308. Беседа пред обетом некоторых сердобольных вдов и при напутствии избранных для попечения о раненых и больных действующей армии

(Said in the Mariinsky Church of the Widow's House on July 30; printed in Tv. St. Ot. 1855 and in the collection 1861) I am sick and visiting (Matthew 25:36). Christ the Savior in His Divine teaching offers us strong convictions for acts of love for mankind; and wants to arouse in us a deep sense of humanity. In order to move us to acts of love for mankind, He takes away part of the veil that closes the future from us; brings the distant last day of the world closer to our contemplation; reveals Himself, on the throne of glory, as the judge of the entire human race; gives us first to hear what is to be solemnly proclaimed, in the hearing of the whole world, in the hearing of time and eternity, the decisive determination of His judgment: “Come, blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matthew 25:34). Who are these who have achieved such a happy solution to the greatest judgment case? Who are these, blessed by the Heavenly Father, who are being led into the inheritance of the eternal kingdom? - They are humane. How did they so strongly prove their right to possess the heavenly inheritance? By what deeds did you make yourself worthy of such a high award? - By deeds of philanthropy: they fed the hungry, gave drink to the thirsty, clothed the naked, visited the sick and those imprisoned. And since it would be difficult for them to believe that for such small deeds one can receive such a great reward: then the King Judge declares that people in need are His lesser brothers, and that those who serve them serve Himself; and with this announcement it gives a new strong incentive to acts of philanthropy, unusually elevating their dignity. Both about the blessings of the world and about spiritual blessings, “many people say: who will show us good things” (Ps. 4:7)? Sins committed weigh on the conscience; “make it convenient to sin” (Heb. 12:1) every now and then it attacks the imagination or feeling, and tends to new falls; examples of the vain world seduce with vanity and attract to vices; In order to agree with the commandments of God our position and accepted customs, we lack either prudence or firmness. We hear that it is necessary to “crucify the flesh with its passions and lusts” (Gal. 5:24) so ​​that spiritual life with its grace-filled consolations will be resurrected in us: but at the mere thought of crucifixion the fleshly heart trembles, and the uncarnal mind stops us wondering where we will find so much spiritual art to make such a strong revolution in our life and in our being. We see the exploits of the Saints: but for the most part they are beyond our strength. “Who will show us good?” Who will show us the right and convenient path to salvation and bliss? – “The light of Your countenance, O Lord, shines upon us” (Ps. 4:7). You, Lord Christ, reveal the inaccessible secrets of the kingdom of God to the wise in such a way that even infants can understand them. You are arranging a path to this kingdom, both conveniently found for those of little knowledge and easily accessible for the weak, leading through the small to the great, through the humble to the high. Feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, visit the sick - what is simpler than this? which is more convenient? Is this a path that is open to everyone, and on which there is no reason to stop in bewilderment? Whoever willingly enters this path of beneficence and continues to walk along it, without changing the right path through unfaithfulness: he, according to the assurance of Jesus Christ Himself, can reach the point where he will be declared blessed by the Heavenly Father, and will be called to inherit the kingdom of heaven. However, this blessed lot can only belong to one who, as I said, does not betray the right path through his infidelity. Caution is required here. Who gave, or ordered to give, a beggar a piece of bread and a glass of water; and, feasting at a luxurious table, does not care whether the hunger and thirst of the beggar are really satisfied, and does not take sincere humane participation in it: let him not rush to assure himself that he has already acquired the right to the kingdom of heaven. To value the kingdom of heaven at the price of a loaf of bread and a glass of water would be to value it too cheaply and to offend the dignity of what is valued. A work of charity done without thoughtful and heartfelt participation in the needy is a body without a soul: and has no true dignity before the court of Christ, whose law is spiritual, and Who judges according to the spiritual law. If someone has given alms that are satisfactory and abundant to many; but he did this with the desire to have the glory of a benefactor; such a one gave alms to his vanity: it is not difficult to judge how much Christ owes him for what he did for himself and not for Christ. Deepen your thought in the word of the Judge of the world: “Since you have made one and the least of these brothers of mine, you have created for me” (Matthew 25:40). If you do good to an unfortunate person because you see him as a pitiful creature, then you are doing a matter of natural sympathy. If you do good to someone in need because you see in him a person who is natural to you, and you are aware of the obligation to do for your neighbor what you would want for yourself in similar circumstances, then you are doing something that is free and morally good. But in order for your charitable deed to be spiritually good, worthy of Christ, you must see in the needy one His “little brother”, who by this quality is worthy of spiritual love and spiritual respect, no matter who he is in his external position. With such a view, the heart of a Christian will certainly tell him: inasmuch as you owe to the goodness of Christ God your existence, life, the dignity of man, the revelation of grace and forgiveness of sins, temporary blessings, the hope of eternal blessings, and since for countless and immeasurable benefits you cannot bring anything to someone who does not require anything; What happiness is it for you that you can mark your gratitude and love for Christ on the one whom He calls His little brother! Because for you, Christ descended from the highest heavenly throne to earth, and even to hell; spent a painful human life on earth, suffered and died: will you not come down to His “little brother”, no matter to what depth of misfortune and humiliation he may be cast? Wouldn't it be delightful for you not only to fill his deprivation with your abundance, but also to bear the deprivation for him, and to suffer yourself in order to alleviate his suffering? That such spiritual dispositions, primarily before the materiality of deeds, elevate the value of Christian beneficence, that according to such dispositions even a cup of cold water becomes worthy of heavenly reward, that such dispositions are required from those who do good by the Judge of the world, this can be seen, among other things, from the fact that He determines the heavenly reward for visiting the sick, separating them from those suffering from deprivation of material needs, from the hungry and naked. If, therefore, you are obliged to visit a sick person who does not require material help from you, but is only burdened by impotence, pain, and the boredom of painful inaction: then what can and should you bring to his bedside, other than Christian love, heartfelt compassion, the sincere word of consolation of Christ? For you, called and honored servants of the Tsar's love for mankind, the path is now open to a special feat of Christian love for mankind and to Christ's reward for it. Others undergo feats of philanthropy even for such unfortunates, whose misfortune is not marked by any trait of dignity, or is even a consequence of their own guilt: this is a due task, but, of course, not as pleasant as what is before you. Your feat will be in favor of the sufferers, whose suffering is marked by the stamp of dignity and virtue, in favor of the ascetics who have moved from courageous feats for the faith, the Tsar and the Fatherland to the feat of generously enduring wounds and illnesses. Christian love, love for the Tsar, love for worthy compatriots and for the fatherland will unite to support you in your feat. We hope that you will be actively faithful to the feat into which you are entering, not only because you were chosen, but also because you yourself desired it. We hope that the heavenly Lover of Mankind will overshadow your feat with His highest blessing, and will send down His gracious help to you: because you first open your path to Him in common prayers with us, and guide yourself with His Divine food. We hope to see in your actions also the kindness of humanity, the same strength of spirit, tirelessness, beneficence, which we see from afar in your predecessors, and we bless the philanthropic God, and we invoke His blessing on them and on you. Amen. You might be interested in: