Radonitsa, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow

Radonitsa, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow On April 17, 2018, on Tuesday 2 nd week on Easter, the day of Radonitsa, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia celebrated the Divine Liturgy and the Easter commemoration of the departed in the Archangel Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. At the end of the service, the Primate of the Russian Church addressed the believers with a sermon. In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit! Today is a special day - a day of commemoration of the deceased by the Passover in the period of Holy Pascha. It is no coincidence that we include in the Easter joy the commemoration of those who died, because for them, as for us, Easter, the Resurrection of Christ, was a turning point, as it became a turning point for the whole human race, for the whole course of human history. We have no real experience with the deceased. In the lives of saints, various narrations talk about meetings with the deceased, but the absolute majority of people do not have real communication with them. The dead are not to us. They can remind themselves of dreams and thoughts, sometimes we clearly feel their presence, but really they are not visible, they are in a different world. And, as is known from the Gospel, there is an insurmountable barrier between our world and that world - so it was pleasing to the Lord that until the time of our death, what was waiting for us beyond the grave was unknown to us. But when we say that we do not know this, it does not mean that people who have crossed the border of physical death do not know what is here. And this does not mean that these two worlds are completely isolated from one another. Not at all! There is a special meeting point for these two worlds, the only place is the Church of Christ, this is the commission of the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. After all, those who have left us, those who are in the other world, continue to remain members of the Church as well as we, only we call that invisible Church the Church triumphant, and our earthly Church we call the Church militant. The name of the militant Church has nothing to do with human wars. It's about another war: the church here is called to fight with evil. Every Christian is called upon to gain victory over evil in himself, and together we must fight the evil that surrounds us. The fight against the evil that the Church is leading is not at all safe. And we know how a world full of evil sometimes falls upon the Church, exposing it to persecution. It is impossible to understand the meaning of these persecutions, it is impossible to rationally explain why with such anger the world attacks the Church, destroys temples, kills the righteous. This has happened throughout history, it is still happening today, and we know that there is no other group of people who would be subjected to the same terrible trials as Christians today. Many die, churches are destroyed, under various pretexts, Christian faith is being pushed out of public life, especially in the so-called enlightened countries. The church can not be indifferent to all this. She responds to what is happening with prayer, courageous confession of faith, responds with struggle. That's why the Earthly Church is called the Church militant, and the Church in Heaven is the Church triumphant. There is no struggle with evil, there the Church testifies to the victory of Christ over evil, about its participation in this victory - the whole struggle is concentrated in our world. But what is most important for us to understand today, on the day of remembrance of the dead: there are no two Churches, there is only one Church of the Lord and Savior, which He has acquired with His Blood. And triumphant in heaven, and militant here, within the framework of human history, is one Church. And so today, with us, undoubtedly, there are those who are buried here, for whom we prayed, and many others, for whom we prayed today in our personal prayers. They are in that triumphant Church, and they are with us. Till the time we do not see it, but it is not known when each of us, crossing the line of life and death, will see all this. He will see the great God's Church, the triumphant victory of Christ over sin and death in eternity, and the Church militant, remaining here on earth, in human history, so that each of us can go our own way in this Church. To go through saving, not trembling, not fearing, not losing faith, but struggling with sin, lies, slander, untruth, demonic temptations, asserting God's law of life, and looking to the future, prepare yourself for reunion with the triumphant Church. Today we are filled with such deep meanings, and we call it Radonitsa, for we rejoice together with the Church rejoicing, with the Church triumphant, although we are still here on earth, and much that surrounds us, does not give cause for joy. However, the real reason for joy is the prospect of eternal life, which the Lord revealed to us by His victorious resurrection, introducing everyone who believes in Him as God and the Savior, into eternal life. Amen. Christ is Risen!