Orthodox Christians know many other examples of Her intercession. But what is most important is that She repeatedly prevented the righteous wrath of God against sinners, brought them to reason and helped them to turn from a pernicious error to the path of repentance and correction of their lives. Among such cases is the event we are celebrating now, which is depicted on the icon "Unexpected Joy". A certain sinner had the custom of standing daily in his room before the icon of the Mother of God for prayer and sending to Her the Archangelic doxology: Rejoice, O thou of grace! And so one day, getting ready for his sinful work, he went into the room out of habit and stood before the icon of the Mother of God. But what is it? Here it began to move before his eyes, the faces of the Most-Pure and the Divine Infant appeared before him alive, wounds opened on the hands, legs and ribs of the Infant and blood flowed from them in a stream. Seeing this, the sinner fell down in fear and exclaimed: "O Lady, who did this? To this the Mother of God answered: - You and other sinners by your sins again crucify My Son, like the Jews. "Have mercy on me, Mother of Mercy!" - then the horrified robber begged. And she answered him: "Behold, you call Me the Mother of Mercy, but you yourselves offend Me by your iniquitous deeds." -No! "Let not my malice overcome Thy ineffable goodness, for Thou art the only hope for all sinful people." Pray for me to Thy Son and My Creator. Then the Most-Blessed Mother of God began to beseech Her Son, saying: "O Blessed My Son! For my love's sake, remember this sinner and forgive his sins. To this the Son answered Her: - Do not be angry, My Mother, that I will not listen to You, for I also prayed to My Father that the cup of suffering would pass from Me, but He did not listen to Me. Three times the Most Holy Mother of God turned to Her Son with a prayer for the forgiveness of the sinner, but He remained adamant. Then She arose, seated Her Son, and would have thrown herself at His feet. - What do You want to do, O My Mother?! The Son exclaimed. "Until then I will lie at Thy feet, until Thou forgivest this sinner his sins," answered the Mother of God. - The law commands every son to honor his mother, and justice requires that the lawgiver should also be the executor of the law; therefore I grant Thy request, let it be according to Thy desire. Now this man's sins are forgiven for Thy sake. Let the sign of the forgiveness of his sins be his kissing of My wounds. With great joy the repentant and forgiven sinner arose and with reverence kissed the Most-Pure wounds of the Saviour, and from that time he began to live a God-pleasing life. Beloved brothers and sisters, the event that is now commemorated bears witness, first of all, to the ineffable love of the Mother of God not only for the righteous, but also for sinners, to Her maternal care for Her children, who are drowning in the abyss of sin, but at the same time it reveals to us the greatest evil hidden in sin. Sin is a terrible evil, the destruction of which required the death of the Only-begotten Son of God. And we crucify the Savior again and again with our sins and kindle His wounds. How many such wounds have we inflicted on our Lord Jesus Christ, living lawlessly and unrighteously! Therefore, my beloved, let us flee from sin and fear it more than any misfortune, any misfortune. Each of us can say that he is weak and everywhere he encounters stumbling blocks and temptations around him, which are not easy to escape. Indeed, we are weak and weak, and there are a lot of temptations: from our own flesh, which is always at war against our spirit; from the world, which, according to the word of God, lies all in evil; finally, from the enemy, the devil, who, like a roaring lion, seeks to destroy some Christian soul. But, dear ones, we have a reliable shelter and protection - in the person of the Mother of God. Let us firmly hope that She is always with us, wherever we are and no matter how we live, and that She will not forget us if we turn to Her with fervent prayer. Let us pray today, on the day of the celebration in honor of Her icon, that She would send Her unexpected joy to us, mired in sins and passions, to soften our hearts and fill them with humility and love for our neighbors, so that we, pardoned and saved by Her, would unceasingly send Her doxology: Rejoice, Rejoice, Rejoice, Joy of all who sorrow, Rejoice, fervent Intercessor! Amen. 9/22.12.1962

Sermon on the Feast Day of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God (I)

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit! Beloved brothers and sisters, our ancestors, the Russian Orthodox people, had a firm and deep faith in the heavenly intercession of the Mother of God and often turned to Her in their needs, sorrows and sorrows with warm and fervent prayer. Our people loved to call the Mother of God by special names befitting Her heavenly protection and mercy. And the Mother of God did not leave this faith in vain, but gave prompt help to everyone who asked. The history of the Russian State is full of testimonies of these innumerable mercies of the Mother of God, shown by Her both to our people as a whole and to individuals. From the most ancient times, the Russian people have been distinguished by simplicity, reverent faith and sincere, heartfelt love for our Lord Jesus Christ. And in this simple but firm faith and sincere love lies the reason for the special benevolence and mercy of the Mother of God towards the Russian Land. Although entire countries consider Her their Patroness, in our Fatherland the name of the Most Holy Theotokos has always been surrounded by greater veneration than anywhere else. And on our Fatherland, more than on any other land, the Mother of God poured out Her mercies and Her grace. Look, in every large Russian city there is certainly a source of grace of the Mother of God - Her miraculous images. The All-Merciful Intercessor wished to give people, as it were, a heavenly pledge of Her love for them – Her honorable icons. And it seems that there is no corner in the entire Christian world where there would not be a particularly revered image of the Queen of Heaven. And no icons of the saints of God are glorified by so many miracles as the icons of the Mother of God have been glorified. Among the most revered and glorified icons of Her is the icon called the Kazan Icon, in honor of which the present feast was established. Most of you probably know the history of this miraculous icon, and if anyone does not know, then I will briefly convey the story of its miraculous appearance. In the second half of the sixteenth century, a vast region of the Kazan Tatars was annexed to Russia. At the same time, the beginning of the spread of the Christian faith was laid here; however, Mohammedanism stubbornly fought against Orthodoxy. If at first the preaching of the Gospel was a great success, then, with the lack of preachers strong in spirit and word, the Christian gospel in the newly-conquered region began to noticeably weaken. In addition, in 1579 Kazan suffered from a fire, and this circumstance served as a weapon for the infidels to attack Christians: they pointed to the fire as a sign of God's wrath against them. And in order to strengthen the faith among the wavering and to console the Orthodox, the Lord showed them His love for mankind, in the words of the chronicler, "from the same place from which He poured out His righteous wrath against them for their sins." Not far from the place where the fire started, there was a house of one archer, which burned down along with the others. And so, the daughter of this archer, a nine-year-old girl Matrona, appeared in a dream to the Mother of God and said that on the very ashes of their house, in the ground, there was Her icon, and ordered to announce this to the archbishop. The girl told about her mother's wonderful dream, but she paid no attention to her story. Then the Mother of God appeared to Matrona for the second time and said the same thing again. Again, the mother did not pay attention to her daughter's words. Finally, the vision followed for the third time. The girl saw an icon of the Mother of God, from which fiery rays were emanating. At the same time, a terrible voice was heard, which said: "If you do not tell My words, I will appear in another place, but you will perish." Waking up from this terrible vision, Matrona began to loudly call her mother and beg her to immediately go to the archbishop. This time, the mother listened to her daughter. They went together to the governors and Archbishop Jeremiah, but no one believed their words. Then the mother herself began to dig the earth in the place indicated by the Queen of Heaven. Other people joined her, but no matter how much they dug, they could not find the icons. Then the shovel was taken by the maiden Matrona herself and, starting to dig the ground, she found a precious image, from which a miraculous light emanated. The news of this wondrous phenomenon spread throughout the city, and all the inhabitants gathered and with tears of tenderness prayed to the Most Holy Mother of God: "Lady, save us!" From the very moment of the appearance of the icon, its miraculous power began to manifest itself in an obvious way. When it was transferred to the city cathedral, a man named Joseph was healed, who had seen absolutely nothing for three years. And in the cathedral another blind man, Nikita, recovered his sight from her, and from that time streams of miracles began to pour out from her, and especially many healings were given to people suffering from the eyes. But most of all the icon of the Kazan Mother of God became famous during the struggle of our Fatherland against the invasion and dominion of the Poles in 1612, when the Russian Land was saved through the intercession of the Queen of Heaven. In recalling the history of this feast, it is noteworthy that the appearance of the Mother of God was to none other than an innocent and pure-hearted nine-year-old girl, who was vouchsafed to dig up Her miraculous icon in the ground with her own hands. This leads us to the reasoning that only the pure in soul are close to the Divine holiness, and that the Mother of God is especially well disposed towards pure souls. The Lord said through the prophet Isaiah: "Wash yourselves, and be clean, take away evil from your souls" (Isaiah 1:16). It is clear what the Lord requires through His prophet. He commands everyone to wash away the impurities of his heart and acquire purity of soul. Is there any impurity in our souls? Do sinful defilements have a place in our hearts? Yes, they do. Every sin has its origin in our souls, and every iniquity comes from our hearts. Everyone thinketh diligently in his heart against evil all the days (Gen. 6:5). From within, from the heart of man, proceed evil thoughts (Matt. 15:19). That is why the Apostle Paul says: "Let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement, not only of the flesh, but also of the spirit" (2 Corinthians 7:1). What is this impurity of the soul, and what is this filth of sin in our hearts? Impurity of the soul and defilement of the heart are bad, God-defying thoughts. The abomination of the Lord is an unrighteous thought (Proverbs 15:26), says the wise Solomon. Impurity of the soul and defilement of the heart are all sinful movements of the soul, pride, vanity, hatred, malice, anger, rage. Impurity of soul and defilement of heart are covetous desires and voluptuous lusts. That is why God in His Law commands us not to covet either his sincere wife, or his house, or his village, or his servant, or his cattle, which are inferior to all, since they are thy neighbor (Deuteronomy 5:21). And the Holy Church teaches us to pray: Jesus, keep my heart from evil lusts. Impurity of the soul and defilement of the heart are excessive worldly cares, which the Saviour commands us to shun. Do not be anxious for your soul what you will eat and what you will drink... for all these things are sought by the Gentiles (Matt. 6:25, 32). The impurity of the soul and the impurity of the heart are secret, for the most part unnoticed by us, sin-loving thoughts and desires. Who understands the Fall? Cleanse me from my secrets... if they do not possess me, then will I be blameless, and I will be cleansed from sin greatly" (Psalm 18:13-14). Impurity of the soul and filth of heart are all vain, worldly thoughts. That is why we pray to the Lord: Jesus, cleanse my mind from vain thoughts. With such impurity of soul, a person remains a sinner, even if he does not commit any obvious crimes and sins, even if his outward life is blameless. Such were the Pharisees, whom the Lord rebuked, saying: "Outwardly you are a righteous man, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity." (Matt. 23:28). For God does not look at faces, but searches hearts and bowels. Therefore, one should in every possible way avoid all seductions and temptations, from which impure thoughts and desires are generated in the soul and passions are aroused. Therefore, if temptations have such a pernicious and tempting effect, then it is necessary to turn away the eyes, since they do not see vanity (Psalm 118:37), and to guard the senses, in order to repel all the temptations and snares of the evil one. The Most Holy Mother of God, as we have already said, is especially fond of immaculate souls, being Herself brighter than the sun. It is rejoiced by pure souls, so it is necessary to take every care to cleanse the soul of all sinful defilement and to affirm virtues contrary to the passions. For the Lord also rejoices in the purity of the heart and vouchsafes to behold Himself primarily with a pure heart: blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God (Matt. 5:8). If delusion and vanity, or pride, or vain thought, or greedy desire, or voluptuous lust have already crept into the soul, then it is necessary to immediately resist them, to suppress and kill them with sound reasoning and heartfelt prayer to our Lord Jesus Christ and to the Most-Pure Virgin Mary. And if it happens that one does not resist deception and falls, if the soul is darkened by the filth of sin, then it is necessary to wash away the filth and cleanse the soul with tears of repentance. To the tears of repentance must be added a fervent prayer. Amen. 8/21.07.1960

Sermon on the Feast Day of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God (II)

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit! Come, faithful people, let us glorify the All-Merciful Intercessor of the Christian race, the Most-Blessed Pure Virgin Mary. Dear brothers and sisters, today we once again remember the ineffable mercies of the Queen of Heaven, manifested by Her to our Fatherland in the past, and, remembering them, we spiritually triumph and are comforted and touched by our hearts, and we calm our hearts at the thought that Christians in the person of the Mother of God have for themselves a faithful and vigilant Intercessor, Who always sees our needs and requirements. The unceasing care of the Queen of Heaven for the human race, which is revealed to us in many ways, teaches us a living and strong hope in God's Providence and Her all-powerful intercession for us. It clearly assures us that our whole life passes under the beneficial and salvific influences of Heavenly Providence, that the Most-Pure Lady Mother of God, as well as all the saints, takes the most active part in our fate, delivering us from great misfortunes and evils and sending down Her blessing and help to us from above. Such protection of the Mother of God and the saints appears to us in different ways. It is manifested in the bestowal upon us of various earthly blessings, in the preservation of our lives, and in the innumerable blessings which are constantly poured out upon us from God and dispose us to love, thank and glorify Him with all our heart and with all our soul. It appears in our very sorrows and misfortunes, which teach us patience, hope in God and devotion to His all-holy will. Finally, it appears in miraculous supernatural help, one of the cases of which - in the city of Kazan - we remember today. Therefore, the real feast is the triumph, joy and delight of our hearts. The Holy Church, having established it and having gathered us here, has the goal of giving us joy and exultation over what it carries and contains within itself. Thus, today's feast reminds us that the Mother of God is our Intercessor, that She prays for everyone and brings salvation to all who come under Her sovereign protection. Therefore, how can we not glorify Her for this protection, for this constant and zealous help to us, many sinners, if we not rejoice at this intercession before Her Son and Heavenly Father! The Mother of God is always near us, She is not so much in heaven as on earth. Just as tender motherly love always warms the hearts of children with its warmth, so much, and to an even greater degree, does the love of the Mother of God extend to the Christian race, always ready to console, help and save from any evil and cruel circumstance. There are many sorrows in the world, and who will deliver us from them if not the Most-Blessed Queen of Heaven?! It also delivers us invisibly, and sometimes visibly, as evidenced by many examples in the history of the Christian Church. But in order to truly always be worthy of the heavenly protection and help of our Lady, we must try to preserve love for Her in our hearts and imitate Her pure, God-fearing life. From the history of today's feast, it is especially noteworthy, dear brothers and sisters, that it was none other than an innocent maiden who was vouchsafed the vision, and it was she who was given the command to find the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, and it was not anyone else, but only she who was vouchsafed to dig up with her own hands in the ground at the place indicated in the vision, the image that appeared by the will of the Mother of God. This testifies to us that only the pure in soul are close to the Divine holiness, and it is to them that the Mother of God is especially favored. For the Lord also says in the Holy Gospel: "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God" (Matt. 5:8). Purity of heart is that incorruptible adornment of man, by which he is likened to God; it derives its strength from love for God and for one's neighbor. The Lord commands us to cleanse the innermost nature of our souls from all sinful defilement, because it makes our heart unclean. Every sin has its origin in our souls, and every iniquity comes from our hearts. Wash yourselves, and be clean, take away the wickedness from your souls (Isaiah 1:16), says the Lord through the Prophet Isaiah. But what is this, the impurity of our souls? Bad, vain, filthy thoughts, sinful movements of the soul - pride, vanity, hatred, malice, anger, rage, greedy desires and sin-loving unnoticeable thoughts and lusts - all this is the impurity of the soul and the filth of our heart. With such impurity of soul, a person remains a sinner, even though he does not commit obvious crimes and sins, even if his outward life is blameless. Therefore, it is necessary to preserve the purity of one's soul in every possible way, it is necessary to avoid in every possible way all temptations and seductions, from which bad thoughts are engendered in the soul and passions are aroused. If we thus preserve the purity of our souls, then our outward life will also be good and pure, because from evil thoughts and from impure lusts come also evil deeds. Let us in every way guard the purity of our souls, and the favor of the Mother of God will always be with us, and our Lady Herself will become even closer to us. Amen. 8/21.07.1961

Sermon on the Feast Day of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God (III)

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit! Beloved brothers and sisters, today we solemnly and prayerfully remember and glorify the manifestation of the mercy of the Mother of God to the Orthodox state of Russia, expressed in the miraculous deliverance of our dear Fatherland in 1612 from the invasion of foreigners. Our ancestors, the Russian people, loved the Mother of God and cherished a special, deep faith in Her heavenly intercession for the Christian race, and always turned to Her with fervent prayer in their sorrows and misfortunes. Although entire countries considered the Most Holy Virgin to be their Patroness and revered Her, in our Fatherland the name of the Mother of God was surrounded by a special veneration - immeasurably greater than anywhere else, and the Mother of God did not pour out Her grace and mercy on any other land as on the Russian Land. In almost every Russian city there is certainly a source of the Mother of God's grace - Her miraculous icons, in which She wished to give people the heavenly pledge of Her love and serve as a Consolation for suffering humanity. Our people loved to call the Mother of God by special names befitting Her heavenly protection and mercy, and the Mother of God did not abandon their faith in vain, but gave prompt aid to each petitioner and to our Fatherland as a whole. Especially memorable is the deliverance of our land by the mercy of the Mother of God from the rule of the Poles in 1612. In that sorrowful time, when the royal family in Russia was completely extinct, disorders began to occur in our Fatherland, which led to complete anarchy. The Poles were quick to take advantage of this: they seized Moscow and with it up to half of the Russian kingdom. Fearing to remain forever under the rule of the Polish yoke, the Russian people rose up to defend their Fatherland, placing their trust in the Heavenly Intercessor, to Whom they turned with a fervent prayer for help in the struggle against the enemy. The troops took with them the icon of the Mother of God, called the Kazan Icon and, led by Her, approached Moscow. A fast was declared, all the people and soldiers fasted for three days and fervently prayed before the miraculous icon of the Queen of Heaven for the granting of victory to them. And the Immaculate Lady heard their prayer and through Her intercession asked Her merciful Son and Lord for help and victory over the enemies of the Russian people. The Monk Sergius of Radonezh, who appeared at night in a dream vision to the Greek Archbishop Arsenius, who was languishing in prison among the Poles, told Vladyka that the Lord, through the prayers of His Mother and the Holy Hierarchs of Moscow Peter, Alexis, Jonah and Philip, the very next day would depose the invaders and return the first throne of Russia to the hands of the Russian people. Encouraged by this news, on October 22, our soldiers with the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God took Moscow without much difficulty and liberated the Fatherland from foreigners. In this way, both the country and the Church were delivered from foreign enslavement. Reverent before the Heavenly Helper, the grateful army and all the citizens of the capital on the very next Sunday performed a moleben to the Most Holy Mother of God, Who saved the Russian state. In a procession of the cross, carrying the Kazan Icon, they went all the way to the Place of the Skull, and at the gates of the Kremlin they were met by Saint Arsenius with another holy relic – the miraculous Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, which he had preserved in captivity. And in order that the memory of the salvific intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos for our Fatherland should not weaken with time, it was soon unanimously decided to make an annual solemn commemoration of Her miracle on this day, October 22. As we see, dear brothers and sisters, the main reason for the salvation of the country from destruction was the firm Orthodox faith of our ancestors. When there was no hope for human strength, then all the true sons of the Church and the Fatherland took upon themselves a three-day fast and prayed to the Mother of God before Her miraculous Kazan Icon. And their prayer was heard. In addition, from the most ancient times, the Russian people were distinguished by simple, reverent faith and sincere, heartfelt love for the Lord Jesus Christ. In this faith and in our love for the Son of the Ever-Virgin Mary lies the reason for Her special mercy towards us. What mother will remain indifferent to someone who will show, who will show obvious signs of sympathy and love for her children? Reverent faith, strong love for the Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, undoubtedly brings special joy to His Most-Pure Mother in heaven. And from this comes the fact that Her intercession and help are poured out on all who from ancient times revere and confess the Lord Jesus Christ, reverently worship Him and lovingly obey the Church established by Him on earth. What does the remembrance of the miraculous help of the Mother of God to our Russian Land oblige us to? The closer, the more merciful and attentive the Mother of God is to us, the more careful we must be about our behavior and our faith. The more is given, the more will be exacted from us. Who, if not the people of God, the Jewish people, saw above them such an obvious, so miraculous help of God? His entire history is imbued from beginning to end, filled with descriptions of the wondrous, direct guidance of God. But at the same time, how much, how grievously he, this chosen people of God, suffered for their repeated apostasy from the true God, for their frequent betrayals of the faith of their forefathers! Why? Because justice and the majesty of God require it: the Lord cannot leave unpunished a single offense that offends the dignity of His holy Law. "Let us depart from here," rang out in the very Sanctuary of the Jewish Temple, and soon the abomination of desolation appeared in the holy place and will remain there, according to the word of the Lord, until the end of the age - after the Jewish people did not believe in the Only-begotten Son of God. Let us give thanks, dear ones, to the Lord and His Most-Pure Mother for such great blessings, manifested for the strengthening and exaltation of our Fatherland, which was brought to its glory through severe trials by the right hand of God alone. Let us cherish, brothers and sisters, the holy union with the Lord Jesus Christ and His Most-Pure Mother, Who has chosen our land as Her inheritance. The Lord Jesus Christ and His Mother are zealous for us with love. Let us remember Who is our Intercessor, Who is our help and hope, and let us not break our union with Her, but strengthen it with faith, our life and hope. Considering that Orthodox Christians constitute the inheritance of Her Son and enjoy Her special protection, let us not forget at the same time that the true characteristic of Orthodox Christians is, in fact, to follow Christ in all things as the only Lawgiver and infinitely love Him as our only Saviour. We must hold fast to the path that our Orthodox ancestors walked, which Jesus Christ showed us, which the Holy Church also points out. The Lord has outlined this path for us in His Holy Gospel, and we must keep and observe it sacredly. If we depart from this path, from this covenant with Christ, our Intercessor, the Queen of Heaven, will also depart from us, because in union with the enemies of Her Son, trampling on His teaching, His commandments, His covenant Blood, She cannot be, just as Christ, Her Son, cannot be in union with Belial. Let us pray today to the Queen of Heaven that She Herself would confirm us on the path of salvation, for She is always ready to intercede for us, if only we would resort to Her intercession with fervent and fervent prayer, with firm faith and hope. And then She will never depart from us with Her mercy, but will ever preserve and save us from all evil. Let us lift up fervent prayers to Her with all our hearts, let us call out to Her with tenderness: Rejoice, zealous Intercessor of the Christian race! Amen.

Sermon on the Feast Day of the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God (On the Guidance of the Mother of God and Her Moral Dignity)

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit! There are no other imams of help, no imams of other hope, except Thee, O Lady. Help us, in Thee we hope and glory in Thee, for we are Thy servants, that we may not be ashamed. Dear brothers and sisters in Christ! When a person goes to some distant country or city and the way there is unknown and dangerous to him, then he takes as a companion an experienced guide, to which he entrusts himself. And, despite the dangerous road, thanks to this guidebook, he safely reaches his destination. This happens in everyday life, but it also happens in spiritual life, when pious Christians entrust their lives to experienced guides - heavenly patrons. The path of spiritual life of a Christian who strives to save his soul is thorny and dangerous, and therefore needs guidance. Pious Christians turn to many holy saints of God for their heartfelt needs, but especially to the Sovereign Queen of Heaven, the Most-Pure Virgin Mary, to Whose protection they entrust their lives - from their very youth to its last moment. It would seem that the time of childhood and youth is the most innocent and safest years, but who can deny that even at this age there are thousands of dangers: temptations, temptations, improper upbringing, loss of parents, illnesses can destroy it at the very beginning of life, and the flower of life will wither forever. This is the most responsible period, and those pious parents act wisely, who from their earliest years entrust their children to the protection of the Mother of God; history knows many examples when the Mother of God saved children from countless dangers and dried up streams of children's tears. Nor is that period of life easier when a person comes of age and reaches adulthood: how many labors, sorrows, illnesses, and dangers are there that oppress soul and body and would be ready to crush the weak human creature with their weight, if it were not for the protection of the Mother of God and Her help! Years pass. And so, in reverent contemplation of eternity, the soul, burdened with sins, comes to repentance, and the feeling of fear and trembling takes possession of it to such an extent that it burns in the fire, not finding peace for itself. And only tears, shed by her with a sense of living faith before the image of the Fervent Intercessor, will be able to dispel the darkness that enveloped her and return to her a grace-filled mood, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Orthodox Christians, by virtue of the greatest generosity of the Mother of God, called Her by various names: they called Her "Quick to Hearken", "Joy of All Who Sorrow", "Seeker of the Lost", "Unexpected Joy"; they also called Her the "Guide". We celebrate the feast in honor of the icon bearing this name today. The icon of the Mother of God, called the "Guide" (in Greek "Hodegetria"), according to legend, was painted by the holy Evangelist Luke and before the triumph of Christianity in the Greco-Roman state was located in Jerusalem. When the Christian faith triumphed, the "Guide" was transferred from Jerusalem to Constantinople, where the Greek emperors very often took her with them on campaigns against their enemies and won victories with her. In the XI century (in 1046) the Greek Emperor Constantine Monomakh blessed his daughter Anna with a copy of it, passing her off as the Chernigov prince Vsevolod. In the XII century, Vsevolod's son Vladimir Monomakh transferred this icon from Chernigov to Smolensk, from which the icon received the name of Smolensk. There it was placed in the cathedral church in honor of the Dormition of the Mother of God, and there, later, when the hordes of the Horde Khan Batu approached Smolensk and intended to suddenly seize the city and ravage it, it manifested its miraculous grace-filled power. Finding themselves on the brink of death, the inhabitants of Smolensk gathered in the Cathedral and prayed with tears to the Mother of God for help and intercession before the icon of the "Hodegetria". Bitterly grieving, they imposed a strict fast on themselves and repented, confessing their sins and asking forgiveness. And so, at midnight, a voice came to the church sexton from the icon: "Go, tell My servant Mercurius to come to church in military clothing." When the warrior Mercurius appeared (and he was a very pious man), the icon was heard: "My saint Mercury! The ruler of the Horde wants to attack My city this night with all His army, but I beseeched My Son and God for My house, that He would not give it over to the slavery of the enemy. Go out secretly from all to meet the enemy, and by the power of Christ you will conquer. I Myself will be with you, helping you. But along with the victory, the crown of martyrdom awaits you." Mercury did so - he killed the giant warrior, on whom the Tatars relied more than on their entire detachment, and defeated the army of Batu Khan with the help of lightning-fast men and in the presence of the Bright Woman, whose majestic face terrified the enemies, but he himself fell killed. In the 14th century, the Hodegetria was transferred to Moscow, but a century later, in the 15th century, the inhabitants of Smolensk asked to return the icon to their city. Solemnly, with a procession of the cross, the icon was escorted from Moscow and, having performed the last farewell moleben before it on the Devichye Pole, they sent it to Smolensk. And later, not far from the place of farewell to the icon, the Novodevichy Convent, which exists to this day, was built. As we perform the glorification of the Mother of God today, my beloved, it is necessary for us for our edification to remember Her moral virtues, with which She pleased God. After all, the Most Holy Virgin is the only one Who was vouchsafed the highest honor to be the Mother of the Most High God. From the very birth of the Virgin Mary was distinguished by unparalleled piety, was chaste both in body and spirit, combining with such wondrous, angelic chastity the greatest modesty in all - the first sign of true innocence. She was very modest in dress, in her manners, in her eyes, and in her speech. She dressed decently, with modesty, adorning herself not with braided hair or golden garments, but with good deeds, in order to please the Lord. In this regard, women should follow the example of the Mother of God and imitate Her, because we often see that even believing women, when they come to church, dress indecently, half-naking themselves and thus serving as a temptation for others. Wives should not be concerned about good clothes, but about good deeds, as befits people who have devoted themselves to piety. The Most Holy Virgin Mary was also distinguished by her extraordinary humility. She, Who had communion with God and the Angels, Who was honored with such high honor, everywhere tries to be the last, does not demand signs of reverence and praise for Herself, but on the contrary lives in obscurity, earning Her livelihood by the labors of Her hands. She was also distinguished by her complete devotion to the will of the Heavenly Father, accepting with unshakable generosity everything that pleased the will of God to send Her in Her life. With uncomplaining obedience she endured all sorrows and misfortunes, placing all her hope in the Lord. Even in those hours when She saw Her Beloved Son on the Cross, when the sword pierced Her soul, when She experienced such unimaginable sorrows as none of the earth-born had ever endured, – and then She did not fall under the weight of Her cross, but bravely and firmly endured the trial sent down to Her. But as much as the MostHoly Virgin was devoted to the will of God and as courageous as Her soul was, so much was She compassionate and tender to the people whom She loved with all Her heart, by which She gained for Herself the love of the people. And in this we must imitate Her.

Amen. 28.07./10.08.1963

Homily on the Forefeast of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit! Today, dear brothers and sisters, celebrating the departure of the Transfiguration, we have descended from Tabor, and today, having entered the forefeast of the Dormition, we must then pass on to Gethsemane, to the tomb of the Mother of God, so that we may see the final mystery upon Her. Tabor is joyful, and so is Gethsemane. The Holy Church calls the Dormition of the Mother of God the last sacrament on Her, the last of those by which Her entire earthly life was accompanied. The entire life of the Most Holy Virgin in its appearance and content was something mysterious and wondrous, bearing upon itself the signs of the Divine seal. For the glorification of the Mother of God and our edification, let us remember with faith and love what these were the sacraments accomplished by God's Providence in Her. The first mystery in the life of the Mother of God was revealed in Her very birth, Her descent into the light of God. From whom did She come? From elderly parents - as a result of a special prayer and vow. It pleased the wisdom of God that She Who was to give birth to the God-Man should Herself be the fruit not so much of the natural powers of human nature as of the inspiration of God's grace. And so the aged Joachim and Anna, who had reached old age, when all hope of becoming father and mother was already lost for people, thanks to their strong faith and hope in the Almightiness of God, through their prayers received a pure gift from heaven – the Most-Blessed Mary. Thus the first mystery was accomplished in Her - at the time of Her birth. The second sacrament appeared to Her during Her entry into the Temple by a three-year-old Maiden. The very introduction of Her at such an age was extraordinary, as a consequence of the special, extraordinary vow of the righteous Joachim and Anna to dedicate the fruit of their prayers to the Lord. And in this way, from a very young age, She was able to become akin in spirit and heart to all that is holy. Being in the Temple for upbringing, She, like the other virgins, should have been only on the threshold of it, but meanwhile we see how the Holy Maiden is led by the high priest by a special revelation into the Holy of Holies, where only he himself could enter only once a year. It pleased the Divine wisdom that the future Mother of God, the animated Kivot of God, should dwell where Her prototype was kept, the ark of the Covenant with manna and tablets. Thus the second mystery was accomplished on the Virgin - during Her entry into the Temple. The third mystery was revealed to Her when She reached the age of majority. The Old Testament, as we know, did not know the state of virginity, consecrated to God and sanctified by the Law, as the New Testament Church knows and understands it, so the Most Holy Virgin Mary, having reached a certain age, following the example of the other virgins, had to choose a spouse for Herself. But the Virgin Mary declared that She had firmly resolved to belong to no one but God alone for the rest of Her life. The chief priests were at a loss as to what to do; after consultations and prayers, they decided to betroth Her to such a person who would agree to bear the name of her husband, without using his rights. The lot fell on the righteous elder Joseph, and so the Most-Pure One became a Spouse, without ceasing to be a Virgin, thus combining in Herself virginity and matrimony, the blessing of the Old and the grace of the New Testament. This mystery of betrothal served for the time being as a veil necessary for the fulfillment of the great mystery of the incarnation of the Son of God. And how the very mystery of the Incarnation of God was accomplished is known from the Gospel. The Virgin said: "Behold, the handmaid of the Lord" (Luke 1:38), and the power of the Most High overshadowed Her, and the Word became flesh. It was the sacrament of all sacraments, but it did not end the sacraments that were to be performed on Her. They only deepened, became more invisible, remaining very edifying and comforting for us. These sacraments are followed by the mystery of the Crucifixion. There was not only one Son on the Cross, but there was also a Mother. Throughout Her entire life She was on the cross, and especially on Golgotha. It could not be otherwise. For Her Divine Son Himself said: "Whosoever shall not take up his cross, and cometh after Me, is not worthy of Me" (Matt. 10:38). Who was more worthy of the Lord than His Mother? Therefore, no one has ever worn such a cross throughout his entire life as the Most-Blessed Virgin Mary. Her Cross was not made of wood or matter, but of those sorrows and humiliations in which the Mother of God dwelt until Her very death. Prepared to appear as the Mother of the Creator of heaven and earth, and hailed by the Archangel as blessed among women, She must at the same time suffer from the suspicion on the part of the guardian of Her virginity, that She was married to the delight. Is it not a cross? The time is approaching for Her to give birth to Him Who will have no end to the Kingdom, but there is no room for their family in the inns of Bethlehem, and She gives birth to Him in a cave and lays Him in a manger. Is it not a cross? The angels sing: "Glory to God in the highest" (Luke 2:14), the shepherds and magi worship and bring gifts, but the evil Herod seeks to kill the Child, and they have to flee to Egypt at night. Isn't it a cross? And on Golgotha, what did Her pure heart feel, when Her Son cried out in agony: My God, My God! why hast thou forsaken me? (Matt. 27:46). Here, without a doubt, Simeon's terrible prophecy was fulfilled in all its force: "And a sword shall pierce thy own soul" (Luke 2:35). The mystery of the crucifixion was followed by the adoption of the disciple John to the Mother of God of Christ and Her introduction as the mother of this Apostle into his home. Thus, all Her life She was predestined to dwell in obscurity, bearing the fate of a simple humble Christian. And this was the great mystery of God. After all, it was not without significance that these amazing words from the Cross were spoken: Woman! Behold, Thy son (John 19:26). They determined the character of the entire subsequent life of the Mother of God. When the Divinity of the Son, with His Resurrection and Ascension to heaven, was revealed in all its power, when the world began to bow down before the name of the Crucified One, then the Mother of Jesus naturally had before the greatest honor and glory, befitting the Mother of the Son of God, the Savior of all men. No one, without a doubt, could be more worthy of all praise and all reverence than Mary. However, the glory and honor given to the Most Holy Virgin during Her earthly life would have deprived the Mother of the most exact resemblance to the Divine Son, Who until the end of His life had nowhere to lay His head; such glorification of Her would be accompanied by certain inconveniences in the spread of the Gospel. Dear brothers and sisters, the Holy Church commands us not to grieve on the day of the Dormition of the Mother of God, but to rejoice, because in such a wondrous death of the Most-Blessed Virgin, to the consolation of all, the power of the Lord appeared with special triumph, Who, by His death and Resurrection, crushed the sting of death and made it joyful and blessed for His faithful followers from the most terrible and painful. Here is the first reason for our joy. Secondly, we rejoice in the Most-Pure Mother Herself, for after the sorrows and sufferings with which, according to the prediction of the righteous Simeon, Her life was filled, She finally received a reward corresponding to Her virtue. The Most-Pure Virgin until Her very blessed death belittled Herself, humbled Herself and endured; but from that time, from the day of Her Dormition, Her exaltation and glorification also begins. Thus, at the tomb of the Mother of God, a new meaning of death was revealed, given to her by the Risen One from the tomb: having hitherto been a punishment for sin, she now became a witness of virtue, a reward for the feats accomplished in life. The third reason for joy is explained by the church hymn: In the prayers of the Ever-Vigilant Mother of God, and in the intercessions of the immutable hope, the grave and mortification cannot be restrained (Kontakion of the Dormition - Ed.). If during Her lifetime She was an Intercessor for the poor before Her Son, then after Her repose and ascension to heaven, the words spoken by Her in consolation for those who mourned over Her departure began to be fulfilled in all their power: "I will not leave you orphan after My repose - not only you, but also the world, I will visit, edify and help the poor." After Her repose, the Most Holy Virgin became the most powerful Intercessor and Intercessor for all, truly the Mother of the entire Christian world. Remembering, dear brothers and sisters, the blessed repose of the Mother of God, we must take care to prepare ourselves worthily for death, so that we may meet it not with fear, but with joy; and for this it is necessary to constantly remember it. This remembrance will gradually prepare our soul for the transition to eternal life, to detach the heart from all sensual passionate earthly attachments. The Holy Fathers say: "He who has acquired the memory of death can never sin." The second remedy for the fear of death is a clear conscience. A person with a clear conscience can calmly cross the threshold of eternity - bodily death. Such a person can calmly say with the righteous Simeon: "Now lettest Thou Thy servant, O Lord, according to Thy word, in peace" (Luke 2:29). But who can have a really calm conscience? - Someone who tried to live a truly Christian life, who was an obedient son of the Church, who was reconciled with God and people, who prepared for death by the sacrament of Repentance, which removes the burden of sins weighing on the conscience, and tasted the Body and Blood of Christ in the sacrament of Communion. The next powerful remedy for a person against the fear of death is his faith in the immortality of the soul. The body decays and decays, but the spirit, created by God for immortality, remains to live forever. The last and most powerful means is the belief not only that the soul is immortal, but also that there will be a time when it will unite with its resurrected, glorified body for eternal life beyond the grave - blessed for the righteous, painful for sinners. Having a living faith in this truth, a Christian will not only not be afraid of death, but will even greet it with joy when it comes to him. This living faith in the existence of eternal blissful life beyond the grave animated countless hosts of martyrs in the first centuries of Christianity and made death the most joyful event for them, despite the terrible torments. Dear brothers and sisters, beholding the blessed dormition of the Mother of God, let us strive to make our end peaceful by zeal in a virtuous life and contempt for vice. How did the Most Holy Virgin achieve such a blessed end? - Purity of chastity, strictness of abstinence, constancy in prayer, humility and patience in difficult circumstances, hope in God's Providence. Therefore, imitating the example of the Mother of God, walk the narrow path, which leads to eternal life. Yes, indeed, patience is needed on this path. And therefore, strengthened by hope in God, endure in happiness, so as not to be carried away by deception, endure also in misfortune, so as not to fall into faint-heartedness in the midst of difficult trials. Endure all sorrows and illnesses and all the difficulties that must be endured in order to stand on the righteous path. For he who endures to the end shall be saved (Matt. 10:22). By doing so, each of us will have true peace in our souls and the hope of a blessed peaceful end; The last hour will not frighten us, and the end of this life will be for us the beginning of eternal life, and the grave will be a ladder to heaven. Amen. 1960

Homily on the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos (I)

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit! Dear brothers and sisters, today the entire Christian world solemnly and joyfully celebrates the day of the radiant repose of the Mother of God. Although it seems that the event being celebrated is sad, full of tears, because here we meet death, nevertheless the Holy Church is now clothed in the garments of triumph, rejoices and rejoices, and calls us to this. Why should we rejoice today, on the day of the Dormition of the Mother of God? - Because the very word "dormition" shows that the death of the Mother of God was extraordinary. It was a dream that was soon followed by a joyful awakening. A few days before the Dormition, the Archangel Gabriel appeared to the Most Holy Virgin with the news of Her imminent departure from this life. Filled with deep faith in the life to come, the eternally blessed life, She accepts this news not with fear and sorrow, but with a feeling of the liveliest joy and the greatest gratitude to God. At the same time, the almighty power of God from all over the world gathers the Apostles to Jerusalem so that they would give honor to the Mother of God and bury Her. At the very hour of death, an extraordinary light illuminates the temple of the Most Holy Virgin, and in the open heaven those present behold the Lord of Glory Himself with the Angels and saints, coming forth to meet His Mother. The Apostle Thomas, according to the special dispensation of God, appears after the burial of the Most-Pure One, wishes to venerate Her, the tomb is opened for his sake, but the body of the Mother of God is no longer found in it... In such a wondrous death of the Most-Blessed Virgin Mary, to the consolation of all Christians, the power and majesty of our Lord Jesus Christ were especially solemnly manifested, Who by His death and Resurrection crushed the sting of death and from terrible and painful made it joyful and blessed for His faithful followers. Before the coming of Christ to earth, death was very terrible for man, because it stole him away like a fierce beast its prey, irretrievably, and there were no means to get rid of it, for sin reigned over people. But after the appearance of the Lord in the flesh and His victory over sin and death, the horror of death disappeared, it became like a peaceful sleep, after which the joyous morning of the universal Resurrection would come. To the extent that each of us conquers the sin that still lives in us, the fear of death also disappears, so that the triumphant conquerors of sin greet it with joy and no longer die, but as if they fall asleep in peace. The most obvious example of the triumph over death we see today in the Dormition of the Most-Pure Virgin Mary. She knelt into the coffin only for a short rest. Behind the Mother of God we see the Apostles, martyrs and all the saints, who met death with joy, as the greatest friend, who, in return for the transient blessings of this world, its sorrows and misfortunes, grants them eternal bliss. The Holy Church tries to instill in us the same fearlessness towards death, exhorting us to drive away fear by gradually eradicating sins in ourselves, and calls her dead departed, that is, as if they had fallen asleep, because immortal life in the future is so indubitable for a Christian that he truly looks upon death only as a dream. Amen. 1961