"Mount to me, if not a bias"- says the Apostle Paul (1 Cor. 9, 16). And this Maxim refers to every priest, and even more so by the bishop of God.
Preaching is the most important part of the bishop ministry, and no wonder all the saints of the Christ Church, as a rule, were outstanding preachers: John Zlatoust and Grigory Theologian, Grigory Palama and Nikolai Serbian, Metropolitan Filaret (Drozdov) and Patriarch Tikhon (Bella-Wine). In the ancient Church, the preaching ministry was even recognized by the prerogative of bishops, which could in certain cases, in the presence of decent presbyters, delegate them the right of evangelism.
Nowadays, a wonderful example of preaching is the Holy Patriarch Kirill, which somehow said that he chose the motto of his life of the word procurement: "Annoy the day from the bottom of the salvation of our God." Obviously, an example of the Primate of the Russian Church encourages the whole clergy to work more diligently in this direction, performing the covenant of the Savior: "Preach the gospel of the whole creature"(MK. 16, 15).
This example follows the nearest assistant of the Holy Patriarch Metropolitan Volokolamsky Hilarion. Despite the abundance of the most important church obedience, Vladyka Hilarion does not miss the opportunity to preach everywhere in various forms and formats: Whether the weekly TV show, a film about the holy places of Orthodoxy, a musical concert or a traditional liturgical sermon. Just to the last, traditional, preaching type also includes a real collection.
Moscow, Vienna, Budapest, Roman catacombs, Athos, Holy Troitskaya Sergiev Lava, Zadonsk is such an incomplete geography of the birth of these sermons. These are parish temples, and monastic cathedrals, and home university churches. The time in the book is strictly subordinated by the Orthodox calendar: the year begins with the church novelty (September 1/14), on the holiday of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin, and ends with the July Head of the Head of John the Forerunner. Indeed, September is presented by the natural beginning of the new season (which is especially obvious, for example, for educational institutions), much more natural than the middle of winter, so the church tradition retains this important meaning.
Such is a chronotop book, speaking by a literary language. Now about the content.
The collection includes sermons for a variety of holidays: both the two-month, and the great, and the days of the memory of the saints, such as, for example, Rev. Varlaam Khutynsky, or St. Philof Kokkin, or Sacred Seraphim (Chichagov). Some holidays are given several sermons of different years.
Any priest knows how difficult it is if you preach every year in the same days, not to repeat the configuration formulas, and find a new turn of thought, see a new depth in the usual, to be able to light the human hearts eternal youth and the power of the evangelical words. And the Lord of Hilarion succeeds, he does not repeat in his homels.
For example, for the Christmas of the Virgin, we find two completely different sermons. And each of them sounds very modern: "If two people could have six children and twenty-five grandchildren, now ten people are six children and three grandchildren. This is a tragedy of mankind, whose witnesses we are. "
The red thread in the book passes the thought of fraternity, unity, the common ship of salvation - this is primarily the Church of God, but also the human family, and the monastic monastery. At the same time, the Metropolitan of Hilarion is not at all inclined to draw an exceptionally bad picture, he is not afraid to call things with his name: "An example of St. John of Zlatoust indicates that a person who seeks to uncomprombly follow the path of Christ, can nourge the enemies among people not only anti-Christian mood , but also inside the church. "
This is connected with the theme of martyrdom, which takes place in the book. But still the main and cherished for the author the topic sounds a reminder that the main treasure of the church is not some earthly achievements, but the Divine Liturgy itself itself ...
There is in the collection and a very personal sermon - on the day of memory of the Reverend Hilarion of the new, June 19, the day of the Tasting and the theesenitism of Vladyka Hilarion.
And this is not some randomness, but a deliberate action, because by saying the author, "each of us is the book that the Lord writes in collaboration with us. Every day and the year of our life are the pages that we turn over. "
Give God to read by the book of Metropolitan Hilarion, we were able to better understand the book of our lives through it, and then correctly correct what was needed, and thank God for His great and unceasing good benefits.
Archimandrite Simeon (Tomachinsky)
"CE, Slave of the Lord"
Christmas Blessed Virgin Mary
mr. Vienna (Austria), Cathedral of St. Saint and the Wonderworker Nicholas
The Christmas of the Blessed Lady of Our Mother of God and Nestodle Mary is the first great holiday of the church year. And throughout the year, the Church recalls the life, ministry and feat of the Blessed Virgin Mary: The Great Mystery is hidden, but hidden - edification for each of us.
The Most Holy Mother of God, as the church tradition says, was born from the saints and righteous Bogotets of Joachim and Anna. For many years they remained fruitless and asked for the Lord, so that he gave them a child. They have achieved old age when their request was performed and they became the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Joakim and Anna brought up Mary in fear of God and piety, handed it the main thing that parents should pass to their children - faith in God and love for him. All their lives were devoted to the Lord, and they devoted their only child to God.
Among the ancestors of the Most Holy Theotokos were the righteous, and sinners. But for many centuries, the human genus was preparing for the great secret of the award. And this mystery that transformed the world and changed the course of history, began from the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, for the Lord the prei-brought it from the beginning of the centuries so that she became a mother, the god of God. And, as they say in the service of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin, she became the door through which the Lord himself came to humanity. Her whiskens became the most beautiful heaven, for it gods God himself.
And the Most Holy Mother of God finished himself to this all his life, starting from early childhood, which he held at the temple of God. The life of the Most Holy Theotokos was given to God - fully and without a rest.
We live at such a time when rarely who puts faith in God in the first place, not to mention the fact that many people live without God without God without the Church. There are a lot of people and among believers for whom God is far from the main thing: the family in the first place is in the first place, others have work, in the third - career, the fourth is the compassion of earthly goods. Such people often consider themselves believers and even church, but God are dedicated only to the time remaining from earthly life, maybe a few minutes a day or one or two hours a week, when entering the temple to pray and put candles. Neverthey, the rest of the time they live like unbelievers.
The Lord is waiting for us from us: he is waiting that we will give it all my life. And the Most Holy Virgin turns to us the same wish that we hear in the objects on the Divine Liturgy: "The whole belly of our Christ will conjure God." This does not mean that we have to abandon all the earthly - from the family, work - and completely to go away only in prayer and religious life. But all that we do in the earthly life must be permeated with faith in God, consecrated by a religious ideal. We have to check your entire life with the gospel commandments and everything that we would do, do in God's glory.
The first minutes of dating with the Orthodox clergy and the theologian Metropolitan Illarion are marked by the understanding of his piercing and depth of views. It is easy to realize that this person is an unusual warehouse of the mind, knows something more than truth, he knows something intimate, he tries any diligence to tell his understanding about great people. It becomes clear that he craves to make the souls living in this world cleaner and kinder.
Illarion Alfeyev is a doctor of Oxford University and, along with that, the Cologosphea Institute in the capital of France. In addition, Illarion enters the Council of the Synodal Commier of the Russian Orthodoxy, the Secretariat of the Moscow Patriarch in the field of interhree-style interaction in the field of external church connections, it belongs to the authorship of musical works, such as epic speakers and suite written for chamber performance.
Metropolitan Volokolamsky Hilarion: Biography
In the earthly world, Metropolitan Illarion is cliche by Alfeyev Grigory Valeiyevich, which was born on June 24 in 1966. He from birth is doomed to have success in music, because it is a banner of the Gnesin School. After Grigori graduated from the Moscow State Consumer Toria. Two years of service in the troops of the Soviet Army became a place where the Alfeyev decided to go to serve in the Vilensky Holy District Monastery and to become a novice.
A family
Gregory Valeryievich Native of the Russian capital, appeared in the family of intellectual. His grandfather, the Dashevsky Gregory Markovich, belongs to the authorship of a large number of hidden textbooks telling about the years of the Civil War in Spain. Unfortunately, in 1944, Valery Grigorievich died in a fight with German invaders. Father of the future Metropo-Lita, Dashevsky Valery Grigorievich, owns many scientific works of physico-mathematical sciences. He is the author of a number of monographs in the field of organic chemistry. Od-Nako Father Gregory lived all the time with his family, shortly after leaving his relatives, he became a victim of an accident. Mother Gregory, by profession the writer, fell bitter fate in one-nightness to raise a boy. Metropolitan was baptized when he was eleven.
The subsequent time after Baptism, Illarion spent, obtaining education in a specialized institution of Music Art of Middle Education named after Gnesins in Moscow, in a special direction of the violin and composition. Gregory was 15 years old when he became a reader in the temple of the Sunday of the word. After graduating from school in 1984, Illarion became a student at the Kom-Positimate Faculty of Conservatory in Moscow. Having studied there for only 3 years, Grigorye pre-painted studies and became a novice in the Vilensky Holy District Monastery.
Priesthood
In 1987, Illarion was tonsured and joined the path of monastics.
In 1989, he receives education in Moscow, ends the spiritual seminary, where he studied at the correspondence form of training, after renting the entrance exams in the Moscow spiritual Aka-Temia, and receives a candidate level of theology. After some time, Illarion became a teacher, launching his activities in the St. Tikhonovsky Theological Institute and the University of the Holy Apostle theologian.
Three years after the post, Illarion Alfeyev receives the law of insistence in the Annunciation Cathedral of Lithuania.
By 1993, Metropolitan Illarion becomes a graduate student of the Spiritual Academy and goes to University in Oxford. Already by 1995, he receives a scientific title at the University of Oxford and becomes a doctor of philosophy. The next 6 years, Illarion is engaged in the work on the establishment of the external cooperation of the Church with overseas churches. Further, Alfheyev receives the right of priesthood in the Moscow church of St. Catherine. 1999 was meant for Illarion to obtain a scientific degree - "Doctor of theology" in the Paris Orthodox Holy Sergiev Institute.
Three years after receiving the title of Doctor of theology, Metropolitan Illarion became Kerchinsky bishop. In January 2002, Archimandrite accepted San Archimandrite in Smolensk in the Cathedral, and after 7 days after 7 days he was Cahrotonisan in the Bishop of the Moscow Temple of Christ the Savior.
Work abroad
In 2002, Illarion was aimed at serving in the Sural Diocese, which was headed by Mitro-Polit Anthony. But after some time, he became the goal of the whole bishopath, which was headed by Bishop Vasily, and in the subsequent decade who will lose the sacred sanator and monasuits, as he decided to conclude a marriage. All these events occurred due to the urban reviews of Illarion about this diocese, for which the criticism of Anthony's bishop was hung on him, where he denoted the impossibility of their cooperation. Grigory Valeryievich turned out to be persistent for these critical comments and managed to speak publicly and relieve the accusation, insisted on the right of his thoughts.
In graduation, he was withdrawn from this diocese and was appointed its leading leader in working with mutual cooperation with leading European organizations. In his public speeches, Metropolitan argued that the tolerance of religious Europe is unacceptable to be about their Christian origin, because it is the most important spiritual and moral component that defines European compliance.
Music
Metropolitan Illarion, since 2006, began to actively devote himself to writing music, as evidenced by many works written by him: "Christmas oratoria" and others. The creativity of Illarion was highly appreciated, after receiving the blessing by Alexia II, his works were executed on many concerts around the world, including in Russia. These works have won the recognition of the public - the audience standing applauded the speeches.
The work of Metropolitan Illarion with Vladimir Spivakov was marked in 2011, owl labor over the Christmas festival of spiritual music in Moscow, which is intelligent during the festive January festivities.
Serving on conscience
In the period of time from 2003 to 2009, the author of many musical works, such as the "Divine Liturgy", has already had the status of the Bishop of Vienna and Austrian. After he was elected a Volokalam bishop and received membership in the Synod, became the vicar of the Moscow Patriarchate and, moreover, he received the right to be the abbot of the capital's church of Our Lady.
At the same time, Patriarch Kirill for loyalty to the ministry and diligence to devote himself to the Russian Orthodox Church, Illarion was erected in San Archbishop. A year later, he was raised in San Metropolitan.
Metropolitan Illarion: Orthodoxy
It is worth indicating that Illarion, wherever he was, was always representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church. He referred to the interests of Orthodoxy with special jealousy and defended them in all sorts of interchristian meetings, conferences and forums.
Preaching Illarion
Each preaching written by Illarion Alfeyev is truly very solid and is properly structured. The listeners were attentive during their reading, because behind his shoulders did not-commensurate experience transmitted to them in the form of a set of literary creations, extraordinary in their own content. It is such literary things that encourage us to the great knowledge of Christianity.
Books in theology
A large number of well-known and globally recognized works by the best works are related to the number of Metropolitan Illarion. Reading the book, the thoughts of fathers of law-Slavs are becoming clear about the appearance of God's blessing through the practical application of Jesus's prayer and bolers. The book illuminates the rethinking of church experience and the ability to express it. For this work, the author in 2005 became the owner of the Makariov Prize.
The book about the "Reverend Simeon of the New Theologian and Orthodox Tradition", written by Aerva, is a model of the transformation of his thesis, which he defended at the University in Oks-Ford at the Faculty of theology. The doctoral work of San Metropolitan tells about his research on the relationship of theology of the Union of Rev. Simeon in the 6th century to Orthodoxy and the service, typisal, mystical and ascetic aologia.
Metropolitan Illarion did not leave Isaac Syrin, who was devoted to his work in the book "The Spiritual World of Isaac Sirin". The book in the book is about the Syrian holy, which is the only one who managed to convey the clergy of the Gospel compassion, love. Sirin Chi-Tal Prayer for the benefit of people, all living, and even dark forces. Based on his teachings - hell is also considered the love of God, perceived sinful as pain and compassion, as they hate it love and do not accept it.
In the book "The Life and Teaching of St. Gregory Theologian" describes the whole life path of the exercises, which the Dogmat fought about the Blessed Troyce, written by the Grand Saint and Father.
Awards and titles
The creative life of the famous Metropolitan Illarion can not be ignored. The assets of this Slander turns out a great many premium presentation, among which various premium sheets, medals, titles and orders of the century II, which were awarded to him in the United States, Mol Dov, Estonia. In addition, in the collection of Illarion's awards, there is an Order of St. Martyr Isidor Yuryevsky II century, awarded to him in 2010 by Estonian colleagues, and a gold ingot in the form of a medal from Bologna University, received by him in 2010 in Italy, and the Order of Serbian Sokolov, whose owner he became in 2011. This list does not exhaust that many signs of distinction and awards of the famous Metropolitan.
Films Metropolitan Illarion
Illarion Alfeyev belongs to the authorship of sufficiently well-known paintings, including: "Chelch in front of God" - involving 10 episodes, who came to the screens in 2011, who acquainted with the world of the Orthodox Church - "The Way of the Shepherd", which is dedicated to the anniversary of the Patriarch Kirill, published in 2011 year, "Church in History" - the history of the emergence and development of Christian religion, "Byzantium and the baptism of Russia" - the series appeared on the screens in 2012, the "Unity of Verses" - the film dedicated to the 5th anniversary of the Unity of the Moscow Patriarch and The Russian law-nice church abroad (ranked in 2012), "Journey to Athos" (this picture saw the light in 2012), "With Patriarch in Athos" (2014), "Orthodoxy in Athos" (2014 .), And other no less successful cinema work.
There is no man in the world who, after reading his book or watching a film, filmed by Illa Riona, who would remain aside from thoughts about higher spiritual contemplation and peacekeeping. His understanding of the spiritual can encourage to purify and worship, as the highest degree of faith of Christian.
From the first minute of communication in the Orthodox clergy and theologian, Metropolitan Hilarion attracts attention to his shrill and very deep look. Therefore, it is not difficult to understand that he is a man of difficult thinking, knowing something more, true and intimate, and trying to convey his knowledge and thoughts to people in every way and to make peace in their soul lighter and kinder.
Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeyev (photo is presented a little below) - a patrol and doctor of the Philosophy of the University of Oxford and theological Institute in Paris. It is also a member of the Synodal Commission of the Russian Orthodox Church, head of the Moscow Patriarchate Secretariat on the Interchristian Relations of the Department of External Church Relations and the author of musical epic speakers and Samet for chamber performance. In this article we will follow the life path of this person, get acquainted with his biography, in which there are many interesting facts.
Metropolitan Volokolamsky Hilarion: Biography
In the world of Alfeev Grigory Valeryievich was born on June 24, 1966. He was intended good musical career, as he, having graduated from the music school of Gnesins, was then learned in the Moscow State Conservatory. Then he served two years in the Soviet Army, after which he immediately decided to become a novice of the Vilensky Holy Duhow Monastery.
A family
Future Metropolitan Hilarion was born in the capital of Russia, in a very intelligent family. His birth date - July 24, 1966. His grandfather, the Dashevsky Grigory Markovich, was a historian who wrote a number of books about the Spanish Civil War. Unfortunately, he died in 1944 in war with the fascists. Metropolitan Father, Dashevsky Valery Grigorievich, was a doctor of physico-mathematical sciences and wrote scientific works. He is the author of monographs on organic chemistry. But Valery Grigorievich left the family and then died of an accident. Gregory's mother was a writer, whom she got the bitter share - to bring up his son to one. He was painted at 11 years old.
From 1973 to 1984, Hilarion was trained in the Moscow Middle Special Music School named after Gnesini in the class of violin and composition. At the age of 15, he entered the temple of the Sunday of the word in the Assumption enemy (Moscow) by the reader. At the end of the school, in 1984, he entered the composer faculty of the Moscow State Conservatory. In January 1987, he left training and entered the obedient to the Vilensky Holy Spirit Monastery.
Priesthood
In 1990, he becomes the rector of the Annunciation Cathedral in the city of Kaunas (Lithuania). In 1989, Hilarion ends in absentia by the Moscow spiritual seminary, then studying in the Moscow Spiritual Academy, where he receives the degree of a candidate of theology. Through time, he becomes a teacher of the Holy Tikhonovsky University of theological Institute and the University of St. Apostle John the Bogoslov.
In 1993, he ends with the graduate school of the Spiritual Academy, and he is sent to Oxford University, where in 1995 he receives a Ph.D. in 1995. Then six years he works in the Department of External Church Relations. After becoming a clergy at the Temple of St. Catherine on Fax in Moscow.
In 1999, the Orthodox Holy Sergiev Institute in Paris was awarded the title of Doctor of theology.
In 2002, Archimandrite Ilarion becomes Bishop Kerchinsky. And in early January 2002, in the Smolensk Cathedral, he adopts San Archimandrite and literally in a week Cahotonisan in the bishop in the Moscow church of Christ the Savior.
Work abroad
In 2002, he was sent to serve in the Sural Diocese, headed by Metropolitan Anthony (Bloom, ROC of Great Britain and Ireland), but soon the whole bishopath head led by Bishop Vasily (Osborne, who in 2010 was deprived of the sacred sanator and monastics, because he express a desire to marry). All this happened because Hilarion somewhat accurately responded about this diocese, and for this he received critical comments from the Anthony bishop, in which he pointed out that they were unlikely to work together. But Hilarion is another "strong nut", he made a speech, where he filmed all the accusations and insisted on the correctness of his opinion.
As a result, he was withdrawn from this diocese and appointed the main representative of the ROC on working with international European organizations. Metropolitan always in his speeches advocated the fact that the tolerant Eup of Europe should not forget their Christian roots, as this is one of the most important spiritual and moral components, which determines European identity.
Music
Since 2006, he is actively engaged in music and will write a lot of music: "Divine Liturgy", "All-night Vigil", "Matthew Passion", "Christmas Orartainment", etc. This creativity was highly appreciated, and with the blessing of Patriarch Alexy II works were performed at many concerts in Europe, the United States, Australia and, of course, Russia. The public standing, ovations noted the successful these speeches.
In 2011, Metropolitan Hilarion with Vladimir Spivakov became the creators and heads of the Christmas festival of spiritual music (Moscow), held in the holidays of the January Days.
Serving on conscience
In the period from 2003 to 2009, he is already bishop Viennese and Austrian. Then he is elected by the bishop of the Volokalamsky, permanent member of the Synod, the vicar of the Moscow Patriarch and the abbot of the church of the Mother of God in the Big Ordinke in the capital.
At the same time, Patriarch Kirill for the faithful and diligent ministry of the ROC will build it in San Archbishop. A year later, he also builds him in San Metropolitan.
Metropolitan Hilarion: Orthodoxy
It should be noted that in different years he always represented the Russian Orthodox Church. Hilarion zealously defended her interests in various interchristian conferences, international forums and commissions.
Preach Hilarion.
The preaching of the Metropolitan of Hilarion Alfeev is very whole and competently built. It is very interesting to listen and read, because he has a huge experience that he transfers us among the huge number of theological literary works, which are unusual in its content. They promote us to the great knowledge of the Christian faith of her followers.
Books in theology
One of his books is "Sacred Mystery of the Church. Introduction. In it, the reader meets with the thoughts of some fathers and teachers of the Church on the call of the name of God in the practice of the prayer of Jesus and in worship. Here we are talking about the understanding of church experience and about its correct expression. For this, the author in 2005 was awarded the Makariyev Prize.
In his book "Rev. Simeon, the New Theologian and Orthodox Tradition" Metropolitan Hilarion presented the translation of his doctoral dissertation protected in Oxford University, at the Bogoslovskaya Faculty. In it, he explores the attitude of the theologian XI century of Rev. Simeon to the Orthodox ministry, the Holy Scripture, ascetic and mystical theological literature, etc.
The Metropolitan of Hilarion did not go around his attention and Isaac Sirin and dedicated to him the book "The Spiritual World of Isaac Sirin." This great Syrian Syrian as no one was able to transfer the spirit of gospel love and compassion, so he prayed not only for people, but also for animals, and demons. According to his teaching, even hell is God's love, which is perceived by sinners as suffering and pain, because they do not accept it and have hatred for this love.
Among his books, there is a work "Life and Teaching of St. Gregory Theologian." Here he describes the life of the Great Father and the Saint and His teaching, who has crushed dogmat about the Blessed Trinity.
Awards and titles
Its activity did not remain unnoticed, and therefore in the arsenal of this priest there is a huge number of awards - all sorts of letters, medals and ranks, among whom - the Order of St. Innokentia of Moscow II Art. (2009, America, ROC), the Order of the Holy Martyr Isidor Yuryevsky II Art. (2010, Estonia, MP RPC), the Order of St. Stephen's Great II Art. (2010, Moldova, ROC), Gold Medal of the University of Bologna (2010, Italy), Order of Serbian Sokolov (2011) and other awards.
Films Metropolitan Illarion
Metropolitan Volokolamsky Hilarion Alfeyev became the author and leading the following films: "Man in front of God" - a cycle of 10 episodes (2011), introducing into the world of Orthodoxy, "Path of Shepherd" dedicated to the 65th anniversary of the Patriarch Kirill (2011), " Church in history, "the history of Christianity," Byzantium and the baptism of Russia "- the series (2012), the" unity of faithful "- a film dedicated to the five years from the day of the unity of the Moscow Patriarch and the ROC abroad (2012)," Travel to Athos "(2012)," Orthodoxy in China "(2013)," Pilgrimage to the Holy Land "(2013)," With Patriarch in Athos "(2014)," Orthodoxy in Athos "(2014 .), "Orthodoxy in Serbian Lands" (2014).
Present a real base for those who want to know how to behave in the church, what icons are, how to understand the holy works, films, the author of which became Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeyev. Orthodoxy appears in them as a world that fills the life of a person in depth. With his eyes, we will see the holy pilgrimages and how Christianity is preached in other foreign places for Orthodox people.
Sermon
From publishing
In 1999 he saw the Light Collection of sermons and conversations of Igorion Ilarion "The night passed, and the day was approaching." Almost immediately after the publication, this collection containing 22 sermons and several conversations turned into a bibliographic rarity.
The compilation published now contains sixty-two sermons, including twenty-two previously published. Almost all those who are currently published by the sermons are pronounced by the father of Hilarion in the church of the Holy Great Martyr Catherine on the ascent, where he carries his pastoral ministry.
Hegumen Hilarion (Alfeyev) was born in 1966. Got a musical education. At the twenty years, a monasticism took a monasticism in the Vilensky Holy Globe, was ordained in San Ierodicone and then Hieromona. In 1990-91, the rector of the Kaunas Blagoveshchensky Cathedral. In 1991, he graduated from the Moscow Spiritual Academy with a degree of candidate of theology. From 1991 to 1993, he taught homiletics, dogmatic theology in Moscow spiritual schools, the New Testament in the St. Tikhonovsky Orthodox Bologosovsky Institute and Patrology in the Russian Orthodox University named after the Holy Apostle John the Bogoslov. In 1993-95 he studied at Oxford University, who graduated from a doctor of philosophy. Upon returning to Russia in the year by the Decree of the Holy Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, Alexy II was appointed by the cleric of the church of the Holy Great Martyr Catherine on Fax. Since 1997 - Secretary of the Department of External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate on Interchristian Relations, Member of the Synodal Theological Commission of the Russian Orthodox Church. In 1999, the Holy Sergiev Orthodox Theological Institute in Paris was awarded the degree of doctor of theology.
Igumen Hilarion is the author of more than ten books, including monographs dedicated to the fathers of the Church, transfers of patristic texts from Greek and Syrian languages. The books of Father Hilarion enjoy the deserved recognition of readers. They are highly appreciated by the priestly of the Russian Orthodox Church.
Publishers express the hope that the real collection will serve as the spiritual benefit of readers, will strengthen the love of the Holy Orthodox Church in them, whose ministry gives all his strength Father Hilarion.
About meeting with Christ. Nativity
"Christ is born - pork! Christ from Heaven - Meet! Christ on Earth - ASUE! Take the Lord, the whole earth! " These words began his Christmas preaching Saint Grigory Theologian, and since then for sixteen centuries, they sound in our church worship, putting the same questions in our church: what is the meaning of the Nativity of Christ for each of us; How can we meet Christ coming from heaven; How can we be associated with the Earth on the sky; How can I glorify Christ your life?
Many religions professing a single God promise to a person that he will be able to somehow touch God, experience the feeling of his presence and intimacy. But no religion, except Christianity, does not allow a person to know God as a brother like a friend. Through the embodiment of the Son of God, according to the word of the St. Simeon of the New Theologian, we become the sons of God the Father and the Brothers of Christ. God is embodied to be able to communicate with us on an equal footing, to, divide our fate and having live our lives, get right To tell us about yourself and about us the last truth that could not be opened to us with any other way. The truth that there is no abyss that shares God and man; There are no insurmountable obstacles to a meeting between a person and God - one on one, face to face.
This meeting is happening in our heart. For the sake of this meeting, the Lord came to earth, became a man and lived with human life: Bethlehemsky was born in Vertpe, fled to Egypt, he returned to Nazareth, he was brought up in the House of Carpenter, he was baptized, came to the sermon, went on Galilee, Samaria and Judea, preaching the kingdom of heavenly And the healing diseases of human, underwent suffering and criticism, risen from the dead and ascended to the sky. All this is to ensure that the mysterious meeting occurred, so that the barrier between the man and God, erected by Human Sin. "The mediastrium of the grade destroyed, the flame weaplers gives, and Cherubes retreats from the Tree of Life, and AZ Garay Messias are adjusted," goes through the church song. The obstacle was destroyed, and the sword is Kheruvimsky, blocking entrance to heaven, retreats; The gates of paradise opens, and the person returns to the tree of life, which is powered by heavenly bread.
The History of the Fall of Adam is the story of all mankind and every person. The sin of Adam is repeated in each of us when we turn away from God and sin. But Christ is embodied for each of us, and therefore the salvation of Christ Adam is our salvation. "Allowed by the associated adam, freedom all True granted, "- the canon says, which is read on the Village of the Organs of the Nativity of Christ. In Christ all People return to the god-like freedom, which Adam and his descendants have lost themselves through sin and disappear from God.
Saint Grigory Theologian calls the "second creation" a revolution, when God, as it were, to re-create a person, perceiving human flesh, "second communication" between man and God: "Existing begins to exist; Uncooked is created; Net volumen; Rich becomes a beggar through the perception of the flesh so that I enriched himself with his deity ... What for the new sacrament? I received the image of God and lost it, and he perceives my flesh to save the image, and it is imbey. It comes into second communication with us, which is much better and above the first. "
In the embodiment, the word happens, according to the expression of St. Ephraim Syrina, "Exchange" between God and Man: God perceives human nature from us, and we give our deity.
Through the embodiment, the word happens ebry man. "The word was embodied so that we wonder," the Saint Athanasius said the Great. "The Son of God has become the son of human, so that the sons of human sons to make the sons of God," said Saint Irina Lyon. The burden, to which the person was intended for the act of creation itself and which lost through the fall, returned to a person with the wrong word.
And therefore, in Christmas, the Human Nature is happening in Christmas. Not only in that singular Christmas that happened two thousand years ago in Bethlehem, but also at the birth of Christ, which again and again happens in our souls. For the soul of a person is "Scot's Nursery", which God makes the extensive of his deity and his temple. A man in the fall "became smelled by the cattle," but God comes to the false person and makes the soul of his place where the mysterious meeting between him and us.
