Homilies from the Menaion for Every Day of the Year: September 7

The Month of September

Day 7

8. What Those Who Wish to Build a Church but Do Not Have Sufficient Means to Build It Should Do

(From the Life of Saint John, Archbishop of Novgorod. September 7, Menaion)

In our Orthodox fatherland, we continually encounter people collecting donations for the construction of churches of God. What thought does meeting such people bring to mind? First, that our Russian land still needs churches of God; and secondly, that even if it needs them, many among us have no means at all to build the churches that are needed, or some have insufficient means. What, then, is to be done? What should those do who, although they do not have the means to build a church in their locality, nevertheless ardently desire to have a church there? How are they to obtain the means to construct a church? Where are such means to be found?

In answer to these questions, let us turn to the Life of Saint John, Archbishop of Novgorod. There, among other things, the following is related.

John and his brother Gabriel, desiring to enter the monastic life, resolved to establish a new monastery. First of all, they built a wooden church in honor of the Annunciation of the Mother of God and provided everything necessary for the future inhabitants of the monastery. After this, the thought came to them to establish a stone church at the new monastery as well. They began to build it, and at first everything went well, but when they had reached about the middle of the work, the money ran out, and John and Gabriel became despondent.

Fortunately, however, this despondency did not last long. Having great faith and devotion toward the Most Holy Mother of God, both brothers turned to Her, beseeching Her help, and cried out to the Queen of Heaven:

“You, O Lady, know our faith and the love which we have for Your Son and our God, and the devotion and faith with which we undertook the building of a church in honor of Your name. You know that we have placed all our hope in Your help. Help us, then, to complete Your church! Send us Your help, O Lady, and do not put us, Your servants, to shame! Behold, we have begun to build the church, but without Your help we cannot complete it.”

After this prayer, the Most Holy Mother of God appeared to both brothers in a dream during the night and said to them:

“Why, beloved servants of God, have you fallen into such sorrow and lamentation over the building of My church? I know your faith and love, and therefore I will not despise your prayer, and I will send you everything necessary for the building of the church, and in abundance. As for you, labor and do not grow faint in faith.”

The vision ended, and the brothers immediately awoke from sleep with great joy and told one another what they had seen and heard.

What happened next? In the morning, when the brothers went out beyond the monastery enclosure, they saw standing near it a horse of extraordinary beauty, with two sacks tied to the saddle at its sides. There was no rider with the horse. John and Gabriel began to wait for the owner of the horse to come, but however long they waited, he did not come. Then they approached the horse, untied the sacks fastened to it, and, to their amazement, saw that one sack was full of gold and the other of silver. After this, the horse, as it is said in the Life of the Saints, “became invisible.” The brothers, taking the gold and silver so wondrously discovered, gave thanks to the Lord and His Most Pure Mother, and soon completely finished the stone church they had so greatly desired and adorned it with every form of beauty and splendor.

Thus, this is what those who desire to build churches of God should do. First of all, they must have great faith and devotion toward God and toward the saints in whose honor they have resolved to build the church. Then they must fervently pray to the Lord and to the saints, that They Themselves, through Their help, might assist in bringing this good intention to fulfillment. And finally, when means are lacking, those who are building must not lose heart and must not grow faint in faith. What did the Queen of Heaven say to John and Gabriel in the dream vision? “I will help you… but you must labor and do not grow faint in faith.”

Truly, what a great word! Is it not through zeal for the work and through faith that the most magnificent churches among us have been built, for example, in the holy monasteries? What means did most of the holy founders of these monasteries possess? For the most part, nothing but one worn-out garment and, often, for their daily sustenance, only a morsel of stale and moldy bread. From where, then, did the magnificent and beautiful churches arise in the places where they lived? From where else could they have come but from the strong faith, fervent prayer, unshakable hope in God's help, and unfailing zeal for the work of the founders of these monasteries?

And so, just as those in ancient times acted, so let those who build churches of God act today. Strong faith and fervent prayer, hope and zeal for the work—and these will not put them to shame. The Lord always sees the good intentions of His servants and, whenever necessary, brings them to fulfillment. “We know,” says the Apostle, “that for those who love God … all things work together for good” (Rom. 8:28). Amen.

Questions for Discussion 8

1. What did John and Gabriel establish first when they resolved to found a new monastery?

2. With what, according to the words of John and Gabriel to the Most Holy Mother of God, did they undertake to build a church in honor of Her name?

3. To what did the Most Holy Mother of God call John and Gabriel when She appeared to both brothers in a dream vision?

4. Why did John and Gabriel not immediately untie the sacks fastened to the saddle of the horse which the brothers encountered in the morning near the monastery enclosure?

5. What did John and Gabriel do after they had taken the gold and silver?

 

Source: The Cheti-Minei: Homilies for Every Day of the Year (Book 1: September, October, November) by Archpriest Viktor Guryev. Publication of the Russian Panteleimon Monastery on Mount Athos, 1896. Translated by John Sanidopoulos.