By Fr. George Dorbarakis
The focus of Saint Joseph the Hymnographer, as he seeks to glorify and highlight Venerable Benedict, is the Venerable one’s withdrawal from the world due to his fervent love for the Lord, but also his return to the world with pure love, through his prayers and healing miracles. In other words, the Hymnographer emphasizes Benedict’s ascetic life from childhood: his ascetic struggles, his tears, his chastity, which were fruits of his love for the Lord, and his healing presence in the world, both for his monastic disciples and for ordinary people who approached him.
Already in the first sticheron of Vespers, we hear:
“Out of true faith and love for God, Father, from infancy you renounced the world, Venerable one, and joyfully followed Christ crucified. And having mortified your flesh with many ascetic struggles, you received abundantly the grace of healings, so that you could cure various diseases and expel the spirits of wickedness.”
This is one of the fundamental truths of our Christian faith: the more one turns to God and demonstrates deep love for Him, the more this love purifies the heart, so that one acquires true love for one’s neighbor. Love for God immediately transforms into love for others, which ultimately returns to God as glorification.
Through Venerable Benedict, this is confirmed once again, echoing the Lord’s words:
“If you love Me, keep My commandments.”
“This is My commandment: that you love one another.”
Therefore, if we love Christ, we love others.
This is why Saint Joseph constantly notes the various offerings of Venerable Benedict to the world: the rain he prayed to bring, like the Prophet Elijah of old; the empty vessel he caused to fill with oil; the dead man he resurrected; and countless other miracles.
“Long ago, like Elijah, O Father, you prayed for rain from heaven; and you made the vessel flow with oil, resurrected the dead, and performed countless other miracles.” (Sticheron of Vespers)
And all of these, as noted, were “for the glory of God and Savior.” (the same)
The Hymnographer develops this theme further: Venerable Benedict became an instrument of God, so that God’s love could be manifested to the world through him. Saint Joseph emphasizes that God’s love, which constantly seeks ways to reveal itself to humanity, is often withheld due to human indifference and disbelief. His saints provide the opportunity: they intercede, praying that God may have mercy on human turmoil, and thus, by their prayers, God manifests His love.
This is similar to the practice of the Church, which appoints “mediators” between us and God — particularly the saints, above all the Panagia. We ask her and the saints to intercede for us because they have boldness and power in prayer:
“The prayers of the Mother are very effective in obtaining the favor of the Lord.”
For example, the icon of Panagia Paramythia in Vatopaidi: the Lord did not respond to the danger of the monks due to their neglect and lack of faith. It was necessary for the Panagia herself to intercede so that the Lord would be “persuaded.”
Regarding Venerable Benedict, the Hymnographer writes:
“God accepted your holy prayers, thrice-blessed Benedict, and provided those in need with the means to live, glorifying you wondrously on earth through your miracles.” (Ode 8)
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.