Св. Сергій Радонезький. Об’єднувач. 2010.

“Love and unity will save us!”

“Life in Christ” of St. Sergius became an example of a spiritual search with high moral ideals. The idea of a “high life” consists in purifying oneself from low thoughts and passions, cultivating sincere love in oneself, in reconciliation, in striving to achieve unity with others, in awareness of the transience and impermanence of earthly glory and the eternity of heavenly blessings. In his monastic life, Serhiy of Radonezh called for a conscious rejection of temptations, the desire for power and wealth, and liberation from hatred. These worldly gifts are a great burden on the spiritual path. At the same time, the saint called to appreciate and respect the dignity that God has given to all people. This is the way to know the truth – the achievement of spiritual will.
Reverend Serhiy of Radonezh was most saddened by the discord of people. With all his strength, he united people around him: “With love and unity we will be saved!” – claimed the saint. At that time, the ascetic managed to unite Russia, to lay a single spiritual foundation. Thanks to the efforts of St. Sergius in the 14th century, unprecedented in the last hundred years of temple construction and the elevation of spirituality was realized.
Saint Serhiy of Radonezh went down in history as a spiritual unifier of the people under the spiritual aspiration of true service to Christ. He managed to reconcile the princes, called for the protection of the Motherland from the Horde. In 1380, before the Battle of Kulikiv, the monk blessed Dmitry Moskovsky and Volodymyr Serpukhovsky for the battle with the Tatars. The prayer of Saint Serhiy helped the army to win.
“Listen to yourself, brothers, I beg you all, first have the fear of God; oneness; mental and physical purity; love is not hypocritical; to the same love of strangeness; reconciliation with submission; fasting and prayer; eating and drinking in moderation; you do not love honor and glory; most often fear and remember the hour of death and the Second Coming of Christ”, – commanded the Venerable Serhiy of Radonezh.