All our search for something, apart from simple and clear things, is often a departure from God. And there is no benefit for the soul in this, we only dissipate from it. The Lord calls us so that we do not find ourselves condemned before God, as those people who had such an unspeakable happiness were condemned – to hear Christ Himself. Everybody could come and touch Him. What a wonderful miracle it is! A woman touched His garment and was healed of a twelve-year illness. Here we partake of Communion from the Chalice of Christ, and then we touch this Chalice. In it is the Body and Blood of Christ, which means that it is the garment of Christ. We also touch the clothes of Christ the Savior. But we not only touch the Chalice, we take into ourselves the Body and Blood of Christ in the guise of bread and wine. What can be higher, holier, more miraculous? What more incomprehensible miracle can a person not only see, but even imagine? What other miracles are needed? What other evidence do you need?

And that's what we don't believe, that's what we don't strive for: I'd rather later, I'm lazy, reluctant to read the rule, I haven't fasted, and so on. Some times a year they take communion. This is generally surprising: either a person does not understand anything at all, or he has such indifference to God. How can it be that you do not want to listen to the word of Christ?! We have listened today – this is a direct speech addressed to us. Through the mouth of the priest Christ speaks.

And why does Christ Himself not appear on the ambo? What does it cost Him? So take and appear instead of Father Dimitri Himself. Yes, then we will all burn out! For example, Seraphim of Sarov was holy and pure from infancy, and even then, when he saw Christ in church, he was stunned and could not continue the service. Then he was taken away, imprisoned, and for a very long time he could not even speak. If we see Christ here like this, then what will happen to us? We will all turn to ashes! But this does not mean that Christ is not here. He's here. And we, in our cunning, foolishness and lack of faith, are still looking for something: what kind of elder could we find, so that he would tell everything, explain everything. Now there are elders who are in no way inferior to Seraphim of Sarov, and they can work miracles no lower than the miracles of the ancient saints. But they live where no one will ever find them. And why don't they appear and turn us to God? Because no one will listen to them.

I once observed the following picture: one elder (he was already deceased, then he was over eighty) was sitting on a chair and confessing. And suddenly a man came in and asked: why is this grandfather sitting here, is he really still thinking about something? That's the attitude. A miracle worker was sitting, and he said: "Does this old man really understand something?" Not only can we not listen to simple and clear things, but we cannot even hear them. And what if the will of God is directly revealed to us? An elder is a prophet of God, he proclaims the truth. And if a person tries not to listen to this truth, well, what will happen to him? Of course, if the world stands, it means that there are elders, and they pray – that is why it stands. But this does not mean that they will work miracles. Now is the era of the Kashpirovskys, these miracle workers will fill our entire lives. Now this whistling has just begun, and then it will get worse. All sorts of psychics, miracle workers are already receiving patients in clinics – and that's it, no medications, you don't need to go to America to get anything. He just gave fifteen rubles and be healthy.

And of course, against such a background, when the whole nation craves only an external miracle, true grace leaves, it hides from people, because a person does not perceive the simplest spiritual things. Take the children. They are told: if you have eaten, wash your plate after yourself. Everyone understands that this is what should be done. And a person understands this, and it is not difficult to do it, but still does not do it. And what if the will of God is really revealed to this person? That is why the Lord commanded: do not cast pearls before swine. Because these pigs will turn around and trample you. That is why the Lord hid the saints from us, that we all turned into pigs, into the very ones about whom we read yesterday in the Gospel. Because our soul is full of all impurity, all kinds of demonic possessions, all kinds of sinful passions. Our fate is only from the steep slope and into the sea, if we do not turn and gradually begin to turn from pigs into people. This is the spiritual task set before us. Therefore, we must strive for this by the mercy of God. Amen.

Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, November 13, 1989

Saturday of the 22nd Week after Pentecost

Today's Gospel tells us how the Lord sent His disciples to preach. They were not yet apostles in their entirety, but the Lord had already given them the grace of God to preach the Kingdom of God, to heal the sick and the demon-possessed, and they dispersed to all corners of Palestine, passing through its cities and villages. The Lord commanded them not to take anything with them: neither a staff, nor a bag, nor bread, nor money, not even to take two clothes in reserve. In this way He taught them to put all their hope in God: "He who labors is worthy of food," so do not worry about anything, go with God. And they believed Him, and went, and when they returned, He asked them, "Did you have need of anything?" No, they did not. And all subsequent Orthodox Christians who turned from the preaching of the apostles and their disciples, all who managed to put their hope in God, never had need of anything. The Lord always preserved them, as long as they were faithful to Him.