Orthopraxis (Correct Practice) Corner: When Should One Depart from Liturgy?

St. Anatoly of Optina said that it is better to come late and stay to the end of Liturgy than to come early and leave early. As a parish we are rather consistent at the come late part. :) But that is not what this little instruction is about. Oddly, in the last couple of months we have picked up the bad habit of leaving immediately when Holy Communion is brought forth if we are not communing, rather than staying to the very end of the Divine Liturgy, on Sundays. It is not clear where this practice came from. In the 40+ year history of our parish that has never been a problem. Until now. So let us kill this weed immediately by supporting each other to stay until the end of the Divine Liturgy. That is, until the Thanksgiving Prayers after Communion have concluded and the Royal Doors are closed. 

There are only two types of people that need to listen to the Thanksgiving Prayers: those that communed should thank God for the great gift that He has given them as they listen to the prayers, and those who did not commune should ask God to help them to partake at the soonest opportunity as they listen to the prayers. All others may ignore these prayers and talk as much as they like. :)

Let us be diligent to stay until the end of the Divine Liturgy to receive the blessing of having fully participated in our community worship on Sunday morning. Yes – undoubtedly there will come a time when you have to leave early. But that should be the exception and not the rule. Let us make our rule to stay until the very end of the Divine Liturgy!

Asking Your Prayers,

Fr. Gregory

Stop Drinking Poison

The society in which we live seems to be aggressively accelerating its deviation from historical Christian morality. This is not hyperbole – but an obvious observation by anyone who is paying attention to the moral direction of the West and who has studied the scriptures on even the most superficial level. The defeat of Proposition 3 in Michigan – its very resounding defeat – should be for us the straw that broke the camel’s back in this regard, in case we hadn’t noticed that the camel has been paralyzed for some decades now.

It is true that there was a time when western society, broadly, aligned with Christian values. Certainly this time had well and truly ended by the 1970s in America, but for some reason the grieving process of the death of this temporary alignment has been a long and painful one for us Orthodox Christians. This extended grief has caused us to look back on that time of societal alignment with Christian values longingly, rather than deal with the reality that we face now. It is time for us to stop looking back and to start looking forward. The Lord put us in this time and place because we can best be saved in this time and place, not so that we would dream of living in some other time and place.

Historically, Orthodox Christians have lived in the world while striving not to be consumed by the world. This was true in the first centuries of the Church when it was under persecution, following the edict of Milan, during the Byzantine Empire, the Russian Empire, the Soviet Empire, and at every time that Christians have lived in the world. One might argue that when the Church was more “legal” the temptations were greater, since the world and the Church were outwardly aligned in many ways, and thus spiritually healthy watchfulness on the part of Christians could be found lacking. When the Church was openly persecuted the lines were clear, and it was more difficult for Christians to be subtly pulled away by the wiles of the world.

The Epistle of Mathetes to Diognetus helps us see how Christians lived in the second century of the Christian era. I would argue that how Christians live their lives has not changed, and most certainly should not deviate from the life of Christians described below. In other words, this is a good outline of how we should live in our twenty first century as Christians striving for the Kingdom:

“Christians are indistinguishable from other men either by nationality, language or customs. They do not inhabit separate cities of their own, or speak a strange dialect, or follow some outlandish way of life. Their teaching is not based upon reveries inspired by the curiosity of men. Unlike some other people, they champion no purely human doctrine. With regard to dress, food and manner of life in general, they follow the customs of whatever city they happen to be living in, whether it is Greek or foreign.

And yet there is something extraordinary about their lives. They live in their own countries as though they were only passing through. They play their full role as citizens, but labor under all the disabilities of aliens. Any country can be their homeland, but for them their homeland, wherever it may be, is a foreign country. Like others, they marry and have children, but they do not destroy them. They share their meals, but not their wives.

They live in the flesh, but they are not governed by the desires of the flesh. They pass their days upon earth, but they are citizens of heaven. Obedient to the laws, they yet live on a level that transcends the law. Christians love all men, but all men persecute them. Condemned because they are not understood, they are put to death, but raised to life again. They live in poverty, but enrich many; they are totally destitute, but possess an abundance of everything. They suffer dishonor, but that is their glory. They are defamed, but vindicated. A blessing is their answer to abuse, deference their response to insult. For the good they do they receive the punishment of malefactors, but even then they rejoice, as though receiving the gift of life. They are attacked by the Jews as aliens, they are persecuted by the Greeks, yet no one can explain the reason for this hatred.

To speak in general terms, we may say that the Christian is to the world what the soul is to the body. As the soul is present in every part of the body, while remaining distinct from it, so Christians are found in all the cities of the world, but cannot be identified with the world. As the visible body contains the invisible soul, so Christians are seen living in the world, but their religious life remains unseen. The body hates the soul and wars against it, not because of any injury the soul has done it, but because of the restriction the soul places on its pleasures. Similarly, the world hates the Christians, not because they have done it any wrong, but because they are opposed to its enjoyments.

Christians love those who hate them just as the soul loves the body and all its members despite the body's hatred. It is by the soul, enclosed within the body, that the body is held together, and similarly, it is by the Christians, detained in the world as in a prison, that the world is held together. The soul, though immortal, has a mortal dwelling place; and Christians also live for a time amidst perishable things, while awaiting the freedom from change and decay that will be theirs in heaven. As the soul benefits from the deprivation of food and drink, so Christians flourish under persecution. Such is the Christian’s lofty and divinely appointed function, from which he is not permitted to excuse himself.” From a letter to Diognetus (Nn. 5-6; Funk, 397-401)

I would submit that for us Orthodox Christians it is time to largely excuse ourselves from participating in the culture (popular and otherwise) that surrounds us, because that culture is poison. Morally what the world cherishes we reject, and what the world rejects (faith, hope, charity, love (not just Eros, but Philos and other loftier expressions of love), purity, chastity, fidelity), we cherish. To the extent that we participate in popular culture we poison ourselves spiritually. And yet, although we are called to reject the poison of the world, at the same time we are called to love our fellow man that inhabits this fallen world by sharing the love of the Savior for mankind with all through the examples of our lives, and seeking, through meeting the world where it is with that love in our hearts, to raise the world towards the Heavenly Kingdom.

In other words, just because we reject the evil of the world we do not have a blessing to reject those who live in it. We must see those that drink the poison of our culture and subsequently act according to its morays as victims, not as criminals, even if some of the symptoms that come from the disease of this poisonous culture in which we live impinge on our own lives negatively – even criminally. For a man who has lost his mind is never held as guilty of a crime as one who is in  his right mind, even if both the insane and the sane commit the exact same crime.

A Christian must be able to maintain peace, even when surrounded by fire. We are culturally and morally surrounded by fire to be sure, but the Lord has already won the victory, and thus there is no reason for us to fear. The Lord commanded: “Fear not: believe only…” (Luke 8:50), and He then raised a dead child to life. If we fear, let us turn to the Lord and cry out: “Lord, You commanded that we “fear not and believe only” – please help me not to fear! Please bring me also to life!” That is, life in Christ, a paradigm radically opposed to the poison of the culture in which we find ourselves in our days.

One may read all the above and think that all is lost. All is evil. All is bad. We must live permanently in caves. We can have nothing to do with modern society on any level. In fact the contrary is true, for the Christian, God created everything good! Yes – the world is fallen. The symptoms of that fallen world cause much moral disease, many suffer, but we must never forget the Lord’s words in this regard: “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) 

The days of society providing any sort of moral support to Christians is long, long gone. Yet we pine for such societal alignment, and even sometimes conflate the society’s morality with something we should embrace, perhaps because of that time when society and Church shared moral values. Let us engage in such fantasies no longer! Let us wake from this stupor! Let us understand that we must stand clearly apart from this culture which conveys death! And let us embrace the Gospel which conveys life!

The Lord has overcome the world. We belong to the Lord. Let us show ourselves as His, not just on Sunday mornings, but always, by rejecting what is false, evil, and ugly, and embracing what is true, good, and beautiful. For there is still much that is true, good, and beautiful in the world! It is just that we have to affirmatively seek these out in our days – we are less likely to stumble upon them because these things are mocked by our society. We need to build our Christian culture to oppose the poisonous culture of the world. We do that not by making stuff up, but by looking to our fathers and mothers that came before us and emulating the best of their lives – especially their spiritual lives - and how they lived in the world without being consumed by the world.

No one forces us to drink the poison of our culture – sadly we do it voluntarily. Let me, as someone who will answer for each of your souls on the day of my appearance before the Lord, encourage you to stop drinking that poison. And let me invite you to drink from the Cup of Life, our Lord Jesus Christ. May His Holy Mysteries strengthen us to struggle to live as Christians not just on Sunday mornings, but every moment of our lives that He has given us to live here and now, for here and now is where He has deigned that we can best save our souls.

Asking Your Prayers,

Fr. Gregory

Orthopraxis (Correct Practice) Corner: Cross Processions

Cross Processions are Orthodpraxis. On a more macro level than taking a blessing, yes, but still Orthopraxis. THANKFULLY we have a Cross Procession coming up this Sunday. How convenient! Cross Processions are Orthopraxis because this is authentically how we bring our faith to those who do not yet know about Orthodoxy. We don’t argue on the Diag. We don’t knock on doors. We pick up our cross and we bear it to the community – and we do that together as a parish community. Join us this Sunday and be fully traditional and authentic in your Orthopraxis:

SIGN UP

P.S. Meet at the parking lot at Busch’s on US 12.

Orthopraxis (Correct Practice) Corner: Video - Taking a Blessing and Holding Arms at Communion

How to take a blessing from a priest or a bishop? How to hold your arms when you partake of Holy Communion? All questions answered in the short video here:

TAKING A BLESSING + HOLDING ARMS AT COMMUNION

St. John of Kronstadt & Holy Communion ~ Святой Иоанн Кронштадтский и Святое Причастие

Sermon given on October 17/30, 2022 at Dormition Cathedral, Ferndale, MI

Translation: Deacon Peter Longan

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit!

Во имя Отца, и Сына, и Святаго Духа!

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Возлюбленные о Христе братья и сестры!

In just a few days the Holy Church will commemorate St. John of Kronstadt, one of the great saints of the late 19th and early 20th Centuries of the Russian Church. There are fewer saints who lived a married life than who lived a monastic life, and thus it behooves us to be especially attentive to those who lived a life as we do, in the world with a spouse.

Через несколько дней Святая Церковь будет совершать память святого праведного Иоанна Кронштадтского, одного из великих святых Русской Церкви конца XIX - начала XX веков. Святых, проживших монашескую жизнь, большее количество, чем проживших супружескую, и поэтому нам следует быть особенно внимательными к тем, кто прожил жизнь, как мы, в миру и со супругом.

Born in 1829, St. John began his life as the son of a parish Reader in the Archangelsk province. He loved to go to church with his father and participate in the Divine Services. Here then is our first lesson, taught to us by the saint when he was only a child: we must strive to love God’s House and the Divine Services served therein, for these services are a font of knowledge for our salvation! 

Святой Иоанн родился в 1829 году и начал свою жизнь как сын приходского псаломщика в Архангельской губернии. Он любил с отцом ходить в церковь и участвовать в богослужениях. Вот первый урок, преподанный нам святителем, когда он был еще ребёнком: мы должны любить Дом Божий и совершаемые в нем богослужения, ибо эти службы - источник знаний для нашего спасения! 

If you understand village life of this time you understand that many people, except for the clerical families and a few others, were illiterate. Yet, despite being surround by those who could read, St. John struggled with his lessons, just as did the great St. Sergius of Radonezh. St. Sergius received a special blessing from an angel in the guise of a monk. After this he read well. As a child St. John prayed to God fervently, undoubtedly fully aware of the life of St. Sergius. And one day, after fervent prayer to the Lord, it was as if scales fell from the eyes of his intellect, and he began to excel at his lessons. In fact, he became such a good student that, having finished the schooling available to him in the North, he received a scholarship to study at the St. Petersburg Seminary, and later at the St. Petersburg Academy. We see here that prayer is indeed something great! Our prayers are always heard by the Merciful Lord, but He answers them, as a loving parent, how, when, and where we need His answer to best help us with our salvation. Let us trust God as St. John did – knowing that He will give us what is best for us and for our loved ones!

Если вы знаете о деревенской жизни того времени, то понимаете, что многие люди, за исключением семей священнослужителей и некоторых других, были неграмотны. Однако, несмотря на то, что его окружали те, кто умел читать, святой Иоанн с трудом справлялся со своими уроками, как и великий преподобный Сергий Радонежский. Преподобный Сергий получил особое благословение от ангела в обличье монаха. После этого он стал хорошо читать. В детстве святой Иоанн горячо молился Богу, несомненно, хорошо зная о жизни преподобного Сергия. И вот однажды, после горячей молитвы к Господу, словно чешуя упала с его умных очей, и он начал преуспевать в своих занятиях. В итоге, он стал таким хорошим учеником, что, закончив обучение на Севере, получил стипендию для обучения в Санкт-Петербургской семинарии, а затем в Санкт-Петербургской академии. Здесь мы видим, что молитва - это действительно нечто великое! Наши молитвы всегда бывают услышаны Милосердным Господом, однако, Он отвечает на них, как любящий родитель, как, когда и где нам нужен Его ответ, чтобы наилучшим образом помочь нам в нашем спасении. Давайте доверимся Богу, как это делал святой Иоанн, - зная, что Он даст нам то, что лучше для нас и для наших близких!

Many are aware of the special spiritual struggle that St. John took upon himself following his marriage and ordination to the priesthood. St. John partook of the Holy Mysteries – the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ – daily. And he served the Divine Services essentially daily as well, with some exceptions. Only at the end of his life did he cease serving the services – when his bodily weakness literally would not allow him to do so. Yet, he continued until the end of his life to partake of the Holy Mysteries on a daily basis.

Многие знают об особой духовной борьбе, которую святой Иоанн принял на себя после женитьбы и рукоположения во священники. Святой Иоанн ежедневно причащался Святых Тайн - Тела и Крови Господа нашего Иисуса Христа. И богослужения он совершал также практически ежедневно, за некоторыми исключениями. Только в конце своей жизни он перестал служить службы, когда телесная слабость никак не позволяла ему это делать. Однако до конца жизни он продолжал ежедневно причащаться Святых Тайн.

The Holy Church does not call us to this exact struggle – it is very rare for clergymen or laity to partake of the Holy Mysteries with such frequency. And this is for good reason: very few of us have the zeal of St. John to be able to prepare ourselves worthily to partake of Holy Communion with such frequency. For when we partake of Holy Communion we must prepare ourselves worthily. If we do not, then the partaking of Holy Communion is to our condemnation – not to our spiritual health, as we state in the prayer we read before communion each Sunday. Holy Communion is not magic – it is the Body and Blood of our Lord – and we must approach this sacrament, the sacrament of which we partake most often in our lives, with appropriate preparation to assure that we do not partake to our condemnation.

Святая Церковь не призывает нас к подобной борьбе - очень редко священнослужители и миряне причащаются Святых Тайн с такой частотой. И на то есть веская причина: очень немногие из нас обладают ревностью святого Иоанна, чтобы достойно подготовиться к тому, чтобы так часто причащаться Святых Тайн. Ведь когда мы принимаем Святое Причастие, мы должны достойно подготовиться. Если мы этого не сделаем, то причастие будет нам в осуждение, а не для нашего духовного здоровья, как мы говорим в молитве, которую читаем перед причастием каждое воскресенье. Святое Причастие - это не волшебство, это Тело и Кровь нашего Господа, и мы должны подходить к этому таинству, которое из всех других таинств чаще всего в нашей жизни бывает, со соответствующей подготовкой, чтобы не быть осужденным.

The next obvious question then is: how do we prepare ourselves appropriately to partake of Holy Communion? As a rule, the steps are these:

1. We attend the Divine Services the evening before we will partake of Holy Communion, praying and listening attentively to the lessons taught to us in God’s House through the Divine Services. This is the most important step in preparing worthily to partake of Holy Communion! So we will repeat this again: if we are physically able we MUST be at the Divine Services the evening before we partake of Holy Communion. 

2. While attending the evening Divine Services we confess our sins to the priest and receive absolution. One must have a clean conscience – with nothing against anyone – to partake of Holy Communion. That is, we must sincerely forgive all.

3. Before we partake of Holy Communion we read the Rule before Holy Communion from our Prayer Book. It is wise to begin reading this long rule on Monday if one plans to partake on Sunday, so that we will live an especially strict Christian Life as we prepare to partake. 

4. We fast strictly from midnight on the day we will partake of Holy Communion until after we have communed: from all liquids, foods, smoking, etc. This includes all aspects of marital life.

5. If you follow the fasts of the Church on Wednesday, Fridays, and during the longer fasting periods – as we all should unless we are children, extremely elderly, or extremely ill – it is not necessary to add any additional fast to prepare for Holy Communion. If for some reason this is not possible, then we must fast strictly for some days before partaking. This should be discussed with the priest in Confession.

Следующий очевидный вопрос: как нам подготовиться к Святому Причастию? Как правило, шаги следующие:

1. Мы посещаем богослужения вечером перед причастием, молимся и внимательно слушаем наставления, преподанные нам в Доме Божьем на богослужениях. Это самый важный шаг в достойной подготовке к Святому Причастию! Поэтому мы повторим ещё раз: если мы физически в состоянии, мы ОБЯЗАНЫ быть на Богослужениях вечером перед принятием Святого Причастия.

2. Во время вечернего богослужения мы исповедуем свои грехи священнику и получаем отпущение. Чтобы принять Святое Причастие, нужно иметь чистую совесть - ничего не иметь против кого-либо, то есть мы должны искренне простить всех.

3. Перед причастием мы читаем Правило перед Святым Причащением из нашего молитвослова. Разумно начать читать это длинное правило в понедельник, если вы планируете причаститься в воскресенье, чтобы мы жили особенно строгой христианской жизнью, готовясь к причастию.

4. Мы строго постимся с полуночи того дня, когда будем причащаться, и до того, как причастимся: от любого питья, пищи, курения и т.д. Сюда же входят и все проявления супружеской жизни.

5. Если вы соблюдаете церковные посты в среду, пятницу и во время более длительных постов - как мы все должны делать, если только мы не дети, не престарелые или не очень больные - то нет необходимости добавлять какой-либо дополнительный пост для подготовки к Святому Причастию. Если по каким-то причинам это невозможно, то перед Причастием нужно строго поститься несколько дней. Это следует обсудить со священником на исповеди.

Now that we understand how seriously we should approach the chalice, we can see that St. John lived essentially an angelic life. Almost a monastic life in the world. The key lesson I would like you to take home and put to use in your lives is this: we are not called to imitate St. John’s life in an exact manner. Trying to do so would almost certainly lead to spiritual delusion. Rather, we are called to examine St. John’s life closely, thank God for providing us such a luminary, and be motivated to at least in some small way follow the path that he has shown us by living an angelic life in the flesh. And the best way for us to do that is to be more often at Holy Communion, having prepared ourselves appropriately and worthily to partake of the Body and Blood of our Lord. St. John was transfigured by his zealous cooperation with the Lord. We too are called to be transfigured in this life into the sons and daughters of God. A huge leap in this direction will be our worthy and frequent partaking of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. May the Lord grant us, through out sincere efforts and the prayers of St. John of Kronstadt, to seriously undertake this path of struggle and transfiguration for the salvation of our souls! Amen!

Теперь, когда мы понимаем, насколько серьёзно мы должны подходить к чаше, мы видим, что святой Иоанн жил, по сути, ангельской жизнью. Он имел почти монашескую жизнь в миру. Главный урок, который я хотел бы, чтобы вы вынесли домой и применили в своей жизни, заключается в следующем: мы не призваны в точности подражать жизни святого Иоанна. Попытка сделать это почти наверняка приведёт к духовному заблуждению. Скорее, мы призваны внимательно изучать жизнь святого Иоанна, благодарить Бога за то, что Он дал нам такое светило, и иметь стремление хотя бы в малой степени следовать по пути, который он указал нам, живя ангельской жизнью во плоти. И лучший способ для нас сделать это - чаще бывать на Святой Литургии и, подготовившись должным образом и мудро, причаститься Тела и Крови нашего Господа. Святой Иоанн преобразился благодаря своему ревностному сотрудничеству с Господом. Мы тоже призваны преобразиться в этой жизни и стать сыновьями и дочерьми Божьими. Огромным скачком в этом направлении будет наше достойное и частое причастие Святых Христовых Тайн. Да дарует нам Господь искренними усилиями и молитвами святого праведного Иоанна Кронштадтского серьёзно встать на этот путь борьбы и преображения во имя спасения наших душ! Аминь!

Orthopraxis (Correct Practice) Corner: Prostrations at Liturgy

Most of us attend services on Saturday nights and Sunday mornings, when prostrations are not done. But at all the other Divine Services of week prostrations might be done – or not. :) How can you know?! Please see the flyer below – all the information is there. Questions are always welcome to Fr. Gregory or Fr. Colin!

MORE INFORMATION

Sts. Peter & Febronia of Murom ~ Препп. Петр и Феврония Муромские

Sermon given on September 5/18, 2022 at Dormition Cathedral, Ferndale, MI

Translation: Deacon Peter Longan

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit!

Во имя Отца, и Сына, и Святаго Духа!

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Возлюбленные о Христе братья и сестры!

Today the Holy Church commemorates the lives of the Venerable Peter and Febronia of Murom. These two ascetics undertook their spiritual struggle first as a married couple, and then, after their children had grown, they established two monasteries: one for men and one for women, and took monastic vows. They died on the same day and in the same hour, on June 25, 1228. This date falls always during the Apostles fast, and so, since these two favorites of God and Wonderworkers have become beloved patron saints of the married, just as Martyrs Adrian and Natalia, there was a cry from the faithful to establish a second date of their commemoration on which marriages could take place. As you know, marriages cannot take place on the eve of a fast or a feast, and thus, the feast we are celebrating today was established by the Holy Synod several years ago so that marriages could take place on the day of Sts. Peter and Febronia.

Сегодня Святая Церковь празднует память преподобных Петра и Февронии Муромских. Эти два подвижника начали свою духовный подвиг сначала как супружеская пара, а затем, когда их дети выросли, они основали два монастыря: мужской и женский, и приняли монашеский постриг. Они умерли в один и тот же день и час, 25 июня 1228 года. Эта дата всегда выпадает на Апостольский пост, и поэтому, поскольку эти угодники Божии и чудотворцы стали любимыми святыми покровителями женатых, как и мученики Адриан и Наталия, от верующих поступил призыв установить второй день памяти, в который можно было бы заключать браки. Как вы знаете, браки не могут заключаться накануне постного дня или праздника, и поэтому праздник, который мы отмечаем сегодня, был установлен Священным Синодом несколько лет назад, чтобы браки могли заключаться в день святых Петра и Февронии.

Today I ask that you take only one thing home with you from the church in the light of the exemplary lives of Sts. Peter and Febronia. That one thing is: marriage is ascetic struggle. Just as monasticism is ascetic struggle. Each has its benefits and its drawbacks, but neither the married life nor the monastic life is a life of leisure. As Orthodox Christians we must understand that life is work. Life is struggle. Life is asceticism. That is true in the world, and that is true in the monastery. We choose the life we lead: as married people, as monastics, or the most difficult: as single people living in the world. But no matter which life we choose, we also choose to struggle for the Heavenly Kingdom. There is no life for Orthodox Christians that is not ascetic in nature. If we live we must struggle.

Сегодня я прошу вас вынести из церкви только одну вещь в свете образцовой жизни святых Петра и Февронии: брак - это аскетическая борьба. Так же, как монашество - это аскетическая борьба. У каждого из этих жизненный путей есть свои преимущества и свои недостатки, но ни супружеская жизнь, ни монашеская жизнь не являются жизнью досуга. Как православные христиане мы должны понимать, что жизнь - это труд. Жизнь - это борьба. Жизнь - это аскетизм. Это верно в миру, и это верно в монастыре. Мы сами выбираем, какую жизнь вести: как женатые люди, как монашествующие или, что самое трудное, как одинокие люди, живущие в миру. Но какую бы жизнь мы ни выбрали, мы также выбираем борьбу за Царство Небесный. Для православных христиан нет жизни, которая не была бы аскетической по своей природе. Если мы живём, мы должны бороться.

Too often we have a worldly, overly romantic, comfort based understanding of marriage. Somehow we fall into the delusion that monastic life is struggle, but living in the world is about comfort. This is why so many marriages fail: the spouses do not understand that marriage is work. If you do not work you will not succeed. There is no other formula: success only comes before work in the dictionary. That is, if you do not work you will not have success. And if you work without God’s blessing you will not have success. 

Слишком часто мы имеем мирское, слишком романтическое, основанное на комфорте понимание брака. Почему-то мы впадаем в заблуждение, что монашеская жизнь - это борьба, а жизнь в миру - это комфорт. Вот почему так много браков терпят неудачу: супруги не понимают, что брак - это труд. Если вы не будете работать, то не добьётесь успеха. Другой формулы не существует. Если вы не будете работать, у вас не будет успеха. А если вы будете работать без Божьего благословения, то успеха не будет.

If we want to succeed in this life, that is, attain the Heavenly Kingdom as spouses, we must work diligently WITH GOD’S BLESSING. Working hard at a marriage that is not blessed by the Church is a fool’s errand. Having your marriage blessed in the Church and expecting that God will do all the work is a fool’s errand. Just as the monastic who struggles pridefully is bound to fall into delusion, so too, we who do not cooperate with God in our marriages are doomed to failure.

Если мы хотим преуспеть в этой жизни, то есть достичь Царства Небесного как супруги, мы должны усердно трудиться с Божьим благословением. Усердно трудиться над браком, который не благословлён Церковью, - пустое занятие. Благословлять свой брак в Церкви и ожидать, что Бог сделает всю работу, - это глупость. Как монашествующий, подвизающийся в гордыне, обязательно впадёт в заблуждение, так и мы, не сотрудничающие с Богом в наших браках, обречены на неудачу.

So let us go forth today from God’s House with this clear understanding: marriage is an ascetic exploit. We must work diligently for success, and we must work wisely, that is, with God’s blessing on our marriage. If you have not been married in the Church yet then let these words be a call for you to arrange this as soon as possible, whether you have been together as a couple for a year, for 10, or for 50: every marriage needs God’s blessing to be truly successful. If we work in cooperation with God, and we work diligently, we can have great hope that our marriage will lead us to His Kingdom! The Lord blessed marriage in the New Testament not only for the procreation of children (as in the Old Testament), but so that all – husband, wife, children – could attain the Heavenly Kingdom. To attain the Kingdom is our goal, whether we live in the world or in the monastery. Let us decide today that we will adopt this paradigm: of hard work with God’s help leading to success. If we do this, we can have great hope that we too will follow Sts. Peter and Febronia, whom we celebrate today, into the Heavenly Kingdom! May the Lord grant this to all of us! Amen!

Поэтому давайте сегодня выйдем из Дома Божьего с ясным пониманием того, что брак - это аскетический подвиг. Мы должны усердно трудиться для достижения успеха, и трудиться мудро, то есть с Божьим благословением на наш брак. Если вы ещё не венчались в Церкви, пусть эти слова будут для вас призывом сделать это как можно скорее, независимо от того, были ли вы вместе как пара год, 10 или 50 лет: каждый брак нуждается в Божьем благословении, чтобы быть успешным. Если мы работаем в сотрудничестве с Богом и усердно трудимся, мы можем обоснованно надеяться, что наш брак приведёт нас в Его Царство! Господь благословил брак в Новом Завете не только для рождения детей (как в Ветхом Завете), но для того, чтобы все - муж, жена, дети - могли достичь Царства Небесного. Достижение Царства - наша цель, независимо от того, живём ли мы в миру или в монастыре. Давайте сегодня примем для себя эту формулу: упорный труд с Божьей помощью приводит к успеху. Если мы сделаем это, то есть шанс, что и мы последуем за святыми Петром и Февронией, которых мы сегодня празднуем, в Небесное Царство! Пусть Господь дарует это всем нам! Аминь.