Eleventh Discourse. On the Day of the Glorious Pokrov of the Most Holy Theotokos

September 26, 1905

The holy repose of the beloved disciple of Christ—a lesson of resurrection and immortality.

Today the Church of Christ celebrates the glorious memory of the repose of the Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian from temporal life to eternal, from corruptible to incorruptible, from laborious and sorrowful to eternal rest and joy, from servile to royal; for to him, together with the other Apostles, Christ Himself, the Truth, promised a royal throne and judgment over the twelve tribes of Israel. The repose of the beloved disciple and intimate of Christ was supernatural: three days after his burial, his body was not found in the earth in which he was entombed; he was translated with his body to the heavenly mansions, to the throne of God, and at the same time received the lot—to remain also on earth according to his wish until the second terrible coming of Christ, in fulfillment of the words spoken by the Lord to the Apostle Peter: “if I wish that he remain until I come, what is that to you?” (Jn 21:23)

Thus was human nature in the person of the apostle John glorified, immortalized and deified! Such a loud-spoken, wise and divine Theologian and teacher of true faith has been given to mankind in the person of the beloved apostle John. His divine, wondrous Gospel, full of divine simplicity and majesty, has penetrated to all corners of the world; it has taught and teaches all peoples who have embraced the Christian faith the true, soul-nourishing and soul-saving theology.

Let us pay special attention to the words spoken by the Lord, the Author of our life, to the apostle Peter concerning his martyred death on the cross and concerning the remaining of John until the second coming of the Lord: “if I wish that he remain, until I come, what is that to you?”

What do these sovereign words of the Creator and Lord of all creatures mean? They mean that John will not die for several thousand years and will experience death for only a few days before His second, glorious coming to earth. Let us learn, then, my dear brothers and sisters, of the resurrection and immortality of our own from the wondrous repose of the apostle of Christ, John, and let us constantly prepare ourselves for translation into another, eternal world. The Apostle has reposed, but not died; he lives both in body, and from the earth does not depart, as the Church says, and awaits the second terrible coming of the Lord to judge all the world.

Our so-called intelligentsia do not believe in the resurrection of the dead and the immortality of the human soul, in righteous retribution for all, in eternal blessedness of the righteous and in eternal torment of unrepentant sinners—and therefore have completely lost the vital, rational, divine foundation and have become not intelligent but senseless, doing completely senseless deeds; they have been penetrated with hatred toward faith, toward Christian piety, toward truth and righteousness, toward all that is holy, honest and praiseworthy; they have proclaimed wild freedom to their senseless passions, have declared war on authority and all social order, have surrendered to disobedience, all manner of disorder, murder in broad daylight, all manner of lies and slander against those they hate; they have proclaimed so-called terror in word and deed and keep the very authorities in fear, meanwhile, as they themselves should fear authority: for it is said: “there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do good, and you will have praise from him. But if you do evil, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain” (Rom 13:1,4).

And what is remarkable: authority fears to use the sword against those who draw the sword or throw deadly weapons, meanwhile, the seditionists unpunished use deadly weapons against the authorities; authority does not wield the sword given to it by God. But faithful servants of the Fatherland, like sheaves, fall, and there is no one to protect them.

And when I speak thus, I think that these avowed enemies of all righteousness, enemies of the Church of Christ, draw their sword against me. But the Eternal and Waking One, dwelling in the heavens, may preserve those who struggle against unrighteousness. “Behold, He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.” (Ps 120:4). We see things never seen before: youths and young men, just entering life and not understanding it or its purpose, want to rule over men of experience and learning, over men who have served the Fatherland with benefit, honor and glory, over men clothed with power, entrusted with the Tsar’s confidence. In truth, boys rule over elders, as the prophet Isaiah says. When will this end? When will authority wisely wield the sword? When will it take from God the power given to it and inspire fear in those who wish to dominate the authorities with fear? O, how have the Russian people, and especially the so-called liberals, become unworthy of their Christian calling, unworthy of the Gospel, for they oppose it in all things, unworthy of Christ, the Lamb of God, who redeemed us by His blood from the righteous wrath of God, from ancestral corruption of sin, from curse and death.

“O Apostle, beloved of Christ God, hasten to deliver the people who have no advocate; we receive you in supplication, you who received the Beloved upon your breast. Entreat Him, O Theologian, to drive away the impending gloom of the Russian intelligentsia, asking for us peace and great mercy” (Troparion of the feast).

Amen.