Слово на Введение во храм Пресвятой Богородицы. Георгия, митрополита Никомидийского 30

Joyful and glorious is the present celebration. For the triumph of the Ever-Virgin has shone for us, spiritually attracting our minds to itself, and, giving our word the freshness of a beautiful spring, turned the storm of silence into a bucket of eloquence. Let us be attentive and direct the flow of the word directly to Her, and let us crown Her, each one according to his own strength. True, we are not able to adequately crown Her even all together; but we will try to make up for this with zeal and surpass each other in its fervor. What word, indeed, can in any way express the superiority of the Virgin? Her praises are higher than our words, and therefore leave far behind them the rules of all praise. Here I am, my brothers, before the power of love had yet overcome me, I greatly blamed those who decided to praise the Virgin, I blamed them for such determination. But after this power prevailed over me, I myself was carried away by the same courage that many had, and together with them I ask you to excuse me, having learned from experience that infatuation is not unforgivable: I ask that if any of you get the idea of ​​accusing me of arrogance, I ask you to think not about arrogant courage, but about excessive love. For Her power compelled me to undertake this great undertaking, guided by faith and aided by hope. Moreover, in words of praise what is meant is not the glory of those being praised, but the piety of those praising and listening. And if this is so, then let’s get busy with a real holiday and work on what we decided to talk about. By the love of God alone, we were created by God out of nothing, and received the commandment to spend our lives in good deeds, but through foolishness we violated this commandment and voluntarily doomed ourselves to death. The Creator promised liberation; and this promise had to be fulfilled. Time was waiting for the performers. Generations passed; prophecies were heard; the patriarchs and all the righteous lived in hope. Abraham and his grandchildren died: the mystery of the day was revealed to them in signs (John 8:56), and they longed to see the future event. Marvelous Moses thought that in his time what had been promised and revealed before would be fulfilled. There was hope for Israel in the wilderness; there was waiting in the time of the Judges; Samuel prophesied, David exclaimed more than once that the day was near. A host of prophets preached loudly and proclaimed that Christ was at the door. But everyone died without seeing what they expected. Time passed along with the worthy. But, finally, it found the truly worthy, descended from the worthy and prepared by the Creator. I'm talking about Joachim and Anna, who gave birth to the Creator of the fulfillment of expectations. They marked the beginning of the fulfillment of predictions. From them came the Author of Joy; from them was the guarantee of joy. They, being extremely virtuous, were known to the Creator more than anyone else, as foreknown and designated to serve God’s mysteries. Having spent their entire lives following the commandments, they reached the pinnacle of perfection, and therefore were rewarded with what many had long desired to receive... From their nature, the Word built a tabernacle for Himself and, in a way incomprehensible to the human mind, took into Himself human nature in order to renew thinking and activity. There will, of course, be people who will object, saying: “if the parents of the Blessed Virgin were chosen for this by God, then why did they remain childless for a long time, while it was predestined that the sacrament should begin to be carried out through them, and it was foretold that she who would serve it should come from them?” There is a correct answer to this objection. Here it is. God, the Creator of everything, gives orders when he wants to do something. ineffable, then does not base the beginnings of the future on the abundance of nature, but arranges the future with His abundant power in the absence of natural means. This is especially characteristic of God, and what is consistent with the order of nature cannot be a subject of special surprise. Thus, having promised Abraham that the reproduction of his seed would be like the multitude of stars and the sand of the sea, He fulfilled this promise with Sarah’s barrenness. Samuel. Thus he sent the preacher of the economy, John... Anna makes a vow to God to dedicate her child to Him and place it in the church. "What is this Anna? I would say to her. Why do you run ahead of what still has to happen? Why do you, with the speed of your spirit, forewarn that which is only being foreshadowed? Why do you promise to bring something that is not yet there, as if it were already in your hands? You should wait until you give birth, and then bring the gift that has come from you to the One who gave it to you; you should wait until the unknown is close to fulfillment, so that early with a vow not to expose herself to the danger of breaking her vow." Oh, the faith of the righteous! Oh, the action of the great-spirited mother! She accepted the news of the future without any doubt. She did not think at all about the difficulty of the extraordinary task, and was not troubled in her soul by the thought of its impossibility, as others reason: “Will the revelation turn into deception? Isn’t that why the one who came with it?” good news just to cheer up the soul? After all, age has already faded; the blooming forces have already faded with time; after all, strong members are already close to disintegration; Most of my life has already passed. The joy of childbearing is coveted in young years. Why do I resort to prayer and vow?” Anna did not implant a single such thought into her soul; but at the very time when she offered her prayer and learned from the one who appeared to her that she had heard it, she decided to bring her fruit to the church. What word can praise this fiery faith, through which Anna received what she asked for, without hurting her mind with doubts! Truly, faith was at work here, by the power of which all the prophets believed in the future as in the present... Having trusted in faith, the righteous were not deceived in what they asked and expected. And they give birth to the immaculate Accomplice of our revival. O glorious fruit! Oh, child who has brought blessings to his parents beyond their understanding!... Anna, having given birth to the Virgin Mary, calls her friends, saying: “Come, rejoice in my birth; come, rejoice with me about my resolution; come, look at the child, fed by me beyond expectation. Come, look at the summer shoots that grew from the barren loins, and find out that the childless gave birth. Come, see the fruit of your reproaches and glorify the power of prayer. Flock before Her during Her procession. Decorate the entrances, give joyful solemnity to the procession with lamps. Sing marriage songs and lead the child to the church, as an immaculate bride, with me. Thank the Lord for taking away reproach from my house. My prayers are heard. Behold, I consecrate the one born to the house of God according to my promise. Come, enter with Her, and together we will present Her to the Master as a pleasant gift.” Joachim and Anna bring Her to the church when She was three years old - they bring a gift, truly precious, venerable even for angels, the best repository of grace and a light-receiving container, from which the rays of salvation shone for the entire universe. The power of the Trinity appeared in Her; the Father's favor was shown in her; in Her the Word, having dwelt, took on our nature; in Her the Spirit by His influx showed the indivisibility of the Trinity. Through Her, the world, divided, became capable of united worship of God. Now, in the man-made church of God, an animated Church is being built, higher than the heavens, broadest and most capacious of all created things. Now in the church is placed the One who, through the One who was born by Her, returned the human race expelled from it to its former dwelling. The spiritual tabernacle now foretells in the Old Testament tabernacle the coming joyful times of grace, and commands the writing to yield to the spirit. Now is the lamb without blemish, from whom came this Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world (Jn. 1:29), is brought to the church as some kind of auspicious sacrifice; like a pure dove, having escaped the snares of that crafty catcher and having become above his tricks, now penetrates into the inner sanctuary. Nowadays a spiritual vessel is being supplied in the church for the perception of God the Word! For it was not proper for this purest tabernacle to remain among the defilements of the world, but it was necessary to transfer it to a place inaccessible to its temptations so that there it would receive a guarantee of blessings and there would be nurtured by the mysterious manna from the hand of an Angel. It is fitting, I say, that the purest treasure should be protected from the touch of evil human customs, that the bright sanctuary should be removed from all communication of sin, so that that hearing, which will one day listen to the words of the Archangel, be inaccessible to idle and seductive speeches. That is why this sacred sacrifice is brought into the church; That is why this immaculate Lamb ascends before God, as a sacrifice most pleasing to the Creator - she ascends not with the shedding of blood, but with the fragrance of the most exquisite purity. Let us also strive to follow Her footsteps, carrying with us deeds worthy of the One who enters the Holy One! Instead of the speckled robes of the young women accompanying Her, we strive to put on clothes adorned with a variety of virtues, so that no one will prevent us from following in the footsteps of the Ever-Virgin and spiritually enjoying Her unspeakable glory in Christ Jesus our Lord, to Him be glory, power, honor and worship, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen 31. In short. See Curs. Compl. Patrolog. Migne, Tom. S. col. 1401–1419; compare “The Triumphant,” i.e., a collection of words for the great feasts of the Lord, the Mother of God and the great saints, handwritten. 9th century Moscow Synod. bibliot., l. 51 rev. – 59: “The first journey of the Reverend Porfiry to the Athos monasteries and monasteries”, part 2, appendices to the 2nd section of this part. Moscow, 1881, pages 300–302; “Sunday Reading.” ХVIII (1854–55), pp. 311–312. You might be interested in: