May: Day 12: Teaching 1: Saint Epiphanios, Archbishop of Cyprus

May: Day 12: Teaching 1:
Saint Epiphanios, Archbishop of Cyprus
 
(What is the Easiest Way to Convert Unbelievers to Christ?)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. Saint Epiphanios, Archbishop of Cyprus, who is celebrated today, had Jewish parents and was brought up in the Jewish faith. Once, when he was a youth, he met on the road a monk named Lucian, who was engaged in copying books, selling them and keeping part of the proceeds for himself and distributing the rest to the poor. And so Epiphanios saw a beggar approaching Lucian, throwing himself at his feet and crying out: “Have mercy on me, Man of God! Give me something, for I have not eaten bread for three days and have become completely weak.” Lucian takes off his clothes, gives them to the beggar and says: “Go to the city, sell them and buy yourself some bread.” This act of the pious monk so touched Epiphanios that he fell on his knees before him and declared to Lucian that he wanted to become a Christian. Then he invited Lucian to his home, showed him his property and again began to beg him to make him a Christian. After Lucian left, Epiphanios persuaded his sister to accept Holy Baptism, and both of them, seeing Lucian again, already with tears asked to be quickly illuminated by the Christian faith. Lucian taught them the truths of the Christian faith and then brought them to the Bishop, who granted them Holy Baptism. Then Epiphanios distributed his property to the poor and took upon himself the monastic life.

II. a) Brethren! If we want the unbelievers living among us to know Jesus Christ and turn to Him, then it is best to convert them to the faith of Christ not only by word but also by deed, for examples act more powerfully than instructions in words. Words touch and convince, but examples captivate. And what is heard, as a rule, does not act on a person as strongly as what is seen. Therefore, let us try to be an example of honesty and piety for unbelievers; let our actions and life serve, so to speak, as a model for the unfortunate, ignorant of Christ, our brothers. Let us live so that our life will be a light for them, so that our piety and virtues will always serve as a living lesson for them, will be grafted on them and multiply in them. And if we achieve the latter, if they accept and assimilate our piety and virtues and find comfort and joy in good deeds, then we can hope that they will treat our words with respect and listen to our teaching about the true and Orthodox faith and, with the help of God's grace, they themselves will become Christians.

b) Let us cite here the following very edifying story about the power of example. An unbeliever and a denier of everything sacred was once walking in the morning from his home. It was in winter after a snowstorm, when the street was covered with snow, and it was necessary to work hard with your feet to clear a path. Suddenly he notices that his nine-year-old son, despite the deep snow, is following him. “What are you doing,” cried the father, “you cannot follow me today.” But the boy answered cheerfully and lively: “I put my foot exactly in your tracks and it is easy for me to walk.” The child did not even suspect that with these words he caused a whole storm in his father’s chest. “What if this child follows exactly in my tracks,” thought the father, “where will my tracks lead him, if he follows me as he did today, and where will both of us end up with my son?” From such thoughts the father began to tremble, whereas before he had never felt anxiety for his soul and his course of action. These restless hours ended with the father being able to say to his son: “Follow me, because I follow Christ.”

c) When doing good, let us not display our good deeds to the world. "They will say: how then will the word of Christ be fulfilled: 'Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven' (Matt. 5:16)? Do not worry: the word of Christ will be fulfilled by itself and will not require your help. It was said: 'Let your light so shine,' by itself, naturally, as every light shines; but it was not said to display your light. Good deeds are deeds of light by nature: do them secretly, - the light will shine when and as much as God and the Giver of Light commands. The trouble is if you do dark, evil deeds: from these, of course, there is not and will not be light, and God will not be glorified by them” (Philaret, Metropolitan of Moscow).

III. Through the prayers of Saint Epiphanios, may the Lord grant us gracious help to teach our neighbors not only by word, but also by living example of a pious life, so that we may be deemed worthy, along with all the saints, of the blessings of eternal life. 

Source: A Complete Annual Cycle of Short Teachings, Composed for Each Day of the Year. Translated by John Sanidopoulos.