Слово 45. О том, что не должно усиленно оплакивать умерших.

Let us not, beloved, weep bitterly for those who have died and departed from this life, but rather let us weep and grieve for those who ended their lives badly. So the farmer, when he sees the bread decomposed, does not cry, but trembles and trembles while he sees that it remains in the ground in a solid form, and when he sees it decomposed, he rejoices, because decomposition is the beginning of future generation. Likewise, we rejoice when the damaged house collapsed, when man was born. And don’t be surprised that I called the coffin generation - this is even the best generation. An ordinary birth is followed by deaths, labors, dangers, worries, and after this birth, if we lived correctly, crowns and rewards; behind the first - corruption and death, behind the last - incorruption, immortality and countless benefits. In that birth there are embraces, lusts and sleep, in this there is only a voice descending from heaven, and suddenly everything is completed, but the rebel is no longer led to a difficult life, but to one from which illness, sadness and sighing have escaped. If you are looking for intercession and because of this you are mourning your husband, then resort to God, the common Protector, Savior and Benefactor of all, to an irresistible benefit, to convenient help, to an abundant cover that is present everywhere and protects us from everywhere. But a life together, kind and longed for? I know too. However, if you weigh your suffering with your mind, think within yourself about who took it, and that if you endure it courageously, you will thereby sacrifice your will to God, then you will be able to get over this wave; what time does not do, philosophy will do; if you become weak and the suffering subsides over time, then you will not receive any reward. Following these reflections, also collect examples, both from real life and from the Divine Scriptures. Remember that Abraham slain his son, and did not cry, did not utter a bitter word. “But that,” you say, “was Abraham!” But you are called to an even more elevated field. Job, it is true, grieved, but only as much as was appropriate for a father who loved his children and cared deeply about the dead. And what we are doing now is befitting of enemies and adversaries. In fact, if someone were taken to the royal palace and crowned, and you began to torment and weep, then I would not call you a friend of the crowned one, but rather his enemy and adversary. “But,” you say, “now I’m not mourning him, but myself.” And this is not a sign of a lover that you, precisely for your own sake, would like him to continue the competition and be exposed to the uncertainty of the future, while at the present time he has achieved the goal and is crowned; so that he sails on the sea, while he can be considered to be in the harbour. “But,” you say, “I don’t know where he went!” Why don't you know, tell me? He either lived righteously or not - it is clear where he went. “Now,” you say, “it is precisely because of this that I grieve that he left a sinner.” An excuse is also a pretext. After all, if because of this you cry for the deceased, then you should have corrected and improved him during his lifetime; but you constantly fix your eyes on what concerns you, not him. If he departed as a sinner, then one must therefore rejoice, since his sins were interrupted and his depravity ceased to grow, and in addition, one must help as much as possible, not with tears, but with prayers, petitions, alms and offerings. Indeed, it was not without a reason that this was invented; it is not in vain that we commemorate the dead in the Divine Mysteries and approach the present Lamb, who took away the sin of the world, with prayer for them, but so that some consolation may come from here for them; and not in general, the one standing before the altar during the performance of the Terrible Mysteries cries out: “For all those who have fallen asleep in Christ and for those who commemorate them.” And if there were no memories of them, then this would not be said. After all, our ministry is not a spectacle - let it not be - but it happens at the command of the Spirit. Let us help them and commemorate them. If the sons of Job were cleansed by the sacrifice of their father, then do you really doubt that there is some consolation for the dead when we make offerings for them? It is customary for God for thanksgiving to be offered by some for others; Paul also pointed out this, saying: “so that for what has been given to us, through the intercession of many, many may give thanks for us” (2 Cor. 1:11). Let us not tire of helping those who have departed and offering perfect prayers for them. After all, a general cleansing of the universe is due. Therefore, then let us boldly pray for the universe and call them with the martyrs, confessors, priests, because we are all one body, although some members are more excellent than others, and it is possible to bring down condescension on them in every possible way - through prayers, through gifts for them, through those who are called with them. Why are you grieving, why are you crying, when it is possible to bring down such condescension on the departed? Or is it because you have become helpless and have lost your intercessor? But never say this, because you have not lost God, and as long as you have Him, He will be more to you than father, and son, and guardian. After all, even during their lifetime, He did everything. So think about this and say with David: “The Lord is my light and my salvation: whom shall I fear?” ("The Lord is my enlightenment and my savior, whom I will fear") (Ps. 26:1). Say: “You are the Father of the orphans, the Judge of widows,” and you will attract His help, and you will have His Providence to a greater extent than before, as much as you are in greater difficulty. But have you lost your child? Don’t lose, don’t say that: here sleep is not death, death, not destruction - a transition from worse to better. Do not irritate God, but appease him. If you endure it courageously, then both the departed and you will receive some consolation; if on the contrary, you will arouse the wrath of God even more. So in the case when a master flogs a boy, and while you are there, you express displeasure, then by this you arouse the master more against you. Do not do this, but give thanks, so that through this the cloud of sorrow will dissipate for you; speak like that blessed one: “The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away” ( Job 1:21 ); think how many thanked you more, even without having children and without being called fathers. “And I,” you say, “would not like to have it, since it is better not to know from experience than, having tasted pleasure, then lose it.” No, I urge you, do not say this, do not anger the Lord with this, but give thanks for what you received, and glorify for what you did not fully use. Job did not say, “It would be better not to receive”; that you speak recklessly; He gave thanks for that, saying: “The Lord gave,” and for this he blessed, saying: “The Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord!” ( Job 1:21 ). And he thus blocked his wife’s lips, justifying himself to her and uttering these amazing words: “Shall we really accept good from God, but not evil?” ("If we receive good things from the hand of the Lord, shall we not endure the evil ones") (Job 2:10). And although after that the temptation became more severe, he, however, did not faint, but with equal courage he endured and praised. Do the same and think to yourself that it was not man who took him, but God, who created him, who cares about him more than you do and knows what is good for him, is not some kind of enemy and not a slanderer. Look how many surviving children have made life miserable for their parents. “Don’t you notice valiant children,” you say? I see those too, but your son’s circumstances are in a more secure position than theirs, because although they behave commendably, their end is still unknown; and you no longer worry or tremble for your own, lest he suffer something or undergo some kind of change. Think the same way about a kind, homely wife: thank God for everything; if you have lost it, praise it; Perhaps God wants to lead you to abstinence and He wanted, having freed you from bonds, to call you to a higher field. Tell me: if the king had sent and called any of us sitting below to the palace, would we have to grieve and cry? Behold, Angels come here from heaven, sent by the King Himself, to call a slave like them, and tell me, are you crying? Don’t you know what kind of Sacrament this is being performed? How terrible and terrible is it, and truly worthy of hymns and praise? Do you want to learn, to know that this is not the time for tears? Indeed, this is the great secret of the Wisdom of God. As if leaving what house, the soul goes and is brought to its Master, and you grieve? In this case, when the child was born, it was necessary to do the same, because this too is a birth, only much better than that birth, since it goes to another light, is freed, as it were, from some kind of prison, moves away from the struggle. “Yes,” you will say, “you say that well about those who have achieved fame.” What on your part, man, when you do not do this in relation to those who have achieved glory? What kind of reproach do you find, tell me, in a little child whom you are meanwhile mourning? Which one - in the newly enlightened, who is in exactly the same position? Why are you crying, tell me? After all, just as the sun rises clean, so the soul, leaving the body with a clear conscience, shines and shines. It is not so attractive to see a king entering a city with great solemnity as a soul leaving the body and leaving with the Angels. Think what kind of soul it is, in what delight it is then, in what amazement, in what pleasure. Why are you grieving, tell me? But you only do this to sinners? Oh, if it were so, then I would not interfere with grief. Oh, if only this were the goal: such weeping is apostolic weeping, Sovereign weeping, because Christ also wept for Jerusalem. I wish weeping were governed by this rule; but when you utter inviting words, mention life together, about intercession, then it is not because of this that you cry, but only use an excuse. Sorrow, lament for the sinner; and I shed tears, I am even more than you, how much more he is subject to punishment; for this purpose I will cry too. And not only should you mourn such a thing, but the whole city, everyone you meet, even those who are taken away to death. Indeed, the death of sinners is an evil death. But everything got mixed up. One cry testifies to wisdom and contains great teaching, while the other reveals cowardice. If we all cried first, we would correct them during our lifetime. Just as if you had the opportunity to deliver a medicine that would relieve bodily death, then you would do it, so here, if you mourned this death, you would deliver both yourself and him from it. Now a mystery occurs: having the opportunity to prevent this from happening, we allow it to happen, and after it happens, we grieve. Truly they will be worthy of tears when they appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ - what words will they hear? What disasters will suffer? They lived in vain; It’s better to say - not in vain, but for evil. And it is appropriate to say about them: it would have been better for them if they had not been born. What is really the use, tell me, of wasting so much time on your head for evil? Even if the loss was only in vain, would the loss be insufficient? Tell me: if someone, working for hire, lost twenty years in vain, would he really not complain, cry, or consider himself the most unfortunate of all? And he worked all his life in vain, did not live a single day for himself, but all for voluptuousness, for debauchery, for covetousness, for sin, for the devil; So, tell me, will we not mourn him? Shall we try to extricate him from danger? It’s possible, it’s possible, if we wish, to mitigate his punishment. We will make constant prayers for him, we will give alms - and even if he was unworthy, God will have mercy through us. If Paul had compassion and spared one for the sake of others, then how much more should we do this. Whether from his money, from yours, from whatever you want, but help, pour out oil, or better yet, water. He can't point to his own charity? He will at least point out the alms of his relatives. Can't point to alms done by himself? At the very least, it will indicate that the wife, when she boldly prayed for him, paid a ransom for him. The greater the number of sins he was guilty of, the greater the need for alms for him, not only for this reason, but also because now it does not have the same power, but much less. After all, it’s not the same thing when he does something himself and when someone else does it for him. Because it is smaller, we will make it as large as possible. Let us not worry about monuments, about tombs - this is the most excellent tomb: appoint widows, announce the name, order everyone to make prayers and petitions for him; this will appease God. Although it was not done by him himself, but for him another became the culprit of alms, and this is also a matter of Divine love for mankind. The widows standing around and weeping will be able to be torn away not from present, but from future death. Many also benefited from alms done for them by others, although not entirely, but still found some consolation. If this were not the case, then how would children who contribute nothing themselves, but all their parents, be saved? And women are often given children as a gift without contributing anything themselves. God gives us many ways of salvation, if only we do not remain careless. “But what,” you say, “if someone is poor?” I will say again: the amount of alms is calculated not by the amount given, but by good will - just don’t give less than you are able to give, and you will resolve everything. “But what,” you say, “if someone is lonely, strange, has no one?” Why, tell me, does he have no one? You will be punished for this very reason, because you do not have a single friend so devoted to virtue. So, this happens so that, if we ourselves are not virtuous, then we would try to have virtuous comrades and friends, a wife, a son, a friend, so that through them we can extract some fruit, although not much, but still fruit. If you take care to take a wife who is not rich, but pious, you will take advantage of this consolation; if you take care to leave a son who is not rich, but pious, or an honest daughter, you will also take advantage of this consolation. If you try to do this, then you yourself will be the same. And it is a particle of virtue to love such friends, wife, children. Offerings for those who have departed are not in vain, prayers are not in vain, alms are not in vain: all this was established by the Spirit, who wants us to benefit each other. Look: he benefits through you, and you benefit through him. Have you neglected money, being moved to do something valiant? You became the source of salvation for him, and for yourself - alms. Do not doubt whether he will receive any benefit; It is not without reason that the deacon cries out: “For those who have fallen asleep in Christ and for those who commemorate them.” It is not the deacon who proclaims this, but the Holy Spirit, I mean the gift (χάρισμα). What are you saying? There is a sacrifice in the hands, everything is ready, Angels, Archangels are present, the Son of God is present, everyone stands with such trepidation, those present cry out in universal silence - and do you believe that what is said happens without a reason? In this case, both other things without foundation, and offerings for the Church, for the priests, for the community of believers? Not at all - everything happens with faith. What do you think is offered for martyrs? What they are called at this hour. Although they are martyrs, even if they were more than martyrs, it is still a great honor to be named in the presence of the Master, when this remembrance is created, a terrible sacrifice is made, ineffable Mysteries are performed. Just as when the king sits, anyone can achieve whatever he wishes, and when the king stands, whatever he says is said in vain, so then: while the Mysteries are presented, the greatest honor is given to all who are worthy of mention. Look, in fact: then the terrible secret is proclaimed, that God gave Himself up for the universe; After this miracle, there is a timely mention of those who sinned. Just as when a royal victory is celebrated, then those who participated in the victory are praised and for the sake of this time those who are in bonds are released, and after this time those who have not taken advantage receive nothing, so it is the same here: this is the time of celebrating the victory. “For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup,” it says, “you proclaim the death of the Lord” (1 Cor. 11:26). It is not without a purpose that we begin, and we recognize that this does not happen by chance. In other words, we remember the martyrs, and this is by faith that the Lord died; and this, that he became dead, is a sign that death has been killed. Knowing this, let us think about what kind of consolations we could bring to the departed: instead of tears, instead of sobs, instead of funerals - alms, prayers, offerings, so that both they and we would achieve the promised benefits, by the grace and love of the Only Begotten Son, with whom to the Father and the Holy Spirit be glory, power, honor, now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen. Ἐκλογαί άπό διαφόρων λόγων . Under this name are known collections of conversations compiled by various persons after the death of Chrysostom on certain topics, from those related to the topics and especially liked by the compilers of the works of the saint. The passages are given partly in a literal presentation, partly in a free retelling and are borrowed both from the original works of Chrysostom, and from works only attributed to Chrysostom, which have not only survived to this day, but have also been lost. These Eclogues (selections) were widespread and were used by both private individuals and kings. Known, for example, is the luxurious collection of Eclogues, owned by the Byzantine emperor Nikephoros Botaniatus (1078–1081), registered among the codices of the Koalene Library under No. LXXIX. The paragraphs in the text were arranged by us. – Editorial staff of “ABC of Faith” You might be interested in: