From the Life of Philaret the Merciful
December 1
(Seven Lessons From His Life)
By Archpriest Victor Guryev
December 1
(Seven Lessons From His Life)
By Archpriest Victor Guryev
Not to mention that the full biographies of the Saints are rich treasures from which we can draw everything necessary for life and piety, it should be noted that brief accounts of their lives are also very useful for us and offer us many salutary lessons. To convince you of this latter point, here, brethren, is a brief account of the life of Saint Philaret the Merciful, presented below as it appears in the Prologue, in Slavonic.
“This man,” it is said of Philaret, “was under the reign of Emperor Constantine and Irene, the son of George and Anna. From them, through the bond of marriage, he was united to a noble wife, devoted himself to agriculture, and thereby acquired many possessions. He was indeed wealthy and charitable. Yet, through the envy of the devil, he was reduced to poverty, as once Job was brought to such extreme destitution, to the point of being deprived even of the sustenance at his own home. But God did not abandon him to suffer in poverty until the end. And to his grandchild Maria, he intended to impart all personal virtues and wisdom, leading her to be given in marriage to the emperor's son Constantine. He, too, was granted such honor and became master of great wealth. He generously provided for those in need according to custom. And when the time of his passing approached, he summoned all his relatives and spoke prophetic words to those willing to heed them. Add also these words: “Do not forget your love for foreigners, do not be greedy for others’ possessions, do not forsake your duties to the church.” And having gathered everyone, he said, “As you have seen me act, so also act yourselves.” Having spoken these words and given his blessing, he departed in peace.”
What lessons, for example, can this one brief story teach us for our lives? Know, brethren, that this one brief story about Philaret can teach us many and salutary lessons for our lives. Listen to this attentively.
The story of Philaret, first of all, teaches the lazy not to claim that their poverty stems solely from the fact that farming fell to their lot. Let them consider that Philaret, too, was diligent in farming, but acquired much wealth from it. Therefore, they must understand that their poverty is not a function of their lot, but rather a consequence of their habit of debauchery or idleness. If they were to flee idleness, curb their passions, poverty would disappear, and their vain excuses would cease.
The second lesson of the tale of Philaret is directed at the stingy, who think that if they help the poor, they will fall into ruin; therefore, they remain unmoved by the tears and pleas of widows and orphans, and they set fierce dogs to keep beggars from knowing their threshold. Wealth, as seen in the life of Philaret, does not hinder mercy, just as mercy does not hinder wealth. Indeed, as the stingy heard about Philaret, he was both rich and merciful. Let them also learn from this example and remember the words of David: 'I have grown old, and I have not seen the righteous abandoned, nor his descendants begging for bread' (Psalm 36:25), and may they replace stinginess with generosity.
The third lesson the story of Philaret teaches is for those who suffer misfortunes seemingly without cause, so that they may not despair, but place their hope in God. Philaret, through the envy of the devil, became impoverished; just as He once brought Job into such poverty that he was deprived of even his household food. But God did not allow him to languish in poverty. His grandchild Maria, who was full of all personal beauty and wise, was appointed the wife of the Empress's son Constantine. And He granted him (that is, Philaret) the same honor, and made him the ruler of much wealth. Therefore, let those who suffer misfortunes without cause remember that the Lord will not leave them to be tested beyond their capacity, and will turn their misfortunes into happiness and sorrow into joy.
The fourth lesson the story of Philaret teaches those in prosperity is to avoid becoming arrogant and turning away from the unfortunate. Philaret was merciful when he was rich, and just as merciful when he was poor, and even when he became the emperor's grandfather, he continued to give according to custom to those in need. An example worthy of emulation!
The fifth lesson of the story of Philaret is intended for all of us to remember that for alms to the poor, the Lord rewards the merciful in this life, not only physically but also spiritually. For his alms, as we see, Philaret was granted the gift of prophecy. And when the time of his departure arrived, he summoned all his relatives and prophesied what would come to pass for them. Thus is the Lord merciful to the merciful.
The sixth lesson of the story of Philaret also instructs us all in this regard: that, having set an example of piety for our neighbors in life, we should also exhort them to follow our example in death. At his death, Philaret was heard saying to those around him: "Do not forget hospitality, do not worry about others' property, do not abandon church attendance, and as you have seen me do, so do you also." And as Philaret acted at his death, so, of course, should we all act, if only we have lived for the glory of God, the benefit of others, and the salvation of our souls.
Finally, the seventh lesson we learn from the story of Philaret is that the Lord grants the merciful a peaceful and unashamed end, as it is said of Philaret: "Having blessed all, he departed in peace." And since a peaceful and unashamed end is a great thing, it means that no one receives it for free and that there is a way to obtain it through almsgiving.
From all we have said, we hope you are convinced that even brief stories from the lives of saints can teach us many and salvific lessons and open the way to the heavenly realms. Amen.
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
