Поучение 57 67 . На Благовещение. О таинстве 68 воплощения Господа нашего Иисуса Христа, и о том, что мы должны духовно праздновать. (Сказано в день Благовещения).

Brothers and Fathers! The Annunciation has arrived, and this is the first of the Lord's holidays; and we must celebrate, but not simply, like most people, but with reverence and understanding of the sacrament. What does this sacrament consist of? The fact is that the Son of God became the son of man, choosing the Holy Virgin as a mediator, inhabiting her, creating a church for Himself from her, and becoming a perfect man. For what? In order to “redeeme man from the curse of the law,” as it is written (Gal. 3:13), so that we might become sons of God, no longer being slaves of the devil, but free, no longer passionate, but dispassionate, no longer lovers of the flesh, but lovers of God, no longer walking in the flesh, but in the Spirit; “For those who are according to the flesh, carnal, philosophize; but those who are according to the Spirit, spiritual. Because carnal wisdom is death, but spiritual wisdom is life and peace, because carnal wisdom is enmity against God: for one does not submit to the law of God, one can do less. But those who are in the flesh cannot please God” (Rom. 8:5-8). This, in a nutshell, is the power of the sacrament. Therefore, we must celebrate spiritually and live spiritually, in honor and truth, in love, in meekness, in peace and long-suffering, in goodness, in the Holy Spirit, so that, as much as depends on us; the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ did not turn out to be futile and ineffective in us. In addition, we must pray and mourn for the world. Why? Because the Son of God came to save the world, and the world rejects him. His tribes and languages ​​are rejected, His barbarian peoples are rejected, and those who confess His holy name are rejected, some by a corrupt faith, and others by a vicious life. What should the Lord have created, but did not create? Being God, He became man; “He humbled himself, becoming obedient even to the point of death, even death on the cross” (Phil. 2:8); He gave us His body to eat and His Blood to drink; He vouchsafed us to call Him our father and brother, head, teacher, bridegroom and joint heir; but now it is impossible to count everything. And yet He is rejected, and endures all this: “I have not come...,” He says, “that I may judge the world, but that I may save the world” (John 12:47). What do we say to this, brothers? That true students, seeing the disobedience and disobedience of their comrades, grieve and regret them, thereby showing the love they have for their teacher and their comrades; This is what faithful slaves do when they see the disobedience of their loved ones. Therefore, the great Apostle commands Christians to “make prayers, supplications... and thanksgiving for all people, for the king... for everyone who is in power” (1 Tim. 2:1, 2). He also talks about himself and other things; “I speak the truth about Christ, I do not lie, because I obey my conscience through the Holy Spirit, for my sorrows are great and an unceasing pain to my heart: I prayed for I myself was excommunicated from Christ according to my brethren, my relatives in the flesh” (Rom. 9: 1-3). Do you see the power of love? Do you see the height of philanthropy? Moses also showed this when he spoke to God: “If... you forgive them their sin, forgive them; otherwise, blot me out of your book, you have written it in your book” (Ex. 32:32). So we, as sincere disciples of Christ, and not lawless children, must care not only for ourselves, but also for the brethren and for the whole world, and grieve and pray. Thus, by doing what is pleasing to the Lord, we will be heirs of eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom belongs glory and dominion with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen. This word is translated from the Hellenic Greek original. See Patrol. Vol. 99. Page 592. In glory About the carnal gaze of our Lord Jesus Christ. In Greek περί τῆς ὲνσάρκους οίκονομίας. You might be interested in: