342. Беседа по освящении храма святых Первопрестольных Апостолов Петра и Павла, при московской Мариинской больнице

(Said on December 15th; printed in the Works of the Holy Father in 1857 and in the collection of 1861) The church and the hospital are now in our eyes, and therefore, naturally, in our thoughts, they are brought together so that they are under one common roof: and separated only in such a way that the shrine retains its due inviolability. Is there not a mental one in this material convergence? - Of course there is; because such a dispensation did not result from unaccountable arbitrariness, but from thorough and well-intentioned reasoning. It seems to me that this very building says, if I had not said, that the hospital needs an alliance with the church, that the sick need not only a doctor, but also a clergyman, not only medicine, but also prayers and sacraments. Does everyone recognize these needs? – To what extent should they be recognized? – Do not send these questions to the sick: amid painful suffering, with exhausting physical and mental strength, it is hardly convenient for them to think about the rules for their current situation, if such rules have not been prepared earlier; illness and death will not agree to wait until the sick person composes for himself the philosophy of illness, which he did not learn in a better time. And invisible fate did not give any obligation to anyone living that illness would not be sent to him today or tomorrow, and that it would not attack him suddenly and violently. In the world, he who wants to gain victory thinks about war; in health, he who wants to defeat it, or keep his spirit undefeated from it, must think sensibly about the disease. There are people who hesitate to allow human healing, or are even decisively ready to completely eliminate it. With deep attention they hear the word of the Lord: “I will kill and make life; I will strike, and I will heal” (Deut. 32:39); and they want to respond to this with the word of David: “Let me fall into the hand of the Lord, for His compassions are many; But let me not fall into the hands of men” (2 Samuel 24:14). What can we say about this? – Let us praise those who have such faith and such devotion to the will of God. We know that there were and are people who justified such faith by their very deeds. But do you know what kind of faith is required for this? – According to the requirement of the Gospel, it seems to be moderate, at least “faith is like grain of peas.” What kind of faith? – The kind with whom “you say to this mountain, go from here to there, and it will pass away, and nothing will be impossible for you” (Matthew 17:20). Who among us will boast that he has acquired such faith? And if someone boasts, then one must be careful that by this self-praise he does not destroy the necessary support of this faith - humility. The Apostle Peter thought that he had faith to walk on the waters; and at the same time his faith was strengthened by the visible presence and sovereign command of Jesus Christ: however, Peter’s faith only lasted a few steps; and thoughts of doubt would have drowned him if the Lord had not had mercy on his lack of faith and had not extended his saving hand. So, we wish everyone a living, strong, active, saving, if you like, and miraculous faith: but, at the same time, we must recognize the need for vigilant attention and caution, so that faith is protected by humility, and so that it does not tempt God with unnecessary and excessive boldness. If illness comes, and it is inconvenient to have a doctor and medicine, or if the medicine used is not successful; if duty or love for humanity calls for a sick person whose illness can be communicated to those approaching and touching: do not prepare poison for yourself from thoughts of despondency, timidity, impatience, murmuring: but make up for yourself an all-healing medicine from sound thoughts and pure feelings of faith, prayer and trust in God; understand from His words that if He “strikes,” it is in order to “heal”; believe that He will protect or heal you from illness, or help you endure painful exhaustion and suffering, and will turn your illness to the healing and cleansing of your soul, so that the word of Scripture may be fulfilled on you: “who has suffered in the flesh from sin” (1 Pet. 4:1). Dare to say to the Lord with David: “Even if... I walk through the midst of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me” (Ps. 22:4). “And let it be done to you according to your faith” (Matthew 9:29). “Let your faith save you” (Mark 5:34). But if it is convenient, do not neglect natural means of healing, and do not tempt God by demanding extraordinary gifts, bypassing the means that He has prepared for you in nature. Listen to the teachings of the ancient pious sage: “honor the doctor with his honor; for the Lord created it, the Lord created it from the land of healing; and a wise man does not abhor them” (Sir.38:1, 4). And since the Lord created both a doctor and medical means: then, using them, call upon the blessing of God both on the understanding of the doctor and on the action of healing; and having received medical help, thank the Lord, the Source of life. However, not many people need to be convinced to “honor the doctor”, so that they do not “abhor my healing.” For most people, along with illness, the thought of a doctor and healing comes of itself; but many patients do not come across the thought of another most important need for too long - the need for the benefits of faith; and those around them are afraid to arouse this thought in them, although they want to. Strange prejudice! They are not afraid to call a doctor who will prescribe a treatment, perhaps useful, perhaps useless, perhaps, as a result of an erroneous consideration, harmful and deadly: but they are afraid to call a clergyman who will bring medicine in no way harmful or dangerous, but always beneficial to the soul and body! Will doctors and teachers of healing think that I am invading their area when I claim that a clergyman will bring medicine to the sick and for the body? - Let them not be angry. Medical teaching has also been taught to us, only not in a multitude of sciences and books, as they did, but in a brief medical prescription, true for all diseases, when used correctly. This is what one of the chosen disciples of the Divine Physician of souls and bodies wrote: “Does anyone hurt in you? Let him call the elders of the church, and let him pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord, and the prayer of faith will save the sick man, and the Lord will raise him up, and even if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him” (James 5:14-15). He clearly distinguishes between two actions of presbyteral prayer and sacred anointing: healing of the soul: “if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven”, and healing of the body: “the Lord will raise him up” - of course, not always unconditionally, but according to the measure of faith, and according to the saving types of God’s Providence. What can we say about the need and beneficialness of the sacrament of repentance for the sick and for the illness itself? “It seems we can call upon the physical doctors themselves as testimony.” They know that peace of the soul is a help, and its non-peaceful state is an obstacle to healing. But isn’t it the deepest and most complete peace that gives the soul relief of conscience through pure repentance, and a joyful feeling of remission of sins? I think I would insult your enlightened faith and the Divine dignity of the sacrament if I began to prove the need and beneficialness for the painful sacrament of the Body and Blood of the Lord, just as if someone decided to prove that the sun shines and warms, and that it is beneficial for our life, although we do not always see it and feel its effect. It is enough to remember the word of the Lord: “Eat My flesh and drink My blood, and you will have eternal life” (John 6:54). Therefore, whoever in the sacrament took into himself the “eternal life”, and preserves it by faith, and does not remove it from himself by new sins: for him, illness is the way, and death is the door to a blessed eternity: and, meanwhile, is it not natural to expect that from the abundance of the Source of eternal life, accepted by a person in the sacrament, beneficial power will flow onto temporary life. Where did this strangeness come from, that in illness, many hesitate to resort to the benefits of faith, and are even afraid to talk about them? – Probably, false thoughts were incorrectly derived from a good thought and spread and intensified. It is considered special well-being if the sick person, having accepted the remission of sins and the communion of eternal life in the sacraments, passes into the future life in this unimpaired purity. This is a good idea. But false thoughts are incorrectly derived from it, as if in extreme cases of illness only it is necessary to resort to the sacraments, and as if reminding a patient of them means declaring a death sentence on him. Long live those who hear me now and those who cannot hear me. But all of us, brothers, are not immortal and not painless. Let us not hesitate to put aside in good time the prejudice that becomes a barrier between us and the shrine at a time when it is especially beneficial for us. Let us place ourselves closer to the Doctor of souls and bodies than to physical doctors. Let us establish ourselves in the disposition, rather than physical healing, to desire and seek spiritual healing, beneficial for the soul and body. I cannot remain silent without sharing with you the comforting thought that the godly and humane institution in which we are now, and many like it in this reigning city, in name and deed come from the Great, Sovereign, Crowned Ones, and successively enjoy their direct patronage and continuous care. Keep, Russia, the piety and love of mankind that reigns over you, with your faith and fidelity and pure, ascending prayer from an immaculate life, keep the grace-filled heavenly cover over you. Amen. You might be interested in: