Joy to all who mourn

A year ago, Fr.’s earthly journey ended as a martyr. Pavel Adelgeim

On August 5, 2013, Fr. tragically died in Pskov. Pavel Adelgeim [ 1 ]. A monstrous accident, which no one could have predicted, ended the life of a Man who occupied a special place in the fate of many thousands of people. A year after the death of Fr. Paul was given to us in order to comprehend his earthly path and the depth of his spiritual heritage. Life may not be enough for this fully, but about the moral lessons of Fr. Paul can be thought and spoken about every day.

Not all great people who suffer the fate of sudden death are prepared for it. Father Paul could not know the hour of his death and did not expect death in the form in which it came to him, but - this became completely obvious in the very first days after what happened - he was ready for it.

This readiness became the result of his entire life, in which there were no internal moral contradictions. Fr. Paul lived as he preached, and preached as he lived.

Earthly path about. Paul almost daily passed through the resistance of the world around him - and it was the resistance of the world of evil - the world of lack of freedom, envy and money-grubbing. He made this journey without stopping and without fear. He chose this path himself. This was his conscious feat.

The earthly path of good service Fr. Paul from beginning to end walked through the desert of omnipotent, universal evil. But this evil turned out to be powerless before him. It could not find a single straw in him to cling to his soul and settle in it, could not embitter him and break his will, extinguish his love.

Father Paul was constantly in moral confrontation with people who had power, influence and material capabilities sufficient to stop almost any person.

But he passed all these obstacles with apparent ease, as if they had never existed at all. His conviction that he was right, fueled by his faith, gave him strength and made him fearless.

His integrity and consistency in defending his moral position created for him the image of an absolutely uncompromising person, not ready to make concessions.

The common belief is that none of those arguing has the truth, the truth is “somewhere in the middle.” Many calls for compromise are based on this crafty postulate, suggesting that truth is something between the positions of different people, and the search for truth consists in deviating from principles, in abandoning one’s position. In fact, the truth is where the person preaching the truth stands.

O. Pavel was just such a person. He proved this with his whole life and with his death.

That is why his word was so in demand by people - because only a sincere, unclouded, genuine word is valuable.

Over the past year, many hopelessly tragic events have occurred in our country and the world around us. It is impossible not to think what Fr. would say about them. Paul. In such terrible times, when people’s very ideas about good and evil are destroyed, people need the word of a preacher who explains what is happening and why, what and how to do. And what you should never do.

The moral and physical wounds inflicted on many, many people by new tragedies could be healed and pacified by the word of the Shepherd, which, to our universal regret, can no longer be heard.

And the official church, happily existing in the gilded embrace of power, unfortunately, did not say such a sought-after word to the suffering. The spiritual need remained unfulfilled.

It so happened that, following his own path, all his life Fr. Paul answered these tragic, often damned, often bloody questions for himself and people. And in his every word there was a call for goodness and peace.

His words did not reach people overwhelmed by evil; on the contrary, they enraged them, drove them into a frenzy. But these words reached every living person and settled in his heart, strengthening and encouraging people.

Next to him, people began to believe in their own strength, realized the necessity and feasibility of daily spiritual work, and came to an understanding of good and evil.

In the preaching of this spiritual work of man was the daily feat of Fr. Pavel.

The tragedy of his earthly death did not and could not stop his path to people, could not drown out his word.

Rather, on the contrary, this test was perceived by people as the sound of a bell, calling them to think about the purpose of human life.

Mourning Fr. Paul, people shared with each other the bright feeling of remembrance of him, the miracle and joy of spiritual communication with him.

One of the miraculous icons of the Mother of God revered in the Russian Orthodox Church is the icon “Joy of All Who Sorrow.” The icon depicts the Mother of God in the radiance of a mandorla (a special oblong shape of a halo), surrounded by people overwhelmed by illnesses and sorrows, and angels performing good deeds on her behalf. “To all those who mourn, Joy and those who are offended by the Intercessor, and those who are hungry for the Nourisher, the strange Consolation, those overwhelmed by Refuge, the sick Visitation, the weak Protection and Intercessor, the Rod of old age, the Mother of the Most Pure God, Thou art the Most Pure, we strive, we pray, to be saved by Thy servant” - this is how this Mother of God begins stichera.

This icon has a unique list dating back to the 19th century, the icon “Joy to All Who Sorrow with Pennies” - an icon that survived a fire in a chapel in 1888 (in St. Petersburg) with twelve copper coins stuck to the paint layer. In honor of this icon, a separate celebration was established - July 23, the day of the fire (August 5 in the 20th and 21st centuries). This icon has the glory of a healer.

It was on this special holiday that the death of Fr. Pavel.

This can be considered a coincidence, or it can be considered a prophecy.

Understanding the naturalness of the combination of grief and joy reconciles a person with loss and helps him live.

The joy of communicating with a spiritually strong person makes people strong and strengthens their spirit.

Many people have gained spiritual strength thanks to Fr. Pavel.

Father Paul was during his earthly life and remains now, after his tragic death, such a source of spiritual strength, capable of transmitting the life-giving preaching of goodness through the fires of sorrowful times.

The light and power of his words have not lost their power, because they contain truth and no lies.

We can teach him moral lessons every day.

And this joy heals our sorrow.

1. See: L. Shlosberg. Shepherd of philanthropy // “PG”, No. 30 (652) from August 7-13, 2013