What Does Complete Renunciation of the World Consist In?
March 23
(A word about a merchant who entered the monastic rank and was saved.)
By Archpriest Victor Guryev
March 23
(A word about a merchant who entered the monastic rank and was saved.)
By Archpriest Victor Guryev
I ask you, brethren, what must one do in order to renounce the world completely? What will you say to this? You will say: “One must go into monasticism.” That is true, brethren, I agree with you, but still, in my opinion, this alone is not enough; something more is required. What is it?
Once the Venerable Paphnutios prayed to God that He would show him to whom he was comparable. And the Lord revealed this to him. He heard a voice saying to him: “You are like a merchant seeking good pearls. Arise, then, do not be slothful, and you will find one like yourself.” Paphnutios left his cell and met a certain man from Alexandria, very rich and at the same time pious and merciful. This man conducted great trade with the Thebaid and had three ships transporting his goods. Everything that he gained from his trade he gave to the poor, and his servants followed him carrying food for them as well. Seeing this, Paphnutios exclaimed: “What does this mean, my friend?” The pious merchant replied: “These are the fruits of my trade, offered to God through the hands of the righteous.” Paphnutios said: “And when will you receive the monastic name?” “I will try to do so,” answered the merchant. Paphnutios continued: “How long will you carry on earthly trade and forget the heavenly? The latter is higher than the former. Leave all earthly things now and follow the Savior, and soon you will depart entirely to Him.” After this, the pious merchant gave all his possessions to the poor, keeping nothing for himself, went to the mountain where two monks had died before him, and there, shutting himself in a cave, he soon left his earthly body and became a citizen of heaven.
Thus, brethren, to renounce the world does not mean simply to enter monastic life; no, one must also renounce everything earthly in general, give oneself entirely to God, and be united with Him by fervent love, firm hope, and a blameless life — in a word, to become spiritual. One who has renounced the world is, so to speak, consumed by love for God and says to Him: “Who shall separate us from the love of God? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? But in all these things we more than conquer through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:35–39). This, then, is complete renunciation of the world. And the aforementioned pious man showed us an example of such self-denial. Without any objection to Paphnutius, he immediately, through the poor, gave away all his great wealth, forgot everything earthly, and shut himself in a cave, wholly, so to speak, entering into God.
Here, then, in conclusion, we have an excellent example to imitate. Let us follow it and remember that from God we have received everything; therefore everything, including even ourselves, we must give back to Him. And from this it is clear that we must live only for Him alone and for eternity, having renounced all earthly things. Amen.
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
