26 Ἰουνίου 1988
Εἰς τό ὄνομα τοῦ Πατρός καί τοῦ Υἱοῦ καί τοῦ Ἁγίου Πνεύματος.
Πόσο μεγάλη πρέπει νὰ ἦταν ἡ πίστη τοῦ ἑκατόνταρχου ποὺ ἦρθε στὸν Κύριο ζητῶντας Του νὰ θεραπεύσει τὸν ἀγαπημένο, τὸν πιστὸ ὑπηρέτη του. Ἄκουσε τόν Χριστό νά λέει: « Θὰ ἔρθω νὰ κάμω ἕνα θαῦμα στὸ σπίτι σου», καί ἐκεῖνος ἀπάντησε: « Μὴν ἔλθεις, ἕνας λόγος Σου εἶναι ἀρκετός γιὰ νὰ ἀποκατασταθεῖ ἡ ὑγεία τοῦ ὑπηρέτη μου!».
Αὐτὸ εἶναι ἕνα γεγονός ἀπὸ τὴν ζωὴ τοῦ Κυρίου· ἕνα γεγονὸς ποὺ ἄγγιξε ὄχι μόνο τὸν Ἑκατόνταρχο, ὄχι μόνο τὸν ὑπηρέτη του, ἀλλὰ κάθε μέλος τοῦ σπιτιοῦ του. Ἐπέστρεψε χωρὶς τὸν Χριστό, καί ὁ ὑπηρέτης του εἶχε θεραπευτεῖ.
Ποιός ἀπὸ ἐμᾶς μπροστὰ σὲ ἕναν ἐναγώνιο πόνο, μπορεῖ νὰ στραφεῖ στὸν Κύριο, νὰ παρουσιάσει τὸ αἴτημα του, νὰ Τοῦ ζητήσει ἔλεος καὶ νὰ ἐκδηλώσει τὴ δύναμη Του, καὶ ὅταν μᾶς λέει, ὅταν πληροφορεῖ τὴν καρδιά μας, «Θὰ ἔλθω, θὰ κάνω γιὰ ἐσένα αὐτὸ τὸ θαῦμα» – ποιὸς ἀπὸ ἐμᾶς θὰ εἶχε τὸ θάρρος νὰ πεῖ, «Ὄχι, Κύριε! Μοῦ ἀρκεῖ ὁ λόγος Σου!»…
Ἔχουμε τὸ Εὐαγγέλιο, τὸ παράδειγμα τῶν Ἁγίων ποὺ πολλοὶ ἔκτισαν μιὰ ζωή ἁγιότητος, ἀπὸ ἕνα λόγο τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου στὸν ὁποῖο ἀφιέρωσαν ὅλη τους τὴν ἐνέργεια, ὅλη τους τὴν ζωή. Ἔχουμε τὸ Εὐαγγέλιο, ἕναν λόγο, ἐκεῖνον τὸν λόγο ποὺ μπορεῖ νὰ θεραπεύσει μιὰ ζωή, ποὺ μπορεῖ νὰ μεταμορφώσει ἀνθρώπους, σχέσεις, ψυχὲς καὶ ζωές. Ποιὸς ἀπὸ ἐμᾶς εἶπε ποτὲ στὸν Κύριο, «Τό Εὐαγγέλιο μοῦ εἶναι ἀρκετό;» Καὶ πόσο συχνὰ στρεφόμαστε στὸν Κύριο γιὰ νὰ Τοῦ ποῦμε «Ναί, Κύριε – Τό διάβασα ὅλο τὸ Εὐαγγέλιο, ἀλλά, ἔλα Ἐσύ, μίλησέ μου, πὲς μου ἕναν λόγο ποὺ δὲν εἶναι γραμμένος, πὲς μου ἕναν λόγο ποὺ θὰ διαπεράσει τὴν ζωή μου, τὴν καρδιά μου σὰν τὴν φωτιὰ καὶ τὸ σίδερο! Μίλησε μου, ξανὰ καὶ ξανά, Κύριε!»…Κι ἔτσι παραβλέπουμε ὅλο τὸ Εὐαγγέλιο, τὸ μήνυμα τοῦ Θεοῦ, τὸ παράδειγμα τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ὅ,τι βλέπουμε στοὺς Ἀποστόλους, καὶ στοὺς μετέπειτα Ἁγίους, ἐπειδὴ θέλουμε μιὰ νέα ἀποκάλυψη, ἕνα νέο λόγο.
Καὶ θυμᾶστε ἐπίσης, πώς, ὅταν ὁ Χριστὸς ἔδωσε τὴν ἐντολὴ στοὺς μαθητὲς νὰ ρίξουν τὰ δίχτυα τους στὴν θάλασσα καί αὐτὰ ἔφεραν πλῆθος ἀπὸ ψάρια, ὁ Ἀπόστολος Πέτρος, κατάλαβε ξαφνικὰ ποιὸς ἦταν ὁ Κύριος. Τὰ εἶχε ἀκούσει ὅλα, τὴν ἐπὶ τοῦ Ὄρους Ὁμιλία, ἦταν ἀπὸ τὴν ἀρχὴ μὲ τὸν Κύριο – καὶ ἁμυδρὰ μόνο εἶχε καταλάβει ποιὸς ἦταν. Ἐκείνη τὴν στιγμὴ συνειδητοποίησε, Ποιὸς βρισκόταν ἐκεῖ, καί εἶπε, «Κύριε, φύγε ἀπὸ τὴν βάρκα! Εἶμαι ἁμαρτωλός, εἶμαι ἀνάξιος τῆς παρουσίας Σου! »
Καί πάλι, ποιὸς ἀπὸ ἐμᾶς, σὲ στιγμὲς ποὺ ὁ Κύριος ἦρθε κοντὰ του, σκέφτηκε νὰ πεῖ τέτοια λόγια, ἔχοντας ἀντιληφθεῖ, ἐξαιτίας τῆς ἁγιότητας τοῦ Χριστοῦ, πόσο δέν ἀξίζουμε τὴν ζωή Του, τό θάνατό Του, τὴν κάθοδό Του στὴν κόλαση ποὺ εἶναι τὸ κατώτερο σημεῖο τοῦ κακοῦ. Καὶ αὐτὴ ἡ κόλαση δὲν εἶναι μονάχα μιὰ εἰκόνα· δὲν ὑπάρχει μέσα μας ; Δὲν ὑπάρχει μέσα μας ἕνα σκοτάδι ποὺ χρειάζεται κάτι παραπάνω ἀπὸ ἕνα φῶς – τὸ Φῶς τοῦ Θεοῦ, τὸν Θεό, τὸ φῶς τοῦ κόσμου.
Ἄς σκεφτοῦμε αὐτὸ ποὺ ἀκοῦμε. Μόλις ἐπέστρεψα ἀπὸ τὴ Ρωσία, καὶ κάθε φορὰ ποὺ ἐπιστρέφω, νοιώθω ἕνα δέος γιὰ ὅ,τι εἶδα ἐκεῖ. Ὄχι ἀπὸ τὶς σπουδαῖες λειτουργίες, ἀλλὰ ἀπὸ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ποὺ γιὰ περισσότερο ἀπὸ μισὸν αἰώνα, ἔφεραν τὸ βάρος τοῦ Σταυροῦ, καὶ πόσο τρομερὸ– πῶς ἐμπνέει – πόσο ταπεινωτικό εἶναι γιὰ κάποιον νὰ πρέπει νὰ μιλήσει σὲ ἀνθρώπους ποὺ ἡ ζωή τους εἶναι ἕνα κήρυγμα τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου, ἐνῶ ἡ δική μας εἶναι ντροπὴ γιὰ τὸν Χριστό. Ναί, εἶναι αὐτό ποὺ λέει τὸ Εὐαγγέλιο ὅτι ἀπὸ τοὺς λόγους μας θὰ κριθοῦμε, θὰ σωθοῦμε ἤ θὰ καταδικαστοῦμε. Πόσο τρομαχτικὸ εἶναι νὰ λέμε λόγια ἀπὸ καθῆκον, ἀπὸ ἀνάγκη καὶ νὰ γνωρίζουμε ὅτι κάθε λόγος μᾶς καταδικάζει.
Καὶ ἔτσι ὅταν ἕνας ἱερέας στέκεται στὸ Ἅγιο Βῆμα, κάνει τὸ σημεῖο τοῦ Σταυροῦ, μπαίνοντας κάτω ἀπὸ τὴν προστασία τοῦ Ἐσταυρωμένου, τοῦ θανάτου, τὴν θυσιαστικὴ ἀγάπη τοῦ Χριστοῦ – προσευχηθεῖτε γι’ αὐτὸν ποὺ πρόκειται νὰ κηρύξει τὸ Εὐαγγέλιο, ἴσως τὸ κήρυγμα αὐτὸ νὰ τὸν κρίνει καὶ νὰ τὸν καταδικάσει– προσευχηθεῖτε καὶ γιὰ τὴ σωτηρία τῆς ψυχῆς σας. Καί τότε, ἴσως αὐτὴ ἡ προσευχὴ νὰ τὸν στηρίξει καὶ μὲ τὴν βοήθεια τῆς Θ. Χάριτος, ἴσως δυναμώσει τὴν ζωή σας καὶ σᾶς βοηθήσει νὰ πλησιάσετε τὸν Χριστό: νὰ συνειδητοποιήσετε ξαφνικὰ ὅτι ὁ ἱεροκήρυκας δὲν ὑπάρχει – ὑπάρχει μόνο τὸ μήνυμα τοῦ Εὐαγελίου. Θυμηθεῖτε! Ὁ Ἅγιος Ἰωάννης ὁ Βαπτιστὴς δὲν ὀνομάστηκε κήρυκας τοῦ Θείου Λόγου· ἦταν «Φωνή βοῶντος ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ». Δεχτεῖτε τὸ μήνυμα, μὴν σταθεῖτε στὸν ταχυδρόμο, καὶ δεχτεῖτε το, καθὼς τὸ περιγράφει ὁ Χριστός, ὅπως ἡ γῆ ἡ καλὴ ποὺ θάβει μέσα της τὸν σπόρο, τὸν τρέφει καὶ φέρνει καρποὺς ζωῆς: ὄχι καρποὺς συναισθημάτων, σκέψεων, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἴδια τὴ ζωή τοῦ Θεοῦ μέσα μας. Ἀμήν.
Ἀπόδοση Κειμένου:serafeim.in
Πρωτότυπο Κείμενο
THE FAITH OF THE CENTURION
26 June 1988
How great must have been the faith of the Centurion who came to Christ asking for a healing of his servant, whom he loved, who was faithful to him. He heard Christ say, ‘I shall come and work a miracle in thy home’, and he could answer, ‘Don\’t come! A word of Thine would be enough to restore the health of my servant!’
This is an event of the life of Christ; it is an event that touched not only the Centurion, not only his servant, but every member of the household. He came without Christ, and the servant was healed.
Who of us, in dire, agonising pain is capable of turning to the Lord, present Him his request, ask Him to show mercy and to manifest His power, and when the Lord says to us, in our hearts, ‘I shall come, I shall work this miracle for you’ – who of us would have the courage to say, ‘No, Lord! Thy word is enough!\’…
We have the Gospel, we have the example of the Saints of whom many, many built a life of saintliness on one saying of the Gospel which they took seriously and to which they devoted all their energies, all their life. We have the Gospel, a word, that word that can heal a life, that can transform
people, that can transfigure relationships, and human souls, and human lives. Who of us ever said to the Lord, ‘Thy Gospel suficeth unto me’? And how often we turn to the Lord and say, ‘Yes, Lord – I have read it all, but come Thyself, speak to me, speak a word which is not written, speak a word that would like iron or fire penetrate into my heart! Speak again, again, again, Lord!’.. And so, we pass by the whole Gospel, all the message of God, all the example of Christ, all that we see in the Apostles and the later Saints because we want a new revelation, a new word.
And you remember also how, when Christ commanded His disciples to cast a net into the sea and this net brought a multitude of fish, Saint Peter suddenly saw Who He was. He had heard it all, he had heard the Sermon on the Mountain, he had been with Christ from the beginning – and he saw only dimly who He was. At that moment, the moment of a material miracle he realised Who was in his boat, and he said, ‘Lord, leave this boat! I am a sinner, I am unworthy of Thy presence!’
And again, who of us, at moments when the Lord came close to us, have the thought of saying such words, realising because of the holiness of Christ, the holiness of God, how unworthy we are of Him, of His life, His teaching, His example, His death, His descent into hell, to the very rock bottom of evil. And this hell is not only an image; isn\’t it within us? Isn\’t there in us a darkness that needs more than enlightment – the Light of God, God, the light of the world.
Let us think of what we hear. I have just come back from Russia, and whenever I come, I am awed by what I see there. Not by great services, but the people who for more than half a century have carried the burden of the cross, and how awe-inspiring – I was to say, how humiliating it is to one to has to speak to people whose life is a preaching of the Gospel, while one\’s own is a shame of Christ. Yes, it is true what the Gospel says that by our words shall we be judged, saved or condemned. How frightening it is to have by duty, by necessity to speak words of truth and to know that every word condemns you.
And so, when a priest comes out, makes a sign of the Cross, putting himself under the protection of the Crucifix, the death, the sacrificial love of Christ – pray for him who is to declare the Gospel, perhaps unto judgment and condemnation of self – and for the salvation of you souls. And then perhaps this prayer will sustain the preacher, and the preacher speaking God\’s own words, helped by the grace of God, may sustain your life and help you to reach Christ, not him: suddenly to realise that the preacher does not exist – there is only a message. Remember! Saint John the Baptist was not called a ‘preacher’ who proclaimed the word of God; it is said of him ‘a Voice, shouting in the wilderness’. It was not a man, it was a message. Receive the message, pass by the messenger, and receive the message as Christ describes, as good earth that engulfs the seed, feeds it and brings fruit, fruit of life: not of feelings, not of thoughts, but a life which is that of God incarnate, Christ\’s life in us. Amen.
