July: Day 5: Teaching 1: The Discovery of the Honorable Relics of our Venerable Father Sergius, the Wonderworker of Radonezh

July: Day 5: Teaching 1:
The Discovery of the Honorable Relics of our Venerable Father Sergius, the Wonderworker of Radonezh

(On Love for the Fatherland)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. Saint Sergius, the discovery of whose much-healing relics is celebrated today, among the many virtues with which he was adorned, was distinguished by his extraordinary love for his fatherland, for which he was ready for any labors and sacrifices.

Thus, he repeatedly went on behalf of Saint Alexis, Metropolitan of Moscow, to various princes neighboring Moscow, who did not want to recognize the authority of the Grand Prince and were stirring up troubles, and he always fulfilled his difficult assignments with great success; very often and zealously he offered up his ardent prayers for the well-being of the Russian kingdom and ardently sympathized with its misfortunes, which arose mainly from Russia's dependence on the Tatars.

The then Grand Prince Dmitry Ivanovich steadfastly endured the calamities of the fatherland, but, not having the strength to fight the Tatars, had to go to the Horde to express submission to the Khan. Finally, he had to enter into battle with Khan Mamai. Mamai entered Russia with a large army. Not knowing what to do – whether to fight the Khan or submit to him – Dmitry went to Saint Sergius to receive his advice and blessing. Saint Sergius blessed the prince for the battle, saying: “You, sovereign, should take care of the Christian flock entrusted to you, and with God's help you will gain victory.” Then he blessed the warriors who were with the prince with an icon and gave them two schema-monks as companions, Alexander Peresvet and Andrei Oslabya. When the battle began on the Kulikovo Field and Dmitry, seeing the superiority of the enemy, was troubled in spirit, suddenly a messenger from Sergius appeared with a letter in which the Saint encouraged him with God's help. Mamai was completely defeated.

Having reached the age of 78, Saint Sergius foresaw his death and, having called the brethren, handed over the abbacy to Saint Nikon, received the Holy Mysteries and died on September 25, 1392. Thirty years later, on July 5, the body of Saint Sergius was found incorrupt. The monastery he founded flourished, rose to prominence and became the guardian of the Russian land, especially during the Times of Troubles that shook our fatherland.

II. May the life of our Venerable and God-bearing Father Sergius, who was distinguished by the most ardent love for his fatherland, serve as a lesson for us in the same love on our part for our dear homeland.

a) All the saints sincerely loved their fatherland and zealously contributed to its well-being in one way or another, according to their means. Some zealously strove for its civil welfare and spiritual enlightenment, like the holy kings and shepherds of the Church of Christ; others bravely defended it from enemies and laid down their lives in battles for it, like many faithful princes and Christ-loving warriors; others contributed to its welfare with their knowledge, property and labors, like the holy philosophers, hymnographers, merchants and artists; and everyone with sincere devotion to it and fervent prayers for its well-being and salvation from disasters. The lives of the saints are filled with examples of such love for the fatherland. Therefore, we will not list them now, for the sake of brevity of our conversation, but will only say in the words of the wise man that the “love” of the saints for the fatherland was “strong as death” (Song of Songs 8:6), and often reached the point of self-denial. Thus, the Apostle Paul says, that he would rather be accursed from Christ, to be deprived of blessed communion with Him, so that only “his kinsmen according to the flesh”, his compatriots the Israelites, would receive salvation in Christ (Rom. 9:1-4, 10:1). Jesus Christ himself, approaching Jerusalem, the main city of His earthly fatherland Judea, and foreseeing the terrible disasters to which this city would be subjected, bitterly “wept over it” (Luke 19:41-44). So He loved His earthly homeland, although He only half belonged to it – only with His human nature!

b) A Christian cannot help but love his fatherland. In it we first saw the light of God, received existence and spiritual rebirth. In it we first experienced parental caresses and innocent childish games. In it we received an education, the knowledge we need, and everything we have now. From our very birth, it has nourished and looked after us through our parents; in our youth it taught us through mentors everything good, tried to make us intelligent and honest people; then it opened up a field for activity for us, looking with love on our labors and encourages them in various ways. At the same time, it cares for our life to be calm and happy, protects us from external and internal enemies of our safety, provides us with ways to satisfy our everyday needs and does everything that can serve our common good. How can we not love our homeland when it surrounds us from our swaddling clothes to the grave with such care, so generously bestowing upon us! How can we not love the supreme head of our fatherland, the beloved and most pious Sovereign Emperor Nicholas Alexandrovich, who, upon his very accession to the ancestral throne, captivated the hearts of all his loyal subjects with his boundless royal mercies!

III. The debt of gratitude and Christian duty require (Gal. 6:10; 1 Tim. 5:8) that we, brethren, for the love and good deeds shown to us by the fatherland, ourselves love it sincerely, as befits its children, and to the best of our ability contribute to its well-being, and therefore do what it requires of us and what can serve for its good. Amen.  

 

Source: A Complete Annual Cycle of Short Teachings, Composed for Each Day of the Year. Translated by John Sanidopoulos.