Let us recall: next to Zacchaeus the publican in the difficult time of his spiritual maturation were the apostles of Christ, who raised him and led him in due time to the episcopal service (as the Holy Scriptures speak). In the same way, next to us there are the people of God, there are pastors of Christ, there are hierarchs, and our entire Church with the Chief Shepherd Christ. The Lord Himself, through His servants, admonishes those who come to Him sincerely and with faith. It would not be enough for us to enumerate all the great men of God who were raised by the Church and in their time raised those who followed them to Christ. But it is really necessary to follow.

Now, on the day of veneration of the great teacher of the universe, John Chrysostom, let us also follow Christ on the path of salvation, led by the Divine grace that shone forth from the lips of the saint. In the field of teaching he alone has done so much that we will have to limit our zeal to touching only on the most important questions of life at the present time. In the writings of St. John Chrysostom, in his life, let us seek and find answers to our "whys."

Who among us does not know what a difficult, troubled time our people, our Church, is going through now? Never in the harvest field of Christ have there been so many and such diverse tares as now. Never has the enemy of human salvation, the devil, exerted so much effort to destroy the Kingdom of God on earth. Never have the enemies of the Church taken up arms against her with such ferocity as now. Never, probably, have we, believers, been so powerless, weak and of little faith. We have previously talked about why it is precisely the Church, the ship of salvation, and its helmsmen who are subjected to persecution, slander, slander and all sorts of other militant warfare against them. But is it only now, in the twentieth century, that this calamity has fully appeared?

Listen to what St. John Chrysostom says about the Church in the year 404. "What are you grieving over and twisting about?" – the saint-martyr turns to a contemporary woman from cruel imprisonment, three years before his martyrdom, persecuted more and more, further and further without any guilt – solely for zeal for God, for zeal for a perishing person.

"What are you grieving over and whirling about? What troubles your soul? That a cruel and gloomy storm has encircled the Church and turned everything into a moonless night? That day by day the waves rise high, suffering from the birth of cruel shipwrecks? That the death of the universe grows more and more?"

Lament, weep and weep; your laughter has already turned to weeping, and your joy to sorrow. The premonition of the destruction of the world in the fourth century devours the soul of the holy man. The storm clouds of future disasters are seen by the righteous and elders of Optina at the beginning of the 20th century, those righteous men whom we now see in the assembly of saints. Apocalyptic plagues have already touched us, sinners. But here is a miracle – in the universal calamity and contrition, the luminaries of the spirit are born, rise up – the holy people of God. In the fourth century, many known saints shone forth, among them the universal teacher John Chrysostom, and unknown righteous men, those whom he taught, to whom he wrote letters from exile. And in the 20th century, too, many known saints have already been glorified: St. Patriarch Tikhon, Righteous John of Kronstadt, and many other known and unknown saints: the righteous, the martyrs, the hierarchs, the pastors, and the laity. All the calamities through which they had to pass not only did not hinder them, but made them even more brilliant.

And again the question: "But why is that which is to perdition to some greater glory to others?" And here is the answer to it by St. John Chrysostom: "Seeing adversity, I do not renounce my best hopes; I think of the Ruler of all events, of the Lord, Who does not conquer the storm by art, but calms the storm with a single gesture."

Thus, the words of the Apostle are fulfilled by the righteous: "... humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you" (James 4:10). And we still have to fulfill this, we have to continue to follow Christ, following His disciples.

I will repeat once again, our friends: "... Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you." This is our salvation.

"But the Lord does not work miracles suddenly, not at first," St. Chrysostom continues his observation and instruction, "and when the majority begins to lose hope, He will manifest His own strength on the one hand, and on the other hand, He will cultivate patience in those who have endured."

And the same great teacher of the Church, the great patient warns us with you: "Do not lose heart. And remember that only one thing is terrible, there is only one real temptation – it is sin."

Everything passes. "Will you point out to me deceit, or pretense, or deceit, flattery, slander, accusations, exiles... At least for the struggle of the whole universe. Whatever our troubles may be, they are temporary and short-lived, they exist for the mortal body, but they do not harm the cheerful spirit.

Therefore, let nothing accidental disturb you; Do not call one and the other, do not chase after the shadow, for human help is a shadow.

Jesus, whom you serve, call on Jesus without ceasing; one wave of Him — and in an instant everything will change. He suddenly begins to bring everything into silence and give everything an unexpected turn, for God can give us not only those blessings that we expect and hope for, but can do incomparably more and infinitely better."