330. Беседа в день Тезоименитства Благоверного Государя Наследника Престола Цесаревича Великого Князя Николая Александровича

(Said in the Chudov Monastery on December 6th; printed in the Works of the Holy Father in 1856 and in the collection in 1861) The day on which with solemn prayer we invoke God’s favor to the Tsar and the Firstborn Son of the Tsar, brought to my mind a prophetic prayer for God’s favor to the Tsar and the Tsar’s Son. “O God, grant Thy judgment to the King, and Thy righteousness to the King’s Son” (Ps. 72:1). The Prophet’s prayer is certainly worthy of God’s care. So, isn’t it useful, isn’t it safe for us to appropriate the prayer of the Prophet for ourselves? It should not be kept silent that the psalm of the King and Prophet David, beginning with the prayer now spoken, presents an image of the King, which far exceeds the measure of an earthly king. “Possesses from sea to sea, and from rivers to the end of the world”; “All the kings of the earth will worship Him”: obviously, this is the King of the world. “His name will be blessed forever; His name abides before the sun” (Ps. 71:8, 11, 17): obviously, this is the eternal King. Look for a face with which this image would be completely similar: you will not find it except our Lord Jesus Christ, Who is the King of heaven and earth, the King of times and eternity, as God and at the same time man. But one can think that King David, before the Holy Spirit captured him to this high and boundless contemplation, had a prayerful thought about the earthly king and the king’s son. That’s why he put the inscription at the beginning of the psalm: “about Solomon.” So, let us not sin if we adhere to the simple, literal meaning of his prayer, and clothe our present prayer with his sacred prayer: God, grant Thy judgment and Thy righteousness to our most pious King and Most Blessed Son, the Firstborn Tsar! Having found in the Prophet’s prayer for the king a model for our prayer, we can and must find in it also a subject for our reflection. For a petitionary prayer must be combined with a correct concept of what is being asked, and with confirmation of the need and benefit of what is being asked. The Prophet wishes well to the King and wants to ask him for the gift of God. The gifts of God are numerous and varied. Anyone who does not dare to suddenly ask for a lot usually chooses a subject of petition that is primarily useful. What gift does the Prophet choose as the subject of his petition for the King? - Court and truth. “God, grant Thy judgment to the Tsar, and Thy righteousness to the Tsar’s Son.” There is no doubt that the Prophet's choice was wise. So, we must recognize as prophetically true that judgment and truth constitute a gift of God, primarily beneficial to the king and the kingdom. The word: “truth” is significant in Holy Scripture: but, being combined with the word: “judgment,” it receives a specific meaning through this. Truth here means a constant disposition to judge fairly and to act according to a fair judgment, to give one’s due to everyone, to justify what is right, not to justify what is wrong, not to allow oneself to make an unjust judgment or an unjust deed, and, if possible, to forbid this to others. As an action of such truth, the Prophet foretells to the king that he will “save the sons of the poor, and humble the slanderer; He will deliver their souls from usury and from unrighteousness, and his name is honorable before them” (Ps. 71:4, 14). If the king and Prophet David cared about truth, as a longed-for and primarily useful gift of God, for his son Solomon: then what about Solomon? Did he think about her in the same way, did he care about her in the same way, and with what success? – When Solomon, after ascending to the throne of his father, as a result of a zealous sacrifice, in a night vision received permission from God to ask for what he wanted: then he asked for wisdom for himself, and received this gift. But how is his wisdom revealed to his kingdom? - Truth or justice. In the dark case of two mothers, who both appropriated one living baby, and both refused the other, deprived of life by the mother’s carelessness, in the absence of witnesses and other signs of the truth, Solomon, with extraordinary insight, brought the truth to light, through a feigned command to cut up the living baby and divide it between rivals. A strongly stirred maternal feeling revealed the true mother: because she wished it was better to give the baby into the wrong hands alive, rather than see him cut up. The Book of Kings, having recounted this judgment, concludes: “And when Israel heard this judgment, by whom the King judged, they were afraid at the presence of the King” (1 Kings 3:28). Notice how great the significance of royal truth is. One strong manifestation of the queen's truth spreads reverence for the king throughout the entire kingdom; strengthens the alliance between the king and the people; provides the king with the zealous obedience of his subjects, and for his subjects the hope of safety under the shield of the king's truth. But is it only the Tsar who is to take care of the truth in the kingdom? – Can the Tsar’s personal truth alone do for the good of the people everything that the Tsar’s goodness desires? With all his wisdom, insight, activity, zeal for the common good, can the Tsar alone see everything in the kingdom, know everything, explore everything, figure out everything, propose and implement everything, illuminate with light every truth obscured by untruth, expose every untruth covered with the guise of truth? Doesn’t his supreme, all-extending action need private instruments of different degrees of observation, inquiry, research, management, judgment, orders, execution, instruments of truth, animated and driven by truth? - “God...give Thy righteousness” not only to “the King...and the Son...Tsarev,” but also to the whole kingdom and every son of the kingdom! But, since God bestows his gifts on a free being not without the participation of his freedom: then each of us, asking ourselves for truth from God, must strive to find and acquire the truth - in order to know and fulfill it. I don’t know if they are telling me, but I don’t put off telling myself “this parable: Doctor, heal yourself” (Luke 4:23); busy with thoughts of truth for others, do not forget to use them for yourself. So, brethren altar servers, don’t we hear the words of the Prophet: “Your priests, O Lord, will be clothed with righteousness” (Ps. 132:9). Are we not commanded to remember this word every time we put on sacred clothing, so that we constantly remember that, just as the members of the body are clothed with clothing, so should our thoughts, intentions, deeds, and life be clothed with righteousness? We are called to be servants not only of truth, but also of mercy, to be not only priests, but, when necessary, victims for the salvation of our neighbors. It is not yet a great demand when the truth is required from us. What is the truth? - There is truth in prayer, so that it is from the heart, and not just according to external rites; - truth in church service, so that it does not betray the generally devoted charter; - truth in teaching, so that it is faithful to the truth of God and does not flatter human passions; - truth in caring for the flock, so that we have in mind and in our intention the nutrition and safety of the flock, and not the milk and its waves; - truth in life, so that our life does not was a lie against our teaching. The truth of my service would not have been satisfied if I had not offered some reminders of the truth to other titles and states. The most common demand for truth is addressed to judges. And fair enough. What will happen to the improvement of society, what will happen to private and public security, if those seeking justice, and where they resort from unrighteousness, again fall into the hands of untruth; if even where they hope to find salvation from robbery, they will be subjected to new robbery? “Therefore, the God-enlightened sages strongly appeal to the judges so that they either love the truth or renounce this title. “Love righteousness, judges of the earth” (Wis.1:1). “Do not seek, so that you will be a judge, when you cannot take away unrighteousness” (Sir.7:6). But with the demand for truth, shouldn’t we also turn to those who demand it from judges? – You complain about the untruths of judges: but why do you bring obvious untruths to court instead of the fact that in a society in which truth reigns, it would be appropriate to seek in court only the resolution of perplexities about the truth that arise from ambiguity and conflict of rights? You cry out against the bribery of judges: but why do you yourself seduce them with bribes? Why are you striving to eclipse the ungilded truth in court with your gilded untruth? “Righteously, the Prophet commands not only judges to learn the truth, but everyone. “You who dwell on the earth will learn righteousness” (Is. 25:9). Solomon reminds those in power about righteousness: “with righteousness... the throne of rulers is prepared” (Prov. 16:12). If the truth pleases the commander, then, by its nature, it disposes him to act for the benefit of those in charge, with oblivion of his own peace and pleasure, with the elimination of all extraneous considerations; truth tirelessly watches over the protection of public order and improvement; does not fail to tame the violators of prosperity and peace; does not tolerate bad behavior; elects capable, knowledgeable, well-intentioned people into subordinate positions and ministries, without allowing partiality or people-pleasing to degrade the dignity of the election. Thus, the beneficial effect of truth from the ruler extends to the entire circle of his action; and if the sons of unrighteousness and lawlessness remain, then they hide like night birds, not daring to appear and seek prey for themselves in the prevailing light of truth. So “with righteousness... the throne of the authorities is prepared,” that is, the authorities are firm and satisfy their purpose in society. In accordance with the truth of those in command, the truth of subordinate authorities must manifest itself especially through fidelity in the performance of duties and affairs entrusted to them, straightforwardness before superiors, providing superiors with accurate information about the state of people and affairs, striving for the common good, without deviating towards self-interest. The desire to present your activities to your superiors in brilliance and to close the dark side of affairs from them weakens the true beneficial light and increases the harmful power of darkness. Self-interest is a worm in the fruit of public benefit: the worm secretly wears away, and the fruit withers and falls to the ground. In order not to prolong the words, let us hastily point out to some states of society, the simpler ones, the truth inherent in them with the apostolic finger. “The Lord, give righteousness and justice to your servants, knowing that you also have the Lord in heaven” (Col. 4:1). “The servants are under the yoke of servants, conferring all honor on their masters, so that the name of God and the teaching are not blasphemed” (1 Tim. 6:1). “Children, listen to your parents: ...for this is righteous” (Eph. 6:1). “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and discipline of the Lord” (Eph. 6:4). For everyone and everyone, an accessible, direct measure of truth is conscience, straightened by the word of God. “Whatsoever you will, let men do to you, so do you to them” (Matthew 7:12). This is the truth of Christ, understandable to everyone, beneficial for everyone! “Sow for yourself,” I conclude with the Prophet, “sow for yourself in truth,” and as a result, “gather the fruit of the belly. Enlighten yourself with the light of knowledge, now is the time. Seek the Lord, until the lives of righteousness will come to you” (Hosea 10:12). The harvest of truth abundantly sown by private and public labor is true peace, lasting prosperity and eternal salvation. Amen. You might be interested in: