Похвальная беседа о св. мученице Пелагии, что в Антиохии *13

The courage of the martyrs is a consequence of the coming of Christ. St. Pelagia, in order to preserve her virginity, escaped by voluntary death from the soldiers who seized her to present her to the court. Her courage in this, her divine help, the shame of her persecutors, the glory of the martyr after death. An exhortation to imitate the martyr who despised life for Christ’s sake by abstaining from the pleasures of life. We should restrain our brethren from spending their time disorderly, and it is useful for ourselves, when returning from church, to remember the exploits of the martyr. 1. Blessed be God: now wives are already amusing themselves with death, and young women are laughing at death, and very young virgins who have never known marriage are jumping onto the very sting of hell and do not suffer any harm. We received all these benefits for the sake of Christ, born of the Virgin; after that blessed conception and most amazing birth, death weakened, the power of the devil was crushed and finally became despicable not only for husbands, but also for wives, and not only for wives, but also for young women. Just as a clever shepherd, having caught a lion that was frightening his cattle and harming the whole flock, knocking out its teeth, cutting off its claws and trimming its mane, makes it despicable and ridiculous and finally gives it to the shepherd’s children and young women for amusement, so Christ, having caught death, which was terrible for our nature and frightened our entire race, and having dispelled all this fear, gave it up for amusement. even maidens. Therefore, blessed Pelagia rushed towards her with such joy that she did not even wait for the hands of the executioners, and did not enter the judgment seat, but with the excess of her own jealousy she warned them of their cruelty. She was ready for torment, and for torture, and for all kinds of punishment, but she was afraid so as not to lose the crown of virginity. And so that you know that she was afraid of the impudence of the wicked, this is why she warns them and anticipates herself from a shameful insult. None of the husbands ever decided to do anything like that, but they all went to the court and showed their courage there; and wives, by nature more susceptible to insults, invented this kind of death for themselves. If it were possible to preserve her virginity and receive the crowns of martyrdom, then she would not refuse to go to trial; but since there she would certainly have lost one or the other, she considered it extremely unreasonable to die crowned with only half, while it was possible for her to win both victories. Therefore, she did not want to go to the court, so as not to become a spectacle for insolent gazes, so as not to allow shameless gazes to enjoy the contemplation of her face and scold her holy body, but from the inner room and the women's chamber she went to another room - to heaven. It’s a great thing to see executioners standing around and tearing your ribs; but this is no less than that. When the feeling has already become dulled from various torments, then death no longer seems terrible, but a kind of liberation and rest from the impending disasters; and for one who has not yet experienced anything like this, has a body that is still intact and does not yet feel any pain, it takes a lot of determination and courage to deprive oneself of real life by violent death. Thus, if you marvel at the patience of those, then marvel at her courage; and if you are amazed at the endurance of those, then be amazed at her courage that she decided to die such a death. Listen carefully to what happened, but imagine in what frame of mind the gentle young woman was, who knew nothing but her room, when soldiers suddenly arrived, stood at the door, called her to the court, and dragged her to the square for such and such important matters. There was no father, no mother, no nurse, no maid, no neighbor, no friend there with her; but she alone was captured among those executioners. Isn’t it worthy of delight and amazement that she had the strength to go out and answer these executioner warriors, to open her lips, utter a word, look, stand and breathe? This was not a matter of human nature; most of it was brought about by the will of God. However, she herself did not remain idle, but showed everything on her part: readiness, presence of mind, courage, desire, determination, haste, jealousy; and that all this came to an end depended on God’s help and divine favor, so one should both be surprised at her and please her: please for God’s assistance, and be surprised for her own readiness. Who would not be justly surprised to hear that in one instant she conceived such an intention, decided on it, and carried it into execution? You all, of course, know how often we, having planned something for a long time, when the time of our test comes and a little fear embraces our soul, we lose all our thoughts, suddenly afraid of the feat. And she, in one instant of time, was able to take such a terrible and terrible intention, and make a decision, and carry it out with the very deed, and neither the fear of those present, nor the shortness of time, nor the helplessness of the persecuted, nor her loneliness in the house, and nothing else like that embarrassed this blessed one; but as if in the presence of any friends or acquaintances, she did everything without fear. And quite rightly, because she was not alone in the house, but had Jesus as her advisor. He was with her, He touched her heart, He encouraged her soul, He alone drove away fear. However, He did this not without reason, but because the martyr herself had previously made herself worthy of His help. 2. So, having left, she asked the soldiers for permission to enter again and change clothes; and having entered, she changed her clothes, putting on incorruptibility instead of corruption, immortality instead of death, endless life instead of temporary life. In addition to the above, I am also surprised at how the soldiers gave this permission, how the wife deceived her husbands, how they did not suspect anything that happened, how they did not understand the deception. It cannot be said that no one has done anything like this; on the contrary, probably many crashed against the rocks, threw themselves into the sea, pierced their chests with a sword, put a noose on themselves, and many similar actions abounded in that time; but God blinded their hearts, so that they did not understand the deception. That's why she broke out of the net; just as a doe that fell straight into the hands of the hunters and then ran away from them to the inaccessible top of the mountain, where neither the feet of the hunters nor the fired arrows reach, finally stops in its run and fearlessly looks at those who had previously pursued it - so exactly this martyr, having fallen into the very hands of the hunters and being captured within the walls, as if in a net, ran not to the top of the mountain, but to the top of the sky itself, where at last it was no longer possible for them to come. Then, looking from there at them returning empty-handed, she rejoiced, seeing the great shame inflicted on the infidel. Really, imagine what it was like: the judge was sitting, the executioners were standing in front of him, the torture was prepared, all the people had gathered, they were waiting for the soldiers, everyone was enjoying the pleasure, hoping to get the booty, and those who had left for this purpose returned back with downcast eyes and talked about what happened. What shame, what vexation, what disgrace naturally engulfed all the infidels! How they walked away with downcast eyes, ashamed, having learned by doing that their war was not against people, but against God! When Joseph wanted to seduce his mistress, he then left his clothes with this barbarian woman, grabbed by wicked hands, and went out naked; and this martyr did not even allow her body to be grabbed by insolent hands, but having ascended with her naked soul and leaving her holy flesh with her enemies, she led them into great difficulty - and they did not know what to do with her remains. These are the glorious deeds of God: He brings His servants out of difficult circumstances into great prosperity, and He brings His enemies and opponents, even if they were apparently in favorable circumstances, into extreme difficulty. What could be worse than the predicament in which this young woman found herself then? And what is better than the comfort in which the soldiers were then? They captured her alone, imprisoned in the house as if in a dungeon, and yet they left without receiving any booty. On the other hand, the young woman was deprived of helpers and defenders, she did not see any way out of her plight, she was already close to the mouths of those wild animals, and, one might say, having escaped from their very throats, she escaped the intrigues and defeated the soldiers, judges, and commanders. While she was alive, they all hoped to overcome her; and when she died, they found themselves in a great difficulty, which showed them that the death of the martyrs is the victory of the martyrs. And the same thing happened, as if a large cargo ship filled with precious stones, attacked by a dangerous wave that threatened to flood and sink it at the very mouth of the harbor, slipped away from under the very pressure of the water and, receiving at the same time a push, entered the pier with greater speed. So is Blessed Pelagia. The arrival of the soldiers, the fear of expected torture, the threat of the judge, attacking her stronger than any wave, prompted her to fly into the sky with great speed; and the wave that was about to sink the ship brought it to a serene harbor; and then this body, brighter than any lightning, fell down, striking the eyes of the devil. And truly, lightning falling from heaven is not as terrible for us as the body of a martyr, more terrible than any lightning, terrified the armies of demons. 3. And in order to be convinced that this was not accomplished without divine help, this is especially clear from the very strength of the determination, also from the fact that the soldiers did not understand the deception and gave permission, and from the fact that the matter came to an end; but no less than what has been said, this can be understood from the very image of death. Many, having fallen from a high roof, did not suffer any harm; others, having damaged some members of the body, lived again for a long time after the fall; and God did not allow anything like this to happen to this blessed woman, but commanded the soul to immediately leave the body, accepting her as having already struggled and accomplished everything. Her death was not the result of a natural fall, but of the command of God. Then this body lay not on the bed, but on the ground; but, lying on the earth, it did not become dishonorable, but on the contrary, the earth itself became honorable, because it received a body clothed with such glory. Thus, from this very lying on the ground, this body was most venerable, because mocking for Christ gives us an increase in honor. So, this virgin body, purest of all gold, lay on the ground, in a cramped place; but angels surrounded him, and all the archangels revered him, and Christ was with him. If masters accompany more worthy servants of their dead, and are not ashamed, then all the more will Christ not be ashamed to honor with His presence the one who laid down her soul for Him and was exposed to such danger. So she lay, having a great funeral cover - martyrdom, adorned with the beauty of confession, clothed in clothes more precious than any royal scarlet, any precious purple, and, moreover, twofold clothes - virginity and martyrdom; with these coverings she will appear before the throne of Christ. Let us also try, both during life and after death, to put on similar clothing, knowing that someone who adorned his body with golden clothes does not receive any benefit, but still incurs the condemnation of many, as one who did not abandon vanity even at death; and the one who has clothed himself with virtue will be praised by many even after death. More glorious than the very chambers of the king will be for everyone that coffin where lies the body that lived in piety and virtue. And you are witnesses to this, running past the tombs of the rich, even with golden robes, as if passing by caves, and running to this saint with zeal because this martyr departed, having clothed herself instead of golden robes with martyrdom, confession and virginity. Let us imitate her according to our strength: she despised life, we too will despise pleasure, we will laugh at luxury, we will abandon drunkenness, we will flee from gluttony. It is not without a reason that I say this now, but because I see how many, after the end of this spiritual spectacle, run to drunkenness and gluttony, to meals in hotels and other excesses. Therefore, I ask and implore you to always keep this saint in your memory and mind, not to disgrace the celebration and not to lose the boldness that we acquire from this holiday. It is not in vain that when talking with the pagans, we boast about the multitude of people gathering for the holiday, shaming them and saying that one dead girl every year attracts a whole city and so many people to herself, and that after so many years no time has stopped the celebration in honor of her; but if they find out what is done at this holiday, then we will lose most of the praise. This multitude present now, if gathered together with decency, will constitute the greatest adornment for us; and if with carelessness and great absent-mindedness, then - shame and accusation. 4. So, in order for us to boast about the abundance of your love, let us return home with the same decorum with which those who were formerly should return with such a martyr. And whoever returns home the wrong way, not only has not received any benefit, but has also brought upon himself the greatest danger. I know that you are free from these diseases, but this is not enough to justify you, and it is necessary to convert the outrageous brethren to the greatest decency and bring them into decent form. Have you honored the martyr with your presence? Almost by correcting your joints; If you notice inappropriate laughter, indecent running, immodest gait and inappropriate appearance, then go up to those doing this and look at them sternly and angrily. But they won't pay attention and laugh even more? Take with you two, or three, or more brothers, so that your multitude inspires respect. If even so you do not understand their madness, then announce them to the priests; However, it cannot be that they will reach such shamelessness that even after reproaches and admonitions they will not listen, will not be ashamed, and will not stop their inappropriate and childish rejoicing. If you acquire at least ten people, even three, even two, even just one, you will come away with a great profit. The path is very long; Let us take advantage of its length in order to recall in memory what was said; Let's fill the crowded path with aromas. Truly, this path would not seem so beautiful if someone, having placed censers all over it, filled the air with incense, how beautiful it will seem now if everyone walking along it today goes home, telling each other the exploits of the martyr, and everyone makes their tongue a censer. Don't you see, when the king enters the city, with what orderly armed warriors march on both sides, inspiring each other to walk quietly and with great fear, so that the spectators should look at them? Let us also imitate them, because we too precede the King, the King not visible, not earthly, but the Lord of the angels. So let us also enter in an orderly manner, urging each other to walk harmoniously and in order, so that we may astonish the spectators not only by our numbers, but also by our order. Even if there were no one else, we alone walked along the path, and then we should not have rioted, for the sake of the never-sleeping Eye, present everywhere and seeing everything; but now imagine that many heretics are mixed up among us, and if they see that we are so rejoicing, laughing, shouting, drinking, they will leave, condemning us extremely. If the one who seduces one is subject to inevitable punishment, then we, having seduced so many, will be subjected to what punishment? However, God forbid that, after these words and such an admonition, someone is found guilty of the above. If before such daring acts were inexcusable, then after such advice and reproof they make punishment much more inevitable both for those who commit them and for those who look indifferently at what is being done. So, in order for you to spare them from punishment, and to acquire a greater reward for yourself, take upon yourself the care of our brothers, arrange for them to remember and repeat what was said, so that, having done this during the journey, as well as at home for those who remained and those left behind, bringing the remnants of this meal, you can create a bright feast there too. In this way, we will enjoy this holiday more and gain greater favor with the holy martyr, honoring her with true veneration. She will be much more pleased when we leave here with fruits and some spiritual benefit than when we come here and riot. Through the prayers of this saint and those who labored like her, may you be honored to remember exactly this and everything else that was said, and, having demonstrated everything in practice, constantly please God in everything, to Whom be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. The shame of the devil by a young woman who had already been captured by soldiers, but was saved by death from desecration. The faith and courage of the martyr destroyed the deceit of the devil. An exhortation to abstain from passions. Of course, the holy virgin Pelagia would be worthy of a greater gathering; The exploits of this maiden were great, and therefore require a larger gathering of spectators. But for her Christ is enough, Who, being present alone, adorns the holiday and triumph of this virgin more than any decoration, because where Christ is present, there is the face of all the angels. True, all the martyrs showed that their bodies were stronger than torment, and therefore they made themselves into some great spectacle of the struggle against the devil, overcoming incorporeal spirits with their very bodies, and presenting their flesh firmly resisting iron; but when I see how even the very young women long to die for the crucified Christ, then I laugh even more at the madness of the devil, who, having invented for himself many places for oracles, as if he would predict the future in them, could not foresee and predict what kind of shame, worthy of all laughter, he would suffer today. Indeed, what could be more ridiculous than what the devil has now suffered? He caught the maiden in the net, and yet did not receive the prey itself; He grabbed the maiden and could not hold her, as if he had grabbed a shadow and not a maiden. Since she combined in herself the simplicity of a dove with the wisdom of a serpent, although she was captured like a simple dove, she nevertheless escaped like a wise serpent; having been captured, she did not despair of victory; Having been detained in body, she was not captured in spirit or mind, but came up with some trick with which she could ridicule the foolishness of those by whom she was captured and leave them amazed. What was it? The young woman pretended to have changed her intentions, and to make this seem probable, she showed her cheerful face, although she was in danger of such excitement and shipwreck. The warriors, carried away by this fiction and deceived by the gaiety of the girl, began to treat her more humanely. When she asked them for permission to leave for so long while she put on jewelry suitable for a bride, the soldiers gave her the opportunity to go, since they thought that by doing this they would not only please the maiden, but would also be more praised by the judge himself if they brought the maiden in beautiful clothes. She, having had the opportunity to fulfill her intention, immediately dressed in clothes that were truly beautiful. Having clothed herself and strengthened herself with spiritual courage and the great hope of resurrection, she ran to the very top of the roof and from there rushed down. Thus, she accomplished this kind of feat, which, as something great, the devil once dared to offer to the Lord himself when he said: “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down” (Matthew 4:6). I am very amazed at the faith and greatness of the soul of this young woman. What wouldn’t the other virgin think to herself then? She would, of course, say: I am throwing myself down from this place, because I am forced to do this for the very reason that I am afraid of shame. The intention is commendable if only death follows this fall, because even if the enemies began to rage over me dead, I will not feel it, and they will do it without my knowledge. But if the members of the body that has fallen to the ground are broken, but the soul remains in the members, then, suffering and painfully enduring bodily deformity, I, however, will be brought before the judge and will suffer what I have always feared; They will disgrace my body with damaged members and release me dishonored, and thus I will suffer a double disaster - damage to bodily members and deprivation of virginity. This, of course, would be enough to confuse the other maiden. And she was so confident, as if someone had guaranteed her that the matter would be completed, and therefore she eagerly hurried to rush downstairs. So you, devil, are defeated by the courage and greatness of the soul of a young virgin. A young woman, His servant, called you to do what you once offered to the Lord himself, and, having reached the top of the roof, she herself threw herself down from there; and although she was summoned by the judge, she did not obey you, who inspired this, and did not accept the treacherous struggle: she knew your cunning plans - that you often have the habit of calling the virgins themselves to the judges, as if to receive punishment, but then, without fighting those who went to fight, you throw them out as even more pitiful captives. But if you really challenge the girl to a fight or a competition, then fight her now when she throws herself from the roof, and hold her back as she falls from there; dare to stand against her and endure the struggle; use whatever cunning you want; in front of you is the earth instead of a battlefield; now draw your swords to inflict death; provide cruel instruments of murder to the people being killed; arrange the death of the falling maiden. Yes, she surpassed all your secret and insidious machinations, as the most powerless, and, what is even more, she did not ask God for what is written: “Lord, by His angel I have commanded you, that I may dash my foot against a stone” (Luke 4:10–11); but she asked that after the fall He would command the soul to leave the body. O maiden, a woman by gender and gender, but a man by spirit! O virgin, who should be praised by two names, as one placed in the host of virgins and in the ranks of martyrs! O maiden, so modest that she did not give the intemperate judge the opportunity to enjoy even your very sight! Let us also imitate the modesty of this young woman and erect trophies of victory against our passions; let us crush the attack of excess and intemperance and strengthen our spirit to preserve piety; Let us turn away the judges themselves from temptations, and when the time is right, let us show ourselves not impudent, but bold; Finally, let us mortify our members that are on earth, so that the Lord Himself may make this humble body of ours such and bring it into such a state as to give it the appearance of His own body: To Him be glory and dominion forever. Amen. Pronounced in Antioch. Memory of St. Pelagia October 8. This conversation was published only in Latin translation. You might be interested in: