Часть 1-я

Section I. On the Feasts of the Lord Word for the Nativity of Christ Words to God in the highest and peace on earth, there is good pleasure in men (Luke 2:14). In the dead of night, the angel of the Lord appears to the shepherds and proclaims joy, for today the Savior has been born, who is Christ the Lord. And suddenly the song of the angelic armies is united with the angelic sermon. And suddenly with the angel there was a multitude of heavenly howls praising God. If the heavenly hosts sing a song, it is natural to expect that it is a meaningful song. If angels sing a song at such an unexpected time, during the rest of the night, of course, this song is worthy of reverent attention. If the same song, although at night, is shouted into the ears of the earth: how can the inhabitants of the earth not listen to it? And, however, while the heavenly armies celebrated the birth of the Savior of the earth, the entire earthly world, with the exception of a few guards of the flock, was immersed in sleep, and did not hear the heavenly praise, did not listen to the angelic song. We, brethren, would not fall asleep for the praise of the angels. True, they often announce it to us. But it’s all the more shameful if we don’t understand it quite clearly. Gloria. Why do they now talk about glory in the highest if they talk about the glory of God? When was God without glory? He would not have been God if he had never had glory? He is the God of glory (Acts 7:2) in his inner life, in the life of the Triune. He is the God of glory in His creations, which He created so that they might be partakers of His glory, which constitutes their bliss and perfection. That is why in the heights of heaven, thousands of thousands of angels have no peace, singing the glory of the Trinitarian One. The glory of God is so great and pours out so much peace and joy on everything it touches that the purest and strongest spirits are not able to embrace the raptures of bliss spilled by the glory of God. Why do they call on the highest to praise God? Just as it is natural for the glory of God’s perfections to be revealed in special external deeds, so it is natural that special praise should be offered to the All-Perfect by the heavenly powers when they see a special manifestation of the perfections of the Most High. This is how it happened at the creation of the world: all the armies of heaven then glorified the omnipotence, wisdom and goodness of the Creator. When the foundations of the earth were formed, when the stars were created, the Lord spoke to Job, and all the angels praised Me (Job 37:4-7). So it was now, when the Savior, who is Christ the Lord, was born to people. Why do the heavenly spirits rejoice? A heavenly angel announced to the earth the first manifestation of the salvation of the earth. But the mystery of God about the salvation of people was not revealed from the dreams of angels; on the contrary, in the fullness of her light and greatness she reached the very angels no other way than through people. Let the apostle say that the principles and powers in heaven will be affected by the church, i.e. community of believing people, the manifold wisdom of God, according to the proposal of the ages, was created in Christ Jesus our Lord (Eph. 3:10). What do the angels praise in the hearing of the shepherds? What do they see as the special glory of God? The fact is that the Savior Christ the Lord was born to people. So great is the glory of God in the Savior of men at its first appearance! And the apostle says: great is the mystery of piety, God appearing in the flesh. Already one appearance, God in the flesh is a great mystery, a great work of God’s incomprehensible condescension to creatures. The heavenly armies knew the unfortunate situation of fallen humanity, they knew that guilty humanity was the subject of the indignation of God’s truth. But now the boundless love of God descends to people in the quiet radiance of peace and goodwill. And the angels glorify the glory of the incomprehensible love of God. Why are the angels busy with glory that concerns not them, but men? Because the world of holy angels is a world of love. Joy comes as an angel for one sinner who repents (Luke 15:10). What joy they had when they learned about the birth of the Savior of all people! The angels call on those on high to glorify God, but their praise resounds with the earthly world, no doubt, so that the inhabitants of the earth, following the example of the angels, glorify God. Repeat, brethren, repeat the angelic praises more often in these days. Visit diligently the church of God to listen there to the angelic praises of God and stand in the church so as to hear them with all your soul. Be especially careful that the angelic praise upon leaving the church is not drowned out by vain conversations, the talk of passions, the joy of sins, and songs that corrupt the heavenly purity of the soul. Those who glorify Me, I will glorify, says the Lord, and those who disparage Me will be dishonored (1 Samuel 2:30). And there is peace on earth, the angels sing. What kind of world is this? There was once peace on earth when the ruler of the earth obeyed the will of his Creator. But this world left the earth long ago. Seduced by the spirit of darkness, man resisted the will of the Lord and took away peace from the earth. Man, having become a sinner, has broken peace with God: a Saint cannot have fellowship with sin. A battle was revealed within man, between spirit and flesh. A war broke out between people, the earth was stained with the blood of Abel. A struggle opened up in material nature: the earth began to be tormented by earthquakes and storms, thunder and disasters of various kinds. Can pure spirits, spirits of love and peace, look at such a state of the earthly world without sorrow? And that is why they rejoice when they see that peace is returning to the earth. The love of the Son of God took upon itself to return his lost peace to the earth. Long ago Isaiah foretold the appearance on earth of the Chief of the World (Is.9:6). And David spoke about someone: in His days righteousness and abundance of peace will shine (Ps. 72:7). And now, after a long series of centuries, the expected Savior Christ the Lord appears. He will save people from their sins, the angel spoke about Him to Joseph. If He saves from sins, then this will also return peace to people, since the initial cause of all the disorders on earth is one sin. But where, they say, is peace on earth? Yes, the full world can open only on a new earth, and not on our sinful one. It will open when our last enemy - death - is abolished. Meanwhile, do you want to see how the power of Christ the Lord establishes a wonderful peace on our earth, albeit only a private one? Look at the lives of God's saints. Fierce animals were obedient to them, like sheep; the lion grazed at their feet along with the lamb; Neither poison nor fire harmed them, and they walked on water as if on dry land. It is clear that our land could bloom with the peace that one could wish for until the final victory of good over evil. Where does the unrest and disorder come from between us? From our passions: they bring quarrel and abuse, discord and frustration, insults and murders into our societies. Oh, let us at least honor the days of the appearance on earth of the Lord of the world with sincere love of peace, mutual compliance, not doing anything out of vanity, but in a spirit of humility, considering each other better than ourselves (Phil. 2:3). Let our pride, which creates so much trouble in our lives and introduces so many troubles both into the close and wide circles of our connections, be silent in us, at least for a while. There is good will among men, the angels proclaim. Whose favor? God's. It is not the same in heaven as on earth; there to treasure only the favor of God. And so the angels proclaim God’s favor towards people. What unexpected joy! God, according to His infinite holiness, hates all lawlessness (Ps. 5:5-6). He is holiness itself, and His love is directed only to the holy, and His favor is directed only to the good. He also cannot favor sin, just as He does not love sin. Therefore, the sinful human race, from the time of its first sin, was subjected to the wrath of God, removed from the merciful gaze of God’s love. If, as the angel preacher says, the Savior Christ the Lord was born to people, then this is also that God turned to people with his favor. How did it happen that the Saint turned with favor towards sinners? How did the truth reconcile with the guilty people? Angels don't explain. Why don't they explain? Therefore, we have the right to say that they themselves do not know; because the mystery of the redemptive suffering of the Son of God has not yet appeared in its exact form. It is enough for now for people, when it is enough for angels, that God’s favor towards men is preached. A soul lamenting about its sins! The holiness of God is terrible, terrible for you, given the multitude of your sins! Keep holy fear in your depths - it will save you from a lot. But do you hear the angelic faces singing: there is good will among men. Holy angels cannot speak untrue. Throw yourself down with your spiritual burden before Christ the Lord. If it is for the sake of God’s favor towards people, then, of course, you are not excluded from that number. Prostrate yourself with all your sins before the Savior: if salvation comes from Him for everyone, then, of course, for you too. You have no prayer, no contrition of heart, well? Prostrate yourself like this before Him. Cry before Him: You are my only hope, O Christ the Savior; protect me from the righteous wrath of God, which my sins cause against me! In You is God's favor towards people; Turn also to me, unworthy, the favor of the Heavenly Father. Sons of Russia! We also experienced the favor of the Heavenly Father in the destinies of our fatherland, so wonderfully saved, so wonderfully glorified in the days of the blessed Alexander. May the grateful memory of heaven’s favor towards our homeland not be erased from our hearts. Let us not forget that only when our hearts are open with praises of the greatness of God, with prayers for heavenly help, only then does the power of God descend upon us and do wondrous deeds in the weak. Wisdom and power from heaven, incarnate for us! Teach us, You give us feelings and strength, so that with our lips and hearts we sing the angelic song: glory to God in the highest! There is peace on earth and good will to us sinners! Amen. Word for the Nativity of Christ And behold a sign to you: you will find a child midwife, lying in a manger (Luke 2:12). This is the sign the heavenly messenger gives about the birth of Christ the Lord! This is the form in which the One who must save Israel and the whole world was to be seen! And behold, a sign to you, the turning of a baby midwife, lying in a manger. The den of the wordless serves as His royal home and the manger as His throne; the linen shrouds of the Virgin constitute signs of His royal majesty and glory. The Mighty God, the Prince of Peace, the Everlasting Father (Is.9:6) appears in the world as the last of the sons of Adam. Poor shepherds are the first from the face of the earth to greet the Lord with his glorious appearance into the world. Magi from the east bring Him gifts: but even these ambassadors to the great King do not show the splendor of the ambassadors. Thus the Lord of glory appears on earth, among his subjects! How many edifying thoughts, listeners, how many instructions does this appearance of the Lord of glory into the world teach us! His humility puts our arrogant pride to shame. His misery condemns our wasteful luxury. His extreme poverty condemns our insatiable sensuality in pleasures. The manger of the child of the Lord loudly preaches against our greed, and against the love of glory, and against the passion for the differences of the world. But do you see, brethren, what particular weakness our Lord, lying in a manger, condemns? This is an inclination to imitate the world from which He borrows nothing. He appears in the world in simplicity, without decoration, without accessories invented by the inventive passions of the world. Is this what many of us desire? How much we need to condemn our unfortunate passion, which neglects the simplicity of Christ! How much it deprives us of, and how much harm it does to the Christian soul! At Your feet, heavenly simplicity, may the word about the dangers of imitating the rules of the vain world be effective. The Christian soul is still limited to obedience to the law of Christ alone, until it burdens itself with the shackles of serving worldly decency, customs and rules: it enjoys freedom before its Lord and grows with virtues, like the garden of God. Her labors, her peace, her occupations and rest are distributed, in fact, by her will, submissive to the will of God. Her thoughts are pure: they are occupied with one thought - the thought of God, her desires are limited; Every day they strive for one thing - the Lord of the heart; her will shall be taught in the law of the Lord day and night (Ps. 1:2). Her conversation is sincere; approvals are unhypocritical; reproaches are unfeigned. Rich in the infancy of Christ, the simplicity of Christ, she looks at everything calmly - she does not lose heart in sorrow, she is not proud in happiness; He has faith in everything, he trusts in everything, he endures everything (1 Cor. 13:7); She has no enemies, and friends are everything to her. Her life grows and strengthens, without getting tired of the rules of human whims; like a powerful youth, not weakened by the worries of passions, she comes from strength to strength, knowing nothing except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified (1 Cor. 2:2). Blessed times when our fathers were as far from the world and its rules as the desert wilds were from the cities, resounding and deafening with the noise of vanity! Then the followers of Christ celebrated together with Christ the victory over the world. Nowadays, the vast field of Christian asceticism is overgrown with thorns and thistles, which previously grew on the waterless soil of the pagan world. Now the evil serpent, just as he once deceived Eve, is corrupting our minds and hearts, depriving us of the simplicity that is about Christ (2 Cor. 11:3). The evil world, having burdened us with its rules and customs, first of all steals for itself part of our labors, which could and should be dedicated to the Lord. May God deliver everyone from among us from this misfortune, so that his whole life will finally be killed in serving the whims of the world! But how many hours, how many days, how many whole years will many have to exclude from their lives; since they were spent on fulfilling the meaningless rules of the world, and not on saving the soul. And how precious every hour of earthly life should be for us! Each blow to the metal reverberates through the air. Every touch of the world to the soul produces a shock in the interior of the spirit - a shock, at first more or less dangerous, then more or less harmful to the salvation of the soul. How much is needed to shake our weakness? We know our soul poorly when we think that the temptations scattered along all paths by carefree light mean nothing to it. No, no, one incident, one encounter with the temptation of the world can greatly shake us, who are already sick in soul. But the more we become familiar with the customs of the world, the closer we become to danger, the more upset we become with our inner man. The customs of the evil age, like moths, like corruption, like death itself, imperceptibly but quickly, corrupt our poor soul. The imagination, seduced by the reds of this world, willingly accepts the corruption of the customs of the world. The world, as a concatenation of images without essential truth, in itself is that vast area where our imagination loves to rush, and where caution is needed against imagination. But especially the world that the people of the world invent and create for themselves unfolds, nourishes, and intensifies the activity of the power of images, irritating it with their varied and always new objects. The sinful images of this age pass with us from age to age, from society to quiet solitude and even to the churches of God; occupy the soul both in sleep and in wakefulness, humiliate, and desecrate the very service of worship. Why is there now so little love for sacred images - paintings, songs of history - inspired from above? Why do other kinds of scenes, often disgusting, different kinds of images, often depraved, different kinds of songs, often vile, appear among us Christians? Is this really the creation of Christian simplicity, pure, modest simplicity, groaning over its sins? ABOUT! No; Why such a sinful assumption? We confess sincerely: the world of pagan imagination is not uncommon among us. Can an imagination full of images of a corruptible, sinful world be consoled by anything other than the world of sin? It ceases to delight the earthly wanderer with the beauties of heaven and paradise, and no longer frightens us with hell and hell: it finds heaven and heaven on earth, but hell and hell are too terrible to occupy us with them; people of the world love only light and cheerful things. Occupied with objects of little importance, or even harmful to the soul, what are the objects of light, to what can we accustom our hearts, if not to petty, effeminate, criminal feelings? True, in the world they manage to reveal the ability to sense, they manage to smooth out the cruel rudeness from the heart: but what is all this for? Why do they make the heart sensitive? For what subjects? Everything in the world is lust of the hair, lust of the flesh. And into the Christian heart do not pass anything else from the world. Learning the rules of the world and not thinking about the rules of Christ, they begin to feel the beauty of visible things, and to the beauty of heavenly, invisible goods, the heart becomes cold and dull; they are subtle and discerning in order to notice every shade of the graceful perishable: but the kindness of the incorruptible name of Jesus, and the excellence of spiritual works, and the sweetness of prayer and teaching in the law of the Lord are barely perceptible to the soul; they don't touch her. That is why the pagan taste for everyday things is being refined among us to an extreme degree. People of the world! Look at the arts of our Christendom; look at what feelings are expressed in them? Strange situation of Christian souls! And what else? Taste is refined for pleasure, but there is no pleasure! Both the poor and the rich complain about the lack of pleasures! How many needs people have now, how many complaints! And very natural. Taste, pampered by the rules of the world, is not content with the simple needs of life. It is revealed, refined, strengthened for more delicate things, i.e. small than what simple nature is content with. Dear brother! Look around, where are your restless thoughts leading you to seem more educated, more famous than you are educated and known at heart? You used to eat stale bread for sweetness, and drink cold water for sweetness; I was glad if rough clothes covered the body from cold or heat. Now, seduced, irritated by what you see in others, you begin to get bored with your condition, anxiously looking for objects that are not related to the circle of your life. Simplicity, simplicity that was previously dear to you, becomes a burden to you. Why all this? Why are you making yourself unhappy? You and I are poor in good deeds. We need to cry with you about our sins. And you still want to cry from needs that are completely unnecessary for you; you want to cry from needs, even harmful to your soul. Look: your poor, inexperienced heart clings to the smallest objects because it is not experienced with them, because they are new and unfamiliar to it; Over time, it will feel their emptiness, and will feel the emptiness in itself, will be bored with itself. What is all this for? Is this what our soul was created for? Is this why Christ the Son of God was born? Hosts of angels sing a laudatory, joyful song about His birth for us sinners. Here is an object that our soul should admire, at least to this day! But among us, the customs of the world replace the unimportance of pleasures with their variety. Brethren! do not love the world, nor those in the world. Otherwise, our inner feeling of grace, our Christian conscience, will be neither pure nor calm. Familiar with one law, the law of Christ, she is peaceful and clear; reproofs, consolations, instructions, which are taught by the word of God, or wise experience, accepts them in their entirety; for nothing else occupies it. When communicating with the world, she is prescribed as many statutes, rules, customs, and decency as there are people and passions. They must agree with the law of Christ. But they either completely contradict him, or they can agree with him only with great effort. In the first case, it takes a lot of work to overcome the crowd of opinions of the world, in the latter, to come to terms with it. Is it surprising if the conscience, weighed down by this hard work, becomes exhausted? That's how it happens. Sins, gathered in a rich harvest in the fields of the world, fall on the soul like a stone, like a heavy burden. And repentance, which alone alleviates mental hardships, day by day becomes weaker and colder; He is also cooled by examples of worldly coldness towards good. The very understanding of the law of Christ becomes darker; it is overshadowed by the diverse statutes of the dark age. We get used to measuring our duties not by the rule of Christ, but by the customs of the world - to judge things not as the gospel judges, but as the world judges. Poor Christian conscience! What kind of torture does the world subject you to for deviating from simplicity, even about Christ Jesus. It is not surprising if, by learning not the right to feel and judge ourselves, we learn not the right to live and act. Our sincerity, our simplicity are replaced by pretense, on the grounds that this is how they live in the world. Tired of the varied demands of the world, we find ourselves day by day less ready, less capable of good; laziness, lack of attention to oneself, absent-mindedness begin to weigh on the soul; we realize that we are exhausted by the services that the people of the world demand from us; the world has deprived us of will and freedom. Unfortunately, what makes us at peace with the world is the thought that it does not allow us to behave too reproachfully. But is the world doing us a favor? No, it destroys more than it serves; for it weakens zeal for the higher spiritual life. His best rule is: live decently; he refuses everything else; everything else is too hard for him. The pagans, during the time of St. Augustine, renounced Christ because, as they themselves said, they lived well without Him. “I don’t commit murder,” says one of them, “I don’t steal, I don’t be predatory, I give to everyone what they have; What need do I have of Christ?” Brethren! Let's look around us: isn't the same thing happening among us Christians? Do they not also refuse, and others have long ago abandoned, the high life in Christ, the strict asceticism of Christ - because they already live decently, because the world, the society of people of the century, does not allow living disorderly? Oh, Lord Jesus! So, were you born on earth in vain? We are well and in peace; We don’t need Your saving rules. Oh, brothers in Christ! let us be afraid of our condition! the world is condemned by our Lord; May we not perish together with the world! God! To You, whom we have abandoned, we turn with our criminal, but repentant, hearts. Be revealed to those who do not seek You. Warm and revive our hearts with love for You, worthy of the goodness poured out and poured out on us by You! Amen. Word on Christmas Day A high share is the share of the Eastern Magi in Bethlehem! Among millions of pagans, they were the first to know and honor the One for whom the righteous had been waiting for so many centuries. Patriarchs and prophets wanted to see Him - the King and Teacher of the universe; and the pagan wise men saw Him. The faces of the angels celebrate His birth; a host of stars separates one from its midst to honor the Baby of Bethlehem. And the pagan sages are participants in the triumph of heaven and earth. What kind of lucky people are these - the Eastern Magi? How can one not envy their lot? How can you not want their wisdom for yourself? How not to be jealous of their high knowledge? Was it not knowledge alone that gave the Magi their happiness? There were many priests of science in ancient times; there were many who knew a lot. Between us, the knowledge of the simplest Christian is higher and truer than the knowledge of a pagan sage; but the revelations of heaven are not given to us. What is this from? Let's turn to the Magi. Were they content to merely look at the appearing star? No, when they saw her, they left home, relatives, friends, everything close to their hearts, doomed themselves to a difficult path, went to an unknown country, went without knowing where or when they would arrive. You see, this is not a matter of knowledge alone. Here knowledge is accompanied by self-sacrifice, a difficult feat of will, the work of the whole soul. What about us? – Our knowledge is in conflict with deeds. We know a lot, do little, expand our knowledge, but things are no better. Let us take a closer look at this discrepancy between knowledge and deeds, and think about the need to combine knowledge with life. One cannot help but admit that in modern times much has been done to explain the highest truths of faith. How many fruits of religious learning! how many systems! so many theories! so many books! And what theories! what systems! - one is more brilliant than the other, one is more tempting than the other, one is more full of thoughts than the other! Based on these successes, how can one not be sure that these smart people are angels of light; they live only by heaven and God. What's in experience? In experience there is a sad contradiction of life and knowledge. The simplest truth: you need to love God most of all. And thousands of books have been written about this simple truth; but in experience this simple truth does not exist, as it does not. Hearts are replaced by various idols, the days of worship are occupied by the rich with pleasures, by the poor by work, or, what is even stranger, by idleness for both. Why do they write books about simple truth? To be something in people's eyes. We do not learn love for God from anyone; we are born with it; As soon as our heart begins to beat, as soon as our consciousness begins to open up in us: the soul strives for the highest, the thought of what the eye does not see appears in the soul. Look at the children: in their young lives the love for the holy is already visible; their innocence, meekness, simplicity pleases us. But the child became a young man, then a husband. His knowledge increased and became solid. It would seem that with age a living, fruitful love for the Lord should develop; It would seem that over the years this love should become the predominant beginning of all life. But in business it’s not the same. There is neither innocence nor simplicity in the affairs of a young man and even a husband; there is neither meekness nor reverence for the holy, while they know the commandments about love well, even very well. What is this? in the mind one thing, in the heart another, the thought went forward, and the desires went back; will and mind each go their own way and do not look at each other. Where will they come? What happens to one person can happen to a whole people. But the sadder is the picture of the discord between life and knowledge. If you look at the knowledge of everyday things, then there is even more success of the mind. In our time, there are only questions, only thoughts about the benefits of life, about material benefits. How many theories are there! how many systems! Everyone is ready to propose a better theory of poverty reduction, a better system of industry, trade, and agriculture. This is what you expect, the wolf will graze with the lamb; behold, the land of damnation will be Eden. Meanwhile, in books one thing, in reality another, in books selflessness is a shrine, in life money is an idol. They write about industry in order to earn rank and money for themselves. They say: moral knowledge is not yet quite widespread. So be it. But isn't this a condemnation of ourselves? Isn't this a new contradiction with oneself? If they say that moral knowledge is needed, why is there none? Why do they replace them with unnecessary knowledge? Why don't they give time to acquire them? Why don’t they justify their merits by their experiences? They excuse themselves for having too much time to do! But if they know that this multitude of things interferes with what is most necessary, why don’t they part with the idle time of vanity, but invent and multiply vanity? Until they return to what our Lord commanded to begin the Christian life with, until they begin feats of self-sacrifice, to works of will: the disagreement of the mind with deeds will not end, true life, Christian life will not be established among people. Knowledge can smooth away callous roughness from the heart, can polish the surface of the soul, can soften wild feelings. But firmness for good, but depth of convictions, but sincerity of feeling are imparted to the soul by the works of the will. Images of objects are easily imprinted on soft wax, but are also easily smoothed out. It is difficult to carve into steel the appearance of a church or a name, but the carving will not soon be smoothed out by the corrosiveness of time. In the same way, knowledge alone does not protect virtue from falls when the lusts of sin arise in the soul. In the struggle between the inclinations of saints and sinners, will one mind withstand, will one keep an anxious soul in goodness, when the will has not acquired the habit of goodness? In the dreams of the mind they can rise high: but the passions will continue their work, i.e. turn a person into a beast. An unclean vessel spoils the most delicious drink. And in an unclean heart the most sacred truths receive a power unusual for them. The pagans knew God, but because they did not give Him the glory they deserve, the thought of God turned into meaninglessness, their hearts became darkened, their minds became dull. It’s a different matter when, together with the formation of the mind, the formation of the will goes hand in hand. The successes of the mind itself then take on a different form. On this path, - on the path of the combined efforts of the mind and will, - the dangers for spiritual salvation are so well recognized; On this path they will learn the sure means of saving the soul from sins. On this path one achieves pure and living contemplations: the experience of the will gives firmness to the judgments of the mind; knowledge of the mind becomes not a matter of fortune-telling, wavering on a smooth foundation, evading on one side or the other from the attack of unrelated thoughts; they arise from the depths of the heart, sighing for the holy; they are caused by the desires of the will striving towards heaven. And with the opposite effect on the soul, they do not remain fruitless, but evoke holy desires, pure feelings, and wonderful deeds for the Lord. Strange thing! The only concern is about the mind, as if the only thing in a person is the mind; as if Christ only came to earth to teach us something forgotten; as if He did not speak about the need for rebirth of the entire soul; as if the Spirit of grace was sent into the world for the wrong reason, to convict the world of sin and to accomplish the sanctification of man on the path of the cross! Previously they expected everything from faith, now from knowledge. However, the difference is in the words, but the deed is the same. Faith did not rise further than the mind, knowledge produces nothing but fermentation of thoughts. Look closer and you will see that under the guise of this trust in faith there is only trust in the mind. The Word of God is given to the judgment of the mind, and the mind conveys the broadcasts of the Word of God as it wants. So what happens? The mind took advantage of this power to mock those who entrusted it with power - first it led to doubt, then it destroyed their teaching about grace and the Word of God. At the very beginning, he already made it known about his rights to turn life into dreams. How much noise there was, how much abuse against business! What they did was that they dishonored fasting and virginity, they stigmatized deeds, they regarded deeds as nothing, and it seemed that they did all this for the glory of faith and grace. Investigations showed otherwise. Investigations showed that under the guise of religious animation lurked the pride of the mind, which sought to turn the gospel into a smart teaching, sterile for life. That is why hundreds of systems of faith have appeared, as many hostile to each other as disagreeing with the gospel. Faith is not in the tongue, but in the heart. Our will itself does not have much desire for Christian deeds. And when her aversion to exploits was sanctified with an unjust talk about grace and faith, approved, glorified with noisy cries against the meaning of deeds, it is natural that the will weakened even more, became lazy and became accustomed to the sins to which it is already too inclined. This is how the predominance of pride and self-interest appeared over all that was holy. This is how indifference to everything that is not connected with the interests of earthly life appeared. Thus the Babylonian discord of thoughts about the same truth of Christ finally appeared. Here is an experience that without experience in Christian life it is easy for the mind to fall onto the most dangerous path! Here is an experience that until the will is governed by the law of Christ and controls all the movements of the soul, the mind, left to its own will, leads both the will and thoughts into the dark region of disorder and disorder! Brethren! You will agree that it is another thing to consider oneself an unfit slave, and another thing to become bad out of laziness. It is bad to boast about our deeds, and even worse to boast about the fact that we do not do them. To know the will of our Lord, to have all the means of grace for salvation and to be content only with the fact that we do not do good—isn’t this a desecration of grace? Why do we bear the name Christians? Is it really because we know enough Christian truths? No, the slave who knew the will of his master and did not fulfill it will be beaten by me. How will we show up there with dreams in our minds and an ugly emptiness in our souls? Oh my God! grant us not only with our minds, but with our whole soul, with our whole lives, to draw closer to You - with oblivion of everything pleasant on earth, everything dear to the inclinations of our soul, with renunciation of ourselves - to go to You to the heavenly Jerusalem, as the wise men of the East came for You to earthly Jerusalem. Amen. As we enter a new year of life, how would you like to know what the new year will bring us? The heart involuntarily asks the mind, what does it see in the future? Happiness or unhappiness? And no answer is heard. We don’t see, we don’t know: what share, what lot will fall to one or the other of us? Will the happiness of the happy last? Will those whose current fate is so bitter stop shedding tears? Will the earth reward the labors of the farmer, or will it leave his seeds in dry depths? Will the air be beneficial for all living things or will it breathe death and illness for everyone, regardless of age and strength of strength, regardless of status and title? Will trade flourish? Will they pay attention to the works of a faithful servant of the fatherland? The fate of each of us, like the fate of entire nations, is covered with an impenetrable veil. What should we think about this uncertainty? Wouldn't it be more useful for us if we knew our future fate? We will not argue that knowledge of the future cannot in any case be useful for a person. Otherwise, we would have to say that the insight of the saints of God, who saw the most distant and random things, was unnecessary and useless. Otherwise, you would have to argue that it is in vain for the Lord to reveal what is inaccessible to ordinary insight. No, for a person with a holy mood of strength, for people with a right will, such as was the will of the first created, the ability to foresee the future is possible and beneficial. And, oh, if only we lived as people should live in a mature, manly spiritual age! Oh, if only the purity and strength of spirit were equal in us to the clarity of our spiritual gaze! Then, no doubt, we would see far ahead of ourselves. But how many of us are there whose will would not remain behind the successes of thought, and, therefore, would not be a servant of the changes that happen to the soul, instead of dominating both the spirit and external nature? If we can only talk about people like you and me, listener, like almost all of us sinners, about people who are weak, weak, upset by success, then we can only be sure that it is more useful for us not to know the future than to know. That is why the future is hidden from us. The uncertainty of the future for weak people is happiness; because, by hiding from us the misfortunes awaiting us, it preserves our peace. What joy is it for the father of a family, surrounded by cheerful children, to see that the objects of his love are doomed to an untimely grave? What consolation is it for a merchant to know that in a year the fruits of his many years of labor will be swallowed up by water and destroyed by human untruth? What is the use of an honest servant of the fatherland to foresee that in a year his blameless service will be denigrated by malice? Why open our gaze to a distant future that we are unable to cope with? For useless, or even harmful, absent-mindedness? If the troubles of the present are so painful for us that very often we lack moral firmness against them, where would we get the strength and patience to do the things of the present and fight the feelings of troubles revealed by the future? The condition of one or the other of us is now unenviable; but he is satisfied with the little that God sent him; he works calmly and thanks the Lord for the gains that his work brings him. His labors are not rewarded too generously; but he is accustomed to moderation, he has no reason to bother himself with desires for the best. Imagine that the same person, now so calm, so content with little, would see that in a few years he would be rich, and noble, and happy in everything - do you think that it would be easy for him to endure the moderation of his present fate and wait for a seductive future? He would probably lose the peace of the present. How will you feel after waiting for the future? This future seduced him when viewed from afar, while little was known. But after it has been known for a long time, it will lose value for him from very long ago. And so, he will lose the peace of moderation and will not enjoy excessive happiness. God what would reward him with insight into the distant future! The few joys that God sends us during our sad journey on earth make us all the more happy because they are unexpected, meeting us when we did not hope for anything better. After we did not know how to get out of a terrible set of circumstances, we sought and did not find help for ourselves, turning to a thousand means, to what delight our hearts come, receiving help from the Lord! It, like a prisoner who has broken free, rejoices in its happiness. You will say that all this does not elevate our position too much, that all this shows in us something even childishly weak? Agree. But what to do when sin has made us weak children? The business of wisdom is to teach lessons accessible to the powers. and not those who exceed the measure of strength. We are weak. It is enough for us if we do what constitutes one day's activity. And one day requires all our attention from us in order to spend it as it should. Limited by the narrow circle of the day, we are still able to reject some obstacles to good, overcome some temptations, and achieve the end of the task offered by the day. And that's enough for us. – What we need to know for success in the work of the day, otherwise, what we need to know for our salvation, then everything is revealed to us. The thought of death is useful to us; and we know that we will die without taking with us either the money or the honor that we love so much. Don't we know when we will die? But knowledge of the time of death would only be harmful for us, who are prone to carelessness, while the unknown of the hour of death arouses in us saving fear and keeps our passions within bounds. It is useful for us to know that not a single good deed of ours remains without reward; and this is revealed to us. We need to know what we must do to acquire a blessed eternity; – and the paths of salvation are made known to us. Isn’t we given too little if only the present is given? On the contrary, we have been given quite a lot. We have been given the present, and both our future and our past depend on it. Why would you want to know the future? Of course, in order to ward off either future misfortune, or to increase, as much as possible, future happiness? I repeat, having the present in your power, you have your entire future at your disposal. And what other future? Not only before the grave, but also beyond the grave. Do you want your old age to be calm and serene? Use your youth as the law dictates, conserve your strength through a moderate life and honest labors, respect your father and mother, be respectful to your superiors: then you will probably be happy, you will probably live a long time, so said the Lord. Do you want happiness for your buying and selling, for your work and home life, for your children and those close to your heart? Keep the commandments of God, and all the blessings of the earth will come to you (Deut. 28:3-4): thus said the Lord. Do you want to avert a threatening or approaching disaster? Open your way to the Lord and trust in Him, and He will bring forth your righteousness like light (Ps. 37:5-6). It all depends on how we use the present. Heaven and hell are in our will, will we fulfill the law of God, or the will of our passions, will we revere the Lord or worship ourselves? It's up to us; Their consequences—our bitter or pleasant future—depend on the nature of our deeds. Shall we sow for the flesh? let us reap the destruction of the flesh. Shall we sow for the immortal spirit? we will receive eternal bliss. The present is so important that it can also influence the past. You haven't done much good in the past; Have you done a lot of bad things in the past year? Repent, drink the bitterness of repentance for the past sweetness of sin; prostrate yourself in the spirit of faith before the Redeemer. The merits of the Eternal will cover the sins of the past; The heavenly Father will gladly receive his lost son. Brethren! What God builds for us, we cannot do or imagine better. Let us give our hearts to His will. Let us pray to Him sincerely, with all our hearts: Our Father! Thy will be done as it is in heaven and on earth. Amen. Word on the Circumcision of the Lord and on the New Year My lot is in Your hand (Ps. 30:16). Even before the Divine Child was conceived in the womb of the immaculate Virgin, a heavenly angel assigned His name - Jesus. The Eternal Father, before sending His eternal Son into our sinful world, not only assigned Him a name for the earth, but also determined His entire earthly path, from Bethlehem to Golgotha, from the manger to the tomb. Leaving behind us the past year and entering a new year, does any of us think that our past and future lot is not determined by the same Eternal! My lot is in Your hand, says the royal prophet before the Eternal. Let's look back at the past year, think about the future, to find out our lot. This is what is needed; that's what it should be. Your name, our Lord Jesus, has called us today to this church; In your name we begin our new year. May the grace of Your name be with us! What does our gaze see in our past? Bless my soul the Lord, and all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the Lord my soul, and do not forget all His rewards. There is not a day, not a night, not an hour, not a minute in our past when the right hand of the Most High does not do good to us. Everything that we lived with, everything that we enjoyed - food, drink, clothing, shelter, light of day and peace of night - is all His, in Him we live and move and we are (Acts 17:28). The Invisible Father protects his children in the midst of a rebellious world. How many unexpected misfortunes have been deflected, how many blows have been prevented, how many obstacles have been overthrown! By whom? With an invisible hand. The insidious enemy was preparing grave troubles for us; but troubles turned on the head of the enemy. The disease led life to the grave, but contrary to the calculations of science, it renewed life. Bless my soul the Lord, who delivers your belly from corruption, who crowns you with mercy and bounty (Ps. 103:4). So be it; let there have been many sorrows in the past for many, and the sorrows are not over yet. One has lost wealth and suffers bitter poverty. Others needed a piece of bread all year, and with the end of the year their needs had not yet ended. The third has been sick not for a year, but for whole years. But who knows, they won’t say to the happy neighbor: child, remember that you received good things in your belly? ABOUT! if to prepare our soul for a blissful eternity required nothing more than to walk with a calm step from the cradle to the grave: then earthly losses, crying needs, serious illnesses would be like an insoluble riddle. Now it’s not the same at all. Earthly disasters take away from our eyes the veil behind which pride hides from us our sins, our spiritual poverty, our proximity to irrevocable destruction. Now they tell us: if you remain without punishment; then you are not children of God, you are children of adultery. Our wise and good Father! You know what is beneficial for each of us much better than we know, and you will never give a stone instead of bread. The loss is cruel, what is the loss of those close to the heart who have gone to the grave. And how many such losses there were last year! There - a tender friend, here - a defenseless widow mourning an irreparable loss; the children, like chicks, scream without mother and father, struck down by one scythe. There are tears here and there. Don't judge these tears. The Son of Man himself shed them at the tomb of Lazarus. And, however, this sorrow of love should not be the sorrow of those who have no hope (1 Thess. 4:13). The lot of those who have left us is also in the hands of the Lord, as is the lot of those who remain. Whether we live or die, we are the Lord's (Rom. 14:8). Are you afraid for the lot of those who have departed; would you like to help them? You can help. The desires of holy love are pleasing to the Lord of love; the desires of love are given here the means to do good for loved ones, living and beyond the grave. The power of the sacrifice of the Son of God on the cross extends from the earthly altar beyond the tomb. For this reason, Christ died and rose again and is alive, and possesses both the dead and the living (Rom. 14:9). Feel sorry for the orphaned? Look around and you will find thousands of examples of how the Lord arranges the fate of orphans. He is truly the Father of the orphans and the Judge of widows. Turning from the past to the upcoming, what can we expect from the new year? The future is dark, darkness lies ahead of us. The world is so changeable, earthly things are so fickle, people are so unreliable! Will the poor worker of the earth find a reward for his labors? Won't someone rich in general attention and the means of life be deprived of everything tomorrow? Who knows where the cold of death will blow from? Will the air we breathe, the water we drink, be the poison of life? We know that we will die: but who will precede whom, the young old man, or the young old man? We don't know. But even the dark future is bright with You, Lord! My lot is in Your hand. Why is our future not reliable? Because our gaze is turned to the earth, and not to the sky; because our hopes are everywhere, but not with the Lord. We want to think that our lot is in our hands. Agronomy, medicine, economy - promise us mountains of happiness. Poor! how cruelly our pride punishes us. Today or tomorrow, we say, we will go to such and such a city and stay there for a year, and we will begin to trade and make a profit; but we forgot that our life is steam, ready to disappear in an hour; They forgot that the course of nature is not at all in our control. What's next? Unfulfilled hopes, the more brilliant they were, the heavier, the more deadly for the soul. After being excited by vast desires, gigantic thoughts, sweet delights, the deceived soul is left with dark despair! Instead, you should say: if the Lord wills and we live, then we will do this or that (James 4:13-16), as the apostle teaches. And nothing can be said more truly, more reassuringly than this. What a difference it is when we firmly believe that our lot is in the hands of the Lord! Then there can be no deception either in the past or in the future. Then the past serves as a reliable guarantee for the future. The Heavenly Father, Who kept us in the past, subjected us to temptations, but also saved us from them, will never cease to keep us in the future. He is always our Father, He always knows what is necessary for us, He always gives us what is useful. A hair from our head will not fall without His will. He is the almighty Lord who rules over everything. There is no need from which His right hand will not snatch away when He pleases. If our hopes are turned to Him, our hopes are true, no matter what. He changes times and years, giving wisdom to the wise, and understanding to those who lead understanding (Dan. 2:12). A horse is prepared for battle, but help comes from the Lord (Proverbs 21:31). If hearts burn with love for Him, all things work together for good to those who love God (Rom. 8:28). Perhaps disasters will visit me, perhaps the arrows of the enemy will sting me. Well? He cares for us. I cast my cares on Him (1 Peter 5:7). Should we Christians be without hope in the All-Good One? He who did not spare His Son, but gave Him up for us, can He spare anything for us? Should we be afraid of enemies, whatever they may be, when both the grace of the Holy Spirit and the hosts of celestial beings, our brothers, are ready to help us? Should we look for where our God is? Thank the Lord! We are not pagans, godless people in the world. God is with us! But, however, there are also among us who believe that our lot is in His hands. What is this lack of faith or lack of faith? Or are You not close to everyone, Lord? It can't be. The fault is in the people. Some people live without thinking about how they live. Their life is a dream: do not ask them for any connection in their thoughts or an account of their deeds; there are dreams in their heads, emptiness in their hearts. They don’t think about how and by whom their lives are governed, and what they themselves are? Entertainment, connections, fun - these are their activities! Habit, addiction, willfulness - these are their rules! They eat and drink to sleep, and get out of bed to drink and eat: this is the process of their life! The complaint of the Almighty relates to these: the ox of him who acquired it, and the donkey of his master’s manger, knew it: but Israel did not know Me. How strange it is that people can be worse than dumb! Others are smart enough to delve into the events of time, find out the reasons, follow the consequences, do not leave a single case unattended, and can tell you both their story and the story of the worm. But further than the earth - not a step, above temporary everyday life - not a foot. Their gaze is so full of close objects, earthly causes, that the higher cause is not visible to them. Such is the state of the pagan sages, such is the state of some of the newest sages! Arrogant with their knowledge of various but small objects, they themselves are lost in the variety of their wild, lifeless thoughts, and dream that they created the universe apart from the Creator. The pitiful do not see that they are dealing only with their dreams, while the world of God with its hidden laws, with its invisible cause, is not at all like their idle thoughts. The verb is to be mudri obyurodesha (Rom. 1:22). In order to discern the ways of God’s providence, one must oneself be close to Providence. We must love the ways of the Lord, and they will become noticeable to us. We must become close to the Lord so that He too will be close to our gaze. How can I clearly see something from which I have removed myself to an immense distance? How can I see clearly what I do not willingly and somehow look at? Pray to the Lord more often, pray with a contrite heart, and your heart will say to you: The Lord is near to those who call on Him in truth (Ps. 144:18). The saints of God not only with their minds, but with their whole souls, with their very lives, studied the ways of God - and the ways of God were known to them by experience. How many royal worries and labors David has! And yet, when all nature is silent and at rest, he rises and reflects on the fate of God’s righteousness, which took him from the flocks to become king of Israel. At midnight we will rise to confess to You about the destinies of Your righteousness. At midnight he gets up, after he had already praised the Lord for seven days during the day (Ps. 119:62, 164). This is the sure way to recognize the signals of the right hand of the Most High! Brethren! Let us turn once again to our lot. Why was it our lot to enter the new year? Is it really in order to continue sinning? Was last year really given so that we would fill its days and nights with sins? Everything is in the hands of the Lord: but it is not His will that we should do wickedness. The consequences of sin are disasters. Plagues occur among us according to His will, regardless of our desires: but sin is in our will. Strength is given to us by the Lord: but the use of strength depends on us. The All-Good God helps us only in saving deeds: and labor for sin is our business. And this is where the goodness of God is especially manifested - in the patience with which she allows the abuse of her gifts. But there is a limit to God’s patience—God’s truth. By His very goodness, the all-good God cannot love evil and hates sin. Your sins separate Me from you, He Himself says with compassion about us. Sins deprive us of His grace. Sins bring down His wrath on us. Woe to the treacherous hearts who invent evil for their neighbors in order to hide their untruths and iniquities! Woe to lying lips, whispering destruction against the innocent, to please passions! The Lord will consume all flattering lips (Ps. 11:4), speaking iniquity against the righteous. Brethren! what if the 1st day of the year was the beginning of our final judgment? what if now - in this church - a terrible Judge appeared? Great and terrible God is angry! We died... Brothers! He hesitates, delays, waiting for our conversion. Let us not hesitate to leave the path of destruction. We have been given time. Oh, how great is Your goodness, Lord! We are given time to repent and correct our lives. Let us hasten to repent, let us hasten to correct our lives. Every hour, every minute is precious: because it is given with an account, and they will require an account. How much effort wasted, how much time wasted! Let us use what is left for our salvation. What? Have bad habits overcome your mind and will? Do you lack the strength to get up and follow the path of salvation? ABOUT! the stronger, the more mercilessly you need to motivate yourself; the louder, the more relentlessly one must call on grace for help. Ask like a beggar, ask with bitter tears, and strong help will be given to the poor in spirit. Stay alert. Is sin strong? But God is omnipotent, His grace is omnipotent! To You, O Lord, is majesty, and strength, and glory, for You rule over all in heaven and on earth... From You are wealth and glory... Into Your hand, magnify and strengthen all mercy, O Almighty (1 Chronicles 29:11-12). Amen. As we enter the new year, we wish ourselves and others a new, new life, new happiness, new perfection. The wish is fair! Naturally, we love life, and the best life at that; No one and nothing wants destruction and death. We wish to fulfill ourselves more and more; since we are destined to approach the All-Perfect in qualities and perfections. Meanwhile, what's new on earth? What can happen to me or others that has not happened before? Is the very happiness, the very well-being of temporary life worth thoughts and worries? Anyone to whom it would begin to smile must first accustom himself to its loss. Isn’t everything in the earthly world emptiness, a violation of the spirit, isn’t everything corruption? Where do we turn with our desires for the new? Where are the objects that would be worth calling new, that would be worth turning to with a desire for something new? If anyone is in Christ, says the apostle, he is a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17). Here is the news, the only news in our old world! Only in the life of a Christian, and no one else, can there be something new in the best sense of the word. Only in Christianity is human perfection possible. It is not surprising that there is nothing new in the material world. Here everything goes according to the unchanging law of matter. No amount of astronomy will discover anything new in the starry sky. Will they say that then new worlds of planets were discovered, then a new flow of huge bodies was discovered? But this reveals only human ignorance of what happened, and not new phenomena of the sky. Everything remains the same there. The sun rises and the sun sets (Eccl. 1:15) is this news? No observer of nature will find a single piece of news on earth. A generation passes, and a generation comes, but the earth stands forever. All the rivers go to the sea, and the sea is not filled; to the place where the rivers come from, do they go back? - that’s all that the most gifted explorer of nature, Solomon, saw on earth (Eccl. 1:4-7). Let us not labor to find something new where there is nothing new. People who are hunters of the new discover in humanity the ability to be new day by day. They say: humanity itself moves towards perfection. How not to rejoice at such an advantage of humanity! But is it complete, does it belong to him? What kind of human ability is self-improvement? If this is a person’s proud hope in his own strength, then it was also known to paganism; Just agree that it did not serve the honor of humanity. However, it must be said that paganism was so modest that it attributed its successes to geniuses, although these geniuses contained either the best people or higher, but created spirits. Where does the hope for self-improvement of humanity come from? Was she known to Judaism? No! He knew God's promises to correct fallen humanity. So. But this is not at all the same as the self-improvement of humanity. And so, this strange hope for self-improvement appeared in the Christian world? Let them look around, lest other Christians be worse than pagans. How did this hope, offensive to Christians, appear in the Christian world? Poor people are so poor from the vanity of their thoughts that they did not understand the holy thought that was ready for them, and formed a false thought from it. The Savior and the apostles teach about the perfection of man in Christ, but people, without understanding this, began to talk about the self-improvement of people. Christianity says: if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; and people preach about the transformation of people by people themselves. This is the origin of the idea of ​​human self-improvement! You see, the very origin shows the illegality of this idea. Can a tree, consumed by rot and worms, grow to the size of a gigantic oak? Can it reach any significant growth? No; it withers, barely leaves the ground, covered with scabs. What can we expect from humanity, which since the day of Adam has been imbued with moral corruption and is rotting, never ceasing to rot, rotting, despite any human medicine. Read the history of all nations: what will you see there? The history of the struggle of weak virtue with crowds of vices, the history of the rotting of people. After this, we should only marvel at how humanity, smoldering in the sins of the millennium, has not yet perished. Of course, the power that saves him from death, from extermination, is not in himself. Otherwise, even if this saving human power is stronger than the beginning of evil: why has it not yet defeated the weakest principle of evil? If it is weaker in the power of its power of evil: why, over the course of centuries, has it not weakened in the fight against evil and is not consumed by it? So, thanks to the Supreme Provider! For the sake of redemptive love, He saves the human race from destruction, now cutting off irreparable evil with justice, now uniting corrupted tribes with less corrupt ones, now correcting the weak with other measures of meek mercy. Is there any place here for hope for the self-improvement of humanity? They say: humanity conquers nature with art, inventions, and discoveries. They triumphantly point to new successes in the fields of science and art; These, they say, are the fruits of human self-improvement! It’s strange, as if the strength to conquer nature was not given to man from above; as if arts, inventions, discoveries were not made in the realm of a world governed by God; as if successes acquired apart from the blessing of God, without piety and fear of God, do not actually turn out to be successes in destruction! Solomon's mind embraced many sciences and arts, and what did his wisdom bring him? I understood, he says, like this, i.e. wisdom is vanity and ruin of the spirit, and he who applies understanding will add sickness: many books are written without end, and much teaching is the work of the flesh (Eccl. 1:17-18, 12:12). What does it mean? The fact that, no matter how great the victories of the mind over nature, they in themselves bring nothing to the immortal spirit, except fatigue, except a useless waste of strength; they do not move him an inch towards perfection, because perfection does not consist in expanding the mind for earthly things, but in the striving of the whole spirit towards God, in bringing the immortal soul closer to its prototype - the all-holy Lord. Frivolous pride admires the successes of the mind in this or that people, of this or that time: but this or that people is not humanity; this or that people passes from a savage state to a state of civil education, which then, with a change in political fate, it again loses. Such is the history of peoples! Humanity gains nothing from this and loses nothing. At the same time, what does civil education of peoples mean without moral improvement? At the same time as the discoveries of science, following the discoveries of crafts and art, make it easier to produce their work, at that very time, in these very societies, they find neither peace nor security; vices are not curbed, laws are a plaything of passions, governments are a subject of abuse, quarrels do not cease, alliances are torn, unrest and anxiety boil, everyone wants to command, and no one wants to obey. What are sciences becoming? It is a pitiful means not to help, but to harm nature. What - books and shows? Pictures of debauchery and villainy. Tell me, is this humanity really moving towards perfection? They say: humanity, passing on experiences from generation to generation, becomes smarter and better. Yes; The eighth thousand years go by and this method of self-improvement remains in the hands of humanity. It's high time to take full advantage of it. What then? Has at least one moral ulcer, at least one vice that darkens humanity, been removed from human societies? No! The most terrible consequences of depravity of thoughts enlighten people for a while, but not longer than for one, or perhaps two generations; and there people again take up the same debauchery, losing sight of its terrible consequences. No, only the Creator and Ruler of the world rules the fate of all humanity towards its lasting perfection. And He in Christ opened the way for the improvement of people. Christianity is the wisdom of God that sheds light on all areas of human life, concentrating its beneficial effect in the transformation of our moral powers. The spirit of Christianity, penetrating into the beginnings of civil societies, into family life, into private mutual relations of people, produces beneficial changes everywhere, softens wild morals, exterminates cruelty, outrages and abominations, establishes purity and holiness, peace and tranquility. If anyone wants to do His will, he understands the teaching that is from God, or I speak from myself, Christ said (John 7:17). And exactly; whoever values ​​everything that is dearest to the immortal human spirit soon becomes convinced that there is no higher and purer Christian teaching and cannot be on earth. Christianity transforms in a person not just any part of him, but the whole person, all his powers - mind, feelings, imagination, and will; extends its effect to the physical organism itself. It cleanses and heals his corrupted powers and leads the spirit to heavenly perfection. Who can doubt that where the Almighty acts, everything can come into the best order and structure, no matter how great the damage in the body, and no matter how complex this organism is? And who acts in Christianity? If anyone loves Me, says Christ, he will keep My word; I and the Father will come to him, and we will make our abode with him (John 14:23). The power of God, omnipotent power, is the active principle in all aspects of Christian life. And here is the source of the wonderful changes produced by Christianity in humanity! Christian perfection does not come to man as easily as frivolity dreams of the perfection of humanity. It begins with bitter mourning for one’s sins; accompanied by a constant struggle with skills and inclinations to sin, and does not cease to water his labors with tears until the grave. Why? Because the world lies in evil (1 John 5:19), the earth is full of temptations, so one must be wary of infection at every step; and moreover, because we ourselves have an old man who does what he breathes debauchery, tries to subjugate the mind to passions, tie the heart to corruptible sensuality, arouses thoughts of pride and vanity, teaches us to rest carelessly in the hope of the help of grace, without adding any desires or labor from ourselves. Unhappy man I am! who will deliver me from this mortal body (Rom.7:24)? Thus says Paul, who ascended from earth to heaven. And the other apostle taught: if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves; the truth is not in us (1 John 1:8). Thus, it is not Christianity that is to blame for the fact that some Christians show so little perfection in their lives. This depends on the fact that they do not struggle with the sin living in them, as Christianity requires; this depends on the fact that they weaken and extinguish the divine principle of life in themselves, being carried away by the suggestions of sin. The path of Christianity is such that you cannot stop anywhere on it until the grave to say: enough, there is nowhere to go further. The example of Christian perfection to which we must strive is the full age of Christ, otherwise the perfection of the Heavenly Father. What an unattainable height of perfection! That is why it remains to ascend from perfection to perfection. Eternal glory for exploits is there in heaven; there are no crowns here except crowns of thorns. It is not revealed to us here what will happen there (1 John 3:2). Here we must sigh with desires to put on immortality (2 Cor. 5:2). Brethren, the apostle says about himself, I do not consider myself to have attained perfection (Phil. 3:13). Christian listeners! We all received grace-filled strength for a new, heavenly life in the baptismal font; We all made a vow then not to put on the old clothes of sin, but to live in the image of the One who created us - righteously and holy. What then? What are we like now? Let us pity those who waste time and energy on harmful dreams of the perfection of humanity, instead of carefully excluding themselves from the list of unfit people. Let us take care of our sad situation first. The Lord gives us still time for our correction. Let us use the new year as a gift from God to wash the blackened robe of baptism with tears of repentance. Will our new year really be a year of old sins? It’s scary if we use as many of God’s gifts as are given to us, Christians, for evil! How long have we lived in sins? It is never too late for a Christian to repent. Heavenly Father is always ready to receive him. Evil has penetrated our nature, harmful habits have overcome our conscience, the customs of the world have shackled our good will. But what can’t omnipotent grace do to us? Let us be courageous in the hope of her all-powerful help. If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. We have sinned before You, Lord, by the vanity of our thoughts and deeds! Your wrath is upon our heads because of our iniquities. The wickedness of our thoughts and hearts has multiplied beyond measure. Bowed by the weight of our sins, we prostrate ourselves before You, and we do not dare to say anything to You except to confess Your all-powerful power: You have judgment and mercy, life and death for us. Amen. New Year's Eve Word We now stand at the limit of two years, brothers. The past year flies away from us this evening, and the same evening introduces us to the new year. What does this time boundary tell us? The human heart, and even more so the tongue, obedient to custom, is now ready to be exhausted in the desire for everyone to have long years and happy times. I do not want to condemn this desire, when it is the desire of sincere prayer before the Lord of times. But does the limit of two years tell us about one life? The New Year is the beginning of divisions of time and, therefore, different boundaries of life. The New Year is the beginning of divisions of time, none of which are decided at a certain hour to decide our fate. The New Year, bringing to mind the changing times, evokes the thought of a time after which there will be no time for us. And so - do you see what this evening tells us first of all? He tells us: watch; you don’t know when the Lord will come to your home (Matthew 24:42; Luke 13:35). Cowardly souls are ready to tremble, because they want to remind them of the unknown of the hour that will decide their fate. They are used to distancing themselves from the thought of death. They are accustomed to celebrating the New Year with nothing other than carefree cheerfulness. Ole are even ready to defend their custom, ready to say: why suppress the soul with gloomy thoughts, when it should rejoice for the new gift of God - for the new year? But don't let them worry. The thought of sudden death does not interfere with anything sacred. And what is not sacred, what they do at the beginning of the year, is precisely why it is allowed that, remembering the beginning of life, they do not remember the unknown end of life. It is appointed for man to die alone, after which judgment (Heb. 9:27). This is a general law, a law that tells us about every day, every hour. We hear, we see how death snatches our brothers and our sisters from among us. We hear, we see how death purges its victims in luxurious houses and huts, between the noble and the low, between the rich and the poor, between the old and the children. She doesn’t sort people out by rank, money, gender, or age. He takes everyone to the Householder for a report. To other diseases they say: death is close to us. But death comes to others even without these messengers. Suddenly, unexpectedly, the one to whom blooming health has been promised for many years is reaped. How can we forget about death? We will die, and perhaps many of you will die as suddenly as many others have died. We will die, whether we wanted it or not. Why alienate from ourselves the thought of something that we are unable to reject or foresee? Do they not think that they are acting prudently when they forcibly hide the thought of death from themselves? What kind of prudence is it to hide something that is so obvious to everyone? What kind of prudence is it to hide something that the decree of the Most High has determined to happen without fail? What kind of prudence is it not to think about death when, perhaps, in an hour it will lead you to judgment? Do they not think of continuing life when they feed life with carefree gaiety? Oh! Even if this hope were true: is it smart, is it safe to buy minutes of earthly life at the expense of a dubious fate in eternity? Meanwhile, how many times has death mocked such a vain human thought? You don’t know when the Lord will come to your home, said the Omniscient One. Will people really change this limit of the Omniscient? If we are already so concerned about temporary life: isn’t a fading life more likely to be revived, continued, strengthened when it is placed closer to the Source of life, when, without turning away from death, life is placed at the disposal of the Lord of life and death? No, it is not prudence, but frivolity that makes one hide the thought of death from people. It is not respect for life, but inattention to oneself that drives away the thought of death. The criminal thirst for pleasure is afraid of encountering the unpleasant thought of death, and removes the thought of death from itself and others. It makes you indulge in boundless gaiety when greeting the New Year. And the playful, lively youth needs to be reminded of the lesson of caution. And is it appropriate for you, mature husband, to indulge in frivolous fun, when the maturity of your thoughts and piety should correspond to the years of your age? It’s even stranger, even more painful to look at you, gray-haired old age, when you would indulge in the amusements of youth, after seeing so many sudden deaths with your own eyes - and then, as you yourself stand on the threshold of the grave. Is now the time to indulge in carefree fun? Entering the new year, we stand at the limit of two worlds, on the border of two times, the past and the coming. The first is to occupy us with reflection on the things we have hitherto done. The latter should concern us with what we need to do so as not to ruin everything for eternity. Whoever you are, sick of serving the world: look around at how deceptive the world is that seduces you, how it leaves you only languor and emptiness as a reward. The whole year was a series of concerns about pleasures, honors, and money. But what did you buy? They collected the wind and were left tired. Care was taken to continue the pleasures; and they rushed by like a shadow. It was worth working for emptiness! What if death does not teach us not to be deceived by vanities anymore, not to stop caring for something that is not worth caring for? What if after each year we are left with nothing but vanity, and after our entire life only the complexity of vanity remains? What will we enter eternity with? What will eternity be like for us? Over time, we have raised and irritated the thirst for temporary blessings; and time, having taken away its blessings, will leave us as a victim of that greed, which will have nothing to satisfy. What will unbridled passions turn to then? They will torment the very soul that raised them with the blessings that have disappeared. An unhappy heart that beats only for the world and sin will be its own hell. ABOUT! Is it time for carefree fun? Let's look back at last year. Many of us were bored by the hours devoted to prayer, did not know what to use the time for and spent it in criminal distraction, and these hours flew away empty, without good deeds. Don't we really feel sorry for the wasted time? Wouldn't we really like to return it? How peaceful our soul would be now if the past year had been spent entirely for the glory of God, with eternal benefit for the soul! How comforting it would be to remember him before the throne of God with gratitude before the Lord! And how can we not shudder if the book of our life is covered with deceit and slander, self-interest and lies, cruelty and oppression of the innocent, sensuality and debauchery? And the past is irrevocable! What should we do? Can we really be carefree here too? Brethren! Before us is the future, which we are left to use at our own discretion. We have before us a future when repentance in the spirit of living faith, appropriating the merits of the Redeemer, can atone for the sins of time with these merits. We have a future before us when we can warm our cold hearts with warm prayers and cultivate in it love for the Lord. Let's not use time without benefit for ourselves, let's not waste it on empty, if not criminal, activities. Time is so precious: with it we can buy ourselves either eternal destruction or eternal salvation. Let us no longer use God’s long-suffering for evil. Otherwise, the longer we delay the time of repentance, the more difficult it will be to repent, the more difficult it will be to correct a corrupted heart, the harder it will be to enter into eternity. It is not easy for us to part with bad habits. But after death, all opening is useless. Oh, if only the thought of the suddenness of death were firm in our souls! How much would change in our sinful soul! Let an unbeliever vividly imagine the torments of a dying unbeliever; will he not shudder at his unbelief, if only so as not to encounter the same terrible torments? A carefree rich man says to his soul: soul, you have many good things that lie in the face of debt, eat, drink and be merry (Luke 12:19). But, at the thought of the suddenness of death, he would not say that, but would say to himself: foolishly, this night they will extort your soul, and what you have prepared, to whom will it be? (Luke 12:20) How sacredly we would fulfill our duties towards our neighbors if we lived with the thought of the suddenness of death! Time has stopped, we would say to ourselves and would hasten with complete fidelity to carry out the tasks assigned by our calling. Time has stopped, we would tell ourselves, and we would redouble our efforts to carry out our own affairs without touching the affairs of others. Has anyone offended us? we would say: Let not the sun go down on our anger; otherwise, perhaps, with the setting of the sun, the light of our life will dim. Let us hasten, we would tell ourselves, to wipe away the tears of poverty, to protect the oppressed innocence - we will feed the hungry, we will clothe the naked. Otherwise, who knows whether we will have time to do the same, while behind the grave the poverty you have calmed will intercede for us before the Father of the poor. Oh! If father and mother firmly remembered that in eternity, at the judgment of the Lord and Father of all, they would strictly punish them for the destruction of their children, whom they leave free to study the customs of destruction and do not introduce to the fear of God: would our youth be like this? Is this what parents would be like? Brethren! If the thought of death is sad for anyone, it is for those who, clinging to the earth, have forgotten about the Internet, do not remember their eternal fatherland. But for them it is saving medicine; in them it can produce sorrow for the Lord, which they will not repent of. Is it necessary to reject medicine just because it is not pleasant? Is the image of death scary for them? But it is this fear that dispels sinful thoughts in their hearts, just as a thunderclap clears the polluted air. Let them not turn away from their saving fear. Meanwhile, the thought of death is a very joyful thought for those who are ready for eternity. Celebrating the New Year with the thought of death, they greet it with consolation; they rejoice for the past and the future. Does a beloved son living in a foreign and distant country grieve when they remind him of his imminent return to his parents’ home? Does a prisoner grieve when they tell him that his time of imprisonment has been shortened and his freedom is close to him? Does the patient complain when he learns that the hour of his recovery is approaching, that his suffering will soon end? And He, the Heavenly Father, is waiting for the wanderers of the earth to reassure them in His eternal home. He, the Father of love, is ready to remove from the prisoners of the flesh the shackles that are so heavy for the pure spirit. He is the Father of life, ready to heal the wounds inflicted by sin on the soul to the very grave. Oh, how can one not rejoice with grateful joy in the Father, who awaits his children with such love! If he decided to continue his earthly wandering for a while, if he decided to still fight the temptations and misfortunes of time: and then the distant limit of life is not sadness, but consolation. A loving and wise Father sees that in order to cleanse the impurities of sin, it is necessary to subject the soul to temptation, to perfect its holy love it is necessary to require sacrifices from pride, to heal several ulcers it is also necessary to give several doses of bitter medicine. Blessed be the wise love of the Heavenly Father! Those who have been taught humility by the thought of death, entering the New Year, bring the most sincere, most ardent gratitude to the Father of Ages. Why is the gratitude of many of us so cold for the past year? Because we are busy thinking about our strengths, about our successes, we breathe with pride, even when we come to give glory to the Lord; because, forgetting the frailty of our nature, our weakness and uncleanness, we, satisfied with ourselves, do not leave room for the name of God in our hearts. With the thought of death, do not befriend the spirit of pride. With the thought of death, the spirit, not burdened by the earth, freely ascends to the Father of bounties and places before him sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving. Be on the lookout, brethren, for you do not know when the Lord will come to home. Amen. Word on the day of the Epiphany of the Lord God is omnipresent. He is the Spirit and fills everything with Himself. Both faith and reason agree on this. What does it mean that faith so often tells us about theophany? What does it mean that the Christian Church has called today primarily the day of Epiphany? God is omnipresent. Nevertheless, He can manifest His special power, in a certain place, for certain people. He is the Spirit; breathes wherever he wants; and as he wants, he breathes, then in thunder and lightning - in the formidable power of force; then in the gentle breeze of the wind - in the power of its goodness. In heaven is His throne, His city is heavenly Jerusalem; in heaven are the abodes of many many servants, revelation tells us: this means that we are pointed to the position in which God appears more clearly than to us earthly inhabitants and makes His holy servants blessed; this means that the Spirit is a zealot of holiness, filling everything with itself, and is especially close to pure spirits. And on earth He reveals Himself with His special goodness for the good, and with terrible greatness for the sinful; and on earth He reveals His great and wondrous fortress wherever He wants, according to His wise and good will. Our God is a self-existent, omnipotent God - He is not subject to inevitable immobility, or immovable necessity. And the created spirit, ruling over the body united with it, reveals its special presence - now in this, now in another member it commands - now this, now the other part of the bodily composition entrusted to it. Moreover, the omnipotent and supremely free Spirit can carry out its thoughts where it pleases and how it pleases. God is Spirit: but He acts in the visible, material world. The created spirit is subtle, not material, but acts in a rough, complex body. The manifestations of God - the Spirit in material images are as accessible to understanding as the actions of the same Spirit on the material world are undoubted. Both phenomena are manifestations of the power of God in material things. God is an omnipresent spirit. But that is why the spirit is limited and embraces Him only in appearances, only in limited images. How does a creature embrace the immensity? Only in parts, only to the extent that He deigns to reveal Himself, does man come to know Him. God is good. He has demonstrated His good will in understandable signs at all times; The history of times is proof of this. The man is a sinner! when did the Lord not show you His special love in visible forms? You fell for the first time; God searched and found you. Even after that, you did not stop deviating from God through new sins, and you did not stop alienating yourself from Him through everyday crimes; but eternal love pursued you on all your paths, kept you from the paths of error, and returned you to the path of salvation. How often, how diversely, God showed you the power of His goodness, sometimes in saving words, sometimes in mysterious images! What does the history of God’s people mean if not the history of theophany, if not the conversation of God with a sinner, incomprehensible to the soul and ear? Only those for whom the voice of true history is incomprehensible can only imagine the thought of theophany as incomprehensible. When could a person say that he has no need for conversation with God, for the manifestations of the good Divine? Even when he was not yet a sinner, even then he thirsted for a higher revelation, as a weak creature, as a limited being: - all the more so, when he became a sinner, he must bless the goodness of God, which appears to him in visible signs. To what extent would people have reached in their fall into sin if the all-wise and all-good had not enlightened their eyes darkened by sin, and had not strengthened their weak will for good with his appearances? Christian! Never has God revealed Himself on earth in such abundant light, in such lofty images as He appeared to you in Christ. Christianity is the complete revelation of the Divine, as complete as it can be on earth; it is the most spiritual, the purest revelation of the deity, as much as a spiritual revelation can be, appointed for the sons of the earth. There was a time when God talked to people like children. In Christ He revealed what was to be revealed to men. For people-children, He appeared and revealed His truth in tangible and sensual images, revealing the original truths in a language understandable to the imagination and feelings. How abundant and how pure is God’s light shed on you, Christian! Imagine living as a pagan; imagine everything that you could think, what you could do, remaining with pagan thoughts, with a pagan soul. You should be horrified by those gross superstitions, those disgusting vices that would burden you as a pagan. Remaining a Jew, you would sigh under the weak and weak elements of the world, under material rituals. The high, spiritual truth appeared to you in Jesus, in its spiritual form. How high is your destiny, arranged in Christ! Unfortunately, corruption has corrupted both our minds and hearts, and we feel too little of the dignity of the Christian theophany. What are the thoughts, what are the hearts of most of us busy with? What do you think about with pleasure? What do people admire? Is it the truth of Christ, the highest, the purest, the truth of God that fills souls? Oh no! People's hearts often pour out in joy and joy, in the sweetest raptures, but it is not the light of Christ that delights them. Their thoughts and hearts are occupied with earthly, often insignificant, often harmful things: they love darkness more than light. What is given to a person to know for earthly life is learned with all jealousy: and what is open to eternal life is recognized as unnecessary, or superfluous; the science of living on earth for the earth is divided into branches, taken apart in parts, reviewed with a simple and artificial eye, they try to notice all sides with distinct accuracy; and the best science - the science of living for heaven - is left aside, or they are engaged in it, but rather coldly. Concerns about the earth have suppressed the activity of the Christian - that same Christian who must live primarily for heaven alone, whom the heavenly Father has so favored and is pleased to seek for himself alone, wants to fulfill with himself alone, in which he wants to reveal His glory. The mystery, the highest mystery, is revealed to the Christian at the baptism of Christ Jesus. According to the unanimous testimony of the holy evangelists, Jesus, having been baptized, rose up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and in the sight of the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming on Him. And behold a voice from heaven said: This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased (Matthew 3:16-17). The heavenly Father testifies of Himself with a voice from heaven that He is the Father of the beloved Son. Reverence, Christian, and worship God the Father. The Son is immersed in the water of baptism, and a voice from heaven calls Him the Son of the Heavenly Father. The Baptist of the Son testifies that until that time he did not know the Son, but in baptism he knew that He was the Son of God; that He is the one who, being born after him, preceded him, since he was before him, since he is the first of all, eternal (John 1:30-34). Reverence, Christian, and worship the baptized God the Son! The Holy Spirit is not the human spirit, not the created Spirit, but the Spirit of the Divinity itself, the Spirit with the glory and power of the Divine: but He appears separate from both the Father and the Son, in bodily form. Be reverent, Christian, and worship God the Holy Spirit! Thus, the church sacredly sings: “In the Jordan, being baptized by You, O Lord, the worship of the Trinity appeared to us.” If we imagine that the secret of St. The Trinity was not revealed with such clarity and certainty to the patriarchs themselves, to the prophets themselves, to all the Old Testament righteous; If we imagine that it was revealed in full light for the first time only at the baptism of Christ Jesus, then with what deep reverence should our hearts be filled with this mystery? Everything else that a person can know about God, about His properties, is far below this secret: this is the deepest, most inner secret of God’s being, which man on his own could never and cannot know. That is why the church rightly calls this day the day of theophany: for the incomprehensible God has now appeared to people. Christians are brothers! Do we understand, do we feel the richness of God’s goodness, illuminating us with such a wonderful light? The thought of the Trinity Divinity is a distinctive feature of Christian revelation; Does it constitute a necessary thought for our thoughts? Or, do we have so many thoughts in our souls that even such a lofty thought hardly ever finds a place in us? How many wonder who this Son is for us, who is baptized in the Jordan? Who is the Holy Spirit for us, who descended on the baptized Jesus? Entering into the true faith, we were baptized in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit; this means that, according to the faith of the church and the Word of God, without faith in St. Trinity, one cannot be a true Christian, one cannot be considered a true believer in God: but is this how we now think about this mystery? Beloved brother! Do you and I really not have enough love for truth to remember the name that you and I bear on ourselves - the name of a Christian, and the duty assigned to us by this name at our baptism? Holy Father, Son and Holy Soul! Enlighten us with Your light, - darkened by negligence about our salvation and - about Your secrets. Amen. Conversation on the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, at the Liturgy Then, as the Lord of the law is brought to the temple in Jerusalem to fulfill the law, two people, and only two, meet their Lord. Of course, these two are great when they could only be the messengers of His appearance in the whole of Israel. Of course, these two are worthy of Christian study, when they are such rare evangelists about the kingdom of Christ. Let us devote our conversation to a careful consideration of one of these great persons - Anna the prophetess. And Anna was a prophetess, daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Assir: who in these days became the mother of many, having lived with her husband seven years from her virginity. The Evangelist notices Anna's origin in the flesh, of course, in order to present the dignity of her spirit in a greater light. Anna was the daughter of Phanuel, from the tribe of Assir, from a tribe famous for its strength, wealth and peaceful life (Gen.49:20; Deut.33:24-25). Such a celebrity of Anna's family gives the right to think that her parents' wealth corresponded to her. But the nobility of the family did not harm the nobility of the soul of the pious Anna, did not inspire her with either pride or vanity - did not lead her to absent-mindedness and luxury. Having matured, in these many days Anna reached a ripe old age, preserved her vitality for many years with a thrifty life, and was adorned with the gray hair of her years, which in itself is so worthy of respect. Having lived with her husband for seven years from her virginity. She enjoyed the comforts of marriage for only seven years, while preserving her virginity for marriage. To live to a ripe old age, one must endure a lot of sorrows, and Anna endured them; she suffered the most sensitive grief, the loss of her husband in her youth. Anna was married; therefore, the marital state in her person is a sacred state. But the evangelist, to indicate the years of Anna’s married life, added another feature, which is all the more remarkable since it is not at all necessary to indicate the years of marriage. Wasn’t it enough to say: having lived with your husband for seven years? but the evangelist also said: from his virginity. So, in the understanding of the evangelist, the image of Anna was even more attractive, even purer due to the fact that she was a pure virgin until the state of marriage. The young maiden Anna was like an angel, she shone so much with her chastity, and not with clothes, not with outfits, not with the courage of her views and actions, which so often breathes the corruption of the soul. Her gaze was bashful, her words modest, her demeanor simple, her young face bloomed with purity of feelings. This is how she was before marriage. Oh, if only the bright image of Anna the Virgin were imprinted more often on the virgins of our time who are about to get married! Oh, that, hurrying towards the marriage union, they carefully thought about appearing before the altar with the purity of angelic innocence. And that widow, who was eighty and four years old, no longer left the church, served with fasting and prayers day and night. According to Jewish law, virgins began marriage for 14 years; and so Anna, having lived with her husband for seven years, lost him when she was just over 20 years old. And, however, she remained a widow until old age, until death. Why didn’t she choose another husband? Why not allow yourself to enjoy another life when life was just beginning to smile at her? And she never left the church. Moses also prescribed rules for wives who devote themselves to the Lord (Numbers 6:2); Even in his time we see wives serving in turn at the entrance to the tabernacle of the meeting: they then donated their expensive mirrors for the sacred laver (Ex. 38:8). We see similar votive virgins in the time of Samuel (1 Samuel 2:22). And Anna, a 21-year-old widow, also decided to persistently serve at Jehovah’s church. Do not leave the church, serving with fasting and prayers day and night. At the church there were enough activities for pious votive virgins and wives; where serving God was connected with so many rituals and required so many external accessories, the service of women’s hands was needed for many cases; and such diligence of the vowed wives was a sacred matter: it was service to Jehovah. But in Anna the evangelist also distinguishes a special service: serving with fasting and prayers day and night. What kind of ministry is this? Is fasting a service to God? How is this possible? Is prayer a service? Fasting and prayer - service, and what kind of service? - Such that the evangelist considered it necessary to primarily speak about him, keeping silent about the other ministries of the pious Anna. Post office employees. The evangelist called fasting a service to God. Yes, let us assume that fasting constitutes an action, labor for the time being of one body. But it is work, it is a feat: you cannot easily, without forcing yourself, accustom your body to moderation, abstinence - and even to extreme deprivation. Is this the work of the body? So. But thanks be to the Lord when the body also serves God. It is not allowed to leave sensual passions to their will. Has it ever been said to any of the people: serve God in spirit, and do whatever you please with your body? No, no one has ever had such a revelation. On the contrary, the apostolic commandment says: glorify God both in your souls and in your bodies. On the contrary, apostolic thought says that sin lives and acts not only in our soul, but also in the body - and, therefore, requires curbing the body as well. On the contrary, it is said that we will be judged for the deeds everyone has done to the body, good or evil. Moreover, why delude yourself with dreams? Isn’t it a dream to think that bodily abstinence or incontinence can exist without any influence on the soul? Let everyone experience and see that the less freedom the body is given, the more it is exhausted by fasting, the more the life of the soul comes into strength; her thoughts become brighter, her feelings and desires are purer, her prayer is sincere and lively, her sighs for sins are more frequent and fuller. Has anyone ever noticed the opposite of that, i.e. so that a body weighed down by intemperance can easily and freely pray to the Lord? It’s clear that the more cargo there is on a ship, the more strength you need to control it. Without leaving the church, they serve prayers day and night. That Anna's prayers amounted to service to God is quite clear. Prayer is the work of the soul for the Lord, and before the Lord. Like the eyes of a slave in the hand of her mistress, like our eyes to the Lord our God, until he spares us - this is the image of one truly praying! Just as a slave, not without fear, stands before her mistress, and with strict attention notices her every movement in order to find out her will: so the soul of one who truly prays is all attention before his Lord, waits and asks, fears weaknesses and prays for help, sighs and hopes for love, is confirmed in good intentions and renounces bad ones. Righteous Anna fasted and prayed. What is the purpose of both together? Because prayer requires strength for fasting, fasting purifies prayer; prayer sanctifies, spiritualizes fasting; fasting gives strength and life to prayer. One helps the other, one raises and improves the other. And Anna was sanctified by both. But we seem to have forgotten the bewilderment aroused by the thought of Anna's widowhood. They asked and did not answer: why did this widow condemn herself to permanent widowhood? In essence, the answer has already been given: the answer is Anna’s life, spent in serving the Lord, in fasting and prayer. Why did young Anna condemn herself to widowhood? For the Lord, - this is how her life answers. Isn’t this a wonderful, isn’t this the best answer? Why should we live on earth? Of course, not for the earth, but for the Lord. So what? Is the vow of widowhood a bad thing? Obviously, it is the determination to live as one should live on earth; there is a determination to lead a better life, closest to the goal of our life. They will say: can you live for the Lord in your married life? I have no doubt, and I sincerely pray for success. But if you can live for the Lord in married and non-married life, then is it all the same to choose one life or the other? This is a different kind of question. Its solution could also be shown in the life of the Old Testament righteous woman. But we read direct and clear instruction on this subject from the Apostle. He writes: even if a virgin commits violence, she has not sinned: but the sorrow of the flesh will be like this: but you will have mercy. I want you to be carefree (1 Cor. 7:28, 32). What does it mean? Leaving no doubt that there is no sin if a widow or virgin marries, the apostle shows that those who enter into marriage will be burdened with the sorrows of the flesh, and, wishing for every Christian a life without worries, he regrets those who are getting married, as if they are aggravating themselves with a yoke. And how can one not feel sorry when so many troubles, how many tedious labors, cares, shortcomings, needs, must burden a young soul dooming itself to a married life? Who can count all the sorrows of the happiest marriage? Doesn't talk about unhappy marriages, although there are so many of them. Meanwhile, in life there are already many sorrows, especially for those who want to live piously; meanwhile, a lot of firmness is already needed in order to maintain peace of mind for the free service of the Lord; A lot of dispassion is needed so that a short life does not rush by all in the worries of the troubled sea of ​​life, and in the next world it does not turn out to be colorless, devoid of good deeds. But that's not all. The apostle goes on to say: the woman and the virgin were separated. She who has not encroached is concerned about the things of the Lord, how she may please the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and spirit: but she who has encroached is concerned about the things of the world, how she may please her husband (1 Cor. 7:33–34). There is a difference between a wife and a virgin, the apostle teaches. What? In relation to their types, desires, aspirations, thoughts. The worries of an unmarried woman are focused on how to please the Lord, how to observe His holy will, both in thoughts and deeds, in order to appear at the judgment of God with a conscience that is not reproachful; how to keep the body a dwelling place for the Holy Spirit; how to cleanse your heart, where everyone has so much impurity. What about a married woman? She has other thoughts, other concerns. Whether she wants to or doesn’t want to, she is forced to take care of the worldly, and with that she has bound herself in an indissoluble union; forced to fussily think about how to please her husband; how to prepare what is needed for him and for the children; how to arrange both in the house. There are a thousand worries, and all the worries relate to the earth. Let us assume that intentions sanctify work. Nevertheless, it is not the same thing to serve directly the Lord in the presence of the Lord, and to serve Him only in the face of people and things. Moreover, is it easy, with worldly thoughts, among petty worries, to keep in the soul the thought of the Lord, to sanctify earthly concerns with good intentions? Crowds of objects crowd, crush the soul, and what is even more disastrous is that the soul itself, in which there are so many passions, strives for them, seeks them and, carried away by more and more passion for them, finally begins to value them more than itself, than heaven itself, than the Lord himself. That is why the apostle says in conclusion: if you give your virgin to marriage, she will do good; and if she does not give, she will do better. And he offers the same about the widow: the most blessed one is a widow, if she continues without being bound by marriage (1 Cor. 7:38, 40). Here is the solution for you: is it the same thing to choose a married or celibate life? Let them not complain that we are offering a human solution. The solution proposed is an apostolic one. Let's return to blessed Anna. And Anna the prophetess - and at that hour she came and confessed to the Lord. A life devoted to the Lord, a life of fasting and prayer, elevated Anna’s spirit so much that she was awarded the gift of prophecy. And she came at that hour. When Joseph and Mary with the divine Child were still in the church, Anna also came to the church. She came when Elder Simeon, at the inspiration of the Spirit, appeared in the church, holding the Savior in his arms and praising the long-awaited Lord. Oh St. Anna is not told that she came at the attraction of the Holy Spirit, as is said about Simeon; she came simply, as usual, came as if by accident, not intentionally, although this unintentional action was also intended in the destinies of Providence. How happy Anna is that even then she did not abandon her custom! What treasure could she have lost if she had changed her sacred rule this time! You see, brethren, how we must treasure the occasions when we can do good, when we are destined to engage in deeds of piety. We ignore the days and times appointed by the church to dedicate them to God, as if they are insignificant or of little significance. Well? The holiday has passed, another will come, we will have time to pray, so says frivolity. And frivolity does not think how much it loses! He doesn’t think that we should be responsible for the time lost to piety. He doesn’t think that we should be held accountable for neglecting the grace that awaited us on the holiday. There is no unimportant time for us, because every minute of time is given by God for eternity. But especially important are those hours of time when people, more than ever, can be capable of accepting the grace of God. Our God is the God of order and wisdom, He distributes gifts according to His will, but always to those who are attentive to His paths; if He hesitates to give the gift to those waiting for Him, then so that they will still sincerely desire and patiently await the gift on the days of the distribution of gifts. Be attentive to yourself and to time! Confessed to the Lord. Having seen the One for whom the prophets were waiting, in Whom lay the hopes of her and all Israel, the prophetess glorified God for the fulfillment of her and Israel’s hopes. And how could one not glorify God to one whose soul was full of true thoughts and feelings about God, and accurate ones about oneself. Only those hearts for which God is themselves, their strength, their mind, their will, their glory and wealth do not glorify God. And spoke about Him to all those who long for deliverance in Jerusalem. When the soul is full of joy, it shares its joy with others, talks about the subject of its joy to others, and wants others to enjoy its consolation. Yes, St. Anna, in the joy of her heart, hurried to convey the joy of her holy heart to all those who hoped for deliverance in Jerusalem. She preached to everyone about deliverance, or, which is the same, about the Deliverer, but to all those who hoped for deliverance. Why not everyone at all? Oh! this is also why not everyone can always talk about the truth and the truth. Such are the people that for some of them the word about truth and righteousness will be a voice crying in the wilderness, and for others it will be an object of contempt and ridicule. Why throw pearls before those who do not know the value of pearls? God! Make us wise by your grace and save us. Amen. Conversation on the Day of the Presentation of the Lord, at the All-Night Vigil Blessed is God, who does not leave the sinful world without His gracious seed, without people after His heart! What would happen to sinful people if there were no righteous people among them - these guides of heavenly power for the children of corruption? No matter how corrupt the Jewish people were at the time of Christ’s coming to earth, the favorites of heaven remained among them. In the Temple of Jerusalem, two angels in the flesh met the Lord - the righteous Simeon and Anna. Let us take a closer look at the holy elder, who not only matured the divine Child, but also received Him in his arms. Let's read and understand the gospel story about righteous Simeon. And there was a man in Jerusalem, his name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and pious, seeking the joy of Israel. What kind of truth was this that adorned Simeon? Is this true, when love is repaid with love? But this truth happened to the pagan and to the Pharisee (Luke 6:32). Is it true when they pay for an insult with an insult? But the ordinary Jew was also distinguished by this truth. The Evangelist shows in Simeon a rare righteous man, he shows the man of that truth that brought down the grace of the Holy Spirit on Simeon. What kind of righteous man was Simeon? Simeon not only did not offend the rights of his neighbor, but was ready to do for his neighbor the same thing as for himself; not only did he not use someone else’s property, but was he ready to share his own with his suffering neighbor? “This is the highest truth, which alone can so pacify the mutual relations of people that with it people would be angels of meekness and peace.” Be pious. As much as Simeon sacredly preserved the commandments of love for his neighbors, his soul was just as full of reverent love for God. His mind and heart were devoted to God, turned to the contemplation and glorification of His perfections. The will of God in all cases of life was law for him. Fearless and dispassionate towards everything, he was afraid of one thing - lest he anger the Lord. The motives of a weak nature could require relaxation in fulfilling the strict truth of the law: but the fear of God, like a guard, guarded his heart, and the law of God served as a lamp to his feet. The world then, as now, loved its amusements and was consoled by its hopes. Simeon was already close to the end of his earthly life, and he saw a lot of bitter and sweet: but neither the sweet carried him away to the point of oblivion of heaven, nor the bitter struck his soul to the point of hopelessness for heaven. He drinks the joys of Israel. His hopes, his joys and expectations were turned to the joy of Israel. What kind of Israeli pleasure is this? This is the same as the comforter of the Israelites; this is the promised Redeemer, who, through deliverance from sins, was supposed to bring not earthly, but spiritual consolation to Israel; this is the One who, having been promised from the day of the fall of Adam, was the subject of expectations and sweet hopes for the people of God; He is the Savior of the world, whom all the prophets and righteous people expected. The time of Simeon told Simeon that the time of the coming of the promised was near. The scepter of government had already been taken from Judah; in the hands of the cruel Herod, he only defeated the people of Israel, and did not protect their peace from their enemies. The internal state of Israel - its morality, its knowledge - was so gloomy, so sad that it drew deep sighs and prayers for special help from above. Simeon carefully studied the time, and to him, attentive to the will of God, everything told him that the time of Israel’s joy was near. Many of the Jews under Simeon knew about the joy of Israel; The scribes and teachers of the law knew this well. However, it is another thing to know the joy of Israel, and another to wait for the joy of Israel. Only Simeon could bring joy to Israel; there was no other Simeon. Why is this? Because for righteous Simeon all consolation, all joys lay in the expectation of Israeli joy. Not only were all his thoughts turned to the promised Savior, but all his heart was turned to Him, all his love, all his desires and deeds; He expected everything spiritual, everything pure from the joy of Israel, but he thought little about earthly happiness. So, my listeners, not all scientists, far from all, are busy saving the soul; There are even fewer people who are waiting for salvation when we think that everyone can and everyone should be waiting for salvation. Oh! so few are chosen among us. Oh, if only we, following the example of the chosen one - Simeon, would seek our joy only in Christ the Lord, in whom he also sought. Oh, that when we look at public disasters, at the decline of piety, at the sorrows of our private lives, we would turn with our hopes, with sincere prayer, with a contrite and humble heart, to Christ the Lord! Let others then boast of their scribes; The joy of Israel would be enough for us, as for Simeon. How great Simeon is! And the Spirit is not holy in him. For the Old Testament righteous man it was enough that he looked forward to the joy of Israel. But in Simeon there was more. After Jesus ascended from earth to heaven, the Comforter sent by Him came to earth. And every Christian is reborn by the Spirit in the water of baptism, strengthened by the Spirit during confirmation; every other sacrament imparts to him the gifts of the Holy Spirit. This was not the case in the Old Testament. And, however, the Holy Spirit was in Simeon, because his righteousness, his piety, his faith in the Redeemer elevated him to the level of a New Testament righteous man. And he was promised by the Holy Spirit not to see death, before he even saw Christ the Lord. What is this promise for? It was necessary that the Lord of the church, having come to the church, should not be left without a worthy meeting. Learned people, bookish people, could not come here; they, too busy with learning, decided with their minds, not with their hearts, the question: where is Christ born? The Jewish priests and high priests were no longer worthy to bless the Blessed One, having been carried away by dreams of their happy earthly lot. For Simeon himself, this promise was the highest reward for his piety, his sincere expectation of Israeli joy. Oh my God! What answer will I give to You - I, whom You so often deign to see Yourself in Your most pure mysteries, and whom I so coldly reject, I accept so unworthily? Many prophets and righteous women desired to see, but did not see (Matthew 13:17). To Your sincere, wonderful servant Simeon, You promised him as the highest reward for the piety of his entire life. - that part so that before his death he would see Christ the Lord. Brethren! Let us mourn our inattention, which will be terrible for us in the future towards the terrible Mysteries of Christ. And he came by the Spirit to the church, and when he brought in the parent of the child Jesus, he did according to the lawful custom concerning Him; and he received Him in his hand, and blessed God, and spoke. The Holy Spirit, who made a high promise to Simeon, led Simeon to the church where Jesus was brought. A wonderful work is being accomplished in the servants of the Lord. They are led, controlled by an invisible higher power, while their willpower remains with them; their thoughts are directed to what they did not think about, and the power of their thoughts acts in them. Wonderful and simple together! Are not the people of the century controlled by the spirit of the century? Their thoughts, their will is at the mercy of the spirit of the times. What is common here and there is love, merging the thoughts and will of the lover with the beloved. But the difference is that there is the Lord, here is the creature, there is grace, here is sin, there is life, here is death. And people love the world, not the Lord! How blind! how unhappy people are with themselves! Now let Thy servant go, Master, according to Thy word, in peace,” says the grateful Simeon in delight of spirit. “Lord of life and death! Now there is nothing more for me to do on earth. My service on earth is over. What my soul desired, what Your word promised, has been fulfilled. Now You release Your servant to the desired freedom, You free me from the bonds of the flesh and the world that weighed me down so much. I return to You in peace. My lord! So calmly does the righteous leave earthly life! There was nothing left for him on earth to which his soul would be attached - he did not like treasures on earth, he did not seek honor and fame; - his soul does not contain any deliberate offense to his neighbor; He constantly had the Heavenly Father before his eyes, and he hurried to Him, like a tender son from a distant journey. How enviable is such a death! As my eyes have seen Your salvation. Righteous Simeon not only recognizes the promised Messiah in the baby Jesus, but in prophetic inspiration sees His entire great destiny, depicts Him not only with the words of the prophets, but with the words of eyewitnesses of the Word incarnate. My eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared before the face of all people. My eyes have seen the Savior, predestined and promised by You. This is the One whom You have appointed, whom You are sending for the salvation of all the nations of the earth! He will appear before the face of all people, will not be hidden from anyone, will be announced to everyone, everyone will know about Him, although not everyone will accept Him. How tall Simeon was compared to his contemporaries! The confidence was strong in his time that all the high promises, all the advantages of the kingdom of Messiah belonged to one Jewish people, the people of God. Even the Apostle Peter for a long time did not dare to call the pagans to participate in the benefits of Christianity until he was admonished by a heavenly vision (Acts 10:11, 19). Elder Simeon sees a baby surrounded by deep simplicity and poverty - and learns a secret that was not only forgotten by the people, although it was revealed by the prophets, but was not clear to the apostle for a long time. He sees in the baby Jesus a light for the revelation of tongues, and for the glory of the people of God - Israel. Simeon calls Jesus a light for the pagans, since the pagans were covered in the darkness of idolatry, superstition, and debauchery; ignorance of the true God, ignorance of the ways of salvation is sheer darkness, destructive darkness to the soul. And this darkness is dispelled by Jesus, the Light that enlightens every person who comes into the world (John 1:4). The righteous man calls Jesus glory for Israel, because the Jews, the people chosen by God, the people primarily adopted by God, should have been especially glorified by the fact that among them, from them was born the Savior of all nations. The pagans will be enlightened, and the Jews will only become glorified. Why won’t they too be enlightened? Was their knowledge really so perfect that they had nothing to desire from the true Light - the Son of God? No; the Jews could learn a lot from the Son of God; the knowledge of God and His law that they had could be improved and supplemented in many ways if they began to listen with their minds and hearts to the instructions of the promised Savior of the world. The light of Christian teaching is so pure, so high in its merits, that the very angels of heaven wish to be enlightened by it, delighted with it when they see it. But then, just as the pagans through faith take advantage of the light of the Son of God, the majority of Jews will not accept the benefits of the Son of God, they will reject Him to their own misfortune. This is how righteous Simeon matured. And Joseph and His mother wondered about the things that were said about Him. How could one not be amazed at such great words about the baby Jesus! And Simeon bless them. He greeted with a blessed, happy lot, as Elizabeth greeted (Luke 1:42). And he spoke to Mary His Mother: Behold, this One is destined for the fall and rebellion of many in Israel, and is to be reproached as a sign. The God-receiver sees in Jesus the subject of controversy and different fates for people. He compares Jesus to a precious stone lying on the road - a stone intended for an extraordinary purpose. A careless traveler stumbles over this stone and falls, and receives a fatal injury. A careful, attentive person, when encountering the same stone, stops, examines it, recognizes its price and becomes a rich man, from a low share rises to the level of fame and general fame. This is how the prophet Isaiah portrayed the Messiah (Is. 8:14, 28:16). This is how the apostle portrayed Jesus: coming to Him, I live as stones, humbled by man, chosen by God, honorable, and you yourself, like stones livingly, are built into a spiritual church: for to you is honor to those who believe, but to those who resist the stone, which heedlessly build, is a stone of stumbling and a stone of offense, and because of it those who resist the word stumble ( 1 Peter 2:4–8). The righteous man calls Jesus a sign that cannot be contradicted. A sign is an openly exposed object, on which everyone’s eyes are fixed, a sign of something extraordinary, but what exactly, it remains for the viewer to find out. An intelligent, experienced viewer understands the meaning of this object, understands what the sign is conveying to everyone. But many laugh at the same sign; others understand the sign, but dissatisfied with the fact that the matter does not correspond to personal views and desires, they also criticize the sign, or explain it in favor of their passions. This is exactly how the Jews looked at the Savior Jesus. And are the Jews alone? Alas! and between us, and in our lives, the same thing happens. Are those who give free rein to their passions the enemies of the cross of Christ (Phil. 3:18)? For others, the name of Jesus serves as the head of spiritual idleness. They say: everything has been done for us, the sacrifice has been made to justice, grace has reborn us; we have nothing more to do; to work, to strive, to fast, to exhaust oneself - what is this for? This would mean insulting the grace of Jesus. Faith, faith in Jesus is all that is needed! But many will then say: Lord, Lord! Did not I prophesy in Your name? Is it not in your name that I cast out demons? And the Lord will say to the idle worshipers of His name: I do not know you. For let the thoughts of men's hearts be revealed. The quarrels of people about Jesus will have the consequence that the unequal properties of human hearts will then be revealed. Hearts seeking goodness and salvation, even if they encounter some doubts, will soon leave doubts and accept Jesus, since He is the truth, the life, the salvation of people. Only evil hearts can reject Jesus, for whom goodness and salvation are not dear, and therefore the Savior cannot be an object of love. The one whose heart is filled with a sense of guilt, whose heart thirsts for salvation, seeks light and strength for eternity, will accept not only the name of Jesus as a holy name, but will kiss the cross of Jesus, will follow Jesus along the path of internal and external sorrows to the grave. Otherwise, faith, remaining a matter of one thought, would transfer only knowledge, but not life, into eternity. On the contrary, those whose hearts are occupied with passions, pride, vanity, and earthly gains will reject Jesus. Thus, then the greatness of God’s goodness will be revealed, since, not wanting the death of people, she sent the Savior into the world - the Son of God, but whom many people do not accept only because their hearts are evil. And a weapon will pierce your very soul. Righteous Simeon, full of reverence for the mother of the Lord and sorrow for the earthly fate awaiting Her, reveals to Her in advance the mortal suffering awaiting Her, since foreseen sorrow falls more easily on the soul, burdens it more easily than unforeseen sorrow. He reveals to Her the position in which She will be especially in the last days of the earthly life of His Son. She will experience much sorrow even when the works and miracles of Jesus are reviled. But terrible is the sorrow that will visit Her when her enemies extend their hatred to the point of crucifying Her divine Son as a villain; the sorrow will be so great, as if a sharp sword were passing into Her very heart. Brethren! St. proclaims a lot to us both in his life and in his words. Elder Simeon. A whole host of virtues is his life. Let us be jealous of his virtues. He patiently awaited the joy of Israel; earthly things were left for this Comforter. And, as a reward for the labors of patience, he saw, recognized, accepted the Comforter into his arms, while thousands did not recognize Him. The fate of those who reject this Comforter is terrible, according to the words of the righteous man. Let us fear this fate, let us guard our hearts from unbelief and fruitless faith, from passions and sins - and through the prayers of the righteous Simeon, He will be our glory and salvation. Amen. So, the light that came into the world to enlighten the tongues hid in the darkness of the tomb, illuminating a little the hearts of Israel? The East from above, having visited the earth, came to know its West, not recognized by the earth? Heavenly Father! Where is the favor with which You testified your love for Your Son? (Matthew 3:17). Where is the glory for which Your beloved Son prayed? (John 17:1). The Son of God cries on the cross: My God, my God, have you forsaken me? (Matthew 27:46). And His cry was left unanswered. The Lord of the Heavenly Powers, weakened by shameful torment and suffering, gives up His spirit. But the Heavenly Light did not come into the world to leave people in greater darkness than before. No, this tomb is not the place for dark unbelief. For this knowledge of love, for He laid down His soul for us: and we ought to lay down our souls for the brethren (1 John 3:16). This is the mystery of the Son of God descending into the tomb! It was not known for centuries, but - open - it will shed light and bliss for centuries and eternity! For this knowledge of love, for He lay down His soul for us. Where it seemed that only the judgment of God, terrible for the entire universe, was acting, where heaven seemed so angry with the earth that it did not give an answer even to the voice of the Son of God, love is revealed there - a love that has not yet had an example. How short-sighted is the human mind with all its cunning, with all the cunning of passions! People thought that by betraying Christ the Lord to death, they were doing only what their passions wanted. But it turned out that the very passions fulfilled the very thing that heavenly love, the love of the Son of God, wanted. Christ the Lord on the cross, Christ the Lord in the tomb. But it was not the power of human malice that brought Him to the cross and the tomb. How many times have the enemies had every means to take Him in order to deal with Him according to the will of the passions! And more than once they surrounded Him, more than once they sent servants to arrest Him. So what? The sent servants returned with the consciousness of His inaccessible greatness; the enemies themselves could not touch Him - defenseless: for His hour had not come (John 2:4), - the hour appointed by His will had not come. And who could bring You, Lord of life and death, to the grave? Who could resist Your power? Who could defeat You, Lord of heaven and earth? Brethren! He bears everything by the word of His power. He had only to say the word and legions of angels would instantly appear against His enemies. He said: I am (John 18:16), and the Roman soldiers with a crowd of servants fell to the ground in horror. One more word and heavenly fire would have destroyed them, like the Sodomites, the earth would have opened up under them, like under Korah and Dathan. Peter thought to defend Him: but He healed the severed ear of Malchus (Luke 22:51). No, He willingly gave Himself up to suffering and death. He knew that in Jerusalem he would be betrayed, mocked and crucified, but he went to Jerusalem (Matthew 20:18). He knew His betrayer, He knew that the traitor would appear in the Garden of Gethsemane, and remains in the Garden of Gethsemane; He knew his enemies, and he himself went out to meet them. For this knowledge of love, for He lay down His soul for us. This is how, and not otherwise, He Himself spoke about His death long before His death. For this reason the Father loves Me, He said to the Jews, because I lay down My life, and again I will receive it. No one will take it from Me, but I lay it down for myself. The region the imam will put down and the region the imam will accept again (John 10:17-18). Only His will sacrificed His life, it was only in His power whether to ascend to heaven or die on the cross. His enemies cried out: if you are the Son of God, come down from the cross (Matthew 27:40). But that is why He did not descend from the cross, because He is the Son of God, sovereign in His destiny and in the destinies of the world. That is why He did not descend from the cross, because the love of the Son of God decided to do what only eternal love could decide to do. His love wanted to lay down His life for us, and it did. And whom did the Son of God love so much? Sinners! Oh, eternal love! Who would have thought, which of the sons of men would dare to expect that Your love for us would stretch so far? If the Son of God shows His love to the angels: this is close to our concept. Angels are pure, perfect, holy spirits. They sincerely love their Lord; they ardently do His will. Therefore, they are awarded the special love of God. If the Son of God loved with special love innocent people, like Adam, who had just emerged from the hands of the Creator: - and this is close to our concept. From the hands of the Creator came man with the image and likeness of God, adorned with righteousness and the likeness of truth (Eph. 4:24). And earthly parents love their children as their own likeness. Who are we, whom the Son of God loved? If we say: we are earth and ashes (Gen. 18:29), then this is not all. We are unclean land, ashes defiled by sins. “And the Son of God loved us.” Let us still find examples of self-sacrifice for benefactors. Whether anyone will decide to die for the righteous is doubtful. What about sacrificing your life for sinners? This is no longer in the order of human affairs and concepts. And the Son of God lay down His soul for us. And how great is the weight lifted by the love of the Son of God! Brethren! we drink sins like water. Sin seems so small to us that we don’t even think about it. But that's not what he really is. It seems to us a momentary oblivion of duty; but in fact, fate in eternity depends on it: it takes place in a small space on earth; and shakes the heavens. Why is this? because every sin is a violation of the eternal, unchangeable order of God, in which everything is great; because the all-good, by the very fact that He is goodness, cannot help but turn away from sin. Imagine millions of sinners, imagine, if you can, all the types of sins committed by millions of sinners. And the Son of God took upon himself all this. We are all sinners, from Adam to Christ, and from Christ to the end of the world. And the love of the Son of God, having taken upon itself the sins of all people, had to experience all the fury of God’s judgment, all the fire of God’s boundless truth, punishing every sin. O sinners! awaken from your terrible absent-mindedness. Come, get along before the love of the One who fell apart for us. Sacred plagues! Life-giving ulcers! How not to water you with tears of bitter remorse, grateful repentance! Or, no, Lord, come away, come away from us. We are insensitive sinners, we are soulless sinners, unworthy to look at these divine ulcers. And the fire of Your love does not warm our hearts frozen in sin. What do you see, sweetest Jesus, before this altar of your burnt love, before this divine tomb? “You see our repeated worship, but for the most part cold, for the most part the fruit of custom, and not of our hearts. We magnify You with songs. But, oh, when with hearts somewhat worthy, if not Your friends, then those who spiritually remember the sacrifice of Your love! And how many are there among us who consider even a few hours of vigil to be an unbearable burden for You. How many tears are needed to mourn our coldness towards You, Lord. Love, which fell apart for us, at the same time as it cries out to God for our salvation, also intercedes - before us - for our brethren. O seven signs of love, for He laid down His soul for us: and we must lay down our souls for our brethren. If the salvation of all sinners, all our brothers, is so dear to the Lord, then this salvation cannot be unimportant for us. If He laid down His soul for all those like us, we cannot be indifferent to their benefits and, above all, to their eternal fate. That is why, just before the feat of the cross, He taught: This is My commandment, that you love one another as you have loved (John 15:12). Of this all understand, for you are My disciples, if you have love among one another (John 13:35). Altar servers are shepherds of the verbal flock! You, more than anyone else, are obliged to follow the Chief Shepherd, your Lord. Not people, He has placed on you the duty, following His example, to take care and shepherd His flock; He has entrusted to you the calling of offering prayers for His people before His altar of the cross. Test your conscience. Are you ready to lay down your life for your sheep, as He laid down? Oh, brothers! fear to be mercenaries, fear to feed your own passions instead of sheep. Let the sins of misunderstanding, let the sins of inexperienced youth deprive you of no little. He, who died for all the weak, will heal the weak. But do not allow passions to reach your soul - self-interest, pride, curiosity, envy. He, lying in the coffin, was not looking for anything. Tatiye are also robbers, He said about selfish shepherds (John 10:8). You, who are entrusted with the fate of your neighbors! before the tomb of Him Crucified for all - remember that your neighbors entrusted to you have been redeemed by the Lord, that their tears, not wiped away by you, and perhaps even shed by you, will not be forgotten by eternal love, as you forget them. Christian judges! Before the cross of the Lord, you swore an oath of determination not to spare yourself for the truth and the common good. What if even after that your conscience shows you a place not at the Holy Sepulcher, but in Pilate’s praetorium? Fathers and mothers! The Lord shed His blood for your children, just as for you. Take care of so many dear souls. Raise them in faith and fear of God. How much does it cost you to raise them? Look at the Lord - the Lord; He endured everything for all of us. Heads of families! For our eternal salvation, the Lord fell apart, and not so that we drink and eat sweetly, become rich for ourselves, leaving others to sacrifice to poverty. Be leaders of your family to eternal salvation; cut off passions in yourself and in your household: try above all else to ensure that your families are Christian families. Everyone, whatever he can; must serve the benefit of the brethren. Not only does each one take care of himself, but each one also takes care of the other; For let this mind be in us, as was also in Christ Jesus (Phil. 2:4-5). Everyone must please his neighbor for good, for creation; for Christ did not please himself (Rom. 15:1, 3). Let no one seek his own (1 Cor. 10:24). If the need required him to give his life for another: the Lord gave His; is our life really more valuable than His life? The rich give from their wealth to the poor: the Lord spared nothing for us. If nothing else, let us give the thirsty a cup of cold water, we will comfort the prisoner in his prison, we will bring the bloodless and stranger into our home - for the sake of Him who loved us all so much. It is hard to do good for those who have made us suffer a lot of troubles. But He is a saint, what did He not tolerate from His enemies and only wanted their salvation? How cruel were His enemies! And how great was His meekness! No weakness could be convicted of Him; and they treat Him as if they were an evildoer: behold, they bring Him to an unjust judgment, they beat Him, spit in His face, they mock His knowledge of people (Matthew 26:67–68); They dress in scarlet, crown with a crown of thorns and mockingly greet: Hail, King of the Jews! (Matthew 27:29). The villain is given freedom: and He is led to crucifixion. What is He? Silent like a meek lamb. Here He is - on the cross. And new curses: he saved others, but he cannot save himself (Matthew 27:42). Here, with personal insults, blasphemy against God is also combined: He trusted in God, let Him save Him (Matthew 27:43). What about Jesus? He is silent, or no, he prays for His enemies: Father! let them go: for they know not what they do (Luke 23:34). This is what kindly love is like! Who among us has endured anything like what He endured? If they insult us, it is in a private circle, and with some slight hint at our own weakness. Christian listeners! If it is difficult as a human being to forgive offenses, then as a Christian it is much more difficult not to forgive them. How can we stand with annoyance at our brother before our crucified Lord? Wouldn't this mean that we stand before Him not as His disciples? Let's say more. If you are such a righteous person that you consider every trouble caused to you to be undeserved, you are ready to say about yourself out loud: I do not know any guilt behind me; then why do you need a Redeemer of sinners? You don't need him. Get away from this tomb, surrounded by sinners; here they cry about their sins, so that the only Righteous One will cover us from the wrath of God with His righteousness! Yes, brethren, if we are sincere followers of the crucified Jesus, then there is no trouble for us, no offense that we are not worth; For us there are no insults that we would not forgive and cover with good deeds. Christ the Savior! With divine ulcers we beg You to warm our hearts with the love that nailed You to the cross; in her everything is our salvation, in her is the light of our paths, in her is eternal life. Amen. So the prophecy of the righteous Simeon came true! This is a subject of controversy! Son of God in the tomb. The world's Redeemer died shamefully. How this seduces the Jew! for pagan wisdom, Christ crucified is madness (1 Cor. 1:23). Oh, may this lying attack not be for us, as it was for many in Israel! If they had understood, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory, says the apostle (1 Cor. 2:8). So, we need the pure, holy understanding of this deceased sufferer, so that He can be God’s wisdom for us. Where do we begin to understand His mystery? From ourselves. What is a person? What is each of us? A sinner from the first minutes of his life: only those of us who, upset by passions, lose self-knowledge, refuse this. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us (1 John 1:8). If each of us is a sinner, then each of us must, somehow, lay aside the guilt of sin. What can we do to justify ourselves before God? Can we appease God's justice with our repentance? No, repentance itself is an action of sin, and therefore only convicts me of sin, and in no way destroys it; still less can it destroy the other heterogeneous consequences of sin, which we are not able to subdue to our power. Can't we reconcile God with ourselves by our better life? But, living in the best way, we fulfill only our duty, and the old debt of sins remains with us; to greater sorrow, our best life contains many things that again make us debtors, again accuse us before God. Once upon a time, people made purification sacrifices. But what is the cost of these sacrifices? The only thing is that when people brought them, they recognized themselves as unclean and recognized the need for cleansing. Otherwise, they are not the property of people; they could not cleanse the conscience by sprinkling only the body. So, what can a person think about himself? That he is an unpaid debtor to God; that he would perish for all eternity unless someone was found to pay his debts; that he absolutely needs a Redeemer. Thinking about God should bring a person to the same conviction. By recognizing God as good, a person can hope that his sins will be forgiven. Can the All-Good One desire the destruction of a sinner? No! But a good God is also a just God. As a just one, He demands satisfaction for sins. Not as offended, He demands this: He is eternal rest. It demands satisfaction from the sinner, like eternal love for good. As love, for good, as good itself, He cannot tolerate sin, turns away from sin, and, turning away, leaves sin to its consequences: disaster, execution, torment. To put it another way: leaving sin without punishment would mean in God the same thing as leaving sin near Himself, showing favor towards sin, not recognizing it as sin; but this cannot be. Thus, a sinner, according to the concept of God, can hope for the forgiveness of sins, but cannot hope for his sins to be forgiven without satisfaction. Where is the One who will satisfy for the sins of man? Man himself, as has already been seen, cannot satisfy anything for his sins. Where is his reconciler? Is this not one of the pure spirits? Yes, out of love, good angels desire the salvation of sinners. But, no matter how high in perfection he may be, no matter how powerful in strength of strength the created spirit may be, every moment he can only fulfill his duty, his service, and not serve for others; He cannot even fulfill for himself everything that the infinite truth expects from him. No, among the created spirits, a sinner is more likely to find accusers against himself. Духи добрые по тому самому, что они любят добро, не могут спокойно смотреть на грехи человека грешника. Evil spirits, by the very fact that they are evil, will not fail to call forth the punishing truth of God against the sinner. Let them themselves not love the truth, let them themselves be consoled only by sin: but, punished for sin, they, by their very bitterness against the goodness of God, are ready to accuse the All-Good, if the sinner were forgiven by goodness without payment for sin. So, the world of spirits tells the sinner the same thing, that he needs a Redeemer. What has been revealed to people in recent times, what we see in this living, sacred image, is precisely a mystery from the mysteries of God, a miracle from the miracles of God. The Son of God Himself, having taken upon Himself the person of a sinner, suffered for the sinner. The Son of God Himself exhausted on Himself the arrows of God's wrath directed at all humanity. Is it possible to imagine a love higher than this love? What sign could express the glory of God more extensively than this sign? If the creation of the world is a work of God’s love, then the work of the redemption of people by the death of the Son of God is a miracle of God’s love. The boundless love of the Son to sacrifice himself on the altar of the cross in order to proclaim to heaven and earth the inviolable truth of the Eternal Father. The mystery of the Trinitarian, invisible in the universe, was revealed on the cross. The Heavenly Father extends His mercy to the criminal creature to such an extent that He does not spare His Son for its salvation. Hasn't more been done here than was required? Of course, the greatness of the Son of God is infinite. But the truth that demanded satisfaction for sin is also limitless. One is equal to the other, one is neither more nor less than the other. This means that the excessive satisfaction of the Son of God is an invention of people who are either not entirely strong in their senses, or who are ready to use the work of God to serve their passions. Hasn't less been done here than was required? Wasn’t the Divinity content with only recognizing the sacrifice of the Son of God as valid, without exposing actual responsibility for man? No! The boundless truth can only be satisfied by actual service, and the service of the Boundless One alone. The Son of God suffered, the Son of God cried out in spiritual anguish: My soul is sorrowful even unto death (Matthew 26:38). Even if it is weak, it is not a strong matter for a person. But the greatness of Jesus, as the true God, was not separated from Jesus the sufferer even during his suffering, although humanity suffered on the cross. The greatness of Jesus as true God, not separate from Jesus the sufferer through the personal union of the Divinity with humanity in Jesus, gave infinite value to the suffering of the reconciler Jesus. Isn't the truth insulted when a righteous person is given over to torture? But eternal truth did not subject the righteous to suffering, but the One who appeared before it on behalf of the unrighteous. Truth would be insulted if a righteous person were given up to suffering against his will: but this Righteous One wanted to give Himself up for us unrighteous people, in order to save us and to fulfill the will of God’s righteousness. The love of righteousness desired satisfaction for sin. Love for the righteous and the unjust wanted to bring satisfaction, and brought it willingly. How can the love of the just not accept with love the deeds of boundless love? It is not clear how someone else’s state becomes our state, someone else’s truth becomes our truth? And, however, love does many things for another that law does not require of it. One pays the debt for another, the other bears the responsibility for the insolvent poor - and the right ceases its claim - it declares free the one who was previously wronged before him. The services of ancestors are imputed to descendants; the services of one great man bring honor to an entire nation. On what is the validity of this replacement payment or imputation based? On the fact that the members of society form one whole. What is our relationship to Christ the Lord? He is not ashamed to call us His brethren (Heb. 2:11); He became a member of the human family, and what the family could not pay, He paid. What's so strange about this? He is the second Adam. The fallen Adam was the ancestor of sinful humanity, the new Adam, Christ the Lord, is the leader of the new restored humanity. The guilt of the first Adam passed on to his descendants through their natural union with their forefather; justification is accomplished through the spiritual union of believers with Christ. The matter is quite consistent with the general order. And so it remains, brethren, to end where we began. We are sinners! We are sinners - and for. The Son of God suffered sinners! Let us shed tears of contrition for our sins, for which the Son of God was crucified. This is one thing that we can bring to the tomb of the Lord. Without this, our worship of the tomb of our Savior will have no meaning. Christ the Savior! Through Your sufferings, we beg You - open our darkened gaze to our sins, warm our hearts with sincere contrition for our misfortunes, so that we can begin a life worthy of the great sacrifice You made for us. Amen. He was ulcerated for our sins and tormented be for our iniquities (Is. 53:5). So, this is how the expectations of centuries ended - the shameful death of the Waited One! This is where the eyes of the righteous, following the life of the promised, rested - on the cross of the thieves! The anointed one is consumed (Dan.9:26); The Holy One of God is numbered among the evildoers (Isa. 53:12); The king and priest of the Most High, the great prophet and messenger of heaven (Ps. 49) is mocked, tormented, covered with wounds, dying! And how was He brought to this? One of His disciples sold him and gave him up to death with a kiss (Luke 22:47). Oh, righteous God! Who can see Your muscle? (Isa.53:1). Why was this Son of Man so humiliated, dishonored, and tormented? There were many people who judged and condemned the Lord Jesus. And bishops are people dedicated to truth; and the scribes were learned men who knew the law well; and the Pharisees - people who considered themselves righteous and, as it seemed, were zealous for the truth; and the elders of the people - men honored by the common trust of their gray years - tried and condemned Jesus as a criminal. And the people shouted; take, take, crucify Him; and King Herod mocked Him; also the soldiers mocked Him, and, approaching, they offered Him an oset, and said: if You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself (Luke 23:36-37); and the servants spat in His face and beat Him on the cheeks. Who was missing from those who condemned Jesus? There were people of every class, every condition. And then, like so many people, did they really think and speak lies? Brethren! Let us be careful not to judge anyone by their hearing or appearance. Here before our eyes is an example of unfair human judgments! Brought to the most shameful death, brought to the grave by the Most Holy of Saints. How did this happen? The people were carried away by their gullibility in others, and only by example, by the inspiration of a few, spewed blasphemy against the saint. The soldiers, encouraged by the weakness of their leader Pilate, frivolously followed the crowd. The servants were in a hurry to please the masters. The chief priests, scribes, Pharisees, the main culprits of sin, judged and condemned, blinded by the passions that were revealed in their words and deeds. And so the court was formed - an example of untruth crying out to heaven. Oh, let us be horrified, brethren, to pronounce judgment and condemnation on another. We will be especially horrified when no one and nothing calls us to pronounce judgment on others. Do you see at the cross of Jesus an example of how it is saving for us to judge ourselves and not another, and so by doing so we can come close to pronouncing the surest judgment on others? The thief, the open thief, who himself does not deny that he is a thief, is invited from the cross directly to heaven. Today you will be with me in paradise, the crucified Lord tells him. How is this possible? Robber in Paradise! For what? Which way? Very simple, brothers! Entire thousands said about the Lord Jesus: let him drink away, and they said it because they thought too little about their sins. But the thief, on the contrary, thought about himself, about his fate, about his deeds, which brought him to the cross, and which could bring him even further - to hell. The execution of the cross is severe: but he did not compare this execution of his with the sins, with the atrocities of others; he only said: this is according to my deeds; I get what I deserve. Full of a sense of his guilt, lamenting his bad deeds, he did not want to think badly of anyone, least of all of the One about whom, as he had heard, everyone spoke as a prophet, as a messenger of God, as the Savior of people. Imagining himself on the edge of destruction, without hope for himself, he turned his soul to that righteous man who was a friend of sinners; not expecting anything from himself, he expected the best only from the innocent who had been waiting for centuries; the injustice of a brother towards the Righteous One only made him feel more deeply his own untruth. And so - from his sorrowful soul comes not only a confession, but a confession of faith, not only a faithful judgment about the Righteous One, but also a sincere prayer to the Lord and Savior. One of the hanged villains, slandering Him, said: if You are the Christ, save Yourself and us. The other, on the contrary, calmed him down with it and said: or are you not afraid of God, when you yourself are condemned to the same thing? And we are condemned righteously; for we have received what is worthy according to our deeds. And this one did not commit a single sin. And he said to Jesus: remember me, Lord, when you come into your kingdom (Luke 23:39-42). This is the path to salvation and to the truth! The blasphemous robber preaches a truth that whole thousands of those who considered themselves righteous did not see at that time. Which of you will convict Me of sin, Christ Jesus said to His enemies? And the enemies were silent; they realized, they felt that there was not a single stain on His life. He, even as the Son of man, was a lamb without blemish and pure, knew no sin, and flattery was not in His mouth. There is an example of everything holy in His life, and there is no example of anything offensive to a good conscience in His life. But at the same time He is the Son of God, the God-man: His words and deeds showed this. Is it possible for Him to do anything that disagrees with the will of God? If so, then He could not suffer for Himself. Suffering is the fruit of sin, the punishment for sin. And therefore He who is without sin, and yet suffers, no longer suffers for Himself. For whose sins does the Son of God suffer? Why was God’s anger inflamed to such an extent that God did not spare His Son, but gave Him up to fierce tribulation? (Matthew 26:38). Oh, if, following the example of the prudent thief, we often tested ourselves, we would firmly keep in our hearts the solution to the question that we hear from the lips of the thief. No other voice would burst forth more often from our hearts than the heartfelt cry of the thief: remember Me, Lord, when you come into Your kingdom. Let us test ourselves, test our deeds and strength; Are we not in such a position that we have nothing to expect from ourselves except destruction? If human truth does not have time to convict us of sin, if in the eyes of people we are people without vices: this does not mean that we are righteous before God. No, God's judgment is not the same as human judgment; He watches our every thought, our every desire, every beat of our heart. And what abyss of sins is revealed in us before the judgment of the All-Holy? My wickedness is more difficult to account for me, O Lord, than grains of sand from the sand of the sea. How can I get rid of the wrath of God? How can I be saved from the inexorable truth of God? Repentance? But it is nothing more than the legal fruit of sin, and the sin committed remains sin. Works of mercy? But they are my constant debt, and therefore they are not payment for my debts, for the boundless multitude of my sins. Should we talk about real victims? They are not my property at all - and, moreover, they are so of little value in themselves! Where can I hide from the truth of God? Where can I find protection from the wrath of the righteous? God Almighty! – Will the sinful creature, who has angered You so much, dare to think that Your goodness can still save her, can show a means to deliver her from the punishments of righteousness? Horror strikes her at the thought of what the punishment should be for violating the infinite truth. But what do the messengers of heaven tell us, what does God himself tell us about our salvation? God so loved the world, they say, as He gave His Son to eat, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish (John 3:16). Oh, incomprehensible God! Has Your mercy extended to the law-breaking creature to such an extent that You do not spare Your Son to save her? You strike Your Only Begotten with mortal torments. Son of the Eternal Father! Incomprehensible, boundless is Your love for us sinners, the immeasurable greatness of Your self-sacrifice for Your mortal, lost creation. Brethren! If the Son of God died for all (2 Cor. 5:15), if He is the propitiation for our sins, and not only for our sins, but also for the sins of the whole world (John 2:2), if the heavenly Father offered him who knew no sin as a sacrifice for sin, so that only we might be justified (2 Cor. 5:21), then whoever after that decides, openly or secretly, before God and His creatures, to say like Pilate: I am not guilty of blood this righteous man (Matthew 27:24)? My sins, your sins, the sins of all of us, brothers, led and brought Jesus to the place of execution. What a terrifying multitude of iniquities He suffered, what terrifying torments He had to endure, taking upon Himself the sins of all people! The God-man took upon himself about six thousand years, and the wrath of God for them was poured out on Him; 18 centuries passed after He suffered, and He saw the sins of 18 centuries, and He endured fierce sorrows for them. He saw my vile thoughts, saw my curiosity, my ungodly pride, my every-minute unfaithfulness of conscience, my sins of words and deeds, and sorrows - the fruit of my sins - tormented His holy soul. He saw how an unrepentant sinner rejected all the instructions of preachers, all the suggestions of friendship, all the reproaches of his conscience, all the admonitions of disasters, and he languished in torment for the unrepentant sinner. O careless sinner! Look what such carelessness brought the Son of God to? Awake from sleep, forgotten peace-lover! Your splendor has stripped Him of His last garments; your passion for luxury placed a crown of thorns on Him, covered His face with spitting and choking; your voluptuousness gave Him vinegar mixed with gall to drink; your carnality sharpened the nails with which His most pure body was nailed to the cross. Oh, water your unfortunate soul with at least one tear! Your greed has nailed His most pure hands to the tree of reproach: your wandering along the paths of vile lust holds His wounded holy feet on the same tree. Be horrified at your sins; fall in bitter tears before the One who was crucified by you. This perforated rib gave us life-giving mysterious blood. Why is the cup of the new covenant filled with this priceless blood? Whoever you are who is withdrawing from the body and blood of your Lord: woe to you if, following the example of the Jew, you value the blood of your Lord at nothing! Brethren! let us cry out with a strong cry, let us cry out together with the thief to him who was crucified for us: remember us, Lord, when you come into your kingdom. The boundless self-abasement of the Son of God could reconcile with us the truth of God that we had offended. His suffering, which united humanity with the Divinity in His person for all eternity, could overcome the immeasurable weight of the sins of the whole world. The Almighty Creator could take upon Himself the guilt of a creature that offended the infinite truth. The chastisement of our peace is upon Him; by His wound we are healed (Isaiah 53:5). After this boundless love of the Son of God for us, after this boundless great service of His service to our salvation, shall we still offend Him by disobedience to His holy commandments? Oh, this will be the most terrible ingratitude! But even if we are so forgetful, so ungrateful, let us not hesitate to turn to Him and cry out: remember us, O Lord, when You come into Your kingdom. His hands, spread out on the cross, are always ready to receive repentant sinners; His heart, opened with a spear, is always ready to bring his returning lost son closer to him; His lips, which prayed for those who crucified Him, are always ready to speak forgiveness to the contrite sinner. Once and forever He offered a sacrifice for all sinners to His Father, and His sacrifice will always have power before the throne of heaven. If more centuries pass, if more millennia pass: let the sinner cry from the depths of his heart: remember me, Lord, and whoever he is, the answer will be the same: you will be in heaven. Behold, Lamb of God, take away the sins of the whole world, of all ages and peoples! Brethren! Now is the time for us to appear every hour before the crucified one with prayer for our sins. But it will be when it will not be by that time; there will be a time when everyone will know that He is wounded for our sins, and He is tormented for our iniquities (Is. 53:5), but not everyone will find it a joy for themselves: there will be a time when everyone will see in the perforated Jesus who suffered for our sins; but for the unrepentant sinner He will only be an inexorable judge. The sound of His trumpet will call all those who sleep from eternity to judgment. Then they will see the ulcers He suffered for sinners: but these ulcers will no longer hide the sinner from the wrath of God in their depths; outstretched hands will not receive the lost; pure blood will not satisfy the pangs of conscience. The sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven: and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn (Matthew 24:30). This is as true as what He said in advance about His cross and His resurrection. Then those who did not know Him before and did not want to know Him as their Savior will recognize Him; those who wickedly rejected His salvation will deeply feel the need for His salvation. They will find out and weep bitterly over their hopeless fate - eternally bitter and joyless. The Son of Man will appear with a host of angels and say: it is finished! He who overcomes inherits everything, and each is rewarded according to his deeds: for those who sought glory and immortality through constancy in good deeds, eternal life; and to those who persisted and did not submit to the truth of the cross - wrath and wrath (Rom. 2:5, 9). And for all eternity His sentence will not change: vengeance will be taken with fiery fire on those who do not listen to the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Thess. 1:8). Brethren! Before we hear the terrible word of the judge, before we are struck by the sobs of all the tribes of the earth, at the sight of the Lord coming to execute righteous judgment, we will weep over the most pure body of Him crucified for us; Let us kiss His wounds with tears of contrition for our sins, we will groan and cry out to Him: remember us, Lord, when You come into Your kingdom. Let us leave the sins of others and judge for ourselves before His life-giving tomb; Let us forgive, even if we have, our debts to our neighbor, just as He, by His grace, forgave us, so that we may be worthy of being in the eternal kingdom with our Savior and Lord. Amen. Word on the 1st day of St. Easter How many centuries have passed since the time when the angel first said to the wives: There is no rising here. And for all these centuries, the news of the resurrection of Christ does not cease to be sweet news, unearthly, heavenly news. In all countries, among all peoples, where they confess Christ, it brings with it joy and joy, delight and triumph. And not only the earth, but also heaven, not only people, but also the inhabitants of the mountainous countries, rejoice and repeat: Christ is risen! And with what triumph is the news of the risen Christ greeted? This is a holiday for the holidays; celebration of celebrations. Every week we set aside a day to remember the resurrection of Christ, and neither fasting nor tears darken this celebration for us. But the Christian soul is not satisfied with this. She wants to rejoice in the risen Christ as she rejoices in nothing else; she appoints herself another time in which she sings brightly: Christ has risen - eternal joy. Our joy, listeners, in the risen Christ is just. The Resurrection of our Savior is one of the firmest foundations of our faith, our hope, and our love. How can one not rejoice over him? Our Savior worked many miracles on earth: but more than once He sent His most stubborn enemies to the miracle of His resurrection. An evil and adulterous generation, He told the Pharisees, seeking a sign? and no sign will be given to him, except the sign of the prophet Jonah (Matthew 12:39, 16:4), i.e. sign of resurrection. And this sign was given. It was given, listeners, to the very enemies of Jesus: it is so strong! To the chosen of His chosen disciples the Lord shows His glory on the mountain, the glory of the Only Begotten from the Father, and at the same time says: do not tell anyone what you have seen until the Son of man rises from the dead (Matthew 17:9). Why this ban? Why stop preaching about the glory of the Son of God? Because the resurrection of our Savior is such a miracle that alone could, with its obviousness, capture all the signs of the glory of the Son of God; because, best of all, it illuminates with its unearthly light the image of the Son of God, invisible to sensual eyes. The Apostle in the Areopagus proves that the resurrection of Christ indicates in Christ the judge of the universe (Acts 17:31), and then writes to the Romans that according to the flesh Jesus was born of the seed of David, and according to the Spirit of holiness, through the resurrection from the dead, He was revealed in all power to be the Son of God (Rom. 1:4). What greatness is there in your risen Jesus, O Christian soul! The very enemies felt the power of the resurrection of Christ. Having learned from the Nazarene that He will rise again, they take all measures to prevent faith in His resurrection. As soon as Jesus died, they asked Pilate to place a guard at His tomb; the coffin is surrounded by soldiers; The entrance to the cave, blocked with stone, is sealed. Everything that prudent (let’s say malice) human wisdom could require has been done. But Jesus is not in the tomb. What to do? We must arm ourselves with slander. The guards, they say, overslept, and the disciples carried away the body of Jesus. It can be seen from everything how difficult the thought of the resurrection of Christ was for the Jews; it is clear from everything that they knew how their plans would all be destroyed, and the glory of Jesus would be revealed as the Messiah and Son of God when the people were convinced of His resurrection. And it must be said that, to the misfortune of the enemies of faith and to the joy of the believing soul, of all the miracles on which our faith is based, the miracle of the resurrection of Christ is so obvious, so undeniable that one must be an enemy of all truth not to see its reality. If the Jews announced that the body of Jesus was stolen while the guards were sleeping, then this is too obvious a lie. Imagine that it was necessary to approach the tomb, roll away a large stone, and then leave with the body without waking up the guards, who, however, were assigned, in fact, so that Jesus’ disciples would not come overnight and steal His body (Matthew 27:14). The Roman guard consisted of four quaternities (Acts 12:4). The Roman guards were severely punished for negligence in their work. Let us recall an incident from the history of St. Paul, when the prison guard, believing that he had let the prisoners escape, wanted to lay hands on himself (Acts 16:27); and here the soldiers so carelessly report to their superiors about their extreme negligence. But so be it; let the guards really be asleep: why did they know that the body was stolen? And who is blamed for the theft? To those people who, at the first meeting with danger, ran away like sheep - who now must go into open struggle with the fierce synagogue. And what did they need the dead man for? But for us it is enough that the enemies of Jesus themselves did not subsequently deny the reality of the resurrection of Christ, but only forbade preaching about the risen Jesus. So, our sweetest is alive, and if He is alive, if He was resurrected by Himself, then we do not need other evidence of His divine glory. It is a well-known fact that the dead do not rise on their own; It is a well-known fact that the body of a person who has actually died must undergo decay, and it is not at all natural for him to resurrect by himself. The earth will turn into earth, turn into earth, become earth: this is the will of the Most High. But our Savior died on the cross, the dead was perforated, the dead was laid in the tomb; everyone saw, everyone knew, His very enemies said that He died. And yet He rose again on the third day. What an obvious, what an amazing miracle! And death could not hold Him (Acts 2:32). He rose again by Himself. There was neither a prophet nor a miracle worker here to take Him out of the tomb. He stood up Himself as the Lord of life and death. He stood up not as defeated by death, but as its conqueror. He gave his life and took it again. No one took it away from Him, and no one gave it to Him (John 10:17–18). He Himself, with complete freedom, lay down in the grave cave, as in a royal palace, and rose from it. Who is this if not the true God, the all-active and all-powerful God? So, Christian, your God lives. Your God lives - and you know whom you bow to. He is alive, and you see in Him everything that an inquisitive mind could require. He is alive and gives life to humanity, both mind and heart. Pagan wisdom created for itself gods of the dead, who neither heard nor saw man. How ashamed is man that he bowed down to idols! At other times, man invented living gods for himself, but they were either as meaningless as idols, or were so vicious that all that remained was to learn from them only vices: this is even more shameful for man. The best pagan sage! your god is an unknown god. But what kind of god is this? He is either too unmerciful to you, so much so that he does not want to speak about himself, or he spoke about himself, but you do not understand him, both are not an honor to you and your God. And why do you need your unknown? If he does not know you, he does not know your needs, of which you have so many. If you do not know him, how will you honor him, then how do you need to honor him? Unfortunately for yourself, you created it. Not seeing from you the respect that you do not have to give him, he will kill you in anger. Christian! How alive, how high, how firm is your faith - faith in your living Lord! When Jesus appeared with the power of miracles, with strength of spirit and word: the highest hopes came to life in the best of people; the best people turned expectantly to Jesus. But Jesus was crucified, Jesus died, Jesus is in the tomb. The prophet and wonderworker, the Messiah was killed by the lawless: what could we expect after that? The gloomy tomb that hid Jesus also hid, apparently, all the hopes of mankind. We hoped that he would deliver Israel, but now for the third day, since he was in the tomb, the hope that grieved for Jesus spoke (Luke 24:21). But Jesus rose again, and with Him our best hopes were resurrected. Sinner! What you most need is forgiveness of sins. You often sigh heavily for someone who would save you from your sins. Now your sighs for the Deliverer are not in vain. So Jesus Christ died, but also rose again; He is at the right hand of God, and makes intercession for us (Rom. 8:33–34) Who can now accuse God's elect? The battle justifies them; who dares to condemn? Our Savior lives, and so does our hope for His salvation. It was not in vain that the prophet spoke about His rising and our resurrection in Him on the third day (Hos. 6:3). Jesus was delivered up for our sins and rose again for our justification (Rom. 4:25). Now it is clear that God the Father is well pleased with the sacrifice made for us by Jesus; He glorified Jesus. So, if you fall seventy times a day, weak traveler of the earth, you will sin more than seventy times a day: get up and go to the righteous Intercessor; He will forgive you, He forgives everyone who comes to God through Him. But you, even the justified one, remain with infirmities and sigh that you cannot get rid of your sinful flesh. Comfort yourself. Unless I go, He said, the Comforter will not come (John 16:11). And so, if He ascended to the Father, then the Comforter will come to strengthen us in the fight against sin. And the risen One Himself promised to remain with the church all the days, until the end of the age. However, if all our hopes ended on earth: how hard would your earthly life be, Christian! How much the world makes you suffer! You suffer, renouncing earthly benefits; you suffer and then, even as you enjoy them, you suffer from dryness, then you suffer from repentance. You delight the sorrows of your life only with the expectation of joy in the future. But how are you convinced of your joyful future? All the more by the resurrection of Christ! In fact, what does death mean after the death of Jesus? She is only a guardian who preserves one body for the time being, and the immortal spirit, which knows no grave, hovers above the boundaries of the earth. What does the death of Jesus mean for us? A sure guarantee for our eternal life. Christ is the head of believers; If the head is resurrected, is it likely that the other members will remain dead? Christ is King; and so it is necessary that there should be subjects. If it is preached that Christ is risen, writes Paul, how can some say that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised (1 Cor. 15:12–13). No, it was not in vain that this heavenly grain of wheat fell to the ground. It fell so as not to be left alone; it died in order to bear much fruit (John 12:24). If the wisdom of the earthly sages could not establish in their children the hope of immortal life, then this is also because the earthly sages, going to the grave, did not return to their children. Even if the prophets did not clearly and firmly speak about the future life, it is because there has not yet been on earth a conqueror of death, about whom everyone should come to life (1 Cor. 15:22). But now the Spirit of the risen Jesus, living in us, this Spirit alone testifies that we need to live not only on earth or in the earth, but in heaven and forever. God, rich in mercy, made us alive together with Christ when we were dead in trespasses (Eph. 2:4). What does it mean? this means that even that death that killed our spirit, and from the spirit poured mortal poison onto the body, even that death was defeated by Christ, and we, while remaining on earth, already live in heaven; for we live in communion with God through the grace of the risen Christ. God, rich in mercy, gave life to those killed by sin and made them sit in heaven in Christ Jesus. That is why it is not just the spirit, but our most humble body will be transformed by the One Who once rose again so that it will be conformed to His glorious body, will transform it by the power by which He acts and subdues all things to Himself (Phil. 3:21). Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, according to His great mercy, by the resurrection of Christ regenerated us to a living hope (1 Pet. 1:3). The Lord, the Lord himself created this day, may we rejoice and be glad on it! After the resurrection of Christ confirms us in unshakable faith, and consoles us with full hopes, what should we do, if not to love our Lord, if not to do His holy will? Love of Christ, said St. Paul, entices us to argue that if one died for all, then all died (2 Cor. 5:14). And truly, how can we not die for our Lord? How can we spare ourselves when eternal love did not spare itself for us? How can we be insensitive in love, which loves not our friends, but our enemies? Christian! sin crucified your Jesus; sin brought Jesus down into your grave; sin tormented your Jesus with the mortal torments. This is what your sin means! This is what sin can give you! When this is done to a living tree, look what a dry tree can expect! On the other hand, if your Jesus is alive; if He, as a man, was resurrected by the Divine, then how and why is this? He humbled Himself, becoming obedient even to the point of death, even death on the cross. And so God highly exalted Him and gave Him the name that is above every name (Phil. 2:7). For suffering death He was crowned with glory and honor; for voluntary poverty he was enriched with power over heaven and earth; For the dishonor He suffered for us, He was consecrated as a leader of salvation, and He brings many sons into glory (Heb. 2:8-9). How much can you expect for yourself, Christian soul, from a holy life pleasing to God! Eternal truth, which crowned the innocent sufferer with rewards, will also reward your exploits, especially since it is reconciled with you by the exploits of an unprecedented sufferer. And what do you love on earth? Is it really peace? But you know that the world crucified, mocked, killed your Jesus; you know that the world is stricken with judgment from Jesus - left in shame and disgrace. And the vain scribe, and the Pharisee proud of his piety, and the vain Pilate, and the rude mob - the whole world, with its magnificent glory, and with its hypocrisy, and with all its passions, what does it appear to you in the light of the glory of the risen Jesus? A host of deicides, rejected by God! Run away from this host. In the world of sinners, everything that could stop you and shake your love for God, everything was condemned by the risen Jesus. All that remains is to live a new life, unknown to the world. We were buried with Christ through baptism into death, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life (Rom. 6:4). For only one thing on earth did Christ command us to live: this is for love for our neighbors. This love is confirmed, sanctified, sealed by Him. He wanted, He demanded that we. beat each other just as He loved us. He wanted us to forgive each other just as He forgave us. This is, He said, leaving this world, this is My commandment, that you love one another (John 15:17). And, after the resurrection, by what name did He call His earthly disciples for the very first time? He calls them brothers: go to my brothers, he said to Mary. How can we not love each other when the risen Lord himself calls people His brothers? Oh, eternal love, resurrected love! extinguish enmity and envy in our hearts, although for days of joy in You. If, when, listeners, then especially now let us embrace each other, saying: brethren! and to those who hate us we will forgive everything for the joy of the resurrection. “Shine, shine, new Jerusalem! The glory of the Lord has shone upon you.” Whoever you are, Christian, let nothing disturb the joy of this joyful day of yours. Are you happy? Compound your happiness with a real celebration. Unhappy? Forget your earthly sorrows and rejoice in the heaven that is open to you. Are you a sinner? Don’t talk about this: the resurrected one has all the righteous. Are you righteous? Rejoice more - about the triumphant truth of the One Just One. Oh, great and sacred Easter, Christ! grant us to commune with You here with a sincere heart; grant us to truly partake of You in the unfading days of Your kingdom. Amen. Discourse on the Gospel read on the 1st day of Easter at Vespers What should we talk about on the day of the resurrected, if not about the resurrected? Now all we have to say is about the resurrected one. The Church in her songs rejoices and rejoices about the Risen One; she offers inspired gospels that speak about the Risen One. We have now heard the gospel of the appearance of the risen, - about the appearance that took place almost at this very hour - being late, and on this very day - one from the Sabbath. If now there can only be a word about the resurrected one: let us repeat and explain the news about the resurrected one, received for the first time at this very hour and day. I am present later, on that day, one of the Sabbaths, and with the doors closed, where the disciples gathered together, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and a hundred in the midst. The angels had already announced to the myrrh-bearing women the joyful news of the risen Lord (Luke 24:1–7). The Lord Himself first appeared to one Magdalene, then to her and the other Mary. He made Himself clearly known to the Emmaus travelers in the breaking of bread. Peter, together with John, confirms to the disciples the message of those who saw the Lord about the glorified Lord. However, the disciples are still afraid. The Jewish host, which struck the shepherd, brought trepidation to the sheep left without a shepherd; the orphaned students are afraid of everything from the people who treated the only Righteous One so unfairly, so inhumanely, who have already accused them of intending to steal the Teacher’s body; in fear they turn to a means of safety, - the doors conclude: the means is too unreliable against embittered anger! And then, as the hearts of the disciples were either constrained by apprehension and fear, or for a moment illuminated with the sweet hope of seeing the Lord, the Lord on the same day, on the 1st day of the week, when he appeared to Mary, in the evening He Himself appears among the disciples; the doors were locked, and He came and stood in the midst of them. The miracle of the resurrection is compounded by the miracle of the extraordinary appearance of the resurrected one. That this miracle really happened, that the risen Jesus really came to the disciples, while the doors remained closed; This is shown both by the clear words of the evangelist, which He repeated later, and by the fear of the disciples, embarrassed by the appearance of the Lord. And for those enlightened by the full light of pure revelation, this miracle does not go beyond the limits of the probable. There is a spiritual body, says the apostle, and there is a spiritual body (1 Cor. 15:44). The latter remains a body even when the gross physicality either decays or burns, the spiritual body is subtle and elusive by the conditions of visible life. The spiritual body, formed from the material, spiritual, transforms earthly principles into heavenly ones, gross ones into subtle ones. This is what happens in a person when he does not remain under the influence of the sensual life alone! And what an immense gradualness in the ascent of the coarse to the more subtle, to the elusive, is noticed in material nature itself! Just as here, some material principles are penetrated by others, and these by others, and so on! Water passes through the tree; fire penetrates iron, copper, silver, gold - the densest bodies. Thus, for common common sense, it is not incomprehensible how the resurrected One came through a closed door. And yet, the appearance of the resurrected one among the disciples, with the doors closed, was so extraordinary that it required a reassuring word. And Jesus said to them: Peace be with you. What kind of world is this that the Lord teaches to the apostles? And the world often promises peace to people - he even included the desire for peace among his ordinary greetings. But how unfaithful, how restless is the peace that promises peace to people! The Lord himself said: peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you: not as the world gives, I give it to you (John 14:27). The peace that He leaves for His disciples is not the same that gives peace to people. It would not be enough for the world of Christ if he freed the disciples of Christ only from fears from evil people; Christ's disciples had to have the strength to fight not only the Jews. The peace of Christ contained an inner peace, a peace of spiritual strength, once broken by sin; sin, having upset the soul, upset the soul's relationship to God and to all creation, the truth of God rose up against the sinner man, the world of spirits - zealots of truth - rose up, external nature, hitherto submissive to man, rose up. The God-man reconciled by His death the truth of God with man; tangible proof of this is His victory over death. And behold, the same zealots indeed, the angels, preach the good news to those who were looking for the resurrected one: do not be afraid; and behold, they proclaim to those who are called in Christ that everything will work out for their good. The Evangelist Luke narrates (Luke 24:37) that the disciples, having heard the message from the Lord about the heavenly world, remained confused; They thought they saw a spirit and hesitated. The appearance of the risen Lord was so extraordinary for them! So much in this high spiritual matter remained not entirely clear to them! That is why Jesus, having announced peace, showing them His hand and nose and side, shows the signs of His suffering on the cross, so that they can see that He is the same Christ who was crucified. He wants to dispel confusion about Himself, and gives thoughts the freedom to reach saving faith on their own, allowing one to experience the truth. He does not demand unconditional trust: no, let the eye see, and the hands touch, let the senses all recognize the truth, when they want the truth to be justified at this trial. Do not fear for the truth: it will justify itself, it is not afraid of testing. The truths of faith are spiritual; often they do not belong at all to the realm of the sensory world: but they are explained, sometimes even confirmed, by experience. This is the truth that Christ has risen truly. It was given to the test of feelings, and remained the truth; They cannot now say that faith in the resurrected is based only on hearing, on rumor, not verified by caution. No, she was trusted. Evangelist Luna adds to John’s narrative that to reassure the apostles, Jesus, who appeared through the closed doors, ate food with the apostles, and then explained the scripture that prophesied about His death and resurrection (Luke 24:42–47). The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. How could one not rejoice when they saw Him Whom they considered either a dead man, taking all hopes with him to the grave, or a ghost who terrified a soul unaccustomed to the world of spirits. The Evangelist Luke adds: yet to those who do not believe them with joy and wonder at the speech (Luke 24:41): i.e. The disciples could not believe their joy with joy; They experienced and learned that their teacher, their Lord, for whom some had promised to lay down their souls, had risen, and the joy was so great that its object seemed incredible. Jesus said to them again: Peace be with you. Jesus again repeats to the confused the desire for peace, of course, in order to establish the peace that was being reborn in them through the action of His almighty will: but this peace was still needed for the great work that Jesus wants to entrust to his chosen ones. For the Father has sent Me, and I am sending you, He further says. Christ's elect must now take His place, assume the title of enlighteners of the world, which He Himself apparently had hitherto fulfilled. What extraordinary power is given to the apostles! They enter into the rights of the Son of God. His heavenly Father sent him into the world, and those who did not accept the Son are unhappy: He sends His chosen ones to act on earth on His behalf. What powerful messengers! Who will not listen to their words? Who will not accept their instructions with a ready, humble heart? And how extraordinary these messengers are in everything! They must go into the whole world on behalf of the Son of God, they must go into the world to subdue people to the will of the Son of God: and what benefits do they have for their calling? There are no ordinary ones. They are poor, and not learned, and not noble. But all the more glory for them if they managed to conquer the world without anything; all the more should we listen to the broadcasts of these messengers, which are so different from the teachings of men. For the Father has sent Me, and I am sending you. And before his death, the Lord announced to his chosen ones about their high destiny; He then gave instructions for their high position (Matthew 10:1). But the death of Jesus showed that the elect also needed to have their title confirmed again, to which they had not shown worthy fidelity. And these rivers, I blow. Once upon a time, with a divine breath, the breath of lives was communicated to man, and he became a living man. The resurrected One imparts divine power to His disciples by blowing; the action is performed sensually, but contains spiritual power: for how to speak with people without using human language? How can spiritual objects be expressed to them spiritually when they are clothed with sensuality? And he said to them: Receive the Holy Spirit. Here is the explanation of the visual action! The apostles received the firstfruits of the Spirit from Jesus Christ even then, as they listened to His oral instructions. They received the full outpouring of the gifts of grace on the day of Pentecost. If, after His resurrection, the Savior imparts to them the gifts of the same all-filling Spirit, this means that He now imparts to them a greater abundance of spiritual gifts than what they possessed before, but gives them less than what was given later, on the day of Pentecost. Thus, the apostles were gradually elevated to the divine heights of their power and dignity; they gradually purified themselves into worthy vessels of grace. Before the resurrection of Christ, the apostles were not able to accept much; and after the resurrection they still held some thoughts about the kingdom of Christ, which were not approved by Christ the Lord. There was a time for Peter when he did according to his own will, went where he wanted; but then, according to the word of the risen One, a time should come when another would lead Peter wherever he wanted; when the will of Peter is replaced by a higher will. Graduality is a necessary condition for the life of the created; and a life spoiled by sin, and a soul corrupted by nature and aggravated by habits, how difficult it is to cleanse and correct! A lot of time needs to be spent, a lot of stops and considerations need to be made in order to bring God’s work to the blessed end! And so, do not be discouraged, my listener, when you see that even with all your efforts you are making little progress in salvation; don't be discouraged, but go forward. Remember that the Savior compared spiritual life to grain, from which an ear does not suddenly form. Work hard; the fruit will be blessed. What was the gift of the Spirit, communicated by the resurrected one, to the apostles? To them, he says, forgive their sins, they will be forgiven, and to them, hold, hold on. So far, the power of the Spirit in the apostles has only been limited to the fact that they could forgive sins and not forgive. However, we do not want to say that this apostolic power - the power to forgive sins - is not significant. She is great in herself; it is important for sinful people. Once upon a time, Jewish lawyers said: who can forgive sins, except one God (Mark 2:7)? And in this case they are right. Who can cancel the determinations of the Most High? The truth of God is unchanging in its demands: She pronounced judgment on the sinner, and the sinner is a child of wrath! Only the infinite One Himself is free to cancel His determination, and will cancel it when infinitely good wisdom finds a means to reject judgment from a person without offending the truth; otherwise the sinner will not find salvation anywhere. It is in the power of the omnipotent to authorize the chosen ones with the right to resolve the sinner, or to leave him bound by his sins. Whether He Himself directly, or through His servant, announces permission - in relation to Him, it is the same, but it is not the same for those who need permission. People should want those chosen from among the people to be empowered to forgive the sins of people. God is ready to forgive sins. But how can a troubled conscience convince itself that this or that grave sin has been forgiven? The importance of the one to whom God has entrusted the power to forgive sins pours the oil of peace and tranquility on the sinner’s soul, tormented by the consciousness of sins. God is ready to forgive sins, but under the condition of sincere repentance for them. Who will find out and who will reveal to the unrepentant sinner that his repentance is too cold, that he still needs to humble himself through the deeds of repentance before he can receive the gracious permission of heaven? A sincere mentor is needed, a spiritual doctor is needed for a sick soul. How carefully, how wisely You arrange the good of our souls, our sweetest Savior! Your first message after the resurrection is the message of forgiveness of the sinner. Oh, how can a sinner not love You. Go, sinners, to the risen Jesus, embrace His feet together with Mary. He is yours, your teacher and Savior! The Lord said to the apostles: Forgive their sins, they will be forgiven. But, if the Lord sent the apostles into the world by divine authority and did not send them so that the existence of the church, which they were to spread, would be limited only to the apostolic time, then by the same divine authority the apostles had the power to appoint successors to their ministry, and to invest them with the grace-filled power to forgive or not forgive sins. And when can there be no need for the pilgrims of the earth for the forgiveness of sins? And therefore, when can there be no need for the existence of power vested with divine right over our conscience? Go, my brother, to judgment before a minister of the church, not as a person, the Lord invested divine power in the apostles, the apostles invested him with this minister of the church, it passed to him successively from the apostles, from the Son of God, from God Himself. The Lord said to the apostles: forgive their sins, they will be forgiven. The apostles were given the gift of the Holy Spirit to forgive, or not to forgive, a sinner and - the apostles, by the will of their Lord, transferred the same power to their successors: how do they accept this power who did not accept it from the apostles and their successors? The apostles, and not the entire church in general, were given divine power; the apostles, and not every private member of the church, were given the divine right. What do they do when they anticipate power that no one gave them? What do they do when they arrogate to themselves power, which, in fact, belongs only to God? They blaspheme without fear, in front of the entire earthly church they use the stolen divine right. How brazen this is! How scary it is! But Thomas, one of two, the so-called twin, was not with them when Jesus came. It is not known whether circumstances only detained Didymus somewhere, or whether his state of mind was such that he no longer wanted to take part in the grandfather of the crucified man, as in a lost cause. To the verb, his friends are his disciples: I have seen the Lord. He said to them, “If I do not see the marks of the nails in His hand, and put my finger into the marks of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I have no faith.” It must be admitted that Thomas could have found many reasons not to reject with such persistence the news of the risen Lord. This message was already based on the very experience with which he thought to trust it. But for Thomas the experience of others was not enough; – he wanted to test with distinct accuracy. This is how people with a discerning mind usually act. What can we say about this incredulous inquisitiveness of the apostle? Revelation clearly did not condemn her. The Savior did not even refuse to fulfill her demands. Dare we condemn her? We can only say that not everyone goes to heaven the same way, because not everyone has the same disposition of soul. Some accept the truth with a simple heart, without reasoning, and in simplicity of heart they serve the Lord. Others do not first accept the proposed truth until they believe it themselves. The path of the first is easy in the sense that they do not take on difficult mental work; The latter are forced to experience a lot of struggles in their thoughts, turmoil in their souls, because they want to prove and believe everything themselves. Either path can lead to heaven, but there are dangers on both paths. Inquisitiveness is dangerous when it boldly subjects the most inaccessible truths to investigation. She is guilty when she does not experience the truth in order to learn the saving truth, but only follows its paths through one type of passion. Let them experience the truth with a humble, pure heart; and then, after sorrows, they will joyfully exclaim before Him with Thomas: My Lord and my God! Praise and glory to You, our good Comforter, Who gives peace and tranquility to both testing minds and believing hearts, both those who need peace of conscience and those worried by the troubles of earthly life. Amen. Conversation on the 2nd day of Holy Easter In the grave carnally, in hell with a soul like God, to heaven with a thief, and on the throne you were, O Christ, with the Father and were filled with the Spirit, all indescribable. Here is a song worthy of a solemn day - a sweet and lofty song, full of deep thoughts and joyful feelings, which the rejoicing church now sings to the risen Christ. Red are your songs, new Zion, bride of Christ! Sweet, solemn are your delights about the joy that has risen from the grave; but not everyone, like this song, both delights and teaches us; not everything, like this song, expresses to us everything that the language of sacred delight could express in real triumph. Let us, listeners, sing this instructive and sweet song. Carnally in the grave. These words were words of sorrow yesterday, but not now. He is in the tomb, said faith, reflecting on the object of his lofty thoughts, hidden in the bowels of the earth; He is in the tomb, and we hoped that He was, even though He might deliver Israel (Luke 24:21). Let us move away from the tomb; the coffin hid our pleasant dreams. “He is in the grave,” said joyless love, pouring hot tears over the lifeless body of the sweetest; in the tomb, desecrated, disfigured by the villains, a righteous man unprecedented on earth - and the villains triumph! How long, O Lord, will the path of the wicked be sung! All who do iniquity are destroyed (Jer. 12:1). In the coffin, said hope, and the silent, secluded coffin absorbed all her immortal hopes. But be comforted, daughters of heaven! He is in the grave, but only carnally. In the grave he performs the last act of self-willed humility; the flesh pays, apparently, a tribute to dust; The dust returns for a while, so that later, the more it will shine with the glory of incorruptibility, the more burdensome were the bonds that weighed down on mortal flesh. In the grave carnally, in hell with the soul. Here is the first ray of consolation for lamenting hope! So - let the flesh be mortal, but the spirit is immortal; let the dust be given over to dust, but the spirit soars to God, who is like him (Eccl. 12:7). This is the truth, so unsteady, so unclear until then, while death reigned with all cruelty over those who had not sinned in the likeness of Adam’s crime. The desires of mortals strove at times beyond the limits of this life, but did not destroy the limits; The bowels of the earth protected the earth from the sky, and no one destroyed this barrier. Fortune telling remained fortune telling; those who came from the earth spoke about the earth, and the darkness of death obscured the last flicker of truth in their eyes; they went to the coffin, leaving, instead of an inheritance, the foolish care of preserving their remains. Even a significant part of the people of God, to whom were entrusted the mysteries of heaven, finally rejected all hope of immortality and preached that there was no angel or spirit (Matthew 12:23). But the death of our Lord teaches us to look upon death as nothing more than a guard who guards what is entrusted to him; keep until then, as long as the Lord of life pleases; teaches the joyful truth that it is not the spirit, which is completely ignorant of the grave and death, but only our mortal composition that is surrendered into the power of a non-eternal guardian. The firstborn from the dead, not cognizable by two natures, was not lying in the tomb as a soul: and we rejoice, looking at the smoldering church of the body, being confident that it will not be the eternal grave of the spirit. This sweet faith is even more confirmed by the resurrection of the very flesh of Jesus. If the flesh has been resurrected for eternal life, then can the spirit decay? If the flesh of Jesus has risen, why do the Netis say that there is no resurrection of the dead? (1 Cor. 15:12) The Resurrection of Jesus Christ shows that not only the spirit is immortal, but also the body; that the day will come when the corruptible will also put on the incorruptible (1 Cor. 15:52). The Spirit of Christ Jesus is not only the spirit of man, He is the God-man. So He descends into the abysses of hell, but clothed with divine power, so that even there His glory may be known, so that there He may be the same for poor people as He was on earth. In hell, with a soul like God. Until then, not one of the righteous righteous under the law, not one of the patriarchs, promised themselves immediate entry into bliss after death; They all went there - into a dark ditch, without water, like prisoners, and there they waited until the Mighty, victorious King of the daughter of Zion came (Zech. 9:11). There they asked, saying: How long will we be so hopeful, when the fruit of the harvest of our reward comes? (3Ezra 4:35) Patriarch Jacob, out of inconsolable grief, wanting to give up his life, determined no other fate for himself and the mourned Joseph, like living in an underground prison: he did not want to be consoled, saying, “I will go down to my son, lamenting to hell” (Gen. 37:35). He who had the power of death drew into his realm all those infected with the poison of Adam’s sin. Only the Strong One could bind this strong one and plunder his captivity; one Son of God could destroy the shackles of sin and the rivets of hell, confirmed by heavenly justice, and the Son of God appears in hell, like God. This is not an invention of self-will, not the teaching of unreasonable arbitrariness: this is how they judge, this is how the apostles teach! The teacher of languages, preaching about the ascension of Jesus into heaven, says: but he went up, even as he also went down to the depths of the earth, to the depths of the earth (Eph. 4:9). For what? Let Him fulfill all things (Eph.4:10). And the Apostle Peter teaches that Christ, as being in the flesh, preached to those clothed with the flesh, so being mortified in the flesh and living in the Spirit, who was in spiritual prison, came down to preach to those who sometimes resisted, while waiting for God’s long-suffering in the days of Noah (1 Peter 3:19). The same apostle, in confirmation of the fact that Jesus will judge not only the living, but also the dead, says that Jesus preached to the dead: for this reason the gospel should be preached to the dead; then he points to the purpose of this sermon: so that they will receive judgment according to man in the flesh, but they will live according to God in the spirit (1 Pet. 4:6), or, as one church father explains, so that those who live according to man in the flesh will receive condemnation, just as the hardened are condemned on earth; Those who live according to God in spirit will live a blessed life. Even through the mouth of the ancient prophet, God speaks about His chosen ones: I will deliver from the hand of hell, and I will redeem from death. Where is yours, death? Where is your osten in hell? ( Hos. 13:14 ). He is crushed by the conqueror of death and hell, since the ruler of death is also deposed (Heb. 2:14). But it is not only hell that opens the gates to the Conqueror of hell, but also heaven. Until then, how was it possible to get to where terrible ingratitude before the wondrous benefactor armed the Creator and creation against itself? Paradise - a place of peace and bliss, a place of contemplation of the glory of God - was concluded for sinner man. But here the Lord Jesus is in heaven with the thief. What a triumph for the Son of Man! It was not in vain that the repentant thief called the one imputed with the villains “Lord”; it was not in vain that he asked to be remembered in the kingdom; The promise was not in vain: today you will be with Me in Paradise (Luke 23:43). In paradise - he who confessed the Crucified as Lord, because the Crucified destroyed the barrier that separated earth from heaven; in paradise he is a thief, because the sacrifice of the righteous for the unrighteous was accepted by justice. Truly, He is the one who wants to deliver Israel, faith must now say. He delivers the most lost sheep to the house of Israel. Truly, the impudent wickedness that cried out to the Crucified One must now be silenced: He saved others, He cannot save Himself (Mark 15:31). He saves, but not what the wicked and violent world thought about, but what the outcast from the world thought about - he saves the soul. Truly, sweet hopes for you in Jesus are inexhaustible, you hopeless sinner! Behold, a sinner like you is the first to enter the hitherto unrelenting Eden. The Cherub, who did not allow the righteous to enter the enclosed place of joy, lets the thief in, because Jesus is with him. Hasten, poor sinner, to Jesus, so that He may take you with Him. I threw myself with tears at His feet; - He will not leave you; say to Him with a contrite heart: Lord, remember me in Your kingdom, as You remembered the thief (Luke 23:42), and He will remember you, He will remember you; Believe me, your word will not be lost. He said to his followers: where there are seven Az, and you will be. I live, and you will live (John 14:3, 19). And His promise is sure. That is why all the righteous loved to call themselves sinners, because Jesus was the first to take the first sinner into heaven. That is why the fate of those who consider themselves righteous is dangerous, because Jesus does not take with Him those who want to be justified by themselves. That is why those who do not know Jesus should be afraid of the future, just as the thief knew Him; Jesus will say: neither do I know you. Bless, Christian, Christ your Lord; He alone opens the entrance to paradise - alone, in Him it is fitting that we should be saved (Acts 4:12); and you are with Him - the only Savior. Great is the name of the Lord Jesus we confess. While human zeal seeks Him in vain in the tomb, established faith beholds Him on the throne with the Father and the Spirit, on the throne of glory befitting the one God. So the risen one did not cease to be God even under the clothing of mortal flesh, did not cease to be the only great and glorious one - and under the cover of humility and free humiliation. In him dwelt all things, the fulfillment of the Godhead bodily (Col. 2:9). We have seen His glory, say the apostles, eyewitnesses of the Word incarnate, we have seen His glory as the only begotten of the Father - He is full of grace and truth (John 1:14). But mortal flesh, but the image of a servant, but the likeness of man, as if separated the Son from the Father, hid the glory of the Divine, so that this glory seemed more like the glory of the great prophet, the king of the earth, the son of man, and just as it seemed could change, just as everything earthly changes and disappears. The small number of His friends gathered around the Galilean prophet, as soon as the Shepherd was struck, are scattered like timid and defenseless sheep. After the resurrection, He again ascends to where he came from (John 8:14), leaving the disgrace of humiliation in order to receive the full glory of the Divine, to receive the name that is above every name (Phil. 2:9). Oh, that we sinners would see, according to the Savior’s promise, heaven open (John 1:51)! In what glory, in what greatness they would see our Lord! But enough for us: the spectators see and tell us the Son of man, crowned with glory and honor for accepting death (Heb. 2:9); they see how He, having created the cleansing of our sins with Himself, is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty on high (Heb. 1:3); they see how twenty-four elders fall down before the slain Lamb sitting on the throne, casting down their crowns before His throne (Rev. 4:10); they see hosts of angels covering their faces from the unapproachable glory of the glorified Son of God. Be reverent, O Christian, remembering the name of your risen Lord Jesus; it is terrible for every tribe, in heaven, on earth and under the earth (Phil. 2:10). Be reverent and rejoice together! He received all power in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18), but in order to arrange and secure our salvation, in order to send down to his beloved the weapon of truth to overthrow thoughts that ascend to the truth, the spirit of power and love for victory over an insensitive and stubborn world; He left the earth, but promised, oh, kind and sweet promise! promised to be with us on earth until the end of time. Move now, ascetic of Christ! Walk cheerfully along your path; you have a faithful Leader. And will you fall, feeble and weak? There - before the throne of the Father, the intercessor imams of the righteous Jesus (1 John 2:1); He is able to save those who come to God through Him, He who lives, by interceding for us (Heb. 7:25). Will you be exhausted, will you be exhausted in your spiritual and physical strength? Let not your heart be troubled, nor be afraid! In the name of the risen Jesus you can ask anything, and everything will be given to you (John 14:27, 16:23). Christ the Savior! You are on earth, and in heaven, and in the lands below; You fill everything with Yourself. Do not forsake us poor sinners, according to Your promise, although we are unworthy of it. Be with us until the end of time! Amen. Homily on the day of the Ascension of the Lord, spoken in the Khoroshevsky nunnery I lifted my eyes to the mountains, from nowhere but my help will come (Ps. 70:1). What does it mean that David expects help from the mountains? Why were the mountains so important to him? True, he added that he received help from the Lord, who created heaven and earth. Nevertheless, he connected the thought of God’s help with the thought of the mountains. This means that mountains were also important in his eyes. So we, the inhabitants of the city and villages, gathered on the mountain. Why did you gather? really just for fun? The faces of the maidens and wives chose a secluded mountain as a place for their permanent residence. Why did they leave cities and villages? If none of the temporary visitors to the mountain want to say about themselves that they came to this mountain without an important thought about the mountain; then, of course, it was not light thoughts, not petty motives that forced me to settle on a deserted mountain. Why do some people, leaving the world, retire to desert mountains or deserts? In reproach to the friends of the desert mountains they say: the ancient hermits were driven into the desert by fear of persecution. But even if this were so: who should be reproached? Is it really not the persecutors, but the persecuted? What were the persecutors rebelling against? Against the holy faith against St. piety. Why did the persecuted flee? To preserve piety for yourself and others. And in war there is flight, which wins the glory of victory. If you are persecuted in one city, flee to another, the Savior told the apostles (Matthew 10:23). David ran from Saul, both so as not to recklessly risk his life, and so that Saul could see how far David was from any hostility towards Saul. If the people of the world call the late friends of the desert followers of such fugitives, then they are not putting themselves in an advantageous position by taking the side not of the persecuted, but of the persecutors of piety. - Meanwhile, in relation to the ancient friends of the desert mountains, the matter has not yet been resolved by pointing out the fear of persecution. Let this fear make you retreat to the mountains for a while, but what made you stay in the mountains for the rest of your life? The persecution is over; the terrifying people are no more; and the hermits do not return to the world, they still wander in the mountains, endure heat and cold, poverty and famine. So, we repeat the question: why do they retire from the world to the mountains? At the first reminder of the mountains, a thought involuntarily arises in the mind: was it not because the mountains were so loved because they are close to the sky? Yes, this thought, without a doubt, took part in the holy love for the mountains. Where should we strive with our thoughts and will, if not to heaven? What should our whole life be if not a striving for heaven? And the mountains, with their elevation to the sky, inspire the spirit with aspirations to heaven. The Savior Himself ascended the mountain for a prayerful conversation with the Father: go up the mountain to pray (Luke 9:28). True, in every place one can approach the Omnipresent; in every place one can worship the Father of spirits in spirit and truth. Every place in the universe speaks of the Creator of the worlds and calls the soul to glorify Him. In every place of His dominion, bless the Lord my soul (Ps. 101:22). But what to do if the soul does not praise the Lord equally everywhere? What should we do if we do not draw closer to God in every place, but even retreat from Him in others? The world is beautiful as God’s creation, but is it beautiful as a society of people? Let people, out of frivolity, out of passion, admire this world, but God’s judgment speaks of the world: the world lies in evil. Look around what it is like for a God-loving soul in the world! On the one hand they call her to praise the Lord, on the other they resound with rejoicings that make no sense. In addition to the enchanting voices, there are annoying voices of need and worries, domestic sorrows and family discord; and neither day nor night there is no peace for the soul from them. Fight with the world for holy thoughts and intentions? I can't find the strength. Surrendering to the will of the waves of the world is the same as dooming yourself to death. What can a poor soul do? There is only one thing left to do - cut off all ties with the world and flee to the mountains. The Israelites fled from Egypt, and if they had not condemned themselves to wandering in the desert, they would have died in corrupt Egypt. The world would not act on the soul as harmfully as it does if there were no corrupt inclinations of bad desires and unclean thoughts in the soul. This is the holy truth. But she also says that withdrawal from the world saves the soul from the irritating impressions of the world, and thereby facilitates the feat of spiritual salvation. It’s smart, isn’t it pleasing to God to remain in poor health where the air does not have a beneficial effect on health? Retiring to the mountains does not mean surrendering to an idle, inactive life. Oh no! – they go here to restore the disturbed health of the soul. And how difficult it is to heal a sick soul! It is not easy to restore health in a disordered physical organism, but the states of the soul are far less perceptible than the states of the body. The desert mountain provides convenience for accomplishing this feat in that it places the soul far from the irritating impressions of the world, but work is needed to correct the diseased organism of the soul. Beloved sisters! Don’t be embarrassed if I call your good mountain a hospital. We are all sick. But happy is the one of us who feels sick more deeply than others, and even happier is the one who uses the best hospital. Clean, fresh air is the best medicine for those who are sick in the body. Thank the Lord for your happiness: for a sick soul, staying on the mountain is happiness. Beloved sisters! you are happy, but know how to use your happiness. - Be careful not to go down the mountain. It is not wise to exchange the clean air of a holy monastery for the stifling air of the world. It is not wise to irritate the wounds of a sick soul, but they are easily irritated when carelessly touching a dangerous world. Beware of reviving connections with the abandoned world under the pretext of innocent love for family and friends. How long until this connection drags a weak soul there irrevocably? Let your thoughts and hearts steadily look to the sky. From there is salvation for our weak souls. Be reasonable about yourself and your stay on the mountain. He who lives on the mountain not as a fugitive who has given up everything just to get rid of the dangers of the world, but brings to the mountain the so-called comforts of worldly life: what does he do? Deceives God? It won't deceive. Is he deceiving himself? To your own destruction. No, there should not be Rachel among you, who carried away the idols from Laban’s house; There should not be those who would secretly bring here idols of carnality and self-indulgence. If on a desert mountain they grumble about its poverty, about its labors, about its desert boredom, are they not doing the same thing as the Israelites who sighed in the desert about the meats and cauldrons of Egypt? ABOUT! let them maintain patience in themselves by the memory of the fate that befell those who sighed for meat. They died in the coffins of lust. Sick people do not wear smart clothes. Therefore, your clothes are clothes of sadness. There is one fine garment for you - this is the fine linen of the justification of the saints, ready for those who love virginity (Rev. 19:8). Remember him, and before his beauty all earthly delights will disappear in your eyes. May the God of love and mercy cover those who love Him with His grace. Amen. Word on the Ascension of the Lord during the all-night service The Christian Church began to celebrate the Ascension of the Lord, which we celebrate, since the times of the apostles and according to the establishment of the apostles. In the apostolic decrees it is commanded to give freedom to slaves on the day of the Ascension of the Lord, on the grounds that this is the day of looking after Christ. 1 Blessed Augustine, a teacher of the fourth century, writes: “what we and Christians of all countries preserve has, without a doubt, come down to us from the apostles themselves, if not from the general consent of the church, such as, for example, the custom of glorifying with an annual celebration the passion of the Lord, the resurrection, and His ascension into heaven.” 2 From these words it is clear that the feast of the Ascension of the Lord in the 4th century was already a universal holiday, and that its antiquity is the same as the feast of the resurrection of Christ, and with the remembrance of the suffering of Christ. From the 4th century, the words and conversations of the church fathers, spoken on the feast of the Ascension of the Lord, have come down to us. Let us also honor this great holiday with reverent reflection on the ascension of the Lord Jesus. Christ Jesus, having ascended into heaven, is seated at the right hand of God. What does it mean? To sit at the right hand of the king in the language of scripture means to share with the king his power and honor. And so sitting at the right hand of God the Father in relation to the Son of God means the participation of the Son of God in the rights and perfections of God the Father. Christ Jesus, as the Son of God, is equal to the Father from eternity. But it was not the Son of God who ascended into heaven, but the Son of Man; the son of man, perceived into personal unity by the Son of God, received the glory of the true God upon his ascension into heaven. Father of glory, raised Him, Christ Jesus, from the dead and set Him at Your right hand in those who are in heaven, above all principality and power and strength and dominion and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come (Eph. 1:20-21). Give Him a name above every name, that in the name of Jesus every tribe of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth may worship (Phil. 2:9-10). Thus, at the right hand of the Father, Christ Jesus is ruler of heaven and earth. Sons of men! Honor the Son, otherwise He will crush you as a potter breaks worthless clay vessels. “I am not for you, but I am going to the Father,” the Savior told his disciples. And truly, the ascension of Christ the Lord into heaven opened for humanity the heavens that had hitherto been closed for Him. The very righteous of the Old Testament could not ascend into the promised kingdom of eternal bliss until Christ Jesus, the new Adam, ascended into heaven. The Holy Apostle teaches us: Christ did not go into a holy place made with hands, but into heaven itself, now let the face of God appear for us (Heb. 9:25). Christ Jesus appeared to the face of God as the intercessor of humanity, having completed his work; He appeared across humanity to reveal to heaven hitherto humiliated humanity in its primeval glory. ABOUT! How can people not rejoice at such glory of poor humanity! The angels themselves, no doubt, looked with triumph and joy at the glorified humanity in the face of Christ Jesus, since until then they mourned the fall of humanity in the person of Adam. The Savior says to his disciples: I am going to prepare a place for you (John 17:24). Places of eternal bliss for God's chosen ones have been prepared from eternity. Come, according to My Father’s biology, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world, so says the judge of the world to the righteous. Nevertheless, the entrance to the kingdom of God is open only to Christ Jesus. He alone, as the only friend of humanity, as an intercessor between earth and heaven, made heaven open for people; He appeared to the face of God the Father with merits for guilty humanity, and places in heaven were opened for those ready for heaven. If I do not go, the Comforter will not come to you; if I do go, I will send Him to you (John 16:7), said the Savior. Before the Redeemer of mankind, by appearing at the right hand of the Father, showed that the work entrusted to Him had been completed by Him, that heaven had been completely reconciled by Him with earth, humanity could not have expected from heaven the life-giving waters of grace necessary for the healing of the disordered human makeup. But here is the Redeemer in heaven, He is at the right hand of the Heavenly Father, and following His appearance in heaven, gifts of grace are sent to poor people with amazing generosity, in abundance, which no angel, much less a man, could imagine. Having ascended on high, you took captivity captive, and gave to man (Eph.4:8). Christ Jesus did not ascend to heaven in order to forget about the poor strangers of the earth. No, He remains the same for them in heaven as He was on earth. He loved people tenderly while He was on earth! What tears He did not wipe away, what sorrow He did not soften with His participation, in what trouble He did not help with His wonderful help! Did He stop loving people in heaven? No, He loves them even more in heaven than He loved them on earth, since His humanity is now fully glorified by the perfections of the Son of God. He said to Mary Magdalene after His resurrection: go to My brethren and proclaim: I ascend to My Father and your Father, My God and your God (John 20:17). You see, beloved, He who ascends into heaven calls people his brothers; He calls his Father their Father, his God their God. Holy Scripture, in order for us to see more clearly the active love for people of the Son of God who ascended into heaven, depicts it to us in various images. It names Christ Jesus as our high priest. Christ came as the bishop of the blessings to come, not by the blood of a goat, nor by the blood of a heifer, but by his own blood alone, having found eternal redemption in the holy place (Heb. 9:11). The Old Testament high priest offered the blood of a goat and a calf for the sins of the people: but this sacrifice gave people only external purity, only civil righteousness, gave those for whom the sacrifice was made the right to again participate in public worship, but did not give peace of conscience, did not clothe them with righteousness before the judgment of God. The insufficiency of the intercessory ministry of the high priest was already revealed in the fact that he had to renew his work every year. Christ Jesus decided His matter once and for all - and His sacrifice cleanses the very conscience of man, as a spiritual sacrifice, as a sacrifice of inestimable price. Further, Christ Jesus in heaven is our intercessor with God. My children, says the apostle of love, I write this to you, so that you do not sin. If anyone sins, the imams will intercede with the Father of Jesus Christ the righteous (1 John 2:1). As an intercessor, our Lord in heaven is always ready to help us in our needs: He opens for our prayers the entrance to heaven, where they could not reach, due to their unworthiness, sends consolation in sorrow and strength in weakness, while we could not receive either one or the other, due to our sins. That is why the apostle says with such triumphant confidence: who will take the elect of God? God justify. Who is to judge? Christ Jesus died, and much more also rose again, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us (Rom. 8:33-34). Christ in heaven, according to scripture, is the head of the church and the church is His body. And subject (God) all things under His (Christ Jesus) nose, and He gave him the head above all to the church, which is His body (Eph. 1:22). The head in a person controls his entire body, so that everything that happens in the body is done under the guidance and influence of the head. Christ in heaven is the head of the church and each member of this mysterious body receives invisible help from his visible head. Who after this can doubt that the Lord Jesus, who ascended into heaven, does not cease to look at us as his brothers and sisters? After that, how much hope do we have for Him, who loves us so much? Will any of us sin? Let him turn to the Sweetest with firm hope and prayer. No matter how great our sin: His intercession covers before the Father the sins of all mankind; How much does it mean for Him to cover your or my sin? Will any of us fall into any temptation? Will he be exposed to any misfortune or illness, mental or physical? Not the imams of the Bishop, who cannot suffer our weaknesses, but was tempted in every way in the likeness, perhaps of sin. Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need (Heb. 4:16-17). Rush to Jesus in all your troubles. He will ease all sorrow. Call upon His name in every need: He is the father of the orphans, the physician of the sick, the friend of those abandoned by all, He is always ready to help for anything, against which nothing can stand. Men of Galilee, why stand gazing at heaven? This Jesus, who ascended from you into heaven, will come in the same way, in the same way you see Him going to heaven. This is what the angels said to the apostles (Acts 1:11). According to this instruction, it does not mean much if we are just looking at the wondrous ascension of the Lord. It is necessary to combine the thought of His ascension with the thought of His second coming for judgment, just as these two great events were connected by the angel. Therefore, we must lead our lives in such a way that we will not be excluded from the kingdom that will open with the second coming of the Son of God to earth. The Lord, who ascended into heaven in order to prepare places of eternal bliss for those who believe in Him, offered us the conditions under which we can be accepted into His kingdom. Scattered sinners! Think about it, what awaits you if you do not do the will of your Lord? He who ascended into heaven is able to carry out his will over those who disobey His will on the day of his judgment. The apostles rejoiced when they heard the news of the angels about the second coming of Christ, because they desired one thing, sought one thing, to be with their Lord. Are we ready to meet Him? Do our hearts desire Him, do we seek Him on earth? Dear Lord! May the word about your glory not be fruitless in our hearts. Amen. Sermon on the Day of the Ascension of the Lord, in the Khoroshevsky Monastery Those who see will take it, and the cloud He was taken away from their sight (Acts 1:9). The Son of God returns to the Father, from whom he was sent to earth. He who humbles himself to the deeds of the cross ascends to heaven to receive eternal glory. An unusual event, but undeniable! Eleven friends of righteousness saw with their own eyes the procession of Christ Jesus into heaven. So, the eternal sun hid its beneficial rays from the poor earth. For more than five thousand years, the expected Savior of the world left people! But has he left us? Oh no! Being omnipresent, He is with us always and everywhere. Are we in the church? He is with us. On the road or at home? He is with us. I am with you until the end of the age, said our beloved Lord. Why did the visible ascension of the Savior from earth to heaven take place? Without a doubt, in order to show those who believe in Him that their true homeland is not on earth, but in heaven. If, therefore, you are risen with Christ, says the apostle, seek those on high, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God, be wise on the things above, not on the earth (Col. 3:1-2). They say: to think and care about only heavenly things and not think about, not care about earthly things - is it almost an unnecessary requirement? Why not combine concerns about heaven with concerns about everyday life? Brothers and sisters! no matter how much out of love I would like to leave in peace those of you to whom the cares of this life are so dear and dear, but the apostle says: be wise on heaven, not on earth, - the apostle orders you to part with earthly attachments in order to live only for heaven. If you want to condemn, condemn the apostle, and not the one who, according to his rank, repeats to you the words of the apostle; if you want to renounce, renounce the apostolic teaching - and remain as best you can without the apostolic teaching, i.e. pagans or Jews. Oh my God! What do people want to be left with, not wanting to part with everyday cares? The earth is in their thoughts, the earth is in their feelings, the earth is in their desires; - and this land is the prey of a terrible fire! There will be a time, undoubtedly there will be, when the earth will be incinerated and outside the heavenly kingdom of Christ there will be nothing left except hell. What will happen to these earthly people? Oh, how terrible, inexpressibly terrible, is their eternal fate! And they don't want to see her. Sons of humanity, how long will the heaviness last? Do you like vanity? Think about it - what evil spirit assured you that, feeding on vanity, you are lifeless dead in spirit? What evil spirit assured you that the labor of your vanity is not labor in the wind and the whole life of earthly vanity is a life of destruction? (Eccl.2:25) Which saint loved the earth? Which of the God-enlightened people said that without any danger to the soul you can eat extensively (1 Tim. 5:16), eat and drink whatever your soul pleases, according to the choice of your voluptuous taste, work on the backbones of your sisters and brothers, while you yourself luxuriate and get fat? Didn’t all the saints on earth do anything but sigh for heaven? Why did good people flee to the desert? Why did they abandon children and friends, wealth and honors, property and power? Is it not to cut off all possible connections with the earth? They considered it a burden for the soul, slavery of the soul, that they had to eat bread and water to maintain life. What are they doing, who are they following, who are turning the desert into dwellings of worldly passions and stubbornly refuse, with abuse and malice in their souls, they refuse to live a life free from slavish service to the womb and vanity? Sons of humanity, how long will the heaviness last? Do you like vanity? God is light, and the one who constantly thinks about God and the divine walks in the light. God, through thoughts about Him, also acts on a person, just as the light of the sun acts on us through the eyes. We only use the light of the sun when we open our eyes: in the same way, the divine light only shines in our soul when we think about God. When our thoughts deviate from God, a terrible, although not easily noticeable, darkness covers our soul. When our thoughts deviate from God to worldly concerns, the mind becomes covered in the darkness of sensual, vain, unclean thoughts; - then, just as he should be soaring in the clear air of the sky and gazing in the sun of spiritual truth, he, like a mole, rummages in the earth, in the rot, in the dust of worldly, carnal affairs, alien to the spirit. In such a state, even when they are in church, they do not understand what is happening in church, listening to the gospel; in part they do not hear, in part they do not understand the gospel; they do not know how to find divine light in the word of God, power in the sacraments, and contemplation of heaven in prayer. The mind is occupied by a crowd of objects, sometimes the most empty, sometimes clearly unclean, and there is no place in it for anything spiritual and holy; he is trained, he is accustomed to thinking only about corruption and impurity and has become incapable of spiritual reflection. Ask him about the affairs of life, i.e. about unnecessary or harmful to the soul: he will smartly judge and criticize them, but don’t ask about spiritual things - he doesn’t even know the ABCs of them. Is not all that is in the world vanity of vanities? Can vanity fill a heart created by truth for truth? Everything in the world is lust, the object of lust in different forms. since the world and its lust pass away (1 John 2:16-17), then no matter how people diversify the blessings of the world, no matter how they invent new types of earthly pleasures, earthly things do not fill the heart created for heaven; temporary things do not satisfy the soul destined for eternal life. A Christian soul, a soul that has partaken of the heavenly gifts in the mysteries of Christ! Don't you feel how empty the world is without the Lord Jesus, how empty it is in your heart without Him? Oh, why do you leave spiritual blessings, so faithful, so lofty, and seek joys that leave you only with melancholy and confusion? Is it really in order to torment and dry up your heart, to make it completely incapable of feeling heavenly joys? Is it really so that it will finally be completely lost to the sky? And this will happen to him if you do not seek heavenly things. Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also, said the Savior (Matthew 6:31). If your treasure, what you value, what you enjoy now, as yesterday, what you consider a constant good, is on earth, then it cannot be that your heart is in heaven, with God. It’s painful to say, you have it too, or almost the same as the heart of any animal, without spiritual movements, without the consolations of grace, without the joys of the Comforter Spirit: and in such a situation, woe, woe to you! No one can work for two masters, says the Lord (Matthew 6:24). And so, if you are a servant of worldly cares: do not deceive yourself, you cannot be at the same time a servant of God. You cannot work for God and mammon (Matthew 6:24); You cannot serve God and the idol of wealth at the same time, as well as every other idol of your soul. One of two things - either you will love mammon and be cold to God, or vice versa. No one, having been a warrior, obliges himself with the purchases of life, so that he may be pleasing to the commander (2 Tim. 2:4). And so, if now, as yesterday, your spiritual disposition is tightly tied to the things of life, - now, as yesterday, your only worries are about food and clothing, about pots and cells, then why do you flatter yourself with the hope that your soul is pleasing to the Lord Christ? God demands from us all our will, all our love, all the activity of soul and body. And He demands this rightfully: He is our creator, provider and Savior; He created us for himself, for the glory of his name, and outside of him there is and cannot be a purpose for our existence. What are they doing if they are not blasphemous by assigning a soul dedicated to God to serve the earth and earthly passions? Why do they hope for the salvation of the soul when the soul is in the work of passions? Worldly cares weaken our will in its aspirations towards God. They draw the soul from object to object, from occupation to occupation, from care to care, in the circle of earthly things; desires and passions, raging like waves, throw the will here and there and it, exhausted by the struggle, makes no progress in its ascent to God. This is why it happens that those same people who, at the beginning of their turn to God, performed difficult feats of self-sacrifice, then, over the course of many years, all just begin the work of their salvation; they seek God and do not find them, they work in the abode of salvation and are not saved. Having bound the soul with passion for earthly and worldly things, they do not part with the deeds of destruction; desiring heaven, they are worried about worries about earth; they are looking for God, but do not want to lose creatures. And how will it all end? What else if not eternal destruction? Without living for heaven on earth, you cannot get to heaven, beyond the grave. Brothers and sisters! While there is time, let us seek on high, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Let us leave the dangerous struggle for us with the will of God, which commands the lamas on high to philosophize, and not on earth. Amen. Word on the Day of the Ascension of the Lord Christ in heaven! Christ in glory! What joy, what triumph for the angels! If they rejoiced at the descent of Christ to earth; what happened when they saw Him return to glory? What happened when we saw condemned human nature glorified in the face of Christ Jesus? What happened when they saw Him humble Himself to the point of death, even death on the cross, receiving the name that is above every name, so that every tribe of heaven, earth and hell should worship before Him? Christ in heaven. Christ in glory. What are we? Or we can remain on earth without Christ! Oh, God forbid to be anywhere without Christ! If, when, then now it is especially necessary to encourage yourself to think about heaven, where Christ is. Christ in heaven. There in heaven is our homeland, there is our life with Christ. What is the earth to us? Place of exile. What is earthly life? The path of the poor wanderer. Why stay where you can’t live at home? The wanderer indifferently passes by everything that is not necessary for his destination, or that can only distract him from his goal. He uses on the road only what can strengthen his strength for the journey. His gaze, his thoughts, the desires of his soul strive for his homeland. There is nothing more beautiful than our homeland in heaven. The eye has not seen, the ear has not heard, the mind has not encountered anything like what the Lord has prepared for those who love Him. Why do we have so many worries, so many sorrows about earthly things? Sons of humanity! how long will the heart be heavy? Do you like vanity? One spends his entire life collecting piles of shiny dust. What doesn’t another do to rise two or three steps higher than others, to win the opinion of himself from the mighty of the earth, but who are the earth themselves? What is all this for? They will return to their homeland as if they were in a foreign land, like prodigal children. Is it not vanity and vanity that is harmful - everything that does not bring us any benefit for eternity, but only destroys our spirit with worries, to its eternal frustration? Seek those on high, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Be wise on high, not on earth. Your life with Jesus is hidden in God ( Col. 3:1-3 ). What are we without Christ the Lord? He is our head, our life, our salvation and bliss. If we are not rushing to where Christ is, if our worries are not about heaven, if we are not striving to approach our King and Lord, what will happen to us when the visible heaven and earth burn, and nothing remains outside of Christ’s kingdom except hell? Oh, we need to philosophize on high, not on earth! Is it not possible that, in addition to worries about heaven, one can ascend to heaven after death? In this case, there is no need to worry about heaven on earth, especially since earthly worries are enough. Ascend to heaven without preparing yourself for heaven? It is forbidden! An involuntary transfer to heaven, due to the effect of death, not preceded by the purification of the spirit during life, not only cannot be beneficial for the soul, but will turn into destruction. The seeds of evil, sown by the will in the soul, cannot be plucked from it by any violence, and left in the soul ascended to heaven, they will open and turn into sources of torment. How can a sinful soul live where everything is not akin to it, everything is contrary to its dispositions? This would mean the same thing as making a fish live in the air, a deer in the water, or a stone fly in the wind. The element in which pure spirits and souls of the righteous bliss is unbearable for a sinner; she is too thin, too light for him, he cannot live in her, as if alien; the element with which he became familiar, in which he lived and can live, is of a completely different kind. Sinners, according to the false word of God, are children of the devil. They were born and raised, they lived and can live only by the element that was generated by the prince of darkness, otherwise - by the element of hell. No, my listeners, we need to be cleansed, we need to be enlightened in spirit, so that we can live where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. One must devote one’s whole life to ascending with one’s dispositions to heaven, and not to cling to the earth, so that one on high should be wise, and not on earth. But is it easy? Is it easy to ascend from earth to heaven? Well? Is it better to fall into the abyss than to rise to the heights, even with difficulty? To acquire perishable treasures, temporary benefits, do they not use labor? And to acquire imperishable treasures, eternal blessings – it’s as if it’s no longer worth the effort! The Son of God descended to earth for us, for us He was nailed to the cross, for us His head was crowned with thorns, for us His side was pierced by a lawless hand - and in order to be our eternal intercessor before the Father, He ascended to heaven: and we, who are not grateful to the love of our Lord, do not want to endure labor for our eternal life. Is it too difficult for the earthly to ascend to heaven? But is man, in fact, what is taken from the earth and returns to the earth? No, these are only clothes that are taken off earlier by some, later by others, worn out by some, and brand new by others. What is a person? Without a doubt, that which remains whole and without a perishable shell; this is the breath of life that came from God, this is the spirit created in the image of the incorruptible and eternal God Himself. If so, then isn’t it natural for the spirit to strive for its beginning? Isn’t it natural for him to approach the imperishable, as his own image? Just as natural as it is natural for a stone to fall on the ground where it was born. It is not natural for our soul to find peace and joy on earth, because earthly things are not akin to it. Check yourself: how do the fun and pleasures of the world resonate in your soul? Emptiness, boredom, sorrows. So, doesn’t the soul itself say that its rest is not on earth, but in heaven? What prevents you from using such a disposition of soul to have your thoughts and desires with your Lord and Savior as often as possible? There are also people who think a lot, but who think about everything, just not about eternity. What is this from? Is it not from ourselves? Is it not because of your ill-used freedom? If the spirit, constantly occupied only with thoughts about the earthly, worldly and perishable, itself becomes coarse and earthy, who is to blame? Even though the fall of the first man spoiled the natural aspiration of the immortal spirit, tilting it from heaven to earth, we have been given the grace of Christ, powerful not only to return the spirit to its original rightness, but also to lead it to the highest perfection. Let the grace of Christ not remain in vain in us: with it neither the earthiness of the flesh nor the weakness of the soul will keep us on earth; with her the apostle, living on earth, ascended to the third heaven. But how can one train the mind to rush to heaven when earthly objects scatter it, turning it towards the earth? How does one train the mind to direct itself to the earth and not to the sky? Repeating the same thing. Let the same method be used to accustom the mind to heaven, and it will become accustomed. Start thinking more often about any object: this object will be closer and closer to you, will ascend into your soul, fill it with itself, displacing other objects. This also happens when a person often ascends in thought to heaven. Just as, leaving the heavenly for the earthly, one becomes accustomed to the earthly: so, leaving the earthly for the heavenly, one becomes accustomed to the heavenly. You shorten the hours of pious activities in order to use them for worldly affairs; sometimes you go to the church of God, but think about home; It’s the same way in church. Do the opposite. Do the things necessary for life, but do not extend this work beyond necessity, and free yourself from earthly affairs for the works of God. Not only should you never take away the days set aside by the Lord for serving Him for the work of vanity and sin, but also sanctify your working time with thoughts of the Lord. Are you starting work? Begin by invoking God's blessing. Are you finishing your work? Thank Him for your help. Let the thought of the Lord be connected with every deed, with every exercise; then everything earthly will turn into spiritual things for you, and your mind will not be on earth, whether you eat, drink, or whatever else you do, do everything for the glory of God. If this or that passion oppresses the mind, it will lead it to sin: and a remedy has been indicated against this. This Jesus, who ascended from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw Him going to heaven, so the angels said to the apostles. This is a powerful excitement for the soul! The thought of the second coming of the Son of God is so gratifying for the saints in difficult moments of feeling helpless and, as it were, abandoned by heaven; so terrible for careless sinners, on whom a terrible sentence will be pronounced by the judge - the Son of God. So, drive away sinful thoughts with the fear of God’s judgment, ease the struggles of inner sorrow with the consolations of eternity. Bringing joy to the disciples with the promise of the Holy Spirit! Send down Your life-giving Spirit to us who are weak, so that, enlightened and strengthened by Him, we may look at the heaven that has received You, not being distracted by the charms of the world. Amen. Conversation on the Day of Pentecost On the day of spiritual joy about the sending of the Holy Spirit, it is most fitting, listeners, to talk about the very coming of the Holy Spirit. And how important, how great this subject is in itself! How much light there is for the mind, how much consolation for the heart! The circumstances of the descent of the Holy Spirit were depicted to us by St. Luke. Let's turn to his story. Three objects are depicted to us in his story about the Holy Spirit by St. Luke: 1) the state of Christ's disciples before the descent of the Holy Spirit; 2) the descent itself and 3) human judgment about this event. 1) When the days of Pentecost ended, all were with one accord. This was the state in which Christ’s elect were before receiving the Holy Spirit. Those not separated by place were not separated by souls. The Lord Jesus, at the last meeting with them, commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father - the power of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8). The faithful of Christ did just that. They all stayed together - in one place, in one upper room; no one thought of leaving Jerusalem anywhere; they waited for the Comforter; The Comforter became the only object of their thoughts and desires. And the names of the people together were as one hundred and twenty (Acts 1:16), including the Most Holy Virgin, including, besides the twelve, and the seventy apostles. There were all one hundred and twenty people - and they were all unanimous, they all had one soul, one heart; one hundred and twenty hearts merged into one feeling; one hundred and twenty minds united in one thought: a wonderful sight! Of course, these souls were not disturbed by movements of pride: otherwise they could not have been united in a spiritual union; they would also dissolve the local union. ABOUT! where such passions live, there is no union of peace; or, if it happens, then not for long, for a while, - holding on to a mutual agreement of different passions - an agreement as fragile as the frail, changeable whims of our heart! But the Lord favors a pure, holy union of hearts. Where two or three are gathered in My name, He himself says, there are seven in the midst of them. He prayed to the Father about this not-earthly union: that they may all be one: as You are the Father in Me, and I in You, that they also may be one in us (John 17:21). About this He repeatedly repeated to His disciples: This is My commandment, that you love one another as you have loved (John 15:12). Of this all understand, for you are My disciples, if you have love among one another (John 13:35). The apostles fulfilled the will of the Sweetest One, fulfilled it, creating spiritual fruit - prayer. All these things endure in one essence through prayer and supplication (Acts 1:14). They prayed because they heard the instruction: ask, and it will be given to you: press, and it will be opened, i.e. without ourselves they will give us nothing; they prayed because they did not consider themselves worthy of the grace promised to them, fearing Him whose voice once shook the earth; They prayed, because the very desire of the Comforter, the very longing for Him, was already a prayer. And how much time passed in this unanimous prayer? Nine days; For nine days they did not stop praying - for nine days, despite the clear, immutable promise of the Savior about the Comforter, they prayed hard. It’s true, listeners, we need prayers—not just some prayers, not a short preparation; are needed, although our Lord, as the Omniscient One, knows even without us what we demand, and how the good and wise One is ready and able to arrange what is useful to us. They are needed not by the God of our hearts, but by us, the poor: we, since we must constantly repeat, forgive us our debts, do not lead us into temptation, give us what we need; we need them because through prayer we are cleansed and become capable of receiving the gifts of grace. If we think that we can be without prayer, then we are in error; careless of heavenly things, but not of earthly things, our heart deceives us; It’s not because we don’t pray that we hope to get everything without prayer; but because we do not want, we do not seek everything necessary for our immortal soul: for it is possible. not to wish, and not to pray. The apostles prayed and, when by unanimity and prayer, imperceptibly for themselves, they were purified and prepared to receive the Holy Spirit, the fiftieth day came after the Jewish Passover: the days of Pentecost ended. This day is one of the most solemn in the Jewish church; the entire Jewish people flocked to the church to gratefully remember the legislation of Sinai. For on the fiftieth day, after the exodus of the Jews from Egypt, the Lord, with thunder and lightning, gave the law on Sinai. The apostles did not go to the church, where the solemnity of the Old Testament holiday called all Jews to Pentecost. This already shows that they were waiting to see if on that very day the Savior’s promise to send a new lawgiver would not be fulfilled. Moreover, the day itself was conducive to such an expectation: the spirit of slavery, which the law imposed on its subordinates, forced them to sigh for another law, for the law of spiritual freedom; and the day marked by the announcement of the law of slavery, having already received the promise of a new law, seemed the most appropriate for the promulgation of this law. And the hope of the apostles was fulfilled. 2. And suddenly there was a noise from the sky, suddenly there was a movement of air. What is this? it happened suddenly, therefore, not something ordinary: there was a noise from the sky, while the wind does not come from top to bottom, but from one side or the other; therefore, it was not the action of an ordinary wind: there was a noise from heaven, therefore, it was not the action of an earthquake, although the crowds of people moved; like a stormy breath - the noise was the kind that happens during a storm from a strong movement of the wind, there was something similar to the phenomenon of a storm, but only similar, similar in strength, and not in property. And fill the whole house where the bakhu sits. The noise filled the whole house, but outside the apostolic church everything remained in its usual position. And when they appeared, the nations were divided like fire; lights appeared in the air in the middle of the church; but these were not ordinary or lightning lights; they did not fire or kill; they only looked like fires - like fiery tongues. Hovering over the heads of the disciples, they descended on them and rested: sitting on one of them. What are these stormy, fiery forces that filled one of the willows of the Jerusalem upper rooms? Who, and why, descended in this form? The Savior promised to send the Spirit, who proceeds from the Father; - The Comforter, Who with His wisdom should guide everyone into all truth, and with His power miraculously deliver from every trouble (John 15:26, 14:26), Who, dividing power to everyone as He wills (1 Cor. 12:11), is present everywhere. Thus, the one who descended into the Jerusalem upper room is God the Spirit himself. But where does He come from and where does He who fills everything with Himself descend? This bewilderment is resolved by St. Chrysostom: “according to need,” he says, this is how the scriptures about God express it. Truly, it is impossible to speak in another language with those who, having been clothed with flesh, are familiar with one earthly language; It is impossible to depict for us the spiritual actions of God as they are in themselves. When Scripture says that God appears here or here, that He comes there or to another place, it means that it speaks of the manifestation of the power of God in a tangible form for us, of the revelation of His actions in visible signs. The life-giving power of God lives everything, acts everywhere, but sometimes it is revealed in a more tangible way, according to the strength of its power, and for some it becomes closer, according to their capacity. Thus, the descent of the Holy Spirit into the Jerusalem upper room is not, in fact, the descent of the Holy Spirit, but a tangible manifestation of His power, a revelation of His special presence. A similar thing happened in paradise for Adam, under Elijah at Horeb, under Moses at Sinai. The Holy Spirit is ever present, is and will be, sings the church. This is not the first time He has revealed Himself to the world; This is not the first time He begins to act on the unsettled elements of human existence. The holy men of God spoke to them when they were enlightened. Every soul was alive with them, whatever was truly alive. Nevertheless, His appearance in the Jerusalem upper room is a particularly important phenomenon. It constitutes the beginning of a special communication between the Divine and humanity. According to the advice of the Trinitarian One, the Son of God was not supposed to remain visible on earth forever; after Him the Holy Spirit was to descend to earth. “I tell you the truth,” Christ Himself said, “I am not with you, but I am going; for if I do not go, the Comforter will not come to you (John 16:7). Why didn’t the Holy Spirit come before Christ the Lord left the earth? He did not have the Holy Spirit, for Jesus was not glorified (John 7:39), says the evangelist. Before the humanity of Jesus Christ was glorified, and the glorified became, as it were, an organ for communicating the Holy Spirit to people, people, due to their rudeness and carnality, could not directly receive the abundance of the Holy Spirit. But the humanity of the Redeemer, enlightened by the glory of the Divine upon its ascension into heaven, through its close union, on the one hand with the Divinity, on the other, with men, revealed to the Most Holy Spirit the immediate convenience of pouring out the gifts of grace on the apostles, and through them on all humanity. This is what the words of Christ the Lord mean about the Holy Spirit: He will receive from Mine. The Son of God accomplished His work on earth - the work of redeeming people. The Spirit of grace descends to make people capable of assimilating the merits of the Redeemer, to enlighten, purify, and sanctify the hearts of people. He begins the work of the sanctifier of the sinful human race by descending upon the apostles. What did the visible signs of what appeared in the Zion upper room mean? Were these only signs of the presence of the Holy Spirit? But, in this case, why are there several of them? It is most likely that these signs contained an indication of the properties of descended grace. The wonderful fire that filled the Zion upper room expressed the fact that the Holy Spirit, like an immaterial fire, acts with two forces: light and warmth - the light of faith, the warmth of love; He illuminates the minds of the apostles with lofty truths and kindles in them a love for holiness, for the illumination and renewal of the whole world. The lights appeared in the form of tongues, this was a sign of the granted ability to speak in different languages, to excite the mind and heart. Once upon a time, multilingualism, being a consequence of the wicked plan of man, scattered tribes and peoples. Now tongues indicate in the future beneficial changes that are about to occur through the gift of speech - the unification of tribes scattered by multilingualism under the shelter of one universal school of truth. Once upon a time, the fire and storm that accompanied the legislation of Sinai corresponded in their strength to the severity of the law: the meekness of the fire that rested on the apostles shows that the new covenant breathes not judgment, but mercy; the breath of the wind, which preceded the appearance of fire, suggests that the blessed Power, revealing itself with light and warmth, penetrates everything, fills everything, is not restrained by anything, subtly and quickly, like breathing: suddenly there was a noise. All filled with the Holy Spirit. The apostles were previously given the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The resurrected One opened their mind to understand the Scriptures (Luke 24:45), gave them the power to knit and decide (John 20:23); but now, as the active was purified, they received the most abundant gifts of grace. Hitherto their thoughts were not entirely pure; hitherto earthly, human wishes often entered their hearts. Lord, if in this year you will establish the kingdom of Israel, they asked Him just before His ascension (Acts 1:6). Now their soul has changed; they are different both in mind and in heart. Now they did not receive the private gift of the Spirit, such as, for example, the gift to forgive sins, but the entire fullness of the gifts of the Holy Spirit; more than one incense of spiritual balm spilled into their souls - the very balm of the Spirit filled their hearts; not just any ray of light touched their minds, but full light illuminated their minds; the divine breath penetrated and revived their entire soul. And the whole spiritual and material world became different in their minds and hearts. The secrets of God were revealed to them, which no wise men in the world could know. Simple fishermen, children of the people's law, became world teachers and invincible sages. And she began to speak in other tongues. Then, as the heart was full of heavenly fire, the soul was seething with new life, a change took place in the organ of the word, in the conductor of the spiritual. Jews by tribe, Galileans by place of birth, the apostles knew how to speak only the Hebrew language, and, moreover, in its worst dialect - Galilean, but overshadowed by the Spirit, they began to speak in foreign languages. In other tongues, these very words say that those filled with the Holy Spirit spoke in tongues that they did not know before. Christ Jesus promised that those who believe in Him would speak in new tongues, and called this a sign, a miracle (Mark 16:17); and there would be no miracle at all if only inarticulate sounds were uttered by the animate. Witnesses to the Jerusalem apparition witnessed that the apostles spoke the languages ​​of various nations; The gift of speaking in different languages ​​was later known in the Corinthian church (1 Cor. 14:22). As the Spirit gave them to preach, it was impossible to say more strongly to express what the Jerusalem believers spoke in different languages. Yako dayash - indicates not the content of the speeches, but the type of tongues in which each spoke, according to the action of the Holy Spirit. And she told the greatness of God. It’s amazing that unfree disturbances produced by an outside force were, at the same time, actions that were higher than free, and were the work of the freest and most reasonable hearts: and they told. This is because the Spirit of freedom and reason was at work. Under His influence, the apostles spoke of the greatness of God, glorified the wonderful deeds and perfections of God, which were now revealed to them in special fullness and clarity, and praised the One who promised to work in them and accomplished a miraculous change. 3. But in the meantime, what is the world doing - witnessing such a wonderful event? What do carnal people think and say about the event? Moved by the noise of stormy breathing and the laudatory voices of one hundred and twenty people, those who came to the holiday flocked to the apostolic church. Everyone was amazed. Greek and Roman, Libyan and Mede, heard their natural sounds from the lips of unlearned Galileans; in front of them, in the hearing of everyone, those not familiar with foreign languages ​​speak the language of the Parthian and Egyptian, the Capadocian and the Cretan - the inhabitants of Europe, Asia and Africa. Not only that. Simple people proclaim the greatness of God, reveal truths, express feelings so high, so holy, with which none of those present were familiar. All this put the finger on the lips of the talkative wisdom of man, and struck at the coming horrors. I was all terrified and perplexed, saying to each other: “Why does this want to be?” But soon there were people for whom everything that happened to the apostles seemed too simple. What, they said, is surprising? Wine is filled with essence. Wine brought them out of their usual order, wine was the reason for their gaiety, noise and talkativeness. Such is the judgment of people about the work of God! Is this surprising? The world always makes a mistake when it judges in its own way the actions of God's grace. How much blasphemy he said after the Jews about the events of the apostolic church! How many slander he uttered against the saints of God only because he did not understand them! What did the people of the world do and do every time they witness extraordinary phenomena, amazing in their supernaturalness? Unfortunately, we are too quick to judge everything, to give our opinions on everything, to measure everything by the measure of our reasoning and earthly experience. Pride excites, self-forgetfulness justifies insightful inquisitiveness. First they begin to bring the extraordinary under the rules of the ordinary; and then they don’t believe anything unusual. Let them, if they already want to know something, stop at the question: what does this want to be? Let them examine this extraordinary phenomenon from all sides in advance. Let them measure how far their knowledge of nature extends, in order to explain the higher-natural from the rules of the natural. Then their pride would be humbled. Then they would say: everything of God is above humanity; the saints of God are higher than everyday people, the gospel of God is higher than the teachings of the wise men of the earth, and all that is God's can only be believed. Is it amazing, my listeners, that God acts as He wants? No, the only thing that is wonderful is that we do not know how weak we are, how we need God’s help at every step, especially in the matter of saving our soul, frustrated by sin. Oh, if only we reasoned with ourselves, tested ourselves, inquired into ourselves; If we hadn’t been condemned then we would have just prayed! Let us pray to the true comforter, may he come, enlighten us, cleanse us from all filth, and save our souls. Amen. Word on the Day of the Descent of the Holy Spirit Do not quench the Spirit (1 Thess. 5:19). Everything - everything is from You, our sweetest Savior! Everything has been done, everything has been given for sinful people by Your boundless love, O Jesus! In the image of God, You humbled Yourself to the humiliated image of the son of man, obedient to the death of the godfathers only for man. The priceless blood of the Son of God was shed on the altar of the cross for us, the criminal children of Adam - for us, whom our sins subjected to eternal, terrible judgment, before the court of God’s boundless truth. But even that was not enough. The Prophet of God, in the distance of centuries, saw the deeds of boundless love, and from the face of love he spoke a promise: I will pour out on the house of David and on those living in Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and generosity, and they will look to Her, whose blood has flowed (Zech. 12:10). So it had to be so that in the perforated one, Crucified on the cross for sinners, there would be a source pouring waters of grace on those same sinners. It was also necessary to see how His love, ready to die a shameful death for everyone, is not limited to the greatness of His redemptive love, but wants to do even more for people; I say to you: if I go, I will not go; but if I do not go, the Comforter will not come to you; if I go, I will send Him to you (John 16:7). And the Comforter was sent. Is it necessary to say in what greatness the grace of this Comforter descended upon the apostles? what wonderful actions did she perform through the apostles in the world? Or better, will a weak word depict the power and glory of this Comforter? The Christian soul feels and knows how the Comforter sent by Jesus is still active in the world, and is still showing his power to Christian souls. Be filled with the Spirit (Eph.5:18). If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His (Rom. 8:9); so wrote the apostle. And your piety, brethren, which gathered you into the prayer church, on the day of the solemn manifestation of the Spirit of grace, shows both your grateful, reverent memory of that extraordinary manifestation of the Spirit of the Comforter, and your humble expectation of some kind of consolation from the same Spirit of the Comforter. An aspiration worthy of a Christian, a hope that is not false, since He is faithful, who promised the Spirit of the Comforter, since the Comforter is close - the Spirit of truth, who is everywhere and fulfills everything. But even more so, we need attention to ourselves. Those who wait for the Comforter Spirit! let it be allowed to think that we know what holy dispositions are needed for those preparing to receive the Comforter Spirit. This very church, which now depicts the Zion prayer upper room of the holy apostles, reminds us of the dispositions with which they prepared to receive the Comforter in the Zion upper room, and which, without a doubt, are necessary for us. Let us turn to another warning - to the warning for those who receive the Spirit of grace, which the apostle offered in his time: do not quench the Spirit. And at all times, especially now, it is necessary to remember and reflect on the meaning of this holy warning. Fire came to the earth, and how I would like it to burn already (Luke 12:49), this is what the Savior says about what was to happen with the descent of the Comforter Spirit on the believers. And the visible sign in which this Comforter appeared for the first time over the apostles was the appearance of tongues of fire. Both showed and show to minds that despise the spiritual through the material, that the action of the Comforter Spirit, taking place in the souls of believers, contains something similar to the action of fire, like fire, enlightens the mind with the light of truth, like fire, inflames the soul with love for truth and holiness; All the powers of the spirit, as the prophet says, are boiled and purified, like silver and gold, and poured into the pure image of God (Mal.3:3). This is what the apostle meant when he urged: Do not quench the Spirit. The Apostle seemed to express his loving prayer to us this way: do not extinguish in yourself that sacred, divine fire that is kindled in your spirit by the power of the Spirit of God. But what do we, the divine apostle, mean against the actions of that divine Spirit, who, being everywhere, divides his gifts to everyone as he wills (1 Cor. 12:11). Can we, weak and frail, resist and even, as you make it clear, put obstacles to the power and vastness of the actions of the Almighty Spirit? If the apostle said: Do not quench the Spirit; then, of course, there is no room for doubt that we can quench the spirit, although this spirit is the action in us of the omnipotent and omnipotent Spirit. Why is this so? This is because the same omnipotent and omnipotent one has given us freedom - the best adornment of our spirit - freedom in which it is our will to use the means of salvation, to strive for salvation, or to prepare destruction; He gave us freedom at the very creation of us, and will not take it away when we are recreated with grace. His power is unlimited within and beyond the limits of limited freedom. And who will set limits to Your boundless power, O Lord, Who was pleased that the creatures should enjoy Your life, enclosing themselves within the limits of the created? Who will assign boundaries to the manifestations of Your unlimited goodness, what are the manifestations of the life-giving Spirit of the Comforter, who, wherever he wants, breathes, creating our spiritual nature, upset by sin? No, in the present case we have to worry not about the rights of the Almighty, but about ourselves. After everything that could be given by infinite goodness has been given to us; after the Spirit of grace has been given to us in the baptismal font, and the same Spirit is ready by Himself to multiply His gifts in us, we have to choose one of two things - either to use the gifts of the life-giving Spirit, or to neglect them to our destruction. Be careful how dangerously you walk, not as if you are not wise, but as if you are wise, redeeming time as the days are evil. For this reason, do not be foolish, but understand what the will of God is (Eph. 5:15-17). So, let’s not indulge our laziness, which is already strong in us, let’s not lull ourselves to sleep with vain thoughts that grace will do everything in us without ourselves, that there are no dangers for us with the grace given to us. No, at all degrees of its power, grace acts in us together with our freedom. It is given to us under the condition of our faith, and is strengthened in us under the condition of the exploits of living faith. What the apostle wrote to his beloved disciple, Bishop Timothy, will most likely explain the words of the apostle that we are explaining. I remind you, the apostle wrote, to kindle the gift of God that lives in you by the laying on of my hand (2 Tim. 1:6). Here it is said about the rekindling of the gift of God - and we want to explain to ourselves the words about the repayment of the gift. The gift sent down to the bishop by the apostolic hand, of course, means the gift of the grace of the priesthood, which contains within itself a special gift: the gift of teaching and the gift of sacrament. Why it is prescribed to kindle the gift of teaching is understandable; It is equally clear how it can be heated. But the gift of sacrament, apparently, acts absolutely unconditionally. Why and how to kindle this gift in yourself? Indeed, the gift of sacrament acts unconditionally, in the sense that the unworthiness of a consecrated person does not prevent the mysteries performed by his hand from being mysteries; what is destined to happen, happens in any case. But one cannot refuse the thought that if the grace of the priesthood were united with the grace of the holy will, if other gifts of grace were added to one gift, acquired through the exploits of living faith, then it is natural that the grace of the priesthood would act with greater power, both on those who are present at the mystery, and in the celebrant of the mystery himself. How far are we, brothers, from following example? In our memory is the divine sacred act of the saint of God Sergius, accompanied by both the visible descent of the fire of God and the visible presence of the angel of God. This is what the gift of serving grace meant in him, kindled by the exploits of his heartfelt, fiery love for the Lord! The fire of mystery, uniting with the fire of blessed love, penetrated the coarsest materiality. Let us therefore understand that those awarded the gifts of the priesthood, as well as other ministerial gifts, have a reason to remind themselves of kindling within themselves the gift of ministering grace. Let us understand from here that there may be many more reasons not to extinguish, but to rekindle in oneself the ordinary common gifts of grace. In fact, if the extraordinary gifts of grace require that they be warmed up to increase their power, then it is very easy for ordinary gifts, due to our carelessness, which is inappropriate in the matter of revival, to be completely extinguished. Do not quench the spirit, says the apostle, and lets those see that just as an ordinary fire goes out if no combustible substance is added, and even more quickly it goes out when water is poured on it - and in our spirit the fire of grace will certainly diminish, with the diminishment in us of holy thoughts, pure sensations, godly intentions and deeds, and even more likely will go out; when we fill the soul with everything that is contrary to the spirit of holiness. The pure dispositions of our free soul constitute in us the substance by which the fire of grace is nourished and strengthened in our soul, and in this way grace accomplishes the transformation of our spirit, together with our freedom. Is it difficult for us to notice to ourselves that when we pray with fervent, sincere prayer, we feel in our souls both more warmth and more light in our thoughts? So, this is one of the tangible experiences that the grace of God leaves to our dull sense of touch, for assurance of its approach to us sinners. But exactly the same thing happens in our soul with every feat of self-sacrifice, with every feat of love for the Lord, although not with every feat, and the grace of God, wise in the arrangement of our salvation, does not always allow us to feel it. In exactly the same way, but completely opposite, happens in our soul, with our coldness towards the Lord God, with our laziness to perform the deeds of the saints. The gifts of grace are different; and we can extinguish or reheat them with every disposition of our soul, especially with dispositions corresponding or not corresponding to the given gift of grace. Has anyone been given the gift of special fiery love for one’s neighbor? deeds of love will be food for kindling the gift of love, and coldness and self-interest, of course, will not strengthen love: on the contrary, every movement of self-interest, especially anger, will lead and lead to the extinguishing of love in the depths of the soul. Dear collect! if you have been given the gift of prayer, the gift of heartfelt conversation with the Lord: beware of human conversations; Besides the fact that they will take away your time to talk with the Lord, little by little they can arouse in you a love for human rumor, and at the same time they will weaken and then completely suppress the gracious desire to talk with the Lord. Or if the Lord gave you heartfelt mourning for your sins, if He awakened in you bitter contrition for the uncleanness of your deeds: do not rush to introduce your soul to any consolations; and most of all, beware, beware of worldly laughter, crazy joy; true consolation will be given to you in due time; and with the joys of madness you will, like streams of water, flood the fire of contrition of the heart; be sure that in the house of joy prepared by sin there is no place for gracious weeping, just as in the house of pride there is no place for the spirit of humility. If the trends of secular education carry away and transport the Christian soul on subjects of this much rebellious education: tell me: how can the spirit of the wisdom of Christ be retained in a poor soul. Do not offend the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you are marked on the day of deliverance. Let all grief and anger and rage and crying and blasphemy be taken away from you, along with all malice (Eph. 4:30-31). So St. The apostle expresses in other words, but more powerfully, his commandment - not to quench the Spirit, and he enumerates for us some sinful deeds, which especially are more than the Spirit of grace is quenched. According to the apostle, there are deeds, there are dispositions of the soul, by which the Spirit of grace is not only extinguished, but also offended. As an example, he points out some of these locations. If in our heart there is bilious annoyance, proud irritability, even the anger of embittered pride, then we will be sure that this time there is no Spirit of grace in us, we have offended Him; - and how not to offend when he is the Spirit of love? According to the word of the Apostle, where there is a noise of vexation, slander of anger, slander of one’s neighbor, for which neither innocence nor humanity is a defense, there do not hope to notice the Spirit of grace: and how should He be there when He is the Spirit of the world? According to what was said, let us understand, listeners, what other sins, like a stinking stench, can alienate the fragrance of the Spirit of grace from us. Of course, in whom the gracious fire of God’s love, in any form, has kindled, it is not natural for this fire to instantly go out, since it is not natural for a soul, embraced by love, to allow something obviously offensive to the Spirit of grace to reach itself, but how unnoticeable and, at the same time, how strongly a gradual weakening of attention to the gift of grace can weaken the power of the gracious fire in us! If the outer parts of the wood are quite dry, but the inside is quite watery, put it on fire, it will soon catch fire and burn freely until the fire reaches the watery interior; in the latter case, if a careless steward does not add at least one or two wood chips, or if he does not bother to use outside measures to maintain the fire: the wood that has been burning until now will begin to go out, and then a firebrand will remain. This is the image of our soul! That which is good in our soul by nature and upbringing easily ignites when touched by the fire of grace, but then, when the fire of love begins to touch the depths of a corrupted nature, our inner passions, it begins to weaken: the soul, which until then was freely burning in thoughts and desires with love for the Lord, little by little begins to feel heaviness, darkness, languor, and now, now there is a particularly pressing need - to repeat the words of the Apostle: There is no Spirit extinguish. Unfortunately, it happens that in such a situation they begin to ease themselves not according to the spiritual law, but according to the statutes of the flesh. Instead of strengthening themselves with all their might against the dangerous sleep that begins to weigh heavily on the soul, they begin to think that the time has come to give themselves rest. Instead of taking auxiliary measures to maintain the fire of God’s love in oneself, read and listen to the word of God, the lives of martyrs, confessors, reverend fathers, who through many bloods and passions acquired a blessed life; Instead of forcing ourselves, either to prayer or to physical labor, we begin to listen to the advice of an insidious interlocutor - sin, and the longer we listen to it, the more reasons it finds for us to weaken and abandon the former holy rules of life. At the same time, just look, another friend will appear with his advice - that smart adviser about whom it is said: it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he was thrown into the sea. To avoid danger, stay awake as an ascetic of Christ; be courageous and strong (1 Cor. 16:13). Use one or another means to maintain and stimulate light and warmth in yourself. You know the power of prayer - the prayer of faith saves the sick (James 5:15); pray therefore with all prayer and supplication at all times in the Spirit (Eph. 6:18). The power of the word of God is known - it is living and active (Heb. 4:12), it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes (Rom. 1:16); read and listen to the word of God with reverent attention. The history of faith presents us with a whole cloud of witnesses of faith: let us read and study this history; - the fire of jealousy that burned in the ascetics of faith and piety will warm our coldness, the light of their faith will enlighten the darkness brought on the soul by our passions and infirmities. Is it possible to count all the means that the faith of Christ offers us for our salvation? Anyone who, in the spirit of faith, will study the diseases of his heart, the infirmities of our fallen nature, will find in faith the sure cure for every disease, a reliable remedy against every danger, and will not extinguish the Spirit within himself. We will think about one more thing together with you, beloved brother, to prevent danger; Let us think about what we will lose if we lose the Spirit of grace. O God of mercy and bounty! by Your mercy do not allow us to reach that state that is most disastrous for us. What are we without Your life-giving Spirit? The dead, the dead are more guilty than the pagans themselves. What terrible responsibility do we expose ourselves to when we lose even one gift of grace, especially when we destroy much in ourselves, especially when we destroy everything that is grace-filled? The earth, which drinks the rain that falls on it many times and turns the grass into useful, receives a blessing from God. But she who produces thorns and thistles is unprofitable and is close to a curse, the consequence of which will be burning (Heb. 6:8-9). Do not be flattered: God is not mocked, as if he does not see our deeds, or is meek for us to the point of weakness. What He has given us will not perish, despite all the self-will with which our passions dare to carry His gift. The fire of His Spirit, if it does not open in us with the living light of love for our eternal bliss, will turn into an all-consuming fire to torment and destroy our indestructible composition for all eternity (Gal. 4:7-8). Oh, it is terrible to fall into the hands of the living God (Heb. 10:31)! Heavenly King, true comforter of the Soul! You alone are the truth, but in our hearts, like a weight, from the days of our youth there are lies and wickedness; come and dwell in us, and cleanse us from all filth. You are the only good and merciful one! Weigh your ways, preserve Your gift to the weak and save our souls. Amen. Word for the Day of the Holy Spirit We do not accept the spirit of this world, but The Spirit who is from God (Cor. 2:12). This is what the ap. spoke about himself and about the faithful of Corinth. Paul. And he rightfully said this, although neither he nor the faithful of Corinth were in that Zion upper room where the Holy Spirit descended on the day of Pentecost. The Apostle Peter spoke in explanation of the wondrous event in Zion: for there is a promise to you, both to your children and to all who are afar off, if the Lord our God calls (Acts 2:39). Everyone who is honored to be called to the faith of Christ has the right to receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit sent to the apostles is sent for all believers, no matter who they are. So to us, despite all the poverty of our times, the Holy Spirit is sent down. In the sacrament of baptism we receive grace-filled birth into spiritual life. In anointing we are confirmed by grace in spiritual life. Since the times of the apostles, the Holy Spirit has not ceased and does not cease to pour out the abundance of its gifts on believers in Christ Jesus. However, the apostle, when he says about himself: we have not received the spirit of this world, but the Spirit who is from God, he makes it clear that others can receive and will assimilate the spirit of the world, but not the Spirit who is from God. And if the apostle rejoices that there is no spirit of the world in him, it means that we must beware of the fact that the spirit of the world does not take root in us, instead of the Spirit who is from God. Let us consider carefully what kind of spirit of the world this is, which the Apostle contrasts with the Spirit who is from God? Let us compare the actions of the Spirit, who is from God, with the actions of the spirit of the world. The Spirit who is from God, the Spirit who quickened the believers of Paul's time and quickens the believers of all times, firstly, is the Spirit of truth. This is what the Lord Jesus says about Him. When He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth, said the Lord to the apostles (John 16:13). And the Spirit who descended on the apostles was definitely the Spirit of truth, because he taught them the truth, revealed such secrets that the proud human mind could not even dream of. This Spirit of truth, according to the word of the Savior, will abide with the teachers of Christianity forever (John 14:6). And He remained and remains with us. That is why, for 18 centuries, false teachings and human delusions, with all the efforts of evil hell, could not do anything with the Church of Christ, they could not, in the place of the apostolic teaching, establish their teaching. To this day it remains with the apostolic teaching, as it was with it under the apostles. This is the work of the Spirit of truth. The Spirit, who is from God, enlightens with the life-giving light of truth every soul seeking salvation. He reveals to her both her own situation and where she should seek salvation; instructs in true knowledge of God, shows who the Lord Jesus and His grace are for us. He will let us see how vain, how empty all temporary blessings are and how we need only one thing - to seek our heavenly homeland. There cannot be a single doubt in life that the Spirit of truth would not resolve for a believing soul, through its prayer, if only this is necessary for its eternal salvation. When St. Scripture wants to talk about it as something hostile to our salvation, but it makes us see in the world a society of people who live only for time, and not for eternity. Thus, the spirit of the world means the rules and way of thinking of people who value only earthly interests and do not think about life beyond the grave. After this, it is clear what kind of mentor the spirit of the world can be! If he does not clearly reject the existence of God, then he is so indifferent to thoughts about God, so little concerned about any thought about Him, as if for him there is no God. The Lord Jesus, His kingdom, His grace are things not necessary for the light. If the children do not always clearly say: let us drink and drink, we will die in the morning, then their deeds say the same thing. They do not understand how one can live otherwise on earth, if not for the earth. If they meet people who consider everything earthly to be empty, insignificant, they ask: are these people sane? And they pronounce this verdict: these are pitiful people, dreamers, fanatics. Talk to them about the soul, about judgment. They will say: about this - at another time, - i.e. they love lies and do not want to part with lies. The spirit of the world teaches them lies at every step, and they lie at every step. They lie when they repent because they do not have sincere repentance. They lie, promising to improve at another, better time, because they do not want to improve, because they value the vanity of the world too much, because the pleasures of the world, honor, glory, money have taken possession of their souls. They lie when assessing earthly goods, because in their souls they give them a price that they are not worth, because they place them above everything, while they are only means to spiritual perfection, and conditional ones at that. They tell lies, and even though they verbally agree with the limited meaning of earthly goods, because in their souls they say something different about them, they worship them like idols. When and about what do they not lie? They lie to amuse others with lies; they lie to hide their sins and weaknesses from others; they lie because they value the benefits of lying, and not the high value of the truth. Their whole life is a chain of lies and deceptions; because, chasing all their lives after dreamy, vain, empty blessings, they turn life into a continuous series of deceptions, mistakes, sins and crimes. Truth is always true to itself, the spirit of the world is flighty, fickle, changeable, pathetic and ridiculous. That the world considered the world a model of intelligence and taste 30 years before this: now it laughs at the model of that time. - Such is the spirit of the world! The Spirit who is from God is the Holy Spirit, the sanctifying Spirit. He cleanses the soul from sins; through sorrow, repentance, asceticism leads from perfection to perfection and restores the pure, primordial image of God in man. You have been washed, you have been sanctified, you have been justified in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God (1 Cor. 6:1). The love of God is poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit given to us (Rom. 5:5). The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, meekness, self-control (Gal.5:22). It cannot be said that those sanctified by the Holy Spirit do not feel weaknesses in themselves and are not subject to mistakes. But they are careful, they fear sin as the most terrible ulcer. Even if they fall, they immediately get up and turn their falls into a lesson on how to save themselves from falling. They are not free from temptations; the dirty tricker of the flesh - the angel of Satan - plays dirty tricks on people of the highest spiritual life (2 Cor. 12:7). But they fight temptations under the protection of the Sanctifier Spirit, crucify the flesh with its passions and sinful movements; with effort they strive to enter the kingdom of purity and humility. They constantly strive for a higher goal and, forgetting what weaknesses they managed to overcome in themselves, what good qualities they acquired, they think only about how not to remain behind the doors of the palace of Christ. And what does the spirit of the world want, what do they strive for? He is not at all so exacting in relation to sin and holiness. He shuns gross sins and dirty vices; at least in people's eyes. About civic honesty and he is caring, at least as much as it is necessary for the benefits of life. But the secret desires of pride, the secret movements of lust, the secret actions of passion for money are not noticed by him at all, or are considered as nothing. He doesn’t want to know about the mortification of feelings, about self-denial, about fidelity in small things, about the striving for the highest perfection. These, he says, are the works of those who are especially called for this, and not our works. As if not every Christian took an oath at baptism to be a follower of Christ crucified; as if not everyone, by the very name of a Christian, is obliged to love the law of Christ. Our job, they say, is to be useful in worldly life. And how do they benefit? It’s also good if they carry out some kind of public position, even with sins against accuracy in execution, against purity in intentions. Otherwise, don’t they present themselves as people useful to society and then, through insane luxury, unscrupulous ostentation in outfits, daily gaiety, frivolous waste of time, effort, and money, along with their condition, they upset the condition of many families and the temptation of life destroys thousands of souls for whom the Son of God hung on the cross? Is it our job to be useful in worldly life? Why are these words in the mouth of a Christian? If you live as a Christian, you will undoubtedly benefit society everywhere. If, in order to justify your deviation from Christian service to God, you point out your responsibilities in relation to society, then I have the right to tell you that you are just as bad a servant of society as you are a bad servant of God. The Spirit who is from God, according to the word of the Savior, is the Comforter Spirit. The fate of the apostles was difficult. How many persecutions, how many injustices, how many troubles they had to endure! And their good Lord promises to send them the Comforter of the faithful. I pray the Father and another Comforter, that the Spirit of truth may be with you forever, but the world cannot accept him (John 14:16–17). And the Comforter was sent, and He strengthened the apostles in their sorrows and sufferings. Which of the wanderers of the earth does not need consolation? From the side of the Comforter Spirit, consolation is ready for every believing soul, for every sorrow. He pours consolation and hope into the heart, which the heart itself is not able to even think about. The Spirit strengthens us in our weaknesses; we do not know what or how we should pray, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings that cannot be expressed (Rom. 8:26). How sweet, how life-giving are the consolations that the Holy Spirit sends to the soul of a believer, we see this in the example of the martyrs. Weren't they at peace, weren't their faces shining with heavenly joy at the very time when their bodies were tormented with iron or scorched by fire? And the spirit of the world loves to caress its children with consolations. Even this is the main bait with which he lures people from the fence of Christ into his own courtyards. Joy, fun, everything is more expected from the world. But what are these consolations! They are empty, deceptive, not true! An immortal soul cannot be given the water of earthly pleasures to drink; this water only increases the thirst in the poor soul. The children of the world themselves admit this from time to time. Often, during times of joy, boredom gnaws at them; during times of happiness, excitement or emptiness oppresses their soul. In sin, seeking life and sweetness is labor in vain: sin sows disorder, illness, death, both in the soul, and in the body, and in the family, and in society. Another property of worldly pleasures is variability. They are changeable because they depend on the occasions and circumstances of the time, which are so changeable. People, from whom so much is expected as children of the world, wither like grass - now rich and strong, tomorrow - in the grave. This is why it happens in the world that today they are cheerful to the point of forgetfulness, but tomorrow they are torn from frenzied grief. ABOUT! how much we need to pray so that the spirit of the world does not prevail over us! Heavenly King, Comforter of the Soul of Truth! Save our souls. Amen. 1850, in the Akhtyrsky Monastery. All these things are tolerated unanimously in prayer and supplication (Acts 1:14). The descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles is a wonderful event in itself and marvelous in its consequences for humanity! The Holy Church, in feelings of the greatness of this event, devotes this day to a special celebration in honor of the Comforter Spirit. Everything in this event is great, everything is worthy of study. Let us especially take what can serve for our edification and salvation. Let's consider how the apostles prepared to receive the Holy Spirit? All these things endured with one accord in prayer and supplication. This was the situation in which the faithful of Christ were, according to St. Luke, then, received orders to wait in Jerusalem for the promise of his father. When the days of Pentecost were fulfilled, he narrates, all the apostles were unanimously unanimous (Acts 2:1). According to these words, the apostles, before the descent of the Holy Spirit, firstly, were engaged in prayer, secondly, they were constantly engaged in prayer, and thirdly, they prayed unanimously in a general meeting. Byakhu in prayer and supplication. Why, it seemed, pray when the Holy Spirit is already promised before prayer? Why, it seemed, to pray when the Lord Jesus did not give orders to the apostles to pray, but only ordered them to be constantly in Jerusalem and wait for the promise of the Father? You see, listeners, prayer is a necessary need of our soul. God is good. He does not expect prayer from us as an incentive to give Him help. He is good and in goodness, He has prepared everything we need, without our asking. He is omniscient, He knows what we need before we ask. Our soul needs prayer, not God. We need to feel our weaknesses and sins as deeply as possible, so that, on the one hand, we can do the work of truth, and on the other, open our souls to heavenly help. We need to open our hearts to receive the gifts of God's goodness. Prayer is inhalation of heavenly, fertile air. It is the same for the soul as breathing is for the body. As long as there is life in the soul that it is destined to live, it cannot help but pray. What is prayer? Prayer is the aspiration of the soul towards God, it is a thirst for God and God’s will. What should the soul strive for if not for God? Where is her peace, where is her joy, where is her light, where is her eternal life, if not in God? Do you think that our hearts are on their way when they seek earthly things? Do you think that our mind sees the light when it looks at vanity? Outside of God there is darkness, melancholy, and destruction. So it is necessary to remain in prayer, and then the heavenly Father, according to the promise of the Son, will give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him (Luke 11:13); then spiritual life will reveal itself in those in whom it has not begun, will grow where it began, and will reach complete perfection in those in whom it has reached a certain age. The apostles and disciples of Christ endured in prayer, i.e. remained in prayer constantly and tirelessly. There was no small need for patience: day after day passed, but the promised Spirit did not appear; I had to wait and pray. The apostles did not weaken in patience, did not abandon the feat of prayer, did not give room for laziness and relaxation; They prayed as earnestly on the tenth day as on the first, praying patiently. And patient prayer got what it expected. This is true prayer! Prayer is the fruit of hope in God; is it proper for Christian hope to be weak or wavering? Prayer is the fruit of love for the Lord. Is it proper for Christian love to at one time ardently love the Lord and out of love perform difficult deeds for the Lord, and at another time to become so cold in love that one does nothing for the Lord, not even pray? No, if we do not soon see the fruits of our prayer; If we do not see the fulfillment of our petitions for a long time, let us not be cowardly, we will not be servants of laziness. How can we know God's advice about us? We do not see, we do not know what and when is useful to our soul, with what consequences this or that will come to us, but God knows and fulfills our request when it needs to be fulfilled. He never gives children stones instead of bread. The Heavenly Father, for ourselves, to teach us constancy in goodness, to strengthen in us the spirit of contrition and mourning for sins, to instruct us in humility and a living recognition of our weaknesses, can temporarily postpone the fulfillment of our petitions. That is why in the Lord’s Prayer we are instructed to pray to the Heavenly Father: Thy will be done as it is in heaven and on earth. The apostles and disciples of Christ remained in prayer together with one accord. This is what the Lord commanded them when He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem. His will for unanimous prayer was announced to the apostles even before that. He deigned to say once and for all: again, Amen, I say to you, for if you have two councils on earth about any thing, if you ask for it, i.e. If two of you on earth agree with each other and ask for something, it will be done by my Father who is in heaven. Where there are two or three congregations in My name, I am in the midst of them (Matthew 18:19–20). You see, listeners, how important it is for the community to gather for prayer! Where many are gathered in the name of the Lord Jesus, there, undoubtedly, the Lord himself dwells. How we must value the prayer of the church! What a deprivation for the soul, what a loss for eternity, when, out of laziness, self-indulgence, and spiritual recklessness, they do not come to church prayer! How much help the prayer of the church can give us! My brother! Let us not be so unreasonable from our pride as not to admit that my and your prayer does not have much that it should have, and for many reasons does not deserve the benevolent attention of heaven. And with a vivid awareness of the shortcomings of our prayer, how can we not want to learn worthy prayer from the example of our brothers? How not to rush to learn true prayer from the instructions of experienced prayer books who have offered models and images of prayer in the Church of Christ? My prayer and yours are meager and of little value, but let us add our contribution to the treasury of prayer for the whole church; and our share, along with others, will receive the priceless gift of grace; our weak prayer, supported by the power of common prayer, to receive what we would not have received on our own. The power of public church prayer is an amazing power! Remember what she did in the assembly of believers under the apostles? And those who prayed to them moved to the place where they gathered together and were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God with boldness (Acts 4:31). You see, the power of public prayer shook the building where they prayed, brought down new gifts of the Holy Spirit to those praying, and invested them with courage to preach universally. At another time, the Apostle Peter was guarded in prison. The prayer does not fly from the church to God about him. During the night, after which Herod wanted to bring Peter out for trial and condemnation, Peter slept between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and the guards guarded the prison door. The danger, as you see, was extreme; there was no way to escape, and Peter slept carefree. And yet, what turned out to be? Behold, the angel of the Lord appeared. He woke up Peter, led him and led him through the double guard, the iron doors opened by themselves, just as the shackles fell away, and Peter was free. How did Peter, without praying himself, save himself from so many dangers? He was saved by the prayer of the church: the prayer was diligent from the church to God for him; the diligent prayer of the church, without Peter's knowledge or effort, saved Peter from prison and death (Acts 12:1–9). This is what the public prayer of the church can do! You know, brethren, that the church to this day prays in its prayers for the toiling brethren, for those who suffer and those imprisoned. And be sure that this prayer does not remain without action: more or less clearly, noticeably or imperceptibly, the prayer of the church does its work on us. The Lord is faithful in His word: I am in their midst, He said, and He fulfills His word. Just be attentive to the meaning of church prayer: the church prays for those who have departed due to a blessed fault, i.e. for those who do not go to church for a legal reason; and therefore does not mean those who do not attend the church for lawless reasons. Let us follow the instructions given to us by the example of the apostles and disciples of Christ. And the grace of the Holy Spirit will visit our weaknesses. Amen. Word on the day of the Transfiguration of the Lord And behold a man speaking with Him, likewise quickly Moses and Elijah appeared in glory, You said His outcome, but you wanted Him die in Jerusalem (Luke 9:30–31). And in the midst of glory, the inhabitants of heaven do not talk about glory. After so many benefits for people, and after so many insults from people, the humanity of Christ Jesus shines on Tabor with divine glory; The Deity, hidden under the veil of flesh, appears through the veil of flesh in its greatness and glory. What would it seem most fitting to talk about now to those who appeared to Moses and Elijah, if not about the glory in which they see the God-Man Redeemer still on earth? But that's not what they're talking about. They talk about the cross and death that await the Lord in Jerusalem. Is this how we, listeners, act in happiness? Is this how we think misfortune is necessary? In misfortune we become despondent, in happiness we do not think about misfortune; in both cases we act this way because we do not understand the value of misfortune. The Lord recently visited our country with disasters. Did everyone understand the significance of this visit? Do we all now understand how necessary and useful misfortunes are, especially for the fortunate people of the world? If the celestials in the glory of Tabor talked about sorrows: then, of course, it is not superfluous for us to think about the meaning of sorrows for the children of happiness. God is fair. He does not lose sight of a single good deed of ours, not even a single good thought. Not even a tear of repentance disappears behind Him. But He does not reward more than it is worth. God forbid the misfortune of seeing among us those who would do nothing but evil. Almost everyone, as far as we see, does something good. And a just God bestows blessings on everyone, but no more than someone is worth. That is why Abraham said to the rich man: “You received blessings in your earthly life, but Lazarus suffered.” This means that the rich man was paid in earthly life for everything that was due, but Lazarus remained to be rewarded there - beyond the grave. Thus, the unkind lucky people of the world receive a reward here for some good deeds and no longer have it there. How can one not wish after this that it would be better to suffer here, in time, than to suffer like this forever? What do all the possible consolations of time mean in comparison with an eternity of torment? What do all the various calamities of time mean in comparison with an eternity of bliss? Only the happy person in the world is happy when, feeling the insignificance of earthly happiness, he sighs for the joys of heaven and through the secret sorrows of repentance prepares for himself a better share in eternity. God is good. He wishes us peace and happiness. And what should we do with us when the peace of earth turns not to our advantage, but to our detriment? God is good. An entire eternity of indescribable bliss has been prepared for us by Him. But here we are all sick people who need bitter medicine. We are all children of Adam; We all love to live more for the flesh than for the spirit. This always happens to us, especially when earthly happiness attracts us to the peace of the flesh and provides the means to fulfill all the desires of the flesh. How easily earthly happiness weakens the strongest spirit! The wise man was not one of the weak, but he prayed to God: do not give me riches, lest I be satisfied with lies and cry: who can see me (Prov. 30:8-5)? In the midst of external peace, with ready ways to live according to the desires of a sinful soul, the happy person in the world is occupied only with how to satisfy the desires of his flesh. What about the soul, which is greater than flesh? And the spirit, which is so irreplaceable by anything earthly? They are forgotten. The happy one nourishes and fattens the flesh, which should have been crucified with its passions and inclinations, while the soul remains without food and heavenly drink. And so a man, adorned with the image of God, was attached to the foolish cattle and became like them. And so a Christian, reborn in the baptismal font for spiritual life, enriched with invaluable heavenly gifts of grace, wallows in the dirt of the earth. This is a pity, a very pity! But the misfortune of a sick soul does not end there. Earthly happiness, at the same time as it is tender and develops sensuality, nurtures the thoughts and desires of pride. Who sees me? says the one who succeeds in everything, and does not think that he is a son of sinful flesh, a child of the wrath of God. What can bring this soul, sick and unaware of its illness, to consciousness? Sorrows, only sorrows. For the first time, they will involuntarily tear her away from sensual pleasures, deprive her of ways and time to deal with objects of vanity and spiritual humiliation; and there, with the help of God, she herself will little by little see how vain, how low, how unworthy of an immortal soul are the sensual pleasures that she had passionately loved until then, she will see how priceless the kingdom of God is, which we can find within ourselves, regardless of all the methods of earthly happiness. Sorrows will awaken in her prayerful sighs for her own sins, for her poverty and humiliation; and prayer will shed consolation in her heart, in which earthly consolations will be forgotten. So she will more and more often retire from both sorrows and earthly joys into the hidden chamber of her heart and there converse with the God of her heart. Thus, every misfortune, although at first it does not seem like joy, subsequently brings the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who know how to use misfortune. Let's take an even closer look at how this or that type of earthly happiness affects us. Let us take earthly honor and glory. At first they care about honor, as if only for the needs of earthly life. But, having achieved one honor, why, they think, not look for another? Having reached another, why not look for a third? And now the soul is busy thinking only about honors! Her desires strive only for honor. If sometimes the thought of the honor of a higher title comes to her, she says to herself: yes, I need to think about the transition to eternity, but I still have time, and now there are so many necessary things to do. Meanwhile, time passes without waiting for our leisure time for eternity. Meanwhile, the heart of the ambitious becomes harder for everything except earthly honor. Even the thought of a great and terrible God rarely comes to his mind and even less often awakens fear and reverence. Exactly the same thing happens to a rich, lucky person. He may have collected quite a bit of wealth, but he says: I’ll gather some more and start using it for good deeds. But the more he collects, the stronger his love for wealth becomes, the more he wants to collect and waste less. I’ll collect more, he thinks, and in my old age I’ll think about the same sky. It was as if old age had given him the word to visit him; as if old age had undertaken to make him generous. The poor man does not see himself. And now he is offended when they ask him for help; and now he knows one deity - the golden calf. What will happen in old age? Tell me, is it not God’s mercy for these unfortunate lucky people of the world when misfortunes are sent to them to admonish them? What can make them feel that they are being deceived by delaying repentance from time to time? What can convince them that they are strangers on earth, to whom no one told them about the time of their return to their homeland? What can show them the vanity of all worries and labors and extreme poverty, the extreme humiliation of their souls? If misfortunes do not bring them any benefit, then, of course, happiness, which so flatters their passions, will not heal them. It is hard for an ambitious person when he is deprived of his beloved honor, but the medicine sent from above will have its effect, more or less clearly, more or less deeply, he realizes that earthly glory is the same as sound, the same as the movement of air. - not worth a breath. It’s hard for a greedy man when he is deprived of his beloved gold. But won’t it then involuntarily occur to him that earthly wealth, no matter how much you take care of it, is slipping out of your hands - and it’s scary to go there with a poor soul! Christian soul! if you use your happiness for the glory of God, for the good of yourself and others, and meanwhile the Lord visits you with sorrows: do not grieve, but rejoice in the Lord. He wants to purify you with sorrows, just as gold is purified by fire. Righteous Job did good and in happiness; but, tested by sorrows, he became a model of the highest devotion to the will of God. Let us not, my friends, forget ourselves in happiness. Let us be so intelligent as to understand and feel the significance of earthly happiness and misfortune for our eternal life - and the Lord God will remain with us in time and in eternity. Amen. If you, listeners, have now heard from Tabor the conversation of the celestials - Moses and Elijah; if you heard the voice of God Almighty himself from the cloud; If the glory of Jesus the Lord, who was transformed into the light of heaven, was revealed to you, then what will the weak word of a weak man say to you after that? But one must desire - and the servant of the word desires - that the voice of heaven is not only heard, but also intelligible to people, not only known to the ear, but accepted by the soul. As a servant of the word. He will not utter words on his own, but his job is to explain to you the word of heaven during your prayer. Wanting to explain the Tabor Sermon, we will not take on too much; Let us not delve into the mystery of the Transfiguration of the Lord; Let's think about what the thought of the Lord's transfiguration should produce in us? The Transfiguration of the Lord strengthens our faith in Christ the Lord. The Lord's teaching, His life, His deeds show in Him the Son of the Highest. But His image of a servant, His cross, is a temptation for the world. And we saw Him, and without the name of form or kindness, a man in ulcers, and knowing to endure illness, - and we imputed Him to be in labor, and in ulcers from God, and in embitterment (Is. 53: 2-4). How to calm the spirit, outraged by the picture of the suffering of Jesus? After the sixth day Jesus gave Peter and James and John their brother drink with it, and he brought them up to a high mountain alone, and was transfigured before them (Matthew 17:1-2). In six days, or, if you count with St. Luke, the day of the conversation about the cross and the day of the transfiguration, then in eight days, Peter did not want to believe that the cross was fitting for the One in whom he recognized the Son of God. This should not exist for You, he said fervently, when the teacher for the first time revealed about Himself that He needed to suffer. And now, six days after this, Christ is transformed into glory. This bringing together of events on the part of Christ the Lord is not without intention; It is not without intention that such an indication of the time of transfiguration on the part of the evangelists. This makes it clear that both according to the intention of the Savior and the understanding of the evangelists, the transfiguration of Jesus was supposed to weaken the temptation of the cross, or even show the glory of the cross. And indeed, in what wonderful grandeur the glory of Jesus was revealed on Tabor. For the eye of the earth there is nothing brighter than the sun, and the face of the transfigured Jesus shone like the sun, for the eye of the earth there is nothing whiter than snow, and Jesus’s were white as snow. People are accustomed to believing the spiritual with their physical senses. And so, earthly witnesses see the glory of Jesus with earthly eyes. People want to overcome their unbelief in those who will rise from the dead. So those who left the earth appeared again on earth - Moses and Elijah; one, as the establisher of the old law, is a servant before the leader of the new covenant, the other, as a prophet, shows that this is the one about whom the prophets foretold, and, as a zealot for the glory of Jehovah, testifies to the glory of His Son of God. His exodus is the verb. The death of an ordinary person, so inevitable, so ordinary, would, of course, not constitute a subject for conversation among the celestials. But, if the inhabitants of heaven came down from heaven to talk about the exodus of the Son of Man, if such great people as Moses and Elijah considered it necessary to talk about the death of the Son of Mary, then there is no doubt that this is an extraordinary subject. And when did His exodus take place? Then, as He is in unearthly glory, in the light of heaven, in the radiance of the Son of God. Thus, His exodus does not interfere with the glory of the Son of God: closing the glory from the visible eye, all the more opens it to the mental gaze. The death of the Son of God is the extraordinary will of the Heavenly Father, the subject of the eternal council of God. The death of the Son of God is an immense self-sacrifice of eternal love, an immeasurable mystery of the wisdom of God, marvelously arranging the salvation of fallen man; the truth of the infinite is insulted by man, and the God-man rewards the violation with the action of the infinite price - humility on the cross. There was something to talk about out loud to the earth-breeders, when the subject of the conversation was not entirely clear to the celestials; For an entire eternity, a host of minds will delve into this mystery and study in it the wondrous combination of love with truth, omnipotence with the deepest humility. Such is the secret! The celestials have long been waiting for the salvation of fallen man; It has long been indicated in fortune telling and as a means to salvation. But among the works of God, neither on earth nor in heaven, there is no object higher than the death on the cross of the Son of God. So the temptation of the cross is destroyed, or more than destroyed, - replaced by boundless glory! For the faith of the earth-growers, even this was dissatisfied. And behold the cloud of their bright autumn - an ordinary sign of the presence of God Himself - and behold a voice from the cloud saying: This is My beloved Son, Hear ye Him. The Eternal Father testifies that Jesus is not only a faithful servant, like Moses, but His Son, the beloved Son, like the only begotten Son, a Son as close to Him as an ordinary son is to an ordinary father, the Son of one being with Him. Can we expect evidence higher than this evidence? Is it possible to imagine a glory greater than the glory of the Son of God? One of the earthly witnesses of the Tabor glory of Jesus wrote to his disciples: “we proclaimed to you the glory and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, not following cleverly woven fables, but being self-witnesses of His greatness. For He received honor and glory from God the Father, when from the magnificent glory this voice came to Him: This is My beloved Son. And we heard this voice coming down from heaven while we were with Him on the holy mountain” (2 Pet. 1:16-18). So the apostle points to the transfiguration of Christ as the solid foundation of faith in the glory of the coming of Christ the Lord. Thus, on Tabor, His glory was the glory of the Only Begotten from the Father. We know this, we see it as if with our own eyes, we hear it as if with our own ears. Let us therefore bow down before the transfigured Lord in reverent awe; Let us honor the Son, but one day he will be angry and we will perish. Israel is new! listen to the voice of Tabor, whom He commands you to listen to, to whom He commands you to turn with your faith; in the Son of God, who reveals in Himself the Father and the Spirit, God will reveal to you and He is your Savior and Enlightener. But isn’t it your inquisitiveness that invents many teachers so that you forget your only teacher? Is it not your pride that turns your eyes away from the man of sorrows, and does not want to admit that it has burdened the Son of God with sorrows? After the Light of Tabor, what more, it would seem, is there for you to look at everything in the light of His one - the Son of God, and to believe in Him, the only true God! Where is your gaze directed? Where is great for you? For some of us there are great geniuses, great people, powerful rulers of the destinies of the world, i.e. just as there were great Jupiters, great Marses, great Apollos, great volcanoes - all great in wickedness and depravity, but with which people, as now, ousted the true God from the mind and world, with which they changed the glory of the incorruptible God into the likeness of the image of corruptible man. Where is Jesus for us - Who goes from Tabor to Golgotha ​​to suffer death, precisely because people, having destroyed the image of the great in themselves, have become beggars, and poor, and naked, blind - without sight and light? Judge, is this not paganism, the most ungrateful and rude? Our God is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living. With Him all those who have died here on earth are alive. With Him, unlike on earth, the hopes of the righteous do not die, just as sinners will be given theirs. Look at Favor. There with Jesus and the apostles - Moses, who died fifteen centuries before the time of Jesus - there is Elijah, who did not experience death itself, but was taken directly from earth to heaven, nine centuries before the appearance on Tabor. They are in glory, whereas on earth their whole life was their struggle for the glory of Jehovah; they received everything according to the desires of the saints, they achieved what they were looking for, without looking for earthly things; even the hope of seeing the promised Savior with bodily eyes - and that was fulfilled on Tabor. They are in glory, and from the glory of the Son of God they take their glory. But, according to the action of His Almighty, this glory will be sufficient for all who believe in Him. The Apostle teaches about Christ: Who will transform the body of our humility, so that we may be conformed to the body of His glory, according to the action that He is able to subdue all things to Himself. How Moses sent spies from the desert to bring and show wandering Israel the fruits of the promised land; so exactly at Tabor the Lord shows to the elect the glory that is prepared in heaven for all of Christ’s faithful. At Tabor, the disciples of Jesus saw Jesus in light and glory, and with delight they did not know what to think, what to say. The soul was in confusion from the extraordinary vision. Ardent Peter opened his lips, but began to speak, without knowing what. God! It is good for us to be here: if you want, we will create three canopies here - one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah. The bliss of Tabor so filled the soul, and turned out to be so great for the earthly inhabitants, that heaven was forgotten and the desire to keep the inhabitants of heaven on earth was extinguished. And the evangelists barely find words to describe the beauty of the Tabor vision; they compare the appearance of Jesus’ face with the shine of the sun, the appearance of clothes with snow, but this is only a comparison. The beauty itself was indescribable. Let us not forget, however, that this was the beauty that was seen by those clothed in earthly flesh. The celestial man wrote about the beauty of heaven: “they hear words that a person cannot retell; eye has not seen, ear has not heard, man has not entered into the heart what is prepared there for those who love the Lord.” Oh, how good the Lord is to those who love Him! For everyone, listeners, heaven is open in Jesus. Do not be discouraged and do not lament, ascetic of Christ, burdened with the sorrows of earthly life! Hope and be patient. Your sorrows are great, but are they as great as the sorrows of Moses and Elijah? Do the troubles of life seek your soul, as they sought the soul of Elijah? If they are so great, pray and hope as they do. Pray and remember what those who served us through prayer received while still here, and what you see them on Tabor. We weaklings are seduced by the pleasures of life; we are captivated by the pleasantness of light. But why don’t heavenly joys captivate us? Why do not the pleasures of eternal life entail? They envy, looking at the happiness of sinners, complain that their neighbors live peacefully and cheerfully, while they themselves are in need and poverty. - Dear brother! Let us rather regret that our feeling for the joys of Tabor has been dulled; let us grieve that we are not given happiness similar to the happiness of Christ’s elect (and it is not given, of course, because you and I pray poorly). We are told the vision of Tabor; it is proved what a blessed thing it is to be glorified with Jesus; but it is also shown that at Tabor itself, when His exodus was spoken of, they spoke about the death of our hero on the cross. But we want to enjoy joys, but not endure sorrows; we want to get heaven, but without deeds for heaven; we want happiness as bright as it was on Tabor, but we don’t even want to think about the cross of the followers of Jesus. Brethren! on the mountain of temptation the tempter showed the Savior all the kingdoms of the world; He spoke only about what is pleasant for worldly pride, what caresses the lusts of the belly, and kindles passions for earthly wealth. Tabor shows the glory of heaven, and at the same time the need for the cross. Which side do we want to belong to? Are you on the side of the prince of peace and destruction? Or, to the side of the Lord of Tabor glory? The choice is ours. Let us not refuse, at least now, to preserve our souls for the joys of Tabor and the patience of the godfather. You have had the opportunity to go to a cheerful society of people of the world; repeat Petrov’s words: Lord! It’s good for us to be here with You, and stay with the Lord, leave people. It will seem boring to you, according to the rule of the day, to be content with a meal of abstinence, tell your soul: those who loved fasting all their lives enjoyed the Tabor joy, and enjoy fasting. But, ah! The thirst for pleasure, like a burning heat, now dries up souls. How to relieve this thirst? They are not content with rest: they seek varied, refined, and refined pleasures. Where does this lead Christians? The bliss of heaven is close to us, we see it on Tabor, but hell is not far away. Let's stop and think about ourselves. Is heaven opened to us so that we can mock it? But what do we do when we rush to unclean, base, meaningless pleasures, and leave the open sky behind us? Let us stop, so that otherwise, running away from heaven, we do not end up in Gehenna! In order to enjoy the joys of heaven, we must prepare our soul for those joys, we must live in such a way that we love not the earth, but the sky, so that the will does not drag us to where for feelings there is eternal torment. Not everyone was an apostle at Tabor. Why is this? Because not everyone then achieved that purity to be able to receive the light of Tabor. The following were taken to Tabor: Peter, more famous than others for his firmness of faith (Matthew 16:19); John, who loved Jesus, and who loved Jesus to the point that he shared the sorrows of the cross (John 21:20); James, first in works of faith and crown of martyrdom (Acts 12:2). These chosen ones have already entered the paths along which God walks; but they also fell on their faces at the voice of the Father. What would happen to the others? This is how God approaches us when we approach Him. If anyone opens the door, He says, he will come in to him. This means that until the doors are open, He does not enter; stands at the door, pushes the soul at the door, but waits until we open the soul for Him. For this reason they require of us that we be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Rom. 12:2); so that Christ may be imagined in us (Gal.4:19). It would be in vain to flatter oneself with the hope that something unclean could ascend into the kingdom of God. We will be cruelly deceived when we begin to expect the Lord to approach us from fruitless faith, from dreamy contemplation, allowing the will to do as we want, as it happens. No, wisdom will not come to an evil soul! Don't you notice, listeners, that the most chosen of the apostles, Peter, James and John, although they could be witnesses of the glory of Tabor, still had the need to succeed more and more in love for the Lord. Love spoke through the mouth of Peter to the mentor: Rabbi! It’s good for us to be here. But Peter, as the evangelist notes, did not know what he said (Luke 9:33), or, as another evangelist says, he did not know what he was saying: for he was afraid (Mark 9:6). Peter knew neither what he was saying nor what he should say; his feeling spoke - a feeling confused by joy and fear. Agree that this state is not perfect. What was missing in Peter and his companions? Amen, amen, I say to you, says the risen Savior to Peter, when you were young, you walked, and you walked, even if you wanted; The evangelist adds this to his speech, signifying by which death he will glorify God (John 21:18-19). That's what Peter had to do! It remained to live not according to one’s will, and to suffer not according to one’s desires; It remained through involuntary sorrows to bring the will and soul closer to the highest perfection. The same remained for James and John, and they did the same. And those of the apostles who, during the life of the Savior, could not be witnesses of His glory, subsequently succeeded in perfect exploits; became capable of carrying the lofty secrets of the kingdom of God on earth; and sat down on the thrones of heaven to judge Israel, after they had grown and strengthened in faith and love. Thus, God’s will for us is such that we must continually ascend from perfection to perfection, grow in virtues with the help of God’s grace. Spiritual life is such that if we do not stretch forward, we must return back; ceasing to be awake for good, we become weak for good; If we do not live for the Lord, then we live inconspicuously for sin - and the more we live for sin, the less for the Lord, the more for the Lord, the less for sin. Remember Lot's wife (Luke 17:32). Be afraid to look back at sinful objects. The Kingdom of God must be taken by force, and darkly strong seekers achieve it (Matthew 11:12). The gate that leads to eternal life is narrow (Matthew 7:17). The path to heaven is a narrow and sorrowful path. Spiritual life is a feat (2 Tim. 4:7), battle, labor (Job 5:7). One must continually stretch forward and continually force oneself. They will say: is it impossible to always go uphill? On the contrary, love grows from skill and, growing, facilitates the work of asceticism; but coldness and carelessness in the matter of salvation do not save us strength, but only, making it difficult to advance for good, weakens the soul. Brethren! Our hero goes from Tabor to Golgotha ​​in order to redeem us for Himself with His blood; the ransom is complete, the way of life is shown. Why laziness? After Him - following; following the apostles; we have no right to live for ourselves, according to the desires of our laziness, we are His property (1 Pet. 4:2). Let us strive with patience for the fight that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the author of our faith and finisher. Lord Jesus! You are the radiance of the Father's glory; You are our God and Savior. You showed Your glory to Your disciples, just like a man. May Your ever-present light shine upon us sinners too! Inflame our hearts with love for You, so that we all glorify Your holy name and offer praise to Your great good deeds, which You, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, never cease to pour out on us. Amen. Sermon on the Transfiguration of the Lord, in the Kuryazhsky Monastery How beautiful is the face of those who flocked to this mountain to glorify the Lord transfigured on Tabor! People of different ranks, different ages, different genders gathered on one mountain to glorify the one Lord. People, carried away in everyday life by different interests, different attractions, different needs of the earth, have gathered here with one soul, with one heart - with a heart singing the praise of the Lord! Temporary visitors to the sacred mountain! you feel, you see how good, how beautiful and temporary your meeting is on this mountain, for the unanimous praise of the Lord. I invite you to think how good, how saving the permanent hostel that the inhabitants of this sacred mountain decided to accept again. 3 What is the Christian law? In love, in love for the Lord, in love for others. This is a well-known matter. The Christian teaching, setting love for the Lord as the highest rule of Christian life, makes love for one’s neighbors so necessary that, according to its instructions, whoever does not have love for one’s neighbors does not have love for the Lord. If anyone says that he loves God, but hates his brother, it is a lie, the apostle teaches (John 4:20). Love for one's neighbor is a distinctive feature of the Christian law. Everyone will know this, just as my disciples are, if you have love among each other, the Savior said to his disciples (John 13:35). Thus, isn’t it obvious that monastic community is an expression of the fundamental Christian law, that law without which one cannot be a Christian. How high is the importance of monastic community! Do you want to see in experience how the fundamental Christian law is imprinted precisely in the community? Look at the life of the first Christians. But to the people who believed, says the writer of the Acts of the Apostles, there was one heart and one soul, and not one thing was said to be from their possessions, but all things were common to them (Acts 4:32). All believers had one soul, one heart, and as a result, no one had anything of their own, but everything was common; as a result, each property was not the property of an individual, but the property of the entire community of believers. You see how community life is connected with love for one’s neighbors. They will say: is it really impossible to have love for your neighbors without observing the duties of community life? Let us not deceive ourselves: pure, complete love for one’s neighbor is definitely impossible when everyone lives for himself. Pure, complete love for one's neighbor lives for one's neighbor, and not for oneself; and therefore, everything that he acquires, he does not acquire for himself alone; everything that he has, he considers not his own; Her strength, property, and labors are devoted to the society among which she lives. This is pure love! The apostolic time was the time of the reign of the purest love for God and neighbor, and therefore it was also the time of the angelic community of people. There is no doubt that apostolic love is not entirely accessible to human infirmities. And therefore, the apostolic community is not entirely accessible to Christians of later times. But let us not be unfair to the truth, let us not reject the fact that if there is no apostolic community among today’s Christians, then this depends on human weaknesses, and not on the quality of Christian love. Не станем препираться и с тем, что, если и в наше время, между нами, слабыми христианами, являются ревнители апостольского общежития, они достойны всего нашего уважения, как христиане лучшие. What is monasticism? Monasticism is a complete renunciation of one's will; оно есть выполнение воли Господа, заповедавшего нам: иже хощет по мне итти, да отвержется себе ( Мк.8:34 ). What is a monastic hostel? Оно есть отречение от всякой собственности в пользу общества, и, в следствие того, отречение от всякого желания, коль скоро найдут его несогласным с видами иноческого общества. И так видите, иноческое общежитие есть осуществление существенного характера иночества; it is the fulfillment of the will of the Lord to renounce oneself. Отселе понятно и то, как много значит иноческое общежитие в христианской жизни, в значении средства для умирения страстей. Конечно, неприятно быть в постоянной зависимости от начальника общества, неприятно быть всегда бедняком и просить о самой малости другого. But for how such a situation brings us closer to spiritual poverty, for which the reward of seeing the Lord is promised; it softens our callous pride; it pacifies our lively self; it forces, willy-nilly or unwillingly, the cries of our whimsical pride to fall silent; it detaches the soul from everything earthly and introduces it little by little into the freedom of the children of God. I don’t want to think badly of anyone, especially of the whole society; I don’t want to think that everything that you have gotten into your hands so far, my brother, you have used for sin. I readily believe that you used a significant part, even a large part, to help the poor. But do not forget, first of all, that the use of powers and property according to one’s own will, according to one’s own reasoning, is already the fulfillment of one’s will, and not a renunciation of it and, therefore, a dangerous collision with the demands of the monastic spirit. Then, of course, you will not refuse to admit that you used a certain part of the property, and not even an insignificant part, on your whims. What do these whims mean? Do you think that they are small in you, who made a vow to crucify your flesh with passions and lusts? Oh! can breaking an oath taken before the Lord be a small thing? Take a closer look at your soul. Have the whims that have been nourished in you for years turned into a habit, into a passion? The property that you had, did not your weaknesses bask in you? How can you refuse the fact that it fostered worldly pride in you, comforted your soul and, in its absence, disturbed it with sorrows and even passions of envy and unpeace? What if, moreover, it served as a means to a drunken life, to a life of voluptuousness and impurity? It is not so easy to use any kind of property for good. But how easily property is used for evil! If they do not make an idol of their heart from their property, if they do not cultivate in their soul the love of money, which is idolatry, then they turn money into a means of serving either one passion or another. That is why, brothers, the one who found a heap of gold ran away from it, like from a heap of poisonous snakes! And you know what happened to the other brother, who, deluded by the thought that he could turn gold into a source of goodness and mercy, picked up the gold and did not run away from it. God! Look down from heaven and see and visit these grapes and establish them, and Thy right hand will plant them. Amen. Sermon on the 16th day of August, at the Svyatogorsk monastery Praise and thanksgiving to Your grace, O eternal Son incarnate for us! So in this deserted place, where so recently there was desolation, whole hosts of souls serve Your Father, from midnight to noon and from evening until late at night! Who else but Your grace turned the desolate wilds into a cheerful garden, where spiritual songs are heard night and day? Who, if not Your grace, gives strength to weaknesses to serve You, which requires so much work? They are not lazy with diligence, they are passionate in spirit, they work for the Lord (James 3:11): this is the apostolic teaching about serving the Lord. Those who work for the Lord! Thank the Lord, it tells you about the need to serve the Lord - there is no need. Strengthened by His grace, you carry out your ministry with non-lazy diligence. So, there is no need to talk to you against laziness. But how can the weak vouch for ourselves that we do not need to arouse ourselves to God’s zeal by meditating on the words of the Apostle: “burning in the spirit.” Burning in spirit - this means that in serving the Lord one must have ardent zeal, a spirit flaming with zeal to fulfill the will of God as fully and accurately as possible. Fiery zeal in work for the Lord is the very thing that makes it pleasing to the Lord. And a person does not limit his view of someone’s business to appearances alone. He does not see the heart of his neighbor as God does. Instead, he tries to guess, by signs, whether with sincere zeal. The job is being done. And he is satisfied only when the visible signs - the consequences of the deed - show him that the deed was done in good faith and diligently. If people look at the dignity of a work this way, how can God, who knows the heart, be pleased with visible work alone? How can He approve of our service to Him when He does not see sincere zeal in our hearts? No. He asks us for our heart, since He is the God of our heart. It should all belong to him, with all his thoughts, movements and desires. Coldness and double-mindedness in serving the Lord are disgusting to Him. For this reason, since you are neither warm nor cold, the imam will vomit you out of my mouth, says the faithful and true one. One must choose one of two things: either Baal or the true God. The world itself cannot approve of us when we divide our hearts between God and the world. The Eye of the Lord is brighter than man's. The Jerusalem widow did not bring much to the church treasury; she brought only the two smallest coins. Why did the Lord praise her offering so much? Because her zeal was great, because her love was so strong and deep that she brought everything she had to the church. And so the small mite became a treasure before God. Good layman. Why do you think the light you kindle before the icon pleases the Lord? You, of course, know that God and His saints have no need for an earthly, material candle, just as there was no need for the contribution of the Jerusalem widow. Why does serving the luminary please the Lord? Because this is a visible sign of your zeal for the Lord. You see, here the priest prays, performs mysteries, teaches; the lower altar servants read, sing, praising the Lord. What can you do? How can you express your service to the Lord? You are given the opportunity to testify to your participation in serving God by offering a candle. So you too are an active member of the divine service! So, the more sincerely, the more diligently, the more ardently the soul serves its God, the more pleasing the service is to Him. Ardent zeal, constituting a sacrifice pleasing to God, greatly facilitates the ascetic of piety in his deeds for the Lord. Why does serving God seem so hard? Why then, when they hear the commandment - not to love the world and anything worldly, not to be partial even to those closest in kinship, are they horrified by this commandment and consider it impossible to fulfill? Without any doubt, the word of the Lord is truer than all men; but the Lord says: my yoke is easy and my burden is light (Matthew 11:30). Why, despite the faithful word of the Lord, do they consider His yoke not good and His burden not light? All this is because there is no fire of God in the soul, there is no fiery desire to devote all of oneself and oneself to the Lord. As long as the heart is compressed, cold, and not excited for good, the soul hesitates and is lame, now it wants to follow the path of God, now it inclines towards the crossroads of the world, now it follows in the footsteps of God’s commandments, now it stumbles and falls in the dirt of the earth. This is not what happens when the heart is warmed by spiritual fire, excited by zeal to serve the Lord with all the fullness of the soul. In the same way the trees desire the springs of water, so my soul desires You, O God! My soul thirsts for the mighty and living God (Ps. 41:2-3): this is what the soul says, full of ardent love for God and flows quickly and easily, freely and quickly along the paths of God. There are labors and dangers, there are difficult temptations; she passes them with the help of God, comfortably. Everyone who wants to live piously in Christ Jesus will be persecuted: the ascetic of piety will have more sorrows than anyone else in this land of mourning: such is the order of God! But a soul full of love for the Lord endures everything for the Lord - love gives it wings to fly over the rapids of the earthly path, without fatigue or weariness. What fierce suffering did the saints endure? martyrs for the faith, and no death could separate them from the Lord! The venerable fathers and venerable mothers found bliss in the harsh and meager desert life and did not want to exchange it for any earthly happiness. A simple comparison, but very true, explains the meaning of jealousy in spiritual life. When a cauldron is boiling on a fire, an unclean insect does not dare to approach it, nor does a predatory animal approach. In the same way, when the soul boils with holy zeal for piety, this spiritual fire at the same time protects it from sinful thoughts and desires and gives it strength to grow in spiritual perfection. Fire has come to burn on the earth, and whatever I want, even if it is already on fire, says the Savior (Luke 12:49). What kind of fire is this that the Savior wants to kindle on earth? Of course, this is not a destructive fire when our Savior is so meek that he does not extinguish even the flax that has smoldered. The imam is baptized with baptism, and how can I hold on until I die (Luke 12:50)? He says in explanation of his words about fire. And so the fire that He came to bring to earth is the fire of zeal to fulfill the will of the Heavenly Father. This is what He, our Lord, desires from His servants! This is what He expects from us, His followers! Love worthy of true Christians is fiery love for God. The name of a Christian requires that the fire of divine love burn in us and call us to the very suffering, resist in us all the temptations of the world and passions, and elevate us to the exploits of a perfect spiritual life. Brothers of St. this monastery! We must be especially distinguished by our ardent zeal for fulfilling the will of God, since by vows of monasticism we have pledged ourselves to be primarily servants of God and Christ. Will someone ask: what should we do when we do not feel ardent zeal for the Lord? Pray, let’s say in response, pray to the One who came into the world with him, to bring fire to the earth. He will not refuse his gift to anyone. Stimulate your heart by remembering the blessings shown to us in the Son of God and continually shown to everyone in his life. Drive away coldness and negligence by thinking about the torments of hell, which are ready for those who despise the grace of Christ. For if then - in the Old Testament - the word spoken by the angels was immutable and every crime found just vengeance: how will we escape the wrath and vengeance of God if we do not care about such means of salvation (Heb. 2: 2-3) Savior of the world! and we are weak and sinful before You! May Your divine face protect us from the fire of God’s truth and may it kindle in us the fire of God’s love for worthy service to You. Amen. Blessed are the seeing eyes, even as you see The apostles were truly blessed. They saw the One whom all the patriarchs and prophets wanted to see and did not see. They saw with their own eyes the Savior of the world, awaited for centuries, they saw the word of life, through the shell of flesh, manifesting in Himself the Only Begotten of the Father (John 1:14). How, however, it can easily be that people either look at low objects, ignoring high objects, or look at a high object, but do not see it in its true form! Waited for centuries, filled with grace and truth (John 1:4) was before the eyes of all the children of Israel, but the greatest part of them closed their eyes, so that one day they would see their eyes and understand in their hearts and be converted (Matthew 13:15). So vision is a precious thing for the soul; it can bring the soul a lot of pure joy, soothing light, but only when we know how to use it. Sight was not given to us so that we could look at the world and at people without a goal, without a sound thought. It is given to us so that, by pointing out to us the dangers and benefits for the physical body, it provides the mind with objects for higher contemplations, for thinking about God and our eternal life. Come and see the works of God, says the prophet (Ps. 45:9). Here is the very first, most important object for our vision. There is nothing more important, more expensive, more necessary than God. Where can we see the works of God? The world presents us with the most magnificent paintings, the most wondrous creations of a great artist. Myriads of stars and luminaries are scattered above our heads. The seas roil across the earth, not daring to leave their assigned boundaries, and every year the surface of the earth is luxuriously decorated with greenery and flowers, as Solomon did not know how to decorate. One has only to reflect on what we see in the visible world in order to see the invisible of God - His power, His goodness, His glory. His invisible things, His eternal power and divinity, have been visible from the very creation of the world through the consideration of creatures (Rom. 1:20). My eyes have disappeared into Your word (Ps. 119:82), says St. singer. Here is another object to behold – the word of God! The holy singer wanted to look so much and looked into the word of God that his eyes became dull from intense vision. And there is something to look at in the word of God. In the word of God, the secrets of the Divine are revealed, which cannot be seen anywhere else; and God’s relationship to the created worlds is depicted in Holy Scripture as clearly as could be desired. The letters of nature are rather illegible, especially for our sore eyes; the variety of visible objects can tire us, can entertain us before we reach their lofty thought. Holy Scripture tells us about God and our salvation clearly, simply, definitely. Watch and learn! The Church, as the church of God, is a material representation of the Christian mysteries. There is something to see in the church of God. Here are the faces of the saints of God; here is an image of the mysteries of the glory of God; here is the beauty of the Lord. Even if a sinful thought comes to you, hasten to look at the images of the saints of God and their holiness will drive away the unclean thought from you. What a great benefit for the people and for everyone is the Orthodox Church! For people who cannot read books, the church with its St. icons - a school of faith and piety, with a mentor - reverent vision. How to look at people? Intercourse with them is so frequent, but is it always safe? How are our relationships with our neighbors determined? The commandment about love. So, let the commandment of love control our gaze on people. Love is merciful, says the apostle. Let our gaze breathe mercy. According to the gospel story, on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho there was a man lying beaten by the cruelty of bad people. The Levite walked past him without turning a compassionate glance. An act inconsistent with the commandment of love! Don't imitate him. Imitate the Samaritan. He, seeing the same man, examined his wounds, washed them, doused them with oil, bandaged them, then brought the unfortunate man to the hotel and hired a hotelier to look after the sick man until he recovered. What a wonderful use of vision! Do not turn your eyes away from the troubles of your neighbor. Do not pass by poverty with a look of contempt, no matter how dirty it may be. If you cannot do everything necessary for the poor man, at least do not burden him with a look of insensitive coldness - do not increase his sorrow with a repulsive gaze. Love is not exalted, is not proud, says the apostle. Remember this property of love, and you will not look with the gaze of proud pride at the shortcomings and weaknesses of your neighbor. What makes you look out for the misdeeds of another! Secret pride, a secret desire for pride - to stand above others, a criminal desire to excuse oneself for sins at the expense of the position of others. And how far pride can take you along this path! For lack of actual wrongdoing in another, it itself invents sins in another and refers to its own eyes as reinforcement. This is what the Pharisees did to Christ the Lord. They followed His every step, interpreted His actions in their own way and brought matters to the point that they crucified their Lord. Be careful: do not allow proud pride to abuse your vision. Let humble love command your vision. Even if she sees sin in her brother, she will cover it with silence; she will repeat to you: what do you see, the bitch that is in your brother’s eye, but don’t hear the log that is in your eye! Hypocrite! First remove the log from your hair, and then you will see that you take away the stubble from your brother's hair (Matthew 7:3, 5). He does not envy Lyuba, says the apostle. So, do not turn an envious gaze on your neighbor’s happiness; According to the spirit of love, your neighbor's happiness should please you as if it were your own. By fixing an envious gaze on the happiness of your neighbor, you only harm yourself and deprive yourself of peace. Make a different use of your gaze. Look cheerfully at the happiness of another, as at your own happiness, and your gaze will bring peace to the soul, and with peace - success in holy love. Woe to the world because of temptation, says the Savior. How is temptation accepted by the soul? Most often through vision. So, in order to avoid the grief that temptations impart, it is necessary to restrain one’s vision, one must moderate its use when encountering tempting objects. The Savior says: everyone who looks at a woman lusts after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart (Matthew 5:28). Sin, living in our flesh, is so alive, so active that it turns the first object it encounters into food. So, as this object encounters him through sight, poor sight turns out to be the servant of sin. Beware, then, of looking at objects that tempt the flesh: beware lest the fire of hell flare up within you. Courage is not smart, since there is little strength and the enemy is strong. It is better to avoid encounters with objects of temptation than to stand in front of them with foolish arrogance to fight unreliably. Turn away my eyes, so as not to see vanity, the prophet prayed (Ps. 119:37). So, there is no reason to bother looking at the objects of vanity, at everything that self-interest comes up with for the frivolity of the forgetful. Outfits of foolish panache, pomp of luxury and unclean passion, what will they teach you? How will you keep your mind undistracted in prayer if you fill it with images of the vain world? How can you maintain the spirit of contrition if after prayer you go to look at the forgetful joy of the sinful world? The people of the world, with their forgetful lives, are examples of sin, not good; therefore it is useless, if not harmful, to stare at them. The same should be said about books written by people of the world. Their books are like their lives. They are light because they are empty; They are pleasant, but they are painful for the soul. What to do when the temptation of the world itself stands before our eyes? First of all, do not give up the thought of the danger of temptation and therefore be afraid of it. Then, if you cannot evade, try to look no differently than the Gospel commands. For example, what is fluffy clothing? Clothing is the mourning of a fallen soul; clothes, exquisite by art, are woven by self-interest, and bought either by childish vanity or the play of carnal passion. With such a look at clothes, of course, it is not convenient to enjoy it, but rather one should cry for the poor soul who is amused by it. Remember, brethren, how one must have vision. May the God of light and intelligence illuminate our hearts to understand useful and dangerous things. Amen. Sermon on the Day of the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord in the Kharkov Intercession Monastery It is with great consolation, brethren, to see in this place a church dedicated to the suffering of the Lord Jesus. With even greater consolation I see your zeal with which you devote every Wednesday to listening to the akathist doxology to the crucified Lord Jesus. The apostle wanted to know nothing more than the name of the Lord Jesus and him crucified. We preach, he says, Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block, and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called Christ, the power of God and the wisdom of God (1 Cor. 1:23-24). Holy is your following the example of the apostle. Now the whole church worships the cross of the Lord Jesus; all the more honor for your love for the cross of the Lord, which, without weakening, performs worship at all other times. May the grace of the Spirit preserve in you your holy zeal for our crucified Savior. Given your disposition, I am quite sure that it is pleasant for you to reflect on the words of the apostle, preaching about Christ crucified, as about God’s power and God’s wisdom for those who are called. Christ crucified is God's power. How is this possible? All the works of God, with all their greatness, are simple and can be explained by others. It is amazing for us how the infinite revealed his creative power within the confines of the created world. It is even more amazing how the same infinite One manifests His providential power even in such a small thing as a bird fed by Him. But the reality of creation and industry is obvious. Shall we say that it is unworthy of the greatness of God to appear in the shameful form of someone condemned to death? But shouldn’t we first say that there is no greatness on earth that would be completely worthy of the infinite greatness? The infinite goodness of God is what allows the infinitely great to appear within the more or less narrow confines of creation! Christ crucified is God's power. Let human malice bring the greatness of Jesus to humiliation. But in humiliation itself, how great is this humiliated one! The one who raised the dead with a word and commanded the elements, of course, could, if he wanted, come down from the cross, but He freely remains on the cross. He hears the blasphemies of ignorance and passions, but is quiet and calm, as in a conversation with friends. He endures the most severe torment of death, but only one voice emerges from His heart - the voice of devotion to the will of the Heavenly Father. Then, as He fell silent on the cross, exhausted, heaven and earth raised their voices about Him. The sun darkened, the earth shook, the stones disintegrated, the veil of the church was torn from top to bottom, many of the saints were resurrected and appeared in Jerusalem. In truth, this is the Son of God, even the pagan warriors said, who saw all this with their own eyes. But this is only the beginning of the manifestations of the power of the crucified. Darkness lies over the nations, altars are dedicated to abominations, the true God is forgotten, the chosen people dream only of an earthly kingdom. Who will dispel this universal darkness that humiliates humanity so much? Who will give a saving movement to the thoughts of the entire universe? Neither the rulers of nations nor the sages of the world give another heart to man. Their instructions may be intelligent, but the movements they make are limited to the air. Oh my God! Only You can infuse new life into a spiritual organism upset by sin. If I don’t go, the Comforter will not come to you. If I go, I will send Him to you (John 16:7). This is how one prepared to die on the cross. And He fulfilled His word. The love of God is poured out abundantly into the hearts of believers by the Holy Spirit (Rom. 5:5). And despite any obstacles, she led the world on the way of the cross to the triumph of sanctification and glorification. With one more I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land, He said through the prophet. And His words came true. Here are all the nations in motion: altars fall, idols are crushed, idolized sins are mourned with repentance. It is in vain that persecution is launched against the admirers of the new name. Bonfires of flame do not extinguish the flame of love for God, hitherto unknown. The name of the crucified one triumphs over the forces of the world empire. And through whom? Through simple Palestinian fishermen who have neither the means of education nor the benefits of power. Yes, the apostle had every right to say: “God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the strong and base things of the world, and God has chosen the base things and the base things to destroy the things that are” (1 Cor. 1:27-28). Christ crucified is God's wisdom. The eternal word left its word to people; and the wise of the world, having heard this word, abandon their wisdom to love the wisdom of him crucified. And how not to exchange the wisdom of age-old paganism for the wisdom of the crucified, when in His wisdom there is everything that is capable of elevating the human mind, and there is nothing that offends its pure principles, when in it the mysteries of human existence are resolved and the invisible secrets of God are revealed! How can one not accept and embrace with all one’s soul that wisdom that the soul seeks so much and does not find anywhere on earth, whereas it sees it in Christ! The soul itself tells a person that the teaching of the crucified is not an earthly teaching, but was sent by the Heavenly Father. Whoever wants to do the will of Him, the Heavenly Father, will know that My teaching is from God, or I say on my own behalf: this is how Christ testified about His teaching and His testimony was confirmed by the life and death of thousands of confessors and martyrs. The wisdom of the sages of the world is not accessible to most people and can only be acquired by a few. The teaching of the crucified Jesus is the property of one and all; it is understandable to a non-scientist, although at the same time it amazes thoughtful people; children and elders, husbands and wives, rich and poor, educated and uneducated - everyone finds in him what they need for eternal salvation; It gives life-giving light to everyone, just as the sun shines for everyone, as the heavenly Father shines for everyone. Christ crucified is God's wisdom. The enemies did the work of their corrupted hearts, but they did not see that they were instruments of the wise counsels of His eternal love for us. They did not notice how the cross, built by their hands, was at the same time arranged by the will of the one who had fallen apart on it. If they, following the example of the prudent thief, reconsidered their own affairs, and not those of others, felt their guilt before the righteousness of God, then from the depths of their souls they would exclaim along with the thief: remember us, Lord, when you come into Your kingdom. We would fall in awe before the boundless love of God, who chose as wise as a great means for the salvation of us sinners. Why think that the limitless power of God had no other ways to save people other than the death of the Son of God? But one must be too limited in meaning so as not to understand how the path chosen by the infinite will of God is consistent with the wisdom of God. It was necessary to satisfy the boundless truth of God, and it was satisfied by the feat of the cross - the humility of the eternal Son of God. It was necessary that satisfaction be brought by man, and it was brought by the Son of Man. The first sin was revealed in people with the dreamy hope of being like a god; for his healing is the boundless humility of the Son of God. By eating the forbidden fruit, a deviation from the will of God was accomplished. This indignation of sensuality against the spirit is punished by the suffering of the most pure flesh of Christ on the tree of the cross. Truly in Christ and through Christ is the wisdom of God. Christ is God's power and God's wisdom for those who are called. Why not for everyone? Does he really not want to appear to everyone, does he not want to be known by everyone? Oh! He, the all-merciful One, deigned to show His glorious face to everyone, for their enlightenment and bliss. But not everyone wants to see His face. Those who are called are those who respond with soul and life to the voice of God, calling them to eternal salvation; These are those who, being attentive to the calling of God, listen and study with all their souls the testimony of heaven about Christ and therefore come to know Christ. The Apostle testifies that Christ crucified is a temptation for the Jews and stupidity for the Greeks. Why is this? For the Jews, He is a temptation, because busy with the earth, they wanted to see in Him only an earthly king who would fulfill their hopes for their earthly happiness, while He did not bring them either the glory or the power of a great people. He seemed stupid to the Hellenes because they sought only vain, empty, dialectical wisdom, which played with words, and did not seek the truth of God. It is scary to consider Christ the Lord a temptation. But in advance we must be afraid of dispositions that imperceptibly, but with force, draw us into this position. Do not the hopes of many of us, like the hopes of the Jews, rest only on earth? Isn’t it only on earth that many people want to use all the gifts that they only expect from the goodness of God? Isn’t it just here that people want to get rich and enjoy joys and enjoy fame? And with such dispositions, can they know and feel who Christ Jesus is for us? Getting used to appreciating all things and cases only in their relation to the earth, can they appreciate the unearthly significance of spiritual objects? Carried away by the pleasures of earthly fame, temporal wealth, and local honors, they begin to be ashamed of the poverty of Jesus, become cold to the glory of the name of the crucified One, and lose both taste and meaning for the greatness of Jesus. My kingdom is not of this world, said the Savior; and Christians know this. But how to part with the earthly splendor that you have loved? How to love that kingdom, which cannot be seen by eyes darkened by the earth? How to love something from which your soul is far away? Searching for the truth is a sacred matter. But how to look for it? Not a word is said about the fact that the dialectical play of thoughts and words is fun for children. But even the exercise of thoughts in truth, which does not extend its influence on the formation of the heart and will, is a ruin of the spirit, especially harmful because the pride of the spirit is nourished by the wealth of knowledge, although fruitless. When knowledge is not combined with deeds, then perverse deeds appear, which in turn cause perverse knowledge. So wisdom does not enter into an evil soul. Brought up by fruitless knowledge, pride boldly questions the most sacred truths, which it has not begun to understand; rebels against everything that does not agree with accepted opinions, while these opinions are arbitrary. In this situation, the truths, which themselves constitute the source of pure contemplation and the deepest thoughts, such as the redemptive suffering of the God-man, seem to be something incongruous with themselves, stupidity, while only the very mood of the soul is stupid and disastrous. Our crucified Savior! Grant us, until our last breath, with a sincere soul, with our very life, to confess You as God’s power and God’s wisdom. Amen. Division II. Words for the consecration of churches Sermon on the consecration of the church in the name of the Transfiguration of the Lord, in the city of Wenden Blessed is God who gives his church to man, and especially this church! By all rights we can say that this church was given by the Lord. For the glory of God, I cannot remain silent in this church about you, deceased servant of God. “In the sorrow of your heart, you made a vow to serve in the creation of the church of the Lord, but for whom? Not for yourself, but for those to whom your love for Christ brought you closer. The less you wish for yourself, the more pleasant hopes there are for you. The Lord consoled the sorrow of your heart, heard your prayer, your children remained alive among the deaths of the war. For a long time the vowed desire of your heart could not be fulfilled, not from a lack of strength in the desire, but according to the dispensation of God. The children of your vow with all zeal, with all selflessness, just like you, served to fulfill your pious thought. It was necessary to endure a lot of work, to experience a lot of unpleasant things. But the selfless goal of the church has been achieved. And in what form? The woman who anointed the head of the Lord with fragrant ointment seemed to be doing an unwise thing, common to a wife. And, however, for the kindness of her intentions, for her simple faith, the Lord then commanded to speak about her in churches all over the world. I have no doubt about the Lord of the living - your soul is now filled with joy in the Lord, who has fulfilled your last desire. I have no doubt about the Lord of grace - grace will pour out from the sacred church on the sons of your sons for the high kindness of your desire. I have no doubt about the Lord, faithful in his promises - the consolation that you give to sorrowful hearts, in the name of God, in this church, will be remembered before the Lord as a blessing to you and your children forever. Blessed be the Lord God, who gives his church to men. God is omnipresent. He has no need for a church. What house will you build for Me, and what place of My resting place? says the Lord (Isaiah 64:1). For Him the whole world is a church, and even that is small. But man is limited; for the limited, a limited manifestation of the glory of God is necessary. Then, just as God is with man everywhere, man cannot be with God everywhere. So, man needs a church of God. God, omnipresent, is God and good. In His goodness, He condescends to the needs of man, and condescends to the need in the church; He deigns to be a church and gives it the grace of His special presence. Blessed is God, who contains his immeasurable power in a measurable space for man! Will there be a church under the new heaven, in heavenly Jerusalem? And I didn’t see the church in it, says the seer. How, it seemed, could there be a city of God without the church of God? The Lord God Almighty is his church and his lamb (Rev. 21:22), the viewer of the extraordinary explains the extraordinary. But what kind of explanation is this? How to understand it? The church is not visible because the Almighty Himself is the church and the lamb? What does it mean? This means that the man of the new Jerusalem is so perfect and exalted that creatures do not hide the presence of God from Him, so pure and enlightened that neither earthly passions nor earthly objects prevent him from entering the Almighty. However, even there they do not approach God directly. And there between God and man is a lamb. The eternal lamb, the God-man, our intercessor, with his humanity, moderates the invisible light of the Divine, unbearable for man; and with its Divinity it enlightens and deifies man, for whom the Divinity itself is unapproachable. His lamp is the Lamb (Rev. 21:23). So, there is not without a church there either. And there it is necessary for the human gaze to limit the light of the inaccessible. What can we tell us about ourselves? We are not yet in the new Jerusalem, but in the old land. Or does not human wisdom think to create such a city with its church on earth, and therefore, with the imaginary knowledge of God, the omnipresent ones seek to destroy our churches to God? No, she cannot create this city; he must come down from God from heaven (Rev. 21:10). No, human wisdom will not create anything except Babylon. For now, it is enough for us to stand in the church in heaven and pray: Mother of God, door of heaven, open to us the doors of your mercy. A little heaven on earth is enough for us, where through prayer, through the word of God, through the sacraments we can enter into communion with God. Who are we on earth now? We are poor wanderers. Sin has eclipsed the image of God in us, which sanctified us into heavenly service to God; sin hides the presence of God from us. If heavenly Adam also needs a church, then for us, with a sick soul and unclean flesh, the urgent need for a secret church is obvious. We live not only on the earth, but by the earth. Earthly objects scatter and seduce, darken and bend our soul to the ground; and - they, with a different combination, can excite and support, nourish and strengthen the desire for heaven, humbling the pride of our corrupted spirit. So, you only need spiritual experience to be able to choose objects for your ears and eyes that have a pure saving effect on the soul. Blessed be God, who gives us his church! People felt the need for a visible church, but the best did not dare to imply the eternal in time. Omnipresent in a place until God Himself appeared in a certain place. There is the Lord in this place; “I don’t know,” Jacob said in horror. This place is terrible, not this, but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven (Gen. 28:16–17, 19). Subsequently, God commanded that an altar be built in this place (Gen. 25:1). Under Moses, and again according to God’s instructions, the tabernacle became the house of God. When, by the election of God, Solomon erected the church that David desired, God said to Solomon about the church: and now my eyes will be open and my ears obedient to the prayer of this place. And My eyes and My heart will remain there all the days (2 Chronicles 7:15-16). Do you see what a lofty promise the Lord makes for his church? In his church, the Lord will listen to the prayers of those praying. In His church, He will abide with the grace of His love. Is it possible, they say, to pray to God at home in spirit? So be it! But do these people really think that they know how to pray better and can more easily rise to states of grace than David and Daniel? Why did the prophets not run away from the church, but fly in spirit to the church with joy? I rejoiced at those who said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord” (Ps. 122:1), said David. Daniel, while in captivity, stood to pray in front of the window facing the destroyed Jerusalem temple (Dan.6:10). No! Let us bless our Lord Jesus Christ. He is so generous to us, so merciful - he gives his faithful not one church, but countless churches, and just as generously fills them with grace. The old church was abolished by Him, but not in significant parts; Only what was needed for the childhood of people was abolished - bloody sacrifices, the strict law of rituals - everything that was a shadow of future blessings. The shadows disappeared as the objects themselves appeared. The main idea of ​​the church, as a house of prayer, as a sanctuary of sacraments, as a treasury of grace, remained intact amid the changes in human upbringing. Spiritual freedom was revealed in the fact that the houses of God appeared not on Mount Orova alone, but in villages and deserts, in cities and on mountains. Do you want to see, in fact, a Christian church? We will not be mistaken if we say that the Great Upper Room (Luke 12:12), in which the Lord established and performed the sacrament of His body and blood, is the original example of a Christian church. When the apostles, after the Ascension of the Lord, returned from the Mount of Olives to Jerusalem, they ascended to the upper room, where they abided... enduring in prayer and supplication. And when the days of Pentecost were ended, all the apostles were with one accord (Acts 1:13–14, 2:1). What kind of upper room is this in which Christ’s faithful awaited the promised Holy Spirit? Was it a simple residential church in which people spent the day and night? Quite incredible; It’s completely incredible even because of the multitude of people who were in it. The names of the people together are like a hundred and twenty, says St. Luke. One hundred and twenty people spend day and night in one residential church for ten days! Is it possible? No, the purpose of the apostolic upper room was not to have lunch and dinner, sit and rest in it; the Lord's Last Supper was celebrated in it; in it the election and canonization of Matthias as an apostle took place; in it, after ten days of prayer, the Holy Spirit enlightened the minds of the apostles with fiery tongues, inflamed their hearts with love, and formed them for universal preaching. Whether this was the same upper room in which the Lord established the sacrament of the Eucharist, we probably don’t know: but we know for sure, by the purpose and dignity of the upper room, that this is an apostolic church. Is it good to see not only the church of the apostolic times, but also instructions on how to behave in the church? The Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthian Christians: does the food of the houses not have food and drink? Or don’t you care about the Church of God? (1 Cor. 11:22). See what's the matter. The rich of the Corinthian Christians, bringing bread and wine to the church for the Lord's table, used the offering without order, they themselves became satiated, and they insulted the poor with contempt. By making such people feel how unseemly their behavior is, the apostle points out to them the high dignity of the Church of God, in contrast to its simple houses. Or don’t have houses to eat and drink? Or don’t you care about the Church of God? If the apostle so decisively contrasts the church, with the Lord’s table, with simple houses, then isn’t it clear that in the sense of the apostle this church is not at all like an ordinary house, but a sacred place requiring special attention. Or don’t you care about the Church of God? the very name: the Church of God already expresses both the special purpose of the church and the special reverence for it. And the indignation and reproachful question of the apostle to those who are careless about the Church of God makes it even stronger to see the apostle’s deep respect for the Church of God as a holy place. The church where the mysteries are performed is the Church of God: that is what we now call our church; a church is an inviolable shrine - in which to eat and drink, as in a simple house, carelessly, means to offend the shrine. Here is the apostolic church and instructions on how to behave in the church! Servants and visitors of the church! Be careful how dangerous you walk. Remember the dignity of the church. He is given by God, he is the church of God. Enter it with reverence, let us leave earthly thoughts and worries at its threshold. Stand with fear, as if before the face of the King of Heaven. Pray, not like a Pharisee, with the thought of your righteousness or without any thought, but like a publican, with deep contrition for your sins. Remember, the Lord hears prayers in his church, but he also hears the cry of sins that comes out of other hearts, in the church itself. The Church of God is not a simple house where it would be allowed to greet each other, engage in idle conversations, or seek first places with the noise of pride that offends the poor. Or don’t have houses? Is this why you need a church so that, behind scattered thoughts and wandering eyes, a sinful soul wanders over faces and objects? Or don’t you care about the Church of God? How are those not afraid who enter the church with the secrets of lawlessness in their hearts, with the impurity of sinful passions and not a single thought in their hearts - to somehow correct themselves? Do they really think that the Lord of the church does not see their hearts in the church? If this church was built and consecrated with such care, then so that it would not only be called, but also be the Church of God for you, a believing soul. Walking the thorny path of external sorrows and internal trials, at times you do not know where to go with your heart. Come here, here God is the comforter of the sorrowing, here is the communion of saints, triumphant in heaven and not forgetting the brethren wandering on earth; come, refresh yourself here with the breeze of the sky, the breath of the eternal country. Sometimes you need clarification in the law, you are burdened by doubts, the world brings its darkness upon you: pray here before the light that enlightens every person; prayer will illuminate your thoughts, dispel the images of the evil world; and the verb of faith and love that you will hear here will show you life and the path to eternal life. Sometimes your conscience will have a need for the oil of mercy, for the obligations of faith, in the church of the Merciful One, who has received the power to bind and loosen, will loosen bonds that you do not have the right to loosen; according to your faith, he will tell you what your conscience expects. Will you feel exhaustion in your entire inner man? The body and blood of the Lord offered here is the best food; Do not deprive yourself of food through false fear, approach it with reverent faith and you will be healed. Look down from heaven, O God, and see and visit these grapes and establish them, and Thy right hand plant them! (Ps. 59:15–16). Amen. Word on the consecration of the church in the name of the Holy Forerunner, at the bishop's country house I asked one thing of the Lord, as required: let us live in the house of the Lord all our days my belly, behold the beauty of the Lord and visit His holy church (Ps. 26:4). Happy is the subject who brings a gift to the king. For a king, the offering of a subject is not important, but for a subject it means a lot when the king graciously allows a gift to be brought and graciously accepts the gift. Those who took part in the renovation and decoration of this church! You have brought the fruits of your labors to the glory of the name of the Lord! You couldn't make better use of the property. The Lord has granted you mercy, good deeds, happiness - to bring a gift to the king of kings. Blessed be the Lord God, who was pleased to accept the offering from us, his unworthy servants! People give nothing of their own when they dedicate a church to God, but how much they accept when they receive the church of God! With what delight, with what fiery love David desired to be installed in the church of God! I have asked one thing from the Lord, he said, and I will require this: that I may live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, that I may behold the beauty of the Lord, and that I may visit His holy church. Open, O Lord, the eyes of our hearts to behold the glory of Your church in the words of Your God-inspired servant! If I have asked one thing from the Lord, I will require it, says the servant of God. David was surrounded by disasters; Every minute he expected that a battle would rise up against him, that an implacable enemy would rise up (Ps. 26:2-3). Unrighteous witnesses rose up against him with slander and false denunciations: evil persecutors were ready to take his soul (Ps. 27:12). Everything dear to his heart was far from him (Ps. 26:10). And in this situation, what does David pray for? His first attention, his first prayer are not focused on the fact that peace will be restored with those close to his heart, - not on the fact that his enemies will stop persecuting him. No, he asks for one thing, seeks one thing - to live in the house of the Lord. What made David so eager to dwell in the house of God? Why did the church of God seem so important to him? Because, he says, this is the house of the Lord, because the beauty of the Lord is here, because the house of God is a holy house. The church of the Lord is the church of God. This is what David believed. Will they not say: how is this possible? Wouldn't this mean confining the Divine within the cramped walls of the church? True, if we, in our own arbitrary way, decided to imprison the Deity in the temple, as the pagans thought of imprisoning, then, of course, we would be concluding our dream. But if God himself deigns to express his will to dwell with his grace in the church, who can contradict Him? The Divinity is infinite, and yet this world is willingly recognized as the church of God, since God deigns to demonstrate in it His power, His goodness, His wisdom. And, however, is the Divinity limited to the boundaries of the world? If, despite the fact that they cannot understand how the infinite Divinity fits within the created world, they do not doubt that God dwells in the universe, why doubt that this church is the house of God? For the infinite, the vast world is just as small as this small church. For whom is not both the great world and the small church too small? For all good; for Him we will contain both, just as His sun is equally reflected in the whole world and in one drop of water. The sun is in the sky, the sun is on the earth; By its ray the flower of the field lives and the fruit ripens. And there - in the heights and here - on the ground there is also the sun. A beautiful flower reflects the play of the sun’s rays even more, even more extensively, than other objects, without at all restricting the sun. In the same way, the church can even reveal much more of the glory of God than the vast world. In ancient times, God chose the tabernacle as his home, and a cloud of light visibly showed the invisible presence of God in the tabernacle. Solomon, before God's will, created the church. And it came to pass, when the priests came out of the sanctuary, that the church of the Lord was filled with clouds. And it is not right for the priest to serve on behalf of the cloud, for the church is filled with the glory of the Lord (1 Kings 8:10-11). And the apostle not only separated the Christian church from ordinary houses, but directly called it the Church of God: do not eat houses, eat and drink only! Or don’t you care about the Church of God? Here, in the Christian church, the Lord is spiritually present: where there are two or three congregations in My name, I am in the midst of them (Matthew 18:20). He is present here more tangibly than spiritually; He is present here in His most pure body, broken for us, and in His most pure blood, shed for our sins. All other sacraments performed in the Christian church contain divine, miraculous power, hidden to the sensual gaze, but open to the spiritual, invisible to the inattentive, absent-minded sinner, but tangible to the repentant, self-absorbed soul. Oh, how can we not pray together with David about living in the house of the Lord all the days of our lives! How not to say with Jacob: this is not, but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven! I asked one thing from the Lord, that I might behold the beauty of the Lord. What is this beauty of the Lord that David hoped and desired to see in the church of the Lord? These are the sacred rites with which the Old Testament worship was invested; there was nothing else in the Old Testament church. There were images of future, Christian blessings - images majestic in external splendor, and even greater in inner, spiritual significance. People, as sensory-spiritual beings, have an inevitable need for visible means to arouse and maintain piety in themselves. And God speaks to man in a human way—reveals to him His glory in the form in which man can see it. For man will not see My face, the Lord said to Moses, and he will live. I will show you My back. Only the back, only reflections of the glory of God can be seen by man, those reflections that can remain in visible objects. Man is not able to see the very eternal face of God, because he is flesh. This is why rituals are also necessary in Christian worship. The reformers of recent times began the transformation by saying out loud to everyone: Christianity is a spiritual faith; all appearance is a fiction of superstition or passions. But soon they themselves saw the mistake, but they could no longer completely correct their mistakes. What does worship without external rituals mean? A cold, soulless movement of thoughts that can lead to cooling in piety. Christianity forms the whole man, since the whole man is sinful. An upset imagination, an upset feeling require its own science. Leave them without science, they will not only be savage themselves, but, due to the connection of our forces, due to the effect of one on the other, they will bring disorder into the entire spiritual organism. You cannot force nature to remain silent. If you do not give her the food of piety, she will demand and find the food of temptation and sin; If you don’t teach her good, she will teach you sin. No, those who do not know Christianity or the person who deprive Christianity of rituals. We are happy with you, my Orthodox listener, that the church, our mother, so wisely educates us in piety. She never ceases to teach us to worship God in spirit and in truth. But she knows what influence external objects have on our spirit, how they are capable of arousing and supporting pious feelings, how easily the mind and heart submit to images brought into the soul from the outside. And therefore she united the spiritual with the visible, and decorated the church with spiritual, but also visible, objects. Truly, in the church of God is the beauty of the Lord. What a wealth of spiritual thoughts and feelings the appearance of the Orthodox Church presents to everyone! Here is before your eyes the story of our Savior, the Lord Jesus. Here He is crucified for us sinners, there He is a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes. Here His sinner wife washes His feet with tears, there Zacchaeus, in the delight of his heart, promises Him to give half of his property to the poor. And the faces of the saints of God, patriarchs, prophets, apostles, martyrs, saints, ascetics of the desert and their leader, the forerunner of the Lord - don’t they present to the eyes all types of pleasing God, don’t they teach us piety without words, don’t they denounce us for being careless about salvation, don’t they console the ascetics of the kingdom with hopes for eternity? Let them show me at least one dogma of faith that would not be clothed in a visible image in one or another rite of the church! Let them point out at least one ritual that would not hide one or another deep thought of faith! For example, the sign of ring with which we mark ourselves speaks so clearly about the highest mystery of the deity - about the triune God; Baptismal rites tell us about our hereditary corruption, and express our vow - to live for the one Lord and to be dead to sin. Prayerful bows both express and inspire a sense of awareness of our every-minute fall. Frequent, simple exclamation: Lord have mercy, what a broad sermon! It contains a whole teaching about active Christianity. The rituals of Orthodoxy, with all their greatness, with all the importance, decent heavenly faith, are so simple, so understandable to everyone. The peasant is not able to think scientifically about faith, but he has eyes to see, ears to hear, a heart to feel, imagination to be amazed by images. And look how he, not knowing how to read, reads in rituals what he should believe, what he should hope for, how to live, how to avoid sin. Oh, how divinely wise the building of the Orthodox Church is! How deeply understandable here are the needs of man and the spirit of the Christian faith! I have asked one thing from the Lord, and I will require that you visit His holy church. If the church is God’s house, if everything in it expresses holiness and teaches holiness, then how can it not be holy? There is only one thing left to do - visit the church. It is true that there is so much love of Christ in the Orthodox church that it prays not only for those who are coming, but also for the Orthodox who are everywhere. But, do not forget, he prays for those absent who are absent for the blessed wine, and for those who, whenever possible, rush to the church, with reverence and fear of God. If you forget to visit the church, is it not fair that the grace of the church should also forget about you? If you make yourself a stranger to the church, if you, without respecting either its days or its rules, live as a person of a different faith, different customs, different rules, then have you not excluded yourself from the number of those on whom the grace of the Orthodox church is poured out? How will you know how the church will call you its own, when you have all become, God knows, whose? They say: can I pray in the house? I don’t argue, you can pray. But will you pray? If you do not have the spirit of prayer to perform prayer as you should in a church, where everything forces you to pray: will you pray in a house where everything distracts your prayer? If you have so little patience for prayer in church, where there are so many incentives for patience and prayer, for example, at least shame in front of good people: in the house you are left only with your impatience and passions, not even curbed by shame. No, my friend, do not deceive yourself or God: if it is not just laziness, if not just the habit of idleness, then nothing more than dreamy pride will not allow you into the church. Rise up against sin, go to church and confess your laziness to prayer. Go to church, where your coldness can be warmed by the flame of the prayers of the church and the zeal of the brethren. Go to the church - there the grace of the church, if you force yourself to faith, will pour contrition into your hardened heart. Beware: do not be wise about yourself. God, rich in mercy and bounty, may His grace be with us who are weak! Amen. Word on the consecration of the renovated Riga Church in honor of the Intercession of the Mother of God Thank God! And this church was again consecrated into the dwelling of the Most High. God bless! And this place again became the place of the glory of God, the great mysteries of Christ the Lord. God bless! And this house is again decorated with the faces of God’s friends, shining with images of heavenly objects worthy of spiritual worship. My listeners! How much it means to us that our mother, the Orthodox Church, has sanctified for us the rule of reverence for St. icons! This one accessory to Orthodoxy is a great happiness for our souls. Let us evaluate with reflection the veneration of St. icons This is also necessary because some of you may hear doubts about the sanctity of the veneration of St. icons Are images of the Deity necessary? Without a doubt, they are needed. Man is not an angel, he has feelings and imagination, which must be sanctified in the same way as the mind and desires of the will, and which require food suitable for them, like our other powers. If we do not occupy them with sacred objects, they will look for other objects. If we do not prevent them from being damaged by useful means, they will certainly be spoiled by exposure to harmful things and will bring corruption into the depths of their souls. Don’t we see that, while they do not want or are ashamed to place images of God and His saints in the very place, they surround themselves with pictures that are either empty and small, or the most shameful and vile? Why is this? What does it mean? Without accustoming the imagination to worthy, holy images, they allowed it to accustom itself to low, disgusting images. Agree that a pure soul cannot admire pictures of dirty passions - a pure society loves the image of great virtues, phenomena worthy of the glory of the great God. How much they deprive themselves by depriving themselves of images of saints! Also St. Gregory Dvoeslov said: “What writing is for those who can read, painting is for ordinary people.” Exactly, St. icons are a sermon, but a sermon that is understandable to everyone, an incessant sermon, a sermon that has a strong effect on everyone. Icons are a sermon for everyone. In an Orthodox church, every illiterate person sees and understands the works of God and - with what convenience! To understand books, you need to study a lot, waste a lot of time, effort, and resources; and the depiction of some sacred incident, or some great person, with a quick explanation, is easily understood by everyone. Icons are an incessant sermon, you can always listen to it; she speaks loudly even to those who would not listen, she speaks without offending pride, because the eye of pride itself reads her. Icons are a powerful sermon. A story or reading explains the truth in the mind, but a picture can always touch and amaze the heart more than a story; since what is present always strikes us more powerfully than what is absent, acting through the senses and imagination on the soul shocks the inner feeling more powerfully than acting on the mind alone. Remember the Egyptian Mary. For so long she led an unclean and absent-minded life, without thoughts or worries about the fate of the afterlife. But accidentally, unintentionally, she looked at the icon of the Mother of God and, struck by the greatness of the purity of the Ever-Virgin, forever renounced her former life. This is how much a holy image means, even for absent-minded people who, even if they knew how to read, do not want to pick up a useful book! What is a church without such a saving sermon? They will say: icons are needed for simple or absent-minded people, but not for those who are strong in spirit. What does it mean? Is it not that those who reject the veneration of icons consider themselves strong? May God deliver everyone from harmful conceit. While we remain on earth, we are all sinners, we can all more or less forget God, be distracted by earthly cares, lose sight of what is necessary for eternity, and therefore we all need spiritual-material instructions. Let us say more: disdain for sacred images not only does not show the strength of love for the Lord, but on the contrary serves as a sure sign of a lack of holy love. What we love, we respect, and, respecting a person, we respect his image. Henceforth, monuments are erected to great leaders, great sovereigns. And whoever dared to disrespect the portrait of our beloved monarch would not be called a bad person. In the same way, love for the Lord, the stronger it becomes, the more it values ​​images of everything sacred - the Bible, icons, things of the church, the more it fears touching anything sacred with any disrespect. And yet, they will say, there is no command in the word of God to create visible images of the Divine and worship them? If this were so, then the natural need that we have for sacred images, and the naturalness of reverence for sacred images, show us that reverence for holy icons is a matter in accordance with the will of God. Everything that is based in us on the laws of pure God-created nature is undoubtedly pleasing to the Lord, as the work of His hands. Meanwhile, it is unfair to say that there is no command in Scripture about the construction and veneration of images of the Divine and saints. God Himself commanded the construction of the tabernacle of meeting as an image of God’s presence among the chosen people. And after the construction of the tabernacle, Moses and Aaron came before the door of the tabernacle and fell on their faces (Num. 20:6). Here is the voice of scripture about the arrangement and veneration of the sacred image! In exactly the same way, the ark of the covenant, the image of the incarnation of God the Redeemer, was built according to God’s instructions. And with the deepest reverence they fell and bowed before the ark. For example, we read: Jesus fell to the ground before the ark of the Lord even until evening, just as he and also were the elders of Israel (Joshua 7:6). And what wrath of God was poured out on those who showed negligence or insolence before him! More than fifty thousand men from the Israelites were struck with death because, with mere idle curiosity, they ran to look at him when he miraculously returned from the Philistines, and did not give praise and thanksgiving to the Lord for the return of this ancient shrine to them. And what happened to the unclean Philistines who dared to take captive the ark of the Lord? What happened to the unfortunate Ozoi? Both in the Tabernacle of Information and in the Temple of Solomon there were many icons or sacred images. There were images sculptured, woven, and painted. In the tabernacle of testimony above the ark of the covenant there were two cherubim carved of gold (Ex. 25:18); on the curtains were many woven cherubim (Ex. 26:31). In Solomon's temple there were painted cherubim on the walls (1 Kings 6:29, 32); and in the Holy of Holies two carved cherubim overshadowed the ark of the covenant (1 Kings 6:23; 2 Chronicles 3:10). Here are the images of the saints! Weren't all these cherubs objects of worship? Why do they know this? Who said this? On the contrary, in the scripture we see that they worshiped before the entire tabernacle, deeply revered all its accessories; all the more should they have revered the cherubim who overshadowed the terrible ark of the covenant, the cherubim who depicted rational and holy beings, and not some insignificant thought. When it was necessary to move the ark of the covenant, the priests covered it in advance with an inner veil, clothed both it and other sacred things (Joshua, chapter 3; Exodus, chapter 30). If they also revered the vessels, then what remains to think about the cherubim? Remember also that God commanded that a copper image of a serpent be erected in the desert, so that through the gaze of faith those wounded by serpents would draw healing from it. After this, it is not clear how others can, in refutation of icon veneration, point to the well-known commandment: do not make for yourself an idol or any likeness. If, as we saw, God himself commanded the construction of sacred images, then it is easy to understand that the commandment about idols can no longer apply to sacred images. Otherwise, one instruction of God would be refuted by another - which cannot be. What does this commandment say? This commandment was repeated more than once, not in the same words. Thou shalt not make for thyself, it is said, things made with hands, that thou shalt worship them: I am the Lord your God (Lev.16:1). You see, the holy commandment explains itself. It prohibits works made with hands, because only Jehovah the Lord is the true God, Whom must be worshiped. Consequently, it prohibits those images that were considered gods instead of the true God; prohibits the construction and veneration of idols, which, as the apostle says, in themselves are nothing, and were recognized as deities only by depravity of thoughts and hearts. Thus, in the Bible, “made with hands” usually refers to pagan gods. For example, the prophet says: Behold, the Lord sits on a light cloud, and he will come to Egypt, and the things made with hands of Egypt will be shaken (Is. 19:1). Let us leave alone the commandment about pagan idols, when they have already calmed down, long forgotten by enlightened peoples. Were icons known in the early days of Christianity? While paganism did not lose its power and remained the dominant religion of the world, prudence demanded that the pastors of the church not multiply icons in Christianity, so that those converting from paganism, but not yet strengthened in the faith, would not return to their former superstitions, and the pagans would not accept Christian icons as consecration to their idols. Thus, from the very first times of Christianity we have seen sacred images and respect for them, but we also see caution in their use. The news of the miraculous image of the Savior, miraculously depicted on the ubrus (plate), is conveyed to us by Eusebius, Procopius, and the Monk Ephraim the Syrian. Eusebius writes that in Caesarea there was an image of the Savior, carved from copper by a wife who had been healed from bleeding. And he adds: “one should not be surprised that the pagans, who experienced the blessings of our Savior, did this when we saw on the boards, preserved to our time, the icons of the apostles Peter and Paul, and Christ himself.” Tertullian already writes that on St. The chalice depicted the Savior in the form of a shepherd carrying a sheep on his shoulders. Veneration of St. The cross also belongs to the very first times. St. Basil the Great wrote to the apostate Julian: “I honor and venerate these icons, since they are dedicated to St. the apostles and are not prohibited, but are depicted in all our churches.” And he says: “honoring St. the icon goes back to what is depicted on it.” That's enough. My listeners! accept the word of love - in the spirit of love, for the consolation of your faith, for the glory of the Lord and His saints. Amen. Word on the consecration of the church in the village of Bogodarovka Or don’t you care about the Church of God? (1 Cor. 11:22). This is what the apostle wrote to the Corinthian Christians! But why is there a reproach for negligence in this church? Here they care about the Church of God not according to the example of others, but as an example to others. Beautiful is this majestic church of God, erected by the pious church builder. His feelings about the church are also sublime. In his will to his children, he declared the church of God to be the guardian and custodian of both his will for offspring and the happiness of his offspring. Are these not lofty thoughts about the church? Isn't this a firm belief in the one who lives in the church? A trustee for the church will also be a trustee for the happiness of the offspring. There is as much hope for the happiness of posterity as there is faith in the power of the invisible Lord of the church. The will of the parent tells the descendants to observe love among themselves, not to start anything similar to enmity. For the will of love, the best guardian is the church of the God of love. The God of love, there is no doubt, looked upon the commandment of love with favor, and posterity will see its blessings upon itself if it follows the feelings of its pious ancestor. Thus, the apostolic reproach to those who neglect the church serves as praise to the pious and prudent creator of the church. But can those who attend church be sure that the apostolic reproach will never touch them? The words of the apostle also apply to those who are careless about the creation of the church, but they mainly apply to those who are already using or are about to use the church. Let us take a closer look at the apostolic reproach. The Corinthian Christians, to whom the apostolic reproach was written for negligence about the church, bringing bread and wine to the church, consumed the remains of the offerings at the meal of love without order, without reasoning, with disdain for the poor, according to the whims of the flesh and the pride of life. To make them feel the indecency of such behavior, the apostle draws their attention to the high significance of the church. Don’t eat at home, eat and drink in hedgehogs? Or don’t you care about the Church of God? he tells them. The Apostle contrasts the place where believers gathered for the liturgy with simple houses. According to his reasoning, a church is not at all like a simple house. As much as the latter is ordinary among other everyday things, ordinary to the point that one can eat and drink in it, the church is so far from everything ordinary, so far away that the apostle indignantly rejects the possibility that a meal could be arranged in it to please human weaknesses. The apostle considers the extraordinary purpose of the church known to the Corinthians, from their own experience: they themselves gathered in the church to offer prayers, to celebrate the mystical supper. And, knowing the purpose of the church to them, he convinces them to observe special reverence for the church. Or don’t you care about the Church of God? denouncing, the apostle asks. Understand the feeling with which the apostle speaks about those who do not respect the church. He speaks indignantly; consequently, he himself is filled with deep reverence for the church. He directly makes this respect visible by calling the church the Church of God. First he excluded the church from the number of simple houses; now he lists it among the highest subjects. He calls the church of prayer the Church of God, not so much because believers gather in it, whom he elsewhere calls the church of God, but because the very sanctification of believers depends on the sacraments, prayers and teachings performed in the church. Condemning the Corinthians for neglecting the church, he seems to say this: you yourself know that the church is the church of God, a house not only dedicated to the name of God, but also sanctified by the presence of God’s grace in the sacraments, sanctified not only by sacred prayers and the word of God, but also, sought through prayer, by the power of God. How, knowing this, do you allow yourself to act as if the church were a simple house? Have you really become so bad, so corrupted, that you even disdain the Church of God? Or don’t you care about the Church of God? From this apostolic reproof you see, listeners, that even under the apostles, as now, the faithful set apart special churches for prayer and mysteries and called them not by any simple names, but by the churches of God. Let this be a consolation for those who are concerned about the construction and decoration of churches! Let this be a denunciation of idle frivolity, which allows itself and others to talk about the late or arbitrary origin of the churches! Apostolic exhortation prescribes reverent veneration for the Church of God. It, as a non-human instruction, sanctifies for all times the rules not only to visit the church of God, but to visit it with reverent attention. If the apostle denounced irreverent behavior in the church, then this shows that he wanted people to go to the church reverently. And if churches were built under the apostles, if, following the example of the apostles, they are being built now, then, of course, so that believers would come and be sanctified in churches. They don’t build houses so that they stand empty, unused. Sometimes they are dissuaded from visiting the church either by ill health or by lack of time at home. But what is more important - your lack of time, or the apostolic commandment, which built a church for you? What hope is there for success in business when they despise the church of God and do not seek God’s blessing? Labor is of no use, work is useless; and for contempt for the house of God, for the house of grace and heavenly powers, expect only heavenly wrath. Are you not completely healthy? But that’s why you go to church, to get health. There, the grace of God is the surest medicine against all illnesses, not excluding your laziness towards good. The apostolic rule commands us to visit the church of God with reverence. The apostle rebelled with strong indignation against those who were irreverently present in the church. Beware of attracting apostolic indignation. If the Corinthians, some of whom were endowed with the gift of miracles, others prophesied, or, without studying, spoke in foreign languages ​​- if they, who possessed such gifts of the Holy Spirit, did not escape the indignation of the apostles for their indecent behavior in the church: what do people of the present time expect for themselves who neglect the church? What are they doing with the church? Before the face of God in the church, as in a marketplace, you push, make noise, talk, laugh, worry with thoughts - sometimes vain, sometimes unclean: what are you doing? What kind of court are you bringing against yourself? Even without that, there is very little good for the soul, and even without that, only in the church could they receive something for their poor soul; and they also increase the wrath of God against themselves. Unhappy ones! This is not how you should stand in the church of God, this is not at all how you should stand. You hear in the church - prayers, psalmody, teaching. It is well established that you hear all this without your labor. But you just have to listen with reverent attention. Let's see! the minister of the church proclaims to you. It’s not enough if only your ear hears. It is necessary for your heart to hear, it is necessary for the prayer of the church to become the prayer of your soul. When they read the word of God here, you can understand that they read it not for the walls, but for you, for the benefit of your soul. The Word of God is the word of eternal salvation. Do not let it pass you by lightly; accept the saving seed with your heart, so that it will later bear fruits worthy of it - desires and good deeds. When you hear church psalmody: repeat with your thoughts the praises of God, sing and sing to the Lord in your heart, as the Apostle commands (Eph. 5:19). When they read a lesson, do not say: “We are simple people, how can we understand this?” Understand if you try to understand; because the teaching of Christ is intended for everyone, and not for scientists alone; it is even more accessible to simple hearts than to proud minds. If you do not understand it, then this is not from your simplicity, but from neglect of spiritual salvation, from distraction and laziness. Look down from heaven, O God, visit these grapes and establish them, and Thy right hand plant them! Amen. Word on the consecration of the church in the St. Nicholas Convent My house is a house of prayer (Luke 19:46). God of intelligence and generosity! Behold, the sacrifice of hearts filled with faith and piety is offered to You! In the midst of the tabernacles of human weakness, through the zeal of those who trusted in You, the holy tabernacle of Your saints and great mysteries was built. Through the care of those who sigh for the beauty of the heavenly church, a church was built for the glory of Your name and for offering prayers to Your greatness. May your eyes, O Lord, be open to the church this day and night (1 Kings 8:29), may the prayers of the sad and the rejoicing, the righteous and the sinning, the strong and the weak, the great and the small, be heard in it! Prayer sisters! the church was created for prayer. I am sure that prayer is a pleasant activity for you. It is all the more pleasant for me to offer you, out of duty, a conversation about the beneficial effect of prayer on the soul. If prayer is a reverent lifting of the mind and heart to God, don’t you see by the very concept of prayer how beneficial it is for the soul? What is the purpose of our immortal soul? It is to strive and draw closer to the God of our hearts, renouncing earthly and created things. If prayer lifts the mind and heart to God, doesn’t it mean that it helps the soul fulfill its most important, highest purpose? To see this more clearly, let us imagine the state of the soul, carefree about prayer. What is she doing? What does it console you with? What is he thinking about? What does he want? Both her feelings and desires are occupied with the earth, to the point that she herself finally becomes earthen. Even if from time to time, on occasion, her thoughts turn to spiritual objects, but how lazily, how reluctantly, how briefly they engage in how easily they subordinate these lofty objects to earthly views and calculations! Why is this so? Because prayer lifts the whole soul to the Lord, inspiring it with holy delights and thoughts, but without prayer the soul is the same as a bird without wings. A soul that does not draw closer to the Lord through prayer is cold and gloomy, without the strength of spiritual life and with only an earthly, almost physical life. What is a person who is removed from the Lord? Darkness and unsettled chaos of different elements. Prayer is a conductor of light and forces of grace; she, connecting us with the Lord, brings down the gifts of heaven to us. “Like body and soul,” says St. Gregory Nazianzen, like branches with a trunk, like the rays of the sun with the sun are in union and therefore receive strength and life: so we must be united with God with our soul. Come to Him, says the prophet, and you will be enlightened and your faces will not be ashamed” (Ps. 33:6. A word on caring for the poor). St. Chrysostom says: “It is impossible that without prayer there could be a virtuous life” (Word I about prayer). Prayer is the true protection of the soul from sins. Becoming in prayer before God, all-holy and terrible for sinners, how can one not tremble at sin, how can one not be filled with horror before the wickedness of the heart? “Tell me,” says St. Chrysostom, if you had to stand before the king, would you not stand with fear? Therefore, whether you want to sleep, whether you are excited by anger, whether you enjoy criminally, or do anything else: think that God is present and sin will flee from you” (Conversation 8 on the Epistle to the Philippians). Prayers of praise, when we glorify the wondrous perfections and works of God, fill our minds with what abundant and life-giving light! How many lofty thoughts, how much reverence they bring down into our soul! What knowledge can be equal to the thoughts that illuminate the soul glorifying the Lord? Songs of praise to God are the highest wisdom; here is the solution to questions about the world and man, about time and eternity. And how fruitful are the praises of God! The mind sees in God a model of all possible goodness and says to the soul: this is where all your love should be directed! – What marvelous greatness, what marvelous goodness, what a marvelous mind! Not only time, but also eternity, is not enough to enjoy contemplating them. Praise the Lord to my soul; I will praise the Lord in my life; I will sing to my God until I am (Ps. 146:1-2). What do all earthly greatness mean before the greatness of God? What do the great deeds of the celebrities of the earth mean before the deeds of God? Vanity and languor of spirit. Forgetful people are carried away by the earth. What is this for? Away with human vanity: it insults the truth and the soul; it threatens a terrible future. In God is a model of perfection, which we must imitate with all our might. The holy truth tells us: be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect (Matthew 5:48). Prayer of thanksgiving to the beneficent God is life-giving food for the soul. A reverent consciousness of God’s countless benefits, in number and meaning, nourishes your feelings of dependence on God, arouses ardent love for God, supports humble devotion to His holy will, and inspires you with firmness against the temptations of evil. The Lord is my helper, says the soul, blessed from above, I will not fear what man will do to me (Ps. 118:6); He saved me, He will continue to save me; He who did not spare His Son for us, can he not be ready to give everything we need for our eternity? The prayer of thanksgiving is a teacher of virtues. After so many good deeds of God to us, how can we not be grateful, how can we not try with all our might to fulfill the commandments of our God, the commandments that save us? If God is so good and merciful to you, then we should also be merciful to our neighbors, especially since they are children of the same Father who benefits us. In the kingdom of the Father, so much good to everyone, in the kingdom of gentle love that enlivens everything, there is no place for envy, anger, hatred, or resentment. If He is good, He forgives our sins, and we, imitating Him, must forgive the debts of our neighbors. This is what the word of our good God commands us. Whenever you stand praying, forgive whatever you have against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will forgive you your sins (Mark 11:25). Grateful prayer, recalling the greatness and holiness of the benefactor God, inspires us to reverently and holyly use His benefits, in accordance with His holy will. When in prayer we ask for forgiveness of sins or other mercies necessary for our poverty; What happiness for us is this state of prayer! Oh! What would happen to us, what would happen to our soul, if urgent needs and glaring poverty did not force us to turn to God for help? What would we have come to with our strange carelessness about our eternal fate? It's scary to think about. Now, when, willingly or unwillingly, we ask God for help, we recognize and confess our dependence on him, our poverty and insignificance before Him; We nourish in ourselves the saving spirit of humility and self-denial, we restrain ungodly pride, we arouse in ourselves concern for our eternity. Now, willingly or unwillingly, we feel that we are sinners who have no right to demand anything from God and must only beg Him to have mercy on us, according to His great mercy. Now, willingly and unwillingly, we feel that unfortunate sinners must change a lot in themselves, give up a lot, gain a lot, at any cost. And what sweet consolation prayer gives us in our sorrows and needs! Who can heal the wounds of our soul, inflicted by sins and the troubles of life? There is only God, our faithful helper in our most hopeless situations. Prayer offered to Him with childlike love and sincere repentance is in itself a joy and relief to a sinful soul, hopeless in the whole world. But the good Father, through sincere prayer, forgives us our sins, as the father forgave his lost son (Luke 15:11), or as the tax collector who humbly prayed in the church was justified (Luke 18:13–14). And what heavenly gifts does prayer not bring down to the one praying? Amen, amen, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in My name, He will give it to you (John 16:23), as the Lord himself told us. Humble prayer, giving peace of conscience and strengthening hope in God, revives and strengthens in us love for the Heavenly Father and inspires us with the determination to holyly do the will of God. These are the necessary fruits of prayer, especially since prayer, in order to be successful in petition, must be offered with a clear conscience: the sacrifices of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord (Proverbs 15:21). Prayer sisters! The world considers our occupation - prayer - to be an activity of idleness and a fruitless activity. Don’t listen to the world, it doesn’t understand itself or prayer. Prayer is the school of piety and philanthropy. The soul is never so disposed to deeds of selfless love, never so ready to do everything for God and neighbors, as after prayer. The world passes off prayer as a boring, tedious activity. The world is wrong about that too. Prayer fills the soul with such consolations as the world can never give; it enlivens the soul with the highest, most holy thoughts and feelings. Treasure your prayer. Pray earnestly, sincerely; do not omit any time of prayer, so as not to deprive the soul of the high benefits that prayer brings. Grace and peace be with us all. Amen. Word but consecration of the church, in the settlement of Andreevka, in the place of the military headquarters My house is a house of prayer (Luke 19:14). Blessed is God who gives people his home! If the house of God is given to people; how much it means for people just to bring God closer to people! How many sweet and true hopes are aroused in people! Blessed be God, who has given the zeal and means to create a house of prayer! If the house of God is a house of prayer, then it is a school of faith and piety for people; it is a school for teaching oneself all that is holy, because it is the house of the all-holy; it is a school of piety, because it is a house of prayer that teaches only piety. If the house of God is a house of prayer: does this not mean that prayer is capable of receiving and transmitting to people all the gifts of God? It is not for nothing that the house of prayer is called the house of God. My listeners! the thoughts of our weak nature at times rebel in us against faith in the power of prayer. With or without clear consciousness, these thoughts arising in the soul deviate us from prayer, whereas the house of prayer was built for teaching prayer, and prayer is the holy duty of our soul. So, there is a need to reflect on the power of prayer. If you, who are evil, know how to give good things to man, how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask him (Matthew 7:11). This is what the heavenly Truth tells us about the goodness of heaven. Isn’t it true how these words bring close to everyone’s understanding the thought of the fruitfulness of sincere prayer? Even if there were among people, says the heavenly Truth, such a father who would refuse food to a hungry son or give him a stone instead of bread, it cannot be that the Heavenly Father would refuse the prayer of his children: the goodness of the Heavenly Father, His compassionate love for people far exceeds the love of earthly parents for their children. If the revelation of the ancient law was not silent about patient mercy towards people: in what clear light, in what immense greatness does the Christian revelation present to us God’s love for people! The Heavenly Father sent us His Son for our salvation. After this, what will He spare for us that He will not do through our prayer? Let another pagan doubt the goodness of heaven, removing himself from the proximity of its beneficial light. But when, at what times, did the best pagans not pray to heaven and not harbor hopes for the goodness of the Divine? If the pagans also prayed from time to time, this shows that they recognized the power of hopes for the goodness of the Divine. Without this, there would be no place for prayer in them. After that, should you, Christian, doubt the power of prayer? No, do not insult your name, do not insult your Lord by any distrust of the Heavenly Father’s readiness to fulfill your prayer. All things, says your Lord, if you believe in the resurrection, you will receive (Matthew 21:22). “If God is good to us, He will give us what we need even without our prayer; Our prayer would only be an insult to the All-Good and, therefore, not useful, but would it be harmful for us? Such thoughts sometimes wander in the souls of others. But is an earthly father offended when his children, with meek love, ask him for what they need? On the contrary, isn’t he rightfully offended when the children, although they are languishing in need, do not want to ask him for anything because they are capricious, stubborn, and self-loving? Likewise, if heavenly goodness is presented as the right to receive the gifts of heaven and does not consider it necessary to confess to God one’s weaknesses and needs, one does not consider it necessary to ask Him for help: this is nothing more, nothing less than godless pride, which should be admonished by hunger and poverty. Both heavenly goodness and supreme wisdom have created the order that is created for us. Everyone who asks receives, everyone who seeks finds, and the door is opened to those who ask (Matthew 7:11). Meek love and humble prayer are not denied anything, but proud laziness, which does not want to ask for anything, according to the wise order, remains with its poverty so that it comes to its senses. “The laws of the world, they say, are immutable, just as the thoughts of the all-wise Creator of nature are immutable. Therefore, our prayers and sighs are in vain - for them the order of affairs in nature cannot be changed.” But who told us that the Omniscient has not known our sighs from the very beginning of the world? Who revealed to us that the Omniscient and All-Wise One will not include the consequences of prayer, like other causes and their consequences, in a certain order of his affairs? Did not our God become our Father from the very beginning of the world? Can He be an artist without the provident love of the Father, without the care of a gentle educator of a rational being? ABOUT! No! If our prayers are so beneficial for our hearts, feeding and restoring in them humility and reverence, love and obedience, thirst for God and God’s will: how could the wise Father not include them in the order of his affairs, during the very creation of the world? Oh, pray, children of the wise Father, pray with full hope for the success of your prayer. At least it was necessary for you to move the mountains from place to place: and the mountains will move from their place, according to your prayer; because their artist is your tender Father. Laziness of little faith seeks support for itself even in our own weakness, limiting the power of prayers to the personality of God’s chosen prayer books. She says: if it happened that they received a lot through prayer, then these people are not weak like us, these are God’s chosen ones, and what should we expect for ourselves? We boldly say that this is laziness, not sincere humility. We are all sinners before God, we are all unworthy of His mercies, but are worth only His wrath, we are all weak and infirm. But He is our Father, and that is why He extends His love to us, because we are weak and infirm children. From none of us, neither from the righteous nor from the sinner, does He expect prayer as a compulsion of His goodness or a sacrifice worthy of His greatness. What can a person bring that is worthy of God? His goodness is determined in one’s actions only by one’s own good will. The love of the Son of God for sinful people is what prompts the Heavenly Father to pour out gifts of goodness on criminal humanity. He waits for our prayer only so that we feel our needs as deeply as possible and seek salvation as sincerely as possible in faith in our Savior. Therefore, our weakness not only cannot limit the power of prayer, but the more vividly we feel our weakness, the more power our prayer is invested with, the wider the circle over which the action of our prayer extends becomes. Thus, Holy Scripture, when it presents us with experiences of fruitful prayer, does not tell us that such prayer belonged to God’s chosen ones. The Apostle James, in encouragement to prayer, pointing to the example of the powerful prayer of Elijah, does not call him a prophet, but says that it was the prayer of a man similar to us. Elijah the man was subservient to us and prayed with prayer that it would not rain, and that it would not rain on the earth for three years and six months (James 5:17). David praises God for His closeness to everyone who prays. “The Lord is close to all who call on Him, to all who truly call on Him; He fulfills the desires of those who fear Him, He hears their cries and saves them” (Ps. 144:18-19). He confesses: “he respected the prayer of the oppressed and did not reject their prayers” (Ps. 101:18). Where could sincere prayer fail to exert its strength and power? Does it refer to the weak composition of our body, or to external nature? Here and here everything submits to it, everything yields to its power. For example, King Hezekiah was very sick, so sick that the prophet told him to make arrangements for his house. The king, hearing the news of his imminent death, wept bitterly and turned to the Lord with a sincere prayer for the continuation of life. And what happened next? Before Isaiah had time to leave the royal court, Ezekiah’s tearful prayer was heard and the messenger of death had to return to inform Ezekiah about the continuation of his life: “Come back,” God said to Isaiah, and tell Ezekiah that I see his tears and fulfill his prayer; after three days he will visit my church and live another 15 years” (2 Kings 20:1, 3). This is what prayer means in our illnesses! An example of how obedient visible nature is to prayer is seen in Elijah, who with the power of prayer closed and opened the sky for rain, brought down fire from the sky, devouring wood watered with water, and fed his family with a handful of flour and a dash of oil for several months. Do you think, my friends, that the Savior in vain commanded us to pray for the gift of our daily bread? No! if He ordered us to pray, then through prayer in accordance with His will, we will be given our daily bread, even if the figures of physical nature stubbornly refuse to grow bread for us in the fields. There is no doubt that nothing is more difficult than to transform a sinful soul and arrange its salvation. But even this most difficult thing in the world is accomplished by sincere prayer. What is prayer? It is the elevation of our mind and heart to God. From here it is already clear how much prayer means for the correction of a sinful soul. Prayer puts the soul before the face of God, who is our light, life, and strength. She herself forces the soul to come to its senses, so as not to appear too indecently before God, and from the throne of God she receives strength to heal the sick soul. There is no such wild passion that sincere prayer cannot pacify; There is no sin that would not give way to the power of prayer. If you see that a vicious person begins to pray diligently, be sure that he is no longer the former sinner, that just starting to pray has made a good change in him, and soon he will give up many of his weaknesses. Remember the Egyptian sinner Mary, how, after praying on the threshold of the Jerusalem temple, she abhorred the unclean life, and how desert prayer elevated her to the purity of a heavenly angel. The centurion Cornelius was a pagan who did not know the Lord Jesus. But he did alms and constantly prayed to God: he was reverent and feared God with all his household, did alms to many people and prayed to God always. What did prayer accomplish in him? Constant prayer bowed heaven to the pagan, sent down an angel to reveal or indicate the path of salvation, and before baptism clothed him with grace. Cornelius, he was told, your prayer was heard (Acts 10:2, 31). Go through all the states of the soul, and you will see that prayer has a beneficial effect everywhere. She is a consolation in sorrows, a teacher in joy, the light of the mind, support for those who fall, protection for the troubled, vital force for all virtues. If after this they say that among the many, not many who pray experience the effective power of prayer, we will answer that they will say this thoughtlessly, they will say it without grounds with which they could justify their words. If sometimes we do not immediately receive what we ask for in prayer, this does not mean that our prayer is not heard. This only means that either what we ask is not useful for us (James 4:1), or another good is more necessary for our salvation, which we do not see (Matthew 20:22); but in both cases, prayer accomplishes its work in our soul; in both cases, the Lord sees and hears our sighs and blesses the labor of our soul. Let us, my friends, pray fervently. Prayer will justify itself before us, to the glory of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Word on the consecration of the church, renewed in Khrushchev's Nikitovka N. D. Khrushchov My house is a house of prayer (Luke 19:46). May God bless the joy of those celebrating the renovation of this church! Especially may the Lord bless the zealous renovator of the church with earthly and heavenly blessings. His work is a labor of love for the Lord, the renewed church is the church of God. His work is a work of holy love for his neighbors, the renovated church is a house of prayer for many who pray, prayer that brings down so many heavenly gifts upon us. Parishioners of this church! If this house is a house of prayer, then it is clear that it is your duty to often go to this house to offer prayers to God. It was not in vain that this house of prayer was created, it was not in vain that this house of prayer was decorated with such zeal; it was renovated and decorated so that its splendor would excite your hearts to fervent and reverent prayer. One thing that cools the zeal for prayer in others is that they do not always see the fulfillment of the desires of prayer. Let us do what we can to ward off this obstacle to prayer; Let's consider why our prayers sometimes remain fruitless? The Apostle James teaches: ye desire and do not have it, ask not in advance, ask and do not receive, ask in earnest, but you may depend on your desires (James 4:3-4). Here the apostle shows us two main reasons why prayers are fruitless. They are fruitless either because they do not make up the requests of a sincerely praying soul, or because they ask for the wrong thing, what they should ask from God. When, while reading or listening to prayers, they pay almost no attention to what is said in the prayer, what can one expect from such prayer? If they themselves do not hear their prayer, will God hear it? ABOUT! unless he hears it only in order to pour out his anger on the criminal dispersion of the one praying. Otherwise there is such a prayer. that prayer? This is the beating of the air, not the fluttering of the heart; these are the sounds of a voice, and not a conversation of the soul with God; it is an activity of wickedness rather than piety. Oh, be afraid, my friends, of such a prayer. If people do not fulfill those requests that are laid out before them carelessly, can one expect one who searches hearts to fulfill a careless prayer, inattentive to His greatness? Seek the Lord your God, and you will find him when you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul, says the prophet of God Moses (Deut. 4:29). True prayer is the prayer of love. God is love and in us we favor only love. Hatred, envy, enmity, vindictiveness, cruelty will not receive what they ask for; they are the subject of God’s indignation. If you bring your gift to the altar and remember that one, as your brother has something for you, leave your gift before the altar and go first to be reconciled with your brother and then come and bring your gift (Matthew 5:23-24). And whenever you stand praying, forgive whatever you have against anyone, so that your Father, who is in heaven, will forgive you your sins. If you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive you your sins (Mark 11:25-26). He who shuts up his rock will not listen to the weak, and he will call and there will be no one who listens (Proverbs 21:23). True prayer is the prayer of humility; dreamy prayer about our virtues and advantages is more than useless. Why was the Pharisee left in shame, while the publican was justified? Because the Pharisee spoke in prayer; I am not like other men, or like this publican, but the publican beat his chest with grief of heart, did not dare to raise his eyes to heaven and said with contrition, God, be merciful to me a sinner (Luke 18:10-14). Whoever is praying near you, beware of considering yourself better than him, beware of humiliating him with contempt and pride. Otherwise, prayer, instead of mercy, will bring down God’s judgment on you. God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. The Holy Apostle teaches the one who prays to ask by faith, without hesitating, for hesitating becomes like the turbulence of the sea, tossed and tossed by the winds. Let no man imagine that he will receive anything from God (James 1:6–7). And so, when we pray without firm faith, wavered by doubt about the possibility of fulfilling our prayer, doubt generated either by the coldness of the soul, or by the thought of the extreme nature of the matter, as if it were easy for our sinful soul, we will not receive what we want through prayer. Due to weak faith, we cannot have firm hope in God, and yet only hope does not remain in shame - without hope, just as our heart is far from God, so the gifts of God, descending from heaven, pass by us. These are the cases in which our prayer can remain without fruit, because it is not true prayer in its inner property! Our prayers may still be unclean and evil in their subject matter. Then, too, although we may ask, we will not receive what we ask. Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness (Matthew 6:33), the Lord commands us. First of all and most of all, we must ask that we not be deprived of the kingdom of God, we must pray to God for the granting of the blessings necessary for a blessed eternity, for the knowledge of God, for the forgiveness of sins, for improvement in virtues, in love, chastity, and selflessness. My simple-minded listeners! May God deliver me from that unjust judgment with which others mercilessly condemn you for your fervent requests for earthly blessings, for your prayers for help in your grave needs. If you do not omit to first of all ask the Lord for forgiveness of sins and His grace, your prayers for earthly things are holy, and you will receive them at the request of your simple hearts. Just remember firmly that the requests for earthly blessings will then be fulfilled when you do not forget eternity, when you are more afraid of sins than poverty, when you try to create God’s truth. Otherwise, think about whether God can favor prayer when they prefer the temporary to the eternal, earth to heaven, sensory life to spiritual life? It can easily happen to us that what we desire, what we ask from God, seems to our short-sighted gaze both very necessary and very useful - and that, however, due to its consequences, which we do not see, it is not only not necessary for us, but prepares only sorrow and temptation, only temptation and grief. It’s good if, when praying about such things, we do not forget to say, not mine, but Yours, may your will be done, Lord! Otherwise, don’t we turn out to be wayward and stupid children who, crying and screaming, ask for things that are harmful to ourselves? My brother! you are not satisfied with your poverty and persistently ask God to send you wealth, but not seeing the fulfillment of this prayer, do you grumble against God? Come to your senses. Do you know what you would like to do if you were rich? Uty, thicker, wider, forgetting God who saves, so the prophet complained about happy Israel. How will you convince yourself and me that you wouldn’t be the same if you were rich? Won't you point out your steadfastness in goodness? If so, then this pride is a sure guarantee that in happiness you would be a senseless beast. Why are you complaining? Is it because, by the grace of God, you are not yet as bad as you could be? Others fail in their attempts and efforts to get out of embarrassing circumstances. Oh, if in the depths of his soul he kept the gospel thought that the narrow path is a reliable path to the kingdom? He would thank the Lord for the path that the Lord leads him. You, father and mother, are crying inconsolably because God did not restore health to your dying son or dying daughter. But do you know for sure that your son and daughter, saved from death, would not have caused you the most severe sorrows, and in the end would not have destroyed themselves for eternity? Is it possible to count all the cases in which nothing could punish us so cruelly as if God had fulfilled our prayers? Let us be careful, let us not be too persistent in the opinions and desires of our apparently sinless and intelligent people. Should we talk about those prayers when one prays for objects that are clearly unclean, clearly sinful? Others, praying to God for a rich harvest of grain, during the prayer itself console themselves with sinful dreams of how they would live then, how they would eat and drink sweetly, how they would become important before others. Isn’t such a prayer evidence of impurity in the heart? Did she not blaspheme God, as if He could please our passions? Another, overwhelmed by wild anger, prays to God to send him an opportunity and opportunity to take revenge on his enemy. Another is so overcome by envy that he asks God to upset his neighbor’s happiness. How terrible is any such prayer! This is the prayer of Satan, who awaits Gehenna. When you stretch out your hands to Me, says the Lord to the wicked, I will turn away My eyes from you, and even if you multiply your prayers, I will not hear you, for your hands are full of blood (Is. 1:15). So, you see, listeners, that if our prayers are fruitless, then it depends on ourselves. Therefore, the failure of our prayers causes us not to be inactive in prayer, but to worry about the prayers of saints and those pleasing to God. Let us pray as we are told to pray, and then each of our prayers will be heard, to the glory of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Word on the consecration of the church in the city of Sumy My house is a house of prayer (Luke 21:46). The house of prayer is ready. Glory to the All-Good and All-Effective! God of our Fathers, merciful and generous God! In the house consecrated by You for prayer, we pray to You, look upon the faith and love of those who have beautified this House of Yours; out of faith in Your goodness, which does not reject small gifts of love for You, and out of love for the brothers who pray and have to pray in the house of prayer, this church was landscaped; accept the sacrifice of pure love with love and reward with the gifts of Your generous mercy! The house of prayer is ready, brothers! you need to pray in it for yourself and for others. But how to pray? If the apostles also prayed, “Lord, teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1), how can we not take care of how we should pray? Let us think about the qualities of true, godly prayer. The Holy Apostle teaches that “he who comes to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him.” And so prayer, as the lifting of the mind and heart to God, should be performed only with faith. “Without faith it is impossible to please God,” says the apostle (Heb. 11:6). “Why are you afraid, you of little faith? Where is your faith? the Savior rebuked the apostles at sea (Matthew 8:26; Luke 8:25). The Lord Jesus rejoiced in nothing so much as in faith, and for faith he performed miracles. “I have not found such faith in Israel,” He said about the Capernaum centurion (Matthew 8:10). “Your faith has saved you,” He said to his wife (Luke 7:8). “According to your faith, be it done to you,” He says to the blind (Matthew 9:29). Faith is so necessary for those seeking heavenly help. In his last conversation with his disciples, the Savior, revealing the secrets of the kingdom, told them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give you. Until now you have asked nothing in My name; ask and you will receive” (John 16:23–24). You see, there was a time for the apostles when they, not fully understanding the divine dignity and significance of the redeemer in the person of Christ Jesus, did not pray in the name of the Lord Jesus. But the good Lord instructs them, and in their person and all people, how one should pray so that the prayer is heard in heaven. According to the instructions of the Savior, we must pray in His name - the Son of God and our Redeemer, we must pray with faith in His great name. This is what the church does. This is how she tells us to pray. You hear in the church, the deacon exclaims, “Let us pray to the Lord,” the singers answer, “Lord have mercy.” What does this prayer mean? Who is she addressing? It constitutes the fulfillment of the Lord’s commandment to pray in the name of the Lord Jesus; this is a sample prayer compiled according to the instructions of the Lord. This is the most excellent prayer in content, the best in composition. What is Christianity all about? In a deep, constant consciousness of our guilt before God, in a deep sense of need for a redeemer and His grace. Therefore, we must cry out with our souls, “Have mercy on us, Jesus, the Son of God, have mercy on us criminals and unclean ones, protect us unrequited sinners from the judgment of heavenly righteousness.” In another form, the church teaches us to pray like this: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us sinners.” This prayer is nothing more than a replenishment of the prayer, “Lord have mercy.” It is not surprising that the Jesus Prayer, or prayer to Jesus, is given extraordinary power. For her there are no invincible enemies, for her there are no insurmountable obstacles, this is how it should be, according to the words of the Lord about prayer in His name. This is what those who have learned the importance of this prayer through their whole life’s experiences say. It cannot be otherwise, and because to the word of the Apostle, to the name of the Lord Jesus, everything in heaven and on earth is subjected, before Him “every knee bows, in heaven, on earth, and under the earth” (Phil. 2:10). Our prayer should be the prayer of the heart, sincere and fervent prayer. What kind of prayer is it when the mind is scattered over many objects of the world, and various worldly desires crowd in the heart? What kind of prayer is it when the person praying does not understand what he is doing? The Lord speaks with indignation about such prayer books; these people approach Me with their lips and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far away from Me. But they honor Me in vain (Matthew 15:7). True prayer must be fervent prayer that comes from the depths of the soul. And people are unhappy when they notice that their requests are insincere. And God is a knower of the heart and is pleased with the gifts of the heart. He accepts external genuflections and bows from us, but only when they are an expression of our heartfelt feelings or arouse contrition. The prayers of the saints were the cry of the soul. Moses cried out to the Lord, says the scripture (Ex. 17:4), cry out, i.e. He called out with his soul and with all the strength of his soul. The same thing is said about Elijah praying, Elijah cried out to the Lord (1 Kings 17:20). How did the prophetess Anna pray when she was heard by the Lord? And she was touched in soul and prayed to the Lord and wept weeping (1 Samuel 1:10). What was David's prayer? He sings his psalm, from the depths I have cried to You, O Lord, hear my voice (Ps129:1). Entertainment of the soul during prayer can also be a consequence of the corruption of the soul, which is so inclined to be carried away by sensory impressions. To tame this tendency in yourself, you need to keep your soul in the face of God, the all-holy and terrible for sinners, you need to pray for the gift of the spirit of prayer. It happens that we stand distracted in prayer because we too soon moved from everyday activities to prayer; then worldly thoughts and worries do not leave the soul during prayer, since it is not at all ready for prayer. Therefore, before even praying, prepare for yourself, and do not become like a man tempting the Lord (Sir.18:23). Frivolity also prays absent-mindedly. Let it firmly remember that a Christian must serve God with all his might, and that he who does the Lord’s work with negligence is cursed. Our prayer should be humble and reverent. Standing in prayer, or praying internally, we must eliminate every thought of conceit, every thought about our dignity, every sense of self-gratification. Prayer is a conversation between the soul and God. But who is God and who are we? He is all-perfect holiness, we are sin; He is the Almighty Lord, before whom the angels tremble; and we are the poor and the sick, the blind and naked, the dust and that stinking (Rev. 3:17). How can we pray without humility and trembling? Humility in prayer is also necessary because no hope in oneself, no dream about one’s dignity and merits can be reconciled with the thought of the one Savior. And how can a Christian appear before God with any pride in his heart after in the parable of the publican and the Pharisee the Lord condemned the prayer of the dreamy Pharisee and glorified the prayer of the humble publican? The Lord resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble, the apostle teaches (James 4:6). So, my listeners, this proud gait, this arrogant brow, these glances of contempt for poverty, with which others appear in the church of prayer, are completely indecent for the one praying; they invite the wrath of God. No, brothers, let us learn prayer from these beggars who stand at the threshold of the church of God, or at the door of our house. With what humility, with what humiliation they try to arouse in us compassion for them! And these are our brothers; this is not what we are before our God. True prayer, like fervent prayer, cannot be the prayer of a temporary impulse of the heart; it is constant prayer. Sincere zeal fights hard against obstacles and does not give up on the goal before it reaches it. The same is true of fervent prayer. She continues her feat day and night, applying labor to labor. She knocks on the doors of God's mercy relentlessly, even if they do not open for a long time. On the one hand, as the fruit of a deep consciousness of her infirmities, she cannot consider her work ever finished in order to say, enough, the duty is done, there is no need to pray anymore. On the other hand, deeply in awe of the greatness of God, she believes and confesses that the ways of God are not the same as the ways of men; they cannot be measured by man; the Lord God may have reasons why He, either for ourselves or for others like us, may leave our desires unfulfilled for a long time. For one reason or another, she prays for a long time, until the Lord is willing to reveal his will. They say that the Lord forbade long prayers, when he said, when praying, do not say too much, as the pagans think, because they will be heard for their many words (Matthew 6:7)? Yes, the Lord forbade long prayers. But which ones? Those that are committed by the pagans. He says, do not use too many words, like pagans. He also explains why the verbosity of the pagans is not smart. They think that they will be heard in their many words. The pagans believed that their gods were too far from them and were very burdened with affairs, so that they did not hear what their prayer books were telling them, why it was necessary to multiply the words of the prayer so that the gods could finally hear the prayer. These are the thoughts about the Divine that Christ the Lord forbids to have! These are the polysyllabic prayers He condemns! But He does not prohibit, but He commands long prayers to the soul of a true believer, as the fruit of its humble thoughts about itself, as the fruit of its reverence for the will of the wise, as a matter of zeal for the God of our hearts. To see His clear teaching about the long prayer of the soul of a true believer, remember His parable about the unrighteous judge who satisfied the widow’s petitioner only at her persistent request. What did the Lord say to explain this parable? Do you hear, He said, what the judge of unrighteousness says? Shouldn’t God take vengeance on his chosen ones who cry out to Him day and night, patiently suffering for them (Luke 18:7)? Remember also His parable about a friend who at first refused to fulfill his friend’s request, and then fulfilled it, in fact, because the friend persistently asked. And I say to you, added the Lord, ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, seek and it will be opened to you (Luke 11:8). In exactly the same way, the Apostle of Christ taught, “be constant in prayer and vigilant with thanksgiving” (Col. 4:2). So, you see, the long prayer of a pagan is condemned, because it is the fruit of unjust thoughts about the Divine, as if he does not know our needs apart from long prayer. Long prayer to the soul of a true believer is prescribed as a holy deed, since it, not allowing pagan thoughts about God, flows before God as a matter of deep humility before God, cleansing the impurities of the heart with contrition and tears, as the fruit of firm hope in God, cheerfully awaiting the visit of God, whenever it happens. So, brothers, we must pray to God! Our prayer should be a prayer of faith in God and the Lord Jesus. We must pray sincerely and diligently, not being distracted by worldly thoughts and concerns. One must pray with deep humility and reverence. Finally, our prayer must be constant and persistent. This is a prayer pleasing to the Lord, to whom be glory now and forever. Amen. Word on the consecration of the church in honor of the prophet Elijah in the city of Sumy My house is a house of prayer (Luke 19:14). Blessed be God! The church, so long awaited, not completed for so long due to the poverty of the parishioners, is finally finished. Blessed be God! This church has been consecrated by the grace of the Holy Spirit to be a sanctuary of the sacraments, a school of piety, a house of prayer! Blessed are the servants of God who contributed to the creation of the house of God with offerings great and small, each of which was accepted and appreciated worthily by the good and omniscient. May the deep blessing of God overshadow the one who showed special zeal both with cares and offerings in the construction of this church. Brethren! the house of God, the house of prayer, is so careful about its purpose for prayer that, in the order of its service, it is indicated to those present in it about the objects of prayer. Let us follow his zeal for prayer. Let's think about what we should pray for? Both for the church and for us, it is necessary to illuminate the subject of holy prayer with the word of God. What is most valuable to a person if not the eternal salvation of the soul? Why did the Son of God descend to earth if not to save our souls? Our soul is so high in its likeness to God, in the qualities of its immortal spirit, that nothing earthly is equal to it. She is so precious that on the scales of God’s truth the whole world turns out to be lighter than her. “What does it profit a man, says the Lord, if he gains the whole world and loses his life?” (Mark 8:36). So the very first subject of our prayer should be the salvation of the soul. Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all this, everything you need for earthly life, will be added to you (Matthew 6:33), as the Son of God teaches us. What first of all, according to the instructions of the Lord, we should seek, for that, without a doubt, first of all we should pray. since the Lord tells us that the kingdom of God is within you (Luke 17:21) and, therefore, the kingdom of God is the same as the salvation of the soul, it is clear that the Lord Himself commands us first of all to pray for the salvation of the soul. What prevents the salvation of our soul? Our sins, our guilt before God. Sins remove us from God, sins make us the subject of God’s wrath, and with our sins we are an abomination before God. How can we not pray for the forgiveness of sins? God, be merciful to me, a sinner, everyone must cry with the publican, and with David the repentant must repeat, according to the multitude of Your compassions, wipe away my iniquity (Ps. 51:3). The truth of God cannot forgive a sinner without demanding satisfaction for his guilt. But then, since “we all fall short of the glory of God,” God the Father offered His Son “as a sacrifice of propitiation, through faith in His blood, to demonstrate His righteousness in the forgiveness of sins” (Rom. 3:23, 25). So, we can hope for the forgiveness of sins only by believing in Christ the Lord, our Redeemer. For faith in Christ the Lord, forgiveness is ready. My iniquities are many, there are more of them than the hairs on my head, my guilt is grave, I, a poor sinner, have nothing with which I could atone for it, but the Heavenly Father! Behold, the lamb of God takes away the sins of the world - Your crucified Son (John 1:29); in Him is my hope, in Him is my defense, for faith in Your Son, forgive my sins! My listener! no matter how many sins you have, pray with faith in the Son of God and your sins will be forgiven. It is not a man who will assure you of this, but the messenger of God, the apostle. “If anyone sins,” he says, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not only for our sins, but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:1-2). Sin not only accuses us before the righteousness of God, but it has corrupted our soul; we are so upset by him that we are not able to do the will of God as we should do. Only the grace of the Holy Spirit can heal us who are sick. And so, after the forgiveness of sins, we must pray to the Heavenly Father to grant grace-filled help to our soul. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a right spirit in my womb; do not cast me away from Your presence and do not take Your holy Spirit from Me. So David prayed; This is how each of us should pray. Great is the gift of God - the grace of the Holy Spirit, and we are so unworthy of God's mercy! but here, too, faith in the Lord Jesus helps us. The Lord, going to death on the cross, said, if I don’t go, the Comforter will not come to you; If I go, I will send Him to you (John 16:7). He died on the cross and sent the Holy Spirit to people after that, there is no place for hopelessness regarding healing grace. The Son of God, who even before the cross knew the will of the Heavenly Father about the Spirit of grace, said to his followers, ask and it will be given to you. If you, who are evil, know how to give good things to your children, how much more will the Father who is in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him (Luke 11:13). And so ask for the grace of God, ask in the name of the Son of God, and it will be given to you, for the healing of your souls. “As long as we live in the body, the apostle teaches, we are removed from the Lord (2 Cor. 5:6). We do not have a permanent city here, but we are looking for the future” (Heb. 13:13-14). As soon as our soul calms down with the corruptible things of this world and does not strive for eternity, it deviates into the paths of sin, the charms of the world entangle it in untruths and iniquities. “Poor man I am! who will deliver me from this body of death? (Rom.7:24). Even the apostle cried this way. This means that complete freedom from the attacks of sin will follow only after the grave for the ascetic of God himself. How can we not sigh for eternity? Seek the things on high, the word of God convinces us, where Christ is, philosophize on things on high, not on earth (Col. 3:1-2). So we must pray to the Lord not to deprive us of peace in eternity. Thy kingdom come (Matthew 6:10), so our Lord commanded to pray. Let us cry out with the repentant thief, remember us, O Lord, when You come into Your kingdom. Should we ask God for earthly blessings? Two brothers came to one great elder for instructions, who had the misfortune of being carried away by the teachings of the Euchites, those who considered it a sin to do anything other than pray for the salvation of the soul. The elder was working with his disciples, cultivating the garden, when those prayer books arrived; He diligently continued to dig the ground and then, as they stood, waiting for instructions. After working for quite some time, the elder and his disciples went to the meal without saying anything to those who came. They said that he was a great old man, but he did not even know the duty of putting strangers to rest, the strangers reasoned among themselves, and they conveyed their displeasure against the old man to some of his disciples. Forgive me, brothers, the elder said to the prayer books; I didn’t invite you to the meal because you were all praying. Then those who came realized their error. So, my friends, while caring for the salvation of the soul, we must not neglect the needs of earthly life, but must pray to the Lord for earthly blessings. We need earthly goods as ways to continue earthly life and as a means to save the soul. We are commanded to protect earthly, bodily life, and not kill it; therefore we must ask the Lord for ways to maintain and continue it. Earthly blessings provide us with various assistance in the salvation of the soul, sometimes as a means for doing good to others and for external worship, sometimes as comfort in our infirmities, which at times are too difficult and dangerous for our weak soul. Does it make any difference to us whether we live in a time when beneficial air spills life into physical nature and into our body, or when an infection puts hundreds of our brothers and sisters in graves? Does it matter whether children and elders, people and animals suffer from Hunger, or whether the abundance of earthly fruits evokes gratitude from the hearts to the Heavenly Father? Does it matter whether war devastates cities, villages, countries, or whether under the shadow of peace people quietly go about the business of their calling? It seems the answer is not difficult. Our Lord Himself, at the same time as He commands us to pray for the glorification of the name of God, for the fulfillment of His will, for the emergence of the kingdom of heaven, instructs us to pray thus, give us our daily bread today, and deliver us from the evil one, or from any calamity. The Apostle Paul says, I pray, first of all, to make prayers, supplications, petitions, thanksgivings for all people, so that we may live a quiet and silent life in all godliness and purity (1 Tim. 2:1-2); The apostle teaches us to pray “so that we may lead a quiet and serene life in all godliness and honesty.” since it is known from experience that earthly blessings hinder us on the path to salvation, and this happens especially when we have a lot of them, then, asking them from the Lord, we must limit our desires to what is necessary and useful for eternity; we must ask them, as the sage of God asked, do not give me wealth and poverty, but give me need and self-satisfaction, so that I will not be satisfied with lies and rivers, who can see me? Or, having become poor, I steal and swear in the name of God (Proverbs 30:8–9). Heavenly Father! Hallowed be Thy name in all our deeds! Amen. Word on the consecration of the cemetery church in the city of Sumy My house is a house of prayer (Luke 18:48). Thanks be to the grace of God, which has consecrated your new home! How can one not rejoice in the Lord, how can one not thank Him, when, by His mercy, God’s house is established among sinful people? How can one not rejoice in the Lord, how can one not praise the Lord, when a treasury of grace, a church of mercy and miraculous powers is opened for weak and weak people? And if prayer is meant to bring about heavenly help, and without the help of grace we can do nothing good, how can we not rejoice when a house of prayer is given to us? Where is this new house of prayer? In the cemetery of the dead. May the Lord reward the builders of this church with His mercy. For where can a person praying more quickly detach his thoughts from earthly things and more easily ascend with hopes to heaven, if not in the place of death and decay, if not on the tombs - silent preachers about the vanity of all earthly things? A new house of God, a new church of prayer, was built and consecrated in the cemetery of the dead, of course, with views for the dead. Should we rejoice about this too? Do you understand, listeners, that the question concerns whether prayers for the dead are holy, legal? Let's get down to solving this issue. Should we love the dead? Would love for them be holy if it were in us? Without a doubt, everyone will say, we must love the dead and - they will tell the truth. For who are the dead to us? By faith in Christ, by descent from the one Creator, they are our brethren. We have one heavenly Father, one difference - the image and likeness of God, one our Savior - the Lord Jesus, one re-creating Spirit of grace - the Comforter Spirit, one baptism, one faith; Everything is one with us, just like with living people. How can we not love the dead as well as the living? Love your neighbor as you love yourself, says the commandment. The commandment does not say, love your neighbor while he lives on earth. She does not limit love to our land. No, the love commanded by the commandment of God is boundless and universal, which is why it does not exclude the departed from its scope. If love for the departed is holy, then the best fruit of love is holy - prayer for the departed. We call prayer for the departed the best fruit of love and do not think that anyone could challenge the justice of our thought. We know that people who refuse to pray for the dead, recognizing the holiness of love for the dead, as a sign and expression of this love, bring flowers to the coffins of the dead, erect monuments and do other similar things. But think, and you will agree that all these fruits towards your neighbors, all these signs of respect for them are very poor, not to say empty. The pagans also showered flowers on the coffins of the dead; Pagans also erected monuments over the dead. Is Christianity really so poor that it has nothing better, nothing higher and more useful for the dead in comparison with paganism? And how can one not agree with the fact that the prayer of the heart, the prayer of faith, is far higher than all earthly offerings, more fragrant than all earthly roses, more valuable than all marble monuments? Why, when accepting insignificant signs of love for the departed, do they reject a more worthy, more significant sign of love - prayer? Is it not because they allow themselves this strangeness because they have little faith in. the life of those who have ceased to live on earth? Yes, given the weakness of faith in immortality, it is natural to erect monuments over the dead as a mere memory of the past. In the same way, with a living belief in the immortality of those who migrated from the earth, it is not natural to limit love for them to the memory of the past alone; it is not natural not to breathe desires for good for them; it is unnatural to offer prayers for their peace, for their happiness, for the forgiveness of their sins. So, you see, my listeners, that prayer for the dead is as natural to our soul as it is natural for us to love our neighbors, and only then can prayer for the dead be alien to our loving soul, far from it, when in the soul, with or without consciousness, faith in life beyond the grave is weak. Understand, then, what a strange, what a wild state of a soul that does not pray for the dead! Is prayer for the dead pleasing to God? Can it benefit them? Before we begin to answer this question, let us make a remark on what was said before. We admit the holiness of prayer for the dead, as a holy fruit of love for neighbors. Therefore, we extend the limits of prayer for the departed as long as holy love for others can extend. Thus, if the Savior spoke about the living, even if he disobeys the church, be like a pagan and a tax collector (Matthew 18:17), i.e. forbade having communication with the disobedient of the church, then with the dead in this situation, without a doubt, it is impossible to have communication of love, it is not legal to offer prayer for them. Is it holy to love the enemies of God? No. Therefore, one should not pray for the enemies of God, whether they live on earth or beyond the grave. It is also clear that prayer for some of the deceased - for those who died in enmity with the church and God, without hope in eternal life, cannot bring them any benefit, as prayer is contrary to the Lord. Excluding the dead of this kind, do we have the right to doubt the saving effect of prayer for the dead - in faith and repentance? Where is the basis for doubt? In God? Our God is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for all of us live (Luke 20:38). He, who is good, desires to be saved for everyone - and, out of His goodness, He does not reject our humble prayer for others. In us praying? – On our own, we certainly cannot do good for ourselves. But, praying for the dead, we offer before the justice of the Heavenly Father the sacrifice of His Son on the cross, always strong and effective; It is not for the sake of our prayers that we ask to forgive our departed brothers, but for the sake of our eternal intercessor and Savior. Why can’t our prayer for the departed have any hope of success? Is it because a change of fate is impossible beyond the grave? The dead themselves, of course, are unable to do anything - for themselves, since the time of exploits is over for them. But the church militant on earth has been given gifts of grace, for her the Redeemer lives with his sacrifice; and if the minister of the mystery makes this sacrifice, then whether for himself or for others, for the living or for the dead, he makes it - it cannot be powerless, it is omnipotent. Whatever you ask from the Father in My name, I will do (John 14:13) said the Son of God. It is not clear, they say, how the effect of prayer can extend so far, from one world to another, from the visible to the invisible? But the effect of the prayer of a person living for another living is just as incomprehensible to the mind, however, this prayer undoubtedly has its effect. It is also not clear how prayer has an effect when offered for someone absent at sea or on land, however, it has an effect. It is not clear how our prayer does not remain fruitless when we ask for spiritual benefits for another - forgiveness of sins, taming of passions, advancement of the soul in faith and piety. However, we believe and know from experience that this prayer achieves its goal. Two souls, each with its own freedom, with its own way of thinking, with its own inclinations, aren’t they two separate worlds, especially since they are protected by bodies? How does the prayer of one extend its effect to another? If we admit that, regardless of the separate existence of living people, the prayer of one for another does not remain without action, then we have no right to deny that, regardless of the distance of the visible world from the invisible, the afterlife, the prayer of the earthly world can exert its effect on the world separated from the earth. They say, where is the commandment to pray for the dead? And we ask, where is the prohibition against praying for the dead? No one believed such a prohibition, neither the prophets, nor the apostles, nor the Savior. If people invent such a prohibition on their own, isn’t this criminal insolence? Do they require commandments to pray for the dead? What is a commandment anyway? The commandment of God is also the will of God. So the question about the commandment can be expressed differently like this: is it God’s will that the living pray for the dead? Or is prayer for the dead pleasing to God? In this form, the question is obviously very easy to solve. If our love for our neighbors, including the departed, is pleasing to God, then prayer for the departed is pleasing to Him, as the fruit of our pure love for them. The matter is clear! Is prayer for the dead still required to reinforce faith in God’s favor? Indicates that we are expressly commanded to pray for others. So the Apostle John writes, if anyone sees his brother sinning a sin that does not lead to death, let him ask and give him life for those who sin not leading to death. There is a sin that leads to death, I say not about that, but pray (1 John 5:16). You see, the apostle commands to pray for those who sin non-mortal sins, without limiting prayers to living people. You see, he forbids praying for some. But for the dead? No, he forbids praying for a desperate and hopeless sinner, for a sinner who is dead at heart, no matter who he is, whether alive or dead. Do you see what fruit he promises in prayer for another? Yes, he asks, he says, and will give him a belly. Prayer gives life to the sinner not leading to death, no matter who he is, whether he is alive or dead in the body. This is the apostolic teaching! After this, it is clear that if the tradition of the Old and New Testaments teaches us to pray for the dead; then it expresses only the thoughts of divine revelation. Thus, the son of Sirach writes, let the grace of giving be before everyone living, and do not withhold grace over the dead (Sir.7:36). What does it mean? If we take the grace of giving as the gift of the altar, then the words: do not disturb the dead will mean, make a sacrifice for the deceased. If the grace of giving means doing good to the poor, then the son of Sirach commands, give alms in memory of the deceased. In both cases, the main idea is the same, namely, that the living can and should do something useful for the deceased. The Book of Maccabees speaks of Judas Maccabee, having a venerable and pious thought, make a prayer for the dead, that they may be cleansed from sin (2 Mac. 12:46). This pious thought, this pious deed was not the private work of the pious Judas; the proposal to make a sacrifice for the dead was made by Judas, the leader of the people, made in the assembly of his companions and carried out publicly. Consequently, all the best contemporaries of Judas, such as Judas’s companions, and the entire Jewish church of that time recognized prayer for the dead as a holy deed. As for the Christian Church, from the very time when public worship was formed in it, i.e. Since the very times of the apostles, prayer for the dead has been an essential part of this service. St. Chrysostom writes, “it was not in vain that the apostles established, in the presence of terrible mysteries, the remembrance of those who had departed from this life; the apostles knew that this would bring them great benefit” (Commentary on the Epistle to the Philippians, conversation 1). St. Cyril of Jerusalem has already explained prayer for the dead in the rite of the liturgy. “Then we remember,” he says, “the reposed fathers and bishops and, in general, all those who have died before us, believing that there will be great benefit to the souls for whom prayer is offered when the holy and terrible sacrifice is offered. I want to assure you of this with an example. For I know that many ask, what is the benefit of a soul, whether with sins or without sins, departing from this world, if it is understood in prayer? If the king sent those who insulted him to prison, and their neighbors, weaving a wreath, brought it to the king for those being punished, wouldn’t the king make the punishment easier? In the same way, we offer prayers to God for the departed, even though they are sinners, and we do not weave a wreath, but offer Christ, who was slain for our sins” (Teaching 5, § 9-10). Here is also the cathedral rule about the same thing. The Council of Carthage of the fourth century threatens with excommunication anyone who would refuse offerings for the dead or would make them reluctantly (pr. 95). My listeners! come often to this church to commemorate the departed. In this way you will do a work of love pleasing to the Lord; You will thereby bring peace and relief to the souls of your brothers and sisters. By doing the work of love for your neighbor, you will also acquire for yourself the increase in love for the Lord and your neighbors necessary for eternity, a pure outlook on earthly things and on life beyond the grave. May the God of the living and the dead be glorified in us all, forever and ever. Amen. Word on the consecration of the church in honor of the Mother of God, in the Akhtyrsky Monastery Thanks be to you, our good comforter, who deigned to consecrate this altar for offering our prayers from earth to heaven! It is truly the highest mercy of God for us, listeners, that we, weak and unclean, can approach the All-Holy with our needs and ask His Almighty for help. The goodness of God is so great to us that it not only gives us the honor of conversing with infinite greatness, but also deigns to fulfill what we ask in prayer. If only pure and holy prayer is left to receive what it asks for, this is very natural. But how often do we have pure prayer, worthy of the greatness of God? Sometimes we feel coldness towards prayer and remain without prayer in our hearts; then we do not perform the prayer with such zeal with which we should perform it. What should we do as poor people so that we have prayer pleasing to the Lord? What measures should we take to stimulate and maintain God-pleasing prayer within ourselves? For what let us pray, as we should, we do not know, but the spirit itself intercedes for us with groanings that cannot be uttered (Rom. 8:26). This is how a language teacher teaches. If St. Paul said, you don’t know what, and so you need to pray, then one could also think whether he is referring his words to those to whom he writes his letter, whether he is not only depicting their private state. But he says, we are not aware, he speaks sad news about himself and others like him. This means that the best, the highest in spiritual life, people like St. Paul, they do not know what they should pray for, nor how they should pray. The general objects of prayer are shown in the Lord's Prayer, but which of these general needs is more necessary for the soul of the ascetic of God, at a certain time, he does not know. Ap. James told us what it means to pray evilly (James 4:3). But whether what I ask of the Lord will definitely not turn into food for my passions, I don’t know; I know that one must pray to the Lord with a sincere heart, but whether I truly pray sincerely, I don’t know. What can we poor people do? All that remains is to ask for help from above; It remains to ask for that Spirit of the Comforter, who alone can give us the Spirit of grace capable of interceding for us with groanings that cannot be uttered. With His help, like a branch feeding on the juices of the best vine (John 15:10), we can pour out the purest prayers before the Almighty. He is the Spirit of truth, able to guide into all truth (John 14:26); He is the Spirit of purity and holiness, able to give strength to all that is holy; He is the Good Spirit, ready to help us with every breath we take. That's why St. The Church begins every prayer, morning and evening, every prayer for private and general needs, with a prayer to the Comforter Spirit. - “O Heavenly King, Comforter of the Soul of Truth,” she says, “come and dwell in us and cleanse us from all filth.” So, before any struggle with our coldness towards prayer, with our insensibility and absent-mindedness, we must turn with prayer to the Holy Spirit, so that He will breathe into the breathless soul the spirit of life and strength, enlighten our dark mind with His light, warm our cold heart with His warmth, give strength to the lazy will for sincere and pure prayer. This is the first thing that should begin to reckon with our coldness towards prayer. Then, when you begin to pray, firmly remember who you are approaching, who you are appearing on, whom you want to ask for yourself. Prayer is the lifting of thought and heart to God, there is a conversation of the soul with God. So, approaching in prayer, you appear before the unapproachable greatness of Him, whose name is great and terrible (Ps. 99:3); you are approaching Him who is a consuming fire for everything unclean (Heb.12:29); you enter into fellowship with the all-holy and righteous - with the One who turns away from all untruth and lies of the heart (Ps. 5:5), abhors the man of blood and flattery, and only he who honors God will listen to him (John 9:31). How can one come to Him with a soul full of vanity and impurity and without any fear for oneself? If you were an angel, because of the purity of your life, if you, starting to pray, did not feel anything heavy on your conscience, and then you must remember that the very angels tremble before the greatness of God, and in them His watchful eye sees something obstinate, and who are we? Sinners from the cradle to the grave. My poor brother! You, who so carelessly enter the church of prayer, come to your senses, where are you entering? Work for the Lord with fear and rejoice in Him with trembling, the true word of God tells us (Ps. 2:11). You go to the church to appear before the face of God and serve before Him. Come to your senses, what you are and what you should be! Shouldn't the thought of the limitless in its holiness and power awaken you from your usual absent-mindedness, insensibility, carelessness about yourself, should it make you tremble and fear, fall in humility and contrition before Him - the God of righteousness? If this is not enough for your hard heart; If the thought of the greatness of God does not sufficiently dispose your coldness to prayer, does not sufficiently support your zeal for lazy work, think also about what you remain if you remain without prayer, and what can fervent prayer bring you? We are all poor sinners, good for nothing, without the grace of God; We are all irresponsible sinners before the judgment of God's justice. Prayer is an outstretched right hand, by which we accept help from above, strength against our weaknesses, forgiveness in our iniquities. What the light of the sun is to the body, prayer is to the soul. It is a misfortune for the blind man that he cannot see the sun. The Christian soul is most unhappy when it does not care about prayer, so that through prayer it can call upon itself the light of Christ. Just as a body without a soul is dead and, indulging in rot, stinks, so a soul that is careless about prayer becomes lifeless and stinks. These are not our opinions; these are the instructions of the word of God. In order to more strongly arouse your soul to more grace-filled prayer with these thoughts, often repeat to yourself the exact words of God’s revelation about the power of prayer. Bring to your mind the words of the God-inspired king, the Lord is good to all who call on Him in truth (Ps. 144:9); I cried out to the Lord, when they were in sorrow, and I delivered them from their needs (Ps. 107:6); He will do the will of those who fear Him, and I will hear their prayer and save them (Ps. 144:19); do not despise, lower than the indignant prayer of a beggar, lower turn your face away from Me and when you cry out to Him, you hear me (Ps. 21:25). Our feelings may awaken especially strongly when we repeat the promises of the Lord Jesus Christ about gifts ready for prayer. Didn’t He tell us that whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive it as a believer? (Matthew 21:22) Doesn’t He assure us with His word that whatever you ask of the Father in My name, I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son? (John 14:13) Watch and pray, so that you do not enter into adversity, for the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak (Matthew 26:41). If you sincerely wish to learn prayer pleasing to God, do not neglect anything that can strengthen or weaken the soul’s disposition to prayer; Do not neglect the position of your body or external circumstances. Different positions of the body, along with serving as an expression of different feelings of the soul, saints and sinners, can also serve as a means of awakening the spirit of prayer in the soul. The labors of kneeling and bowing to the ground dispose the soul to humility and tenderness, to repentance and spiritual labor; weakening the sinful flesh, they allow the soul to ascend to God, in contrition of heart and purity of thoughts. It doesn’t take much intelligence to understand that carelessly protecting oneself with the sign of the cross, while expressing the fearlessness of the soul before God, supports and strengthens in it the thoughts of frivolous pride and inattention to oneself. Frivolity condemns any long prayer, but if we diligently engaged in long prayer, we would be cured of frivolity and would become accustomed to prayer pleasing to God. Whatever art we want to adopt, we need time to study it. More than anything else, it takes time to put the soul into a state of prayer and teach it to constantly pray as it should pray. There is especially no need to let those times pass without prayer that are sanctified for the prayer of St. church, just as we must visit the church of God for prayer, where everything disposes us to reverent prayer. We have not said much about measures to succeed in prayer; but let them use these measures and not remain without success in prayer. Amen. Word on the consecration of the renovated church at the bishop's house Glory to God's grace, which has renewed the house of grace for us! The Christian church is a wonderful treasury of wonderful works of God. What can't you get from it? Whatever you want, you can get everything if you only want it in accordance with the will of God. - A Christian church is a school of piety, that piety which, according to the Apostle, is for everything useful, in time and in eternity. Glory to God's grace, which has renewed for us the house of piety! Why live on earth if not to live for piety? What is earthly life if it is not a life of piety? “What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his life” through wickedness? (Luke 8:36). Heavenly grace! You expect nothing more from us than piety and sincere piety. Send down upon us a spirit of tenderness and contrition, so that we may fully feel how much we are losing by remaining with what You do not want for us, with not sincere piety. It’s terrible, listeners, a state of complete wickedness. Everyone is ready to say, God save everyone from this. But what is insincere piety? They are not afraid of him, but is it fair? Let us consider the effects and dangers of insincere piety. By the grace of heaven, there is sincere piety on earth. By the grace of people, there is also insincere piety in people. It would seem, how can people not sincerely love piety, life-giving for the soul, dear to heaven? And yet, there are those who are insincere in their love of piety. An insincere Christian is not completely cold towards Christ and Christianity, but he is not firm in fulfilling Christian rules. He does a lot of good, but very often he also does bad. He limps on both knees, serving either God or Baal. He does not want to have Christ, nor the world, nor God, nor Belial as an enemy. Where he does not expect to be ridiculed for Christ, where he does not think of suffering harm for his honor, for his importance in the world, for his benefits, there he acts as a Christian. But he is afraid to touch the cross of Christ, although in the cross is his salvation. He gives his heart to the Lord Jesus, but only half, and therefore very often does not deny himself that he flatters criminal passions, that offends his clear conscience. With an unclear consciousness or even without consciousness, he enters into criminal relationships, and when he sees his thinness, sacrificing the affection of his heart for God is an unbearable burden for him. He is like a man who, sailing out to sea, wants to remain on land with one foot. He strives for the sky with his thoughts, but also holds on to the world. His life fluctuates between virtue and vice, between heaven and hell. When they tell him about the superiority of virtue, about the bliss of the righteous, about the torment of sinners, his soul is filled with either joy or sorrow, even tears flow from his eyes. But all this is as long as there is no sorrow or persecution for the word (Mark 4:17), as long as there is no evil mockery from the world. Otherwise, he is not averse to laughing at faith and piety in the company of cheerful people. There are people who call every sincere Christian a hypocrite, a saint, a hypocrite. Having spoiled their souls with bad habits, they have reached the state of a careless slave who hid the gift of God in the ground - and they want to pass off piety as an impossible task. When looking at people who cheerfully walk along the path of piety, when meeting this or that instruction of the word of God, their conscience denounces and torments them, they are burdened by themselves, and are burdened by the piety of others. In order to relieve themselves, they try to drown out the reproaches of conscience with disbelief in the possibility of piety, and with abuse against the zealots of piety they express revenge for the torment of conscience. They see that piety is a possible thing because they see it in the experience of others, but this obviousness of the matter only irritates them and prompts them to seek protection for themselves, protection in slander and lies. The condition is pitiful! He who is not sincere in piety is not entirely close to it, but not entirely far from it either; he approaches him and at times hits him. When a servant of God sees many churches of God in a country; when in his eyes crowds of people flow into the houses of God to offer thanksgiving and prayers to the Most High, he rejoices and praises the Lord for people visiting the church of God and for visiting people with heavenly grace. But how can he restrain himself from grief when the crowds are just as large, if not more populous, rushing to the spectacles in order to lose shame and sorrow there and catch the emptiness? How can one resist grief when Christians rush far more willingly, far more diligently than to a Christian church, to where, as they themselves say, they can “have fun, get distracted” and where sensual love, deceit, revenge, and other vices are not only shown, but can also be adopted by the soul, clothed in tempting images? Are such actions not evidence of the hypocrisy of our Christians? So in the church of God, is everyone standing as one should stand in the church of the Most High? What if with the same unclean images, with the same sinful feelings, with the same criminal desires that were taken out of the spectacles, they remain here, where the faces of the angels stand in trembling before the throne of the Almighty, threatening against all uncleanness of the heart? If we were to say that some of today’s Christians do not consider the church of God necessary for themselves, this would be considered a lie, an insult to people. And yet, aren’t it the same others who say in response to those who ask for help to the church, God gives! They themselves dress not according to the demands of need and modest decency, but as fashion dictates, as ruinous vanity dictates, reckless luxury, and this is of no value to them. This is their Christianity! There is money for a luxurious dinner, for sumptuous decoration of the house, for expensive clothes for the wife and daughters, for a ball and a theater, but not for the church of God, but not for the poor. Such is their piety! Judge for yourself, is this not black hypocrisy? Is it not an insult to the name of a Christian? Deeply, painfully, you felt, my brother, your sinful state and the burden of it on your conscience; you resorted to heartfelt, bitter and fiery repentance. Thus you have entered on a good path. You laid your hand on the ralo, approached God and began to please Him. Another like you even severed his connection with the world in order to devote all his time and work to God in the company of the servants of Christ. But what then? Are you moving forward? Do you keep your soul pure? Are you not carelessly returning to the dispositions and affairs of the world, which you condemned in repentance? Are you perfected in piety and virtue? Oh! your piety is temporary, not sincere, hypocritical! Are all such people close to the kingdom of God, to the salvation of the soul? According to their judgment, they are not completely far away, because they are ashamed of gross vices. But their misfortune lies in the fact that they do not think about their proximity to destruction. Satisfied that they do not live the way they judge many others to live, they rest on the hopes of the blind man’s vanity. They imagine that some of their love is already true love, and the longer they live with this dream, the less they feel the inconsistency of the majority of their deeds with true love, the more they accumulate sins on their souls, of which they do not repent at all. They do not think that no matter how decent their life may be, it is still impossible to combine service to Christ with service to Belial, love of God with love of the world. They ignore the words of the Apostle of God: adulterers and adulteresses! Don’t you know that friendship with the world is enmity against God? So, whoever wants to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God (James 4:4). Self-love fixes their gaze on the ghosts of good that appear from time to time in their souls, and carefully removes from their gaze the gloomy picture of their sins, mistakes, crimes, and iniquities. They do not think of stretching forward on the path of salvation. Meanwhile, on the way to heaven, every stop is a step back, every slowdown is a loss of much. “Forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward, I press on toward the goal,” says a sincere Christian about himself (Phil. 3:13) and cannot say the insincere one, who day by day moves away from the goal through stoppages and inactivity. Oh my God! self-love deceives me, consoling me with a decent life, but you do not deceive me, who says, “no one who takes the plow and looks back will lead himself into the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62). My brother! what if you're looking around at Sodom? You can turn into a pillar of salt. What if you are thinking of returning to Egypt? You may die in the desert before you reach the promised land. Without true and sincere love for God, what do the kindest deeds, fasting, and bows mean? “Woe to you hypocrites, for you are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of the bones of the dead and all uncleanness” (Matthew 23:27). This is what the Faithful and True said. What can we say about fate beyond the grave? It's scary to look there. The Savior says, “If anyone is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, then the Son of man will also be ashamed of him when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels” (Mark 8:38). This is the Lord’s decision about the future fate of hypocritical Christians. The fairness of the trial is obvious. Christians are ashamed of Christ the Lord, their only Savior and God. Is it not fair that He should consider them as His own for shame? Christians refuse to be sincere Christians out of respect for the judgment of the world, a sinful, unclean, soulless world; out of fear of judgment, which is as empty and insignificant as the world itself is empty and insignificant! How can a great and just person not reject such low people with indignation? To whom can they resort, where will those whom Christ the Lord rejects from Himself find protection? Even to those who prophesied here, cast out demons, performed miracles in the name of the Lord, but did not fulfill the will of the Heavenly Father, the Judge of the universe will declare, “I never knew you; Depart from me, you workers of iniquity” (Matthew 7:21–23). My listeners! Let's come to our senses, come to our senses, who are we? what are we like? where are we getting ready? what awaits us? Are we playing on the edge of an abyss, like blindfolded children? To distance yourself from the dangers of self-delusion, let everyone repeat to himself as often as possible, “You say that I am rich, that I have become wealthy, and that I have no need for anything; but you do not know that you are pitiful and poor and blind and naked” (Rev. 3:17). Then we will feel the need to strongly pray to the Lord, so that He will give us white clothes to cover our nakedness and anoint our eyes with the ointment of grace, so that we can see our condition and the will of God (Rev. 3:18). Then let us force ourselves to love piety with a sincere soul and improve ourselves day by day in goodness. Amen. Word on the consecration of the church in the new house of the Kharkov Seminary Great is Your love for us, in Christ Jesus, our heavenly Father! Here is a new experience of Your love before us! Here is a new house and in the house a church for the education of ministers for the salvation of human souls! By the will of our Father, our king, through the generosity of the governing synod, peace for orphans, a home of unearthly enlightenment, is ready with new comforts. And when? In neighboring countries, throughout the West, everyone’s property and life, civil and state life, Christianity and Christian societies are as safe and strong as on a bubbling volcano. Heavenly Father! Reward the king for us - our Father, who knows no peace for us! under the shadow of his wisdom and firmness we are so safe. Increase his wisdom in him, strengthen his firmness. His reverence for the holy faith preserves and adorns Your church. Preserve the peace of his soul for earth and heaven. Mentors and young men! the house of education is ready, the church of enlightenment is consecrated. All that remains is to study. Come, children, listen to me, I will teach you the fear of the Lord (Ps. 33:12), as St. invites. Prophet David. If, when, then now it is especially appropriate to draw your attention to the invitation of St. David. Come, children. What does it mean? Is it possible that St. Were David's disciples young men or children? Was there really a school? True, during the time of the prophet Elisha we see the sons of the prophets who listen with attention to the instructions of Elisha (2 Kings 2:3, 15). But among these sons of the prophets we see fifty mighty men (2 Kings 2:16–17). Consequently, the name of the sons of the prophets did not depend on the age of the young man. Why were they called sons? Or why those whom St. invites to his place. David and his children? There is only one reason, mentor, what St. David, like the prophet Elisha, was like a father to those being taught. Christian youth mentors! Shouldn't you be fathers to the young men and children you teach? What is Christianity? Love. Is it possible for Christian teachers to be without love? Oh no! Love the tender fathers who teach you with love. Treasure them as a father treasures his children. Take care to pass on all that is good to them, just as a father cares about the happiness of his children. Protect their minds and hearts from everything hostile, just as a father protects his children. This does not mean that you need to be the same to the disciples as Eli was to the children. Is it possible to wish Ilieva’s fate on you? Students will have neither love nor respect for you when you indulge their weaknesses. Not gratitude to you, but will they swear an oath against you to the judgment of God, when your strange love will make them unhappy for the rest of their lives. Love them like smart fathers. Christian boys! be children to your mentors. Love and respect them as the children of their fathers. This was required of the Old Testament disciples, all the more required of Christian disciples, and all the more required of Christian children and youth. Come, children. Everything requires work. And wisdom requires that we work for it. If she makes a voice about herself, you need to follow her voice - look for her. If she herself appears, as in this place sacred to her, it is all the more unexcusable to spend time idly. Young men and children! Time is precious for all of us, for which we will all give an answer; it must be even more expensive for you. Youth is the most convenient, most favorable time for the education of the mind and heart. It is difficult for an old, crooked tree to get straight direction. How easy it is for a young tree to grow in the direction that a skilled gardener gives it! It is good for the young man if he takes the yoke of the Lord in his youth. Come, children, listen to me. Here is another requirement for divinely inspired wisdom, listen to me. This means that one must be attentive to what is taught, one must trustingly accept what is taught, willingly do what is commanded, and patiently endure what is subjected to it. Is this necessary? Heavenly wisdom says what is needed. But another wisdom says that it is not necessary. Heavenly wisdom, when it prescribes, of course, considers this both natural and worthy of man. Other wisdom cries out that it is an insult to human dignity. Who's right, listeners? Let's take a closer look at the matter. If you came to learn, then how can you learn without listening and obeying what is taught? If you call yourself disciples, then you must be disciples in practice. If, instead of trustingly accepting what is conveyed by the mentor, they subject his every word to evil judgment, then these are no longer students, but as if they were teachers, and even something unlike teachers, but perhaps obstinate judges. Where is the naturalness here? Where is the consistency of one with the other? It is not difficult to understand that when a student ceases to be a student, he will not have the success of a good student. You can't be successful in something you don't do. On the contrary, just as a thirsty earth drinks in the moisture of heaven, so a young, submissive heart is drunk with the instructions of wisdom. Like a fragrant rose it grows and develops, always open to both heavenly light and beneficial moisture. Every day the mind grows in useful knowledge, the heart expands in noble desires and feelings. That is why in general, in the matter of salvation, they require faith from us! They will say, let it be so in the matter of salvation, there the mentor is God; and in human teaching? Here there are superiors over the mentors who are obliged to supervise their activities; and for those who are not enlightened by the advice of their superiors, there is the Lord, who, believe me, knows how to teach the rebellious, so woe to the one who falls under the instructions of a judge-mentor. They do not love disobedience in anyone, just as they love obedience - obedience in the matter of salvation is rewarded with grace-filled help. And in the matter of teaching, as a Christian matter, it brings down the blessing of God. Listen to me, I will teach you the fear of the Lord. What is the fear of God that St. wants to teach? Prophet David? The fear of God is a reverent fear of offending the great and just Lord, no matter what, whether in deed or word, whether by secret thought or obvious desire, whether by movements in the body or feelings of the soul; this is love for God, imbued with feelings of the greatness of God and our weakness, so often revealed by sins. Do you need to learn this stuff? True, there is nothing more natural for our soul than to always revere the Lord. The flower looks at the sun, our soul is akin to looking at the Lord. But does she look at her sun? The saints of God devoted their entire lives to training their souls to always look reverently at the Lord, and even then they felt that they had not yet succeeded in their work as much as they should have succeeded. But is it wisdom to learn the fear of God? Oh, what great wisdom! Solomon pointed out the beginning of all wisdom in the fear of God, the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord (Proverbs 1:7). And exactly the same thing is said by his father, the prophet David (Ps. 110:10). The conclusion of all the exploits of the mind, the goal of all the works of scientists, Solomon sets the study of the fear of God, fear God, keep His commandments, this is every man (Eccl. 12:13); or as the ancient sage who studied Solomon says, the fulfillment of wisdom is to fear the Lord (Sir.1:16). And to truly not begin one’s knowledge with the knowledge of Him Who is the beginning of everything means not to begin to be wise. Not concluding your research with reverence for the One in Whom lies the solution to all possible questions about the world and man means not achieving the goal. It is therefore clear that it is in vain to fear that the fear of God would hinder progress in other sciences, that it would not serve as an obstacle to happiness and improvement on earth, turning away the gaze from earth to heaven. Reverent knowledge of the Lord is the seed from which all lasting knowledge develops; and only then can one achieve success in the sciences when scientific studies are accompanied by reverent meditation on God. Reverent faith does not lose sight of the earth while it is on earth, but only enlightens everything earthly; reverent faith, destroying impure thoughts and aspirations in the heart, filling the soul with holy thoughts, sublime feelings, bright desires, develops and perfects in itself the powers of our spirit. On the contrary, life without God is not life. If, when educating youth, they only try to enlighten their minds and do not think about educating their hearts in piety, then the youth are unhappy, and so is the society for which they are being educated. The experiences of centuries have proven that mental education alone, not combined with the education of the heart in the fear of God, only opened the means to succeed in depravity and perish in it - it was an ulcer both for individuals and for entire nations. St. David, inviting him to learn the fear of the Lord from him, further shows how beneficial his science is. Who is a person, even if he loves to see good days? asks the prophet. And he asks because he is convinced how sweet life is to each of us, how each of us wants to enjoy happy days, to rush to convey the news of happiness that everyone expects. He doesn't require much to be happy. Keep your tongue, he says, from evil, and do not speak flattery from your lips. Avoid evil and do good. Seek peace and marriage (Ps. 33:13–15). According to the connection of the thoughts of St. David’s thought is this: let the fear of God bridle your tongue, and let him control your relationship with your neighbors, even if they do not love the world, then you will see peace in your soul, your days will be good. Thus, the fear of God has a beneficial effect on our morality, and the same effect on our happiness. So whoever walks always before the eyes of the Lord, the Lord is with him always and in everything! And so this is what needs to be taught and learned most of all – the fear of God. Mentors and mentees! accept the lesson not mine, but St. Prophet David about instruction and teaching. My job is to pray to the Lord, that by His grace the lesson of the divinely inspired King David will be fruitful in your hearts. Amen. Word on the consecration of the church in the Nikolaevsky nunnery And the church was consecrated in a new monastery. How could one not thank the Lord for His grace, which placed in the hearts open to her the desire to use labors and means for the glory of His name! How many souls created in the image of God, how many hearts purchased by the invaluable blood of the Son of God, will seek salvation in this monastery, will glorify and pray to the Lord in this church! And the works of those who created this monastery will take part in all this great worship. What saving works! But let us not disturb the modesty of those who serve the Lord in meekness. Let us turn our attention from activity, so fruitful, to the meaning of idleness in the matter of our salvation, to idleness, so beloved by many. What is the time given for? Why do we live on earth? In order to buy eternal peace at the cost of temporary labor. What a loss they suffer, wasting time in idleness, without benefit for the afterlife! Not one of those days that we spent carefree will return to us; Not a single one of those hours that we dozed off or let pass unnoticed, idle, will return to us. What has passed without benefit for us is lost forever. Is the path of our life repeating itself? No! The summers of your blooming youth, which you spent so foolishly, flew away, rushed by irrevocably, when you could have dedicated them to the Lord. The happy years of courage will not return to you, when you had so much strength to work for the Lord and worked for sin. Stop, so as not to make any more irreparable losses. Seize the time, it flies quickly. Every moment of it is faster than lightning. The present minute slips away, the next one replaces it and also rushes past us; the unstoppable rush of hours, days, years carries everything past us; Our last hour pushes us into the abyss, where the soul sees itself with horror in the face of the God of truth. My poor brother! Poor sister! you are concerned about how to pass time, in idleness that is not boring, but it drives you away, drives you away with all your unclean thoughts, drives you away from the earth and where?.. Think about it - what are you preparing for yourself? And besides the passion for carefree idleness, time passes so quickly that it is difficult for those who are attentive to its price to catch it. And besides the orders of idleness, is our life long, by which we must obtain a peaceful eternity? And we are still shortening our precious time with idleness! And we still speed up the passage of time with careless absent-mindedness! Isn't this a matter of nonsense? Isn't it a matter of criminal inattention to one's fate? Take heed that you walk dangerously, not as unwise, but as wise, redeeming the times, for the days are evil (Eph. 5:15-16). Take advantage of the time ( Col. 4:5 ). Are we created for idleness by God? And in heaven an innocent man had to work. And bring him into paradise to make sweets and keep him, says the writer of everyday life (Gen. 2:15). What should we think about the earthly purpose of fallen man? Cursed is the earth in your deeds; by the sweat of your brow you shall bear away your bread, so it was said to fallen man (Gen. 3:19). How can fallen people want to live peacefully, in idle bliss, on a cursed land? Do they not, with such a desire, provoke a new curse against themselves for their arrogant disregard for the will of the formidable in truth, for their stupid stubbornness against the will of the Almighty? “We urge you, brethren, to take diligent care to be silent, to do your own works, and to do with your own hands, as we have commanded you.” This is the commandment of the apostle (Thessalonians 4:11). And do you know to whom he gives such a commandment? Those who, under the guise of piety, did not want to engage in bodily labor. He writes about them in another epistle: “We hear that some among you act disorderly, do nothing, but pass around with deceit. Such we exhort and persuade through our Lord Jesus Christ, that they should work in silence and eat their own bread” (2 Thess. 3:11-12). This is how the apostle considered work to be a holy work, and so strictly he condemned idleness! People, least of all knowing themselves, do not notice what effect idleness produces in the soul. They think that spending a few hours, spending a day or two in idle distraction means nothing. But is this really so? The human heart cannot be idle, our soul cannot be idle. If the mind is not occupied with holy thoughts, it is occupied with empty or harmful thoughts. If the heart is not occupied with pure, heavenly sensations, it breathes with unclean, cloudy, carnal feelings. If the will does not strive towards heaven, towards fulfilling the holy will of God, it goes along the path of sin, towards hell. Do not forget that a soul upset by sin is far more inclined to perverted activities than to deeds pleasing to God, and therefore, remaining in idleness, it willingly indulges in unclean life. “Everyone is idle in his lusts,” says the wise (Proverbs 13:4). Idleness teaches many evil, says the son of Sirach (Sir.35:28). How many black vices, how many dirty crimes people would not have committed if they had been concerned with the affairs of their calling! Not doing what they should be doing, they are engaged in cheerful vices, gambling, drunkenness, debauchery. The more one gets used to being idle, the less they like to dwell on thoughts of eternity, on the concern for salvation, and the soul, addicted to idleness, becomes a dwelling place of uncleanness. Everything good seems unpleasant, tedious, boring to us, and everything bad seems tempting. The imagination is almost always filled with impure images that feed evil tendencies. Passion for the entertainment of idleness is a destructive disease of the soul! By taking away valuable hours from proper activities, it creates in the soul an aversion to useful labor and the activities of saints. Look at this mother of a family, accustomed to chasing the wind. Her children, like orphans, hardly see her; strangers are watching the house and she is in her house like a stranger; she feels good everywhere, but not with those who love her with holy love. What kind of pitiful image of a mother is this? The father of the family is the same, accustomed to living idlely. He is cheerful both early in the morning and late in the evening; and there such poverty appears to him that soon drives him out of the house, forcing him to live like a prodigal son without shelter, without bread, without clothes. A lazy and idle life is the same as an idle and uncultivated field, on which nothing grows except worthless herbs. For society, for your neighbors, do not expect anything good from her. Without doing what they should be doing, they are engaged in empty talk, gossip, slander, and gossip. How many rotten words, how many evil ridicule, how many fables that offend the conscience are invented by idleness! The very people who consider slander and lies to be low vices, out of nothing to do, spew lies and slander. And often what slander! The peace and honor, happiness and life of others are given to execution! Is it not idleness that invents seductive amusements, gathers drunken societies, and invents ruinous outfits? Is it not idleness that corrupts innocence, destroys domestic and marital happiness, spoils the present generation and transmits corruption to the future? Does it speak about what the idle person is like in relation to God? Anyone who, without her strength to work, does not work, but indulges in idle bliss, is an unfit servant, burying God’s mercy in the ground (Matthew 25:18-20). After what has been said about his relationship to himself and others, it is natural that in his heart there is often not a spark of faith and fear of God; he is the subject of God's wrath for his complete forgetfulness of God. The eternal judge will say about him, turn the inexcusable (lazy) slave into utter darkness (Matthew 25:30). Of course, we also need rest, we need rest for the body, rest for the soul. Otherwise, the body will become exhausted from continuous labor, and the soul will weaken from constant stress. And the Savior, after a long conversation, rested (Luke 8:35). But it is another thing to give oneself rest after being tired from labor, another thing to love only peace or idleness; It’s another thing to give rest to the soul with a change of activities worthy of an immortal soul, another thing is to fill the time of rest with low, criminal deeds. What do the easy people of the world do with their idle time? To amazement, the world does not know, in the circle of its life, idleness. He calls the life of prayer and solitary reverence idleness. People of the world do not consider it idleness when, leaving aside what is necessary for eternity, they engage in such empty matters as cards, balls, outfits, gossip, talk of news. My friends! At the court of God we will be judged not as the world pleases, but as the Lord pleases. And the will of God is not at all similar to the desires of the world, we see this in God-inspired scripture. Leave the world with its pitiful dreams. Strive for the Lord, there is nothing higher or smarter than such a feat. For mental rest, change your activities, but always with thoughts of the Lord, with the fear of God. Do not be afraid of the yoke of the Lord, it is good. Labor for the Lord does not exhaust, but revitalizes the soul, such is its nature; They are such because of the help of grace, without which they are not accomplished. Glory to our God forever and ever. Amen. Word on the consecration of the church in the provincial town of Neidrigalovo For they are poor, but richer than many (2 Cor. 6:3). This is what the Apostle Paul says about himself! Should we marvel at this in the apostle? In an apostle, the miraculous is natural, because he is the messenger of God. Another thing is that this church is majestic in such a small city. Such splendor, such wealth - in the midst of such ignorance, isn't it something worthy of amazement? Thus, by right, the inhabitants of a poor city greet you with high apostolic distinction. You can rightfully say with the apostle that you are poor and richer than many. What precious wealth you are delivering with your beautiful church to many thousands of those who will live after you! The Christian church is a treasury of grace and a school of piety. This majestic church is a sermon about one thing that is needed. When looking at it, how can you help but say to yourself, this is where all greatness belongs, the house of God! Otherwise, what good does wealth serve if it is not used for the glory of the name of God? What is money for if it is dead capital, from which there is no benefit to the soul either here or beyond the grave? A rich church in a poor city provides a subject for reflection; for a Christian, poverty is not poor, but rich. Apparently, without seeing the lot of poverty on earth. She is walking down a thorny path. How many hard labors, how many bitter worries she places on the shoulders of the poor! Severe poverty clothes the poor man in old rags, and people, meeting the rags, say, this is the seal of God’s wrath! But this is not how a Christian views his poverty. And above all, he does not consider poverty to be a sign of God’s wrath. If poverty deprived one of something that constitutes the essential dignity of a person, then, of course, a Christian would call it a sign of God’s indignation. But everything that elevates man above all earthly creations, everything that constitutes the glory and high significance of man, is also given to the poor man, as well as to the rich man. Is not the poor man endowed with the same faculties of mind and heart as others? Doesn’t he also have the same hopes, doesn’t he strive for the same high goal as others? Isn't his relationship to God the same? Is not eternal life assigned to him too? When and in whom was poverty an obstacle to achieving bliss beyond the grave? If people do not know how to take advantage of poverty, it is the people who are to blame, not poverty. The Lord makes poor and makes rich, the Lord humbles and exalts (2 Samuel 2:7). Oh, how sweet this alone is in the humble share of poverty! He, boundless in his greatness, is concerned with the fate of the poor wanderer of the earth. And how much he does! Without His will not a hair falls from our head (Luke 21:18). He knows our entire composition, all our thoughts and dispositions; knows our future as the present, the possible as the actual; knows what can be useful to us and what can be harmful. No father or mother cares for children as much as He cares for people. He, the eternal goodness, does everything to ensure that the eternal salvation of the soul is accomplished in us as successfully as possible. People are short-sighted on earth, but even on earth they see in the consequences the all-wise goodness of God, marvelously dividing the earthly portions of people; and when, after the storms of earthly life, the azure of the clear sky opens to them, when they appear on the other side of the tomb, oh, how clearly, how fully they will recognize the path of the wise and most good! Poverty forces you to work hard and earn your bread through sweat. But isn’t that why man lives on earth, to work? The decision of God's judgment on fallen man is known. With this decision, peace on earth is a crime, a crime that opens the door to various vices. And the rich are in worries. But who has the advantage, the one who bears the labors assigned by God, or the one who bears the yoke of worries and labors imposed by the passions? The poor are unfamiliar with many of the joys of noisy light. But why regret them when they are so empty? And oh, if only they were empty! Happy is poverty. She is unfamiliar with the disastrous vices and criminal passions that so often torment the soul of the luxurious rich man. Let his tears drop into the food of the poor man for an hour. Because when a sweet dream visits a body tired from work, he sleeps peacefully and does not know the ghosts and terrible dreams that torment the soul of the dishonest rich man. Does the rich man eat and drink sweetly? For this reason, poverty does not fatten the sinful flesh and does not feed the passions of wild sensuality. On the other hand, is it considered an advantage that a rich man, through immoderation, is preparing a disorder for his body? When the sediment of manure, mud, grass and all kinds of rot continually increases in the drainage canals, the dirt, long held back, finally breaks out to the surface and spreads stench and fetid infection throughout the surrounding area. Isn’t the luxurious life of a rich man the same thing for his health and for those around him? Why be ashamed of poverty when it is not a consequence of a vicious life? Poverty is not a dishonor when it does not depend on bad habits and passions. Wealth and poverty are the accidents of a traveler. The Lord will please and make you rich. The judgment of God distinguishes the rich and the poor according to their lives - according to whether they fulfill or fail to fulfill their purpose. Rightness of soul, purity of heart - these are the true virtues of a person, and both the rich and the poor acquire them at the same price, the price of attention to the afterlife, strict observation of the movements and desires of the heart. Even if light people show coldness, even contempt, for poverty, one can only feel sorry for them, but not at all embarrassed by their judgment. Sometimes they say how much good one could do to others and benefit churches if one had the means to do so—money? But this is not the voice of sincere and intelligent love for good; here hungry passions desire money. Sincere love for good, whether it is rich or poor in money, is always equally ready to do good and does it according to its means. Poverty is not a hindrance to her. The Evangelical widow, despite all her poverty, brought such a gift to the church that the rich did not bring. The Lord does not demand the impossible from us, and what He demands from us, we can always do with the help of grace. The Lord, commanding us charity, does not assign an amount of money that the poor man does not have; He expects only zeal for good, which is possible for everyone; He abhors stinginess in us, but we can drive it away from ourselves. Oh, if wealth would open the soul of every rich man to charity and love! Then the poor man would have the right to envy his lot. But in experience we see something completely different. Wealth arouses in people either a thirst for money or a passion for extravagance; and in both cases it turns out that poverty brings great sacrifices to people and God. The usual companion of wealth, pride, drowns out in the heart of the rich man even that little piety that was passed on to him by his poor parents. Poverty learns piety through its very share and firmly preserves the faith of its fathers. The poor man modestly enters the church of God, obedient to the voice of his shepherd, and prays with reverence; and the other, just because his clothes are smart, by his presence in the church only insults the holiness of the church. Your eyes, O my God, see our hearts; they rest with love on the reverent soul, hiding under poor rags, while in the body, dressed in magnificent clothing, breathes a soul burdened with crimes - the subject of Your righteous indignation! They say that the poor are pious, but envious, greedy for the things of others, and cowardly? Children of God! Even if everything they say about you is not true, Christianity does not approve of weaknesses, no matter how small they may be. Do not allow cowardice to enter your soul, my friend, do not be burdened by your poor lot, be content with little. How much is needed for you if you do not know the needs invented by passions and whims? The heavenly Father feeds the birds, although they neither sow nor reap. Will He forget you? He did not spare His Son for us. You are worried about the future of yourself and your family. In vain. Who assured you that there would be a future for you that cowardice trembles at? Why worry about the future, which, perhaps, will not exist for us? Isn't it better to replace this anxiety with sweet hope for that certain future when the patient will be given the crown of life and the poor in spirit will be ushered into the kingdom of heaven? Isn’t it better to firmly remember that the narrow path leads to eternal bliss, but the wide gate leads to hell? Do not offend your soul with envy of the joyful lot of others, and even less allow yourself to take revenge on the rich with secret enmity against him. Envy and enmity towards the rich will only harm your soul and will not change your external position; in the eyes of God they are hated as the fruit of a proud, rebellious spirit. The Lord loves us all; and we must love everyone. Be especially careful, my friend, about using criminal means to alleviate your poverty. There is nothing heavier than sin for the soul; sin can plunge you into Gehenna. Let honest work be your help against bitter needs; with this companion it will be easy for you to appear at the court of the Eternal. Word on the consecration of the church, in the name of St. Nicholas in the city of Kupensk Thanks be to God, who has fulfilled long-standing expectations of piety! And the church, so long awaited, is finished. May the mercy of God be upon the soul of the servant of God, who labored with such zeal in building the church of grace! May the goodness of God in the kingdom of heaven remember the soul of the deceased founder of the church! I am sure that the Heavenly Father did not ignore a single mite brought in favor of this church, and He, the Good One, will pay everyone both for their work and for their offering. Blessed be the God of mercy and bounty! My listeners! The church of prayer and grace is ready. It remains that, at every call of the church, you are ready to visit the church for your consecration. Oh, when would you fulfill, as it should, the heavenly commandment about dedicating the seventh day to God! The church was built for consecration by your prayer on the seventh day. Do you think quite carefully about the holiness of the seventh day? Let's think about it. Who commanded us to dedicate the seventh day to the Lord? The Lord God Himself. Even in paradise, the seventh day was sanctified as the day of God’s rest and the day of praise and thanksgiving to the Creator of the world. Even then, when there were no Jews, but only Adam, the representative of the human race, the seventh day was appointed for the Lord (Gen. 2:2). Is it not clear that the seventh day is sanctified for the entire human race? During the time of Moses, the commandment about the seventh day was repeated, but the basis for the sanctification of the day was given as ancient. Remember, it is said, keep the Sabbath day holy. In six days the Lord created heaven and earth, and rest on the seventh day; For this reason the Lord bless the seventh day and sanctify it (Ex. 20:11). In Christianity, the celebration of the Sabbath has been abolished (Col. 2:16), but not the moral commandment about the day of praise and thanksgiving to the Creator of the world. Not only that. For a Christian, the commandment about the seventh day is further strengthened by new blessings of God. What is Sunday, which replaced the Old Testament ritual Saturday? This is the day on which the salvation of the human race is witnessed before heaven and earth by the solemn resurrection of Christ the Savior; this is the day on which the Comforter Spirit was sent to earth to transform human hearts and to restore in them the corrupted image of God. So, this is the day of God's new creation. How can such a day not be consecrated with praises and thanksgiving to God? St. John the theologian, in his apocalypse, calls Sunday the day of the Lord (Rev. 1:7). According to the acts of the apostles, we see that in Troas “on the first day of the week the disciples gathered to break bread, and Paul, talking with them, continued the word until midnight” (Acts 20:7). To the Corinthians the apostle wrote, “on the 1st day of the week, let each of you put aside and save as much as his fortune allows” to help the poor (Cor. 16:2). “Those who, living in the old order of affairs, were written by the disciple of the apostles, St. Ignatius, they do not honor the Sabbath, but live in the day of the Lord, in which their life was resurrected through Him and His death.” Do you see the origin of the seventh day commandment? Do you see anyone who does not listen, not devoting the seventh day to the Lord? They do not listen to the Lord God, who has established a day for praise and thanksgiving to Him. Isn't this terrible disobedience? If the Lord God so clearly set apart for Himself one day of the week, giving man six days, then what would it mean for us not to fulfill this will of God? This would amount to more than theft. This would mean the theft of God's shrine, the theft of what belongs to God. The seventh day, Saturday, to the Lord your God, God said. And people turn the seventh day to their advantage. Isn't this theft of someone else's property? Is this not the theft of God's property? On the other hand, not wanting to devote one day of the week to the Lord, while He gave us six days for our benefit, means the blackest ingratitude, the most criminal insensitivity. Doesn’t our Creator and Provider have the right to demand our entire life for Himself? But He, the good one, according to the wise advice of His goodness, gives us six days and waits for himself only one day. And, however, we are not attentive to such advice of goodness; we appropriate this day of God to ourselves. What stupid insensitivity! What insolence! The Lord appointed the seventh day for us to offer praise and thanksgiving to Him. Isn't this a sacred institution? How can we not praise and thank God who is so merciful to us? Both the irrational creature and the inanimate creature praise the glory of their Creator. What becomes of a person who refuses to praise and thank the Lord? He becomes lower than a soulless creature. What a humiliation for a rational being! What an insult to human dignity! For whose benefit was the seventh day introduced? For the benefit of the person himself. According to the highest purpose of our life, we must use every day of our life for the glory of God. By glorifying the name of God the salvation of our soul is accomplished; and life without God is a disorder, the death of life. But people are weak. They are surrounded by temporary needs, and even more so they surround themselves with everyday needs. These and other needs entertain them and occupy them to the point that they lose sight of the purpose of their life and do not think about God, the source of life. In order to help weak people in the struggle of their highest aspirations with the waves of life, the Lord God appointed people a certain time during which they, leaving earthly things, can engage in heavenly things alone. So the seventh day is a saving fence for the soul against the exhausting vanities of life, a life-giving healer against the wounds inflicted on the soul by troubles and earthly temptations. Don’t you yourself notice from time to time how, after fervent prayer, on Sunday, your soul feels light! How, the heaviness of earthly vanity, and the embarrassment of bitter circumstances, and insoluble doubts, fall from the soul after warm prayer in the church! And the mind becomes clear and vigilant, and the heart is cheerful, and the will is ready for all good. So, to whom are those who are inattentive to the purpose of the seventh day inattentive? They are careless about their own benefit, about their salvation. In what position can we imagine people whose entire time would be spent only in worries about earthly things, in work and bodily labor? What could those be who would be deprived of the peace of Sunday? It’s scary to say, but it must be said, these would not be people, but animals, because their life would be the life of animals, not people. Not a sigh about heaven, not a thought about a higher goal, not a concern for the afterlife is visible in their lives; the earth is the object of all the desires and aspirations of the soul. Week after week, month after month, year after year pass only with the worries of everyday life. The soul becomes callous, more and more loses its disposition towards goodness. Not enlivened by the occasional breath of spiritual triumph and oppressed every day by the earth, she becomes dull in both thoughts and feelings. Why recognize such people as people? What is human about them? Is it like working day and night? Is it that they eat and drink at certain hours? Is it that they make sounds like songbirds? Unhappy ones! This is how a person can differ from animals if he lives the life of the spirit, if he serves his Lord. After this, it is clear what kind of future awaits those who despise the commandment about the seventh day! And keep the Sabbath, says the Lord to Moses, for it is holy to the Lord, and whoever defiles it shall die, and whoever does it shall be consumed from among his people (Deut. 5:14). This is the punishment the Lord has appointed for violators of the holiday peace! While wandering through the desert, one of the Jews once allowed himself to collect wood on the seventh day. As soon as they found out about this, everyone was horrified and the criminal was immediately thrown into prison. And the Lord spoke to Moses, let this man die, and stone him to death, the whole host outside the regiment. Do not think, listeners, that if the death penalty is not now carried out on the offenders of the seventh day, the truth of God has canceled its judgment against them? No, the truth of God is always the same in relation to sin, only it does not appear in the same form. Now openly, now secretly, now in one disaster or another, now the judgment of God is revealed against the violators of the peace of the seventh day. And beyond the grave, the wrath of God will break out over them in full force. Don’t be frivolous, God cannot be mocked. Reverence the will of the Almighty for the seventh day. If we have nothing of our own; if the blessing of God is brought down upon us through God-fearing prayer, and prayer, intensified by mutual prayerful communication, brings down an abundance of grace on all those participating in it, then when, if not during public prayer, on a holiday. can you have hopes of receiving heavenly blessings? Don't be unreasonable. When you work or trade on Sunday, you hope for success based on your strength; but you abandon hope in God, remain without trust in the Almighty and dare to offend His holy will. Are your hopes smart and true? Don't they mean less than hoping in the wind? Don't they mean it's too dangerous to fight with God? My listeners! holy is the commandment of the seventh day; It is dangerous for anyone to violate it. The position of those who, controlling the will of others, turns their seventh day to the service of their own interests or passions is especially dangerous. If it is not easy to answer for myself when I find myself an offender on a holy day, how will they answer for the abuse of freedom of hundreds, thousands of Christian souls? How will they respond at the Last Judgment of God if, by not allowing their subordinates to visit the church of God on Sundays, they are driven to the point of savagery, to rudeness, to the point of forgetting their highest duties? Blasphemy in one person is terrible, but what is it like when, at your will, hundreds commit it! Oh, come to your senses, my friends! Human passions come up with various excuses to disturb the peace of the seventh day. The commandment about the seventh day is prohibited, they say only hard work - what is the work of a farmer, and are other things permissible to do? No, the commandment on the Sabbath forbids us any activity other than glorifying the name of God. It prohibits craftsmanship, trade for merchants, and judicial activities for judges. Six days are appointed for all our earthly activities, and the seventh day is not ours, it belongs to the Lord. After listening to God's service in church, they say, you can have fun on Sunday. But the commandment does not say to holy an hour or two on the seventh day; She orders the seventh day to be holy. If, having been in the church of God, the rest of the day you do not think at all about God and the salvation of your soul, do you sanctify the seventh day? No, only then is it sanctified when its morning is devoted to home prayer followed by public worship, and after a meal and rest the time is spent either thinking about what was heard in the church, or listening to edifying books, or talking about what is necessary for eternity. But you, who spend most of the seventh day drunk, in fun, in the madness of passions, what are you doing! You are making a mockery of the holy day, introducing abominations into the holy time. Fear the judgment of God. Lord - Lord! breathe into our hearts holy zeal for serving You, our God. Amen. Word on the consecration of the church in honor of the Holy Spirit, on the shopping square in Kharkov A church to the Almighty is consecrated in the trade square. How can one not be happy about such a church? Isn’t this a clear sign that they want to carry out the business of trade by calling on the help of the Almighty and for the glory of His name? Isn’t this a sign that they entrust everything of themselves and themselves to the will of God and expect everything from it? Not far from us the thunder of war is heard, and we consecrate the church to the God of peace. What does it mean? God! the prayers of our fathers make us strong in the midst of troubles; Following the example of our fathers, we expect everything from You, who is always caring for our salvation. The creation and decoration of this church are works of humble love for You; Accept this sacrifice and send down Your blessing on those who have loved the splendor of Your house, to the glory of Your most holy name. All this is wonderful, my brothers! But along with these good dispositions, don’t you notice the sad disease of our time - dissatisfaction with your condition? Don't you notice that those who trade and those who do not trade, the rich and the poor, the learned and the unlearned, the rulers and the governed, sometimes in their souls, sometimes in words, show grumbling about their situation, are not satisfied with what they have and anxiously yearn for more? The disease is sad, the disease is dangerous! It must not be hidden, but treated. Expecting the best from the Lord is a holy thing when it is reverent of the will of the Lord. Let others see their mind, their will, their art, their successes in everything, admiring only themselves. These on chariots, these on horses, we will call in the name of the Lord; we wait for salvation from the Lord. We have no doubt that the gifts of God must be used, the talents given by God must be perfected through labor; more convenient and easier ones must be extracted from ready-made, but crude, ways of life. But both before and after that, we must remember that God has everything at his disposal, that not only everything that we have is not ours, but we can also use it successfully only with the help of God. Who is our God? He is not like a pagan god who sits calmly in heaven, not thinking about what is happening on earth. Who is our God? He is not like the god of necessity, involuntarily obedient to the laws of nature, without will and freedom; He is the God of love and limitless power. He is the great King of all the earth (Ps. 94:3). Apart from His will, apart from His knowledge, not a single hair will fall from our head. By Him kings reign, and from Him the raven's chicks expect food. Before His greatness everything is small, but for His love even little things are precious. He sees everything; He knows what someone is capable of and what is useful to whom, and to one he gives five talents, to another two, to another one, to each against his strength (Matthew 25:15), to each as much as he can take without harm to himself. So holy are our prayers to the Lord, reverent before Him. Our expectations of the best from the Lord are holy, but submissive to His will. Does this mean that we are dissatisfied with our condition? It turns to our strengths with hopes and rebels against the will of God with worries. Let us humble him with humble prayer to the Lord. Do you think that the most humble lot in our eyes cannot be sufficient for our peace? Oh, the peace of the soul does not depend on anything external! It depends on the disposition of the soul towards the Lord. He who lives in God tells us that if we have food and clothing, with this we will be content (1 Tim. 6:8). And what poor man cannot have food and clothing, if only he works, as God commands him to work? He lives with the fear of God, he lives in trust in God, and according to His will he is happy. Better is a small particle with the fear of the Lord than great treasures without fear, says the wise man of God (Prov. 15:16). Unfortunately for us, our desires know no limits, our passions are insatiable; The abyss will never say, enough is enough - it wants to absorb everything, and so do our desires, aimed at earthly benefits. And how many lies, how many iniquities this thirst for more, this dissatisfaction with what is given, allows itself! Some people turn the trust of others into a means of unscrupulous trade and steal someone else’s property with both hands, encouraged by the fact that they do not see it. How low this is, how dirty it is before the human conscience! Another uses the brothers' trust in order to obtain means for extravagance, or for living beyond his means. Oh my God! What deep oblivion about Your terrible judgment! Haven’t experiments told us a long time ago that wealth acquired through untruths brings a curse on houses and offspring? Oh, let us not incur the wrath of God’s truth by our untruths! Let the holy commandments of the Most High set boundaries to our desires; Let us be content with the state in which God has placed everyone. This is our peace, this is our happiness, temporary and eternal. The Apostle teaches us, “God has arranged the members, each one in the composition of the body, as he pleases. If everyone had one member, then where would the body be? If the whole body is an eye, then where is the hearing? If everything is hearing, then where is the sense of smell? The eye cannot tell the hand, I don’t need you, or the head cannot tell the legs, I don’t need you. So it is in Christ’s church” (1 Cor. 12:12, 17–19, 21). You see, God was pleased to arrange our body the way it is designed. And at the same time, how beautifully it is designed! The parts of the body are not all equal, but each part is in its place and serves a purpose that is beneficial to the whole body. Would it be good if the hand wanted to be the eye, the foot the head, and the ear the foot? This is exactly how the spiritual body, the kingdom of free spirits, is structured. The goodness of God has not denied anyone what is necessary for the salvation and bliss of everyone. Let everyone fulfill his purpose, then everyone has a high value, for himself and others, and in general - excellent order. If you are appointed to be a foot within the mysterious body, your job is to walk and work, and not to look after others. If you are told to be a hand, your job is to take and pass it on to others, and not to reason, or to bask in peace. If you are the head, manage your body wisely and take care of its safety. Do not complain that your destiny is not high; with it you can be noble members and acquire the salvation you need. Be sure that a lazy and crafty slave will use whatever you give him for harm to himself and others; but one who is diligent and faithful to his duty and with a small part of his property can be rich and happy. You do not have wisdom, but you can have meekness, which is as precious in the spiritual kingdom as wisdom. You do not enjoy physical health, but by constant work you can save yourself from poverty. You are not rich; But isn’t patient poverty superior to wasteful luxury? It is not a smart thought that desires equality for everyone on earth. And in heaven, in the kingdom of glory, star differs from star in dignity (1 Cor. 15:41). It is a smart thing to enjoy that portion of the light that is given by the Father of lights. You smile, looking at how the child wants to seem like a giant. Look around, aren’t you more ridiculous when you’re dissatisfied with your condition? With all the inequality of talents, have we received enough from the Lord for which we should thank Him and not grumble? Every breath praises the Lord, every grass, every insect is satisfied with its fate. Will we be ungrateful before the Lord? Are the gifts of mind and will small? We are all redeemed by the blood of the Son of God; we are all endowed with the gifts of the Holy Spirit; A blissful eternity is ready for all of us. Life on earth is too short to thank the Lord for everything. What do those who are dissatisfied with nothing acquire and complain about their lot? The Israelites murmured against Moses and God and died in the desert. Pharaoh, who did not recognize the God of Israel and demanded only service to himself, was mired in the waves of the sea. Do not grumble, brethren, for Netius grumbled and perished in the wilderness, the apostle admonishes us (1 Cor. 10:10). Wild self-love, having alienated itself from the power of God, must be suppressed by the severity of its infirmities - this is inevitable. The spirit now known as Satan came out of the hands of the Creator as an angel of light, the best of God’s creations. But dissatisfied with his condition, while he had received a lot from God, he wanted to place his throne above the stars and become equal to God. What came of it? His wicked insolence terribly punished him; he who had turned away from God with pride fell into Gehenna. This is a true image of the fate of all those dissatisfied with their condition. He who grumbles about his little and proudly demands more, probably wishes harm to himself. You complain bitterly about poverty, but look around, is it not poverty alone that can bring you to the kingdom of heaven? You complain that you are not among the people of rank and honor. But look, your boat sails comfortably to its pier, while large ships perish in the waves of a stormy sea; thank God for your safety and sigh at the folly of your desires. At times it is difficult to look at what is happening on earth. Is it hard to see the world of sinners, the success of the wicked, the happiness of those who live and act to please insolent passions? But first we must examine ourselves, we must find out; Are we right in everything before God, are we not happy with our failures? Do we not deserve to have the wicked triumph over us? Let us leave our other affairs - every movement of our pride is resistance to the will of God; and how many such movements we have! Every time we want to be happy in our own way, and not at the discretion of God; Every time we do things without thinking about God, without feeling the need for His help, for our own glory, and not at all for the glory of the name of God, are we not boldly sinning before God, are we not gravely offending the One by whom we move and exist? Then, is it a misfortune for us if the Heavenly Father admonishes us with our failures, like forgetful children? Is it a misfortune for us if He judges us, forces us to come to our senses and turn to Him with all our infirmities and all our needs? We are unhappy if we remain inattentive to the instructions of the Heavenly Father. ABOUT! Blessed be the name of the Lord forever! ( Job 1:21 ). We are sinners, Lord, before You; We need Your punishments; do with us according to Your discretion; just do not deprive us of Your love for our sins; have mercy on us according to Your great mercy; send us Your grace, enlightening and healing us! Let each of us, brethren, cry out with David, shall not my soul submit to God? From Him is my salvation. For this is my God, my Savior, my Protector, who most of all cannot move (Ps. 62:2-3). As for those who are evil, do not be jealous of them, do not envy those who do iniquity, for the grass will soon wither and the herb will soon fall away. The Lord endures them for a time, and allows them to be happy for a time. He is precise in his truth; and there is no wicked man in whom there is not something good. Therefore, for a small good, the Lord pays the wicked with a small earthly peace. If the wicked avoids the judgment of human righteousness, if the judgment of God is not disturbed until the grave. The denouement of everything is not on earth, complete justification for the destinies of God is in eternity. The truth of God will be revealed in all its power - in another circle of existence. There the wicked will be paid for all their wickedness. My brothers! We should not complain about our lot, but thank the Lord for it. No matter how the King of Heaven visits us, no matter what paths He leads us in our lives, He always leads us to our eternal salvation. Our job is to reverence His will and firmly remember that “to everyone who has, more will be given and he will have abundance, but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away” (Matthew 25:29). Amen. Constitution. lib. VIII p. 3. Also in the rules up. Peter and Paul, by helmsman. Augustine epist. 118 ad Jannuar. In the Kuryazhsky Monastery, not long before, full dormitory was restored, in fulfillment of the decree of the Holy Synod.