to leave their sinful lives and start a new one, in accordance with the Gospel law. Well, do we obey their voice? Unfortunately, we either listen little or not at all. But listen to how beneficially the word of God proclaimed by the shepherds affects the soul of a sinner. Have you heard, perhaps, about our Russian saint, St. Nikita the Stylite? Who was he before? He was born and raised in the city of Pereyaslavl-Zalessky, Vladimir province. When he came of age, he became a friend of the publicans, worked with them around the judges and caused a lot of grief and offense to innocent people. Collecting unrighteous bribes, he fed himself and his wife. He spent many years like this. One day he entered the church and heard the words of the prophet Isaiah: wash yourself and be clean, take away wickedness from your souls (Isaiah 1:16). These words amazed him: he spent the whole night without sleep; untruths lay like stones on his heart. The next morning he went out to his friends and, to entertain himself, invited them to his place for the evening. Having bought what he needed for the treat, he ordered his wife to cook. But when she began to cook, she first saw blood on top of the water, then the head, then another part of the human body. In horror, she told her husband about it. He came and saw the same thing. “Woe to me, who have sinned greatly!” - Nikita exclaimed and, without saying another word, left the house and indulged in difficult feats on the pillar. The Word of God is a seed, the Savior said (cf. Luke 8:11), but from the seed, both in visible nature and in the nature of our soul, fruit does not immediately appear. But sooner or later the word of God, according to the word of Holy Scripture, will not remain lean and barren (see: John 12:24). “Let’s wait to follow the Gospel teaching for at least a year, at least a day, let’s live for ourselves, and then for God,” some say. What cowardice! As if in a year or two it would be easier to give up your sinful habits! Isn't it the other way around, isn't it much more difficult! This is what our reverend father Dorotheos tells. One great elder was walking with his disciples in a place where there were various cypress trees, large and small. The elder said to one of his disciples: “Pull out this cypress tree.” The cypress was small, and the brother immediately pulled it out with one hand. Then the elder showed him another one, larger than the first, and said: “Tear out this one too.” The brother swung it with both hands and pulled it out. And again the elder showed him an even larger cypress, but the brother, although he worked and sweated a lot, could not pull it out. Then the elder ordered the other brother to get up and help him, and only both together could barely pull him out. And the elder said to the brothers: “This is how passions or sinful attractions are: while they are small, then, if we wish, we can easily pluck them from the heart; if we neglect them, then they become stronger, and the more they do, the more work they require from us, and when they become very strong in us, then even with difficulty we cannot pluck them out of ourselves alone, unless we receive help from some saints who help us according to God.” So, Christians, do not stop at anything, do not make excuses and do not put off a good undertaking for an indefinite time. And as soon as you hear the voice of the church or its shepherd calling you to some good deed, immediately drop everything and get down to the work of your salvation, as the apostles Simon and Andrew did when they heard the call of the Savior. Every good deed is patronized by God himself and his saints “Without God you can’t reach the threshold,” says the old proverb. Indeed, what can we, the weak, do without the help of the Creator, Almighty and Provider God?! He is our Creator, who gave us breath and life; He is our Provider, taking care of everything we need in life, and especially what leads us to salvation. If the Lord does not build a house, it labors in vain to build, we read in the Word of God (Ps. 126:1). One day, the apostles of Christ fished all night, but there was no catch. The Divine Teacher came to them and ordered them to cast the net... And in just an hour, or even less, the catch turned out to be so great that the apostles had difficulty pulling out the net, and the boat even began to sink from the multitude of fish. What did such a successful catch depend on? From the blessing of God. “We worked all night and caught nothing,” the apostles said to the Savior. Everyone works, they work diligently, but everyone complains that their work is in vain. Why is this? But because their work was undertaken without the blessing of God. The Lord God loves every good undertaking and, if they turn to Him in prayer, protects this intention. Let us turn to an example from the life of St. Peter, Metropolitan of Moscow. The saint was from Volyn. From the age of seven he was sent to book learning, but no matter how hard the young student tried, there was no success. This greatly saddened him and his parents. The youth began to fervently pray to God, asking for the gift of wisdom. And then one day in a dream Peter sees a man in holy robes, who, standing near him, said: “Child, open your mouth!” The boy carried out the order. The one who appeared touched his tongue and, blessing him, seemed to pour some sweetness into his mouth. From then on, young Peter began to excel in his studies more than his peers. Having entered the monkhood in his twentieth year and having completed all obediences, he became Metropolitan of Moscow. He founded the Assumption Cathedral, where his relics remain incorruptible to this day, from which many healings occur. Isn’t it clear to you now that God favors good intentions? The saints of God, being imitators of God's love for mankind, also extend their protection to all those who seek good knowledge and turn to them for help. It is known that many parents and children resort to the holy unmercenaries and wonderworkers Cosmas and Damian before the start of studies and exams. And their prayer and hope for the help of the holy unmercenaries is not in vain. On this subject, one spiritual magazine said the following. In 1905, former justice of the peace N. Babin was ordained a deacon in Perm. At the end of the Liturgy, the newly initiated spoke about what prompted him to make the transition from a secular to a spiritual rank: “I was born sick and often lay close to death, but thanks to the prayers of my priest father and frequent communion of the Holy Mysteries, I was healed. The weakness after the illness was, however, so great that they began to teach me only in my tenth year, and, despite diligence and diligence, I studied poorly. Tormented by the consciousness of my inability, I complained to my father, and he told me to pray to the unmercenary saints Cosmas and Damian, who received tuna (gift) and gave healing. Having listened to my father’s instructions and learned that in a nearby village there is a church in honor of the saints of God Cosmas and Damian, of my own desire and zeal I made about five journeys on foot there, seventeen miles away, and with a warm child’s prayer I lit candles, served prayer services, and fervently asked the holy saints to grant me the ability to teach. And now - oh, miracle! - soon, having entered the theological school, to the surprise of myself, my parents and friends, I began to study quickly, caught up with my fellow students, and already moved to the second grade as the second student, and to the third... even the first. I brilliantly completed my course at the seminary and passed the university with flying colors...” So, Christians, our prayer to God and His saints before the beginning of every good deed is not in vain! Therefore, always turn to God in prayer first, and He will bless your good undertaking. If, for example, you decide to send your son or daughter to school, first of all, pray to God that He will give them wisdom and strength to continue their teaching for the benefit of the Church and the Fatherland. If you intend to build a house, again turn to God, your helper in all our affairs. If you want to open any trading business, also turn to God, Who loves honest and good traders, and He will help you in a good enterprise. If you decide to marry your son or give your daughter in marriage, again pray to God: He is the patron of every honest marriage. In general, in every good deed or intention, God protects us. It is not without reason that our caring Mother, the Holy Church, has provided for all these cases. Listen to the voice of the Holy Church and know that good intentions are protected by God Himself and His saints! Every honest work pleases God Many of the Christians, for whom God has assigned hard work, according to human concepts, grumble about their occupation, are often dissatisfied with their position and often envy noble and rich people. But... remember the words of the Apostle: each do as God has determined for him, and each as the Lord has called (1 Cor. 7:17). Any useful work, even if not honorable, is honest and pleasing to God. Our Savior Jesus Christ himself, living in the house of Joseph the carpenter, undoubtedly engaged in this craft, because he was in complete obedience to his parents (cf. Luke 2:51). The apostles also ate from the labors of their hands; Thus, the Apostle Paul himself made tents, and other apostles, for example Peter and John, fished. The Most Holy Theotokos was doing needlework. And the holy saints of God worked a lot: some cultivated the land, others weaved baskets, others chopped wood... Take, for example, St. Alexander, Bishop of Comana. Alexander came from noble parents and received an excellent education; he knew not only Christian wisdom, but also pagan wisdom and was known as a philosopher. He could have held a prominent position and enjoyed great honor in society, but his holy soul sought the highest honors: he chose the highest Christian feat - self-imposed poverty. Out of deep Christian humility, he decided to live the simplest life, which according to people’s standards was almost shameful - he became a coal miner; he burned coals in the forest and carried them to the city to sell, which is what he fed on. According to his occupation, he appeared black, dirty, in patched clothes. Little by little they forgot about Alexander as a philosopher and knew him only as a coal miner. Now, from time to time, even small children mocked him, but Alexander did not pay attention to this. He thought of ending his life in this position, but God’s Providence judged him differently. A bishop died in Comana, in Asia Minor. The presbyters and surrounding bishops gathered to elect a new hierarch; Bishop Gregory the Wonderworker of Neocaesarea, famous for his spiritual experience, was also invited here. When those present began to point to one or the other as a worthy successor to the deceased, meaning either the nobility of the family, then wealth, then the gift of eloquence, or the venerable years of the chosen one, St. Gregory the Wonderworker, in turn, noticed that when choosing a bishop one must pay attention mainly to internal qualities, to the kindness of the heart and to the direction of God, and he proved his idea with a well-known event from Old Testament history: the election the king of Jesse's youngest son, David, who was a shepherd of sheep for his father. Not everyone liked the saint’s idea. Many began to grumble and mockingly said: “If you don’t pay attention to appearance when choosing a bishop, then shouldn’t you elect Alexander the coal miner as bishop?” Alexander was standing right there in the crowd at that time. “Who is this Alexander?” - asked Gregory of Neocaesarea, thinking at the same time: is this not God’s indication of a worthy chosen one. Alexander was called in the same form as he was found - black, dirty, in torn and patched clothes. Those gathered, looking at him, could hardly restrain themselves from laughing. Meanwhile, the coal miner did not pay any attention to this and behaved quite decently before the meeting. Noticing great virtues in him, the perspicacious Saint Gregory took him aside and, under oath, began to question him about his former life. Alexander could not help but open up to the revered saint. Gregory the Wonderworker was convinced of the validity of his assumption regarding this man and of the indication from above. Alexander turned out to be very knowledgeable in Christian law, and most importantly, in terms of the height of his life he turned out to be a rare Christian. Inviting him to wash, change clothes and appear at the Council, Saint Gregory again went to the meeting. After some time, Alexander also appeared there - he was now barely recognized by those who had previously laughed at him. They began to ask him some questions, and he answered so sensibly that one could not help but be surprised at his answers, then by general agreement Alexander was elected Bishop of Koman. Alexander soon rose through the lower hierarchical positions and was finally consecrated bishop. According to custom, the newly installed bishop had to say an instructive word to the people. When Bishop Alexander began to deliver the teaching, the listeners were all moved by the simplicity and sincerity of the teaching. But there was one young philosopher from the inhabitants of Koman, who laughed at the simplicity of the teachings of the philosopher saint, and the Lord enlightened him with a vision: he saw a flock of white, very beautiful doves, shining with some special light, and heard a voice: “These are the words of Alexander the Bishop at which you laughed.” After this vision, the young philosopher came to his senses and, coming to Bishop Alexander, repented of his sin. With honor, glory and great benefit, Alexander served as a hierarch at the Koman See, until for his open and firm confession of faith he was captured for martyrdom by the enemies of Christianity and, after cruel torture, was put on fire. This is how Bishop Alexander, who previously worked as a coal miner, ended his life! This example clearly shows each of us that no work is humiliating; Therefore, if any of you Christians are destined to bear hard work, do not complain about God and your situation. Every title is good if you yourself are good, and, conversely, every title will be bad if you yourself are bad, that is, if you are lazy, a drunkard, a thief, in a word, a worthless person. And you, whom the Lord has destined to occupy the highest positions, do not humiliate your brother because he lives in poverty and simplicity. Do you know the soul of the one you boast about? Perhaps his soul is many times more perfect than yours! And for what, in fact, should a person be valued, if not for his spiritual qualities? Gold, as we know, is hidden in the earth, and precious stones in the hard earthy crust. Are not the precious qualities of the soul sometimes hidden in a similar way under the guise of poverty and simplicity - under beggar's rags? Election to a bishop is carried out according to the will of God “I was left an orphan,” said Saint Jonah, Archbishop of Novgorod, in the world John, “three years old after the death of my mother and seven years old after the death of my father. God put it on the heart of the widow Natalia, the mother of Yakov Dmitrievich Medovartsev, that she would take me into her home, feed and clothe me, and give me to the clerk to learn to read and write. There were many students at the school where I entered; I was quiet from poverty. One day the children were playing after Vespers; and then I see a blessed man walking down the street. The children rushed at him and began throwing pebbles at him and throwing rubbish in his eyes, but I stood there without moving. The blessed one, leaving the children, ran up to me, took me by the hair, raised me higher than himself and, not knowing me at all, called me by name. “Vanyusha! - he said, “learn to read and write, you will be an archbishop in Novgorod.” Then he hugged me and ran away.” It was Blessed Mikhail Klopsky. In his mature years, John retired to the desert, fifty miles from Novgorod: the desert was then poor. Here John took monastic vows with the name of Jonah. For his ascetic life and purity, the brethren, after the death of the founder of the desert, Chariton, elected Jonah as abbot. In 1458, the zealous abbot Jonah became archbishop of Novgorod, and in February 1459 in Moscow he was already ordained high priest. From this story, without a doubt, it is clear that the election to the bishop, predicted many years ago by the perspicacious fools for Christ's sake, was accomplished not by the will of man, but by the will of God. Don't insult the priest! Here is a very instructive story from one priest. “My father,” said this shepherd, “served as a priest for a long time at St. Andrew’s Church, in which I have served since 1824; he gave me the following obvious proof of the truth that it is dangerous to insult a priest. In his parish there was a certain Maxim, one of the Little Russian Cossacks, a man of obstinate character, especially when he drank, which happened to him, unfortunately, often. My father, in accordance with his duties as a shepherd, admonished him on all occasions and urged him to reform and stop drinking. One day, seeing this Maxim, again rampaging while drunk, he made a remark to him: “What a bad thing you are doing, Maxim, how you sin!” But Maxim, instead of obeying the instructions, said a lot of rude and abusive words to his father, and in response to my father’s remark: “But I’m your confessor,” he snapped: “If I don’t teach you, I’ll die.” That was the end of the matter. Several years passed from that time, and it happened that this Maxim fell ill. His family called my father to admonish the sick man with the Holy Gifts. The father came, but as soon as he entered the hut, the patient, who was conscious and talking, suddenly became speechless in the presence of his confessor, fell into unconsciousness and looked in a frenzy, seeing nothing. No matter how much my father and his family spoke to him, he remained numb. There was nothing to do; The father left the hut and was about to go home, when suddenly the family said that the sick man had come to his senses and asked him to return. But as soon as he entered the hut, the patient again fell into unconsciousness and became unable to accept parting words. The next day, the patient’s relatives again ask the father to confess and commune him, since he is already feeling. My father, believing that the patient might not be able to receive guidance from him, did not go himself, but invited another priest; but what? The same thing happens: before the priest arrived, the patient spoke and was conscious, but as soon as he entered the hut, he became insensitive and numb. When the priest left the hut, the sick man came to his senses again; The priest is again asked to return, but as soon as he enters the hut, the patient again loses consciousness. So this poor fellow died without being instructed by the Holy Mysteries. May the Lord God forgive and have mercy on him!” You might be interested in: