Homily at the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts

Spoken March 17, 1869 The light of Christ enlightens everyone. These words now remind you of a special, solemn action in which they are pronounced by the altar server, an action that is never repeated in Orthodox worship. They remind you of a priest coming out of the sanctuary with a lighted lamp and a burning censer. And just before this, he exclaimed to the gathering of those present: wisdom, to commemorate the fact that his action and word should have a special, deep meaning. As soon as he managed to say: forgive me, - that is, to express the demand that those praying stand upright - and despite the fact that as soon as he appears to them with a lamp and a censer - the whole church prostrates itself before the sacred signs, with the words: the light of Christ enlightens everyone. What does this mean? Before we begin to explain this significant phenomenon, we consider it necessary to note that, according to ancient monuments of church worship, it was not performed in this exact form everywhere. A consideration of these ancient rites will help to explain what is happening before our eyes. The well-known interpreter of Orthodox worship, Archbishop Simeon of Thessaloniki, testifies that in his time, that is, four hundred years ago, this action was performed in this way: First of all, he notes that the first exit of the priest from the altar at Vespers, combined with the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, took place without a lamp, and the brethren, with the approaching evening darkness, also remained without light. But when the reading from the book of Genesis began, the priest, or, instead, the deacon, preceded by the lamps, and himself holding a censer and a lit candle in his hands, came out of the altar and walked along the side parts of the church to the end of it. When the reading from the book of Genesis ended, he suddenly appeared at the entrance gates of the church, made the cross with a censer and exclaimed: wisdom, forgive. The light of Christ enlightens everyone. Then he entered the altar, and then candles were lit throughout the church according to custom. From this description it is clear that this entire action is closely related to the lighting of the church. Previously, there were no lamps lit in the church; the light came from the altar, was carried sideways to the entrance to the church, and then solemnly brought into the church, and finally into the holy altar. Following this, the entire church was illuminated. But the usual lighting of the lamps during the service called the lamp service, which is necessary and according to the time of day, would not have caused the church to take such a solemn action. The brethren who sat in silence and listened to the reading did not have to stand up in front of ordinary lamps. It was not this sensual light brought into the church that the clergyman called the light of Christ when he said: the light of Christ enlightens everyone. Sensual light in the present case was a symbol of spiritual light. Currently, as we know, some particular actions have changed. The very time when it takes place, although according to the church order it should be called evening, but for the most part, as now, it belongs to the first half of the day. From this alone the ritual would have lost some of its solemnity even if it had been performed in the same circumstances. Therefore, now, not with the appearance of the clergyman at the gates of the church, candles are lit in the church, but much earlier; and the light is not brought into the altar from the doors of the church, but at the gates of the altar it appears before the people, while proclaiming, however, the same words that were spoken before. But with the change in some details, the idea of ​​the sacred rite did not change. And the people falling on their faces at this sacred rite, by this very act of worship, testifies that they are amazed at the greatness of its spiritual significance. Perhaps someone will ask the question: if this action is only part of the evening service, then why is it not performed at ordinary vespers every day, but during the more solemn performance of the evening service on the deliberate festivities of the church? – Why is it celebrated only on Great Pentecost, and here only when Vespers is combined with the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts? These questions force us to delve into more distant times, and according to some indications, look for explanations of the historical origin of these rituals even in those times when the days of St. Pentecostals served as preparation for many seeking St. baptism. The Holy Pentecost was the best and most chosen for that time. Only at this time could baptism into the death of Christ and burial with Christ who suffered for us coincide with the days of the suffering and death of our Lord Jesus Christ. - Baptism was rightly called and is called enlightenment - from the light of the Gospel; those who are baptized are called enlightened (Heb. 6:4.10, 32), catechumens who are preparing for baptism are called those preparing for enlightenment. It is known that special prayers were offered for them by the church in St. Pentecost, in addition to the constant prayers for the catechumens. The catechumens could be present at the beginning of the liturgy, during the reading from the Holy Books and the teaching that followed; then, after the prayer of the faithful for them, having received a blessing from the celebrant, they left the meeting. Those preparing for enlightenment through baptism received special instructions in the faith, and also, after the prayers of the faithful and blessings were offered for them, they were released. – It is also known that they all stood either in the vestibule of the church or at its gates. - So, to attract them to listen to readings and teachings, to perform prayers for them and give them blessings, this mysterious approach of the priest with a lamp to the gates of the church should have served. It expressed that Jesus Christ deigned to be a light for them, as He is the true light for all the faithful. And the minister of the church, proclaiming: the light of Christ enlightens everyone, seemed to be saying to those standing at the door of the house of God: draw closer to Him, you who are still in darkness and the shadow of death. The light of Christ enlightens everyone. This is how one can explain the purpose of this rite during divine services in St. Pentecost! – Now it is clear what deep meaning it must have had for the faithful and for those preparing to be faithful. In explaining its origin, we had to touch upon this meaning; but its importance prompts us to go into some more detail. The evening service, with which the liturgy of the presanctified gifts is combined, reminds us of the establishment of the evening ritual in the Old Testament tabernacle. In addition to the usual sacrifice, every day the priest had to light a seven-lamp lamp in the sanctuary, which burned all night. This was not for the needs of those serving at the tabernacle: because the sanctuary was not accessible to anyone except the priests, and at night no sacred ceremonies were performed in the tabernacle. This lighting of light in the sanctuary had a purely spiritual significance. It pointed to the presence of God in the unapproachable light, to the fact that the Father of lights has no change or change of walls (James 1:17), there is no change of light and darkness, but always light. It pointed to the light of the law given to Israel and kept behind the veil, to the fact that the commandment of the Lord is bright, enlightening the eyes (Ps. 18:9). It pointed the seers to the light that enlightens every person coming into the world, hoped for by prophets and kings and having to be revealed to the church - in the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit. So, the Old Testament institution in some way called upon the New Testament church to proclaim that the longed-for time had finally come for those near and far: the light of Christ enlightens everyone. And in commemoration of this, light was carried from the altar to the gates of the church, and from the gates of the church back to the sanctuary. This action, as we know, takes place between two readings from the Old Testament. In the service of St. At Pentecost, one cannot help but notice the predominance of the Old Testament readings over the New Testament ones. The evening service offers readings from the books of Genesis and Proverbs; at the midday service there is a reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah. In addition, the book of psalms is offered twice during the week. Meanwhile, New Testament readings are not offered at all during fasting days. This arrangement is in accordance with the spirit of the strictness of the law, which requires the repentance of a sinner during the days of fasting. Having lost the favor of the Heavenly Father through sins, he must, of necessity, bear the burden of the lawful state in spirit, and therefore feed more on the word of the Old Testament prophets. – But to alleviate this burden, he also needs the gratifying light of the grace of the Gospel. And now, among the two Old Testament lessons, a bright ray of the Gospel runs like lightning, the word about the light of Christ is proclaimed. What light is this? This is a quiet light, the light of holy glory, the light of the Immortal, the Heavenly Father, the Holy, the Blessed. This is not the formidable light and fire of Sinai, but the gentle, joyful light of the Reconciler of God and man, quietly spreading from Jerusalem to Judea, from Jews to pagans, from country to country, from people to people, from century to century, and everywhere bringing with it peace, enlightenment, holiness, and bliss. The light of Christ enlightens everyone. Doesn’t this short-term, silent appearance of the light of Christ resemble the first also short-term and also silent appearance of the Son of God, on the banks of the Jordan, after he committed the Pentecost in the desert, when only the watchful gaze of John noticed and pointed out in him the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29)? He is silent, but His disciples preach. The light of Christ enlightens everyone. And so in the ancient church, after the first reading from the book of Genesis, teachings were offered that guided the understanding of the Old Testament writings in the spirit of the Gospel. You know the teachings of many saints. fathers who used these clocks to interpret the book of Genesis. You know with what deep and extensive learning and at the same time with what high theological teaching and the spirit of the Gospel the words of St. Basil the Great for the six days, which he said at the beginning of Lent, morning and evening. Do you remember how, finishing the word about the first day of the world, during the evening service, he concludes it with a prayer: “The Father of true light, who adorned the day with heavenly light, who enlightened the night with the brilliance of fire, who prepared the rest of the future century in spiritual and unceasing light, may he enlighten your hearts in the knowledge of the truth and may he keep your life inviolable, granting to you, as in the days of beauty to walk so that you may shine like the sun in the brightness of the saints in the day of Christ, to whom be glory and dominion forever and ever.” (Word. 2). There is no better way to conclude our word than with this prayer. “We have not yet exhausted the whole meaning of the sacred rite on which we focused our attention. But if the Lord gives freedom, we’ll talk about him too. Meanwhile, I propose a question for your consideration: how now, with the help of modern science, but on the same basis of the Word of God, could it be possible in church teachings to offer a teaching about the beginning and structure of the world so that here, too, the light of Christ would prevail over the darkness of the false wisdom of men? - Amen.