Prologue in Sermons: March 27

One Must Be Prudent in Petitions to God

March 27

(The Tale of our Venerable Father Daniel of Scetis concerning Eulogios the Stonecutter.)

By Archpriest Victor Guryev

There are, brethren, fortunately even at the present time quite a number of God-loving souls who, though themselves poor, do not cease to build their salvation through works of mercy and share their last possessions with the needy. Does not the thought ever come to these merciful ones: if we were rich, what would we not do for the poor? If the Lord were to bless us with abundance, how many widows and orphans we would provide for! Is it not also often heard among us: ah, if such-and-such a one were rich, how much good he would do, how many others he would enrich! — To our sorrow, we are mistaken in such judgments.

A certain elder, having come to a village to sell his handiwork, met a simple man who, surrounded by beggars and the destitute, was returning home from his work. The elder, together with the others, entered his house, and the man washed everyone’s feet, fed them all, gave them drink, and gave them rest. Having learned that this lover of the poor was a stonecutter named Eulogios, who every day distributed his entire wage among the poor, the elder thought: "What if this man were rich, how much good he would do!" And he began to pray to God that He would grant Eulogios wealth.

The elder’s prayer was heard, and the Lord said to him: “It is better for Eulogios to remain as he is now; but if you wish, I will give him wealth — only will you be surety for him?” 

“Yes, Lord,” answered the elder, “require his soul at my hands!”

On the next day, Eulogios, as usual, having come to his work, began to strike with his mattock upon a rocky cliff, and having made an opening, he saw through it a cave in the rock filled with gold. Eulogios pondered and decided to transfer the gold secretly to his home. And behold, the poor were forgotten, and Eulogios by night transported the gold to himself. Then he departed for Byzantium, bought palaces, and became a nobleman.

Two years passed. Once the elder saw in a dream that Eulogios was being cast out from the presence of the Lord. The hermit was terrified and went to the village where he had first met Eulogios. After searching long and not finding him, he turned to an old woman and asked: “Is there in your village any lover of the poor?” The old woman said to him: “Alas, we had one such — a stonecutter — but now he is a nobleman and has left us.” The elder cried out: “What have I done? I am a murderer!”

He boarded a ship and went to Byzantium. Having found the house of Eulogios, he sat at its gates and waited for the master to come out. He waited, and Eulogius came out, surrounded by servants, proud and haughty. The elder fell before him and cried: “Have mercy, I wish to say something to you!” But Eulogios, instead of answering, ordered that the elder be beaten.

He met him a second time, and again was beaten. He met him a third time, and again wounds were inflicted upon him. In despair he wished to return home, boarded a ship, and upon entering it fell unconscious. At that time, in a dream, he again saw the Lord with an angry face, surrounded by Angels; and the Lord commanded them to cast the elder away from His presence as the cause of Eulogios’ ruin. But the Mother of God appeared and implored the Lord for forgiveness. Then the Lord said to the elder: “Henceforth do not ask for what ought not to be asked. I will restore Eulogios to his former condition.”

The elder awoke with joy and with tears gave thanks to the Lord and to His Most Pure Mother.

What then happened? In Constantinople there died Emperor Justin I, who had loved Eulogios, and the new one ordered that the latter’s property be confiscated into the treasury and that he himself be killed. Eulogios fled and at last reached his village. His first act was to go to the rock, thinking whether he might again find gold there, but no gold was to be found. Then he came to his senses again and once more became a lover of the poor and a lover of strangers. The elder, having learned of this, again glorified God.

Therefore, you yourselves now see, brethren, how mistaken our assumptions may sometimes be, how dangerous our imaginings about changing our external condition are. Moreover, they waste time that should be used for doing good works, they distract from them, and thus hinder the very work of our salvation. Let us therefore labor for the glory of God not where we wish, nor with a desire for means which we have not had until now, but where God has commanded, and with the means that we have. Amen.

Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.