Lives of the Saints
1. HOLY PROPHET NAHUM
Nahum was from the tribe of Simeon, from the place of Elkesem beyond the Jordan. He lived seven hundred years before Christ. Two hundred years after the Prophet Jonah, he prophesied the destruction of Nineveh. Because of Jonah's preaching the Ninevites had repented, wherefore God spared them and did not destroy them. But in time they forgot God's mercy and became corrupt again. The Prophet Nahum prophesied their destruction. And since there was no repentance, there was no mercy either. From earthquake, flood, and fire the whole city perished, so that its very place could no longer be recognized. Holy Nahum lived forty-five years and reposed in the Lord, leaving a small book of his true prophecies.
2. SAINT PHILARET THE MERCIFUL
Philaret was from the village of Amnia in Paphlagonia. At first Philaret was a very wealthy man, but distributing much alms to the poor, he became utterly impoverished. But he did not fear poverty; rather with hope in God, who said: Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy (Matt. 5:7), he continued works of mercy without regard to the displeasure of his wife and children. Once while he was plowing, a man came to him and complained that his ox had died in the yoke, so he could not plow with one ox alone. Philaret unharnessed one of his oxen and gave it to him. He gave his last horse also to someone who was called to go to war with a horse. He gave the calf from his last cow, and when he noticed that the cow was lowing for the separated calf, and the calf for the cow, he called the man back and with the calf gave him the cow as well. And aged Philaret remained without food in an empty house. But he prayed to God and hoped in God. And God did not leave the righteous man to be put to shame in his hope. At that time Empress Irene reigned with her young son Constantine. According to the custom of that time, the empress sent people to seek throughout the whole empire the best and most distinguished maiden, with whom she would marry the emperor's son. By God's providence these people stopped for lodging at Philaret's house, saw his granddaughter Maria, daughter of his daughter Hypatia, beautiful and gentle granddaughter Maria, and took her to Constantinople. The emperor was pleased with the maiden and married her, and Philaret and all his family were moved to the capital and he was given great honor and wealth. But Philaret was not made proud by such sudden fortune; rather, grateful to God, he now continued to do good works even more than before. And he did them thus until his very death. In his ninetieth year he called his children, blessed them and taught them to hold to God and God's law, and with prophetic spirit, like the patriarch Jacob of old, he prophesied to each of them how they would live out this age. Then he lay down in the Rodolphius monastery and gave up his soul to God. Before death his face shone like the sun, and after death an extraordinary fragrant smell came from him, and there were miracles from his relics. This righteous man of God reposed in 797. His wife Theozva as well as all his children and grandchildren lived in a God-pleasing manner and reposed in the Lord.
“Aged Philaret remained without food in an empty house. But he prayed to God and hoped in God. And God did not leave the righteous man to be put to shame in his hope.”
Hymn of Praise
God shows mercy to the merciful,
And never ceases to show mercy,
He hears their prayers,
He gives them gifts a hundredfold.
Philaret the Merciful
Gave himself wholly to God's hand.
He amazed the world with mercy,
Faithful to God even in suffering.
Philaret did not contend
For honor and primacy,
This age is the purchase
Of eternal kingdom and blessedness.
The Lord spoke a wondrous word:
You trade until I return!
At a time opportune
I will pay you with much treasure.
When Philaret became impoverished
Because of excessive almsgiving,
Because of truth and goodness —
God visited him from on high.
Visited him, showed mercy,
Showed mercy and rewarded,
As once faithful Job.
Showed mercy and rewarded.
Reflection
Virtue is like thirst. When a person begins to drink it, he thirsts all the more, and seeks all the more often to drink it. He who begins to practice the virtue of mercy knows no measure in it, nor acknowledges any measure. Saint Philaret was no less merciful in poverty than in wealth. When his granddaughter became empress, he again became a wealthy man, but no less merciful. One day he told his wife and children to prepare the best feast they could, saying: "Let us entreat our King and Lord, with all His nobles, to come to the banquet." Everyone thought that the old man intended to invite his son-in-law the emperor to dinner, and they labored as best they could and prepared the feast. Meanwhile Philaret went through the streets and gathered all the wretched, beggars, blind, lepers, lame, infirm, and brought them to the feast. Having seated them at table, he ordered his wife and sons to serve around the table. After the feast was finished, he gave each guest a gold coin in hand and sent them away. Then all understood that by the King he meant the Lord Christ Himself, and by His nobles the beggars and the needy. He also used to say that one should not look at the money being given to a beggar, but should mix up the money, and whatever the hand itself draws from the pocket, that should be given. And the hand will draw out what God's Providence has ordained.
“Virtue is like thirst. When a person begins to drink it, he thirsts all the more, and seeks all the more often to drink it.”
Contemplation
Contemplate the sinful fall of Adam and Eve, namely:
1. How Eve, when she sinned, did not repent but hastened to make her husband also a participant in her sin;
2. How Adam, when he sinned, did not repent but justified himself by accusing the woman before God;
3. How even today many sinners seek participants in their sin and justify themselves by accusing others.
Homily
on the creation of the world
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth (Gen. 1:1)
This is God's answer through the mouth of the prophet, brethren, an answer to the thirsting question of all of us: whence this world? God hears this our question, spoken or unspoken, hears and gives answer. As He gives rain to the dry earth; as He gives health to the sick, as He gives bread and clothing to every body, so He gives to our spirit the answer to the question that creates in it hunger and thirst and pain and nakedness, until it is fed and watered and healed and clothed with the true answer. Whence, then, is this world? That is the question. In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. That is the answer. This world is not of itself, just as nothing in the world is by itself; nor is this world from an evil power; nor is this world from many creators, good and evil; but it is from the one good God. This answer arouses joy in the heart of every person and moves to good deeds. And by this we know, among other things, that this is the only right and true answer. Every other answer, contrary to this one, arouses in us sorrow and fear and moves to evil deeds, by which we know, among other things, that every such answer is false. The world is from God, brethren, let us rejoice and be glad! The world is of divine origin, and consequently will have a divine ending also. The world is from a good root, and consequently will bear good fruit also. It came forth from a bright chamber, and will end again in brightness. When we know that the beginning is from good, then we know that the goal also is toward good, and the ending - good. Behold, in these words about the beginning is already hidden the prophecy about the ending. As the beginning, so the ending. From Whom the beginning, in Him also the ending. Let us hold, therefore, this saving truth, that we may have bright hope and be strengthened by love toward Him who created us out of love.
O Lord God Creator and Almighty, only God, only Creator, good fountain of goodness, we bow down to Thee and pray to Thee, direct us to a good end by Thy Holy Spirit, through the Lord Jesus Christ. To Thee be glory and praise forever. Amen.
“The world is from God, brethren, let us rejoice and be glad!”