Слово о священстве

An extraordinary miracle, ineffable power, a terrible secret - the Sacrament of the Priesthood! It is spiritual, holy, honorable, irreproachable, and it is this that Christ, condescending, gave to the unworthy. I fall down, with tears and sighs I ask, let us look at this treasure of the priesthood in those who guard it worthily and holy. For it is a bright and incomparable shield, an unshakable pillar, an indestructible wall. It is a solid foundation, rising from the earth to the vault of heaven. And what am I saying, brothers? It touches the highest vaults, ascends without restraint into the very heavens of heaven, lightly and freely makes paths together with the incorporeal among the Angels. And what do I say: among the heavenly Powers? It is an interlocutor with the Lord Himself, the Creator and Light Giver of Angels, and whenever it wants, it immediately accepts boldness. I will not cease, brethren, to glorify to you the dignity of this dignity, which the Trinity bestowed on the sons of Adam. By him the world was saved and creation was enlightened; Through him, mountains and hills, wilds and abysses were filled with the pure and honorable life of the blessed race of people, I mean monks, as the most powerful Isaiah said that “from the edge of the mountains” people will give a song of praise (Is. 42: 11-12). By him lawlessness was taken away from the earth, chastity was established on earth by him; through him the fallen devil was brought into inaction; the depraved became sanctified vessels, the fornicators pure and undefiled; the foolish became leaders of righteousness, the wicked good and pious. Through him the power of death was abolished, hell lost its power, Adam’s oath was resolved, the heavenly palace was prepared. They elevate human nature to the level of incorporeal. What else will I say or what will I praise for? Both the word and the concept exceed the gift of the priesthood. And, as I think, Paul, who was amazed, makes this clear when he says: “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and understanding of God! for His judgment has not been tried and His ways have not been explored!” (Rom.11:33). It soars in height, quickly lifting our petitions from earth to heaven to God, interceding before the Master for the slaves. Let us be discerningly attentive, brethren, to this mysterious and terrible legend, because without a venerable priesthood, remission of sins is not given to mortals. What did we recently prove to you about the Sacrament of the Priesthood? The vine, the grain of wheat and the priesthood are directed towards the One in harmony. But the vine and the wheat are slaves, and the priesthood is free. Therefore, when they are all brought together, then, as a fragrance to the King, each component becomes preferable to all treasures and brings the power of its fruits. The vine brings blood, and the wheat brings bread. The priesthood, with complete boldness, soars from earth to heaven to the contemplation of the Invisible Himself and, falling, prays to the Master for the slaves, lifting up the tears and sighs of his fellow servants and fervently offering them as a gift to his Master, along with prayer and repentance, asking the merciful King for forgiveness, pardon and mercy, so that the Comforter Spirit may descend and sanctify Gifts offered on earth. And as soon as They are brought, having become terrible Mysteries, filled with immortality, because the coming priest prays for everyone, then the souls begin and in the terrible Mysteries receive cleansing from defilements. You see, lovers of God, that the vine and wheat have no effect on earth unless a heavenly command descends and sanctifies the Gifts. You, man, have seen a clear miracle. You see how holy orders conveniently cleanse spiritual impurities. May the Savior be blessed, who brought this bright, cleansing gift to earth, who enlightened the priests with grace, so that they shine like lights in the world! The people who were before us achieved sanctification through the horn of oil, but we, the needy servants of the Blessed One, received neither the horn nor the sensual oil, but the high and terrible Muscle Itself, descending from heaven, through the laying on of hands gave us His Spirit, like the fire that descended on the apostles. O ineffable power, which deigned to dwell in us through the laying on of the hands of the holy priests! Oh, what a high rank the strange and wonderful priesthood has! Blessed is he who lives purely and blamelessly in this dignity. Peter, named Cephas and once caught in the sea on the shore of the lake, about which the great Shepherd testified: “On this rock I will build My Church” (Matthew 16:18), through the priesthood, as worthy, received the keys of heaven. Like him, Paul, formerly a persecutor, was granted this gift and flowed around the entire universe on wings, preaching and proclaiming the resurrection of the dead. So, let us turn to the righteous Abel, who was a priest at the beginning of creation, and let us learn from him. When at first he performed his sacrifice before God, did not the fire that descended from heaven consume his sacrifice? When he brought the first fruits to God, then, as Scripture says, the Holy God “looked down” from heaven on Abel’s sacrifice (Gen. 4:4), but did not deign to look down on Cain’s sacrifice. Likewise Noah, who was saved in the ark when “the waters ceased and the ark grew dry” on the top of Mount Ararat (Gen. 8:1, 4). Noah also became a partaker of this gift and offered a sacrifice to God in the pure aroma of fragrance; Therefore, the Deliverer made a covenant with him, no longer bringing a flood on the earth (Gen. 8:21), and gave him the holy blessing to grow and multiply (Gen. 9:10). You see the miracles of the priesthood. You saw the first priest in the first creation, Abel, how he brought fire from heaven to earth with his impeccable all-fertility. You also see Noah, the honest priest in the second creation, how God made a covenant with him. But Abraham was also honored to participate in the same gift and offer his beloved Isaac to God and perform sacred acts, preparing his own womb as a burnt offering. There God shows him a great miracle - the birth of Christ and the power of blessing with which He Himself blessed: “and through your seed all the nations of the earth will be blessed” (Gen. 22:18). The divine Moses was also vouchsafed this gift, having ascended to God on Mount Sinai and accepting the law, which is why his face became glorified, so that it seemed brighter than the sun. In a similar way, Aaron was vouchsafed this gift, becoming we intercede before God for the sins of men. For “Moses and Aaron were his priests” (Ps. 98:6). Like them, Phinehas in this all-honorable rank stopped the death of his people; also Elijah, having put on this rank, was heard by God “in the fire” (1 Kings 18:36) and killed the cold priests with the sword. So, we understand, brethren, that the dignity of the priesthood is great and extremely, immeasurably immeasurable. Glory to the Only Begotten! Glory to the One Good One, Who communicates it to His disciples through His holy New Testament, so that they too may set an example in laying on their hands on the worthy! Therefore, we will honor everything, we will all please those who have the rank of honorable priesthood, knowing for sure that if someone loves the friend of the Tsar, then the Tsar will love him incomparably more. Therefore, let us love the priests of God, for they are friends of the good God and intercede for us and the world. Almost a priest, fulfilling the commandment of Christ, which says: “receive the prophet” with joy, “in the name of the prophet, he will receive the reward of the prophet” (Matthew 10:41). If you don’t know about any priest, whether he is worthy of the rank or not, then do not despise him for the sake of the commandment of Christ. Just as bright gold does not suffer harm if it is covered with dirt, as well as the purest beads if it touches some unclean and nasty things, so the priesthood does not become defiled by a person, even if the one who received it was unworthy. If anyone turns out to be worthy of this dignity and walks in it reverently and blamelessly, then he prepares for himself life and an imperishable crown. And if anyone dares to enter it unworthily, he is preparing for himself total darkness and judgment without mercy. I present another example to you, man, so that you, out of your arrogance, do not dare to unworthily enter into the rank of the priesthood, because the pure God does not favor those who have received ordination out of arrogance. Know what those unfortunates suffered who once opposed Moses and Aaron and had the temerity to shamelessly and arbitrarily offer incense to God. Didn’t fire kill everyone from heaven because they dared to assume a rank that was higher than them? And also Mariam, the prophetess of God, because in a small word she reproached Moses for the priesthood, the Almighty determined such a reproach that all of her, covered with leprosy, was removed from the camp for seven days. And now, brethren, lead a pure life, imitating Moses, Aaron and Eleazar. Look how pious priests in this rank took revenge on the godless militias of their enemies. Moses, like a priest, raised his hands to God and struck Amalek with an incurable plague. Abraham, girded with the priesthood, put the kings to flight. Having assumed the priesthood, Melchizedek blessed the chosen Abraham with the highest blessing. Have you been worthy, brother, of the priesthood? Make an effort to please the Voivode with purity, and righteousness, and divine wisdom, and bright virginity. Be a fiery zealot like the chaste Joseph, pure like Jesus, hospitable like Abraham, poor-loving like Job, loving like David, meek like Moses; return the lost to the path, strengthen the lame, raise the fallen, protect the weak, and do all the like. And I, beloved brethren, am horrified, seeing what some madmen are in the habit of venturing into, who decide to shamelessly and recklessly seek the priesthood and accept it, without being called by the grace of Christ, not knowing that they, the poor, are storing up fire and death for themselves. I’m not only telling you this, man, so as not to rashly accept the priesthood, but so as not to touch any of the vessels of all-honorable service. If you have read what Uzzah suffered when he touched the ark of God, then always remember, beloved brother, the terrible saying of the Most High God, spoken through the mouth of the prophet Isaiah: “And to whom will I look? Only against the meek and silent and trembling at My words” (Is. 66:2). Always remember these words and be attentive to acquire a treasure - a meek thought, so that in this way you can ascend mentally to the mountain city of Jerusalem and make intelligent sacrifices to the impregnable King God. There, unfading, imperishable crowns are woven, and there Christ Himself will crown you before the Angels with the crown of immortality, and you, with the heavenly faces, will sing the victorious song to the Holy Trinity forever and ever. Amen. You might be interested in: