РОСА ПРОЗРЕНИЯ СЛЕПЫХ

“He was the eyes of the blind” (Job 29:15). The young woman Maria, daughter of Leonty Polubotok, suffered from smallpox and lost her sight from many scabs. Sorrowful parents brought her from the city of Baturin to the Ilyinsky Monastery to the miraculous icon of the Most Holy Theotokos. During the Saturday Akathist, while reading “Undefiled, Unblasphemous...”, that Mary received her sight by the grace of the Mother of God. All the people looked at this miracle and rejoiced at all the glorious miracles that happened from the Most Blessed Virgin Mary. Job is not the same as Mary who is the eyes of the blind. For he guides not only those blinded by their bodily eyes, but also those who are spiritually blind. Listen truly: the Holy Spirit in the Songs of the Morning Star calls Her: “Who is this, shining like the dawn?” ( Песн. 6, 10 ). And why did he call the Most Pure Virgin “dawn”? In order for She to show the blind insight, the driving away of darkness, the enlightenment of the night. For the dark night, which, as it were, blinds everyone, encloses in deep sleep the eyes of man and cattle, beast and bird, who drives away and enlightens? Morning star. She, having shone, brings the day, awakens from sleep, opens the eyes of everyone, so that he goes out “to his work and to his work until the evening” (Ps. 103:23). The mental night, I say, ignorance of God, which has blinded almost the whole world, who drove away so that the day of knowledge could shine? Most Pure Virgin, to whom the Church reads: “Rejoice, dawn of the mysterious day!” (Акафист, икос 5). And again: “By you we knew the Son of God.” She knows how to instruct the ignorant to the knowledge of the truth. She taught Saint Gregory of Nyssa Orthodoxy: when the heresy of Paul of Samosata spread, Saint Gregory was at a loss and prayed to the Mother of God. She appeared to him, taught him and confirmed him in the true Orthodox Catholic faith. The star once led the Magi to Christ, who was born in Bethlehem. “They saw,” they said, “His star in the east and came to worship Him” (Matthew 2:2). Why not an Angel, no other creation, brought them, but a star? Also eastern, not western? I think that was a prophecy about my Lady, She is truly a radiant Star. The eastern one, because it does not know the west, always lives in an unapproachable light. “Brightest morning, rejoice, one!” (Акафист, 3-я песнь канона). This Star leads us to Christ, when it leads us away from bad deeds, when the flame of passions changes, when it teaches chastity and instructs us on a saving path. With this Star we learn to bow to the Sun of Truth: “Rejoice, for we bow to the Creator!” (Akathist, ikos 1). So it enlightens us, so it opens the eyes of our souls to the knowledge of God, so it drives away the gloomy darkness that we sing: “Rejoice, you who destroyed the darkness and drove away the dark demons!” (Akathist, 3rd song of the canon). About Her, I think, the word of God speaks from the prophet Isaiah: “I will make You a covenant for the people, a light for the Gentiles, to open the eyes of the blind, to bring prisoners out of prison, and those sitting in darkness out of prison” (Is. 42:6-7). “Oh, Most Holy Virgin, enlighten me with the dawnings of Your light, driving away the darkness of ignorance” (Canon of Prayer to the Mother of God, canto 9). The Pharisees once said: “Are we also blind?” And Jesus said to them: “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but as you say what you see, the sin remains on you” (John 9:40–41). There is nothing more wretched than this blindness: to have eyes and not see, to know that there is “the will of God, good, acceptable and perfect” (Rom. 12:2), and not to do it. For if there are “many punishments” for every “sinner” (Ps. 31:10), then much more for him who knows and does not do it. “The servant who knew the will of his master, and was not ready, and did not do according to his will, will receive many stripes” (Luke 12:47). We see - and we are blind, because in our minds, by our own will, we sin, and sin is the blindness of the soul, as the prophet Zephaniah says: “They will walk like the blind, because they have sinned against the Lord” (Zephaniah 1:17). In ancient times, great darkness enveloped Egypt for three days, so that no one rose from his bed and no one could see his brother (Ex. 10:23). Так и нераскаянного грешника, как бы в три дня, в три времени слепота и потемнение души объемлют: во время его временной жизни, когда он не может видеть света заповедей Господних от умножившихся беззаконий: «Постигли меня , – говорит, – беззакония мои, так что я не мог смотреть» ( Пс. 39, 13 ); во время смерти, когда темные духи его обступят и не обрести ему помощи, по сбывающемуся слову псалма: «Смерть грешников люта» ( Пс.33, 22 ); и во время вечности бесконечной, когда даже до века не увидит он света Христова: «Нечестивии не узрят славы Твоея, Христе Боже» (Октоих, гл. 4, ирмос 5-й песни). Open your eyes now, sinner! May you know your damned dispensation. And do not stumble from one sin to another like a blind man. «Заповедь Господня светла: просвещает очи» ( Пс. 18, 9 ), – ее соблюди и прозришь Бога! Его и моли, говоря: «Пошли свет Твой и истину Твою: : они наставят меня и введут меня в гору святую Твою и в селения Твои» ( Пс. 42, 3 ). Do you want to see clearly with the eyes of your soul? It is dangerous to observe the darkness of sin. Saint Paul the Simple, standing in his monastery next to the church, looked at who was entering the church with what thought, for he had a discerning spirit and saw the thoughts of men. It was Vespers, and everyone entered the church with bright faces, with enlightened souls, and with each one the Guardian Angel entered, rejoicing. Suddenly he sees one brother going to church - with a black face, a darkened soul, surrounded by demons, each drawing him to himself. The Holy Guardian Angel follows him from afar, sad and weeping. Seeing this, the saint grieved and wept for his dead brother; he did not enter the church out of bitter sadness, but sat outside and wept. When the service ended, the brethren left the same as they entered, shining with the Divine light. Paul also sees that at first he was dark, and now his face is like an angel, and the grace of the Holy Spirit overshadows him around him, and the Guardian Angel, rejoicing, supports his hand, but the demons are crying in the distance and cannot come any closer. Seeing such a quick victory, the blessed one was delighted, restrained his brother and, having told everyone what he had seen, asked him about the reason for the sudden change. The same, being convicted by God's revelation, confessed about himself before everyone: “I,” he said, “are very sinful, I spent many years in uncleanness, even until this day.” Having now entered the holy church, I hear the holy prophet Isaiah being read, especially God, saying through him: “Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; remove your evil deeds from before my eyes; learn to do good. And though your sins be as scarlet, they will be white as snow” (Isa. 1:16-18). Hearing this, I was touched in my soul, my spiritual eyes were opened, I recognized my damnation and destruction, and, waking up, I cried out to God in my thoughts: “You are God, who came into the world to save sinners, as you also prophesied to me today by Your prophet. Do this in me, a sinner, by deed, for from now on I promise not to do any evil, I renounce all lawlessness and serve You with a clear conscience, Master. Only You accept me, the repentant one, and do not reject me who is falling.” With these promises I left the church, having decided in my heart not to sin before God. And all who heard glorified God, who accepts everyone who runs to Him in repentance. So that brother got rid of spiritual blindness, laying a solid foundation for repentance. You might be interested in: