РОСА СКОРБЯЩИМ РАДОСТИ

You give joy, O Theotokos, to those crying out to You: Blessed are You among women, Most Immaculate Lady (Easter Hours). The daughter of the Chernigov mayor Pavel Klevts, Tatyana, six years old, became blind in her right eye due to some incident. There is no need to say what kind of grief this caused the parents, for who does not know that when their children are sick in body, their parents are also sick in their hearts. Neighbors advised the mother to take the sick woman to the miraculous icon of the Mother of God, where all illnesses were quickly cured. Having accepted good advice, the mother twice with faith brought her daughter to the Saturday Akathist: the first time the eye began to look, the second time the thorn completely disappeared. And the rejoicing parents and their daughter, who had received clear and healthy vision, thanked the Virgin Mary. In this world my soul has turned away from consolation, for all the joy of the world is sorrow. There is no joy here that is not dissolved by sadness, there is no joy that is not coupled with sorrow, there is no joy that is not followed by lamentation, there is no laughter that is not followed by crying and sighing. Where can I find true, unchanging and inalienable joy? They say that in paradise there is no illness, no sorrow, no sighing: there is always “the voice of joy and salvation in the villages of the righteous” (Ps. 117:15). But I am unclean and filthy, how can I move in there, where “nothing unclean will enter” (Rev. 21:27)? From there, sinners like me are expelled in shame. “Outside are dogs, and sorcerers, and fornicators, and murderers, and idolaters, and all who love and practice iniquity” (Rev. 22:15). Where shall I go, a sinner, in order to find consolation for my sorrowful soul? I will go to the Most Holy Theotokos: She is a verbal paradise, abounding in all joy and joy; free entry to it is not prohibited not only for saints, but also for sinners. In this paradise, I say, in Mary, I will find consolation, only with faith will I exclaim to Her with those who sing: “Give consolation to Your servant, All-Immaculate One, quenching the fierce uprising that comes upon us, changing us from all sorrow” (Theotokos at the Little Blessing of Water, Chapter 1). Paradise consoles only those who have moved from sadness to a joyful life. Mary also consoles those who are in the vale of mourning and those who cry over their misfortune. “Oh, most red Paradise, let Your consolations rejoice my soul” (Service on the Week of Cheese). We all want to enter heaven, but our sins forbid us. And what shall we do? My advice is to resort to the Blessed Virgin Mary. She is the door of heaven, opening entry to everyone, so the Church reads to Her: “Rejoice, opening of the doors of heaven” (Akathist, Ikos 4). It is impossible for anyone else to enter heaven if not through the Mother of God. Hear what Blessed Herman, Patriarch of Constantinople, says about Her: “No one knew God except through You, O Most Pure One! No one will accept salvation except through You, O Mother of God! No one will get rid of their misfortune except through You, O Mother of God! No one is redeemed except by You, O Mother of God!” And Gregory of Nicomedia says the same thing: “Through you, paradise has truly been accepted, through you, the human race has returned from exile to its homeland, through you, the flaming weapon guarding the gates of Eden will be taken away, through you, joy and joy will open the gates that are closed, through you, we hope to enter the heavenly kingdom, we have you as an assistant to our salvation!” Let us relentlessly hold on to these heavenly gates - the Most Pure Virgin - and let us enter with Her into paradise itself, leaving all sorrows and illnesses. For whom the good Mother loves, a place in heaven is prepared for him. At the Church of St. Mauritius in Colonia, a certain nun, who had lived a holy life and had great zeal in prayers to our Lady, was approaching the end of her life and was sick towards death. When the time of repose approached and the sisters surrounded the bed, her face brightened and with a smile she said in a quiet voice: “Here comes my sweetest Lady Mary.” Having said this, she gave up her spirit into the hands of the newly arrived Lady, Whom she had loved throughout her life. And who can doubt that the Virgin Mary opened the door of heaven to this servant of Her and led her into eternal joy? You might be interested in: