August: Day 24: Teaching 1: Holy Hieromartyr Eutyches

August: Day 24: Teaching 1:
Holy Hieromartyr Eutyches
 
(On Gratitude and Ingratitude)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. The Holy Martyr Eutyches, commemorated today by the Holy Church, was a contemporary of the Apostles. He came from Sevastopol, or Sebastia, in Palestine. Having heard the preaching about Christ, he became a disciple of John the Theologian, zealously preached the gospel and eradicated paganism. Saint Eutyches had to endure many torments during his preaching: he was tormented by hunger, and his body was scraped with iron claws, and he was thrown into the fire and then cast to be eaten by wild beasts; but the Lord always preserved His Saint. One day they released a lion upon him, and the lion spoke with a human voice. Saint Eutyches died by being beheaded with a sword in his native city.

II. The life of Saint Eutyches, who encountered such gross ingratitude in life for preaching the word of God, prompts us, brethren, to talk with you about gratitude and ingratitude.

a) Gratitude is the most beautiful virtue. Gratitude is fully worthy of man as a rational being; it always immediately sees a benefit and evaluates it properly. Gratitude, in all fairness, attributes every benefit received not to any of its own merits, but to the love and compassion of the benefactor. Gratitude is always full of love for its benefactor, always ready to render him any service, and wherever it finds it appropriate, to praise its benefactor.

b) Gratitude is the most beautiful virtue; on the contrary, ingratitude is a vile vice. Ingratitude is rude and blind. It never fully sees or feels the benefit received. Ingratitude is always proud and self-loving. It always looks at the benefit shown to it as something deserved, something due. It does not consider itself obliged to its benefactor, does not like to meet with him, and sometimes even hates him. Ingratitude is like the death of a benefit; it stops the activity of the benefactor, arousing in his soul, instead of a feeling of love, annoyance and disgust towards those in need of a benefit. And this is why the Lord reproached the nine who were healed of leprosy for ingratitude: “Were not ten cleansed? And where are the nine? How was it that they were not found returning to give glory to God” (Luke 17:17-18).

III. Do not be sad, broethren, when you meet with dark ingratitude from people - this is not only your lot, but that of many! Of ten healed from leprosy, only one returned with gratitude even to our Lord; "and no servant is greater than his Master" (John 13:16).

Many are ungrateful! Ingratitude is vile and unnatural! Therefore, all of you examine yourselves, whether any of us are ungrateful. Do we also give thanks for what we have received and are still receiving from God?

Do we glorify Him, do we serve Him with joy? Do we make His most holy commandments the rule of our lives? Examine yourselves also: do you remember what you have received from your parents and benefactors? Do you bless their memory and pray for them? Test yourselves and do not be ungrateful, but be grateful!

 

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