So gentle was this bishop, and therefore he is worthy to be among "this kind of seekers of the Lord." According to the second book of spiritual kinship, Climacus, he had spiritual mentors as his father, even before monasticism he had tenderness for his mother, companions for his brothers, a concubine for the memory of death, for his children the sighs of the day, for his children the body enslaved to the spirit, for his friends the angels, and therefore he was related to those who seek the Lord.

From such a good spiritual kind of virtues was born to the saint of God a good end, an honorable holy repose. For just as an evil life is followed by an evil end, or death, so a virtuous life is followed by a blessed end. From a blessed death, or from a good death, immortal life has its birth and its beginning.

Read each one in the book of a good death, in the book of the virtuous life and honorable repose of St. Peter of Christ, read about the blessedness of eternal life that he received. Read, contemplating with your God-minded mind how the saint of God dwells, rejoicing, with the saints as the holy chosen one of God, beloved, with the saints as the venerable, not malicious, undefiled, with the hierarchs as a hierarch, with the teachers as the teacher of all Russia, with the apostles as the apostolic vicar and their partaker of morals, with the prophets as a seer, with the angels as an angel who lived in the flesh, with the Archangels as an archangel glorifying God with songs day and night, with the Cherubim as one who stood before the throne of God in a cherubic manner during the service in the altar, as if on the highest, with the Seraphim as one who loved God in a seraphim.

On the day of the saint's repose, such contemplation of the eternal life which he received can truly be useful to everyone who desires and strives to gain benefit for his soul. We, without continuing our conversation any longer, will close both of these books: the book on the kinship of Christ by St. Matthew, the universal teacher, in which the vanity of this mortal life is revealed, and the book of the honorable repose of the holy hierarch of Christ Peter, the teacher of all Russia, in which our eternal life is written. Amen.     32.

Second Homily for the Feast Day of Our Father Peter, Metropolitan of All Russia, in the month of December, on the 21st day ("Behold the Lamb of God!" (John 1:29))   Celebrating with love the all-honorable memory of our father Peter, Metropolitan of Moscow and All Russia the Wonderworker, when I listen to the history of his holy life and first hear what his mother saw in a dream vision before her birth, as if she were holding a lamb in her arms, the words of the Gospel come to my mind: "Behold the Lamb of God!

These words were spoken by St. John the Baptist about Christ the Saviour, as it is told in the Gospel: "The next day John saw Jesus coming to him, and said, Behold the Lamb of God" (John 1:29). However, let not St. John be angry, let not my Lord be angry at the fact that I will call the holy Metropolitan Peter with the same words. Here is the Lamb of God, manifested to his mother in the form of a lamb, who retained in his life meekness, humility and gentleness, befitting a lamb, who showed himself to be a true follower of Christ, the Lamb of God. Behold the Lamb of God!

Let us turn our mental eyes to this spiritual lamb, to the saint of God, the great among the hierarchs, Metropolitan Peter, and let us gaze at his lamb's disposition for our benefit, "with the Lord's help" (Mark 16:20). In the Divine Scriptures, the lamb is an image of meekness, humility, and forbearance, for this animal is by nature meek, humble, not malicious, and does not resist anyone.

All other animals show their anger, rage, resistance: some butt and kill with their horns, others bite with their teeth and devour other people's flesh, others beat and trample under foot, others tear with their claws. Only the lamb's nature has nothing of this in it, it is not irritated, it does not rage with rage, it does not resist the one who offends it. That is why the prophet Isaiah likened our Lord to this animal, Who was to come to a free passion.

"As a sheep," he says of Him, "is led to the slaughter, and as a lamb is silent before his shearer, so He does not open His mouth" (Isaiah 53:6). All these virtues mentioned above: meekness, humility and gentleness – can be considered as one, for meekness walks together with humility, as the Lord says: "Learn from Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart"; and again: "On whom shall I look, but on the meek and humble?" (Psalm 24:21).

And kindness does not lag behind them and, as friendly to them, finds grace with them with the Lord, drawing near to Him, as David also said on behalf of the Lord Himself: "The gentle and the righteous are united with me" (Psalm 24:21). However, each of these virtues has a special interpretation of its power. Meekness means restraining anger, taming rage.

A meek person is one who, being grieved by someone and having the opportunity to take revenge, does not take revenge, does not get angry, and the offended does not offend. Humility is a sincere awareness of one's insignificance, contempt for oneself. Humble is the one who, knowing his weakness, sinfulness and lewdness, does not exalt himself in his mind, considers himself inferior to all, and even though he succeeds in some virtue, nevertheless, filled with the fear of God, calls himself a useless servant.

Kindness is called either a clear conscience, innocent of any evil, or simplicity of heart, adorned with righteousness, or forbearance, not repaying evil for evil. All these three virtues were found in the meek, humble and gentle lamb – the great Holy Hierarch of God Peter. But there is not enough time to talk about all of them in detail now. At this hour, it is enough to talk about one of the above-mentioned virtues – meekness (

putting aside all the others for the future, if the Lord wills and we live), and this one, as combined with the other two, will show us in part their power. For just as during the playing of the harp and cymbals, when one string is struck, the other strings also make a quiet sound, so in the discourse on meekness humility will also have a somewhat resonant response. If you want to overcome your enemies without battle, to conquer without weapons, to tame without difficulty, be gentle yourself, and you will overcome, conquer, and tame others.

If you do not believe me, look with me at the book called the Apocalypse, and from it you will be convinced. I look into this book and see St. John the Theologian weeping. What are you weeping about, beloved disciple of Christ? Is it not fitting for you to rejoice more quickly, having been vouchsafed so many revelations? You see the Throne of God and God Himself, sitting on it, holding in His right hand the book of His unknown mysteries of God, sealed with seven seals.