It's about. Inspector of the Academy Archimandrite Hilarion: [on the occasion of the renovation of the academic church]

Contents From academic life Renovation of the academic church and monastic vows Speech by the Right Reverend Rector Speech by Fr. Inspector of the Archimandrite Hilarion Academy Renovation of the academic church and monastic vows Almost twenty years ago, one head of a higher theological school wrote with sorrow: “Our academic and seminary churches are the most boring, half-German, and not at all conducive to Orthodox piety. What kind of mass is it in a room with a dozen icons? An academic church should be magnificent and always filled with people... It is just as important to build magnificent cathedral churches at seminaries and academies as to build clinics at medical faculties.” Golden words, but life still does not want to turn them into reality. Strange as it may seem, as unnatural as it may be, but in our religious educational institutions the most disadvantaged and neglected are... what do you think? - churches and libraries. There is now a lot of talk about religious educational institutions and the need for their specialization in the church direction. All this is good, but church life requires, first of all, a church, not just any church, but a real Orthodox church. The heads of theological educational institutions, mainly monks, take care of the possible splendor of seminary or academic churches, but in this vital matter of theological school they are deprived of any support from the church and state, left to their own strengths, and must seek “local means” by all means and ways. As if a splendid church at a theological school was an unnecessary luxury! How much, for example, is “released” annually for the church staff for the Imperial Theological Academy? 300 rubles. 1 Even in gymnasiums, more is allocated for the church and the priest than in a higher theological school. It’s sad and incomprehensible, but it’s actually true. The church at the Moscow Academy has existed for forty years, and during this time it has been rebuilt for the second time. It is clear that the adherents of the splendor of the academic church were extremely limited in their means. They strained all their strength, but did only what was possible. The rather spacious academic church was low and dark without any architectural merit. In recent years, when clergy appeared in some abundance at the Academy and church services became more solemn and splendid, the academic church was almost always crowded, which is why it was stuffy and hot during the service. All this prompted the academic church to be rebuilt again. The Academy is going to celebrate its centenary in a year, but even in this exceptional case, during the reconstruction of the church, the Academy was left to its own devices. Therefore, it is with special gratitude that we should mention the names of those kind people who, with their donations, helped meet urgent academic needs. By resolution of His Eminence, the Most Reverend Metropolitan Macarius, 1000 rubles were released from the funds of the Perervinsky Monastery. His Eminence Archbishop Nikon, Member of the Holy Synod and State Council, donated 300 rubles. His Eminence Palladius, Bishop of Perm and Solikamsk, – 50 rubles. His Eminence Anatoly, Bishop of Chistopol – 50 rubles. Mikhail Petrovich Aristov – 1000 rubles. Sergey Semenovich Makarov – 500 rubles. Prof. S. S. Glogolev – 100 rubles, prof. A. I. Vvedensky - 50 rubles, prof. D. Iv. Vvedensky - 25 rubles, o. hierome Sergius 100 rubles, priest. O. G.M. – 100 rubles, o. Hieromonk Ioanathan – 5 rubles. Last summer and autumn of this year, the academic church was significantly rebuilt. The wooden ceiling and roof were dismantled and a semicircular vault made of reinforced concrete was erected, with the vaults on top supported by iron trusses. As a result of this, the academic church became twice as tall, instead of the previous 6 arsh. almost full 12 arsh. The dome, previously located in the front part of the church, has been moved to the middle. At the back of the church, above the corridor separating the church from the rector’s apartment, there are quite spacious choirs. In addition to the previous windows in the southern wall and dome, a huge window was made in the eastern wall, above the iconostasis. Therefore, the church became incomparably brighter than before. At the beginning of November, work on the church was completed. Since the beginning of the school year, with the gracious permission of Fr. For the Lavra's governor, academic services were performed in the Lavra's churches, until mid-September in the Assumption Cathedral, and then in the refectory church. No matter how good it was in the Lavra churches, the clergy, students, and pilgrims already missed their church and therefore joyfully welcomed the completion of the reconstruction of the academic church. The renovation of the church and the first service were scheduled for November 16. Protodeacon of the Great Assumption Cathedral K.V. Rozov was invited to the celebration. On Saturday, November 16, at 5 o'clock in the afternoon, the Rector Bishop Theodore, concelebrating with a host of academic clergy, consecrated the water and sprinkled St. the whole church with water. At 6 o'clock o. Archimandrite Academy Inspector Hilarion s. Protodeacon Rozov began to celebrate the first all-night vigil in the renovated church. Stichera from the service to the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos were added to the Sunday service. After all, this year we celebrated our church holidays in the refectory church of the Lavra. The Most Reverend Rector Bp. Theodore, Fr. Rector of Bethany Seminary Archimandrite. Herman, O. Archimandrite Academy Inspector Hilarion, professors and students of the Academy in holy orders. The academic church was overflowing with worshipers. After the great doxology, Rev. Theodore tonsured first-year student Ivan Karpov, born in the Tobolsk diocese, into monasticism. In the life of this young man there were many phenomena that pointed him towards the path of monasticism. He had chosen this path even earlier. His good intention was strengthened by his teacher, the rector of the seminary, Archimandrite. Nikolai, who before his death even left him his hood. Having entered the academy, Karpov decided to fulfill his intention without delay. Thank the Lord God, at the Academy monastic tonsures, although not frequent and not as numerous as would be desirable in a higher church school, are still not exceptional phenomena. Only in recent years were tonsures performed in secluded monasteries - in the Paraclete desert or in the Zosimova Hermitage. The real tonsure took place in the academic church and the most touching rite of tonsure left a deep impression on the souls of numerous pilgrims. The new monk is named Nicholas. At the end of the all-night vigil, Rev. Theodore handed monk Nicholas to his elder, confessor of the Paraclete desert, Fr. hierome Serapion, who, for the sake of tonsure of his spiritual son, came to the Academy from the silence of the secluded desert. Rev. Theodore made the following speech. Speech by the Reverend Rector Beloved in the Lord, Brother Nicholas! Before entrusting you to an experienced helmsman to guide you through adversity and temptation on the way to a quiet refuge, allow me, on my own behalf and on behalf of your brothers, to testify to my heartfelt joy and gratitude to the Lord for His mercy towards you. Now you are already in the arms of the Father and in the house of the Heavenly Father. May the love of the Heavenly Master embrace you, warm your heart and, through this, making you feel the great goodness and joy of being under the roof of the Heavenly Father, captivate your soul into obedience to Him Alone and turn away your eyes so as not to see the vanity of the world. Look how the church mind understands and what meaning the church mind gives to everything that has now happened over you: through the lips of a sacred song, this mind proclaims: “Let us know, brethren, the power of the sacraments: for from sin to the fatherly house of the risen prodigal son, the Most Good Father will kiss you and give you the knowledge of his glory! spectacle, they don’t see anything here except one external thing, b. m., a strange ritual, for you and for us, your brothers, all this is filled with a special, highest mysterious meaning and deep inner meaning. I think that the very thing that this sacred song I cited now invites us to understand - to understand the mystery of spiritual rebirth, the mystery of the return to man of the love of God and the glory of God-likeness - this very thing is understood, although partly, you have experienced it internally. And this is the enormous difference between your understanding of everything that has happened here and the worldly mind of the spectators gathered here. Truly, it seems, even for the one who turns to the Lord from the delights of the world, it is a great mystery that the first emergence in him of the thought of an adulterous life, and this somehow experienced dissatisfaction with the surrounding ordinary life, and this almost instinctive, fleeting moments anticipation of another better life. The mystery lies in the very variety of paths by which the Lord leads us, wandering along the paths of the world, back to His home. Look, in fact, how for some the joys of life, for others sorrow, for some falls, for others firmness in good customs, all this diversity leads, by the grace of God, to one common end - to the knowledge of God and the search for Him. Why is this so? This, brother, is very difficult to answer. And you yourself, it seems to me, now examining the path of worldly life you have traveled and viewing it from a different angle of eternal life, you will undoubtedly be amazed by this new meaning, which now illuminates various, even small, events of your life. About everything that happened to you in life and that was previously understood either as indifferent, or as favorable and unpleasant in the everyday sense of the word - about all this you can undoubtedly now say with the Psalmist: “On behalf of Your destiny will come out of me." 2. Now all this is undoubtedly perceived as the manifestation of the mysterious hand of God, governing man for good. Great good for those who know, whose eyes will sooner or later be opened to understanding and perception of everything that happens to man, as the actions of God's right hand. This is truly the mystery of human life, usually not felt by us; but the one who has felt it can no longer separate his life from God and cannot already in your walk, direct your path in any direction other than to the Father’s house. This very thing, brother, is what you are testifying to now, falling before the Holy One. to this altar and our squad. And this very testimony of yours about putting off living according to the old man, which is true, is still only in the good intention and mood of your soul, nevertheless speaks at least about the awakening of your conscience, and about the knowledge of the mystery of God’s guidance in life. And let this mystery of God’s guidance, and the mystery of the birth of a new life in you, remain not fully understood; you nevertheless learned, at least partially, this secret in those phenomena about which the sacred song speaks. For you have undoubtedly experienced in your personal experience and felt tangibly this love of the Heavenly Father, who kisses every sinner and brings him repentance, of which this song speaks. You undoubtedly felt in the personal experience of your life and came to know the manifestation of the glory of God, its greatness and power, surpassing the greatness and power of this world. After all, it is impossible for a sinful person, carried away by the cycle of this world, to put aside all the red of this world and put it into his mind before he tastes another sweetness, sees another glory and beauty, even that of Christ Jesus. So, after all, it was with all those who despised the world and its joys; they were all worried and d.b. to experience what the Apostle so well expressed; “I have counted all this, that is, what I previously valued, as knowledge, so that I may gain Christ.” And so, about what you are experiencing now and about the mental state in which you are, one can perhaps say one thing: now your inner eyes have been opened and you have now seen what is good and evil, and you have understood the mystery of God’s guidance in human life and yours and illuminated it with new light and meaning, and in the acquisition of Christ you have placed the main good and joy of life. And if those around you asked you, and perhaps those who were perplexed, what did you gain by renouncing everything that people lived and live in, in which they see the meaning, good, joy of life, where is the free development of personality and life - tell them: it is precisely this meaning of life, this freedom and good activity that I am now acquiring, supposedly renouncing them and uniting with Christ. Tell them that, by renouncing all this, you gain a hundredfold the same, or rather the best, both here and in the future; you acquire something more valuable than which there is nothing in the world - your soul, rational, free and active, in its integrity and purity, in its power and greatness, in its freedom and activity. Ask them: what meaning do they see in this life? They will undoubtedly point out to you the successes of their minds, the successes of culture and civilization, the external splendor of all this, the broad tasks of social life, progress, etc. However, do not believe them, as if in all this they see the ultimate meaning of their life and the rationality of it. Why these eternal searches for the meaning of life and reason among various philosophers and scientists?!... Why these damned questions about suffering, about some incomprehensible play of chance on us? And why these groans under the yoke of the same fate and this eternal dissatisfaction? Where does this so often appearing escape from the meaninglessness of life to a new and greatest meaninglessness come from - to the deprivation of life? So it was, so it is and will be. So, after all, one does not run away from the reason of life and its meaning, if it exists and if it really existed. Obviously this meaning of life is not what people believe it to be. Is it not because this is the meaninglessness of life that man has rejected the one legal meaning and reason of life, established by God, and introduces his own reason and meaning into life, which is not moved by him, and thereby only introduces the meaninglessness of life, and he himself leads it to ruin. This is how God laughs at a proud man and destroys all his advice and tricks about life. Therefore, the Lord says that in Him alone is the way, the truth about life, and life itself: and blessed are those who, having learned the meaninglessness of life without Christ, followed Him and found in Him this meaning of life. You too have this joy and this gain in Christ, brother. And having believed in Christ and having learned in Him the truth about your life and human life, you have also found what Christ says to his disciples: “If you believe in Me, you will know the truth.” and the truth will make you free, and if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”3 This very good of freedom, brother, you also acquired by renouncing the world and that freedom of sin by which the world works, for the slaves of sin cannot have freedom. It seems there is no greater slavery and tyranny over the human person than that which exists in this very world, which is so alluring and speaks so much about free activity and the development of life. Look what strong chains are imposed on everything: on the mind, on the human will in the form of these conditional rules of decency and nobility; How many unnecessary idols have been set up, to which man himself bows and forces others to bow. It takes a true hero to shake off these chains. In fact, try to call a vice by its proper name, and you will see how society will treat you; violate even one rule of decency and you will be expelled. Is it not because the righteous and saints are so persecuted because in the conditions of this world they are simply impossible people, with some strange views and concepts; and the word comes true that “those who want to live godly in Christ will be persecuted, but the proud and the criminal will prosper in worse things” (2 Tim. 3:12-13). That is why they will persecute and revile you, but rejoice, for your reward is many - and not only in heaven, but also here: this is your spiritual freedom, which man boasts so much about, but which he can never have as long as he works for mammon, and not for Christ. Therefore, diligently learn what this freedom of man is, develop it and affirm it in yourself, for we are all called not to slavery, but to freedom, and it is precisely this path of following Christ with the cross on our shoulders. And you will see and feel how this freedom in Christ unites you with Him, grafts you to Him like a rod to a vine, and how, feeding spiritually from Christ, you will be fruitful in life. Remember that if there is anything eternal and living in our life, then these are not the fruits of the human mind and life, not the fruits of culture and civilization, but the moral truth of life, holiness, before which everything is capable of bowing, even with bitterness. For through this moral truth the very law of existence of all earthly life is restored and it bears the fruit of eternity. And the human personality itself, as if breathing into itself the healthy breath of its life, reveals itself in a variety of spiritual gifts and lives and enriches others. This is how the word of Scripture comes true that if the grain does not die, it will remain without fruit, but if it dies, it will bear much fruit (John 12:24). So you too die to the world and its lusts, and you will live forever. Amen. The next day, Sunday, by the Rector Bp. Theodore, in concelebration with o.o. archim. Herman and Hilarion, professors and students in the Holy Orders, the Divine Liturgy was celebrated in the renovated church, and after the Liturgy a prayer of thanksgiving with the proclamation of many years to the Reigning House, the Holy Synod, the rulers, teachers and students, the ktitor and all the benefactors of the academic church. Before the start of the prayer service, the Inspector of the Academy, Archimandrite Hilarion, made the following speech. It's about. Inspector of the Archimandrite Hilarion Academy When the Jews returned from the captivity of Babylon, on the sad ruins of devastated Jerusalem, on the sacred ruins of the plundered glorious Temple of Solomon, they began to build a new church to the Lord God. This new church could not compare in splendor with the lost creation of the great king. There were then elders who still remembered the beauty of Solomon's Temple. They looked at the new church, remembered the old one and... the elders began to cry loudly. Then Haggai the prophet arose and consoled the unfortunate sons of Israel. With what words, what words did the prophet of God console the tears of the weeping elders? They said: Great will be the last glory of this church more than the first (Hag. 2:9). Our renewed church, of course, is more modest than even Zerubbabel’s church, but it was not Solomon’s temple that we had before, and therefore, looking at this church and remembering the previous one, we will not cry like the elders of the Jews - no, we can have fun, rejoice and thank the Lord God, who crowned our endeavor with a crown of success. We could not have created this vault if it had not been for the blessing of the One who stretched out the entire vault of heaven like a skin and adorned it with harmonious choirs of luminaries. There is no prophet among us who would tell us whether the glory of this great church will be greater than the first, but we ourselves can pray to the Lord God about this and pray about this especially now. And what is the glory of the Christian church? Why are our churches famous? Which churches will we call glorious? Shouldn't we call those churches glorious in which Christians pray especially a lot and especially diligently? The glory of a Christian church - what is it, if not in those grace-filled moods that those who pray there experience? Prayers of the Christian soul, tender tears, raptures of spiritual joy, unfeigned humility, deep heartfelt sighs, contrition for one’s sins, good intentions in the matter of saving one’s soul - this is what constitutes the glory of the Christian church! Our former church was not disgraced. The paths that led to our church never wept from the knowledge that there were no one walking along them on the holiday, as the paths of Zion once wept according to the word of Jeremiah the prophet (Lam. 1:4). In it we experienced delights of spiritual joy, grieved over our sins, asked for mercy from God, found peace of mind, were consoled and touched by church services. May the Lord not deprive us of this priceless consolation in the renovated church! Let there be here, as it were, that mysterious staircase that Jacob the forefather once saw! The angels of God, these ministering spirits sent to serve all who want to inherit salvation (Heb. 1:14), may they, along this mysterious ladder, ascend to the throne of the Almighty the sighs, joys and sorrows of the earth-born, and may they descend to earth with a vial of goodness, and not anger and rage! Let unceasing prayers be offered here, may the souls of those praying here be enlightened and touched, and may the last glory of this church be greater than the first! But our church has had and can still have special glory. Our church is an academic church. A higher church school is attached to it, with which it is inextricably linked, together it rises to the pinnacle of glory and together it falls into the abyss of shame. What is the glory of the academic church? This is the same thing as the highest glory of the Academy itself. Every institution is glorious insofar as it justifies the purpose for which it exists. The purpose of the Academy is clear and definite: to produce enlightened servants of the Church. For this purpose alone, the Church creates higher theological schools. There is no other goal and there should not be. This goal is being achieved - glory to the Academy! Retreating or evading this goal is a shame, an indelible shame, disgrace to both the entire Academy and its individual members! Isn’t it clear in what close connection the inner life of our church school stands with these churches? The special glory of the academic church lies in the fact that it helped the Academy itself justify its purpose. Over the four decades that our former church existed, think how many different leaders and ministers were raised in it for God and His Holy Church! Entire generations asked for God's help here when they entered the Academy; they asked for God's blessing when, at the end of the years of study, they went out to their work and to do their work until the evening of life. Here, of course, the Lord appeared more than once, as in the bush to Moses, and called His chosen ones to serve His people, sending them to battle not with the Pharaoh of Egypt, but with the mental Pharaoh and with the rulers of the darkness of this age. How many good and holy intentions to serve God and the Church have ripened here through prayer - this is known by One Knower of the Heart. Either in the depths of a meek and silent spirit, or solemnly and in the face of the entire Church, here they made vows to seek in life not their own, but the essence of God. Many here around the sacred throne were married to God’s Church and entered the ranks of the clergy. This is the true glory of the Academy and the academic church! In conjunction with the higher church school attached to it, our church served and benefited the entire Russian Church. May the glory of this great church in this regard be greater than the first! The Church is in need and situation. She was surrounded by enemies on all sides. A shameless counterfeit of the truth of Christ has begun. The Church is cursed and angrily reviled. Her recent friends are ready to drive her away and pursue her. In this church need, where should we go to ask for help? Where can we get defenders, selfless warriors and selfless servants? Shouldn't higher church schools satisfy church needs? May this church help our Academy to fulfill its task, to satisfy the urgent church needs of our time! With the renewal of the academic church, may the thought and desire to serve the One Lord God and His Holy Church be renewed with new strength in the minds and hearts of all those living near it all the days of earthly life! Let here, in this renovated church, the Lord relentlessly knock on the doors of the hearts of those who are called to church service, who sin, unforgivably sin, if they shirk this service! Let our eyes see under these new arches of our church the high and exalted throne of the Lord of Hosts, and from this throne may each of us hear the voice of the Lord, gabbling: whom will I send and who will go to My people? (Is.6:8) Oh, if only there were no one among us so weak in spirit, so poor in love, who would doubt this Divine call to give a prophetic answer: Behold, I am, send me! (Isa.6:8) Truly, then the glory of this new academic church would be greater than the first! Now singing thanksgiving to the Lord God, let us pray, brethren, boldly that the last glory of this church may be greater than the first! See States Spirit. Academician 1884 See Ps.16:2. – Editorial of the ABC of Faith. See John 8:31. – Editorial of the ABC of Faith.