Prologue in Sermons: November 24

 

A Lesson for the Literate

November 24

(Commemoration of the Holy Great Martyr Katherine)*

By Archpriest Victor Guryev

There have been instances where some literate and skilled readers of the divine books abused their knowledge and brought ruin upon themselves and others. Such individuals, usually infected with pride, began to consider conversation with their Orthodox neighbors too low and retreated to other proud souls like themselves — the teachers of the schismatics. There, naturally, due to inexperience, they quickly became infected with the latter's false teachings and then, returning from them, suddenly began to blaspheme the Orthodox Church. Thus, instead of finding in them, as knowledgeable people, true friends, children, and protectors, our Mother Church found only evil enemies and persecutors. Brethren, learn to read the Scriptures! Is this how you should act? Look around. Look at the lives of the saints, and you will see that the more knowledge they acquired, the more firmly they held their faith and the more concerned they were with spreading it, rather than selling it out. Here is one such example.

The Holy Great Martyr Katherine, who lived in the fourth century, during the reign of Emperor Maximinus, was already renowned for her great learning at the age of eighteen. She knew the works of philosophers and poets, spoke many languages, and practiced the art of healing. As you can see, she possessed greater knowledge than you. How did she use it, having come to know Christ? First, she tried to convert the persecuting emperor to Christ. "Shake off the darkness," she told him, "that obscures your mind, and understand the true God." Unable to convince him, she turned her wisdom on his subjects. The emperor summoned fifty of his foremost wise men and scholars to debate with her, and she converted them all to Christ. Then she won over Porphyry, the emperor's advisor and friend, then a multitude of soldiers and the empress herself; and finally, during her terrible suffering, she compelled the entire people to exclaim, "Great is the Christian God!"

Thus, knowledge from God is given to us not for betrayal and blasphemy of the faith, but for its spread to the glory of God's name! If the Lord commanded that the servant who merely buried his talent be cast into outer darkness (Matthew 25:30), then what condemnation must be meted out to those who continue their complicity with ravenous wolves and, at their instigation, apostatize from the faith and the Church? Oh, truly, it is terrifying even to contemplate this! Amen.

Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.

Notes:

* In the Slavic Calendar, Saint Katherine is commemorated on November 24th, while in the Greek Calendar she is honored on November 25th.