August: Day 3: Venerable Anthony the Roman

August: Day 3:
Venerable Anthony the Roman
 
(On Trust in God's Providence)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. The Venerable Anthony the Roman, the Wonderworker of Novgorod, whose memory is celebrated today, was born in Rome of pious parents who belonged to the Eastern Orthodox Church. At that time the division of the Churches into Eastern and Western had already taken place, and in Rome they persecuted those who deviated from the Western Church; therefore, Anthony's parents hid their true faith. After their death, Anthony distributed part of his property to the poor, and with the rest he bought church vessels and other things, put everything in a barrel and threw it into the sea; and he himself withdrew into the desert, being 18 years old. He asked the monks he met to tonsure him and lived for about 20 years in one of the monasteries. Then he went to the sea and settled on a rock, but in the year 1106, on the 5th day of September, a storm arose, which tore his rock from the shore and carried the stone block across the sea. The stone, by the arrangement of God's Providence, did not sink, floated on the waters and finally reached Novgorod. At first, Anthony, not knowing the Slavic language, could not understand where he had arrived, but in Novgorod there were people who knew both Latin and Greek; they explained everything to him. At that time, Mstislav, the son of Vladimir Monomakh, reigned in Novgorod. The Saint Nikitas of Novgorod gave Anthony the village where he landed and built him a wooden church. Anthony subsequently founded a monastery here and was its first abbot. The church vessels that were cast into the sea in a barrel miraculously arrived in Novgorod.

"Having left Old Rome, your fatherland, you ascended the rock as if on a light ship, and on it, beyond nature, as if incorporeal on the waters, you walked. Guided by the providence of Divine Reason, you reached the great Novgorod and having established a monastery in it, you offered your body therein as a sanctified gift. Therefore we beseech you, Father Anthony, pray to Christ God that He may save our souls." (Troparion)

II. In the life of Venerable Anthony the Roman, one cannot help but see, brethren, the obvious ways of God's Providence, which protects the life of man amidst the raging waves of the sea and safely preserves treasures thrown into the sea. Knowing that the unsleeping Providence of God is vigilant over us, we must trust in it with childlike faith and heartfelt love.

Be firmly convinced of this truth, be established with all your heart and all your mind in this joyful belief that in all cases and circumstances of life you are under the all-wise and all-good supervision and care of the loving Father, the Lord of heaven and earth; that everything necessary for our life is given to us by His generous right hand, that all our happiness, both temporary and eternal, depends on His fatherly blessing, and all misfortune and destruction on His wrath.

a) Indeed, if the all-good providence of the Heavenly Father extends to all creations great and small, then can He abandon and despise man, on whom He has imprinted His divine image, for whose salvation He did not spare His only-begotten Son? "Look," says the Lord, “at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. How much more you, O ye of little faith! Look also at the lilies of the field, how do they grow? They neither toil nor spin; yet even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. And if God so clothes the grass of the field, which grows today, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, how much more you, O ye of little faith! Who then of you, by worry, can add one cubit to his age?” (Matt. 6:26–30). Who among the wisest and most insightful people can foresee and anticipate what awaits them in the coming day, or promise themselves the continuation of life and health for even one more hour? Who among the most caring and considerate can secure their life against any misfortune and sorrow, against all evil and disaster? Who among the most skilled and knowledgeable, sowing their seeds upon the ground, can be sure in advance that what is sown will yield them an abundant harvest? Who among the most diligent and prudent can be certain that the benefits they acquire will serve them well for many years to come? All this is within God's will; everything depends on His favor or anger. Remove God's blessing from the earth, and it will become barren beneath our feet, not yielding a single green sprout by itself. Remove God's blessing from a person, from their life and strength, from their deeds and labors, and no skill will extend their life by even a moment.

b) For this reason, our holy faith teaches us to rely not solely on our own understanding and strength, but on the all-encompassing wisdom and almighty power of God; not on earthly treasures, but on the unforeseen treasure of God's goodness and mercy, not on "princes and the sons of men, in whom there is no salvation, but on the living and true God;" so that we may expect everything not solely from our own labors, cares, and concerns, but from the goodness and mercy of our Heavenly Father, who knows all our needs and provides us with everything necessary even before we ask. No matter how happy and prosperous you may be in all aspects, remember, beloved, that all that you have, which you enjoy and find solace in throughout life, is not truly yours; everything is granted to you from above by the Father of Lights, all of it is provided to you only for a time, and everything can be taken away from you forever. On the other hand, no matter how burdensome your current situation may be, or how much you are surrounded by sorrowful circumstances, never forget, my brethren, that there is an all-seeing eye that witnesses your grief; there is an omnipotent wisdom that can deliver you from all imaginable calamities; there is the highest love that loves you more than a mother loves her child; there is a generous hand that is ready to provide you with all that is beneficial in its proper time.

c) One should rely on the Providence of the Heavenly Father wisely, piously, and with fear of God. Can a sinful son, who has forgotten his parents' kindness, neglected their love, and does not submit to their authority, truly hope for their love and mercy? Similarly, a sinner who forgets the Heavenly Father and does not fulfill His holy commandments is unworthy to expect gifts from Him. Our reliance on God's Providence would be no less misguided if we, while trusting in God, remained careless regarding ourselves, not laboring in the sweat of our brow according to the Lord's command. The Lord's help comes only to those who toil and pray, not to those who remain idle and surrender to despair. The Lord desires that all that is necessary for our life be found together, as a fruit of the blessing which He pours upon the earth, and as a result of the labor to which He has condemned man. It would be bold and foolish to imagine that the Lord would perform miracles to sustain those who are lazy and idle, to preserve their wealth when they themselves squander it; to maintain their health and strength when they themselves destroy them. Only he who strives through his life and deeds to be a worthy son of the Heavenly Father is deserving of the paternal care of God, who receives God's gifts with gratitude, uses them for the glory of God and the salvation of his soul, and lives a diligent and God-fearing life. "Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all things" necessary for your temporal life "shall be added unto you."

III. Through the prayers of Venerable Anthony the Roman, may the Lord preserve us in a strong and reasonable faith in God’s Providence.

 

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