Prologue in Sermons: January 31

On Compassion for the Unfortunate

January 31

(A Discourse of Saint Antiochus on Suffering for a Friend)

By Archpriest Victor Guryev

We all know that we ought to have compassion for the unfortunate and help them; but, unfortunately, not all of us know what true compassion consists in, or how we should act toward those in distress, so that from our compassion toward them there may arise both real benefit for them, glory to God, and the salvation of our own souls. In what, then, should true compassion for the unfortunate consist, and in what manner should our help to them be manifested? Let us learn this from one of the Holy Fathers, who gives all of us in this matter a good and saving lesson.

"To have compassion on one’s neighbor," says Saint Antiochus, "to help him and to labor for him, is a work pleasing to God. Let us therefore strive to please Him. If someone has wealth, let him give to the unfortunate; if someone sees a person in distress, let him weep for him; if someone sees another being wronged, let him extend a helping hand to him. Let us treat all with love; … let us not despise any poor person who is bathed in tears, lest our own prayer and tears before the Lord be despised. Let us learn compassion from the righteous, many of whom teach us it both by deed and by word. Behold, for example, before us is the righteous Job, who says: 'I delivered the poor who cried out, and the fatherless who had no helper… I was eyes to the blind and feet to the lame; I was a father to the needy' (Job 29:12–16). And behold also the merciful Tobit, who recounts of himself: 'I performed many acts of mercy for my brethren: I gave my bread to the hungry and my garments to the naked; and if I saw anyone of my people dead and cast out beyond the walls of Nineveh, I buried him' (Tob. 1:16–17). But the Saints also teach us compassion by word. The Prophet Hosea says that God desires 'mercy and not sacrifice' (Hos. 6:6), and Micah teaches that the Lord requires of us to 'love works of mercy' (Mic. 6:8)… Therefore," concludes Antiochus in his discourse with the words of the Savior: 'Be merciful, as your Father in heaven is merciful' (Luke 6:36)."

From the discourse of Saint Antiochus, as you see, it becomes clear that true compassion consists in weeping with those who weep, defending those who are wronged, and treating the unfortunate with love. With what kind of love? By delivering the sufferer and the helpless orphan, being eyes to the blind and feet to the lame, and being a father to the poor. More simply: true compassion, according to Antiochus, should be manifested chiefly in this — that one comforts the unfortunate not only by word, but also by deed; that one wipes away his tears not only by counsel, but by living help. It is precisely in this latter that true compassion consists. Having learned this, shall we not take from all that has been said some lesson for ourselves? Yes, let us take it, and take the simplest lesson of all: while expressing compassion for the unfortunate in words, let us at the same time render help to them in deed. This will be beneficial for them and saving for us. Amen.

Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.