June: Day 4: Teaching 2:
Venerable Zosimas of Cilicia
(Murder is a Grave Sin)
By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko
Venerable Zosimas of Cilicia
(Murder is a Grave Sin)
By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko
I. Venerable Zosimas (6th century), whose memory is celebrated today, was born in Cilicia (a region of Asia Minor). While still a youth, he left the world, went to Mount Sinai and, having accepted monasticism, led a strictly ascetic life. Soon Zosimas wished to retire to a more secluded place and went to the Libyan desert, where he lived for several years in complete solitude, then returned to Mount Sinai.
One day a robber came to the Sinai Monastery and asked Venerable Zosimas to accept him as a monk.
“I have committed many murders,” said the robber, “but now I want to leave my evil deeds and spend the rest of my life in repentance for my sins.” Zosimas fulfilled the robber’s request and tonsured him as a monk. After ten years, he began to ask to leave the monastery and go into the world. When Zosimas asked him with regret why he wanted to leave the monastery, the monk answered: “I lived in the monastery for ten years, trying to fulfill, to the best of my ability, the monastery rules; I hope that the merciful Lord God will forgive the multitude of my sins. But I constantly see before me the child I once killed and I hear his voice saying to me: why did you kill me? This vision does not leave me, wherever I am; in my cell, in church, and at the table. Therefore, I decided to go to where I used to commit robbery; let them take me there and bring me to trial for the murder of this child.” The monk did just that: putting on his former clothes, he went to the nearest city, where he was recognized, tried and executed. In this way he washed away his former sins with his blood.
II. From this story, learn, brethren, that murder is the most serious sin and the most terrible crime, contrary to human feeling and common sense.
a) Life is given to man by God Himself. How can one deprive man of this gift from God? Our own life is dear to us out of a sense of self-preservation – we must value the lives of others as well. No matter how poor any of us may be – despite all his poverty, he still wants to live and maintain his health. The one who decides to take the life of himself or others should be called a degenerate – not a man. For such a one there is nothing sacred, such a one has completely spoiled himself physically and morally – drowned in sin and evil, stifled within himself the holy voice of conscience and sincere repentance. A murderer, taking the life of others, acts contrary to his nature, which is repugnant to killing a being equal to himself. He does not fear God, Who desires each of us to live – He desires eternal life and salvation for us.
b) A murderer suffers the most severe punishment for his crimes even here on earth. Do you know what an unhappy fate Cain, the murderer of his brother Abel, subjected himself to? He found no peace in his parental home, went to another land, and there suffered for his crime to the end of his life; thus God Himself condemned him, placing the terrible mark of a murderer on his forehead, and condemned all the descendants of Cain to a wandering, vagabond life. The same thing happens with all murderers. Life here is pure torment for them, they find no peace either day or night, and in the future life eternal torment awaits them, for it is said that “those who commit murder shall not inherit the kingdom of God” (Gal. 5:21); they, that is, the murderers, “have a portion in the lake of fire” (Rev. 20:8).
III. You see, beloved listeners in Christ, how terrible murder is and what a grave sin it is before God! Try not only to avoid this sin, but be afraid even to think about committing it. Amen.
Source: A Complete Annual Cycle of Short Teachings, Composed for Each Day of the Year. Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
