Архиерей

“This is what our High Priest should be: holy, free from evil, blameless, separated from sinners” (Heb. 7:26). These words were once spoken by the Apostle Paul about Christ Himself, the Great High Priest, who passed through the heavens (Heb. 4:14), but are now used in the Church of Christ in the days of memory of His bishops. For bishops are the image of Christ on earth, becoming like Him not only in rank and power, but also in life, pleasing Him as much as anyone can (2). The rank of bishop is likened in Divine Scripture to the heavenly bodies. Thus, Sirach says about the Old Law bishop Simon: “Like the morning star among the clouds, like the full moon... like the sun shining above the church of the Most High” (Sir. 50:6–7). About the newly blessed bishops, the Lord Himself says in the Gospel: “You are the light of the world (like the heavenly bodies illuminating the world), so let your light shine before people” (Matthew 5:14, 16). The Church of Christ on earth is like heaven, for just as God lives in heaven, surrounded by Angels, so on earth He lives in His Church, glorified by people, as David says: “The Lord is in His holy church. God is in the midst of His people; praise be to Him in the assembly of the saints” (Ps. 10:4, 149:1). And just as the sky is adorned and shines with its luminaries, so the Church shines with its luminaries - its shepherds and teachers, of whom some shine like stars, others like the moon, and others like the sun, each according to his rank, honor and title and according to his perfection in a virtuous life and spiritual wisdom. The heavenly luminaries, placed at an immeasurable height by the dispensation of God, are far removed from the earth, and bishops occupy not a low, but the highest place in the church heaven, being images of the Son of God, and are very different from their subordinates in sanctity and power. For those who are governed by a bishop are sheep, and the bishop is a shepherd. Those are children, and he is a father, those are students, and he is a teacher, those are people, and he is an Angel in his pure and holy life. The heavenly luminaries are like the eyes of heaven, looking at everyone, shining equally for the good and the evil (cf. Matt. 5:45), and the bishops are also like the eyes of the church, watchfully and vigilantly looking at the flock entrusted to them, seeing the needs and weaknesses of everyone and equally concerned about the salvation of everyone, both good and evil. “For they, according to the word of the apostle, care for the souls of men, as those who are obliged to give an account” (Heb. 13:17). Although the heavenly lights are very great, for each of them is not only equal in size, but even surpasses the earth, however, due to the great distance, they seem small to our eyes. In the same way, persons of the clergy in the eyes of the proud laity, who are far removed from pleasing God, seem small and are imputed to nothing, although many of them are great before God and the world is not worthy of them. The heavenly bodies, when we look at them, seem to stand in one place, while in their incomprehensible flow they move day and night and in twenty-four hours they go around the entire great circle of heaven, and do not get tired. Likewise, church shepherds, working unceasingly and unswervingly in their calling, must follow the path established for them by the Law of God, according to the words of the psalmist: “I walked in the path of Your commandments, when You enlarged my heart” (Ps. 119:32) - and like those about whom the prophet Isaiah speaks: “Those who trust in the Lord will renew their strength: they will mount with wings like eagles, and will not flow.” they will be tired” (Isa. 40:31). The heavenly bodies shine on the inhabitants of the earth and warm them. In the same way, the office of bishops is to shine with their good deeds and warm everyone with love. And just as the light of heavenly bodies, passing through bad places on earth, is not desecrated, so the healing bishop, who binds and resolves human sins, who bears the infirmities of the weak, must carefully preserve himself from sinful damage, so that, while healing the ulcers and suppurations of others, he does not harm himself, so that, while washing others, he does not become defiled himself, instructing others, and does not deviate from the right path, preaching to others, do not become worthless yourself. By keeping himself pure from sinful vices, he truly becomes separated from sinners, although he lives on earth together with sinners, like the rays of heavenly bodies passing through earthly defilements and not being defiled in the least (2). Perhaps someone will say that the Apostle Paul did not blaspheme those who wish to become a bishop, for he says: “If anyone desires episcopacy, he desires a good work” (1 Tim. 3:1) - therefore, the desire for episcopacy is not a shameful desire. Let him who speaks thus heed the last words of the apostle: “He desires a good deed.” Desires deeds, not power; labor, not honor; worries, not satiation. The apostle praises the desire, for the order of the priesthood was established by the Lord on earth not for peace and pleasure, but so that the saint always bears the greatest labors, caring for the salvation of all, not for collecting wealth, but for feeding the hungry and clothing the naked, for the property of the Church is the property of the poor. You need to be a bishop not in order to be magnified and self-important, being revered by everyone, but in order to always and unhypocritically demonstrate the image of Christ’s humility, to be a champion of the truth, without being offended, regardless of faces, to always be ready to lay down your soul for Christ and the Church of Christ. The Apostle did not blaspheme those who wished to become bishops precisely because in those apostolic times martyrdom followed episcopacy, and both of the apostles and of the bishops, few died a natural death, but very many died in martyrdom. For the wicked tormentors first of all sought bishops and Christian teachers as leaders, and therefore if anyone desired episcopacy, he also desired martyrdom, desired dishonor, spitting, strangulation and wounds, and not proud exaltation and honors. That is why in those days, whoever wanted the episcopate wanted a good deed. Nowadays, one who seeks the episcopal rank must be afraid lest, having taken upon himself the care of the salvation of others, he will destroy his soul (2). “Be an example to the faithful in speech, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity” (1 Tim. 4:12). We, listening to these apostolic words, think that the bishop is commanded to have life together with the word and the word with life, for it is said: be an example in the word, in the life. In words - to teach, in life - to show in practice what he teaches to his flock. It is not good for a bishop not to have words in his mouth, to be called a teacher and not to teach, to wear “sources” on his mantle, but not to exude sources of teaching from his lips, to be called a shepherd, and not to offer pastures to his sheep, to bear the rank of apostle, and not to preach the gospel in an apostolic manner. About such shepherds the Holy Apostle Paul says: “Woe to me if I do not preach the good news” (1 Cor. 9:16). But it is even more bitter for a bishop not to have a good life, looking at which people would benefit from him. For if a teaching word emanating from the lips of a bishop can bring much benefit, then his good life can bring even more benefit to everyone, since the voice of deeds sounds stronger than the voice of words. The word is heard only by those who are present, but the deed is preached to the ends of the earth. May you carry the honey of sweetness on your tongue, but if you have the gall of love of sin in your heart, your word will be ineffective, like thunder without rain in the clouds. What good is this cloud thunder if there is no rain to fall on the thirsty earth? What tenderness is there for souls from the voice of a teacher if it does not bring them benefit by the deed itself? He who speaks good and does evil will seduce more than he will teach, and from everyone he will hear the parable: “Physician, heal yourself” (see Luke 4:23). God Himself says to the sinner: “Why do you preach My statutes and keep My covenant in your mouth? After all, you hated instruction and threw My words back” (Ps. 49:16-17). Therefore, it is fitting for a saint to have both word and life together, in order to be a bright image for those who look at him, like the sun shining in the sky. The sun illuminates the world with its rays from heavenly heights, and the bishop shines his image of good deeds on his flock. And while the sun is shining from the sky, illuminating the day, all people are working, everyone is working on their work, but when it “knows its west” (Ps. 103:19), everyone is directed to sleep and inaction. In a similar way here: as long as the bishop manifests himself in pleasing God, sets an example for his flock, so long do the verbal sheep, looking at him, strive to do the commandments of God. If he does not shine with himself, and especially if he darkens himself with displeasure to God and negligence, then who will not neglect his correction! For if, according to the Gospel saying, light can become darkness (see Matt. 16:23), then how much more darkness? (2) You might be interested in: