Слово 24. В похвалу святого священномученика Киприана 182 , сказанное на другой день его памяти по возвращении Григориевом из села

1. We have almost forgotten Cyprian, and this (what a loss!) was allowed by you, who respect the saint more than anyone else, honoring him with annual celebrations and celebrations. But Cyprian must be revered even by those who forget otherwise, since the most perfect men require special remembrance, of whom remembrance is both pious and useful. We will repay the debt with interest if we turn out to be quite prudent and not completely meager and beggars. However, no matter how great our poverty, I am sure that this generous and wise man in everything will forgive us both slowness and poverty. Let us only give thanks that he did not remain with us in complete oblivion, for this is worthy of thanksgiving. And I must begin with thanksgiving, so that my return may serve you for good and according to the good measures of God, who distributes and disposes of everything in weight and measure (Wis. 11:21), becomes a return from silence to the word, from the lover of martyrs 183 to the martyrs, from bodily rest to a spiritual feast. 2. I wanted to be with you, children, and I am sure that you equally desired my presence. You see my fatherly good nature: I speak about my own, I testify about your desire. Having been separated from each other for enough time to discover mutual love and, as painters believe in paintings, to experience it from afar, we are together again. Even short-term contact with people who are disposed to love and imitate God’s love for mankind provides a lot of food for memory. Are we really the disciples of Christ, who for us exhausted Himself to the point of a slave and gathered those who had become strangers from heaven to Himself, will we not hold each other in love and embrace each other, will we not maintain the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace (Eph. 4:3), which constitutes the mystery, or the primacy of the Law and the Prophets? Of course, it is already one of the first blessings for us that we so quickly flowed into each other’s arms, because jealousy does not tolerate delay and to those who are tormented by the desire for a date, one day seems like a lifetime. 3. But another benefit is much more important for us: that we did not come after the holiday, we were not left without the secret teaching of the martyrs and the pleasure and peace that this provided. But I confess that I was slower than anyone else to do anything else and cast aside all desires as soon as I began to serve Christ. I am not captivated by anything pleasant and desirable for others - neither long-lasting and fickle wealth, nor voluptuousness, nor satiety - the mother of lust, nor soft and luxurious clothing, nor the shine and attractiveness of precious stones, nor the charm of the ear, nor the delicacy of the sense of smell, nor the infuriating applause of the people and spectacles that I have long since ceded to the hunters before them; Nor does everything that goes back to the first taste that destroyed us captivate. On the contrary, I blame the great stupidity of those who allow such things to prevail over them, destroy the nobility of their souls by attachment to trifles and cling to the fleeting as to something permanent. I love Christ, I do not know the extent of this love and I boast in it; I rejoice in the glory of the martyrs; I admire the blood of ascetics; the exploits and victories of others are crowns for me; I anticipate so much glory for myself, so I assimilate my merits! 4. Of course, all martyrs must be honored; for all, one must readily open one’s lips, ears, and thoughts in order to willingly say and hear something about them, and everything else must be considered lower than their feat. For although many things serve as a guide for us to a better life and much edify us in virtue - reason, and the Law, and the prophets, and the apostles, and the very sufferings of Christ, this first Martyr, who ascended to the cross and took me with Him to nail my sin, triumph over the serpent, sanctify the tree, defeat voluptuousness, save Adam and restore the fallen image - yet with so many and so excellent mentors, the martyrs are no less instructive for us - these verbal burnt offerings, perfect sacrifices, pleasant offerings, this preaching of the truth, the denunciation of lies, the fulfillment of the spiritually understood Law, the destruction of error, the persecution of vice, the drowning of sin, the cleansing of the world. 5. But above all other martyrs (martyrs, of course, have no jealousy towards martyrs), you, Cyprian, are venerable to me in name and deed! I am especially amazed at your virtue, I admire the memory of you, I become inspired by pleasure, in some way I participate in your martyrdom, I join in your feat and am completely transported to you, attracted, perhaps, by the affinity for the gift of words, with which you surpass others as much as verbal beings surpass the nature of the dumb (and between those united by anything, love, I don’t know why, settles in the same way, as well as between those related by blood). But perhaps I am also attracted by your sudden and extraordinary change, which is more amazing than any word or example. For the sun is pleasant after the cloud with which it was previously covered; spring is pleasant after the gloom of winter; pleasant is the smiling silence, the smooth sea playing off the coast after the mutiny of the winds and the storm of the waves. 6. This Cyprian (let those who know him remember with pleasure, and those who do not know hear one of our most beautiful legends, which serves to the general praise of Christians!) - this Cyprian - once a glorious name for the Carthaginians, and now for the whole universe - was noble in wealth, famous in power, famous in family (if only having a seat and presiding in the Senate serves as the most convincing proof of nobility). He was the flower of youth, an exemplary work of nature, the height of learning in terms of information in philosophy and in knowledge of other sciences, moreover, in any part, so that the variety of information in him was more amazing than the height of each knowledge and experience in each information was more amazing than general curiosity; or (I will say more clearly) he surpassed some in diversity, others in the height of knowledge, some in both, and all in everything. His learning is evidenced by the numerous and excellent works that he wrote in our favor, 184 after, through the love of God, Who creates and transforms everything into the best, he changed the way of teaching and subordinated foolishness to the Word. 7. Therefore, I don’t know how to manage the word and find a way - and not prolong it beyond measure, completely beyond the limits of time, if I remember everything about Cyprian, and not do more damage to those present here, if something else is kept silent. Therefore, in order to maintain the middle and save time and satisfy the desires of the listeners, it is necessary, in my opinion, to do the following: everything else should be left to those who know, so that they pass this on to those who do not know, if there are any, and so that in this way both those who teach and those who are taught receive equal benefit (because the mere memory of Cyprian sanctifies and the word about him most strongly encourages virtue), but for myself, for To briefly recall one or two such events from Cyprian’s life, which it is impossible to keep silent about, even if I wanted to. 8. But I will also mention Cyprian’s previous life, how he achieved salvation, how he was called and how a change for the better took place in him. It is very ignoble and base to think that it would be insulting for an ascetic to be reminded of his unpraiseworthy deeds. In this case, the great Paul would not have deserved our praise, and the publican Matthew would have belonged to the most vicious people, as well as this Cyprian. But for this purpose Paul mentions his former persecutions and how the object of his zeal has changed, in order to glorify the Benefactor more by comparing both. Matthew, listing the disciples, gives himself the title of publican as a kind of title. And Cyprian, in a long word 185, puts his previous vicious life to shame, so that this, that is, his confession, can be offered as a gift to God and show many of those turning from a vicious life the path of good hope. So, look what his vices were, how numerous and great. This later disciple of Christ was a servant of demons, this great champion of the truth was a cruel persecutor. And in word and deed, as strong in both, we outraged our path, which later turned out to be even stronger in word and deed for the benefit of Christians. And what an evil was the sorcery added to this, for which Cyprian was especially famous! And how much more terrible is that insatiability of the flesh, which can drive even the wise into rage in other ways, which, carrying away the mind, like a young unbridled horse, forces them to contrive for worse! 9. But my word concerns the most important thing. And let no one indulge in voluptuousness, seeing Cyprian’s former life, but let everyone be wise by his last deeds! There was a maiden 186, of noble birth and good manners (let virgins, or, better said, those living in marriage, take heed and rejoice in this, if they are chaste and love chastity, because my story will be an adornment for both!), a maiden of very beautiful appearance; but to my word about her, let the divine David add his song, who says: all the glory of the king’s daughter is within (Ps. 44:14). This was the true bride of Christ, hidden beauty, an animated statue, an undefiled shrine, an inaccessible sanctuary, a garden enclosed, a source sealed (Song 4:12 - let Solomon sing something!) - a source preserved by Christ alone. With all her caution and modesty, I don’t know where or how, the great Cyprian was captivated by this maiden; for the lustful eye is the most arrogant and insatiable of feelings, even touching the inviolable. Cyprian was not only captivated, but also attempted to seduce him. What stupidity if he hoped to deprive such a virgin of her chastity! And even more so, what shamelessness in both the one who dares to do such an act and the one who persuades him to dare! But he first crawled into paradise to the primordial; he stands among the angels, demanding Job for himself; he finally dares to approach the Master Himself, from Whom he must be defeated and killed, he even tempts the One who cannot be tempted (James 1:13), as if he hoped to overcome Him, because he considered the revealed Divinity to be the second Adam and did not know that, approaching humanity, he would attack God. What is strange if he tempts the holy soul and pure flesh through Cyprian? 10. Such was the tempter, and not one of the old women capable of such things is used as an assistant, but one of the flesh-loving and voluptuous demons; because the apostate and envious forces, trying to have many accomplices in their downfall, are very quick to provide services of this kind and as a reward for assistance in temptation they serve sacrifices and libations, as well as communication through blood and fat, for for such favors there should be such rewards. But what does the maiden do and what does she do to oppose the builder of evil when she senses danger and enters into evil intent? Pure and godlike souls very quickly catch the one who attempts against them, no matter how cunning or varied he is in his attacks. The girl, having rejected all other benefits, resorts to God and chooses her Groom as a protector from hateful passion, who delivered Susanna from the cruel elders, and saved Thekla from the merciless seeker of her love and the even more merciless father. Who is this groom? Christ, who rebukes the spirits (Matthew 17:18), and supports the drowning (Matthew 14:31), and walks on the sea (Matthew 14:26), and betrays a legion of spirits to the depths (Luke 8:32,33), snatches up the righteous from the pit, given over to be devoured by lions, and by lifting up his hands overcoming the beasts (Dan. 14), saves the fugitive the prophet, swallowed up by a whale and preserving the faith in its belly (Jon. 2), is kept in the flames of the Assyrian youths, cooling the burning wood through an Angel and adding a fourth to the three youths (Dan. 3). 11. Recalling all this and much more in her prayers and praying to the Virgin Mary to help the distressed maiden, she also adds another medicine - fasting and sleeping on the bare ground, so that the beauty that attracted the intrigues to her would fade, and through this, food would be taken away from the flame, that which serves to kindle the passions would be exhausted, and, together, so that God would have mercy on her humility. For God is not pleased by any service but by suffering, and He rewards tears with mercy. I know that you are impatiently awaiting the continuation of the story; for you are worried about the girl, and no less about the one who is inflamed with love for her, fearing that passion will not have bad consequences for both. But have high hopes! Love itself paves the way for faith; he who is flaming with love, discouraging the virgin for himself, is himself discouraging Christ; The fire of passion fades, but the fire of truth flares up. But from what and how? This is where the most enjoyable part of my story begins. The virgin wins and the demon is defeated. The tempter comes to the one possessed by passion, announces his defeat, is ridiculed for this, is upset by contempt and takes revenge on the despiser. 12. And what is vengeance? The demon, ridiculed by his recent servant, approaches him himself, so that one evil can be driven out by another and a new demon will serve as a cure for the previous one. He is repelled by the virgin, like a battering gun with a solid and unshakable wall, driven out by word and prayer, but still fights with the one who sent him to the virgin, turning (a wonderful thing!) on the one who was sent, and crushes him like a second Saul (1 Sam. 16:14). What does this madman do during passion and the prudent one when he is tormented by a demon? He seeks liberation from evil and finds it, because need makes him inventive. Where does liberation come from? Like Saul to the harp and jingling of David, so he resorts to the God of the virgin, approaches her shepherd, and just as demonic blows cleanse him of passion, so faith in Christ is cleansed from the evil spirit, and he is inflamed with new love. The shepherd did not believe him for a long time and sent him away, because it seemed incredible and strange that Cyprian would finally become a Christian, even if everyone became Christians. But Cyprian converted, and the proof of his conversion is obvious. He brings magical books to the congregation, confesses his foolishness, shames the uselessness of this unclean treasure, kindles with them a bright flame and with fire destroys long-term charm, which could not contribute to the carnal flame. Thus he rejects the demons and becomes close to God! Oh, the miracle of grace, by which, through impure love and an evil spirit, Cyprian finds God and becomes a sacred sheep of the sacred flock! And, as someone told me, after many prayers, so that in order to purify his former pride he would wisely learn humility, at first he was a doorkeeper of the church, and then he became a shepherd, even the best and most experienced of shepherds. He takes precedence not only in the Church of Carthage and in Africa, which from that time and through him is famous to this day, but in the entire West, and almost in the East itself, in the countries of the south and north, where the fame of him has penetrated. 13. And the God of signs and wonders did this, He created Joseph, who was sold out of the hatred of his brothers, through his wife he showed chastity, glorified him in the distribution of bread, made him wise in dreams, so that in a foreign country they would believe him, so that Pharaoh would honor him, so that he would become the father of many thousands of people, for whom Egypt suffers executions, for whom the sea is divided, bread will wait, the sun will stand still, to whom the land of promise is given as an inheritance! For Wisdom lays down the foundations of great things in advance and achieves the opposite by the opposite, so that they will marvel at her all the more. To complete the word of praise, these Cyprian virtues would be enough; but those that still remain for me to talk about are so numerous and great that even if what has been said so far did not serve as praise, then one subsequent one would be enough for Cyprian to become above all. However, not to mention his contempt for money, nor his trampling of pride, nor about curbing the flesh and purity in contrast to his former unbridledness, nor about majesty and at the same time condescension in treatment, and he was equally far from baseness and arrogance, nor about sleeping on the bare ground and about vigils, which he began to learn late and in which he greatly surpassed those who had learned it before him, nor about jealousy in edification in words, so that he taught all morality, purified ignorant concepts about dogmas, embellished the lives of men and the dogma about the Divinity of the initial and royal Trinity, Which some dissect, and others merge, raised to its original purity, staying within the limits of pious unity and numbering - having kept silent about all this due to the vastness of the subject, I will conclude my word with the death of Cyprian life. 14. Decius raged against us; he imagined all sorts of torments and some of the cruelties he had already committed, and some of which he intended to commit. With equal effort he tried to overcome the Christians and to surpass his former persecutors; better to say, he wanted to overcome and conquer either all Christians or Cyprian alone. For the more well-known to him was the excellent piety and glory of this man, the more glorious and brilliant the victory seemed if he prevailed over him. And in one case he would have subjugated only Christians to his will, and in the other he would have triumphed over wisdom and the gift of speech itself. Why did he consider it the best trick to first make the tongue silent, then to drag along those who adhered to it, voiceless and speechless. Such reasoning was unfair and impious, but it was not entirely unfounded, if we take into account his desire and enterprise. This showed the point. For when the valiant Cyprian, like the blows of waves in the sea, firmly and courageously repelled all the attacks and attempts and was finally condemned to exile by Decius, then he did not limit himself to himself, did not rejoice at his salvation from death and did not reason that it was better to keep his life safe, at least to suffer dishonor, or better to expose his soul to danger, but to maintain silence and indifferently watch how others suffer from the circumstances of the time, without having a mentor who would encourage him to do great deeds, because a word can give a lot of courage to those entering the field of virtue. 15. Therefore, Cyprian, being absent in body, was present with the ascetics in spirit, sharing their exploits; and when he cannot help with the living word, he helps with the writings. How? From afar he leads the army of Christ, writes exhortations, praises piety, and with his messages he alone produces almost more martyrs than others personally, being with those who struggle. He urges those who are in need for a good deed to prefer neither fatherland, nor clan, nor wealth, nor dominion, nor anything earthly, to the truth and rewards that are prepared for virtue in heaven. It suggests that the most profitable purchase is to acquire the Kingdom of Heaven with drops of blood and receive an eternity of glory for temporary benefits. For for exalted souls there is only one fatherland - spiritual Jerusalem, and not the local cities, which are confined within narrow boundaries and often change their inhabitants; one celebrity of the race is to keep within oneself the image of God and to become like the Prototype, as much as this is possible for prisoners of the flesh and capable of accepting only a few streams of goodness; one dominion is to prevail over the evil one, not to give up souls into captivity and not to yield victory in exploits for piety, when vice fights with virtue, the world with the world, the collapsing world with the constant world, the inexorable ascetic with the courageous ascetics, and the Belial arm itself against Christ. And therefore he urged not to be afraid of swords, to consider fire as coolness, to imagine the most fierce animals as gentle, to recognize hunger as the highest pleasure, to turn away your eyes from the tears, lamentations and lamentations of relatives, as from the bait of the evil one, as from an obstacle to the heavenly procession. For this is how it is fitting for courageous and noble souls and a chaste mind to behave. And all this is served as a close example by the one who spoke, and who wrote this, and who imputed all the skills of being, so that he might gain Christ (Phil. 3:8). 16. Thus reasoning and arming himself with words for feat, Cyprian produced many ascetics. What reward does he receive for this? Generous and lofty: after all those sent by him to Christ, he himself becomes a martyr and, beheaded by the sword, adds this crown to many sufferings. Thus is this man brought, thus presented to Christ, strong in wickedness, but much stronger in piety - this great Cyprian, both persecutor and crown-bearer, no less wonderful in his conversion as in his virtue. For it is not so much important to maintain the image of goodness as to renew the fear of God in oneself. The first is a matter of skill, and the last is a matter of good will; and we find many examples of the former, but few examples of the latter. 17. But what is this among his miracles? Let us extend a few more words in honor of the ascetic. Although such was the life of this husband and such a feat, however, when he ends his life (if it is permissible to say so, and it would not be better to call his death a transition to God, or the fulfillment of a desire, or release from bonds, or laying down a burden), something miraculous and corresponding to what preceded it happens. The name of Cyprian was great for everyone, not only for Christians, but even for our opponents (for valor is respected by all); However, his body remained unknown, and such a treasure was hidden, for a long time, with one of the wives, ardent with piety. I don’t know whether it was because God honored the God-loving wife by allowing her to keep the martyr, or because He wanted to reveal our love if we, deprived of holy relics, were not indifferent to such a loss. When the God of the martyrs did not tolerate that the common good should be the property of one and that, by mercy to the wife, everyone should suffer the loss, then he announces the body of Cyprian through revelation and again grants this honor to one worthy woman, so that the wives may also receive sanctification. Just as Christ was born before and announced to the disciples after His resurrection from the dead through women, so now one wife pointed out Cyprian, and the other transferred this last of his kindnesses for the common benefit. Thus, one comes out on Wednesday who should not be hidden; It is not allowed for him to remain in obscurity due to his wisdom even after he has become higher and more perfect than the honors given to the body. 18. That’s all I could say about Cyprian, and I don’t know whether I should add anything to this. For even if I had extended the word for a long time, then what I said would not have corresponded to both his virtues and the concept that everyone has about this man. And what has been proposed so far has been said only in order to give him some due honor. But in order for something to be brought from you as a gift to the martyr, you yourself must fill in everything else, such as: casting out demons, healing diseases, foretelling the future. Even the ashes of the Cyprians can give all this with the help of faith, as those who have experienced this know, from whom the memory of the miracle has been passed on to us and will be passed on to future times. It’s better to say, bring something more than this, more befitting of his true admirers, namely: exhaustion of the body, ascent of the heart, removal from vice, return to virtue. Virgins, bring the exhaustion of the flesh, wives - the splendor of virtue more than the body, young men - courage in the fight against passions, elders - prudence, rulers - good laws, military leaders - meekness, distinguished by the gift of speech - a good word. I will say something for my own people: priests, bring the secret teaching, the worldly - humility, those who cry - consolation, the prosperous - fear, the rich - alms, the poor - gratitude, and all - readiness to resist the evil and cruel persecutor, so that he can neither openly overthrow, nor secretly offend, nor fight like darkness, nor seduce and drag into the abyss of destruction, like an angel of light 187. 19. It is dangerous to be captive to the eyes, to suffer wounds from the tongue, to allow our hearing to deceive us, to inflame our boiling anger, to deprive us of our taste, to soften our sense of touch; It is dangerous to turn the weapon of salvation into a weapon of death. We must, protected by the shield of faith, stand against the wiles of the evil one (Eph. 6:11, 16), so that, having won the victory with Christ, having accomplished the feat with the martyrs, we hear this great voice: come, blessed of My Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you (Matt. 25:34), where is the abode of all those who rejoice, where is the voice of those celebrating, the voice of joy (Ps. 41:5), the most perfect and purest illumination of the Divine, acceptable to us now only in fortune-telling and shadows. The honored Cyprian enjoys himself more than all other honors combined. While still on earth, he taught this wisdom through his life; This philosophy, after its departure, prescribes to everyone through my word, which you should not leave without respect if you value at all his patience and exploits for the truth, as well as me, who fulfills his instructions. These are the beginnings of my words to you, divine and sacred head! This is your reward for your words and for your feat - not the olive branch of the Olympics, not this child's play - Delphic apples, not the Isthmian pine, not the Nemean seline 188, with which in ancient times poor youths were honored, but a word that is most fitting for the servants of the Word! And if it is worthy of your deeds and words, then this too is the gift of the Word. You mercifully look down on me from above, rule my word and life, shepherd your sacred flock or be my co-shepherd, guide it as much as possible for the better, drive away from it restless wolves and everyone chasing syllables and sayings, give us the most perfect and bright illumination of the Holy Trinity, which you stand now, which we worship, which we glorify, before which We serve by worshiping the Father in the Son, the Son in the Holy Spirit. May we finally stand before Her with a pure heart and without stumbling, and having become perfect, may we partake of Her completely in Christ Himself, our Lord, to Whom be all glory, honor and dominion forever and ever, Amen. The memory of this holy martyr Cyprian is celebrated by the Holy Church on October 2. Under the lover of martyrs, according to Nikita, St. Gregory means either the silence itself, which he spoke about above, or one of the pious wives to whom he retired to the village for silence. In the suffering of St. Cyprian (see Acta Sanctorum, September 26) it is said that he was demanded to Antioch by the committee of the East, Eutolmius, on a denunciation that he was outraged by his messages throughout the East, even the whole world. It has survived to this day. The Greek original can be read in the Acts of the Saints (Acta Sanctorum) under September 26th. See: 2 Cor. 11:14. – Ed. The plant, otherwise called gircha, is from the Apiaceae family.