To conclude this booklet, we decided to write out some chords of melodies for songs of repentance and dedication. These melodies and keys are for those who have already learned some musical notation for parish choir singing of repentance. In the next parts, we plan to discuss these meanings-principles in more detail. Although, this can be seen more as a reminder (rather than topics for future discussions), since we have already talked a lot about this in parts I and II.
Let’s say a few words about the proclamation (we will talk about this in more detail in the next parts if we are in the II phase). The essence of the proclamation, which the Church performs, lies in preparing the proclaimed one for the Wedding with Christ, for baptism into the Church. Marriage is the mutual self-giving of the betrothed to each other and faithfulness forever. Christ (the Bridegroom) has already (even before the creation of the world!) given Himself to everyone; it remains to prepare the bride (each person) – the proclaimed one, who wants to become Christ’s. The Bridegroom (Christ) is not only the Most Beautiful, Most Desired, but also the Only Savior! Therefore, the bride who feels the need, the thirst for Him primarily as the Savior, will be given to Christ, and this will only happen when she realizes with her whole being that she is in hell, in the fiery Gehenna, that she is perishing, and cannot save herself – the Only Savior is the Lord Jesus Christ! Therefore, the Church, preparing those who desire to become Christians, primarily helps them to transform from “decent”, “normal” people into the greatest sinners, hellish beings who are heading into the abyss of hell! This result is achieved in the following process of proclamation.
First of all, the Church teaches the proclaimed not to sin – not to realize their sinful desires-passions in deeds (to release sinful energy – to satisfy sinful, passionate desires). (This is done under the careful guidance of the Church through fasting, prayers, vigils, etc.). The proclaimed no longer sins, which means that sins are driven “under the skin”, where they “become” (are) sin (in the proper sense of the word) and then the person feels (experiences with the whole being) their hellish state, realizes what sin is (to be without God, to be in hell). A person begins to see sin only when they stop sinning (externally, on the level of morality-behavior, satisfying their passions with sins – only then do they begin to feel the price-payment for sin – hellish torments). (Ascetically-pedagogically, the Fathers describe hellish posthumous torments – it is when a passionate desire cannot be satisfied: one wants to eat, but there is nothing to eat (only phantoms of food – and even those are absent), anger, envy, malice, lust… which cannot be satisfied, silenced, forgotten, etc.). The proclaimed sinner stops “sinning” (more precisely, tries not to sin) – manifesting symptoms of sin, continues to be a sinner, godless, then sin in the proclaimed becomes hell, the hellish torment of eternal perdition. Therefore, the Church proclaims the sinner (not with theoretical rational knowledge, but with life-asceticism): rationally teaching the proclaimed God’s commandments, the diligent observance of which will teach him total impotence, perdition. When sins are driven “under the skin”, then sins become sin, that is, all the rays of hellish “light” gather into one, and then it happens by analogy: scattered light-rays do not burn, but if you gather the rays of light into one with a lens (fasting, vigilance, prayers, ascetic feats – under the omophorion of the Church), then the previously gentle, harmless light begins to burn, scorch – begins to burn with fire… Thus, the Church teaches a person how, by observing God’s commandments, and not their own interpretations of God’s commandments, not to sin (in deeds, externally, not to manifest symptoms of sin), and in this process of not sinning (ascetic struggle to not sin) a person existentially (and not theoretically) realizes the hell of sin (“Keep your mind in hell”), and desires salvation from hell! And the Church with the words: “but do not despair!” gives the hellish sinner (who does not sin!!! Even in thoughts!!! Even in mental energy!!!) – Christ, the Savior! Then a person, in desperate self-denial, entrusts, gives himself to Christ, entering into Marriage with Him, is baptized into the Church – begins to be begotten by God, receives the seed of the Holy Spirit in a humble and contrite heart. Only then does Christianity begin, the reception of the Holy Spirit, the anointing by the Holy Spirit, only then does a person stop sinning and live Divinely by grace! Humility – the state of realizing one’s own hell (being in it) – is a necessary condition for Marriage with Christ, begetting by God the Holy Spirit.
Therefore, the Church, proclaiming, does not read a course of lectures (scholastic!) on dogmatic theology, does not tell a theory (so that the proclaimed ones know something rational!?), – but helps to enter into a state of experiencing perdition, desperate thirst for salvation (complete loss of hope in one’s own strength and wisdom (which in God’s eyes is folly!), to be saved, healed, not to mention to become happy!). Therefore, the Church says to the proclaimed, not allowing him to be baptized, not incorporating him into the Body of Christ, and leaving him for another year or two (as long as necessary to enter the proper state for baptism for the forgiveness of sins, for the healing of soul and body, and not for judgment and condemnation!!!) to be proclaimed (for some of the proclaimed the Church baptizes, and others continue to be proclaimed): you are not yet ready to enter into Marriage with Christ – you still love more than Christ: wife, husband, children, parents, homeland, nation, earth; you still do not feel your own perdition, therefore you cannot accept Salvation; you are not yet ready to fully, completely (even to death for the Truth-Christ) give yourself, trust in God, renounce this world (the house in which you live, the family in which you live – pagans and pagan), die to this world, rise for life in the Kingdom of God, enter, move to live in the House of God – the Church – the Parish-Eucharist.