Great Saturday – Metropolitan of Strumica Nahum
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Death, I cannot, but greet you with a welcome. Whenever it might be. Whenever they let you (come). Because after the God-Man Christ came, everything from Him is welcome. Even you yourself, death. And now you are not only death, but in Him you are also the Resurrection. Before Him, only a dreadful guard from a greater fall.
Before Him – struggle, toil, empty hope, endless anticipation. Even life and joy were not bright to us, under the shadow of uncertainty. As if the trouble had no end, but only the good and the beautiful. Despair of meaninglessness and aimlessness. But in His Dispensation of Salvation everything become meaningful, even you. Therefore, welcome.
Now, He is with us, forever. Not like when we were alienated, but now we are His. As the apostle says, “I no longer live, but Christ lives in me” (Gal. 2:20). It is precisely through the Cross and through His Death and Resurrection, we are completely adopted. True children of God. By the Spirit, who in the heart exclaims, “Aba, Father!” (Rom. 8:15). And again, welcome.
You, death, are not needed by us, only in the end, as a passage, as a repose, as peace in Him. No, here and now, you are most needed as a constant reminder of you. We are weak, we are falling. You help us the most to sober up and wake up. From sin. From the drunkenness with this world. Great welcome (to death).
But to be honest, you can come right away. As much as that, we love God enough. We are constantly hurt by our separation from Christ and our deep connection with this world. And let me tell you, death, it is hard for the soul to bear this! You know yourself how many times we wish you had already come. Most welcome.
I mentioned the world. I did not think so much of the external as of our internal world. The world is beautiful. I am talking about the intertwining of our passions with the worldly things. For the lust of the body, the desire of the eyes and the pride of life, which pull us to fall. From which we will not be liberated completely. How welcome.
Look now, death, it is like this – however, let us be clear. No longer are you still scary, at least not to us. So we were baptised and reborn in you, that is, in Christ’s death and Resurrection. So you are the beginning of our life, of our eternal life. We do nothing without you. But you do not know how welcome you are.
Do you not know that you are an essential part of our prayer? Well, we could not even pray without you. How else would we heal the mind? How would we unite with God? There is no prayer without death for this world. The grace of prayer comes only with you in company. It is inseparable from you. Yes, death, welcome.
Not only are you an integral part, but you are also the desire of our prayer. How many times have we offered our lives, calling you in exchange for the life of our neighbour? You do not even know how much you make us alike to our beloved Lord, the God-Man Jesus Christ. Oh, death, welcome.
Yes, you are also a fortifier of our monastic life. As much as during the earthly struggle, that much more in the Kingdom of Heaven. You are really a great consolation, no matter from which angle we look at you. Even monasteries, without you, are not good reflection of us. Death, welcome.
And, look, we have already learned very well that as Christians we can only die, but not live. So perfect is our Lord, God-Man Christ. Therefore, at the end, let us, together with the apostle Paul, joke at your own expense: “Death, where is your sting? Hell, where is your victory?”
Christ is Risen!
Metropolitan of Strumica Nahum
(22.04.2022 19:54)
