Prologue in Sermons: December 14

 

With the Lord, Everything, Including Trials and Tribulations, is Wisely Arranged and Serves for our Salvation and Blessedness.

December 14*
 
(Commemoration of our Venerable Father Nikon, Disciple of Blessed Sergius, the Abbot and New Wonderworker)

By Archpriest Victor Guryev

When grief and misfortune befall us, especially severe ones, we often lose faith, murmur, complain, and say, "Why do I endure such sorrows? Why does the Lord allow them to befall me? Why is He punishing me? Where is the truth, where is the mercy?" Thus we usually cry out during times of sorrow, but we cry in vain; for with God, everything, not excluding misfortunes and sorrows, is wisely arranged, and everything serves our salvation and our blessedness. We will prove this to you, brethren, both by the word of the universal teacher and by example.

Saint John Chrysostom says: “Pharaoh commanded that infants be thrown into the river; but if this had not happened, Moses would not have been preserved and would not have been raised in the royal chambers. And when he lived in luxury, he was not held in honor, but when he was exiled, he became honored.... Once a Jew threatened him and said: 'Do you want to kill me?' And this was to his advantage, for it led him to see a vision in the desert... and to become famous after that. And the more the Jews rose up against him, the more, through this, he was glorified. It was the same with Aaron; and when they rose up against him, the more glory was brought to him. After this, the high priestly robe was placed on him, and a turban (a kind of miter) on his head, and everything else according to his dignity, so that no one would doubt anymore his divine election. The three youths were thrown into the furnace and for this reason were glorified. Daniel was cast into the pit and, upon emerging, became most glorious. So, do you see? Great adversities are beneficial here, not to mention the life to come... Therefore, let us not be indignant, but rejoice in sorrows; for they are healings useful for our wounds, and although on the one hand they are bitter, on the other they are sweet... Let us be grateful to God for sorrows, for He does not allow them without reason, but through them He brings about something beneficial to our souls (Prologue, Aug. 7). This is what Saint John Chrysostom says about the benefit of sorrows. Let us now see what an example has to say about this.

One day, shortly after the death of Saint Sergius, the lawless Tatar king Eldegius approached the Trinity Lavra with his hordes. The monks were terrified. Saint Nikon, the abbot of the monastery at the time, was also in great sorrow and prayed day and night to God for deliverance from his enemies. Then, after the all-night vigil, he fell asleep. In a dream, he saw Saint Sergius with two Moscow saints, Peter and Alexis, and Saint Sergius said to him: "What happens, happens by the inscrutable will of God's Providence. But you, my child, do not grieve over Eldegius's invasion, for after him the monastery will expand even more." After this, the apparitions blessed Nikon and became invisible. As Saint Sergius had said, so it happened. True, the barbarians burned the monastery, but how did it end? Very soon after their departure, a church, a refectory and cells appeared again, then another stone church, luxuriously decorated, and later more cathedrals and churches, and the Trinity Monastery took almost the leading place among all the monasteries of our fatherland.

Thus, brethren, after all that has been said, you must agree with us that with God, everything, not excluding even troubles and sorrows, is wisely arranged and everything serves our salvation and our blessedness. What does Saint John Chrysostom say? He says that "it is not without wisdom that God sends us sorrows, but through them He accomplishes something beneficial for our souls. What has this example shown? It has shown that out of misfortune comes happiness and out of sorrow, joy." And in view of all this, when misfortune or sorrow befalls us, let us not become despondent, let us not become fainthearted, let us not murmur, let us not complain, let us not despair, but let us immediately imagine that there is a God above us, who loves us more than any earthly father loves his children, a God who is all-seeing and all-powerful, a God who will never allow us to be tempted beyond our means, and who is always ready to help us, save us, protect us, preserve us, and deliver us from troubles. Let us, in sorrows and troubles, first of all, imagine this, and then immediately turn to Him — God, our helper in sorrows — and He, the Merciful One, will surely hear our prayer and send us His gracious power, which will grant our souls patience and generosity in sorrows, or even deliver us from all troubles and sorrows altogether. Amen.

Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.

Notes:

* In the original text, there is no entry for December 14th. There this is the third entry for November 17th.