Homily on the Most Joyful Day of Pascha and in Memory of the Birthday of His Majesty, the Most Pious Sovereign Emperor Alexander Nikolaevich, Autocrat of All Russia
By St. John of Kronstadt
(Delivered on April 29, 1894)
By St. John of Kronstadt
(Delivered on April 29, 1894)
"If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth" (Col. 3:1–2).
Christ is Risen!
The joy of the resurrection of Christ has today joined with the joy of commemorating the birthday of our Most Pious Sovereign, Emperor Alexander Nikolaevich. However, the cause of both joys is the same risen Christ: for it is the same Christ who has now risen from the dead and has made us all glad with His resurrection, who once granted us at this time our Tsar, so that we, the people of God, might walk piously and peacefully towards the Heavenly Kingdom under His rule along the path of God's commandments. We thank You, O Christ God, who has made us glad with the joy of Your resurrection and bestowed upon the Russian Orthodox state a Tsar after Your own heart.
Thus, we are all rejoicing now. However, many during this festival of festivals rejoice inappropriately, finding joy only in carnal pleasures rather than in spiritual ones. To rejoice today with the greatest spiritual joy, one must understand and continually remember the reason for true joy. Why, then, on this occasion of recalling the resurrection of Christ, do we all rejoice so brightly? Because the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the beginning and foundation of our future resurrection. Today, "Christ has risen from the dead; He is the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep" (1 Corinthians 15:20) – and our future resurrection is as certain as if it had already been accomplished in our Lord Jesus Christ, and we have in a sense risen together with Christ. "You have been raised with Christ" (Colossians 3:1), says the Apostle. Behold, brethren, this is the true cause of our genuine joy!
Ask now your heart: does it rejoice in the fact that we shall someday rise from the dead to eternal, unending life, or in something else? And if anyone finds that he rejoices in something else, in worldly, earthly matters, for example, in his attire or in delectable food and drink, or in general indulgence, let him correct his joy, transforming it from fleshly to spiritual, Christian, heavenly joy. We do not reject fleshly joy, for we are encased in flesh; however, fleshly joy should be founded upon spiritual joy and must be moderate and pure, to the glory of God. "Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever else you do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Cor. 10:31). Thus, we have been resurrected with Christ today: this is what we should rejoice in! Just as the resurrected Christ did not remain on earth after His resurrection, but ascended to heaven to His Father in order to prepare a place there for all His followers, indeed, He came to earth to elevate us to heaven. Therefore, it is our undeniable duty to abandon our attachment to earthly things and pleasures and to strive with all our might for a life in heaven. "If, then, you have risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sits at the right hand of God: set your minds on things above, not on things on the earth." It is precisely about this – the striving for a life in heaven – that we will converse today, brethren, to the glory of the resurrected Christ, the Giver of Life.
Let us present the reasons why each of us must inevitably elevate our thoughts to the heavenly, celestial realm and aspire towards the higher world, abandoning all attachments to the lower, earthly realm. There are many reasons for this. Let us outline the most significant.
The first reason is that such is the will of God concerning us, that we should contemplate our heavenly existence and strive toward it with all our might, and not cling to anything earthly. The will of the Creator for His creation is an unassailable law. It has pleased our Creator, from the creation of the world, to designate heaven as our true and eternal dwelling, rather than the earth – and this is sufficient for us to have a strong impetus not to attach ourselves to anything earthly: because everything on earth is vanity, all is transient and fleeting, and nothing calms our restless spirit, as we all witness daily in ourselves and in others. Our bodies, our food, our clothing, our homes, and everything within them – all is decay. Many of our relatives and acquaintances, whether known or unknown – some have long since departed, others have only recently been taken by death, and indeed much of our memory has removed a vast multitude from among the living. Where are the designs and enterprises of many of them? Where are their passions and pleasures? Where are the lavish dinners? Where is the enjoyment of music? Where are the prolonged dances and games that have cost a Christian so much precious time? Where is the pride and pomposity of many? Where are those haughty eyes that barely deigned to regard the lower brethren? Where is the vanity, extravagance, and refinement of clothing in which beauty, youth, and vanity were so recently displayed and captivated the gaze of many, especially of similarly young and vain men? All this and similar vanity has vanished for many—it is no more—and their souls departed empty and devoid to their immortal King, Judge, and God; save for the multitude of sins they bore with them: they remain dark and sorrowful, in fear and distress, awaiting endless torments beyond the grave. For the expectation of judgment is terrifying, and the fiery indignation is ready to devour the adversaries (Heb. 10:27). If this is the case, if everything here is transient, everything is vanity, then is it not better, gradually letting go of our attachment to earthly vanities, to more diligently and frequently direct our thoughts towards the otherworldly realm? And through prayer, abstinence, reading the word of God, and performing good deeds, purifying our souls from the decay of passions, should we not strive—while fulfilling our earthly duties—with all our hearts towards our heavenly homeland and eternal union with God and the saints? Is it not better to reflect more often on our heavenly purpose? For everything in the world has a purpose, and it is for that we strive to use it. Yet all of us are destined by God for a heavenly life, for eternal blessedness in God and with God. Why then do we overlook our purpose and desire to find bliss only here on earth? Why do we set our hearts on wealth, when we are told: "If riches increase, do not set your heart on them" (Psalm 61:11)? Why do we aspire to a life of luxury and indulgence? Why do we seek earthly honors? Why do we turn our backs on the Church and offend her with our coldness towards her maternal care for our eternal salvation? Why do we abandon the source of living water – the word of God? Why do many disregard the preacher's word out of pride, when he speaks not of his own, but of God's word, not based on his own reasoning, but on the Holy Scriptures? Why do we read one worldly vanity and drink from the murky waters of secular books? Why do many indulge in drunkenness and debauchery? While we are still alive, let us hasten to reflect wisely on our heavenly purpose.
The second reason why we should strive for a heavenly life is that our soul is the breath of God - it came from God and must return to God, as the word of God states: "And the spirit shall return unto God who gave it" (Ecclesiastes 12:7). God is our heavenly Father in Christ; to Him, our heavenly Father, we should aspire, just as smoke and fire rise upward. This is why in the Lord's Prayer we call upon God: "Our Father, who art in heaven" – to remind us that our homeland is heaven; where the Father is, there also should be the children. The Lord Jesus Christ, after His resurrection, said to the Myrrhbearing Mary Magdalene: "Go to My brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God" (John 20:17), thereby indicating that we too should aspire to ascend there. The Holy Apostle Paul states: "While we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord; for we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord" (2 Corinthians 5:6–8). Therefore, let us strive, brethren, towards the Source of our life, God, and not degrade, offend, or distort the nature of our soul by attachment to earthly, material, and perishable goods. However, many may counter this by stating that the visible world is so beautiful, appealing, alluring, and deceptive that one inevitably becomes attached to it, loves it, and everything within it. Thus, we might be excused for our inclination towards it. Indeed, the visible world is beautiful; but our heavenly homeland is even more splendid, and the visible world is merely a weak, insignificant shadow of the coming age, the beauty and blessedness of which surpass all description, all imagination, and even the most exalted mind. The blessings of this present age are but a small pledge of those goods, those beauties, which God has prepared for eternity for those who love Him. "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man what God has prepared for those who love Him" (1 Corinthians 2:9).
Here is the third reason why we should, guided by common sense, not place high value on the benefits of this world, nor regard temporary, material pleasures as anything significant, but rather strive for the heavenly realm. This is because the heavenly realm is infinitely more beautiful than this world, and it is eternal and not transient. Imagine that you will see God face to face. It is said, "We shall see Him as He is" (1 John 3:2); that you will behold the luminous heavenly powers, their orders, their cherished dwelling, their standing before the Holy Trinity, and you will hear their heavenly, eternal, and most harmonious praise to the Sovereign; that you will see all the holy people of God, these pure images and likenesses of God: what bliss arises from this contemplation, from participating in this communion with God Himself and His saints, not for a hundred or a thousand years, but for endless ages? And on earth it is esteemed as a great fortune to be in the presence of the King in His palace on a bright festival, to enjoy the sight of Him, to be in the company of His faithful ministers and other noble officials, and to partake of His banquet. What bliss it is to be with the King of kings Himself, in the company of His faithful and holy servants, radiant Angels and holy men, to eat and drink at His spiritual table? Let us hasten, brethren, to free ourselves quickly, with God's help, from temptations or passions, and compel ourselves in the brief time of this age to every virtue, enduring in the process the inevitable sorrows and hardships.
Finally, the last reason we should strive for life in heaven is that the devil resides on earth and in the air, exacerbating his efforts to distract our hearts from God and infect them with the poison of pride, hatred, envy, greed, avarice, and other passions. He seeks to turn all things, every hour and minute, against our souls, and often against our bodies, arming us against the Creator and provoking the most sensitive offenses through us. Moreover, through our attachment to earthly matters and pleasures, he diverts us from the eternal joys of heaven, engaging us in daydreams and thereby distracting us from the truth. How can we cling to the earth, which is our prison, as it is written: "Bring my soul out of prison that I may confess Your name" (Psalm 141:7). Who would want to remain long in company with the devil and his angels and, together with them, continually rebel against the Creator? Who would want to chase after delusion forever and never reliably possess the truth? For on earth, truly, all delusion is the work of Satan, and the truth is only in the Church of God, in the word of God, in the writings of the Holy Fathers, and in the writings of pious and Christian-minded individuals. And everything else is the "lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life" (1 John 2:16).
Therefore, brethren, if Christ is risen from the dead, and we have also risen with Him in hope, let us urgently strive for life in heaven, detaching ourselves from attachment to earthly things, continually cleansing ourselves from every flesh and spirit. If, then, you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God: "Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth" (Col. 3:2). Amen.
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
