Слово 2

To those who called at the beginning, but did not meet St. Gregory, when he became a presbyter Why don’t you rush to our word, O friends and brothers, who were once so quick to force me and extract me from my stronghold, that is, from the desert, which I loved most of all, which I primarily honored and chose for myself as the guide of my whole life, as a co-worker and mother of the divine ascent, making me a participant in God’s grace? Why do you neglect what you wanted to receive after receiving it? Why, apparently, are you better able to desire us when we are not there than to use us when we are with you, as if you only wanted to master our wisdom, and not benefit from it for yourself? Or, it is proper for me to say this: “you are full” (Is. 1:11), and, moreover, a strange thing! - before you tasted and tested us. Even as a stranger, you did not bring me in, or, to put it more compassionately, you were not brought in with me either; For what reason, if nothing else, should the commandment be respected? As a beginner you did not give me guidance, as a fearful person you did not encourage me, as a victim of violence you did not console me; on the contrary, I would not like to say, but I will say, and you made me a holiday not on a holiday; You did not receive me with a good omen and dissolved the triumph with sadness; because the most important thing for pleasure was missing with him - you, my conquerors, were missing - it would be unfair to say: lovers. They so easily neglect everything that they easily conquer; The high is slavishly revered, and the humble before God is dishonored; What do you want? Should I sue you or become a judge? Should I pronounce the sentence, or expose myself to the sentence? For I hope that even those who are judged will prevail, and by pronouncing judgment, I will righteously condemn you. Your fault is that you do not repay my love in equal measure; you do not give honor to my obedience, and you do not imagine present zeal as a guarantee for the future, whereas even with this zeal it would hardly be possible to rely on the future, because everyone has more ardor at the beginning. On the contrary, each of you prefers something to both the old and the new shepherd, not respecting gray hairs and not encouraging youth. The supper depicted in the Gospel (Matthew 22 et seq.) is magnificent; it treats affectionate people, there are friends, and the most pleasant feast is the marriage of the Son. But the Tsar convenes, but the guests do not come. He gets angry, and - I’ll keep silent about what happened next, as it foreshadows something terrible, but I’ll say that it’s easier to say - the King fills the feast with others. I don’t wish this for you, but you treated me (can I speak meekly?) - and those were more arrogant and insolent, because they, being called, denied the supper and insulted the One who called; and you are strangers, you are not invited to the wedding, but you yourself called me, you yourself attracted me to this sacred meal, you yourself showed me the splendor of the bridal chamber, and then you left me. Such are your great virtues! Some to their village, some to a pair of newly purchased oxen, some to a newlywed wife, some for something else of little importance - you all scattered and ran away, not caring either about the bridal chamber or about the Bridegroom. This greatly saddened me and led me into difficulty - I will not keep silent about my feelings - I almost kept the word that I wanted to bring as a marriage gift, as my best and most precious asset, and almost turned the words against you, beloved; because I once suffered violence from you - and could take advantage of such a wonderful opportunity; Moreover, my tongue was refined by love, which can be very ardent and inexhaustible in accusations, when it turns into jealousy, offended by unexpected neglect. If any of you was wounded by love and experienced contempt, then he knows the power of this passion and will forgive those who were subjected to it and were close to the same madness. However, even now it is not permissible for me to reproach you, and I do not wish that it would ever be allowed. Perhaps what I have said is too reproachful for you, sacred flock, praiseworthy sheep of Christ, God's treasure, in which you are rich, 8 despite all your poverty. It seems to me that it is appropriate to apply these words of Scripture to you: “the boundaries have been laid out for” you in “beautiful places, and your inheritance” is “most pleasant for” you (Ps. 15:6). I will not concede any advantage over us to the most populous cities, the most extensive of flocks; although we are few in number among the least tribe of the children of Israel, although we are very few in number among the thousands of Judah; we are the small city of Bethlehem, in which Christ is born, both now and from ancient times rightly known and revered; We exalt the Father, consider the Son equal to Him, and glorify the Holy Spirit. We are unanimous, we think like one, we do not offend the Trinity in the least by adding or cutting off, like bad stewards and peacemakers of the Divine, who humiliate and insult everything, thereby honoring one thing more than what is proper. If you want to repay me in some way, you are my field, my grapes, my womb, or better yet, this common father of ours, who gave birth to us in Christ through the gospel, then show respect to me, as justice requires; because I preferred you to everyone - as witnesses - you yourself and those who entrusted me with this rule or ministry. And if we owe more to the one who loves us more, how can I measure the love to which I have obliged you with my love? But give yourself more respect; honor the image entrusted to you and the One who entrusted it, honor the passion of Christ and the hope of the future life. And for this, keep the faith in which you received, in which you were raised, by which you hope to be saved (1 Cor. 15:1-2) and to save others, for you know that few can boast of the same thing as you. The goal of piety is not to talk about God often, but to remain silent more; for a tongue not governed by reason is a hindrance to all people. Always hold to the thought that it is safer to listen than to speak; it is more desirable to learn than to teach about God; give the builders the most thorough study of this in words, show piety yourself less in word, but more in deed, and reveal your love for God more by keeping His commandments than by astonishment towards the Lawgiver; avoid evil, excel in virtue, live by the spirit, walk by the spirit, attract knowledge; build up on the basis of faith “not wood, hay, stubble” - weak substances that can easily be destroyed when our deeds are judged or purified by fire - “but gold, silver and precious stones” (1 Cor. 3:16) - solid and abiding substances. Do this, and thereby glorify us, whether you are with us or not, whether you use our words, or find something else preferable. Be pure and blameless children of God in the midst of an evil and corrupt generation; do not be entangled in the snares of the wicked who walk around, and do not be bound by the chains of your sins ( Proverbs 5:22 ); Let not the Word of God be suppressed in you by the cares of this life, lest you remain unfruitful. But walk the royal way, turning neither to the right nor to the left, and under the guidance of the Spirit, walk the narrow way as if it were the long way. Then everything will be successful for us both in this life and in the future trial in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be glory forever. Amen. Here St. Gregory turns to his father. You might be interested in: