By Metropolitan Anthony (Khrapovitskii, 1863-1936) At the Last Supper, the Lord speaks the last word to the disciples, in which he confesses his love for humanity. He burned with this love and, although he knew that one of the participants in the supper would betray Him, he rejoiced when he saw these chosen ones listening to Him with such love. He calls them “my children,” and associates them with Himself, His Body and Blood. A joyful and blissful hour. And then Judas leaves to betray. And again, He is in unity with the disciples. But a little time passed, and He began to grieve, yearn and pray. He experienced such mental stress that drops of blood fell to the ground. It is difficult to even say when Christ suffered more at this hour or at the hour of His death. The disciples were in a slightly different mood and were spared by the ruthless speed of change between grief and joy. But with the Savior they alternate so that it is as if He were drinking water, but one sip is sweet, and the other is bitter. So today our soul is torn with grief, looking at this doomed Sufferer, but into this sadness there has also broken through the joy of our communion with Christ and salvation. And our joy covers our sins, and our hearts reach out to Christ in order to ease His suffering from people with love. So today, when we commune, we are not in a mournful, but a joyful mood, remembering the words of the Apostle Paul, “When you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord.” This event is so great that we, the children of God, dare to say: “Having partaken of the divine, holy, pure, immortal, heavenly, life-creating, and awesome Mysteries of Christ, let us worthily give thanks to the Lord.” All prayers are a desire for something that has not yet been realized, only this litany speaks of what has been achieved. “Having prayed for a perfect, holy, peaceful, and sinless day, let us commend ourselves and one another and our whole life to Christ our God.” The sinless passage of life is rarely spoken of, but after communion we dare to ask for it with faith and hope. In such a mood, inspired by faith and hope, stands a man who just recently cried about his sins. For a Christian, repentance and joy are always together, and the Lord accepts the former and blesses the latter. But remember that it is impossible to approach the fire of Communion without restraint and without the help of grace: “Intercede, save, have mercy and preserve us, God, by Your grace.” Thus, we submit ourselves to the will of the Lord. This devotion must always be in both joy and sorrow. But how far we are from salvation if such feelings of sadness, joy, love and devotion to God occur in us only on rare days of fasting and communion. When we understand this as clearly as on Holy Thursday, we deeply grieve that we are not always in this gracious mood, for it is so natural for our hearts to thirst for the grace of God and the communion of Divine life. Source:
Metropolitan Anthony (Khrapovitskii), S Nami Bog! Moskva III Rim [God With Us! Moscow is Third Rome]. |
