The Holy Apostles
customarily greeted the first Christians with these words when addressing them
in person or in writing. And with these words I also, an unworthy bearer
of the grace of the Apostles, permit myself to greet you today. These
are great words—great in their significance and meaning. By them the
Apostles showed wherein man's true good lies, and gave voice to the desire
that Christians receive it. Man strives for happiness, strives to find
it; yet for the most part he seeks it far from where he should. Thus, by
these words the apostles clearly directed the Christians to that path which
leads unfailingly to the desired good.
Only in peace of
soul is there true blessedness for us; only those who possess an untroubled
conscience before God and their fellow man can really be called happy. It is
never too late to obtain this happiness, this peace: one need only actively
strive towards God to the limit of one's abilities, trying to live in love and
peace with others and to resolve firmly to begin a new, pious life. Then
the desired peace will flow into our soul in a calm, almost imperceptible
stream, and with God's help we will quickly sense that we have become happy.
Then will no trials seem difficult and unbearable for us—neither sicknesses,
nor poverty, nor sufferings, nor any type of problem or disorder, nor slander,
nor persecution, nor imprisonment. All such things will be shown to be
insignificant and easy to bear when compared to the great good which will fill
our souls and which we call peace and a pure conscience.
His Eminence, the
ever-memorable Metropolitan Laurus lived in peace with God and his neighbor.
He believed in God and trusted wholly in Him and His guidance. He
humbled himself and bowed to the will of God; that is, he gave himself over to
it completely and joyfully. From him there always wafted forth an
unbelievable peace and inner tranquility. His peaceful spirit preserved
us in unity and led us to reestablish the fullness of brotherly fellowship
within the Russian Orthodox Church. For this reason, with reverence,
love and a sense of personal unworthiness, I pay homage to the struggle of his
ministry and his blessed memory, just as I revere the struggle of the
primatial ministry of his divinely-wise predecessors, who "rightly
divided" the word of Christ's Truth during the difficult years of the
Russian emigration. I trust that the Lord will grant my unworthiness to
carry out if only a portion of what my ever-memorable predecessors
accomplished in their service. This is what my constant prayer is; it is
for this that I ask all of you to pray.
Our leaders, the
organizers of Russia Abroad, always taught that we must preserve what we have,
so as to serve Russia and the Russian Orthodox people in the homeland and in
diaspora, and to include in the process of salvation its spiritual rebirth,
which is, as we see, the direct fruit of the sufferings, the confessional
ministry and martyric struggle of the millions of new martyrs and confessors
of Russia. And laboring as missionaries, we must also share this rich
inheritance with the world that surrounds us. The Russian Orthodox
Church has always felt a particular calling to the missionary ministry.
We must take particular care for this, continuing the holy work of those who
served here and enjoyed success in their apostolic labors: St Tikhon the
Confessor, Patriarch of All Russia; and St Innocent, the Equal of the
Apostles, who later became Metropolitan of Moscow and Kolomna. May they
help us, by their fervent intercession, to share pure and unadulterated
Orthodoxy and the glory of the Russian Orthodox Church with all who surround
us!
On this day, which
for me is "appointed and holy", with all my heart I greet my brother
archpastors, the pastors and all here assembled in the home of the Hodigitria
of the Russian Diaspora. I am moved to the depths of my soul by the love
of our flock, by their words of greeting, comfort and support, their good
wishes and prayers. In particular, I greet the representatives of the
clergy and flock of the Diocese of Sydney, Australia and New Zealand, which
was entrusted to me by the Council of Bishops in 1996. During my service
in Australia, my pious flock, which the ever-memorable Metropolitan Vitaly
called "the pearl of the Russian Church Abroad," became like my own
family. May God grant that, with the help of my staff, I may try to
combine my duties as First Hierarch with my previous diocesan duties in the
land which lies beneath the Southern Cross. I express my profound
gratitude to His Holiness Patriarch Alexy of Moscow and All Russia, for his
primate's blessing and prayerful support; as well as to Archbishop Innocent of
Korsun and the members of the Moscow Patriarchate's delegation. I thank
my brother archpastors, who have elected me, for their trust and holy prayers.
Today, we listened
to the Gospel account of the Lord's healing of the paralyzed man. Paying
close attention today to this scriptural passage, I felt that I am paralyzed
by many weaknesses and am in need of God's help. For this reason, I
place my trust in God Who helps us; and I trust the ministers of His Church to
His carry out and do His work in a worthy fashion. I trust in the
archpastoral wisdom, counsel and support of my brother concelebrants, and in
the prayers of the clergy and the whole flock of our Holy Church.
"Behold now,
what is so good or so joyous as for brethren to dwell together in unity?"
(Psalms 132:1). Or, to put it differently, how good and pleasant it is
for brethren to dwell together, that is, in peace and love, says the Psalmist.
In the early days of Christianity, pastors and flock always lived the same
life: the sorrows and joys of the pastor were at the same time the sorrows and
joys of the flock, and the sorrows and joys of the flock were also the sorrows
and joys of the pastor. If, fathers, brethren and sisters beloved in the
Lord, it is in general difficult for us to imitate fully the holy and pious
life of the early Christians, let us try to borrow from them if only this
trait, which is so precious to the Church.
May the peace of
Christ reign in our mutual relations: between me, your unworthy First
Hierarch, and you, my dear fellow archpastors, brethren and sisters in Christ.
Let mutual trust and love prevail between us. I will support you in your
every need, and you will do the same for me. And thus let us fulfill the
commandment of God Who loves us all, and Who said: "Love one
another" (John 13:34). Amen.
Your Eminences,
Your Graces, Reverend Fathers, brothers, sisters and children! 
