Роса

Across the blue, cloudless sky, on a beautiful summer day, the magnificent luminary was making its usual journey. The golden crosses of the cathedral, five-domed church, erected to the glory of the All-Holy Trinity of God, were burning; its silver domes reflected the dazzling radiance of the sun's rays. The shadow showed the approach of the tenth hour, at which the Divine Liturgy usually begins. Numerous crowds of people hurried from the high road to the peaceful abode of the monks: it was a Sunday or a holiday - I don’t remember. Behind the fence of that monastery, to the eastern side, lies a vast meadow. Then it was covered with thick, tender grass, various wild flowers, which bloomed and fragrant carelessly in freedom and freedom. That day heavy dew fell on him. Countless drops of it were visible on every flower, on every stem and small leaf, and in every drop the sun was clearly depicted; each drop emitted rays like the rays of the sun. The meadow had the appearance of a wide-spread velvet carpet, on which, over the bright, dense greenery, a luxurious hand scattered countless multi-colored precious stones with excellent tint, play, rays and radiance. At that time, the priest, who was preparing to celebrate the Divine Liturgy, came out with deep thought from the side, secluded gate of the monastery 401, and, having taken a few steps, stopped in front of a vast meadow. There was peace in his heart; Nature responded to the silence of the heart with inspired silence, that silence with which a beautiful June morning is full, which is so conducive to contemplation. Before his eyes is the sun in the azure, clear sky, and countless imprints of the sun in countless drops of dew in the vast meadow. His thought was lost in some kind of infinity; the mind was without thought, as if deliberately prepared, tuned to receive a spiritual impression. The priest looked at the sky, at the sun, at the meadow, at the shining drops of dew - and suddenly an explanation of the greatest of the Christian mysteries opened before the eyes of his soul, that explanation that can explain the incomprehensible and inexplicable, an explanation of a living likeness, a picturesque picture that was before his eyes. It was as if someone had told him: “Here! - the sun is fully depicted in every humble but pure drop of dew: so Christ, in every Christian Orthodox church, is fully present and offered at the sacred meal. He communicates light and life to his participants, who, having partaken of the Divine Light and Life, themselves become light and life: so drops of dew, having received the rays of the sun, begin to emit rays themselves, similar to the rays of the sun. If the material and corruptible sun, the creation of the Creator, which cost Him, in order to come into being, one effortless wave of His will, can at the same time be depicted in countless drops of water: why should the Creator Himself, omnipotent and omnipresent, not be entirely present at the same time with His Most Holy Flesh and Blood, united with them by the Divinity, in countless churches, where, at His command and the institution calls upon the bread and wine the all-powerful, all-holy Spirit to perform the greatest, most saving, most incomprehensible sacrament?... Carrying a deep and strong spiritual impression in his depths, the servant of the Mystery returned to his cell. The impression remained to live in his soul. Months have passed, years have passed, it is as alive as on the day of the initial sensation. Sharing benefit and edification with my neighbor, now, after many years, I depict him in word and pen. Meager image! The pen and the word are weak for a complete and accurate depiction of spiritual mysteries. Sacred secret vision! Sacred vision of the mind! With what unexpected suddenness you appear in a picturesque, striking picture before a mind prepared for the vision of mysteries by repentance and attentive, solitary prayer! How powerful, clear, and alive the knowledge you convey is! What an undeniable, incomprehensible conviction! You are independent of people: you come to the one you choose or to whom you are sent. In vain would a person want to penetrate spiritual secrets on his own, with his own effort! He will only be a weak dreamer, groping in the darkness of self-delusion, feeling and communicating neither light nor life. Just as the chains sound on the hands and feet of a slave, so in the thoughts and words of the dreamer the echo of violence, forgery, coercion, slavery and sinful abomination will be heard. The path to spiritual secret vision is constant repentance, lamentation and tears about one’s sinfulness. Crying and tears are the collurium that heals the eyes of the soul (Rev. 3:18). Sergius Desert, 1846. A church in the name of St. Gregory the Theologian was subsequently built on this site. You might be interested in: