Prologue in Sermons: December 22

On the Way to the Kingdom of Heaven, the Lord Supports His Faithful Servants

December 22*
 
(A Discourse on the Vision of Joasaph)

By Archpriest Victor Guryev

The word of God says that the Kingdom of Heaven is taken by force and that only those who use force can capture it. This means that to attain it, one must labor and endure ascetic struggles. Since these struggles are often quite difficult, especially for beginners, the Lord strengthens and confirms His true servants in them. By what means? Either by ordinary, mysterious acts of grace upon their hearts, or by the special ways of His Providence in their lives, including the lifting of the veil of the afterlife before their eyes. We can see proof of the latter from the following circumstances in the life of Saint Joasaph, Prince of India.

When Joasaph was still a youth, Saint Barlaam was sent by God to him. He taught him the faith, baptized him, prayed to God for him, and, having offered the Mysteries of Christ, returned to the desert. After his departure, Joasaph began to strive intensely and spent his time constantly in prayer and tears. It was certainly difficult for the young Christian, surrounded by pagans, to bear his cross at first. But the Lord did not abandon him. In the very first days of his new Christian life, he was granted the following vision in a dream. He saw himself caught up into Paradise, and there he was shown all those blessings that neither human words nor the eye can convey. A wondrous city opened before him, shining with gold and precious stones, and he saw a multitude of angels singing and praising God. Joasaph turned to them with a request to be allowed to remain with them. But he heard from them that in order to be in Paradise, he must return to the world and strive. This vision further strengthened Joasaph's desire to serve the Lord. He intensified his ascetic efforts, and finally, in order to devote himself entirely to God, he went to Barlaam in the desert. There, undoubtedly, he found it even more difficult, but the Lord strengthened him with a vision. The angels he had previously seen again appeared to him, and they again led him into the Heavenly City not made with hands. Upon entering, he saw two more, holding two bright crowns of indescribable beauty. Joasaph asked to whom they were assigned, and heard the answer that one was assigned to him because he had saved many souls and was adorned with fasting, and the other, for his sake, was given to his father. After this vision, the story goes, Joasaph entered into even greater asceticism and after a little while reached that most luminous and ineffable City.

What Joasaph saw in his visions is known to us from the Lord's promises given to all true Christians in the word of God. Therefore, in accordance with these comforting promises, believing that you will see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living, take courage in your struggles against sin and in good deeds, and let your hearts be strong and wait on the Lord (Psalm 27:13-14). Amen.

Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
 
Notes:

* In the original text, there is no entry for December 22nd. There this is the second entry for November 19th.