Teachings on permanent church holidays, days of remembrance of saints and words on the occasion of various events

The sermons of Saint Demetrius of Rostov were devoted primarily not to dogmas, but to the moral Christian ideal, which was facilitated by the “Cheti-Menaion” he compiled with ready-made examples of holiness. His teachings differed from the pamphlets of his contemporaries (Metropolitan Stefan (Yavorsky), Archbishop Feofan (Prokopovich)) by the lack of a subjective assessment of private events. The saint drew a general moral lesson from the phenomena, focusing on the main teaching of the Church - love for God and man. The sermons were based on the Holy Scriptures, the lives of saints and the works of the Church Fathers. Influenced by the Kyiv school, his speech used rhetorical questions, unexpected comparisons, and references to the Hebrew text. Over time, scholastic techniques softened, speech became livelier and more accessible, and symbolism and allegories brought his words closer to the folk poetry and culture of the era of Peter I. The main idea of ​​all his sermons was the desire to make people better and kinder. At the beginning of the bishopric, the central theme was love and denunciation of social inequality. Later, especially during the Rostov period, the defense of the purity of Orthodoxy from schism came to the fore. Throughout the entire ministry of St. Demetrius of Rostov remained a defender of the weak and oppressed, faithful to the traditions of the ancient Russian shepherds. The teachings of St. Demetrius are not just conversations, but theological and literary works. In them, he calls for the fight against sin and the acquisition of virtues, for repentance, faith and piety, and not to refrain from the Sacrament of the Eucharist because of the consciousness of one’s sinfulness. He emphasizes the importance of prayer, fasting, and keeping the commandments. The presented collection contains 47 teachings and sermons dedicated to permanent church holidays, the memory of saints, as well as topics of spiritual life, shepherding, veneration of icons, etc. Many teachings are related to the Gospel readings. In particular, in the Instruction for the day of remembrance of the nine martyrs of Cyzicus, the saint interprets the words of Christ (Luke 21:12-19) about suffering, betrayal by loved ones and the hatred of the world, calling for patience as the path of salvation. And in the Word for the Day of the Great Martyr Demetrius, he speaks of the moral effect of the stripes of Christ. In the teaching for the holiday in honor of the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos of the Don, after explaining why the Mother of God is called the Chosen Voivode, the author adds the edifying instruction that the Mother of God, no matter how strong she is in intercession before God, cannot beg Him for the unrepentant. In 1705, the saint delivered in the presence of Peter I one of his best teachings, on the words: “With patience gain your souls” (Luke 21:19) (see Teaching in memory of the holy great martyr Eustathius Placidas), in which he denounces the anger to which the king was subject. In the Instruction for the Memory of the Holy Great Martyr Catherine, Saint Demetrius interprets the image of the cross in the hand of the virgin on her icon, revealing it as a symbol of true faith, sacrifice, struggle against the world, flesh and the devil, spiritual wisdom, love for Christ and martyrdom leading to the Heavenly Kingdom. The teachings of Saint Demetrius are not only moral, but also dogmatic in nature. For example, the Homily to the Council of the Archangel Michael speaks about the relationship of angels to man. The Instruction on the War of the Holy Archangel Michael describes the eternal war of the heavenly forces against demons, where the archangels fight against the seven-headed serpent, symbolizing the 7 deadly sins (pride, envy, laziness, uncleanness, gluttony, delicacy and anger). These sins are the devil's weapons with which he conquers the universe. The teaching illustrates the victory of Christ the Lamb over the serpent, calling for spiritual warfare and imitation of the heavenly powers. The collection also contains funeral words. For example, in the Sermon for the commemoration of John Semenovich Griboyedov, Saint Demetrius speaks of the unknown of death, and in the Sermon for the remembrance of the devious Timofey Borisovich - about its remembrance. The collection includes a sermon authored by Metropolitan. Stefan Yavorsky - this is a “Teaching on the Worship of Holy Icons.” Contents Teaching on the Circumcision of the Lord God and our Savior Jesus Christ, the month of January, on day 1 (“They gave him the name Jesus” (Luke 2:21)) Teaching on the week before Epiphany (“The voice of one crying in the wilderness: prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight” (Mark 1:3)) Teaching on the day of remembrance of the holy righteous Simeon the God-Receiver, month of February, on day 3 Teaching on the day of remembrance of Saint Alexy, Metropolitan of Moscow and all Russia, the month of February, on the 12th day (“I am the Good Shepherd. My sheep listen to My voice” (John 10, 11:27)) Teaching on the day of remembrance of the nine martyrs of Cyzicus, month of April, on the 29th day Teaching on the day of the most honorable memory of our holy father Tikhon the Wonderworker, bishop Amathuntsky, month of June, on the 16th day. Teaching for the day of remembrance of the holy Chief Apostles Peter and Paul, month of June, on the 29th day (“God led them by day, showing them the way with a pillar of cloud; but by night he gave them light with a pillar of fire. And the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from all the people” (Ex. 13, 21–22)) Teaching for the feast of the appearance of the Most Holy Icon of our Most Pure Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary in the city of Kazan, the month of July, on the 8th day, 1706. Teaching for the feast of the Most Holy Theotokos of Smolensk called “Hodegetria,” the month of July, on the 28th day. First teaching for the feast of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary Mother of God, month of August, on the 15th day in 1693 (“He will gather His wheat into His granary” (Matthew 3:12; Luke 3:17)) Second teaching for the feast of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, month of August, on the 15th day Teaching for the feast of the Most Holy Theotokos of the Don, month of August, on the 19th day Teaching for the day of remembrance of saints martyrs Adrian and Natalia, month of August, on the 26th day. Teaching on the beheading of the venerable head of St. John the Baptist, month of August, on the 29th day in 1701 (“At the end of his race, John said: “Who do you say that I am?” (Acts 13, 25)) Teaching on the day of the Holy Archangel Michael, month of September, on the 6th day in 1705. The first lesson on the Exaltation of the Honest and Life-giving Cross of the Lord, the month of September, on the 14th day (“We bow down to Your Cross, Master!”) The second lesson on the Exaltation of the Honest and Life-giving Cross of the Lord (“But I do not want to boast, except in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Gal. 6, 14)) The lesson on the week of the Exaltation of the Honest and Life-giving Cross of the Lord (“What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul?” (Mk. 8, 36)) Teaching in memory of the Holy Great Martyr Eustathius Placida, the month of September, on the 20th day (“Through your patience save your souls” (Luke 21:19)) Teaching in memory of the same saints of our father Gury, Archbishop of Kazan, the month of October, on the 4th day. The first teaching in memory of the holy Great Martyr Demetrius, the month of October, on the 26th day (“I wear the wounds of the Lord Jesus on my body" (Gal. 6:17)) Second teaching for the day of remembrance of the holy great martyr Demetrius. First teaching for the Council of the Archangel Michael, in the month of November, on the 8th day (“He will command His angels concerning you, to keep you in all your ways” (Ps. 90: 11)) Second teaching for the battle of the holy Archangel Michael, the Commander of the hosts of heaven, and His angels with the seven-headed serpent (“The Angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear the Lord” (Ps. 33:8), “They sailed to the country of the Gadarenes” (Luke. 8, 26), “Michael and his angels fought against the dragon” (Rev. 12, 7)) Teaching for the day of remembrance of St. John Chrysostom, the month of November, on the 13th day (“Christ’s mouth, Paul’s mouth; Paul’s mouth, Chrysostom’s mouth; Chrysostom’s mouth, Christ’s and Paul’s mouth” (Colored Triodion, at matins on the night Holy Easter, before the word of Chrysostom) Teaching in memory of our venerable fathers Varlaam and Joseph of India, the month of November, on the 19th day in 1705. (“The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for good pearls, who, having found one pearl of great price, went and sold everything he had and bought it” (Matthew 13:45–46)) Teaching in memory of the holy Great Martyr Catherine, the month of November, on the 24th day (“Your Lamb, Jesus, Catherine calls with a great voice: I love you, my bridegroom, and seek you I suffer and am crucified" (Common Troparion to the Martyr)) Teaching for the honorable memory of the great Saint Nicholas, Archbishop of Myra, the Wonderworker, in the month of December, on the 6th day (“By your name, so is your life” (Stichera after Psalm 50)) Teaching for the week before the Nativity of Christ and on the day of presentation of St. Peter, Metropolitan of Russia, Wonderworker (“Genealogy of Jesus Christ” (Matt. 1, 1). “And another book was opened, which is the book of life” (Rev. 20, 12)) Second teaching on the day of remembrance of our father Peter, Metropolitan of All Russia, among the saints, in the month of December, on the 21st day (“Behold the Lamb of God!” (John. 1, 29)) Teaching for the Nativity of Christ (“I see a strange and glorious sacrament: the sky is a nativity scene, the Throne of Cherubs is the Virgin”) Teaching during holy fasts (“If you believe, you will see more than this” (John 1, 50)) Teaching on the passion of our Lord Jesus Christ (“All who pass by, look and see if there is a disease like my illness” (Lamentations 1, 50)) 13)) Teaching about the fear of God, which every person should have (“Come, children, listen to me, I will teach you the fear of the Lord” (Ps. 33:12)) Teaching about the worship of holy icons (“We worship Your most pure image, O Good One, asking for forgiveness of our sins, O Christ God”) Teaching about the four-pointed Cross (“God has called the name the first man - Adam" (Gen. 5, 2)) Teaching about the shepherding of spiritual shepherds ("I was tormented by the heat by day, and by the cold by night; and sleep departed from my eyes" (Gen. 31, 40)) The first teaching on the consecration of the church ("I have chosen and sanctified this house, that my name may be in it forever, and my eyes and my heart will be there always" (2 Steam 7, 16)) Second teaching on the consecration of the church Teaching on asking for alms for the building of churches (“Rejoice that your names are written in heaven” ((Luke 10, 20)) A word about the dead (“Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord!” (Rev. 14, 13)) A word on remembrance (“Let not your heart be troubled, and let not etc. If you loved Me, you would rejoice that I said: “I am going to the Father” (John 14: 27-28)) A pyramid, or a pillar in blessed memory of the Lord Father Innocent Gisel, who reposed before the great God of His mercy, Archimandrite of the great Miracle-Working Lavra of Kyiv, erected in eternal memory of him on the anniversary of his burial, month February, on the 24th day, 1685 Homily for the commemoration of the devious Timofey Borisovich, son of the boyar Boris Gavrilovich Yushkov (“The time is coming, and has already come, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and, having heard, will come to life” (John. 5, 25)) Speech on the commemoration of Ioann Semyonovich Griboedov, steward of His Royal Majesty (“It is appointed for men to die once” (Heb. 9, 27)) Speech to Peter the Great Speech by the Right Reverend Demetrius, Metropolitan of Rostov, who came to his throne in Rostov