Hope of the Resurrection

Contents Spiritual wisdom Temperance Two graces Networks Temptations Confession of sins Chastity of spirit Reward Debts About gratitude Strengths of the flesh About generosity About hardships About repentance About justice About death About the death of martyrs Hope for resurrection Resurrection of Christ About prayer for enemies St. Ambrose was born around 340 in northern Italy into a rich and noble Roman family, his father was a governor. At school, Ambrose studied ancient literature and philosophy, oratory, and already during these years he developed a deep interest in Christianity. Having received a good legal education, Ambrose soon became a successful lawyer, and in 370 Emperor Valentinian I appointed him ruler of northern Italy with residence in Mediolanum (modern Milan). In 374, elections for a bishop took place in Mediolan, about which there were heated debates. Ambrose, who by that time had earned the people's trust, came to the church to restore order, and suddenly a child's voice loudly said: “Ambrose is a bishop!” The people, together with the emperor, saw in this God’s election. It was in vain that Ambrose, who was then still among the catechumens preparing for baptism, refused and even disappeared from Milan; he was forced to agree, was baptized, completed all the church degrees within a week, and was ordained a bishop. From that time on, Saint Ambrose devoted his life to church service. He donated part of his enormous wealth to the Church, partly distributed to the poor - and devoted himself to asceticism, spending time in prayer and work, observing a vow of non-covetousness and leading a modest and strict lifestyle. He considered preaching to be the most important thing for a bishop, and therefore diligently studied the Holy Scriptures and the works of the Eastern Fathers of the Church. The doors of his cell did not close, and all his time belonged to his parishioners: everyone could see him and consult with him. When someone came to him with questions, he immediately left what he was doing and devoted all his attention to the visitor. Saint Ambrose courageously fought against pagan savagery: at his insistence, the title of high priest was deleted from the imperial title, the priests and idol temples were deprived of state support, the “sacred fire” of the Vestals was extinguished and the statue of Victory was removed from the Senate. The saint showed an example of pastoral firmness when he decided not to allow Emperor Theodosius into the church after the bloody suppression of the uprising in Thessalonica. Ambrose told the emperor: “A man who has shed so much blood cannot be in the church of the God of peace.” The emperor objected: “And David sinned, but did not lose the mercy of God.” To which Ambrose replied: “You imitated David in crime, imitate him in repentance,” and forbade receiving communion until reconciliation with God and the Church. Ambrose's authority was such that Theodosius yielded to the demands of the saint: on the feast of the Nativity of Christ, he, coming to the church without imperial clothes, publicly repented and was allowed to receive communion. The sermons of Saint Ambrose were widely known; they brought people to Christ and strengthened them in the faith. So, in 387, under the influence of his sermons, Blessed Augustine, who later became a bishop and a great theologian, believed and was baptized. Saint Ambrose is revered among the greatest saints - he was not only able to deeply study the original works of the Eastern Fathers of the Church, but also partially assimilated their ideas into Latin theology - which, unfortunately, was subsequently completely lost by Western theologians. Towards the end of his life, Bishop Ambrose enjoyed popular love; he spent his last years in constant prayer, calmly and joyfully awaiting his death, which occurred in 397 - and, according to his biographer, he was mourned not only by Christians, but also by pagans. His memory is celebrated on December 7/20. This is why Christ died in the flesh for everyone, so that we learn to live not only for ourselves. So great is the power of Christ that he commands the devil himself, who always wants to harm, to protect man... He wants to harm, but cannot, he wounds the flesh, but preserves the soul, devours the dust, but leaves the spirit. No one can repent unless he hopes for mercy and forgiveness. What time cannot atone for can be tamed by prudence. Those who, instead of meekness, breathe cruelty and instead of humility are clothed with pride, and while seeking God’s mercy for themselves, deny it to others, should not be considered disciples of Christ. Whoever tries to correct the vices of human weakness must hold this weakness itself on his own shoulders and, as it were, weigh it, and not reject it. For we read that the Gospel Shepherd laid the lost sheep on his shoulders, and did not abandon it. Does one who does not correct himself accept the words of Christ? Of course he doesn't accept it. So, he who corrects himself accepts His word; for His word is, that every one should forsake his sins. Therefore, we refuse either the fight against sins or Christ. Sorrow of the flesh drives away sin, but luxury multiplies it. Conversation of an insolent woman - a network of lust. Test the works of this age and you will see the fallen heights of the wicked. Lust is nourished by feasting and sweets, aroused by wine, and inflamed by drunkenness. Christ condemns those who do not know how healing the death of the Lord is and how great the mystery of His burial is. For the Lord suffered and died to save us from eternal death. His death is precious, for thanks to it the sinner is healed and accepted into new grace. Everything that is done for piety is decent, therefore we should not be ashamed of everything that can serve to honor Christ. He who thinks about sin betrays himself to be torn to pieces by his conscience. First pay what is due in order to be worthy of receiving what you want. By condemning our sin, we learn purity. Through what we read in the Gospel we know the future, and the appearance of the present is a sign of the future. The first of the blessings is to know and honor God, to love with all your thoughts the longed-for beauty of eternal truth. The second good is to extend one’s respect to one’s neighbor from the Divine and heavenly source. Simplicity is a certain moderation of morals and sobriety of spirit. The charitable soul will be satisfied. Piety 1 is the beginning of all goods and the source of virtues. He who keeps his own does not seek what belongs to others, and he who is content with his own does not desire what is superfluous. Since the love of money is the root of all evil, he who does not covet money avoids vices. Virtue 2 does not perish along with the body, and the end of good deeds is not the same as the end of nature, although nature itself does not perish forever, but for a while receives a kind of rest. It is a sign of arrogant shamelessness to want to deserve what the saints themselves are not given to know. In misfortune one must maintain moderation, just as in happiness. If it is absurd to rejoice immensely, is it proper to cry immensely? It is more painful to be afraid of any grief than to actually endure it. The grace of resurrection is capable of removing all sorrow and illness when we believe that with death nothing perishes, but moreover, it leads to incorruption and eternity. The repentant must not only wash away his sins with tears, but also, as it were, cover them up with good deeds, so that the Lord does not impute sin to him. It is a great thing to either abstain from the vices of youth, or abandon them from the very beginning, and turn to the most important thing (to God), for the paths of youth are shaky. Pious hearts delight in repentant crying, and their serious illness comes out with tears. Every good worker is the hand of Christ. The law of the flesh opposes the law of our mind in us and, like captives, leads us to sin, to do what we do not want. He who rejoices in the fall of another rejoices in the victory of the devil. Death is not evil, for it is a refuge from all disasters and sorrows, a reliable haven of safety and tranquility. Thinking about death is nothing more than a kind of separation from body and soul, for death itself means nothing more than the separation of soul and body. Let the outline of the true law be depicted in our morals, as we walk in the image of God, for the shadow of the law has already come; the shadow is for the carnal Jews, the image is for us, and the truth is for those who will rise again. We came to know these three things, that is, the shadow, the image and the truth, according to the law: the shadow in the law, the image in the Gospel, the truth in the judgment. But the whole essence is Christ, and everything is in Christ, whom we cannot now directly see, but we see Him as if in some image of the future, the shadow of which we recognized in the law, why Christ is not a shadow, but the image of God, not an empty image, but the truth. And for this reason the law was given through Moses; for the shadow came through man, the image came through the law, and the truth came through Jesus. Because truth comes from truth. Whoever wants to see this image of God must love God, so that God Himself will love him, and he will not be a slave, but a friend, doing the will of the Lord. Christ illuminates His world with no small light: from the edge of heaven is its departure, and its procession to their edge, and nothing is hidden from its warmth (Ps. 18:7). He mercifully enlightens everyone, He does not reject the wicked, but wants to correct them, He does not want to excommunicate the bitter from the Church, but to soften them, and for this purpose He calls them: Come to Me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest; take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart (Matthew 11:28–29). Often tears themselves console and ease the mind, often crying calms the heart and sad spirit. If the pagans, who have no hope of the resurrection, are consoled only by the imagination that there will be no feeling after death, how much more should we have the consolation, since we are not supposed to fear death, for it is the end of sins, and we should not regret the lost life which the resurrection restores. He who knows how to forgive recognizes himself as a man, he follows the path of Christ the Savior, Who, having accepted flesh, chose to come into the world as a Savior rather than as a judge. Where there is infidelity, there is blindness. God, bowing His ear, hears not physically, but spiritually, out of condescension towards our weakness. He inclines His ear to us, so that our prayer may enter into it. Giving mercy does not require a voice: the One who heard Moses did not need a voice, although he was silent and exclaimed, turning to Him with only wordless groans. The Lord can hear even blood that has no voice or tongue. Blood cried out, turning to Him, in martyrdom and fratricide. The Apostle Paul exhorts: In everything give thanks (1 Thess. 5:18). For we always have something to thank God for, we are never without the gift of God, we owe our lives to Him every day. What do you have that you wouldn't get? (1 Cor. 4:7), says the Apostle Paul. And since you always accept, then always call, and since everything that you have, you have from God, then always recognize yourself as a debtor; however, I want you to pay your debt with love, and not with coercion. The one who wins is the one who trusts in God's grace, and not the one who is proud of his virtue. What is above measure, although good, will not be counted as real good to you. Keep the measure so that you can receive it according to the measure. Mercy does not hinder truth, because mercy itself is truth. Christ humbled himself in order to exalt everyone; and thus he who imitates the humility of Christ achieves the peace of Christ. Look, man, at the grace of Christ to you: you still crawl on earth, but in heaven you already have an inheritance. Therefore let your heart be where your property is. The Lord suffered and died to save us from eternal death. His death is precious, for through it the sinner is forgiven and accepted into new grace; let everyone come and be amazed at how he reclines with Christ and, glorifying God, they will say: Let us eat and have fun! For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found (Luke 15:23–24). If someone who is not a believer says: Why does your Teacher eat and drink with publicans and sinners? - then we answer him: It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick (Matthew 9:11-12). When the purpose of virtues is primarily to see the benefit of many, then moderation is considered the most graceful of all virtues, for it does not cause offense to those whom it condemns and makes those condemned worthy of forgiveness. She alone spread the Church created by the blood of Christ, explaining the message about Christ in such a way that it was bearable to human ears, pleasing to thoughts and not hostile to hearts. Grace is twofold: grace to believe and grace to suffer for the Lord Jesus. Therefore the believer has his grace; He also has another if his faith is crowned with suffering. For Peter, before he suffered, was not without grace, but after suffering he acquired another. And many who did not have the grace to suffer for Jesus, however, had the grace to believe in Him. The devil lays many snares. The eye of the harlot is a snare for the husband. And our own eyes are the same for us as certain nets, and therefore it is written: Do not let yourself be caught by your eyes (Proverbs 6:25). So, we set our own nets and, getting entangled, we get caught. We bind ourselves with bonds, for everyone binds himself with the bonds of sins. The Apostle Peter, although he was filled with faith, however, not realizing human weakness, proudly said to the Lord: I will lay down my life for You (John 13:37). For this arrogant opinion, he fell into temptation - he denied before the rooster crowed. Such temptation became a guide to salvation for us, so that we could learn not to despise someone’s weakness and, despising, not fall into temptation. If the Apostle Peter was tempted, then who will think of himself that he cannot be tempted? Peter, without a doubt, was tempted because of us, for for the strongest there was no danger from temptation, but that we might learn from him how to resist persecution, desiring to preserve our lives, and that we might overcome temptation with patience. Confession of sins destroys the bonds of iniquity and makes sins non-existent. The Lord knows everything, but awaits your voice - not for punishment, but for forgiveness; He doesn’t want the devil to laugh at you and accuse you of hiding your sins. Get ahead of your accuser; when you judge yourself, you will not have an accuser; If you plead guilty to yourself, then even if you were dead, you will come to life. After your confession of sins, all bonds will be destroyed and all fetters will be broken... Let the carnal eye see, but let the eyes of the heart close, so that the chastity of the spirit may remain unharmed. The Lord Himself shows condescension and teaches us: Whoever looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart (Matthew 5:28). He did not say: “Whoever looks at her has already committed adultery,” but: “Whoever looks at a woman lustfully.” That is, it is not the view that is prohibited, but the desire. However, modesty is also commendable, which, as it were, closes the eyes of the body, so that we often do not see what we are looking at. For although it seems that we see everything that we encounter, if there is no attention of the spirit, our vision is invalid, therefore we see more with the spirit than with the body. Although the flesh will receive fire, let it not transmit it to the hidden depths of our spirit. Let us not attach this fire to our bones, let us not impose bonds on ourselves; Let there be nothing between our words from which the fire of fornication or adultery would ignite. People are motivated to do anything either by its fruits or by its reward; every matter, being postponed, remains without movement. And therefore, the Lord, in order to reward the zeal of the apostles with real fruit, said that if anyone, leaving everything, follows Him, he will receive the reward sevenfold here and in the next century. Firstly, I promised here to take away the boredom of slowness; I added “and in the next century” so that you would know that even after death a reward awaits you. So today's reward is proof of the future. He who owes to God has more means to pay than he who owes to man. For man demands money for money, but God demands zeal, which is in your will. None of those who owe God are poor, unless they make themselves poor; although he has nothing to sell, he has something to pay. Prayers, repentance, fasting are the property of a good debtor, and the property is much greater than when someone, without faith, gives money from his property. There is no greater duty than to give thanks to God. The business of the prudent is to know himself and, as the sages say, to live according to nature. For what is more natural for us than to give thanks to the Creator? Look at the sky - with all its splendor does it not give thanks to its Creator, according to the psalmist: The heavens proclaim the glory of God, and the firmament speaks of the works of His hands (Ps. 18:2). Let our flesh part with its passions and lusts, let it be conquered, and not resist the law of our mind, just as the Apostle Paul tamed and enslaved his body, so that his preaching would be more useful if the law of the flesh agreed with the law of the mind. For the flesh is tamed when its wisdom passes into the spirit, when we think not in a carnal way, but in a spiritual way. Oh, that the powers of my flesh would weaken and would not drag me, like a captive, to the law of sin! Oh, that I would not live in the flesh, but in the faith of Christ! And for this reason there is greater grace in the weakness of the flesh than in healing. Although God loved the Apostle Paul very much, he did not want to deliver him from bodily weakness and answered his request: My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness (2 Cor. 12:9). And the Apostle Paul himself was more pleased about his weaknesses, saying, when I am weak, then I am strong (2 Cor. 12:10), for the strength of the soul is made perfect by the weakness of the flesh. It is indisputable that giving to the poor can reduce sin, but only when it is combined with faith and love. For what is wealth possible without love? Many, out of sheer boasting, want to be known as generous and want to earn praise from people by leaving nothing for themselves, but, seeking glory and reward here, they lose their future reward and, having received earthly glory, cannot hope for heavenly glory. Many, having given their property to the Church without reasoning, wanted to return it again; such did not receive either the first reward or the second, for the first had no reasoning, and the second was associated with sacrilege. The earth sighs under the plows, is beaten by the rain, crushed by the storm, frozen by the frost, scorched by the sun in order to produce fruits and, adorned with wondrous flowers, soon loses everything that it has produced. How many losses she suffers! But she does not regret the loss of her fruits, which she gave birth to in order to lose them; and henceforth does not reject it, although he knows that its fruits will be taken away. The sky itself does not always shine with brilliant stars, with which it is decorated like diamonds, it does not always shine with the rise of light and turn purple with the sun’s rays, but sometimes this splendor is covered with clouds. What's nicer than light? What's happier than the sun? But although it hides from us every day, we do not regret its entry, for we hope for its return. It teaches you to have patience with your own changes... Some, hoping that they will someday be able to repent, consider it permissible for themselves to sin, although repentance is the healing of sin, and not an incentive to it. For we are looking for medicine for a wound, rather than inflicting wounds on ourselves in order to later resort to medicine. And the hope that is postponed for a while is not firm, because time is beyond our control, and hope may not have time to come true... Although the virtues are all interconnected, each of them has a certain separate image, especially justice. For this virtue, so to speak, is stingy and thrifty for itself, but out of love for others, as merciless towards itself, it gives away everything it has. Who will think of himself that he should be delivered from death when he is not free from the fate of birth? The mystery of great piety is that Christ was not delivered from bodily death, but, being the Lord of nature, did not renounce the law of the flesh taken upon Himself. The pagans have their own consolation, for they consider death to be peace from all evil, and, not having the fruit of life, they think that beyond the grave they will not have the feeling of evil, the weight of which we constantly bear. We must be more encouraged by the reward and encouraged by consolation to greater patience, for we are not deprived of loved ones, but only forward let go of those whom not death, but eternity will accept into its bosom. Real evil is immoderate sadness and fear of death. Such excess led to the death of so many, armed many with the sword, inclining them to kill themselves - they thereby revealed their madness and stupidity. For what they avoided as an evil, they accepted instead as a means and refuge. We know that the spirit lives after the body and, having laid aside the bonds of feelings, freely sees what it could not see before in the body. We can prove this by the example of those sleeping, whose spirit, as if leaving the body, ascends to the highest, sees the absent and the heavenly. When bodily death delivers us from the sorrows of this age, it is not evil, since it returns freedom and takes away illness. Then we pay due respect to the dead when they are always in our prayerful memory, when we direct our love and zeal towards them. Death is unworthy of mourning, firstly, because it is common to everyone, moreover, it delivers us from the sorrows and sorrows of this age and, like sleep, after calming down from worldly labors, restores vitality and strength. The grace of resurrection is capable of removing all sorrow and illness when we believe that with death nothing perishes, but, moreover, it leads to incorruption and eternity. So, first of all, it is not appropriate to see off the death of our loved ones with immeasurable crying. For what could be more obscene than to mourn what is prescribed and awaits everyone as something special? This means nothing more than to violate the nature of the spirit, not to accept the general law, to deny the unity of nature, to philosophize carnally and not to understand the measure of the flesh itself. What could be more obscene than not knowing who you are and desiring what you cannot be? Or what is more reckless than not moving through an event that you know will happen in advance? Nature itself, with some of its consolation, distracts us from such sorrow. What pain could be so severe or such a cruel cry, in which sometimes the spirit would not have peace? The property of nature is such that although people are sometimes in deplorable circumstances, they then distract their thoughts from sadness. They say that there were certain peoples who mourned the day of a person's birth, but celebrated the day of death. For they thought not unreasonably that those who entered the sea of ​​life are worthy of all regret, and, on the contrary, those who left the troubles of this world should rightly be seen off with joy. And we ourselves consign the birthday of the dead to oblivion, but we solemnly celebrate the day of their death. Consequently, by our very nature it is not proper for us to indulge in heavy sorrow, lest we thereby show that we are either arrogating to ourselves some superior exception or denying the common destiny. For death is equal for everyone: the same for the poor, and the same for the rich. According to Scripture, death is threefold. One is when we die to sin and live for God. Therefore, blessed is this death, which, being free from guilt and devoted to the Lord, separates us from the mortal and devotes us to the immortal. Another death is the exit from this life, when the union of the soul with the body is destroyed. The third death, about which it is said: Let the dead bury their dead (Matthew 8:22). With this death, not only the body, but also the soul dies. The soul that sins will die (Ezek.18:4). For he dies for God, not through the weakness of his nature, but through guilt. But this death is not the loss of life, but a fall into sin. So, one death is spiritual, another is natural, and the third is a punishment. But natural death is not the same as punishment, for the Lord gave death not instead of execution, but instead of medicine and healing. Adam who sinned was prescribed one thing instead of punishment, and another instead of healing and salvation. Instead of punishment, when it is said: Because you listened to the voice of your wife and ate from the tree, about which I commanded you, saying: You shall not eat from it; cursed is the ground because of you; you will eat from it in sorrow all the days of your life; She will bring forth thorns and thistles for you; and you will eat the grass of the field; By the sweat of your face you will eat bread until you return to the ground from which you were taken (Gen. 3:17-19). In death you have the cessation of executions (punishments): for against the misfortunes of this age, and the cares of the world, and the whims of wealth, sweeping aside the word of God, death is given as a medicine, as the end of all evil. For the Lord did not say: “Because you listened to the voice of your wife, you will return to the ground,” - this definition would have been condemnatory, but said: “By the sweat of your face you will eat your bread until you return to the ground.” This proves that death is rather the end of punishments, which ends the course of this life. It follows quite clearly from this that death is not only not evil, but is also good. People desire it as good, as it is written: In those days people will seek death, but will not find it (Rev. 9:6). Those who will begin to look for her will begin to say to the mountains: fall on us! and the hills: cover us! (Luke 23:30). The sinning soul will seek her. So, we see that this death is gain. Why does the Apostle Paul say: For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain (Phil. 1:21). For what is Christ if not the spirit of life? And for this reason we will die with Him, so that we may remain with Him. May we always wish to die to sin: may our soul learn to protect itself from carnal lusts and elevate itself so that earthly addictions cannot attract it to itself, may it accept the image of death, may it not be subject to the penalty of death. For the law of the flesh opposes the law of the mind, as the Apostle Paul revealed to us: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin that is in my members (Rom. 7:23). We all have a sensitive war within us, but we do not all get rid of it, and therefore I am an unhappy person if I do not look for a remedy against it. But what remedy? Who will deliver me from this body of death? (Rom.7:24). The grace of God in Jesus our Lord. We have a doctor - let us follow the healing; Our medicine is the grace of Christ, and the mortal body is our body. And for this purpose we will distance ourselves from the desires of the body, so as not to move away from Christ, and, being in the body, we will not follow those of the body. Let us also not abandon the rights of nature, but only desire more gifts of grace, as the Apostle Paul says: I have a desire to be separated and to be with Christ, because this is incomparably better; but remaining in the flesh is more necessary for you (Phil. 1:23–24). Initially, death was not in nature, but then it became nature. For God did not at first institute death, but gave it later instead of a medicine. So that this does not seem unpleasant to anyone, let us delve into this with our reasoning. For if death is good, then why is it written: God did not create death; but through the envy of the devil death entered the world (Wis. 1:13, 2:24)? In fact, God’s creation did not need death when man in paradise was rewarded with all the blessings, but after the Fall, human life became miserable due to constant labors and sorrows, which is why it was necessary to determine the end of evil, it was necessary for death to return what life had lost, for immortality without grace is more painful than useful. By the death of martyrs, piety was protected, faith was increased, the Church was established, the dead were victorious, persecutors were defeated, and we glorify the death of those whose lives are unknown to us, which is why King David prophetically exclaimed: Dear in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints! (Ps. 115:6). With these words he prefers death to life. The very death of martyrs is the reward of life. Moreover, death destroys the hatred and malice of enemies. By the death of the Savior we are saved from eternal death. For Christ could not die if he wanted, but he did not deign to avoid death, as if weak and powerless, and could not better deliver us from destruction than through His death. So His death is the life of all. We are guarded by His death, making the sign of the cross; we proclaim and preach His death, when we pray and make sacrifices; His death is a victory, a sacrament and an annual celebration of peace. And the reason why it is not necessary to regret death is general salvation; there is no need to run away from it, for the Son of God Himself did not disdain it. The order of nature is inviolable, and what is common to all cannot be excluded in each. The hope of the resurrection is confirmed by three proofs: reason, universal example and the testimony of the event, for many were resurrected. Reason - for since our whole life passes in the community of body and soul, and the resurrection will be a reward for good deeds or execution for the wicked, it is necessary to resurrect the body, whose deeds will also be judged. And if the soul appears before the court without a body, then how should it give an answer for itself and for the body? The resurrection is promised to everyone, but because it is difficult to believe in it, it is not our merit, but the gift of God. The hope for resurrection is affirmed by the world itself, the state of things, the order of births following one another, the signs of birth and death, the change of day and night. The earth itself could not bear its fruits if the moisture, evaporated by the heat of the sun by God's disposition, were not restored by the night dew. What can I say about the fruits? Do they not die when they fall, and are they not resurrected when they grow again? What is sown is resurrected, and what is dead is raised and transformed into the same genera and species. As the earth returns its fruits, so our nature imitates the same kind of resurrection. Why do you think that a body cannot be resurrected from a body? Grain is sown and grain grows; An apple falls, and the apple is resurrected: the grain is decorated with a flower and clothed with skin. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality (1 Cor. 15:53). The flower of resurrection is immortality and incorruptibility. For what could be more desirable than eternal peace and security? The fruits with which human nature abounds after death are varied... The cause of birth is seeds. Christ calls the human body a seed. Therefore, when there is a sowing, there is also a resurrection. If there were no being or reason, then perhaps someone would consider it difficult for God to regenerate people, in whatever way he wanted, for God, who as soon as he commanded light to be from nothing, immediately it arose from nothing. Look at the sky, look at the earth: where did the stars shine from? Where does the circle of the sun and its rays come from? Where is the moon from? Where do the mountain peaks and forests come from? Where did the air spill or water pour out from? If God created all this out of nothing, is it surprising if something that already existed is born again, when we see something born that did not exist before? Saint Job, having experienced the misfortune of this life and overcoming all misfortunes with his patience, promises himself resurrection for this torment as a reward: My Redeemer lives, and on the last day He will raise from the dust this decaying skin of mine, and I will see God in my flesh (Job 19:25–26). The prophet Isaiah, announcing the resurrection to the peoples, says: Death will be swallowed up forever, ... for so says the Lord (Is. 25:8). Likewise, the holy prophet Ezekiel describes with full explanation how dry bones will again receive their strength, feeling and movement, how the veins will be formed again and the composition of the human body will return to its former strength, how the withered bones will be clothed with new flesh and covered with skin. When we read prophetic words, it seems as if we see human bodies rising up. The hand of the Lord was on me, and the Lord brought me out in the spirit and set me in the middle of a field, and it was full of bones... And he said to me: prophesy on these bones and say to them: “The bones are dry!” listen to the word of the Lord!” Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will put breath into you, and you will live. And I will cover you with sinews, and I will grow flesh on you, and I will cover you with skin, and I will bring breath into you, and you will live, and you will know that I am the Lord. I prophesied as I was commanded; and when I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a movement, and the bones began to come together (Ezek.37:1-7). Here the prophet shows that hearing and movement are poured into the bones before the spirit of life. For withered bones are commanded first to hear, as if they had a sense of hearing, and the prophetic words here mean that each bone was united into its own composition: And the bones began to come together, bone to bone. And I saw: and behold, sinews were on them, and flesh grew, and skin covered them above, but there was no spirit in them (Ezek. 37:7-8). It is God’s great mercy that the prophet became a witness to the future resurrection, so that we too could see it with our own eyes, for not everyone could be witnesses to this. But let us listen to how the dead are quickened by the spirit of life, and those lying in their tombs are raised. Then He said to me: Prophesy to the spirit, prophesy, son of man, and say to the spirit: Thus says the Lord God: come from the four winds, O spirit, and breathe on these slain, and they will live. And I prophesied as He commanded me, and the spirit entered into them, and they lived, and stood on their feet - a very, very great army (Ezek. 37:9-10). We have seen how the dead receive the spirit of life and rise from their graves. Is it surprising that, at the command of the Lord, the tombs of the dead are opened, when the whole earth shakes within its boundaries with a single thunder, the sea emerges from its borders, and again holds the flow of its waters! Suddenly, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will rise incorruptible, and we will be changed (1 Cor. 15:52). The one who believes this will first of all be lifted into the air to meet the Lord, but the unbeliever will remain and by his unbelief will subject himself to judgment. The Lord shows us in the Gospel how we will be resurrected, for he did not resurrect Lazarus alone, but the faith of all. When you, reading, believe, then your thought, which was dead, comes to life. The Lord, coming to the tomb, cried out in a loud voice: Lazarus! Get out (John 11:43); He did this in order to show the image and example of the future resurrection. Why did he exclaim with his voice, when he could have acted in spirit, when he could have commanded silently? Of course, in order to show what is written: Suddenly, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will rise incorruptible, and we will be changed (1 Cor. 15:52). For the trumpet makes its sound by raising its voice. And he cried: Lazarus! Get out. Why is the name also added? Of course, so that one rebel would not be mistaken for another, or so that the resurrection would not seem accidental and not happen by command. So, the dead man heard and came out of the tomb, wrapped in burial cloths on his hands and feet, and his face was tied with a scarf (John 11:44). Can you understand how Lazarus came out of the tomb with his eyes and legs blindfolded? There were bonds on him, but they did not hold him; his eyes were covered, but he saw. For by the power of God's command nature stopped its action, abandoned its order, obeying the voice of the Creator; The bonds of death were broken before the bonds of the grave: the power of God was at work before Lazarus began to walk. If this is surprising to you, then remember who commanded this, and you will stop being surprised: Jesus Christ, God's power, life, light, resurrection of the dead. Power raised the one lying on his feet, life gave him walking, light drove away darkness, restored sight, and resurrection gave life. And is it surprising that the soul returns to the call of God, the skin returns to the bones, when from a single touch of the body of the prophet Elijah the dead were resurrected: the prophet prayed and raised the dead youth. The Apostle Peter, in the name of Christ, commanded Tabitha to get up and walk, and then many poor people, rejoicing, thought that life had been returned to her for giving alms; and we still do not believe for salvation. They asked for the resurrection of their neighbor with their tears, but we do not believe in the existence of the resurrection even knowing about the suffering of Christ. When Jesus gave up the ghost to show that he died for our resurrection, then he revealed the very order of the resurrection: Jesus, crying out again with a loud voice, gave up the ghost. And behold, the curtain of the church was torn in two, from top to bottom; and the earth shook; and the stones dissipated; and the tombs were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were resurrected and, coming out of the tombs after His resurrection, they entered the holy city and appeared to many (Matthew 27:50-53). If such amazing things happened at the emission of the spirit of Christ, then why do they seem incredible to us during the coming of Christ to judgment? Moreover, this resurrection is proof of a future resurrection and an example of future truth; the example is less than the truth itself. But who, during the suffering of the Lord, opened the tombs, gave a hand to those rising from the tombs and showed the way to the holy city? If there was no one, then the power of God was and acted in the bodies of the dead. You look for human help where you see the work of God. God's works do not require human help. God commanded the sky to be - and it was done; He determined to create the earth - and it was created. Who collected the stones and with what forces? Who served the creative God? In the blink of an eye it all happened. Do you want to know how soon? No sooner said than done. When, at the word of the Lord, the elements rise, then why, at His word, will not the dead rise, who, although dead, once lived and had the spirit of feeling, had the strength to act? Otherwise, it is better to be soulless and have no feelings. The devil said to the Savior: Command this stone to become bread (Luke 4:3). The devil admits that by the command of the Lord nature can be transformed, but you do not believe that by the word of the Lord the same nature can be transformed. If earth and heaven are renewed, then why do we doubt the renewal of man, for whom earth and heaven were created? If the criminal is saved for execution, then why does the righteous not live forever to glory? If the worm of sins does not die, then why will the flesh of the righteous perish? This is the resurrection, as the word of God itself depicts: what has fallen will rise, what has died will come to life. The order of justice requires that when the actions of the soul and the body are common (for what the spirit thinks, the body puts into action), then both of them must stand trial, both must either be put to death or be observed in glory, since the law of the flesh is opposed to the law of the spirit and the spirit mostly does what it hates. Since the sin of the flesh that lives in man is active, it is indecent and unjust for only the soul, being involved in guilt, to be punished, while the flesh should enjoy peace, being the cause of sorrows, for one soul to be condemned, which was not the only one to sin, or for one soul to receive glory, which was not the only one to labor. Everyone will be resurrected, but each, as the Apostle Paul says, in his own order (1 Cor. 15:23). The fruit of God's mercy is common, but the order of merits is different. The day shines for everyone, the sun warms all peoples, the rain makes everyone’s land fruitful. We are all born, and we will all be resurrected, but the state of both life and resurrection is different. Saint Paul awakens the sleeping person to life, saying: “Awake, O sleeper, and rise from the dead, and Christ will give you light” (Eph. 5:14). The sleeping person awakens so that he can live and be like the Apostle Paul and could say: We who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will not warn those who have died (1 Thessalonians 4:15). For the Apostle Paul speaks here not of the general use of breath and life, but of the merit of the resurrection. Because, having said: The dead in Christ will rise first, he adds: Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). It is a great sacrilege to not believe in the resurrection, for if we do not rise, then Christ died in vain, and therefore Christ did not rise from the dead. If he did not rise for us, then, therefore, he never rose again, having no need for resurrection. The world was resurrected in Him, the heaven was resurrected, the earth was resurrected, since there will be a new heaven and a new earth. Was resurrection necessary for Himself, if mortal bonds did not hold Him back? Although He died as a man, He was free in hell itself. We do not dare to measure the greatness of God’s power by human strength: we should not investigate how someone will be resurrected, with what body he will be raised, or how what has been destroyed will be united and what has fallen will be restored. For this will be fulfilled according to the will of God... Let us not inquire how we will be resurrected, but only expect the result of the resurrection, which we will receive if, having renounced vices, we have the perfection of the spiritual sacrament, if the renewed flesh receives grace from the spirit and the soul receives from Christ the radiance of eternal light. The resurrection of our Lord is life for the dead, forgiveness for sinners, and glory for saints. That is why the holy prophet David encourages every creature and all creation to the most joyful celebration of this day, saying: This day, which the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad on it! (Easter stichera) 3. This Day penetrates and illuminates everything, embraces heaven, and earth, and the underworld, for the Light of Christ is not blocked by walls, is not divided by the elements, and is not darkened by darkness. The Light of Christ is a day without evening, an endless day: it shines everywhere, illuminates everything, nothing is hidden from it. That day is Christ Himself, as the Apostle Paul says: The night has passed, but the day has come near (Rom. 13:12); it is said “the night has passed” (and will not follow) so that we understand that with the approach of the Light of Christ, the darkness of the devil is driven away, and the ignorance of sins has passed, and that by this radiance the former errors of the mind have been destroyed and seductive wickedness has ceased. That this Day (that is, Christ) illuminates heaven, earth and the underworld, the Holy Scripture testifies to this: There was the true Light, which enlightens every person who comes into the world (John 1:9). We read from the prophet that on this Day the very depths of hell are illuminated: On those who live in the land of the shadow of death the light will shine (Is. 9:2). And about the fact that this Day shines in heaven, read from the prophet David: I will continue his seed forever, and his throne is like the days of heaven (Ps. 89:30). Who is the Day of Heaven if not Christ the Lord? (see Ps. 19:3). And since the Day of Heaven will never be followed by night, then even after the revelation of the righteousness of Christ, the darkness of sins disappears. Since the Day always shines and cannot be covered by any darkness, the Light of Christ also shines and is not covered by any darkness of sins. That is why the Evangelist John says: The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it (John 1:5). So, in the Resurrection of our Lord all the elements triumph. On this day, the sun itself is clearer than usual: it is fitting that the sun should rejoice at His Resurrection, since during His suffering it was covered in the darkness of lamentation. Therefore, brothers, let us all rejoice on this holy day! Let no one exclude himself from the general joy, being convicted by his conscience for his sins; Let no one avoid the most solemn prayers, being burdened with the multitude of his iniquities. Today, the sinner should have good hope in the forgiveness of sins, since he has a great guarantee in the One through whom the thief was awarded paradise. And how can a Christian not hope for the forgiveness of sins? If during the crucifixion Christ the Savior had mercy on that thief, then how will He not have mercy on a Christian after His Resurrection? And if the humble Sufferer showed so much mercy to the repentant, then what mercy will the Risen One in glory show to the one who asks! We must ask for our enemies themselves and pray for those who persecute us, as the Lord prayed, exclaiming: Father! forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing (Luke 23:34). See great mercy here. People persecuted their Creator, but He forgave them the most serious sins and also excused them by ignorance, saying: they do not know what they are doing. For if they had known, they would not have dared to persecute their Lord and would have seen their salvation in His power. But the persecutors of Christ were pleased with His killing, and still used blasphemy and slander. He Himself says: They curse, but You bless (Ps. 109:28). So Christ blessed us not to be afraid of the slander of those who persecute us, he taught us not to be upset by curses when we believe in Him, who is able to remove every curse from us. Piety lies in knowing the commandments of Christ and following them in practice. This is, first of all, the commandment to love your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12:30–31) and the Beatitudes (see Matthew 5:3–12). Following these commandments of the Gospel is intended to change a person’s soul for good, to direct him to fight against his own sinfulness and passions, which, no matter how familiar and dear to a person, cause him suffering, deprive him of love and remove him from God. Virtue is here: good qualities of the soul, such as spiritual peace, Gospel love, mercy, patience, humility, meekness, silence, temperance, goodness, etc. This is the day the Lord has made: let us rejoice and be glad on it! (Ps. 118:24). You might be interested in: