33. Кончина – за гранью земного бытия

“I wish you as many... years as you need, so that you will completely put on a new person” (29:270) In order for earthly life to be built correctly - to lead and lead to eternal life - it is necessary to remember that here on earth we are guests, and our true Fatherland - our home - is in another world. And Saint Philaret reflects on death and, although secretly, on what will happen after it. We see death at every step: our parents, loved ones, acquaintances die... The circle that embraces us shrinks every day. “How often those who were close to us pass away from us to places from which there is no return! How closer and closer our turn is becoming!” (8:302). And it becomes scary that our hour is about to strike! “But we are not free to travel, bound by the care of this place” (8:302). This means that we must become free and remember that the Lord trampled death underfoot with His glorious resurrection: “That there is fear of death is not a problem. They also saw it in the Fathers who labored a lot. It’s even more natural that he comes to us. But tell fear: “You are right if our fate must be decided by the justice of God only; but now the matter is in a special situation; Christ “died and rose again” in order to destroy the fear of death, in order to wash away the handwriting of our sins with His blood; in order to forgive us who believe in Him, and judge us by the court of mercy, which will take pity on us, among other things, because we are afraid of our unworthiness. So, fear, I am not afraid of you; stay, if God so desires, with me, and be my guardian from oblivion and entertainment, but do not prevent me from believing, loving and trusting! ”(5:9). “A believer is not afraid to die, only he must prepare beforehand” (4:614). But how? Do we know how to “die in the Lord? “If the answer to this makes it difficult for us, then it is better not to rush to desire death, but to let the Lord first teach us to die in the Lord” (29:284). – A good lesson is to remember death. – “Remember death and God’s judgment for yourself, and you will have no leisure to judge others” (21:73). The thought of death is a “good guest” (7:183). The harbinger of death is illness. And “while illness little by little brings up the thought of death, which is sooner or later inevitable, little by little get used to the thought of death, so that when this finally appears, it does not appear too unexpectedly” (5:4). You need to make it aspirational, that is, think diligently about it “and keep yourself, as far as possible, in readiness for it. God sends the fear of death for guidance, not for confusion” (29:348). And He lengthens our days for correction - for doing good, so that they become useful - not “fruitless, and so that the multiplication granted by God’s long-suffering does not increase ... irresponsibility” (8:505). In this case, even if the death is unexpected, it will not be fruitless. “The death of the beneficent virgin,” states Saint Philaret, “is unexpected, but not sad because, according to the word of the Church, it is shameless, painless, and peaceful” (8:432-433). Moreover, the Lord can accept “the good beginning of a feat as completion” (8:354). Those who lived with a feeling of true love for people and died with blissful hope should not be mourned, although we feel sorry for them. – The saint writes: “For those who are called from us into the next century with good hope, do not grieve too much. Out of love for them we will say: go in peace; although we are sorry: but they will repay us with prayers” (9:197). The Lord accepts to Himself “imbued with feelings of love for mankind, clothed in clothing for those who love mankind. Peace to his soul. It's a pity that good deeds have stopped. But the Lord brings good news. Pray for him in the monasteries" (9:376). It is wrong to wish to hasten death - this is possible only for persons of high spiritual life. – “People, like the Apostle Paul, can ask for the end of temporary life, by proven faith and grace, after deeds and sacrifices for Christ. But he, having expressed a desire of this kind, stops and adds: that we don’t know what we want. But what if another person asks for death and is not refused; and then they will demand an answer as to why he left the field, where he still had to complete his purification with patience? Would you like to return? But this will no longer be allowed. So, even if someone was in a fiery, but earthly and temporary purification, shouldn’t he, although crying out for mercy, at the same time obediently leave himself in the hands of the Great Artist, Who can and wants to make pure gold from an unfavorable or unclean metal? May the Lord give you the understanding of salvation and help for salvation” (21:70–71). Spirituality should appear in the will itself. - “It is not bad to think about a will, but not passionately, but selectively, as one disposes of someone else’s property in preparation for an account” (29:349). The saint consoles us with stories about how honest the death of a true Christian is before the Lord: 1. “I’ll tell you about death, which will console you. The Starogolutvinsky builder Samuil could not go to church for the last three weeks of his life due to weakness; at this time he was unctioned with oil twice, confessed twice, received the Holy Mysteries four times; On February 12, in the morning, he called all the brethren and said goodbye with tears and exhortation; ordered the Liturgy to begin earlier than usual; He received communion from the Liturgy and died an hour later. Between his last sayings were these: when will I come and appear to the face of God! Were those on whom the pillar of Siloam fell more sinful than us? Unless we repent, we will all perish. “And after this we can say: the death of His saints is honorable before the Lord!” (17:112–113). 2. And one more thing: “Vladyka (Mikhail Desnitsky, Metropolitan of St. Petersburg - K.S.) performed his proskomedia and offered himself to God forever. His death is honest. His usual meekness had recently shone through most of all in him. For the last few days I have been receiving the Holy Mysteries every day. The last 24 hours have been hard physically; however, even this suffering was silent. 24 days of the past month (1821 - K.S.), after Vespers, when in the house church they sang to him: “Now do You let Thy servant go,” he gave up his spirit. I saw him in the easiest and most difficult hours of his illness; in these last ones one could especially feel at the limit of eternity. He was mourned earnestly; buried splendidly” (19–1:36). 3. The last words before the death of priest Nikita Drozdov, brother of St. Philaret, were: “I thank you, Lord” (4:79). Death is a great mystery, as is the mystery of what awaits us beyond the boundaries of earthly existence. But we want to look into these secrets (sometimes boldly, sinfully) - the Saint reveals them a little - as much as is necessary for us, savingly. – This is: to open your eyes to the bliss of the Heavenly society, to hear the call to repentance, to feel the mercy of God, but also the Highest justice: “To want to make sure of the details of the future in this world is to want to see and know in solitary confinement what is happening in society. This is why we are imprisoned in this world, so that by removing ourselves from the society of the blessed, we can be taught to appreciate the bliss of this society and deserve it. In whom solitary confinement achieves its goal, and he is close to being admitted into society, sometimes even in prison he is allowed to know something about what is happening in society... Sometimes!.. Something!..” (29:285). “The path to immortality lies in the vale of mortal life. Death opens the door of fate for every person. To receive pardon, one must repent. But what kind of mercy is there for those who with insurmountable stubbornness reject mercy? The Righteous Judge deprives the condemned of the right and opportunity to enjoy His sight. The merciful judges the unrepentant. Judge, therefore, how much he loses who loses the right to see God: “The judge sends them into the fire.” “Go into eternal fire,” says the Eternal Judge. And therefore it is in vain to explain this fire as the action of conscience! Souls that did not correspond to the love of the Heavenly Bridegroom will soon experience the flame of His jealousy. God is one, infinite Good; evasion from Him is a single, endless evil. What darkness in the mind! What emptiness in my heart! What a hunger for desires! But to what terrible extremes will these disasters reach when they pass into the very nature of man! It will then be too late to look for ways of salvation in the darkness of hell. Imagine, as much as you can, this country of impenetrable darkness, boiling with fire and bogeymen and worms, noisy with gnashing of teeth and furious groans: there minutes pass like years. But years pass - and this is still the beginning of torment; centuries pass - and this is still the beginning of torment; As many millennia will pass as there are specks of dust that make up the present world, there will still be the beginning of torment! Think also with whom sinners will share this endless curse of eternal torment: this is the fire prepared for the devil and his angels. The destructive gaze of the enemy will incessantly pierce the victim he killed! The fierce serpent will kiss the heart poisoned by it with its vile sting, and will always shed new poison into new wounds. Open your ears: “Come, ye blessed of My Father.” Do you hear what Love says? The dwellings of hell were not built for you, but for the devil and his angels; the flames of hell were not kindled for you, but for the prince of darkness the kingdom of darkness was built. The abodes of heaven have been prepared for you since the foundation of the world. Why are you jealous of the lot of those who have earned their fortune? Turn, repent, “for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (27:90–91). We - not only older people, but also young people - led many on the journey of the whole Earth. For now, we were left to continue our journey in this “vale of mortal life.” And again the questions arise: why? For what? How to understand? – The final answer is given by the Saint: “Our best have gone to the Lord, but we still remain sinners: in this we recognize God’s long-suffering and mercy, which gives us time for repentance and purification. May He help us to take advantage of His gift!” (19–1:106). “People want to live for a long time out of attachment to this world - it’s wrong; they don’t want to live long because they are dissatisfied with this world – it’s also wrong. “I wish you as many new years as you need, so that you may completely put on the new man, created according to God, renewed according to Christ, so that without hindrance and without damage you can receive that new life in which there are no new years, because there are no old ones” (29:270). You might be interested in: