Second Sunday of Pentecost: Every Good Deed is Supported by God Himself and His Saints

Second Sunday of Pentecost

Every Good Deed is Supported by God Himself and His Saints

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

"Without God,  you can't get anywhere" – says an old proverb. Indeed, what can we, the weak, accomplish without the help of the Creator, the Almighty and the Providence of God?! He is our Creator, who has given us breath and life; He is our Providence, who cares for all that we need in life, particularly for that which leads us to salvation. "If the Lord does not build the house, in vain do its builders labor," as it is written in the word of God (Psalm 126:1). 

Once the Apostles of Christ fished all night, but there was no catch. The Divine Teacher came to them and ordered them to cast the net... And in an hour, or even less, the catch was so great that the Apostles could hardly pull the net out, and the boat even began to sink from the multitude of fish. What did such a successful catch depend on? On the blessing of God. "We have worked all night and caught nothing," the Apostles said to the Savior. Everyone works, they work with zeal, but everyone complains that their work is in vain. Why is this? Because their work was undertaken without God's blessing.

The Lord God loves every good undertaking and, if you turn to Him with prayer, He supports this intention. Let us turn to an example from the life of Saint Peter, Metropolitan of Moscow.

The Saint was from Volhynia. At the age of seven he was sent to study books; but no matter how hard the young student tried, there was no success. This greatly saddened him and his parents. The boy began to pray fervently to God, asking for the gift of wisdom. And then one day in a dream Peter saw a man in the robes of a bishop, who, standing near him, said: "Child, open your mouth!" The boy did as he was told. The man touched his tongue and, blessing him, seemed to pour some sweetness into his lips. From then on, young Peter began to succeed in his studies more than his peers. Having entered the monastic order at the age of twenty and having completed all the obediences, he became the Metropolitan of Moscow. He founded the Dormition Cathedral, where his relics, from which many healings occur, still rest incorruptibly.

Is it not clear to you now that God favors good intentions?

The Saints of God, being imitators of God's love for mankind, also provide their support to all who seek good knowledge and turn to them for help. It is known that many parents and children resort to the Holy Unmercenaries and Wonderworkers Kosmas and Damian before the beginning of studies and exams. And their prayer and hope for the help of the Holy Unmercenaries are not in vain. On this subject, the following was told in one spiritual journal:

In 1905, former justice of the peace N. Babin was ordained a deacon in Perm. After the Liturgy, the newly ordained man spoke about what prompted him to make the transition from secular to clerical rank: “I was born sick and often lay close to death, but thanks to the prayers of my father, a priest, and frequent communion of the Holy Mysteries, I was healed. The weakness after the illness was, however, so great that they began to teach me only in my tenth year; and, despite my efforts and diligence, I studied poorly. Tormented by the awareness of my inability, I complained to my father, and he told me to pray to the Holy Unmercenaries Kosmas and Damian, who received healings for free and give them for free. Having listened to my father's instructions and having learned that in a nearby village there was a church in honor of the Saints of God, Kosmas and Damian, of my own desire and zeal I made about five journeys there, seventeen miles away, on foot, and with warm child-like prayer I lit candles, served prayers, and earnestly asked the Saints to grant me the ability to study. And lo and behold - O the miracle! - soon, having entered the theological school, I, to the surprise of myself, my parents and friends, began to study quickly, caught up with my fellow students, and moved into the second grade as the second student, and into the third as the first. I brilliantly completed the courses at the seminary and passed the university with flying colors."

So, Christians, our prayer to God and His saints before the beginning of every good deed is not in vain! Therefore, always turn to God with prayer beforehand, and He will bless the good undertaking.

For example, if you decide to send your son or daughter to school, first of all pray to God that He will give them wisdom and strength to continue their studies for the benefit of the Church and the Fatherland. If you intend to build a house, again turn to God, the helper in all our affairs. If you want to open some kind of commercial business, also turn to God, Who loves honest and good merchants, and He will help you in a good enterprise. If you decide to marry your son or give your daughter in marriage, again pray to God: He is the support of every honorable marriage. In general, in every good deed or intention, God protects us. It is not without reason that our all-caring Mother, the Holy Church, has provided for all these cases. Listen to the voice of the Holy Church and know that good intentions are protected by God Himself and His saints! 

 

Source: From the book The Simple Gospel Word: Stories and Reflections from the Gospel Readings on Sundays and Feasts, 1890. Translated by John Sanidopoulos.