Feast of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit! Dear brothers and sisters, in our days the holy Church of Christ, and together with her, brightly celebrates the all-joyful, holy days after the feast of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos. The Church proclaims to us: Thy Nativity, O Virgin Mother of God, is the joy of proclaiming to all the world: for from Thee hath shone forth the Sun of Righteousness, Christ our God (Troparion of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos). A woman, according to the words of Christ the Savior, when she gives birth to a child, no longer remembers the sorrow of joy, because a man was born into the world (John 16:21), that is, the birth of every person into the world brings joy and consolation to the parents of the newborn child and to all relatives and friends. And not only the birth, but also the very memory of the birth of a famous member of the family, his day is almost always a day of special joy and a special, deliberate celebration for the family. And as for great men who have glorified themselves by beneficent work for the glory of their country, their birthdays are invariably joyfully celebrated at the appointed time, even after their death. The reason for this joy is clear. The birth of a person is always an important event - as the triumph of being and life over non-existence. But if people rejoice at the birth of even ordinary people, who for some reason are close to them, and even more so at the birth of great people in their country, then how great must be the common joy! Now we remember the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos, from Whom was born not a simple or even just a great man, but Christ our God, the Sun of Righteousness, Who delivered us from sin and slavery to the lord of sin – the devil – and granted us eternal salvation, eternal life. Imagine a traveler. A dark, impenetrable night catches him on the way; he loses his way, does not know where to go, a storm rises, it rains, the cold pierces him through, he is exhausted and falls to the ground in despair, in fear and trembling crying out for help to the Most High God, already waiting for his death. And with what an indescribable feeling of joy he will greet the appearance of the morning dawn, heralding the sunrise! Such was the calamity experienced by the entire human race, it was like an unfortunate traveler when he was surrounded by a spiritual night of wandering and foolish deeds for almost five thousand years. And what these deeds were, the holy Apostle Paul convincingly speaks of in the first chapter of his Epistle to the Romans. After being deceived by the evil tempter of the forefathers, when sin, and through sin and death, entered the world, the human race lost its way and became alienated from the life of God and perished. The Lord foresaw this destruction and, not being completely angry, after the Fall He pronounced a joyful and deadly decree for the human race, and for the tempter-devil. And the morning dawn, which heralded the fulfillment of the consoling promise, was the birth of the Most Holy Mother of God, the Most Pure and Immaculate Virgin Mary, for suffering people. Amen. 196016th Sunday after Pentecost

The Mother of God is the Intercessor for us, sinners

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit! Dear brothers and sisters, in one church hymn it is said: "Every tongue is perplexed to praise according to its inheritance, but the mind and the most worldly are amazed to sing Thee, O Theotokos, O Good One, accept faith, for our Divine love is great: for Thou art the Intercessor of Christians, we magnify Thee! (Irmos of the 9th canon of the canon for the Epiphany.) In fact, what praise can we give with our sinful and meagre lips to the Purest of all creatures, the Most High Angels and Archangels, the Most Blessed Virgin Mary, Who was vouchsafed to be the Mother of the Most High God, the Intercessor of the Christian race! But nevertheless, in order to be worthy Christians, we must always glorify (and not be disobedient to the will of God!) the Author of our salvation, looking at Her love for us. The Most Holy Virgin Mary is and is called the Mother of God and the Mother of Christians. She is the Mother of God by the natural birth of God the Word, our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Mother of all Christians by the grace of adoption. For if our Lord Jesus Christ called all those who believe in Him His brothers (Matt. 12:49-50; Lk. 8:21), and if He dwells among believers as the Firstborn among many brethren (Rom. 8:29), then it follows that we are the sons of the Mother of God. As the Mother of God, according to Her maternal dignity, She must have with God such grace and such honor as it befits a mother to have a son; on the other hand, as the Mother of Christians, by virtue of motherly love, She should show Christians the same mercy that a mother should show to her children. But the grace that the All-Holy Virgin has from God must correspond to the dignity of the Mother of God, and this dignity is infinite; therefore, the grace that She receives is infinite. In the same way, the mercy that She shows to Christians must correspond to the love of a mother for her children, and this love is also boundless. Measuring the boundless grace that She receives as the Mother of God from God, and the boundless love and mercy that She, the Mother of Christians, gives to Christians, it is necessary to recognize that the Most Holy Virgin Mary is a great sea of grace-filled powers and gifts. And indeed, the Church worthily praises and glorifies the Most-Pure Virgin with many spiritual hymns and praises composed in Her honor, knowing that we have no other, so quick and faithful, helper in God except Her. As the Mother of God, She has boldness with Her Son and God more than all the saints and all the Angels, and as the Mother of Christians, She bestows blessings on us, Her children, more than the saints and Angels. That is why the Holy Church, calling the Mother of God our Intercessor and Intercessor before Her Son and our God Jesus Christ, commands us to turn primarily to the Most Holy Virgin with prayer. But perhaps someone will ask: why is it necessary to turn to Her intercession, when Christ our Savior has redeemed us from sin and accepts our prayers Himself directly? Yes, indeed, we, believers, have boldness before the Lord, but only if our conscience is not burdened with sins, if our heart does not behold us (1 John 3:21). And who can boast that he has a pure heart? Who does not confess that not only after baptism, but also after repeated confession, he very often angered and angers his Redeemer by breaking His commandments? We sin every day, hour and minute. Let everyone's conscience say it. Woe to us! With what manifold sins our lives have been defiled! It is one continuous and continuous series of the most serious iniquities. How much impure is there in our thoughts, how much shame is in our language! How much deceit the Son of God sees in our deeds! He sees and endures, because He is long-suffering. But when we, the foolish, remain unrepentant, uncorrected, persist in our evil, then by our ingratitude we offend Him and provoke His righteous wrath against us. And then He no longer tolerates us, is ready to punish us, threatens us with eternal torment and sickness, bodily death and other misfortunes. He will purify His weapons, He will bend His bow and prepare His bow, and in it He will prepare the vessels of death (Psalm 7:13-14) - where will we, unfortunate sinners, flee from the righteous indignation and wrath of the Son of God? For us there is no other way out than to repent and fall at the feet of the Lover of Mankind our God. But, being transgressors of the commandments of our Saviour, we lose boldness towards Him, we do not dare to turn to God ourselves because of our sins, and we have a need to intercede for us before Him. We find such intercession in the person of the Most Holy Theotokos. We ask Her intercession, and She propitiates Her Son for us by Her intercession, which is stronger than the intercession of all the saints, of all the Angels: for She, as the Mother of God, is higher than all the saints, She is more honorable than the Cherubim and beyond compare more glorious than the Seraphim. And when the Most Holy Theotokos asks Her Son and God for someone, the Lord does not refuse Her petition. With love She intercedes before God for all those who believe in Him, if they decide to abandon their iniquities and be true, zealous Christians. With love, we say, because She is, so to speak, of our kind; She knows our weaknesses, our temptations, and how difficult it is to struggle with them without help from above. The Most Holy Virgin loves Christians with the love of Her Mother, and for this reason will She refuse to help those who, although they sin through weakness, repent and wish to be saved, despite all the obstacles to salvation? As for these obstacles, they are known to everyone who has ever begun to live in a Christian way, with the desire to attain blessed eternity, the Kingdom of Heaven prepared for the righteous. We always carry with us the enemy of the Christian life – the flesh, which fights against the spirit and oppresses us to the earth. Outside of ourselves, we have the sinful world with its innumerable temptations, and the worst adversary of our salvation – the devil, who, like a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour (1 Pet. 5:8). People who care little about their salvation are little attacked by his temptations, but those who wish to attain perfection in the Christian life are in a constant struggle with him, with his cunning intrigues, which are innumerable. And where can we find the strength to succeed in overcoming these obstacles? - In the grace of God and in prayers to the Mother of God. For if Thou hadst not stood before praying, who would have delivered us from so many misfortunes? Dear brothers and sisters, our ancestors especially revered the Mother of God, and their hope and hope were never put to shame. The history of our Fatherland bears witness to the special mercy of the Mother of God to it, manifested by Her in the most difficult days of the trials of the Orthodox Russian people. The miracles that flowed from the Most Holy Virgin are so many that it is impossible to count them all. The entire history of our people is full of testimonies to these mercies of the Mother of God, Who especially favored the Russian Land for the simple, good-natured disposition of the Russian people, for the firmness and purity of their Orthodox faith. In the lives of the saints it is narrated that our pious ancestors had the custom of entrusting themselves and their loved ones to the protection of the saints, and especially of the Mother of God. The Queen of Heaven and the saints of God were invincible intercessors for those entrusted to them. Thus, a certain pious man had a wife, a meek and reverent woman, and a six-year-old daughter, whom he also raised in piety and the fear of God. One day he had to leave home on his business business. His wife, seeing him off, asked: "To whom do you leave me and your daughter in your arms?" - "Our Lady Mother of God," answered the husband, and taking leave of them, he set off. And so the devil inspired the servant of this pious family to raise his hand against his mistress and, having killed her, to steal the best things and flee. The villain took a knife from the kitchen and went to the upper room to commit this criminal deed. But as soon as he touched her door, he was suddenly stricken with blindness and could not move either back or forth. For a long time he tried to enter, but an invisible force restrained him. The madman, not knowing the Almighty Providence of God, which cares for the whole world and especially for man, wanted at all costs to realize his thought, put into his heart by the devil! And he began to call his mistress to him, asking her to come to him. Suspecting nothing, the lady, however, was surprised at his request, did not go to him, but ordered him to come himself. Then he began to ask her daughter to come to him, to which, although she did not know anything about his intention, she also refused. After that, the villain, not coming to his senses, in despair and anger at the fact that he could not carry out his intention, stabbed himself with a knife. At the cry of the mistress, the neighbors immediately gathered and, finding the servant still alive, found out what had happened and how. In this case, everyone then came to know the inscrutable ways of God's Providence and glorified God and the Intercessor of the faithful, the Mother of God and the Ever-Virgin Mary. Thus, knowing the ineffable mercy of the Mother of God, let us treasure Her love for us and ours for Her, let us keep ourselves pure from all iniquity and vice, and with deep faith venerate Her Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, as our pious ancestors revered Him. Let us always have recourse to Her, to the wondrous Intercessor of the Christian race. If any misfortune befalls us or spiritual sorrow befalls us, let us hasten to prayer to the Lady; sins or passions torment us, or evil habits take possession of us, let us have recourse to the Surety of our salvation. Whether sorrow, sorrow or illness befalls us, let us remember the Most-Blessed Virgin, who stood at the Cross of Her Son, let us turn our prayerful sighs to Her and be sure that She understands our sorrows, She sees our misfortune, She will shed mercy and warm our sick soul with Her Motherly love, save us from danger and circumstance. To whom shall I cry, O Lady, to whom shall I turn in my sorrow, if not to Thee, Queen of Heaven! You help us. In Thee we trust and glory in Thee. Rejoice, our Joy, cover us from all evil with Thy honorable omophorion. Amen. 1960

On the Preservation and Strengthening of Our Communion with the Most Holy Theotokos

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit! Dear brothers and sisters, the history of the Church knows very many examples of the special intercession and help of the Mother of God, both to a nation or city as a whole, and to individual God-loving Christians. The protection of the Queen of Heaven especially extended to the Greek Church with the capital of Byzantium, Constantinople, to the Holy Mount Athos with its inhabitants, the holy monks, and to our Russian Land, when our ancestors were distinguished by piety and piety, firm and deep faith. We will not talk about examples of this patronage now, but they are very comforting and precious for everyone and always. The protection of our Most Holy Lady the Mother of God teaches us a living and strong hope in God's Providence and in Her merciful and all-powerful intercession for us. It clearly assures us that our entire life passes under the beneficial and salvific actions and influences of the Higher Providence, assures us that the Most-Pure Virgin, like all the saints, takes the most active part in our fate, delivering us from great misfortunes and evils and sending down to us from above heavenly blessing and help. The protection of the Mother of God and the saints appears to us in different ways. It is manifested in the bestowal upon us of earthly goods, in the preservation of our lives, and in the innumerable blessings which are constantly poured out upon us from God, disposing us to love, thank, and glorify Him with all our hearts and souls. It is also manifested in our very sorrows and misfortunes, which teach us patience, hope in God and devotion to His All-Holy will. Finally, it appears in supernatural help. True, in their beginning, all these actions are the actions of God's Providence and proceed originally from God, Who, being the One Almighty and Most Good Lord of the world, governs everything and serves for all as the inexhaustible Source of all blessings, spiritual and bodily. But in pouring out upon us the ineffable gifts of mercies and bounties, the Lord acts through the instruments of grace chosen for this purpose. He glorified the faces of His saints, who, being filled with grace, abundantly exude it to all who ask and pray. However, just as in the visible world all the stars emit the same light, but not in the same degree, so in the spiritual world all the saints exalted and glorified by God can bestow the grace of God on others, but not in equal measure and measure. The Mother of God, as the highest of all saints, more honorable than the Cherubim, and beyond compare more glorious than the Seraphim, is the first intercessor for us before God after Jesus Christ, and the first Giver of grace-filled gifts to all who seek them. No one, flowing to Thee, is ashamed of Thee, O Most-Pure Virgin Mother of God, but asks for grace and accepts the gift of a useful petition – thus the Holy Church believes and teaches. But in order for this inexhaustible Source of all blessings, spiritual and physical, to be always open to us, so that we may always be worthy of the protection of the Most Holy Theotokos, we must try in every possible way to preserve and, as far as possible, strengthen our inner communion with Her. The closer the spiritual communion between us and the Most Holy Theotokos, the stronger our inner connection with Her, the more and more often we will enjoy Her all-powerful protection and receive great mercies from Her. What measures, it may be asked, should be taken in order to preserve and strengthen this spiritual communion with the Queen of Heaven? - The same ones that help people to draw people closer to each other and strengthen friendly relations between them. In ordinary everyday life, people are brought together primarily by frequent meetings, lively speeches, and the exchange of thoughts and feelings. The same is required for the preservation and development of our inner connection with the Mother of God. Therefore, frequent prayerful appeals to the Most Holy Theotokos and reverent contemplation of the greatness by which She rises above all earthly and heavenly beings - this is the first condition for preserving and developing our spiritual communion with Her. We know that many holy ascetics, through constant prayer to the Most Holy Virgin Mary, managed to place themselves in a completely filial relationship with Her, so close that they were vouchsafed a visible visit to Her, as was the case, for example, with St. Gregory of Neocaesarea, St. Sergius, St. Seraphim, and many, many others. Let us also try, dear brothers and sisters, to pray to our Heavenly Queen as often and earnestly as possible. If lengthy prayers, such as the great ascetics performed, are impossible for us in our worldly activities, then reasonable and attentive prayers are always possible.

May our pious ancestors serve as a good example for us in this, who not only in times of calamity, but also at any other time, loved to turn with fervent prayers to the Most Holy Theotokos and repeatedly received from Her miraculous, supernatural help. She will not allow us to perdition, but will always help and save us, if we turn to Her more often and more intensely with our appeals, warm and sincere sighs. However, let us also remember, dear brothers and sisters, that in our ordinary life, frequent meetings and lively speeches are not the only condition for strengthening people's acquaintance and closeness. Most of all, people are brought together and friendship between them by like-mindedness, communication in occupations, work and pleasures, similarity of characters and views on things. Therefore, another most important means of maintaining and strengthening the connection and religious unity with the Most Holy Theotokos that we desire is to have the same exercises in virtue as Her and to imitate Her God-like qualities. Wondrous and numerous are these qualities. There is no virtue of which the Mother of our Lord would not be the highest example. Everything that we know about Her from the holy books and the tradition of the Church is worthy of our imitation. Whether we wish to acquire faith in the Lord God and devotion to His holy will, whether we wish to learn patience, whether we desire Christian humility or moral purity and chastity – in all these cases we must look to the Most-Pure Virgin Mary and borrow from Her life the rules for our life and our behavior. But the most important and distinctive feature of the earthly life of the Most Holy Theotokos is Her unceasing striving towards God, Her constant renunciation from earth and ascent to heaven. As a three-year-old girl, She was led into the Temple for upbringing, and here, removed from all the temptations of the world, She dwelt in constant prayer, reading the word of God, and contemplation of God. With love and attention the MostHoly Virgin Mary exercised herself in these feats of piety and ascended to the unattainable height of holiness and moral perfection, so that she was vouchsafed to become the Mother of the Son of God. And after the sufferings of the Cross, the Resurrection and Ascension of the Saviour, the Most-Pure Mother of God most of all desired only one thing – to move from earth to heaven as soon as possible, in order to be forever united with Her Divine Son. That is why, dear brothers and sisters, how important it is for us to borrow, at least a little, from the Mother of God this detachment from the earth, this striving for the Heavenly Fatherland, this prayerful contemplation of God and sincere love for the Lord Jesus Christ! With sorrow we must say and confess that today our Christian piety has begun to weaken more and more, and indifference to everything to which Jesus Christ invites and teaches in His Gospel has begun to increase. The constant vanity, cares and worries about the needs, comforts and pleasures of earthly life absorb all our attention, as if we had lived on earth for a century. This is a disastrous direction. Let us, dear brothers and sisters, look more often at the radiant face of the Queen of Heaven and more often recall Her holy life. Let us always try to imitate the god-like qualities of Her soul. May our God-loving ancestors, who were distinguished by sincere Christian piety and love for the holy Orthodox faith, serve us as a good example in this. If we, like them, sincerely and with all our might strive for piety and holiness, then the Most Holy Theotokos will take us under Her protection with love and will give us Her assistance and help in all that is good. Amen. 19607th Sunday after Pentecost

On the Heavenly Glory of the Most Holy Theotokos

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit! Dear brothers and sisters, celebrating today the departure of the Transfiguration, we descended from Tabor, illumined by the last rays of the Divine glory of the Transfigured Lord, and today, on the new day of the Church, having entered the forefeast of the Dormition of the Mother of God, we approach Gethsemane, to the tomb in which lay the most pure body of the Most-Blessed Virgin Mary. But we will find the tomb empty, because it could not hold the Mother of Life within itself. She, like Her Divine Son, is not held back by the bonds of death; Her body does not see corruption even in the grave, and after three days She ascends to heaven with glory. The Dormition of the Mother of God, like Her entire earthly life, bears the seal of the greatest mystery and wonderfulness, assuring us of the special grace of God resting upon Her, of God's special care for Her. Look at Her birth from the beginning. From whom did She come? From the elderly parents Joachim and Anna, as a result of their fervent prayer and vow. Joachim and Anna, who have reached advanced years, when people lose all hope of becoming father and mother, thanks to their strong faith and hope in the Omnipotence of God, receive a pure gift from heaven - the Most-Blessed Virgin Mary. As soon as She was three years old, She was dedicated to God, and as a three-year-old Maiden She was led into the temple of God, so that from Her earliest years She could become akin in spirit and heart to all that is holy. Being in the temple of God, She, following the example of the other virgins, should have been in its vestibule, but the high priest, by a special revelation, leads Her into the Holy of Holies, where only he himself could enter - once a year. It pleased the Wisdom of God that the Virgin Mary – the animated Holy of Holies – should dwell where Her Prototype was. Having reached the age of majority, the Most Holy Virgin, according to Jewish law, had to find a spouse for herself and marry him. But the Most-Pure One, without hesitation, declares that She has firmly resolved to belong to none but God alone for the rest of Her life. After consultations and prayers, the chief priests intend to betroth Her to such a person who would agree to bear the name of a man, without using his rights. It is the righteous Joseph the Betrothed. Finally, the Annunciation comes, and the Archangel Gabriel announces to the Virgin the seedless conception and the birth of Christ the Savior from Her. The Archangel, the Heavenly Messenger, greets Her with the words: Rejoice, Thou of Grace! The Lord is with Thee (Luke 1:28). And, it would seem, who more befitted joy and honor than the Mother of God! But it pleased God that She should remain in obscurity until the end of Her earthly life, in the ranks of simple Christians, imitating Her Beloved Son, Who had nowhere on earth to lay His head. And, obedient in all things to the will of the Lord, the Most-Pure Virgin remained in obscurity until Her very death, thus showing the highest example of ineffable humility and thus becoming even more worthy of that crown of glory which had long belonged to Her by all rights. Sooner or later, at last, this crown had to descend on the head of the most honorable Cherubim and Seraphim, and it descended during Her Dormition, when the greatest mystery of God was accomplished over Her. The Mother of the Lord of Glory dies, like all people, although it seemed that by all Her ineffable merits belonged to Her that which the righteous Enoch and Elijah, who were taken to heaven alive, had previously been vouchsafed. However, the Virgin Mary was destined to do something different. For the consolation and consolation of all of us who have to pass through the gates of death, the Most-Pure One also dies, paying this debt to nature together with all the earth-born. But as the Mother of God, She is not restrained by death, but ascends to heaven with glory, standing at the right hand of the King of God, standing as the Queen of heaven and earth. The holy Psalmist David, contemplating Her glory, sang: "The Queen stands at Thy right hand, adorned with gilded garments" (Psalm 44:10). The Queen stands at Thy right hand – the Queen of the earth, because all the faithful Christian race worship Her and glorify Her: people of all ages and ranks and sexes. Both nobles and simple people bow their knees before Her, glorifying Her and asking for help in their sorrows and needs. And She does not reject those who ask, fulfilling their petitions, for She is the Source of blessings and the sea of grace-filled gifts. The Queen of Heaven - for the Heavenly Ranks of bodiless spirits worship and revere Her: Angels, Archangels, Principalities, Powers, Powers, Dominions, Thrones, Cherubim, Seraphim; the Triradiant Principle of God Herself now greets Her in heaven as the beloved Virgin of God. In gilded robes the garments are adorned... The Most Glorified Virgin Mary, as the holy Prophet David says, now shines with the unapproachable light of Divine glory. Thus, although all righteous souls are illumined by the Divine light from the unsetting Sun of Righteousness, and shine like luminaries, the Most Glorified Virgin Mary is the most beautiful of all the blessed Powers. Being the purest of all people and Angels, She perceives in its entirety the light of the Divine Sun and Herself reflects this light from Herself, being the second Sun of Righteousness, the Sun of glory. St. Gregory the Theologian says: "To each of the elect is given grace in part, to the Virgin all the fullness of grace." In the same way She is glorified, that is, She has the fullness of Divine glory, as the holy Prophet Ezekiel foresaw it: "Behold, and behold, the house of the Lord is full of glory" (Ezekiel 44:4). Our minds, dear brothers and sisters, cannot imagine the bright light with which the Blessed Virgin shines in paradise; The sun and moon are dark spots in comparison with this ineffable beauty, the contemplation of which the blessed souls of the righteous endlessly enjoy. What a beautiful, bright sight for the eyes of all holy people and even for the Seraphim themselves! A certain young man, a pious worshipper of the Virgin, wanted to see Him, and he turned to Her with a prayer: "Mary, the Sweetest Name, Which I honor and worship after God with all the love and reverence of my soul, for Thou art its consolation and joy! If I, Thy humble servant, have found grace before Thee, I beseech Thee, show me one mercy: in the midst of many blessings, vouchsafe me to behold Thee as Thou art in paradise. Grant me this mercy, Most-Pure Mother! I am ready to lose my eye, but only that I may behold Thee!" at night in a dream the All-Bright One appeared to him in all the splendor of that glory with which She shines in heaven. The young man woke up and really lost an eye, but from the joy that he felt, since he was worthy to see the Queen of heaven and earth, he did not regret at all that he had lost his sight. Moreover, he again prayed to see Her once more, agreeing to the loss of the other eye, which remained intact. And he was again vouchsafed to behold the Queen of things above and below; But what do you think, brothers and sisters? Could it be that he had become blind in both eyes? The All-Merciful Lady, appearing to him for the second time, not only did not deprive him of the other eye, but even returned to him the lost one. The young man awoke with both healthy eyes and, seized with intense joy, gave the Mother of God a thousand thanksgivings with abundant tears of reverent tenderness. … O All-Merciful Lady, Queen of heaven and earth, now accept our fervent prayers and cover us with Thy love! Accept also the feat of fasting performed by Orthodox Christians for the sake of Thy Holy Name, and show us Thy mercy. Turn away from us the wrath of God, which is righteously moved against us, preserve us from all the snares of the enemy, and teach us to love Thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Strengthen our faith, for Thou art the firm affirmation of faith, and vouchsafe us to glorify Thee in the life to come, and to cry out: Rejoice, Queen of heaven and earth, Rejoice, Rejoice, Rejoice, O zealous Intercessor of the Christian race! Amen. 1960

О значении "мелочей" в нашей жизни

Церковь принимает за несомненную истину, что покров Пресвятой Богородицы простерт над всем родом человеческим и в особенности - над родом христианским, и над всеми нами, в частности. Пресвятая Дева, как любвеобильная Матерь, любит род человеческий, а паче всего - христиан; может ли Она оставаться равнодушной к жизни и судьбам людей, не заботиться о них, не оказывать им Своего покровительства? Молитвы Царицы Небесной о нас благоволительно приемлются Сыном Ее и Богом. По Ее ходатайству Он совершил первое Свое чудо, претворив воду в вино в Кане Галилейской. И этот Евангельский урок служит для христиан отраднейшим доказательством, уверением в той истине, что Богоматерь неизменно предстательствует за христиан пред Сыном Своим. Вспомним, дорогие, это Евангельское повествование, остановимся на нем поподробнее. Обратим внимание на то, что событие, произошедшее в Кане Галилейской, не имеет, кажется, такого уж важного значения, а тем не менее, Пресвятая Дева не оставила и эту мелочь жизни без Своего внимания, уверяя нас в том, что покровительство Ее простирается над всей нашей жизнью, над всеми обстоятельствами, как маловажными, так и имеющими великую для нас значимость. Жизнь частных людей, да и целых народов, слагается, главным образом, из мелочей - из попечения о пище, одеянии, жилище, из скромного удовлетворения скромных нужд, из обыденных огорчений, скорбей и радостей. Важные события также происходят, но значительно реже, чем события мелкие, в которых протекает преимущественно жизнь людей. Эти мелочи, при всей их кажущейся маловажности, в совокупности имеют величайшее значение - и житейское, и нравственное. Они делают наше существование горьким или приятным, тяжелым или легким. В зависимости от них образуется и нравственное направление и настроение, нравственный характер людей. Под влиянием счастливых обстоятельств одни люди совершенствуются в добродетели, другие, напротив, начинают утопать в пороке. Так, например, в ком-то в благополучии и беспечалии крепнут довольство своим положением, благодушие, благожелательность, благотворительность, благодарность Богу. В другом же развиваются самолюбие, изнеженность, равнодушие к чужим несчастьям, пристрастие к наслаждениям и другие пороки, какие могут быть у человека счастливого и богатого. Точно так же у живущих под бременем неудач под воздействием обстоятельств несчастных являются: у некоторых - добродетели, а у некоторых - пороки; в одних рождается терпение, преданность воле Божией, мужество, трудолюбие, молитвенное настроение, в других же - малодушие, ропотливость, леность, отчаяние с его гибельными последствиями. Значение мелочей жизни весьма велико. Поэтому ими нельзя пренебрегать, на них необходимо обращать сугубое внимание с тем, чтобы они всячески были направляемы и служили на пользу, на благо человеку. И первое подтверждение тому - в том, что мы видим, как Пресвятая Дева не пренебрегает и маловажными, на первый взгляд, в жизни людей событиями, и они состоят под Ее покровом и служат предметом Ее ходатайства пред Возлюбленным Своим Сыном. По какому случаю обратилась Она с единственным записанным в Евангелии ходатайством к Сыну Своему и Богу? - По случаю оскудения вина на браке в Кане Галилейской. Не мелочь ли жизни, что на браке недостало вина, недостало вина уже после того, как вино пили? Стоило ли, по-видимому, обращать внимание на этот пустяк Пресвятой Деве Марии - великой Святой и Подвижнице, а тем более - Богочеловеку Иисусу Христу? И, однако, что же? И Богоматерь, и Христос милостиво призирают на эту мелочь! Богоматерь Своим любящим сердцем поняла, что недостаток вина на браке причинил бы огорчение и жениху с невестой, и их гостям, нарушил бы общее веселье в торжественнейший момент жизни новобрачных, оставил бы у них навсегда тягостное воспоминание. И вот Она Сама, без посторонней просьбы, решается помочь этим людям. Божия Матерь, очевидно, эту мелочь жизни не считает мелочью нравственной. Она обращается с просьбой о предотвращении скорби, ожидавшей гостей, позванных на брак, к Сыну Своему - Богочеловеку. Вина нет у них (Ин. 2, 3),- говорит Она Христу, умоляя Его этим напоминанием избавить новобрачных от неизбежного, казалось, для них огорчения. Что же Христос? Признает ли Он эту мелочь жизни - недостаток вина на браке и ходатайство о том Богоматери не заслуживающими внимания Его? Нет, Подвигоположник, Крестоносец и Учитель Христос говорит лишь о преждевременности исполнения прошения Матери Своей, но не признает ни ходатайства неуместным, ни дела самого не заслуживающим внимания. И в нем, как и во всяком ином, приходит людям на помощь, уверяя нас в том, что и мы должны быть внимательны ко всему, из чего состоит жизнь - наша и наших ближних. Ибо в ней, в жизни, ничего незначительного и неважного нет. Аминь. 1961 г.Неделя 3-я по Пятидесятнице

Пресвятая Дева - наше непостыдное упование

Во имя Отца и Сына и Святаго Духа!

Так Церковь внушает нам, что Пресвятая Дева, соделавшись Матерью Сына Божия - нашего Искупителя, соделалась Матерью всех праведных и надежным прибежищем грешников. По всему христианскому миру распростерты пречистые Ее длани с благотворными чудесами и знамениями - несомненными и очевидными залогами и доказательствами Ее милости и заступления, столь частыми, что едва ли кто сможет их исчислить. То безмерное величие, по которому Она превознесена на небесах выше Херувимов и Серафимов, поистине равняется тому несказанному милосердию, с каким Она является всюду на земле между христианами. Посему достойно и праведно святая Церковь немолчными гласы величает Матерь Божию, побуждая и нас, недостойных, к сему восхвалению Ее. И мы все находимся под всесильным Ее покровом и заступлением и объяты Ее великим милосердием. При нашем ничтожестве дорого нам бывает иметь доброго и верного помощника в наших житейских нуждах и особенно - опасностях; тем более дорого и отрадно иметь упование на Пресвятую Деву Марию и Ее ходатайство за нас пред Престолом Всевышнего. Много у нас всяких нужд, духовных и телесных, кроме Него никем не удовлетворимых, много и всякого рода опасностей, без Его Всесильной помощи ничем не отвратимых. А между тем наши молитвы и прошения часто не доходят до Царя Небесного по нашим грехам и в силу нашего крайнего недостоинства. Мы часто просим и вопием ко Господу, но Господь не внемлет нам, потому что просим без веры, вопием без надежды. Часто имеем влечение к добру, но не можем следовать ему; напротив, часто делаем то, чего внутренне гнушаемся. Хотим быть добродетельными, но по-прежнему остаемся грешными. Даем обеты возненавидеть грех и не можем расстаться с привычкой к нему и истребить в своем сердце услаждение им. И все, по слову Священного Писания, пьем беззаконие, яко воду (Иов, 15, 16). В таких-то немощах, нуждах и духовных опасностях наших Пресвятая Дева и ходатайствует за нас, не утвердившихся совершенно в вере, надежде и любви, и преклоняет милосердие Сына Своего и Бога нашего к нам, недостойным, прося Его милости, заступления и ограждения. Зная наши немощи, Она простирает Свой милосердный взор на самые малейшие наши нужды и требования. Будучи одного естества с нами, Она любит нас полною святою любовью, а опытно изведавши многие нужды, скорби и уничижения, Она особенно близка людям несчастным, сокрушенным сердцем, сиротам, больным, беспомощным, гонимым, обиженным. Раскройте историю Церкви, вглядитесь в жизнь благочестивого верующего народа в прошлом, и пред вами во всей полноте предстанет вся необъятность благодеяний и чудес, излиянных Божией Матерью на человеческий род. Аминь. 1961 г.Неделя 13-я по Пятидесятнице