Речь преосвященного Димитрия, митрополита Ростовского, пришедшего на свой престол в Ростов

By the will of God, who arranged everything for the benefit, by the command of the Most Serene Monarch, our Blessed Great Sovereign, our Tsar and Grand Duke Peter Alexievich, of all Great, Lesser and White Russia, the Autocrat, with the permission and blessing of the entire consecrated cathedral, my unworthiness, having come to the throne of the most honorable Rostov and Yaroslavl Metropolis, I say: peace to you, beloved sheep of the verbal flock of Christ, peace to this most honorable church of the Most Pure Mother of God, peace to the God-saved city of Rostov, peace to the God-saved city of Yaroslavl, peace to the God-saved city of Uglich, to all the God-saved cities and churches of this diocese - peace and blessing, peace to your residence and cohabitation, peace to your homes, peace to your hearts, as the apostle says: “And yes The peace of God rules in your hearts, to which you were called” (Col. 3:15). Let not your heart be troubled at my coming to you, for I came by the door, and did not enter from the outside (John 10:1). I didn't look for it, but it was found. Neither I knew you, nor you knew me; the great abyss of the Lord’s destinies, it sent me to you. I came to you not so that you would serve me, but to serve you, according to the word of the Lord: “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant” (Matthew 20:26). I came to you with love. I would say that I came as a father to my children, but it would be better to say this: I came as a brother to my brethren, as a friend to dear friends, for the Lord Christ is not ashamed to call you brethren. “You are my friends,” He says, “I no longer call you servants, but I have called you friends” (John 15:14–15). But what is even more wondrous and honorable is that He even calls His loved ones His fathers: “Whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother, and sister, and mother” (Matthew 12:50). So, you, my dear ones, are fathers, brothers, and friends for me. If you also call me father, then I will answer you in the apostolic way: “My children, for whom I am again in the throes of birth, until Christ is depicted in you!” (Gal. 4:19). I came here the same way that our holy father Isaiah, the local Rostov wonderworker, once came here. He brought to this place a blessing from the grace poured out from above on the new Athos, or, better said, on the new Jerusalem, on the Kiev-Pechersk holy mountains. And I, a sinner, having come in the footsteps of this holy Isaiah from Kyiv, say: may there be in this place the blessing of God, the Mother of God, our venerable fathers Anthony, Theodosius and other Pechersk wonderworkers, who rest in incorruption and illuminate the entire universe with miracles. I rejoice in spirit, having come to this city, to this house, which the local miracle workers consecrated with the feet of their holy feet, protected with prayers, adorned with a godly life, exalted with their labors and deeds and glorified with great holiness. I rejoice in spirit, seeing such a gathering, such a sizeable flock of the verbal sheep of Christ, which is shepherded by the Chief Shepherd Christ Himself, kept by the Most Pure and Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of Christ our God, over which are supervised by the most ancient shepherds, God's bishops and great lamps: Leontius, Isaiah, Ignatius, Jacob and other saints of the local diocese God's, standing before the Throne of God and always praying to the Lord for us. I rejoice in spirit, seeing this vineyard, which the right hand of the Most High planted, watered with the grace of the Holy Spirit, the labors of former bishops increased, and Christ Himself visits with His Most Pure Mother, exuding the wine of spiritual joy. I pray to the Chief Shepherd, the Lord Christ, as I should pray, that He will preserve this flock of His from wolves, visible and invisible, unharmed, so that not a single sheep leaves this fence of the Mother of God to error and destruction, so that not a single sheep is kidnapped by a hellish beast, so that not a single sheep turns into a goat, but that from the goats they turn into sheep and at the coming of the Lord, all were counted worthy to stand at His right hand with the blessed sheep. The Great Bishop, who passed through heaven, installed me, unworthy, as your shepherd and entrusted me with your salvation, which I accept with fear and trembling, since I will have to give an answer about you. So, I will keep and remember my duties towards you, and let you remember and keep your duties towards me. I must, with God’s help, according to the apostolic instructions, “endure the weaknesses of the powerless and not please myself, but for the good of each of you, for the edification” (Rom. 15: 1-2), for Christ did not please himself. I must admonish the outrageous, comfort the faint-hearted, intercede for the weak, and be patient with everyone. I must love the good, mercifully punish the evil, care about the common good, carefully seek salvation for everyone and pray for everyone. But you, O beloved, may you remember me, according to Christ the Lord your shepherd, even if I am a sinner, may you show me unfeigned love, obedience without flattery, and appropriate obedience, and may you do all this with zeal. If Christ commanded me to be your father, then be close children to me. If Christ has willed that I should be the leader among you, then be meek and humble under the leadership of the leader. If the Holy Spirit has made me your shepherd, be true sheep, obedient and not resisting the voice of your shepherd. If God has appointed me as your teacher, then “come, children, to me, listen to me, and I will teach you the fear of the Lord” (Ps. 33:12). If He has given me to you as a leader, then obey your leader and submit, for I have been entrusted with the watchful care of your souls, as “one who must give an account,” so that I do this “with joy and not with groaning” (see Heb. 13:17). When I see that you maintain a good conscience in everything, I will begin to rejoice. When I see your evil will in everything, I will begin to sigh. When I see that you are true sheep of Christ, going to the right, I will rejoice. When I see you deviating in the direction where the goats will go, I will begin to sigh. If I find in you true love for God, humility and obedience, I will rejoice greatly. If I find dislike, contempt, disobedience, then I will sigh a lot. I will rejoice at your good and godly life and will be sad for the corrupt. Take care that he shepherds you with joy and not with groaning. If you make me sigh, then it will be of no use to you. God is the Most Good, “Who wants all people to be saved and to attain the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim. 2:4), May He guide you on the path to do His holy and perfect will (see Rom. 12:2) and to please Him in everything, so that you may appear at His Last Judgment unashamed and unashamed. May I, an unworthy shepherd, also rejoice, and then say to the Lord Christ: “Here I am and the children whom You gave me” (see Isa. 8:18). Now let us try in every possible way, avoiding evil, to do good (see Ps. 33:15), in order to appear acceptable in the eyes of the Lord. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and my love be with you all. Amen.