By Archpriest Rodion Putyatin (1807-1869)
"Weep not for me, O Mother, beholding in the sepulcher the Son whom thou hast conceived without seed ... for I am delivering Adam and Eve with all their offspring, and on the third day I shall rise again."
And in us, listeners, in our souls, Jesus Christ sometimes seems to die, that is, we sometimes seem to have little faith in Jesus Christ, little hope in Him, little love for Him. Sometimes it even seems to us that it is as if we have no faith in Him at all, there is no hope in Him, there is no love for Him; this is the same as if Jesus Christ is dead in us. And how painful it can be for us then, how hard, excruciating! With all my heart I would like to believe, hope, love and not lament and grieve.
What should we do in this case? What we do is grieve, lament, mentally turn to Jesus Christ. After all, His disciples did the same when He was dead and lay in the tomb: they grieved, were distressed, talking about Him among themselves and recalling, perhaps, His words that He spoke to them shortly before His death: "You will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; and you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy ... I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you" (John 16:20-22).
Then His Most Pure Mother did the same and, no doubt, grieved most of all, lamented and wept, crying out to Him: "Woe is me, my Child! Woe is me, my Light." That is why the Lord, as the Church sings, consoled Her, saying: "Weep not for me, O Mother, beholding in the sepulcher the Son whom thou hast conceived without seed." So, pious listener, lament and sorrow, when you feel that you have little faith in Jesus Christ, little hope in Him, little love for Him, when you seem to be completely cold to Him.
You can't be without these things until you arrive at the perfect wedding feast. Only, lamenting your coldness towards Jesus Christ, do not despair, do not be discouraged, do not stop mentally turning to Him, and He, sooner or later, although not outwardly, but audibly for your soul, will tell you: "Weep not for me." And then you, perhaps, will weep even more, you will sob, perhaps, but not from sorrow, but from joy. From the joy that Jesus Christ has truly risen in you. He has risen, has revived, that you believe in Him, hope in Him, love Him.
Our sorrow for the Lord is always before the joy in Him, as the sad Great Saturday is always before the joyous day of the Resurrection of Christ. Amen.
And in us, listeners, in our souls, Jesus Christ sometimes seems to die, that is, we sometimes seem to have little faith in Jesus Christ, little hope in Him, little love for Him. Sometimes it even seems to us that it is as if we have no faith in Him at all, there is no hope in Him, there is no love for Him; this is the same as if Jesus Christ is dead in us. And how painful it can be for us then, how hard, excruciating! With all my heart I would like to believe, hope, love and not lament and grieve.
What should we do in this case? What we do is grieve, lament, mentally turn to Jesus Christ. After all, His disciples did the same when He was dead and lay in the tomb: they grieved, were distressed, talking about Him among themselves and recalling, perhaps, His words that He spoke to them shortly before His death: "You will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; and you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy ... I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you" (John 16:20-22).
Then His Most Pure Mother did the same and, no doubt, grieved most of all, lamented and wept, crying out to Him: "Woe is me, my Child! Woe is me, my Light." That is why the Lord, as the Church sings, consoled Her, saying: "Weep not for me, O Mother, beholding in the sepulcher the Son whom thou hast conceived without seed." So, pious listener, lament and sorrow, when you feel that you have little faith in Jesus Christ, little hope in Him, little love for Him, when you seem to be completely cold to Him.
You can't be without these things until you arrive at the perfect wedding feast. Only, lamenting your coldness towards Jesus Christ, do not despair, do not be discouraged, do not stop mentally turning to Him, and He, sooner or later, although not outwardly, but audibly for your soul, will tell you: "Weep not for me." And then you, perhaps, will weep even more, you will sob, perhaps, but not from sorrow, but from joy. From the joy that Jesus Christ has truly risen in you. He has risen, has revived, that you believe in Him, hope in Him, love Him.
Our sorrow for the Lord is always before the joy in Him, as the sad Great Saturday is always before the joyous day of the Resurrection of Christ. Amen.