August: Day 21: Teaching 2: Venerable Abramius of Smolensk

 

August: Day 21: Teaching 2:
Venerable Abramius of Smolensk
 
(About Envy)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. The Venerable Abramius, the Wonderworker of Smolensk, whose memory is celebrated today, was born in Smolensk. In his youth he avoided children's games, loving more to visit the temple of God. And when he came of age, he refused to marry, because he was more inclined to the monastic life. 

His parents soon died. Abramius distributed their property to churches and the poor, and he himself began to wear the poorest clothes, and prayed to God to show him the path to salvation. Having then become a monk, he loved spiritual reading and zealously read the Lives of the Saints, especially the works of the Holy Fathers: Chrysostom, Ephraim the Syrian and others. "Earthly life," he said, "is a war, and for war weapons are needed, experienced knowledge is needed: so for spiritual warfare one must learn a lot from experienced holy men; one must learn from them what spiritual weapons are useful in what case; from them we can also get to know our enemies well.” 

Having been ordained to the priesthood, from the day of his ordination until his death he voluntarily did not miss a single day without performing the Divine Liturgy. For a long time nothing disturbed the peace of the soul of the ascetic of Christ. Finally, he was subjected to human envy, from which he had to suffer much and for a long time. 

The abbot of the monastery entrusted him with the position of spiritual father - both clergy and laymen began to come to him to listen to his divinely-wise instructions in the spiritual life. Entire crowds of people gathered to him. This was the reason for the persecution to which he was subjected by envious people. Evil people brought up various slanders against the Saint and did him various unpleasant things, armed the abbot of the monastery himself against him, and achieved the fact that he forbade him to converse with the people. The Saint was forced to retire to Smolensk - to the poor Monastery of the Holy Cross. The people here also found their him and began to gather in crowds to listen to his good instructions. The monastery began to grow rich. The instructions of the Saint had a strong effect on the hearts of his listeners, especially because his life corresponded to them. 

And he led an unusually strict life, his fast was extreme, not only did he never taste wine, but he even drank water in moderation - that is why his face was pale and his body unusually dry. His clothes were, as in his secular rank, the most meager and shabby. The enemy of the human race could not bear all this, so he rose up against him through envious people. Many of the laity and clergy envied the glory of the Saint and began to spread rumors that Abramius was preaching a heretical teaching and seducing young people into his false teaching, living impurely, covering up dark deeds with external holiness. Such rumors reached the bishop. The whole city was in an uproar, everyone began to deliberate on how to punish Abramius. Some advised to send him into exile, others said to burn him at the stake, others said that Abramius should be led around the city with beatings and then drowned in the river. Finally, a court of clergy was established over Abramius at the bishop's court. They sent for the accused. Abramius was praying at that time.

They led him to the bishop with abuse and dishonor. Abramius was silent and prayed the entire way. He appeared calmly for trial. At that time, a monk named Luke, who was performing the ninth hour of prayer in his cell, heard a voice about Abramius, that he was being innocently led to trial. Luke hurried to the court, and decided to defend the monk, but they did not listen to him. Although not a single slander, not a single denunciation against him was justified, nevertheless, for the general peace of mind, the monk was condemned - he was forbidden to perform divine services and converse with the people. 

But the Lord Himself stood up for the defenseless man and admonished his slanderers: drought and lack of rain appeared. Prayers were offered in vain, nothing helped. Some of the accusers of the Venerable Abramius fell ill, others were struck by sudden death. The Saint himself bore everything without complaint and submitted his case to the judgment of God. “God is their judge,” he said of his enemies. The bishop also recognized his sin. He now summoned all the abbots and priests of the city and strictly forbade them to insult Abramius in any way. Finally, he summoned Abramius himself, repented before him of his wrongful condemnation, allowed him to perform the sacred rites and asked for his prayers for the city, so that the drought and lack of water would cease. The Saint humbly asked for the prayers of the bishop himself. 

Finally, he retired to his cell and devoted himself to fervent prayer. The Lord heeded his prayer – suddenly there came a heavy rain, and the drought ended. After this, everyone was convinced of the power of the righteous man's prayers, of his sincere piety, and began to highly respect Him. Bishop Ignatius made Abramius the abbot of the newly built monastery in honor of the Placing of the Robe of the Mother of God. Venerable Abramius labored in monasticism for 50 years and after a short illness peacefully gave up his soul to God in 1220. His relics were hidden during the Polish invasion, but where remains unknown.

II. From the life of Venerable Abramius we see that he suffered persecution from envious people almost throughout his entire life.

Brethren! If you notice in yourself even just one tendency to envy, do not allow this passion to grow stronger and take root in you. Think what a great sin it is to envy others.

a) He who envies another clearly shows that he would not like to see this person happy and prosperous. But not to wish good to one's neighbor, not to help him achieve his well-being - this is the height of impiety. How can such a person say about himself that he loves his neighbor? No, he does not love his neighbor, but himself, he wishes happiness only for himself, he is capable of rejoicing for himself alone. "But he who does not love abides in death," says the Apostle.

b) What else does the envious person reveal? He reveals dissatisfaction with his own condition. He who is completely satisfied with what he has will not, and has no need to, envy another - therefore, the envious person shows that he is ungrateful to God for what He has rewarded him with, that he deserves not what he has, but much more, as if God is unjust and does not reward everyone fairly. Thus, envy reveals two more great vices in a person: terrible ingratitude to God and mad pride. But one has only to recall the fate of the proud and ungrateful Jewish people to understand what great sins ingratitude to God and pride are.

c) And how envy harms us in our own well-being!

It deprives one of peace of mind, tranquility and joy of heart.

It makes a healthy person sick, and unhappy in happiness. It dries up the body, distorts the kindness of the face, makes the look evil.

It sows unrest, discontent. It completely upsets good relations even between close relatives, it often completely separates people who were in the closest relations. And so those who should be guided by the spirit of love live in evil.

Moreover, envy can lead to murder. Let us remember Cain, Saul, Daniel's ill-wishers. And now how many families are upset by envy, how much harm is done to one's neighbor!

d) Let us recall, brethren, the advice of Saint Basil the Great on how to overcome envy – this greatest abomination of our hearts. "If you perceive with an exalted mind beyond what is human," says the great teacher of faith and piety, "you will not regard anything earthly as great or extraordinary: neither what people call wealth, nor withering fame, nor bodily health. If you do not place your goods in transitory things, but instead direct your gaze to the truly beautiful and commendable, to the pursuit of eternal and genuine blessings, then you will be far from deeming anything earthly and perishable worthy of praise or competition. And who is such a person, who is not daunted by worldly grandeur, to him envy can never draw near."

III. Lord! By the prayers of the Venerable Abramius, root out envy in us, plant love in us, grant us weeping for our sins, that we may be saved by this weeping from the useless, inconsolable weeping that awaits the envious and all unrepentant sinners in the next life.  

 

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