Святый Дамаскин рассуждает о сем так: "Многие принимают Тало Христово просто по обычаю, а так, как должно по закону помыслом и умом чистым в святый пост и в пасхальное время. Прежде всего, нужно святый пост в ЧИСТОТЕ провести и совесть очистить и тогда уже и причаститься; иначе неочищенный недостоин будет вкусить от трапезы Христовой. Вспомните, что еще и в ветхом завете к жертвам приступали со страхом и предочищались. А мы скверными руками приемлем Тело и Кровь Христовы и без страха, тогда как их и ангелы трепещут. И ты, христианин, о времени причащения знаешь, а к самому причащению не готовишься. Подумай, можешь ли ты со смрадными устами приступить и к земному царю? Как же с ними приступим к Царю Небесному? Не слышишь ли, что возглашается в церкви? "Иже во оглашении изыдите, и елицы, иже не в покаянии, да не приемлют"!... И потому пусть приступают к святому причащению только достойные, а недостойные пусть не причащаются, потому что они Святые Тайны только в суд себе примут и во осуждение и в муку. Потому-то священник и возглашает: "Святая святым!" т.е. пусть приступает только тот, кто свят. И не сказано просто чист, но свят. "Иже ест Хлеб сей и пиет чашу недостойно, повинен есть Телу и Крови Господни".

Итак, вот в чем должно состоять приготовление к принятию Святых Таин: во-первых, должно приступать к Святым Тайнам с помыслом и умом чистым; во-вторых, пост соблюсти в чистоте; в третьих, очистить себя покаянием и, наконец, в четвертых, приступать и со страхом.

Все ли тут сказано? Нет, нужно еще приступить и с любовью и верою, как и говорит святая Церковь: "верою и любовью приступим, да причастницы жизни вечные будем!" - И это самое главное. Поэтому, приготовляясь к причащению, тем, что сказано, не забудем и о вере и любви. И посему, приступая к святой чаши, каждый от всего сердца говори: "верую, Господи, и исповедую, яко Ты еси воистину Христос, Сын Бога живого, пришедый в мир грешный спасти, от них же первый есмь аз. С любовью иду к Тебе, потому, что Ты пролил за меня пречистую Кровь Твою, примирил меня с Отцом Твоим и избавил меня от греха, проклятия и смерти"! Так говори приступающий к святой чаше Господу, и ты примешь Святые Тайны не в суд или во осуждение, но во оставление грехов и в жизнь вечную. Аминь.

Почему Архангел Гавриил называется вестником радости

(Собор святого Архистратига Гавриила. Прол. Мар. 26)

Святый Архистратиг Гавриил называется у нас вестником радости. Почему так?

Во-первых, потому, что он возвещал людям вообще только одну радость. В Прологе про него говорится: "Сей святый Архистратиг Гавриил един есть от великих князей небесных воинств, иже искони Богом посылаем на землю и всяку радость возвещая человеческому естеству".

Then the Archangel Gabriel announced the joy to the prophet Daniel about the liberation of the people of God from the captivity of Babylon and about the time of the Messiah. He announced to Zachariah the joy of the birth of the Forerunner from a barren mother and said to him: "Fear not, Zacharias, for thy prayer has been heard, and thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John, and thou shalt have joy and gladness, and many shall rejoice at his birth" (Luke 1:13-14). Again, pious tradition testifies that Gabriel proclaimed to the holy righteous Joachim and Anna the joy of the birth of the Most Holy Virgin to them. He said to Anna: Anna! Anna! Thy prayer has been heard, thy sighs have passed through the clouds, thy tears have appeared before God, and thou shalt conceive and give birth to the Most-Blessed Daughter; through Her all the families of the earth will receive blessing, and salvation will be granted to the whole world; Her name shall be Mary."

At the same time an angel appeared to Joachim in the wilderness and said: "Joachim, Joachim! God has heard your prayer and is pleased to grant you His grace: your wife Anna will conceive and bear you a Daughter, whose birth will be a joy for all the world" (Thu Min. Sept. 9). Finally, the Archangel Gabriel is also called the messenger of joy because he proclaimed to the Most Holy Virgin the joy of the conception and birth of the Savior from Her. He said to Her: Rejoice, O Blessed One, the Lord is with Thee.. behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bear a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God shall give Him the throne of David His father, and shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and His kingdom shall have no end (Luke 1:28-33).

Thus, brethren, the Holy Archangel Gabriel is called the messenger of joy because he proclaimed joy to people. Let us revere him as a messenger who proclaimed salvation to the whole world; let us honor him with reverent worship and prayerful singing, joyfully celebrating his memory and giving thanks to him for such great blessings to his human race, which he formerly rendered and now renders, unceasingly praying for us to the incarnate Lord. Through the prayers of the Holy Archangel Gabriel, may we all receive the forgiveness of sins. (Thu.-min. March 26). Amen.

One must be prudent in petitions to God

(The story of our venerable father Daniel about Eulogius the stonecutter)

Fortunately, brethren, there are still quite a few God-loving souls who, being poor themselves, do not cease to build up their salvation by works of mercy and share it with the poor. Does not the thought ever occur to these merciful: if we were rich, would we do it for the poor? If the Lord would bless us with prosperity, how many widows and orphans would we accommodate! Nor is it often heard among us: "Oh, if so-and-so were rich, how much good he would do, how much he would enrich others!" - Unfortunately, we are mistaken in such judgments. A certain elder, having come to a certain village to sell his handicrafts, met a commoner, who, surrounded by beggars and wretches, was returning from work to his house. The elder together with others came to him, and the commoner washed everyone's feet, fed everyone, gave them water and calmed them down. Learning that this beggar-lover was the stonecutter Eulogius, who every day shared all his wages with the poor, the elder thought: what if this man were rich, how much good he would do! And he began to pray to God that He would give Eulogius wealth. The elder's prayer was heard, and the Lord said to him: "It is better for Eulogia to remain as it is now; but if thou wilt, I will give him riches, but wilt thou be a surety for him?" -- "O Lord," answered the elder, "seek his soul from my hands!" Eulogius, according to custom, having come to work, began to strike the stone rock with a hoe, and, having punched a hole, he saw through it in the rock a cave filled with gold. Eulogius pondered and decided to carry the gold secretly: to bring it home. And now the beggars are forgotten, and Eulogius takes gold to him at night. Then, he withdrew to Byzantium, bought palaces, and became a nobleman. Two years have passed. Only once did the elder see in a dream that Eulogius was being expelled from the presence of the Lord. The hermit was horrified and went all over, for the first time he met Eulogius. Searching for him for a long time and not finding him, he turned to one old woman with the question: "Do you have any beggar lover in your village?" The elder exclaimed: "What have I done, see that I am a murderer!" He got into a ship and set off for Byzantium. Finding the house of Eulogius, he sat down at its gate and waited for the owner to come out. He waited: Eulogius came out, surrounded by slaves, proud, haughty. The elder fell down before him and exclaimed: "Have mercy, I want to tell you something!" On another occasion he met Eulogius and was again beaten. I met him in the third, and again they inflicted wounds on him. In despair, he wanted to return home, so he boarded a ship and, entering it, fell unconscious. At this time, in a dream, he again saw the Lord with an angry face, surrounded by angels: and the Lord commanded the latter to cast the elder away from His presence, as the culprit in the death of Eulogius. But the Mother of God appeared and begged the Lord for forgiveness. Then the Lord said to the elder: "Do not ask for anything that you should not. I will restore Eulogius to his former position." The elder woke up joyfully and with tears he thanked the Lord and His Most-Pure Mother. What happened? Justin, the emperor who loved Eulogius, died in Constantinople, and the new one gave orders to take away the latter's estate to the treasury and kill him himself. Eulogius fled and finally reached his place. His first act was to go to the rock, wondering if he would find gold in it again. But there was no gold. Then he came to his senses again and again became a beggar and a lover of strangers. The elder, having learned about the seven, glorified God.

And so, now you yourselves, brethren, how erroneous our assumptions can sometimes be, how dangerous our dreams of changing our external situation are. In addition to this, they waste time for doing good works, distract from them, and thus hinder the very work of our salvation. Let us work for the glory of God, not where we want, and not with the desire for some other means that we have not had before, but where God has commanded, and with the means that we have. Amen.