438. Речь по случаю совершившегося пятидесятилетия Московской Духовной Академии

(Pronounced on October 1; published in the book “Celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the Moscow Theological Academy” 1864) If you, lovers of divine, spiritual, church wisdom, of course, not without blessing from above, having reached the limit of a short period of time, seek blessings for the further field of your activity: then bow your minds and hearts before the dominating promised blessing of our Most Holy Lady Theotokos and, with her patronage, before the blessing of our Venerable Father Sergius. The Holy Apostle, under the cover of example, showed us the law of effectively extended blessings and taught spiritual help, when he said about Christ our Savior: “in him...he suffered, having himself been tempted, he can also help those who are tempted” (Heb. 2:18). Just as He Himself endured being tempted, He can help those who are tempted. And without his own temptation or test, is not Christ God omnipotent, so that he can help those who are tempted or tested? Isn’t he all-wise to invent sure and inexhaustible means for this help? Isn’t He all-good and isn’t He immeasurably stronger in His desire to give help to those who are tempted than in them the desire to accept it? Why does the interpreter of His mysteries make His help to the tempted as if in some way dependent on His own temptation? Because through the merit of his own temptation, suffered for the good of people, He acquired a special right to give help to those who are tempted, even in their unworthiness. Because through the exploits of his own temptation, He, so to speak, entered the realm of temptation, into close communication with those who labor in it, and, all the more unhindered, can extend a beneficial and saving influence on them. Christ is the image for Christians and especially for those who are sanctified and saints. So, here is the law for them: whoever, on the path of spiritual life with strong and pure faith, endured temptation, accomplished a feat, and relentlessly withstood the spiritual test; he, of course, received grace-filled help and strength for this, according to the word of the Lord: “Without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5), and as a reward for faithfulness in the feat, according to the generosity of God, the help and strength given to him is confirmed as a gift of grace, with which he can, openly or secretly, extend a beneficial influence, blessing, help to those undergoing temptation, feat, and to those in need of help. In accordance with this law, our reverend father Sergius was tempted and perfected in the virtues of general Christianity, and has the gift of gathering around himself thousands and myriads of Christians of every rank, title and status, attracting them nothing other than the fact that they themselves experience his gracious help in their temptations, trials, exploits of life in the world and spiritual life. He was tempted and accomplished especially in the exploits of monastic life: and accepted the gift of being the father and forefather of their spiritual family, although, perhaps at this time, not as strong as his closest children were, however, now revealed by the significant and living experiences of recognizing the gracious presence of his ancestor here, action, guidance, help, protection. Shall we tell you, those instilled here, lovers of Divine, spiritual, church wisdom, that St. Sergius has the gift of God for you, and extends a secretly effective blessing to you? - Without hesitation, we must say this. Remember how he originally came here, stood on this “makovtse,” or crown of the mountain, in a dark forest, and, raising his mind and heart to heaven, said: “Holy Trinity!” May there be a church in this place in Your name, for Your daily and eternal and eternal glory! Do we not see what abiding, what extensive fulfillment is granted to this thought of the Righteous One? How is the name of the Most Holy Trinity really glorified here by the people, kings, and centuries? Isn't this a sign of a special blessing from God? And isn’t this blessing clearly a sign that it was acquired not by a simple thought, but by a strong feat of faith, high divine wisdom, and bright contemplation? And if it is necessary to point out a visible sign that Sergius, skilled in divine wisdom, extends a blessing to those seeking divine wisdom here: we point out that even before your fiftieth birthday, here under his cover, lamps were lit that later stood on the high candlesticks of the church, for example: Plato, Ambrose, Augustine; and your fiftieth anniversary brought twenty-six bishops to the church - a harvest that is unlikely to be found anywhere in such a small field. So, I repeat, let us bow our minds and hearts before the blessing promised here of our Most Holy Lady Theotokos and our venerable father Sergius. Let us bring before him our humble desire for blessing; and may they accept, and may they lift up their prayers for us unworthy to the supreme Source of blessings, - and for the coming time, a new blessing and gracious help will be given to us, not according to our weak faith, but according to the usefulness of serving the faith and the church, especially when spiritual exploits become scarce, temptations multiply, spiritual tests are weakly withstood, virtue is mired in passions and worldly vanity, among Christianity there is wisdom is making pagan fools, the enemies of the militant church are freely using both old and newly invented weapons against it. Brethren! We must not rest on the victories of the martyrs and the exploits of the ancient fathers, but struggle with intense zeal in preserving the faith and the Orthodox Church with a readiness to self-sacrifice for the truth of Christ, if we really want to gain wisdom for the salvation of ourselves and others. Blessed be Christ, who is God and God's hypostatic Wisdom! Be and awaken His enlightening blessing on those who seek enlightenment through His wisdom! You might be interested in: