Our earthly friendship with the servant of God reader Leonid is drawing to a close. In these last days we have made especially prayerful efforts for him, celebrating the appointed funeral services, reading from the Psalter over his coffin - in token of our love and gratitude for the diligence with which he served Christ, the Church, and all of us.
I had the honor of closely working with him for over 20 years, and had contact with him almost daily.
Through his amazing diligence, the newly-translated reader Leonid presented us with a clear example of service. The Apostle Paul tells us to remember your instructors, and contemplating the ends of their lives, to emulate their faith. It is not only bishops and priests or others of clerical rank who are instructors. Our instructors may well be the most humble brothers and sisters in Christ, ones we barely notice. A person who does not even attract our attention may be a much brighter and accomplished instructor than for example a clergyman capable of composing a theological essay to clarify some aspect of church life, or one who from the height of the Church ambo speaks at length and beautifully, but whose words remain unbuttressed by concrete acts of love. Such words become a mere tinkling cymbal, an empty sound.
Reader Leonid was a true instructor for us, for his life was a righteous one. ....
During the past two weeks the Lord has visited us twice, and has called out of our midst and into the place of the righteous, two remarkable people, so that we might reflect on the meaning of life and death. And what is the meaning of life? Reader Leonid gave the best answer by the example of his life. The single aspect of his life which set him apart can be expressed in two words: devoted service. To the very end, he was devoted to Christ, to His church, and to people. Reader Leonid could have spent his final years in a carefree retirement as do so many retirees. He could have chosen to drive a luxurious automobile, and to dress stylishly. However, he never coddled himself, but rather devoted all of his time, energy and resources to serving his Church and his neighbor.
We believe that because Leonid fulfilled in such a remarkable manner the greatest biblical commandment: to love God and his neighbor, when our brother stands before the throne of the Almighty, he will hear from Him those sweetest of words “Enter into the joy of thy Lord… for I was hungered, and ye gave me meat, I was thirsty, and ye gave Me drink; I was a stranger, and you took Me in; naked, and ye clothed me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came unto Me.” (Matthew 25:35-36). He always hurried to do good. He made part of him the fact that the material goods under his control belonged not to him but to the Lord, and that as a servant of God he was called to use those earthly gifts to serve Christ in those “little ones;” we Christians are called to see in each of our neighbors, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.
Each month he and his wife contributed hundreds of dollars to feed and support the needy. Did you know of this? Probably not, for it was never advertised. His generosity was simple and natural. He did not look for thanks. Lyonya loved to pronounce that truth of which the late rector of our parish, Archimandrite Nicholas repeatedly reminded us: “The hand of the giver will not remain empty.”
I think that you all understand this, for many of you, accustomed as you are to being dressed in black to say goodbye to your neighbors, have come today dressed in white. It would be entirely inappropriate to be in black, for we are present at the mystery of translation into a new existence, at a new birth - from temporal life to life eternal.
Leonid came into our Russian Orthodox community from an entirely different cultural milieu. And how he changed here! He was transfigured, he became a new person! This was made possible by God’s grace and by the love of his wife, who imposed one condition upon their marriage: If you want to be my husband, you must take upon yourself the cross of service.
Reader Leonid loved and treasured church services with all his being. Whenever he read or sang, he was so delighted that he literally rose up on tip-toe; he seemed to be almost walking on air, like a delighted child who had just received a gift. He did not spend his time as many of us do - before the TV, killing time with empty TV shows. He spend his spare time preparing for services. He expressed one of his greatest sorrows in rhetorical questions: “Why do people not attend the Vigil? They do not know what they are missing! Do they not recognize what Orthodox worship can give them? Why do they not make use of this treasure?
He understood and utilized it…
Lyonya often said, “I am your dear treasurer.” In meetings with other priests, I would often brag about Lyonya, and would say that in our Washington parish there serves a treasurer through the grace of God, one who is outstanding, is of crystal-clear purity and honesty; one could not find a better treasurer at any price. Those who work with me in the parish - clergymen and members of the parish council - would not permit me to misspeak falsely; they would confirm the accuracy of my words.
With what care did he prepare his financial reports! Each Sunday he worked to the absolute limit of his strength to clean up the church; he had every right to go home and relax. However, he did not do so. Upon coming home, he would sit down before his computer, would count the collected money, and would get all in order so that he might deposit everything in the **** by Monday or Tuesday. He acted so responsibly in fulfilling his obedience as a treasurer because he understood that the funds contributed by the faithful belonged to God.
He does not need any of the kind words and praises which I have addressed to him, and they will in no wise alter his eternal fate. Rather it is we who need the glorious details of his biography.
Remembering the life and death of our brother Leonid and the young innocent sufferer Andrew, let us make an effort to see that their life and death should become for us the Triumph of Orthodoxy, a feast of our faith, hope, and love. Let us remember and let us emulate their qualities and become better people. Instead of spending our Saturday nights at the movies or wasting time before the TV. Let us remember Lyonya’s sadness over the fact that parishioners do not value or attend the vigil; let us hurry into the temple of God. Perhaps here in church, illuminated by the lamps which our brother Leonid prepared with such loving care, our hearts will be touched by the grace of God, just as that grace once touched his heart, and that we will be inspired to seve the Church of Christ as it so inspired him to do. Amen.