Беседа 3

Delivered to the people in the Church of Saint Filicita on the day of her martyrdom. Reading the Holy Gospel: Matthew 12.46–50. Matthew 12.46–50. While He was still speaking to the people, His Mother and brothers stood outside the house, wanting to speak with Him. And someone said to Him: Behold, Your Mother and Your brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak with You. He answered and said to the one who spoke: Who is My Mother? and who are my brothers? And pointing His hand at His disciples, He said: Here are My mother and My brothers; for whoever does the will of My Father in Heaven is My brother, and sister, and mother. 1. The reading of the Holy Gospel now proposed, dear brethren, is brief, but filled with great mysteries. For Jesus, our Creator and Redeemer, pretends that he does not know his Mother, and determines who is His Mother and who are relatives, not by carnal relationship, but by unity of spirit, saying: “Who is My Mother? and who are my brothers? And pointing His hand at His disciples, He said: Here are My mother and My brothers; for whoever does the will of My Father in Heaven is My brother, and sister, and mother.” With these words, what else does He inspire us with, if not that He gathers from paganism many who follow His commands, and rejects Judea, into which He was born according to the flesh? Therefore, His Mother, as if unrecognized, appears to be standing outside; thus the synagogue is rejected by its Founder because, observing the fulfillment of the law, it lost its spiritual understanding and, for the sake of protecting the letter, stopped outside. 2. But that the one who does the will of the Father is called the brother and sister of the Lord is not surprising, since both sexes are equally called to faith. But it is extremely surprising how such a person is even called “mother!” For the Lord honored the faithful disciples with the name of brethren, saying: “Go, tell my brethren” (Matthew 28.10). Therefore, by coming to faith, one can be a brother of the Lord; but the question is, how can one be His mother? – You need to know that a believer becomes a brother and sister of Christ by faith, and a mother through preaching. For the one who preaches, so to speak, gives birth to the Lord, Whom he introduces into the hearts of those who listen; It becomes a mother even when its preaching generates love for the Lord in the heart of a neighbor. 3. Confirmation of this truth is presented to us by blessed Filicita, whose martyrdom we now triumph: by faith she was a servant of Christ, and by preaching she became the mother of Christ. For, as we read in the most reliable biographies of her, she was so afraid to leave behind her seven sons alive in the flesh, as carnal parents are usually afraid that their children would die before them. Enduring the severity of persecution, with her preaching she strengthened the hearts of children in love for the High Fatherland and regenerated in spirit those whom she gave birth to in the flesh, so that through her preaching she revived for God those whom she gave birth to in the flesh for the world. Ponder, beloved brethren, on this manly heart in a woman’s body. She fearlessly faced her death. She was afraid only that the light of truth would not be lost in the children if they remained alive. How can one not call this wife a Martyr? – This is more than a Martyr. - The Lord, speaking about John, said: “Why did you go into the desert to see?... a prophet? Yes, I tell you, and greater than the prophet" (Matthew 11.7, 9), and John himself answered the question about himself: "And they asked him: what then? are you Elijah? He said no. Prophet? He answered: “No” (John 1.21). Anyone who recognized himself as more than a Prophet rightly said that he was not a Prophet. And he is called greater than a Prophet because the purpose of a Prophet is to predict the future, and not to indicate the present. John is more than a Prophet, because he pointed his finger at the One about whom he preached. Thus, I would call this wife not only a Martyr, but also more than a Martyr, because she, having sent seven pledges to the Kingdom (Heavenly), died the same number of times before her death; she was the first to appear to be tortured, but died the eighth. The tormented mother fearlessly looked at the death of her children, the consolation of hope prevailed over the sorrow of nature. She feared for the living, rejoiced for the dying. She did not want to leave anyone alive behind her, so that the remaining one would not be deprived of participation with her (in bliss). So, none of you, beloved brethren, think that her heart, when killing her children, was not tormented by natural pity. For she could not see the dying children without grief, feeling that they were her flesh; but she felt the inner strength of love, which overcame the sorrow of the flesh. So it is said about Peter, who had to suffer: “When you were young, you girded yourself and went where you wanted; But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and lead you where you do not want to go” (John 21:18). For Peter could not have suffered for Christ if he had absolutely not wanted to, but by the strength of his spirit he loved martyrdom, which he would not have desired due to the weakness of the flesh. Trembling before the executions of the flesh, he rose in spirit to glory; and it happened that even against his will he desired the Martyr’s Cross. So we, when we wish for recovery, then take bitter medicine. Although one does not like the bitterness in the medicine, the health restored by this bitterness is pleasant. So, Filicita loved her children according to the flesh; but out of love for the Heavenly Fatherland, she wanted those whom she loved to die before her. She herself endured their wounds and, before (the children), with these wounds she passed into the (Heavenly) Kingdom. So, I would rightly call this wife more than a Martyr, because she is killed so many times in her children out of the feeling of her heart, having endured many different torments herself, she has become higher than the very palm of martyrdom. They say that the ancients had the following custom: the one who became consul received the honor belonging to his rank in accordance with the order of time; but if any one afterwards again attained the consular rank, and was consul not once, but two, or perhaps three times, he had an advantage in glory and honor over those who had been consuls no more than once. Thus the blessed Philicitata became superior to the Martyrs; because she, when so many sons were killed before her, died many times for Christ, and for her love the only thing missing was her own death. 4. Let us, brothers, pay attention to this woman, let us, who are men in body, pay attention, but what will we mean in comparison with her? – For often we imagine doing something good; but if one word comes out of the mouth of a mocker against us, even the lightest one, then we immediately abandon the intended deed and, ashamed, retreat back. Thus, for the most part, words alone turn us away from good deeds. But even torment could not shake Filicitata in her holy intention. We fall from the wind of slander, but she walked to the Kingdom through iron and considered all obstacles as nothing. We do not want to give to the poor, according to the commandments of the Lord, even what is unnecessary for us - she sacrificed to God not only her personality, but also gave her own flesh for Him. When, by the will of God, we are deprived of children, we cry without consolation; she would begin to cry for them as if they were dead, when she did not have time to predispose them to death. - So, when the righteous Judge comes to the Last Judgment, then what will we say, men, seeing the glory of this wife? Will there then be an excuse for husbands in weakness of spirit when this wife is shown to them, having conquered both the world and her sex? Dearest brethren! Let us follow the obstinate and cruel path of the Redeemer; Through the efforts of the ascetics, it became so smooth that women could walk on it. Let us despise everything present, for what can pass is insignificant. It is inappropriate to love something that will soon perish. May our love for earthly goods not prevail; let pride not inflate; let him not be tormented by anger; let luxury not defile; Let not envy consume you. Out of love for us, beloved brethren, our Redeemer died; Through love for Him we will learn to overcome ourselves. If we fully accomplish this, then we will not only avert threatening punishments from ourselves, but will also be worthy of glory, together with the Martyrs. For, although now there is no persecution, yet there is a place in the world for martyrdom, because, although we do not bend the neck of the flesh under the sword, with the spiritual sword we must cut off the carnal desires in the heart, with the help of our Savior Jesus Christ Himself, to Whom belongs all glory, honor and worship, with the Father and the Holy One. Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen. You might be interested in: