A Monk Must Completely Renounce the World
December 21
(The Story of the Monk who came to Anthony to be tonsured and kept his property for himself.)
By Archpriest Victor Guryev
December 21
(The Story of the Monk who came to Anthony to be tonsured and kept his property for himself.)
By Archpriest Victor Guryev
In our opinion, a monk must be a completely disinterested person. Once you've renounced the world and dedicated yourself to God, then live with God and in God; otherwise, the matter is lost. For you yourselves know that one cannot serve two masters, nor can one simultaneously serve God and mammon. Monks are like warriors set to battle. A warrior is vigorous, watches the enemy, and emerges victorious; but if he throws down his weapon, becomes absent-minded, loses his caution, becomes engrossed in extraneous matters, then lo and behold, he's lost. So it is with a monk. He stands vigilantly against the enemy, the devil, not being carried away by attachment to worldly goods — thus, the enemy of humanity dare not approach him, and the work of salvation proceeds well.
But if a monk becomes scattered, becomes carried away, for example, by profit, falls in love with earthly acquisitions, becomes addicted to money - well, the enemy immediately attacks him and tears him to pieces, and the monk dies.
A certain wealthy commoner, having decided to become a monk, gave away most of his possessions to the poor, but kept some for his own needs. After this, he came to Saint Anthony and asked him to tonsure him as a monk. The clairvoyant elder, learning that the newcomer had kept some of his possessions for his own needs, said to him, "If you wish to become a monk, do this: go to a nearby village, buy some meat there, surround yourself with it, and then return to me." The newcomer fulfilled the elder's wishes, and when he had surrounded himself with the meat, dogs and birds pounced on him and lacerated him completely. When he returned to the elder in this pitiful state, the Saint asked him if he had fulfilled his wishes. The newcomer silently pointed to his torn flesh. Then Anthony said to him: “Know that all who have renounced the world, but have not abandoned the passion for acquiring worldly possessions, will also be spiritually torn apart by demons when the war comes.”
Remember, brethren, that a man who has become a monk but has not banished from his heart covetousness and attachment to earthly goods will never emerge victorious in the struggle with the devil and will always be in his power. Just think: when a monk has only money on his mind, what salvation is there? It is not for nothing that it is said: "The serpent of avarice is the root of all lawlessness" (Prologue, Dec. 4). And it is not for nothing that Saint Andrew saw a terrible serpent coiled around the neck of the money-loving monk. And it is not for nothing that when an Angel began to defend the money-loving monk, a voice from heaven said to him: "Leave him alone, you have no part in him, for only the merciful receive forgiveness from Me and inherit the heavenly mansions" (Prologue, Dec. 4). What could be more convincing and formidable than these words for a money-grubbing monk? What could be more terrible than even a little revelation of the afterlife fate of a money-grubber?
Come to your senses, all you monks, and flee from the love of money. Do not forget the words of the Lord: "No one can serve two masters: either he will love the one and hate the other; or he will cling to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon." Amen.
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
