Омилия XL 192 .

About the all-honorable Forerunner of Christ and the Baptist John If “the death of the venerable is honorable” and “the memory of the righteous (is performed) with praise,” then shouldn’t we much more attribute this to the memory of the most perfect luminary of all the venerable and righteous - John, who pre-jumped 193 and foretold and foretold the Word of God, incarnate for our sake, about which He, in turn, declared and testified that he was greater than all the former prophets and holy and righteous? (Luke 1:44) But on the basis that what applies to him surpasses every human word, and for the reason that he received testimony and honor from the Only Begotten Son of God and does not need honors on our part, will we, silently, leave without expressing our feasible praise of Him whom Scripture called the Voice of the Most High Word? It won't happen! 194 But precisely on the basis that he received such a name and testimony from the Lord of all Christ, let the lips of all the faithful move to praise him within their power, not in the sense that this would add something to his glory - because how could this be? - but for the purpose of repaying our debt, each with our own lips and all together in common, praising and proclaiming miracles relating to Him. Because, truly, the whole life of the One who is greater than all those born of women is a miracle of miracles. Not only the entire life of John, even before his birth, was already a Prophet, who was the most excellent of the Prophets, but in many ways, what relates to what happened before his birth and after his death, surpasses all miracles: for the divine prophecies about him of the God-inspired Prophets call him not a man, but an Angel, and a Lamp of Light, and a certain God-radiant and morning Star (as the forerunner of the Sun of Truth) and By the Voice of the Word of God Himself; What is closer and more akin to the Word of God than the Voice of God? Who, when the conception was approaching, not a man, but an Angel, flying down from heaven, resolved the infertility of Zechariah and Elizabeth, announcing to them that they, barren from their youth, would in their old age give birth to a son, the cause of great joy, because he foretells that the birth of this child will be saving for everyone. “It will be great,” says (the Archangel), “it will be great before the Lord: he will not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit from his mother’s womb. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God: and he will go before him before him in the spirit and in the power of Elijah” (Luke 1ff.): because he too will be a virgin like him, and even a greater citizen of the desert than he was, and will expose law-breaking kings and queens. And in this he will do more than that one, in that he will also be the Forerunner of God; because he will go before, says (the Archangel), “before Him.” Zechariah, considering that what was announced was completely incredible, suffered a stupor of his tongue; because since he voluntarily did not want to preach the miraculous conception of his son, until the Voice came into being, preceding the Word of God, he involuntarily loudly proclaims this with his silence. Having been conceived after so many and such great promises, even before he was born, He is anointed as a Prophet and conveys this grace - oh, a miracle! - to his mother, and, as Isaiah says, puts on the robe of salvation and the robe of joy; and like Elijah, he anoints the Prophet in his place 195; and in this he stands ahead and surpasses both the one and the other Prophet, while still in the womb of his mother, and as before the face of the Lord (Himself) this is revealed: for since the fetus, after its members have formed, can move them, but does not yet have a voice, because it does not yet live in the air, then when the Virgin appeared, then bearing the womb of God, John, being in the womb, did not remain insensitive to God’s presence and economy, but from there he glorified Him, theologically speaking in motherly language, while he himself leaped within and glorified: - oh, miracle! – being in the Holy Spirit, in the womb of the mother having received the perfection of the future age; because, like the great Paul, foretelling the mystery of eternal life, “A spiritual body is sown,” he says, “and a spiritual body is raised” (1 Cor. 15:44), i.e. by the miraculous power of God's Spirit in the future century, controlled and moved - so John was sown and formed a spiritual body in his mother's womb, but miraculously in the womb, by the anointing of the Divine Spirit, he appeared as a spiritual body: playing and glorifying in the spirit and making the woman who carried him a Prophetess; because, using her language, with a great voice he blesses God and declares the womb-bearing Mother of the Lord a Virgin, and the Fruit of Her womb, womb-bearing in Her, welcomes, proclaiming Her non-idle and at the same time a Virgin. Thus, not only, according to Scripture, before he knew evil, he chose good, but also before he knew the world, while still in the womb, John was worldly (above the world). Having been born, he delighted everyone and amazed everyone with the miracles associated with him. For “the hand of the Lord,” it is said, “was with him,” working miracles again, as it had worked miracles before: for the numb lips of his father, numb because he did not believe in the extraordinary conception of his son, opened and were filled with the Holy Spirit, and he prophesied further, speaking thus about this son of his: “And you, as a child, were called the Prophet of the Most High: For thou hast gone before the face of the Lord, to prepare His way, to give the understanding of salvation to His people” (Luke 1:76–77). But just as this divine child, having conceived, appeared from his mother’s womb as an animated instrument of grace, moved by her and filled with the Divine Spirit, so when he was born, again, he grew and was strengthened by the Spirit. Since the world was not worthy of him, from a tender age 196 he lived incessantly in the deserts, leading a serene, carefree life that had no intercourse with the noisy world, free from sorrows, uninvolved in base passions, higher than earthly and carnal lusts that caress the body and carnal feelings; living for God, seeing only God, enjoying only in God. So, he lived in a certain secluded place on earth: “And he was in the deserts,” it is said, “until the day of his appearance to Israel” (Luke 1:80). What was the “day of his appearance”? – When the time came for the Baptism of the Lord, about which time it was written: “Understand nothing, seek God. All turned away, but together they were without keys” (Ps. 13:23). So, just as then, when we were all wicked, the Lord, moved by inexpressible love for mankind, came down from heaven for our sake, so John then came out of the desert for our sake, having to serve His man-loving will; because both for the depth of the then human evil, and for the incomparable condescension of God’s love for mankind, there was a need for one who had to serve, who had achieved perfection in all virtues 197: because in this way he would attract to himself everyone who saw him, as this actually happened, because on the basis of a miracle he drew people to himself: as a completely exceptional person, demonstrating in himself a way of life that is higher than man. And his preaching was worthy of the image of his life: because he promised the kingdom of heaven, and threatened with unquenchable fire, and revealed that Christ is the kingdom of heaven, “The spade is in his hand,” he says, “and he will cut off his threshing floor, and gather the wheat into his barn; and he will burn the chaff with unquenchable fire” (Luke 3:17). Not only in words, but also in deeds, he showed Him to everyone, baptizing Him and pointing out His finger, and showing Him to His disciples, and testifying in everything that He is the Son of the Father, the Lamb of God, the Bridegroom of souls coming to Him, taking away the sin of the world, taking away filth and instead introducing and bestowing sanctification. Having thus prepared His way, according to the prophecy of Zechariah, and having accomplished everything for which he was sent and preceded Christ, and having become the Baptist in the Jordan, he gives way to Christ to preach to the gathered people, and moves away from the crowd, betraying them to the Lord. Since Herod, the son of that Herod the child killer, did not inherit full power from his father, because he was only a tetrarch, but even surpassed him in evil, living disorderly and representing for the Jews an example of all that is evil, then John could not remain silent; how could he remain silent, being the Voice of Truth?! - but he reproached him both for all the other sins that he had committed, and especially for Herodias, his brother’s wife, who, having kidnapped (from him), he illegally married her. John told him: “You are not worthy to have your brother Philip’s wife” (Mark 6:18). He, being shamed, or better yet, without enduring shame, added this evil to his evil deeds: he imprisoned John. As for Philip, he too was Herod’s son and was the tetrarch of another part. Because their father Herod, after that cruel and insane murder of children, falling into incurable and unbearable illnesses and troubles, committed suicide due to excessive torment and pain; when the Angel in Egypt said to Joseph: “Arise, take the Child and His Mother, and go into the land of Israel; So, when Herod sadly ended his life, the then autocrat of all, Caesar, divided the region that was under that (Herod) into four parts, and over two parts he appointed other rulers, and for two other regions he appointed the sons of Herod as tetrarchs (“quarterlords”): Philip and this same Herod; why the Evangelist Luke says that he was quarterly ruler over Judea, and Philip was his brother over the Ituraean and Trachonid regions - when John, preaching the baptism of repentance, came to the Jordan. So this new Herod, having power, bound and imprisoned John; as Matthew and Mark say, being rebuked by them for Herodias, whom he took for himself, although she was his brother’s wife. Luke says that - not only for Herodias alone, but “and about everyone that the evil Herod has done. Apply this also to everyone, and shut John in prison” (Luke 3:19–20). Why do other Evangelists remember that John denounced Herod only for Herodias? They say this for the reason that there were many other reasons for putting John in prison, or better yet, all the actions of this perverted king, for which, being convicted, he did not tolerate; But one single reason led to the beheading of John - adultery and an adulteress, who acted with her machinations and tricks and brought the matter to an end: for she harbored indignation at John, who exposed and led Herod away from the lawless deed, and wanted to kill him: for, as it seemed to her, otherwise it would not have been possible for her to blot out the evidence against herself. Her vile sin was not uniform; Nor was he strict; but it consisted of many elements: because it was adultery, the most shameful of all sins, and that was committed not with anyone else, but with the brother of the deceived husband, and then after she had a child from him, moreover, the daughter born from this marriage was alive; so that, according to the Mosaic law, Herod was not allowed to marry her, even after the death of his brother. Even during his brother’s life and in the presence of his daughter, he desecrated his marriage bed, and not, at least, secretly, as if with some fear he was committing an outrageous act, but with impudence and shamelessness he committed an abomination. So, behold, completely giving himself over to evil and therefore not enduring reproof, he imprisoned John. But this very imprisonment of John in prison disgraced Herod even more before everyone who saw and heard (about what happened) and everyone who visited the prison due to the rumor (about John’s presence in it); therefore Herodias pursued him, i.e. In her heart she harbored rage against John and wanted to kill him, however, she did not dare. “Herod,” it is said, “feared John, knowing his husband was righteous and holy” (Mark 6:20). Herod was afraid of John because of the height of his virtue, but he was not afraid of God, from Whom virtues arise in people; but he feared neither John for the reason that he was a righteous man, although he himself knew that he was a righteous man and a saint, but he feared him because of the people, because they considered him a Prophet, as Matthew says; for, as he reports, not only Herodias, but also Herod himself, wanting to kill John, was afraid of the people. And what Mark says about Herod, that he “listened to John with pleasure” should be understood in the following sense: just as in relation to medicines we feel bitterness, but accept them because we expect to receive benefit from them, so the opposite of this happens in relation to spiritual instructions: those who do not give in to them, although, it is true, they enjoy them, which are pleasant by nature, but do not accept them, noticing that they are an obstacle to their vicious aspirations. So it is possible that at first he listened to him with pleasure, since he took care of him, says (Evangelist Mark), and while listening to him, he carried out a lot of his advice. Since evil tends to hate those who reproach it, when, due to reproach, hatred of John was born in him, then, despising all of it, he became unanimous with the adulteress in her bloodthirsty desire; already wanting to kill John himself, as Matthew speaks about, he (however) was afraid of the people, all because he would have been afraid of some kind of uprising, but he was afraid that they would condemn him, because they revered him as a Prophet; because he knew - since it was not hidden from anyone - the superiority of virtue and grace in John, and yielding to the glory that was expressed to him by many, he was afraid of their condemnation, and chasing their praise, he feigned obedience and reverence for John. But Herodias, being wise to do evil, freed him from this fear and prompted him to murder, a murder of such a nature for which she believed, or rather, deceived, he would be free from censure (aneglitos); for, indignant and breathing murder, she sought time to avoid the possibility of reproach in front of many (witnesses), and at the same time bring into action her rage against the Baptist and the Prophet. So, “when the day had come,” as Mark says, “the convenient day,” i.e. convenient for the fraud of murder, when Herod, on the occasion of his birthday, gave a feast and all the people had gathered, and everyone then reclined at the tables, her daughter, deliberately sent by her, entered their common environment, and this girl danced in front of everyone, and pleased both everyone else and Herod. Because how could she not please Herod, being her daughter and being introduced by her and dancing shamelessly? And this shameless dance conquered the dissolute king to such an extent that he said to the girl: “Ask me if you want it, and I will give it to you; and they swear to her that if you ask me, I will give it to you until half my kingdom” (Mark 6:22-23). This shameless girl came out to her mother and the teacher of these obscene jumps and bends, announced to her that the king had bound himself with an oath and asked for instructions on what to ask; immediately received her instruction and zealously agreed to this, and with zeal returned to the king, and without blushing blurted out her request: “I want,” she said, “to give mi dasi abiye (immediately) the head of John the Baptist on a platter” (Mark 6:25). So, it turns out that that girl shamelessly asked for this; and with this the adulteress freed, as she thought, the king from censure for the murder of the Baptist and the Prophet. You see, he says, out of respect for the oath, and not out of hatred for the righteous, this murder should have been committed. “The king was sad; But for the sake of and for those who recline with him, you do not want to break it” (Mark 6:26); Therefore, he sent and beheaded John in prison, and the head was brought and given to the girl. Alas, what evils are caused by the pursuit of glory! He could not kill because of the people, but, behold, he killed because of those with him (the guests); He was saddened by nothing other than the thought that many would cease to respect him: because the king found himself in a very embarrassing position: if he killed the Righteous One, he would subject himself to censure for murder; and if he does not kill, he will turn out to be an oathbreaker; the oath occurred on the basis of pride; the fear of breaking an oath is also based on love of fame; murder for the purpose of not breaking an oath is also for the sake of glory; the whole feast was started by vanity. It is wonderful, therefore, that the Lord says in the Gospels: “How can you believe, if you accept glory from one another, and do not seek glory other than the one God?” (John 3:44). Because the Jews, seeking such glory from people, rejected faith in Him; The head of all the Prophets they had was cut off, killing the Fulfillment of the Prophets - Christ. These are the deeds of the king, over whom adulterous and dancing women reigned; this is what he was bewitched by and what pleased him, and for the sake of which he sold and betrayed the kingdom, and came to such a thing! Our mind also suffers from something similar, brethren: for it was appointed by God as a king and autocrat over the passions, but when it itself delights in them, then it is led into inappropriate slavery and to the commission of inappropriate actions, and thus each of those who have enslaved themselves to sin and passions, being tormented and oppressed by their convicting conscience, at first, as it were, locks it up, as Herod imprisoned John, not wanting to listen to it; then he does not allow any words written to counteract sin and set out an image of any good deed to reach his ears; when will he finally end up in the hands of Herodias, who is lawlessly cohabiting with him, i.e. sin-loving will - then he completely mortifies the innate principle of grace in him, I mean his conscience, suppressing its voice in himself, not believing and contradicting the inspired Scripture, ignoring the Word of God and resisting it, like Herod did to John. But even with those who oppose the truth of Piety (Orthodoxy) 198 the same things happen, or better yet, they do the same. Because, shamed by the Prophets, Apostles and Fathers whom we cite, they at first seem to lock them up in books, saying: leave them there to lie, and let no one use them or refer to them; in this they disobey even the Lord, who says: “Search the Scriptures, and in them you will find eternal life” (John 5:39). Then by Herodias, i.e. by their vanity, tuned and brought into an even worse state, they present these sacred words as if stabbed “on a platter” - killing them with their own comments, to the joy and at the same time death of those who agree with them. So, Herod is an example of all depravity and wickedness; and John is the pillar of all virtue and piety. Because Herod is the fullness of sin, a stronghold of wickedness, an instrument of iniquity, a truly carnal man, as living and thinking in the flesh; John is the top of all the God-bearing Fathers from time immemorial, the bright treasury of the gifts of the Spirit, symbolically named by Divine grace, the abode of all piety and virtue. So, today we are offered two images that are very, very opposite and irreconcilable in relation to each other: of which the first seems associated with small and short-term joy and honor for those who have chosen this way of life, but it is then replaced by dishonor and endless and unbearable sorrow; the other requires labor from those who are committed to this way of life for a short time, but then gives them glory and pleasure, divine and ineffable, and true and eternal. So, if we live according to the flesh, in the likeness of the fleshly Herod, we will die, as the Apostle says (Rom. 8:13); if, by the action of the Divine Spirit, in accordance with John’s zeal, we resist evil carnal lusts and deeds, then we will live forever. The final result of life in the spirit is now hidden with Christ in God and has not yet been revealed to everyone; when it is revealed, we will be like Him, heirs of God, joint heirs with Christ, having received these eternal and imperishable blessings, which neither the eye has seen, nor the ear has heard, nor entered the human heart, because they are beyond hearing and sight and thought; For those living in the flesh, pleasures are not only perishable and temporary, but also so insignificant and pitiful that they are compared to some kind of horns and pork food. So, if, suppose, these goods (which those who live in the flesh enjoy) were also eternal, still they should prefer these goods (which are associated with life in the spirit), as goods beyond any comparison are more excellent; if, both these and these goods, would be great and wonderful, nevertheless, since they are temporary, and those are eternal, preference should again be given to those goods that are eternal. Since these blessings are eternal and incomparable, and these are also worthless and temporary, then, brethren, let us prefer the constant and ineffable and heavenly blessings to the base and corruptible ones; as it should, let us pass by what itself runs past us, even if for a short time it flattered our sensuality; Let us strive for future benefits, as enduring benefits that never disappear; Let us flee from being like Herod; those who strive, to the best of their ability, to imitate the Forerunner of grace, and especially of all - we, who have a monastic life, whose way of life is different from worldly morals and things and somehow approaches the hermit and hermit life of the Prophet and Baptist, who foreshadowed, like the Prophet, that there would be a monastic rank, which will one day be able to at least to some extent imitate him, who is not for dogmatic truths ( εύσεβεια), but fighting for virtue, he was beheaded, so that we too would be ready to resist sin to death, knowing that he who through virtue put passions to flight will receive the crown of martyrdom. But as much as ordinary sin is a lesser evil in comparison with wickedness (i.e., a sin against the truths of Orthodoxy - A.A.), it follows from this that it is a great good to expose one’s life to danger (in the struggle) for virtue: because would he who laid down his soul for less, would not have laid it down in the struggle for more, i.e. - for piety? Therefore, the Greatest of those born of women, the Preacher of repentance, the Forerunner and Baptist of the Savior, fighting for virtue, was beheaded; he was the Forerunner not only of Christ, but also of His Church, and especially of ours, brothers, way of life; he was born of the barren Elizabeth, and we are born of the pagan church, about which it is written: “The barren one who bears no fruit rejoices; cry and cry, you who are not sick with stomach, for many are empty children, rather than those who have husbands” (Is. 54:1) 199 .. After his birth, he was persecuted by the child killer Herod, who wanted to kill him; persecuting him because of his hatred of Christ; but he found the desert as his refuge, and judged that it was more pleasant for him than the world, and here he lived. And after our spiritual birth, we are attacked by the spiritual Herod, and he immediately persecutes Christ in us; therefore, we flee from the world and find refuge - these monasteries dedicated to God, places dedicated to the thought of God (τα φροντηστήρια) and thus we run away from its cruel spearmen and sword-bearers, i.e. exciters of passions, with the help of which he inflicts spiritual death, separating man from God. This is the death that is through our “windows”, i.e. sense organs, enters into us: because through them she entered at the beginning and cast down our race from the heights, depriving our Forefathers of immortality: Eve listened to the malicious advice of the evil one; she saw, tasted, ate, died, seduced her husband, made him an accomplice in both the tasting and the fall. They could not resist the only temptation; immediately exposed their ears to deceptive words; were overcome by one pleasant sight (of the forbidden fruit), although they did not yet know passions, they were dispassionate and lived in a place pure of passions; But is it really possible, throughout our entire lives, moving around in the world, not to suffer evil from the many types of passionate sights and spectacles and verbose and no less shameful stories and conversations, and not to injure or cause grave harm to our inner man? No, it's impossible! That is why the Fathers, imitating the Forerunner of grace, rejected the world, and fleeing from living together with those who were committed to it, they alone inhabited the desert and also attracted many who came after them to it; and others, living in sacred enclosures, established spiritual dwellings in them 200, which we, one way or another, imitating in the spirit of their zeal, spend our lives in these sacred enclosures (monasteries). But one must not only dwell in them, but also have a life consistent with these Fathers: because in none of these other paradises existing on earth is the tree of the knowledge of good and evil absent; there is no evil leader missing. But we, taught by ancient examples, must heed only wise and good advice, and, according to our strength, follow those who both before and now follow it, imitating the way of life, in the words of the Apostle, those whose end (living) we see (Heb. 13:7). Just as there are beasts and animals in the deserts, so they are in these sacred places; and it is very dangerous that we should not become like dumb cattle and become like them, unless, to the best of our ability, each of us imitates John’s way of life. How should I imitate him? – He always had his head uncovered: this is a sign of unceasing prayer and turning to God; because a husband must pray with his head uncovered, according to the Apostolic word (1 Cor. 11), so that with his uncovered face he can look at the reflection of the glory of God. So, those people who have connected themselves with the world have hidden their faces, surrounding themselves, or better yet, merging with its harm and with continuous thorns at their feet, and unable, as we can, to continually look at the glory of God. We, who have perfectly withdrawn from the world, will leave it with our thoughts, in psalms and spiritual songs and prayers, uniting our mind with Christ, and making ourselves the abode of His saving name, remembering Him, for whose sake we left the world: because the one who for His sake has withdrawn from the world and the comforts of life desires to be completely united with Him, which is achieved through constant remembrance of Him, which purifies mind So, let us cleanse our spiritual eye, reaching out to God in deeds, words and thoughts; because we have nothing that would press us to the ground if we wish to conform, as far as possible, to John’s way of life. He lived without a roof over his head, but we will be content with a modest home; Let us each love the cell given to us by the abbot, thinking about the one who has been homeless all his life. He was content with fruit trees 201 and wild honey; There is a plant in the desert that grows on its own, the roots of which were used for food by the desert Fathers who were after John; “fruits” are called fruits. So, he fed on fruits and plant roots or wild honey. He had only one robe and had a leather belt around his loins, figuratively indicating that he carried in his body the mortification of passions, and also that he possesses the blessing of non-covetousness, and instructing us in deeds; we abound in such a large quantity of food and clothing, having warehouses and storehouses full of wheat and wine, bakeries and bakeries, and, in a word, everything necessary. Let us give thanks to the Giver of these things - God and His Forerunner, thanks to whom all this is given to us without our labor, as if flowing from a source to us, and let us bring it to his glory, giving thanks to him in deeds; because if we are content with this common monastic property, we will not be very far from John’s non-covetousness and patience. For although he is unattainable in everything, yet, just as God fed him, so we are fed with the gifts of God; if we have our own private money and things, this is scary and makes us far from communion with the Saints; for he who has withdrawn from the world and at the same time has private property, either having brought it from there to here, or having acquired it here, carries the world with him, and has not at all withdrawn from the world, even if he were on the Holy Mountain itself, even if he lived in those monasteries representing the heavenly region; He desecrates this very place, makes it commonplace, and does not allow it to be above the world. Such a person, of course, will be condemned as a desecrator of the sanctuary of God. But after all, the Baptist of the Lord and the Forerunner John left the desert and its serenity? - Yes, but he was sent by the Lord to give the knowledge of salvation to His people and to convict the unbelievers, for which reason he was beheaded today; for he had no need to be subject to this physical death, because it was the result of the sentence for Adam's crime; and the doer of God’s commandments was not a debtor to her, he who from the very womb of his mother was obedient to God. But the Saints must, according to the commandment of the Lord, lay down their souls for virtue and piety; and that is why violent death suffered for good was more appropriate to them; therefore the Lord tasted the same death. It was also necessary that the death of John should precede the death of Christ, so that, according to the paternal prophecy spoken to him, it should come before him before the face of the Lord, in order to inform about the salvation also of those who were in the darkness of hell, so that they too would join and receive in Christ bliss and immortal life, which may we all receive through prayers from the womb of the mother who received it and gave it to those who exist both on earth and under earth, and in deed and word and prayers to God, who directed and directs everyone to it, about Christ our Lord Himself, to Whom alone eternal glory is due. Amen. PG.151:496–513. Homilia XL. In venerandum Christi praecursorem et baptistam Joannem. As is clear from the end of this conversation, it was said on the day of the Beheading of John the Baptist. It seems that it was pronounced in the monastery: because the saint constantly addresses the monks. The translation conveys the original in paraphrase. Those. – his mother, St. Elizabeth. Orig. “from tender nails, so to speak, he constantly lived in the deserts.” Orig. “who left aside no summit of virtue.” “Rejoice, O barren, unbearing one; shout and shout, you who have not suffered from childbirth; because the one who is abandoned has many more children than the one who has a husband”: That is communal monasteries. Here, apparently, St. Gregory Palamas takes “akris” - locusts, which are spoken of in the Gospel as the food of St. John the Baptist, for “akrodrion” - a fruit tree. You might be interested in: