By Protopresbyter Fr. George Papavarnavas
Saint Anastasia the Patrician was born in Constantinople to noble and wealthy parents, and she lived in the years of the Emperor Justinian. She was in the palace as the first lady of honors and was distinguished for her true faith in God, her modesty, and her humility. She was endowed with many gifts, such as courage, gentleness, nobility, and natural goodness, and this made the Emperor rejoice and praise her. However, the Empress envied her; for this reason Anastasia, as soon as she understood it, said to herself: “Now, precisely, the suitable opportunity has presented itself to you. Hasten and save your soul. With your prayer you will also free the Empress from her envy, and you will prepare yourself for the Heavenly Kingdom.”
Thus she left the palace and went to Alexandria, where she built a monastery and lived in asceticism and prayer, and she had as her obedience the task of weaving. After the repose of Theodora, Justinian sought her, but she did not desire to return. By the counsel of her spiritual father, the Elder Daniel, she put on male clothing and went to a cave, in which she remained enclosed for 28 years, until her holy repose. During all this time Elder Daniel sent her food and water by means of one of his disciples, who left them outside the door of the cave.
Saint Anastasia foreknew her death and sent a message to Elder Daniel, who went to the cave and after their conversation they bid each other farewell. The Saint, after thanking the Elder and praying also for the monk who had served her all these years, delivered her soul “into the hands of the living God.” After the burial of her venerable body, the Elder narrated to his disciple in every detail her wondrous life, which gives also to us the occasion to emphasize the following.
First, there are people who are rich in material goods who, however, are not lovers of money, are merciful and humble, just as there are also poor people who are proud, lovers of money, and merciless. The first proceeds from the faith and the communion of man with God and the Church, and the second is the result of unbelief and the distancing of man from God. For without the Grace of God it is impossible for man to conquer his passions. And as long as he is a slave of the passions he cannot love selflessly, because selfless love, according to Saint Maximus the Confessor, is the offspring of dispassion. Therefore, what transforms selfish love into selfless love is the transformation of the passions, that is, the turning of the powers of the soul from what is contrary to nature to what is according to nature and then to what is above nature. In other words, when the heart of man, with the Grace of God and his struggle, is cleansed from the passions and illumined by the Holy Spirit, then man acquires communion with God and from self-loving and misanthropic he becomes God-loving and philanthropic.
It is proven that no one can love truly — sacrificially — except only in the Holy Spirit. Without the Holy Spirit he cannot love even his parents and his siblings, even his own children, much more other people and his enemies. Saint Silouan the Athonite writes that “God is known by the Holy Spirit, and only in the Holy Spirit can someone love his enemies.” And Saint John of Kronstadt says that we Clergy and Teachers are accustomed to calling our spiritual children and our students “our children,” but in reality “no one can call other people’s children his children and love them truly except by the Grace of the Holy Spirit.”
Second, how one must behave toward those who envy him and slander him is shown also by the Prophet-King David with his word and his example, since he himself also experienced in his life, in a painful way, envy and slander. First of all, he prays to God to deliver him from slander: “Deliver me from the slander of men and I will keep Your commandments” (Ps. 118:13). However, when he is slandered, then he also prays for his slanderers. He says: “They spoke against me with a deceitful tongue and words of hatred surrounded me and they fought against me without cause; instead of loving me they slandered me, but I prayed” (Ps. 108:3).
When you pray for someone, it means that you love him, and thus with your love and your prayer you benefit him, but also yourself, and most importantly you preserve the peace of your soul. After all, the “man of God,” that is, the one who is united with God “in the person of Jesus Christ,” does not bear grudges, does not take revenge, but truly loves and prays and endures, because he desires the repentance and correction of those who envy him and slander him. This is seen clearly also in the case of the righteous Joseph, the son of Jacob, in the Old Testament.
Joseph was envied by his brothers, was sold as a slave, but he did not bear resentment against them, he did not take revenge on them, but he benefited them. He received them hospitably in Egypt, as Vice-King of Egypt, to which God raised him, and he gave them wheat during the period of famine. And when, before they parted, he told them that “I am Joseph, your brother,” they were troubled because they feared that he might take revenge on them; for this reason they told him that our father adjured you not to harm us. Then Joseph reassured them saying: “For I am God’s.” That is, do not be afraid, because I am a man of God and therefore I am not going to take revenge on you. After all, you sold me as a slave, however God protected me and raised me to this great office, giving me abundantly His Grace and His blessing.
What we must realize is that when God is with us, it does not matter if all men have abandoned us. On the contrary, if we are far from God, then the presence of people does not benefit us in anything, nor even their praise. Then let us not forget the word of the Prophet-King David: “Instead of loving me they slandered me, but I prayed.” Thus we will rejoice and we will be at peace.
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
