In the beginning, the word appeared… And it is the word that becomes for every believer the force that leads to God, opens hearts to love and kindness, care and creation. Sermons and conversations turn even those who consider themselves atheists to Christ.
Metropolitan Anthony of Surozh is rightfully considered the voice of Orthodoxy in the twentieth century. It was his conversations that opened for many their way to Christ, into the bosom of the Orthodox Church.
Vladyka, in the world Andrei Bloom, was born in 1914 in Lausanne in a prosperous family of hereditary diplomats. For some time they lived in Persia, but after the Bolsheviks came to power in their native country, they traveled the world until they settled in Paris. The monk in exile had a difficult childhood. At the working school where he studied, he was severely beaten by his peers.
Appeal of the Metropolitan to God
In his youth, Andrei, who had just turned 14 years old, listened to the lectures of Father Sergei Bulgakov. The boy felt a deep disagreement, deciding to sincerely fight such "nonsense as Christianity." The future Bishop Anthony of Surozh, whose biography from that moment began to take a different direction, decidedpay attention to the source - the Gospel. As he read, the young man felt the invisible presence of the one he was reading about…
Metropolitan Anthony of Surozh was a surgical doctor, which was the reason for his participation in the French resistance. At the end of the war, he decided to become a priest and, by the providence of God, went to England. It is in this country that the monk experiences one of the most significant events of his life.
Poorly speaking English, Father Anthony gave a lecture on a piece of paper, which turned out to be very gray and boring. He was given advice about improvising more. Then the priest objected that it would be funny. "It's very good, people will listen," was the answer. It was from that memorable day that he always delivered sermons and lectured himself, without a pre-prepared text. Teachings and instructions have become a truly precious legacy of Anthony of Surozh. He spoke sincerely, deeply and vividly, which helped to convey the Orthodox faith to modern people in all patristic purity, while maintaining the gospel depth and simplicity.
The Lord's word
Some time later, Father Anatoly becomes the primate of the Sourozh diocese. At first it was a small parish, open to a group of Russian emigrants. Under the leadership of Vladyka, it has become an exemplary, multinational community.
The reverend's word traveled much farther than the English believers, showing the richness of Orthodoxy to many Western Christians. In addition, his audio recordings, self-published books, talks and live sermons returned many Russians to the path of God. Exactlysuch remained in the memory of believers the Monk Anthony of Surozh. Biography of the Metropolitan was cut short in 2003, he died in London.
The shortest sermon
Vladyka Anthony of Surozh decided to tell how he went out to preach at one of the divine services. The father said: “As recently as yesterday, a woman with a baby came to the evening service. But she was dressed in jeans, a headscarf was not tied around her head. I don’t know who exactly rebuked her, but I order this parishioner to pray for this woman, a child, until the end of his days, so that the Lord saves them. Because of you, she may never come to church.” Metropolitan Anthony of Surozh turned around and left. It was his shortest sermon.
Works of the Reverend
Antony of Surozh, whose works have never been distinguished by pure orthodox theology, is known in many countries. His sermons and talks always contain the original Orthodox word of God. Berdyaev's philosophy played a significant role in the formation of such a thinking of the Metropolitan. First of all, he was interested in the doctrine of the opposition of personality and individuality, of being, as a kind of relationship I - You.
Features of theology
Three features can be distinguished in the mature, deep theology of Metropolitan Anthony.
- Evangelism. This distinctive feature of his edifications is that formally and stylistically the Metropolitan's sermons, teachings, and conversations are structured in such a way as to be a strong link between the Gospel and ordinary listeners. They seem to be shorteningthe distance that separates modern people from the living Christ. Each believer becomes a participant in the gospel story, the life of Anthony of Surozh is itself a confirmation of this.
- Liturgy. The predominantly silent Sacrament of the Church, with the help of the theology of the saint, takes on a verbal form. This difference is inherent not only in any part of the rite or sacrament, but also in the totality of church communion. His word sounds like a sacrament and brings every believer into the church. The conversations of Metropolitan Anthony of Surozh have always been perceived by people with a special feeling of grace and closeness to God.
- Anthropological. Vladyka himself noted this feature of his lectures. His words are consciously aimed at instilling in a contemporary who is frightened and stunned by modern life true faith in himself. Metropolitan Anthony of Surozh reveals the immeasurable depth of each individual personality, its value to God and the ever-present possibility of communion between Christ and man.
Such communication is in some sense equal. People can turn to Christ, building their relationship to faith like love and friendship, and not slavery and domination. It is as a personal, inimitable and unique communion with the Lord that the metropolitan understands prayer and describes it in his writings.
The word of Vladyka, directed to the crowd of parishioners, was perceived by everyone as a personal appeal. Thanks to the focus on the individual in the fullness of his being, the sermons of Metropolitan Anthony of Surozh to this day call every believer topersonal dialogue with God.
Father liked to repeat that the feeling of the Lord's presence should be immediate, like a toothache. This also applies to the reverend himself. Everyone who personally saw him alone or in a crowded church will never forget that he radiated the special warmth of a true believer.
The power of the pastoral word
Metropolitan Anthony is not a teacher, but a shepherd. He talks to everyone about what exactly a person needs at this moment. Personal communication with the reverend helped many believers realize the fullness of the phrase "God is love." He accepted each person, regardless of his own employment, ill he alth, exhaustion, as a lost son and a miraculously returned son.
Starche accepts and understands all the people who come to him for help and advice in a variety of situations. It may be a dead end of mental search, the last extreme of life. The Metropolitan carried his faith to everyone: Orthodox and non-Orthodox, non-Russians and Russians, atheists and Christians. It is as if he puts on his shoulders a burden taken from every hesitant and tormented person. In return, the monk bestows a fraction of his unique freedom, which manifests itself in small things: freedom from hypocrisy, bureaucracy, narrowness. It helps to live freely in God.
Theological talks
The conversations of Anthony of Surozh are devoted to the main issues of Christian life and faith. Filled with understanding and love, the pastoral word more than once became a real salvation for people who were faced withinsurmountable stumbling blocks, insoluble contradictions. The monk knew how to heal with wisdom and the depth of his conversations.
The main questions covered by the priest gave an answer to what it means to be a Christian, how to stay with God in the modern world. The Metropolitan emphasized that a person is a friend and disciple of Christ. It means to believe in the people themselves, starting, first of all, with themselves, continuing with all others: strangers and neighbors. Every person contains a particle of the Lord's light, and it always remains in him even in the most pitch darkness.
Metropolitan on love
The sermons of Metropolitan Anthony of Surozh were also devoted to love. “Love one another as I have loved you…” - this is exactly what one of God's commandments sounds like. These words should reach our hearts, please our souls, but how difficult it is to bring them to life.
The Metropolitan noted that love for each person is revealed in several planes: it is the experience of ordinary, simple love between members of the same family, children for parents and vice versa; it is a joyful, bright feeling that arises between the bride and groom and pervades all darkness. But even here one can meet fragility and imperfection.
Antony Surozhsky said that Christ calls us to love each other, he makes no distinctions. This suggests that every believer must love absolutely every person, meeting, unfamiliar, attractive and not so much. He wants to say that each of us is a person with an eternal destiny, createdGod from nothingness to make his unique contribution to the life of mankind.
Each of us is called and put by the Lord into this world to do what others are not able to do, this is our uniqueness. “We must love any of our neighbors, as God loved all of us, otherwise we reject Christ himself,” - this is exactly what Anthony of Surozh believed. He always spoke of love as a special feeling that should be directed to the whole world, to God and to himself.
About prayer…
The Reverend noted that the Lord's Prayer had been one of the most difficult for him for years. It is quite logical that each individual proposal is accessible and, most importantly, understandable to everyone within the framework of his experience, spiritual growth, deepening in faith. “On the whole, many cannot find the most important key, because turning to God is the whole path of spiritual life,” said Anthony of Surozh. He spoke about prayer for a long time and thoughtfully, helping believers to realize the full power and meaning of our word addressed to Christ.
You can take any prayer in two parts. The first is the call: "Our Father." Then there are three requests. These are the sons' prayer lines, because we are all children of our heavenly father. Then there are petitions that can serve as a guiding star in order to sincerely know the depth of one's own faith. The Heavenly Father is the source of our life, the educator acting on the power of boundless love for us. We are all brothers and sisters of Christ in humanity.
When praying, according to the reverend, there is often such a feeling,as if we are calling on the Lord to do something. We pray as beggars reach out. And the Lord sent each of us into the world in order to build the Kingdom of God, the city of God, which should be together with the city of man. Therefore, in prayer, we must ask that we become faithful builders of this Kingdom.
The Lord will never forget us, will give material, real bread. Believers should seek in God a meeting with him, as with the word that is sent in the Gospel. It is there that the Lord shows us the way, the way to it and to the Kingdom of God.
With fullness and sincerity, Anthony of Surozh spoke about love, prayer, friendship and the personality of man in God.
Learn to be
Discussion of the spiritual aspects of old age is a very important issue, as Anthony Surozhsky mentioned more than once. "Learn to be" is a special sermon that reveals to believers the concepts of old age and the problems that are inherent in this age.
The Metropolitan noted that in old or older years, those problems that lurked in the past, are present in the present and, possibly, will appear in the future, begin to come to light. We must not close our eyes to our past, we must have the courage to face it. Painful, ugly, awkward situations help us to find inner maturity and finally resolve, untie these issues and become truly free.
Getting old and solving the problems of the past
Every elderly or old person should take care of the problempast, if there really is faith that God is the God of the living, that we are all alive in Him and exist for Him and for Him. It is impossible to simply say that there was reconciliation with the evil that was caused to others, it is necessary to reconcile with the circumstances …
There is still the problem of the present. When time brings old age and takes away everything that was young years, people always face certain problems. Physical strength is weakening, and mental abilities are no longer the same … Most people try to kindle coals in a dying flame, wanting to become the same as before. But this is the main mistake, and artificially inflated coals quickly turn into ashes, and the internal pain only grows stronger.
Instead of completion
It is difficult to describe all the beneficial influence of the Metropolitan's sermons on the modern world. First of all, this is the true, pure influence of the shepherd, who, by the power of the word, influences the inner world of people, their cultural activity. The conversations of Anthony of Surozh inspire hope, faith and love in souls and hearts to this day. Many Christians perceive the deceased metropolitan as a saint.
