292. Слово на память Святителя Алексия

(Said in the Chudov monastery on February 12; printed in the Works of the Holy Father of 1854 and in the collection of 1861)" Obey your teachers and repent: for they are watching over your souls” (Heb. 13:17). The Church has spoken to us with these words of the Apostle now, when we crown with reverent honor and prayer the memory of our God-wise and grace-filled mentor, Saint Alexis. It seems that this is in order to imperceptibly weave into the crown of our praise for him the fragrant color of the Apostolic word, which contains that general praise of true teachers of piety, that they “watch over the souls” entrusted to them. Truly, Saint Alexy not only in his earthly life was a mentor constantly “vigilant for the souls” of the spiritual flock of Moscow and All-Russia, but also, in his blessed dormition, does not cease to watch over our souls, with the power of his prayers lifting up our weak prayers to the heavenly throne of grace, and giving gracious help to those who flow to him with faith and love. But pointing out in the Apostolic word the vigilance of mentors, as their actual property and difference, the Church with the same word reminds both mentors of their duty to watch over souls, and the entire nation of believers of the duty to obey their mentors. “Obey your teacher and repent.” Thanks to Mother Church for this reminder. Worthy mentors, out of humility, would not want to insistently demand obedience to themselves: for us, who feel our lack and unworthiness, this feeling could block our lips. But here are the reminders of duty, who have as much authority to remind, as full right to demand active attention to their reminder, Saint Paul and the Holy Church, at every memory of their holy mentors, call on you: “Obey your mentor and repent.” Are proofs and convictions needed for this commandment to be accepted as necessary for fulfillment? Isn’t it enough that the Apostle Paul wrote it in one of his Epistles, in which he, along with the saving truths of faith, set out the saving rules of life and the laws of church improvement? No society can be well-ordered, or even exist, without leaders or mentors. But bosses and mentors cannot improve society without the obedience of their subordinates and mentors. According to the word of Christ (John 17:3), eternal life, or eternal bliss, lies in knowing the one true God and Jesus Christ whom He sent. According to the words of the Apostle, “believing... becomes one who comes to God” (Heb. 11:6). But God is incomprehensible; and Christ is “the mystery hidden from ages and generations in God, but now has been revealed to His saints” (Col. 1:26), not in the flickering of natural reason, but in the light of revelation of grace. Hence the question of the Apostle necessarily arises: “How... will they believe without hearing it? How can they hear without him preaching” (Rom. 10:14)? – We need a preacher of the truth of God, a mentor in the faith, a builder of the mysteries of grace. Faith, in order to be saving, requires life by faith. For “faith without works is dead” (James 2:26); and, consequently, is unable to bring a person to eternal life. In order to live by faith and do good deeds, for this you need to know the commandments of God, combine understanding and fulfillment of them with the spirit of faith, and correctly apply them to various circumstances of life. Only someone who is inattentive to himself or arrogant can say that for this he is content with himself, and that he does not need a mentor or adviser. The Word of God says, and experience shows, that a person is born infected with ancestral sin. Holy baptism revives him into a new life, but does not immediately destroy the life of the old man; for the all-effective grace of God makes room for the action of faith and the struggle of man, so that mercy may not be without righteousness, and so that we voluntarily accept salvation. Thus, the reborn was not ashamed to admit that “if we say that there is no sin, we deceive ourselves” (1 John 1:8), we deceive ourselves. Therefore, we must constantly be, either in a feat against sin that is already more or less living and active in us, or on guard against sin, which is ready to tempt, seduce, enslave and kill us. How to strengthen yourself in this feat? How can you avoid dozing off on this watch? How to overcome the habit of sin? How to resist the charm of sin? How to arouse hatred of sin in yourself? How to expose and repel sin when it approaches under the plausible guise of innocent amusements and accepted customs? How to cleanse your heart from sinful desires and your mind from sinful thoughts? How to put off the old man and put on the new? How to protect the very virtues so that they are not desecrated by the secret admixture of sin? Will anyone dare to say that this is all very simple, and that for this there is no need to look for a mentor, “those who have the senses are trained by long teaching in the discernment of good and evil” (Heb. 5:14). But are we diligent in seeking out spiritual guides? Are we willing to follow their advice? In lofty and profound subjects of belief, are not many content with their own wisdom alone, or with a few superficial concepts acquired in childhood? Do they not carelessly remain ignorant of God and Christ? In their way of life, are they not following, instead of the law of God and the commandments of Christ, customs and examples that are not the best, but only more striking? Isn’t spiritual vigilance over one’s deeds and thoughts, mortification of the flesh, and feats of internal self-correction considered an exaggeration of piety? Don’t they live in moral relaxation, with a dream of their dignity and the right to an eternal reward only for the fact that they have not done clearly dishonorable and criminal deeds? Those who hear this, perhaps, think and are ready to say: give us such mentors as St. Paul, like St. Alexy; we would like to obey and submit to such mentors. I accept the reproof and turn to myself and others, on whom, according to the destinies of God, the lot has fallen to watch over souls. Truly, brothers and fellow servants, we must think with fear and extreme concern whether we are such as our service requires. I’m not saying, are you endowed with special signs of grace, like Saint Paul, like Saint Alexis? The Holy Spirit distributes special, extraordinary gifts of grace as He wills, and they have never been the subject of a general demand. But are we trying hard enough to gain spiritual enlightenment for ourselves in order to thoroughly and convincingly instruct others? Do we arrange our life in such a way that it can teach without a word, rather than a word? Are we vigilant about souls? How will we edify others if we are not zealous about edifying ourselves? How will we guide others to spiritual life if our lives are entangled in worldly vanity? How can we arouse others to diligent and unceasing prayer, if in our performance of church prayer they may notice dissatisfied reverent attention and precision in the execution of the assigned rite? Verbal sheep, not like dumb ones, can themselves distinguish between safe pasture and dangerous wilds; and therefore, they themselves will be guilty if they become prey to the wolf: but will not the shepherd be guilty who slumbers then, as scattered sheep should have been stopped and gathered? Let us pay attention to ourselves and our service, so that the terrible word of the Lord, spoken against the shepherds of Israel, does not thunder upon us: “Shepherds are shepherds for themselves, but not my sheep. Behold Az are shepherds” (Ezek. 34:8, 10). Let us return the word to those being instructed who are dissatisfied with the acceptance of instruction. You think that you would completely obey your mentors if you had excellent mentors. Doubtful. When Jesus Christ himself chose and sent His Apostles to preach the kingdom of heaven; He himself gave them instructions on how they should instruct others; gave them the power to heal the sick, raise the dead, cast out demons: weren’t these excellent teachers? With all this, in instructions to them the Lord said: “If he does not receive you, he will listen to your words; when you come from that house or from that city, shake off the dust from your feet” (Matthew 10:14). That is, He foresaw that there would be houses and entire cities that would not want to listen to these excellent teachers. A humble person who sincerely desires salvation listens attentively to a mediocre mentor and succeeds in doing good; and whoever, out of arrogance or absent-mindedness, neglects an ordinary mentor will hardly take advantage of an excellent one. Desire sincerely soul-saving instruction; Be prepared to accept it with faith: God is strong and faithful, desiring to save everyone, and through an unworthy mentor to teach you perfect instruction, and to admonish those who think they are wise through an unwise man, just as once “a mute man who spoke with a human voice, forbid the prophet from foolishness” (2 Peter 2:16). Some, trying not so much to correct as to justify their life, which is careless and inconsistent with the teachings of Christ, think to find an excuse for themselves in the fact that other teachers do not live as well as they teach. No, self-appointed judges of your mentors, you will not find your justification in our condemnation. We will be condemned if we live unworthy of the teaching we teach: but you will also be condemned, both for judging your neighbor contrary to the prohibition of Jesus Christ himself, and for not following the holy teaching, which does not cease to be holy because it passes through sinful lips. The true Judge of the world, Christ the Savior, strictly condemned the life and deeds of the Pharisees: but he commanded to respect and fulfill the teaching of the law of God taught by them: “everything... that they tell you to keep, observe and do; If, brethren, you are disposed at this moment to heed some special instruction: be attentive, not to what we would come up with for you, but to what the present time is telling us. A cloud had gathered in the distant sky; and thunder was already heard. Glory to the Lord of hosts! The thunder of victory has repeatedly struck our enemies. But to gain victory, our own blood was shed. Our brothers stand with weapons against the enemy, hourly awaiting the resumption of the battle. The Father of the Fatherland is vigilant in a special feat: care for the preservation of peace, and care for prudent preparation for battle. Is it now timely - if ever it is timely - for the children of the fatherland, the children of the Church, to childishly, uncontrollably indulge in vanity, sensual pleasures, the charm of spectacles that are offensive either to the pious or to the moral feeling? Isn't it time to think more thoroughly and act more sedately? Isn’t it now especially necessary to turn our eyes away from vanity, to lift our eyes to Him who lives in heaven, and to seek the life-giving gaze of His favor and mercy? – Ask your reason, your conscience, your pious feeling for an answer to this and follow, no longer the advice of an outside mentor, but the advice of your reason, your conscience, your pious feeling. Amen. You might be interested in: