Saint

Tikhon of Zadonsk

Collected Works

Volume 5

Letters. Instructions. Reflections. Prayers

Cell letters

Letters 1 – 10

Letter One

On this great day, having nothing else to congratulate you with but the joy of the world, I congratulate you on it. What is it? – The Son of God came to save sinners. Rejoice, sinners! God and our Lord came into the world for our sake, to save us. Great is the mystery of godliness: God appeared in the flesh (1 Timothy 3:16)! The King of Heaven appeared on earth, and the Unapproachable Cherubim lived with people.

Oh, the unspeakable goodness and love of mankind of the Lord who has appeared! Oh, the blessedness of those for whose sake their God and Lord came and appeared to them!

Blessed are the eyes that have seen God in the flesh, and the ears that have heard His divine words, which many prophets wanted to see, and did not see, and hear, and did not hear (Matthew 13:17)! Blessed are we also, although with these sinful eyes we do not see Him, and with these ears we do not hear His sweet voice, but we believe in His coming. Especially blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed (John 20:29). Blessed are we, because for our sake our God came to us, God, being like men, came to men, and came for people's sake. He came to save sinners, which means that we are also among sinners. He came to seek out the lost, and therefore us, since we were among the lost. Blessed be God, Who came to save sinners and to seek the lost!

This treasure of salvation was revealed to us by eyewitnesses who saw Him, and heard Him, and conversed with Him, and lived and communicated with Him, and touched Him, and ate and drank with Him, and were in trouble with Him, heard Him preach the holy Gospel and the kingdom of heaven; they saw how He walked on the earth, and from city to city and from village to village, labored, worked miracles, cleansed lepers, enlightened the blind, raised the dead, and did other supernatural works; we saw how He suffered, died, and died, and was buried, and rose from the dead, and how He ascended into heaven, we saw.

These eyewitnesses preached according to us: Concerning that which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and which our hands have touched, concerning the Word of life, for life has appeared, and we have seen, and testify, and proclaim to you this eternal life, which was with the Father, and which was manifested to us, which we have seen and heard, we declare to you, and so on (1 John 1:1-3). And again: We have proclaimed to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, not following cunning fables, but being eyewitnesses of His greatness. For He received honor and glory from God the Father, when out of majestic glory this voice came to Him: This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased. And this voice that came from heaven we heard when we were with Him on the holy mountain (2 Peter 1:16-18; Matthew 17:5; Mark 9:7).

This truth, the eyewitnesses and reliable witnesses of it, not only by word and miracles and various signs, but also by their blood, and by various sufferings and deaths, did not doubt it. True and worthy of all acceptance is the word (1 Timothy 1:15), which not one, not two, not three, but many eyewitnesses preached in agreement, and not only preached, but also confirmed it by signs and wonders, and spared not their blood or their souls. Consider this, brother, learn from this, stand firm in this, be of good courage, be strong, and stop your mouths to the blasphemers and godless, of whom there are no longer few, and pray that we, not having seen God, Who appeared in the flesh for our sake, may love Him with all our hearts, and not having seen Him until now, but believing in Him, we may rejoice with ineffable and most glorious joy, finally attaining the salvation of souls by our faith (1 Peter 1:8-9).

Save yourself!