To Him is due all glory, honor, and worship, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Homily Forty-Two. 1. What is the mystery of Christ's Resurrection? How does the Resurrection of Christ happen in us, and how does the resurrection of the soul take place along with this? - It is said on Tuesday of the second week after Pascha.

My beloved brethren!

And so, brethren, let us give thanks to Christ the Lord, Who vouchsafed us to sail the sea of fasting and led us with joy into the harbor of the Resurrection – let us give thanks to all, both those who completed the course of the fast well, in the feats of virtue, with zeal and warm disposition, and those who were not so courageous and faint-hearted in their asceticism, because of weakness of heart and corruption of soul. For He also gives to zealous ascetics crowns and rewards, even much greater than they should; And again He shows condescension to the weakest, as merciful and loving to mankind, because He looks more at the disposition and will of our souls than at the bodily labors with which we exercise and strive in virtue, or more out of greater zeal, or less in comparison with those who are zealous because of the weakness of the body, and thus, according to the diligence of each, He distributes the rewards and gifts of the Holy Spirit, and either makes someone famous and glorious for his zealous feats, or leaves him still in humiliation, as one who needs even greater feats for complete purification.

But if you consider it blessed, let us ponder and investigate more precisely what is the mystery of the Resurrection of Christ our God, which is mysteriously in us, if we ascend, and how Christ is buried within us, as in the tomb, how He is united with our souls, resurrected in us, and together with Himself resurrects us. Christ our God, after He was hanged on the Cross and nailed the sin of the whole world to it, died, descended into the pit of hell; then, having risen from hell, He again entered into His immaculate body, and immediately rose from the dead; and then at last he ascended into heaven with much power and glory. In the same way, now, when we, leaving this world and worldly vanities, while confessing the passions of Christ the Lord, enter into the tomb of repentance and humility, He Himself descends from heaven, enters into our body as into a tomb, unites with our souls and resurrects them, dead in sins, and, having resurrected, gives grace to see the glory of this mysterious Resurrection.

Thus, the Resurrection of Christ is the resurrection of us, who have fallen into sin and are dead. The resurrection and glory of Christ is, as we have said, our own resurrection, which happens, is manifested and seen in us through His Resurrection, which He accomplishes in us. The resurrection of the soul is its union with life (the tasting of life). For just as a dead body, if it does not receive within itself a living soul and does not merge with it without merging, cannot live alone, by itself, so the soul cannot live true and eternal life alone, by itself, unless in an ineffable way it unites itself unmerged with God. The soul, in spite of the fact that it is immaterial and immortal by nature, is dead and insensible before it is united with Christ, before it sees that it has been united with Him and is resurrected, before it knows and feels: since there is no knowledge without vision, nor vision without feeling, that is, before someone sees what thing, and seeing it, cognizes, and then feels. I say this in relation to the spiritual, and in relation to the bodily there is a feeling without vision, as, for example, a blind man, stumbling his foot over a stone, feels pain. In the spiritual, if the mind does not come to a state of contemplation in order to contemplate that which is beyond understanding, then it cannot feel the mysterious effect of it. Therefore he who says that he feels spiritual things before he is able to contemplate that which is above the mind, word, and thought, is like a blind man who feels the good and evil that he experiences, but does not know what is under his hands and feet, and what can live or kill him, because he has no eyes to see and to know them. Why does it happen so many times that he raises a stick to strike an enemy, but strikes a friend, despite the fact that the enemy also stands before him and mocks him!

The Resurrection of Christ is believed by many, but there are few who would see it purely. Those who do not see the Resurrection of Christ in this way cannot worship Jesus Christ as Lord. Why does the sacred hymn, which we often have in our mouths, say: The Resurrection of Christ, having not believed, but what? Having seen the Resurrection of Christ, let us worship the Holy Lord Jesus, the only sinless one. How is it that the Holy Spirit moves us to sing: having seen the Resurrection of Christ, that is, that we have seen the Resurrection of Christ, when we have not seen it, since Christ had risen more than a thousand years before, and even then no one had seen Him risen? Does not the church hymn want to teach us to tell lies?! Let it not be! Stop backbiting! On the contrary, it bequeathed us to proclaim with these words the perfect truth, reminding us of that Resurrection of Christ, which occurs in each of us, the faithful, and is not simple, but luminous, shining with the radiance of His Divinity and incorruption. The light-bearing presence of the Spirit points to the Resurrection of the Lord that has taken place in us, and even more so gives us the grace to see the risen Christ the Lord Himself. Wherefore we sing: God the Lord hath appeared unto us; and, wishing to show his second coming, we add after that: Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Thus, in those in whom the risen Christ appeared, He is ultimately both seen spiritually and seen with spiritual eyes. For when Christ comes into us by the grace of the Holy Spirit, He raises us from the dead, as we have been before, and gives us life, and makes us see Him Himself alive in us, immortal and incorruptible. And not only this, but He gives us grace and such that we clearly know how He resurrects us and glorifies us together with Himself, as the entire Divine Scripture attests.

Such are the divine mysteries of Christians! Such is the hidden power of our faith, which is not seen and cannot be seen by unbelievers, those of little faith, or, rather, half-faiths, who have half faith. Unbelievers, those of little faith, and half-faiths are those who do not show their faith by their works. Without works, even demons believe and confess Christ as God. We know that the demons often cried out, that Thou art the Son of God (Mark 3:11). At other times they cried out about the Apostles: "These men are servants of the Most High God" (Acts 16:17). And they were servants of Christ. But such faith is helpless neither to demons nor to people. And there is no benefit from such faith, because, as the Apostle says, it is dead. For faith without works is dead (James 2:20), as, on the contrary, faith is aided by works (22). Why is such faith dead? Because he does not have in himself the life-giving God, that he does not acquire within himself Christ, Who said: "He who loves Me will keep My commandments..." and I and the Father will come, and make our abode with him (John 14:23), so that by our presence we may raise from the dead the one who acquires such active faith, give him life and let him see Christ Himself, Who has risen in him and resurrected him. That is why faith without works is dead, or rather, those who have faith without works are dead. True faith in God is always alive and living, and gives life to those who approach it and receive it with good will. Even before the actual fulfillment of Christ's commandments, it brought many from death into life and showed them Christ and God. And if they had continued in His commandments afterwards and kept them even unto death, they would have been preserved by these commandments as they were in the beginning by faith alone. But as they changed in their dispositions and fell back into their former sins, they lost their faith, and righteously lost the true spiritual riches that are Christ. Let us not suffer for this, let us, I beseech you, to observe the commandments of Christ as much as we can, in order to be vouchsafed both present and future blessings, that is, the sight of Christ the Lord Himself. Which may we all receive through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, to Whom be glory for ever. Amen.

Homily Forty-Three. 1. About the changes of soul and body, which occur from the elements, food and demons.

Долг имеет всякий христианин не только изменения и перемены, бывающие в душе, знать, но знать еще и причины, от коих они происходят и случаются.

Все это бывает естественно по естественному течению движений души и тела, когда подвизаемся в делании добродетелей и исполнении заповедей Христовых.

Бывает, что и душа скорбит и не соглашается с умом в его неправых помышлениях, но никакой тем не доставляет пользы, потому что не сильна бывает отвлечь ум от таких суетных и бесполезных помыслов. И вот то, что имели мы сказать об изменениях и преложениях ума и умной души нашей.

Что касается до неровностей, бывающих в теле, то хоть и кажется нам, что они явны и их легко познать, но на деле не так, ибо изменений, бывающих в теле по естеству его, чрезвычайно много. Душа по естеству и сущности своей неизменна; вместе с нею равным образом неизменным создан от Творца Бога и ум. Они водятся произволением и по своей воле упражняются или в добродетелях, или в пороках, и за то наследуют на всю вечность или свет, или тьму. По своей воле, как я сказал, и по своему произволению, прилепляются они или к добру и бывают добрыми, или ко злу и бывают злыми. Но тело и естественно превратно, потому что сложно и по сущности своей текуче, как созданное из вещества тленного и текучего, и имеет сложение свое и состав свои из таких вещей, кои противоположны между собою. Мудрые по сей части говорят, да и поистине так есть, что сущность тела состоит из четырех противоположностей: холодного и теплого, сухого и сырого. Но тело само по себе не имеет ни воли, ни произволения и, сказать правду, не имеет ни даже движения, разве, может быть, назовет кто движением естественное течение тела к концу или тлению, каковое движение бессловесно, а если бессловесно, то, конечно, и безгрешно и пред Богом невиновно. И праведно: ибо то, что бывает необходимым следствием естества, то не подлежит осуждению. Похоти же плотской, брачного или безбрачного смешения, сластей, гортанобесия, чревоугодия, многоспанья, леностного бездействия, щегольства и многого другого подобного не тело ищет, как думают многие ненаказанные (ненаставленные. - Ред.), как не ищет оно этого, когда бывает мертво, но ищет этого душа посредством тела, приятным то себе находя, и услаждается тем, так как тесно соединена с этою перстию, то есть телом, любит валяться в чувственных скверностях, как свинья в нечистотах, и жаждет сластей плотских, по причине сего соединения с перстию.

Впрочем, никто пусть не думает, будто душа насильно бывает увлекаема к таким вещам от тела, ибо дело не так бывает. Как же бывает? Послушай со вниманием. Взял Бог персть от земли, и, создав человека, подул в лицо его Господь Бог, - и бысть человек в душу живу, встал с земли и стал ходить, потому что душа его, бывшая в теле, господственно и властно двигала сие тело; жжения же или похотного движения, бессловесной ярости и чревонеистовства и следа никакого не было тогда, но была в человеке жизнь мирная и беспечальная. Посмотрим теперь, не оттого ли, что тогда не было еще жены и яств, кои обыкновенно подвигают человека на похоть, не чувствовал он движений похоти и чревонеистовства? Итак, что же говорит о сем Божественное Писание? И прозябе Бог еще от земли всякое древо, красное в видение и доброе в снедь... И беста оба нага, Адам же и жена его, и не стыдястася (Быт.2:9,25). Видишь, что никакого вреда их целомудрию не причиняло ни то, что Ева была пред лицом Адама, ни то, что оба они были наги? И наги были они и не познавали друг друга, и не подвигались естеством тела своего к смешению, и не стыдились. Но по преступлении заповеди, когда вышли они из рая, обнажились от благодати Божией и ниспали от божественной славы, тогда, как написано, позна Адам жену свою и заченши роди (Быт.4:1). Так, брате мой, если ты искренно возлюбишь Бога и будешь твердо стоять в сей любви, то никакая страсть не возобладает тобою и никакое нуждение тела не вознасилует тебя. Ибо как невозможно, чтобы тело подвиглось на какое-либо дело само собою без души, так невозможно, чтоб и душа, соединившись с Богом посредством любви, вступать стала в сношение с другим чем-либо и склонилась на пожелания и удовольствия чувственные или увлеклась похотением чего-либо видимого и какою-либо страстию. Потому что все стремление сердца ее или, лучше скажу, вся воля ее связана крепко узами сладчайшей любви к Богу, а когда душа ссоюзится и ссочетается, как я сказал, с Творцом своим, тогда возможно ли, скажи мне, чтоб она испытывала жжение плотское или была подвигаема на похоть, и тем паче чтоб и исполняла ее? Никак невозможно. Естественные же перемены, бывающие в теле, явны.