Having entered the Christmas season, we ask those who find the work of the Mystagogy Resource Center beneficial to them to help us continue our work with a generous financial gift as you are able. As an incentive, we are offering the following booklet.

In 1909 the German philosopher Arthur Drews wrote a book called "The Myth of Christ", which New Testament scholar Bart D. Ehrman has called "arguably the most influential mythicist book ever produced," arguing that Jesus Christ never existed and was simply a myth influenced by more ancient myths. The reason this book was so influential was because Vladimir Lenin read it and was convinced that Jesus never existed, thus justifying his actions in promoting atheism and suppressing the Orthodox Church in the Soviet Union. Moreover, the ideologues of the Third Reich would go on to implement the views of Drews to create a new "Aryan religion," viewing Jesus as an Aryan figure fighting against Jewish materialism. 

Due to the tremendous influence of this book in his time, George Florovsky viewed the arguments presented therein as very weak and easily refutable, which led him to write a refutation of this text which was published in Russian by the YMCA Press in Paris in 1929. This apologetic brochure titled "Did Christ Live? Historical Evidence of Christ" was one of the first texts of his published to promote his Neopatristic Synthesis, bringing the patristic heritage to modern historical and cultural conditions. With the revival of these views among some in our time, this text is as relevant today as it was when it was written. 

Never before published in English, it is now available for anyone who donates at least $20 to the Mystagogy Resource Center upon request (please specify in your donation that you want the book). Thank you.



October 21, 2025

Prologue in Sermons: October 21


Attachment to Earthly Goods Separates a Person from God

October 21*

(About a Certain Abbot Who Received the Gift from God to Cast Out Demons from People.)

By Archpriest Victor Guryev

He who is content with his condition is happy. Consider, indeed, a Christian — though not rich, yet industrious, honest, and content with his fortune. Who could be happier? He rejoices in the fact that, by honest labor, he fulfills God's commandment, which commands us to earn our living by the labor of our hands. He tastes with relish the bread he has honestly earned; he gladly shares it with the poor, for he knows that his sacrifice is a sacrifice pleasing to God. And the Lord does not abandon him in His mercy, granting him success in all good endeavors, comforting him with peace and love among his household. God's blessing accompanies such people on all paths of life. What a pity that such families and such individuals are rare these days! The passion for gain and the greed for wealth reign everywhere. At first, you see, a person thinks only of how to escape poverty, then how to save something for a rainy day; and then, having saved a hundred or two, he begins to think of thousands. And that's not so bad, but the worst thing is that a person dreams of all these thousands, constantly dreaming of them, considering them the main benefit and forgetting about eternal life. And the devil is already there. He knows very well that for him, nothing is easier than to separate a person from God and take control of him when the latter has developed a greed for earthly possessions.

In a certain monastery, all the brethren supported themselves by the labor of their own hands. The abbot accepted neither food, clothing, nor money from those who came, and, as one completely devoted to God, said to them: "Take what is yours from here and leave us to Christ, that He may care for us! It will be our condemnation if, having the opportunity to support ourselves by the labor of our own hands, we take comfort in the labors of others." As long as the abbot thought and spoke thus, God loved him, and power was given to him over demons, and the fame of his virtue spread far and wide. But as soon as he abandoned his love for poverty, something happened. The fame of the abbot's virtuous life finally reached the Tsar. The latter sent for him, desiring his prayers. The abbot appeared, and the Tsar conversed with him and received much benefit from him. Upon dismissing him, he began to give him gold. The elder couldn't resist the temptation, he took the royal gift, and, returning to the monastery, found himself lacking everything. So he began buying estates, oxen, and donkeys; he hired help. Meanwhile, preoccupied with earthly things, he grew ever further from God, and finally lost His blessing altogether. So, one day, a demon possessed man was brought to him, as was customary, to cast out the demon. And so the elder said, "Get out of God's creation!" "No, I will no longer listen to you," the demon replied. "Why?" asked the abbot. "Because," said the enemy of mankind, "you yourself have now become one of our closest friends. You yourself, having given yourself over to worldly sorrows, have forgotten God, and therefore I will not come out now, and you have no power over me."

Therefore, brethren, hearing this, beware of attachment to earthly goods, do not forget the word of the Lord: "No one can serve two masters. He will either love the one and hate the other; or he will hold to one and begin to neglect the other. You cannot serve God and mammon" (Matthew 6:24). Amen.

Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.

Notes:

* In the original text, there is no entry for October 21st. There this is the second entry for October 20th.
 

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