Слово на преславное Успение Владычицы нашей Богородицы и Приснодевы Марии. Святого Андрея, архиепископа Критского

A real triumph is a sacrament that has guilt in the Dormition of the Mother of God and surpasses the power of words - a sacrament that is now revered and glorified by everyone. Now is the common triumph of those in heaven and on earth: let people and angels rejoice, and let every tongue rejoice and shout to the Mother of God: “Rejoice”! For Gabriel already laid the foundation for the sacrament when, according to an ineffable vision, the incarnation of Jesus took place in the virgin work of nature. It is also fitting for us to bring joy to the Lady of the clan, as some considerable honor; It is fitting even after her death to say to Her: “Rejoice”! - because She alone brought us joy, driving away the maternal sadness. So, let us blow the trumpet in Zion, let us hear the Psalter and the harp; let us sing a hymn to the Mother of God, let us sing a funeral chant... If one of the curious asked why, speaking about real joy, I mentioned Zion, then I will tell him. I remembered Holy Zion because this great sacrament of the Mother of God took place in it; the bowing of the sacred knees of the most pure body loudly cry out for him; She had it as Her dwelling all the time; here, according to the laws of nature, She accepted the end of life. Hiding here from the prince of darkness, she avoided the characteristic (suffering) of mothers during birth. She, the Most Immaculate One, filled heaven and earth with glory and grace with the majesty of Her godlike repose. If we were to examine everything in parts (conception, birth...), then there would not be enough time for a word, nor the power of a word corresponding to the subject: for in short words it is impossible to express all the glorification of Her (the nobility of the family of the parents, the priestly rank and royal dignity, the reproach of childlessness, prayers and sacrifices to God for the removal of the bonds of infertility, the fulfillment of the promise, fruitfulness and birth, introduction to the church, growth from an infantile state). I leave to talk about the mystery of the Most Pure Nativity, which surpasses reason, about the events that happened after the supernatural and ineffable birth of Jesus (namely: about incorruption, about the painless Nativity, about the inviolability of the virgin treasure, about the legal cleansing after a miraculous birth, about the prophecy of the God-Receiver Simeon; also about the subsequent flight to Egypt and the return from Egypt), about the reproaches before the cross, about the sorrows of the cross, about the dishonor that followed the cross, and, finally, about Her deeds and words that followed this in a life filled with the purest holiness, which the world is not able to contain, and the word is not able to express. She kept the princess’s secret secretly, revealing its likeness only to those who were able to think Divinely about the Divine: to them, sufficiently purified by closeness to God, She, the All-Holy One, as if in passing, shows some part of what is hidden inside the sacred lordship. Oh, if only we all, illuminated by real luminosity, would become worthy of openly seeing this supersensible light, although we do not live according to such an immaculate life of those who have lived! At least, as far as possible, let us learn spiritually from those whom we now face. So, listeners who love goodness and spiritual contemplation, I call you to the great and lofty preaching of the word, and I will show you an inner beauty that surpasses the rays of the sun in brightness. In pronouncing the word, I consider it good to warn some of those present here, so that no one approaches the shrine with unclean feet: for the place of the saints is not equally accessible to everyone; to those who, with the purity of their minds, have surpassed the material and passed by everything sensual, - primarily to those the Most Holy Tabernacle of God serves a complete spiritual feast, at which we are treated abundantly. If those who unworthily and shamelessly ascended Mount Sinai were threatened with lightning, thunder, trumpets and fearful rebuke (Exod. 19:16); if it was equally unsafe for a large part of the people to touch the walls of the sanctuary, and therefore it was necessary to stand outside the second walls, and this was when shadows served and were covered with hay covers: then how much more diligence is required from those who have the light of truth, who are diligent to come into this great tabernacle of the blessings of God, into which more than ineffable intelligence, having purified it completely, God indwelt and, making the womb of the Virgin completely whole at birth, forms His flesh here?! In this godlike tabernacle [all the law and the prophets were actually fulfilled, and its hay rites were hidden until the true spectacle was resolved. While we walk, as it were, on the threshold of the word, marveling at the greatness of the entrance, where we could enter into communication with the Matter of the Word, look, having opened the veil, at the Holy of Holies and learn more and more perfect things. For if the vestibule of the church is so venerable and exalted that it enlightens the eyes with the superior kindness of the mind, then what greatness is filled with the invisible and inaccessible place! This greatness is confessed only by those who, with a frank face, as if in a mirror, contemplate the glory of the Lord (2 Cor. 3:18), and who have finally achieved the greatest freedom from passions. Let us willingly leave behind every passion of the flesh and the world, every earthly rebellion, and then, as far as possible, having communicated above the transitory Divine radiance, let us join the Mother of God: for Christ Himself desires those who shine with the beauty of virtue. This Ever-animal Light clearly shows that His Ever-Virgin Mother, as the queen of the human race, is now migrating from earthly abodes invisibly, as if not wanting, by the power of the sacrament, to interrupt communication: since the All-Holy One was born more than nature, surpassed people in life and birth, and, finally, by repose she became higher than all those born... But let us follow further, glorifying the triumph in agreement. Look, listener: what a spectacle it is today. The Queen of the human race will now, as the King of all and God, royally fly into the heavenly kingdom, solemnly enter and bring with Herself everything that is best and beautiful. Now She who enraged the dust takes off the dust, leaves the covering assumed at birth, and returns to the earth what is akin to it. She who interceded for life returns by transmigration to a new life and enters the place of immortal life, cleansed of everything material and passionate and, retreating from the visible, partakes of the spiritual destinies, which only the Binding and Destroying and the Binding again know. Let us remember Elijah and Enoch, who, being outside the flesh and the world, were caught up, one in a chariot, and the other in the air (2 Kings 2:11; Gen. 5:24); their members were not divided and were not destroyed, but the limit of their life, set by Providence, continues to this day. And if this is not enough to show that we are honoring, then look, is there any greater miracle among the miracles than that which is being glorified? The law of nature is surpassed by forces, the bitter condemnation of death comes to complete inaction, the power of the oath is destroyed; however, no one has surpassed what was once commanded by God, of course, except God, Who transforms and creates everything with the wave of His goodness. What is most appropriate for Him is now communicated to the Mother: for He not only shows Her by nature to be His Mother, but also assimilates to Her the truth of the economy: the Life-Giving Word, uncontrollably entering Her womb, took on human nature. Therefore, there was, truly, a new and mind-transcending vision: a woman who in purity surpassed the nature of heaven and walked with her body into the inaccessible saint in heaven; The Virgin, who by the miracle of Divine birth conquered the Seraphim nature and is approaching the Lord of all; The Mother who gave birth to Life itself and the end of life equal to birth. Truly, just as when She gave birth She did not corrupt the flesh, so when She died She did not corrupt the flesh. Oh, miracle! Christmas completely escaped corruption, and the tomb did not create corruption. What kind of proof do you want? How is the tomb empty? Why is the dead man invisible? Why is the funeral not in the coffin? Could this have happened if the burial had not escaped corruption, and if the treasure had not died? Does this happen during an incorruptible repose, when the separation of the soul from the body and the deposition of the flesh are combined? But the tomb still remains empty, having in itself evidence that it serves as evidence of repose. Thus, out of indescribable goodness, the Creator intended to honor the Birth One. And the Mother of the Word according to the flesh invites us to the spiritual triumph of words. This royal meal is full of Divine mysteries: it brings light to those who celebrate and adorns the face of the present day. And let no one, looking at our humble simplicity, refuse to have fun, since it is not from us. The Mother of God herself has prepared the mysterious declarings of Divine deeds; the table is full of them, calling for spiritual participants. Now Born Wisdom (Prov. 9:1), according to the flesh, offers all of Himself, as it were, as a prepared, secret and heavenly meal in a sumptuous feast, wisely, mentally, to those who partake of the Divine. She, the Divine spectacle of the sacraments about Her, Herself, as the Head of the holiday, calls upon those deliberately gathered and at the same time shows from Herself what She is like - a church of wisdom and presents Herself as a holy meal. This meal is so great that it bore (by sight) in its belly the whole Bread of Life, our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, this eternal Life - the One who leads to new life and makes godlike those who sacredly come to Him, makes immortal those who, by communion with Him and the resulting communion, are truly assimilated to Him. This is what those who love are invited to, and through which stands that exalted and ineffable life, higher than which there is nothing in visible creation, through which, according to ineffable vision, for the sake of mercy and mercy towards people, the Lord of all wanted to stoop to our poverty and partake of flesh and blood (Heb. 2:14), - He who, like a rich man, needs nothing, - Who, without abandoning His Divine dignity, desired to have a perfect physical existence, according to inexpressible vision, - Who did not even announce the secret of salvation to the heavenly angels themselves, except for one who served to accomplish it. Thus, the Incorporeal One became flesh, united with us in soul and flesh, in order to fully join our body, to elevate our entire nature. Here is the mental meal of Divine wisdom! These are the sacredly performed, mysteriously Divine celebrations, which should especially commemorate the sacraments of this day, on which the Mother of God, without changing the laws of nature in the least, followed the law, like us, and concluded Her life in the flesh under the statutes of the same law, remaining full of miracles both in life, and in birth, and after repose. If, therefore, the distributing God has granted Her something beyond human nature, then let no one marvel at this, looking at the newly created perfection of the sacrament, which infinitely surpasses all infinite infinity. And let our mind stand motionless before this. Let us joyfully and brightly glorify the memory of the burial of the all-holy and life-giving body, in which everything spiritual and physical should be equally celebrated: since both were equally united in it. Let them follow the Queen with honor and triumph and accompany the body to the fore: for from it is our common purification; from Her body was formed the inviolate Master's saving body, sharing with us both in natural and spiritual movements, except for sin alone. Oh, miracle! She who predominantly contained in the small place of Her beds the indescribable, infinite greatness, God, today, reclining on the described bed, is buried by the hands of the saints. She who, as if on a throne, carried in the depths of Her bosom the One carried on the frames of cherubs, is buried in the depths of a hewn stone. The body of She, at whose birth the angels marveled, is seen off and carried by the angels with their faces. And who can express in words what is happening there? Who will be exalted worthy of the sacrament? Who can mentally cope with a miracle? Nature is perplexed about Her and marvels at the incomprehensible composition in Her. David proclaims about Her: Thy mind was amazed at Me: strengthened, I will not be able to approach Him (Ps. 139:6), seeing in this Purest and Greatest Queen Mother an incomprehensible miracle of God Himself, Who is akin to us, but is especially close to Her; Only by him, as the All-Decedent and Creator of such deeds, everything was known before the ages. This is the resolution we are now celebrating. Here, restrained by fear and honoring the mystery, I proclaim with the greatest of the prophets, Isaiah: I am wretched, for I am moved as a man, and have unclean lips (Isaiah 6:5). Why do I dare to speak about the Pure, Undefiled and filled with all holiness, and begin to praise in detailed words the One whose ascension is surrounded by clouds in vision? A certain spiritual darkness covers the revelation of everything in words about Her, not allowing the hidden understanding of the sacrament to be clearly expressed... Only God alone can worthily honor Her great deeds with words that He Himself knows; and not I, lying below and, due to the lack of good will, barely understanding what is under my feet. So, can I not be ashamed to speak about what is above my dignity when I cannot express what is worthy? However, we should not reject what we can; Therefore, dedicating the Word to God, I break the silence with the word: To him be glory and greatness forever and ever. Amen 168. In a slight reduction. See Curs. Compl. Patrolog. Migne, series graeca, vol. XCVII, col. 1070–1090; Wed “Great Fours” by Metropolitan Menaion. All-Russian Macarius, under August 15, l. l. 159–162. Biblioth. Patr. Concionator., vol. VII. p.p. 688–691. You might be interested in: