Homilies from the Menaion for Every Day of the Year: October 21

The Month of October

Day 21

52. Those Who Are Generous See Their Earthly Goods Increase, While the Miserly See Theirs Diminish

(From the Life of Venerable Hilarion the Great)

In his Second Epistle to the Corinthians, chapter 9, verse 6, the Apostle Paul writes: “He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.” How are we to understand these words? There is more than one way to interpret them. We may understand them to mean that whoever gives little to the poor will receive a small reward from God, while whoever gives much will receive a greater reward. But we may also understand them to mean that whoever sows sparingly, that is, gives little or nothing at all to the poor, will himself suffer want and lose even what he already possesses. Whoever gives bountifully, that is, with love and generosity, will also reap bountifully, so that he himself will have an abundance of everything. Whether we are right in saying this, let the events themselves show.

Once, the monks prevailed upon Venerable Hilarion the Great to visit the monasteries in the surrounding area. Hilarion set out, accompanied by a great number of brethren. At one of the monasteries, a monk who owned a vineyard, from which he harvested about one hundred measures of wine each summer, warmly welcomed Hilarion and invited all his companions to go into his garden and eat as many of the ripe grapes as they wished. Each monk cut as many clusters as he wanted, and there were as many as three thousand monks. Hilarion blessed this hospitable brother, and the Lord rewarded him: that year, instead of one hundred measures of wine, he received more than three hundred measures.

Another brother, who was miserly and likewise owned a vineyard, refused to receive Hilarion. Instead, he posted a guard at his garden, who threw stones at the Saint’s companions and shouted at them. Hilarion withdrew his blessing from the miserly brother, and the Lord punished him. The miser harvested very little wine from his vineyard, and what little he did obtain was all sour.

Thus, we have rightly said that a miser may lose even what he possesses because of his stinginess, whereas a generous person will himself have an abundance of everything. Nor is this the only example that confirms our words. Philaret the Merciful was generous, and his granddaughter became the wife of an emperor. Philaret, who had given everything away to the poor, once again received great wealth and honor. In the Life of Saint Spyridon of Trimythous, we are told of a miserly rich man who had enormous stores of grain. A storm scattered the grain, and the waters carried it away.

What, then, should we learn from these examples? First, that we must help the poor with a generous hand; second, that we must do so with a simple and sincere heart; and third, that we must do so with a grateful heart. What does it mean to give with a grateful heart? It means that, when helping the poor, we should also remember the blessings God has poured out upon us and give thanks to the Lord for them. If we act in this way, the Lord will undoubtedly bless our almsgiving, and we too will have an abundance of everything. Amen.

Questions for Discussion 52:

1. What does it mean to give bountifully?

2. How did the monk receive Saint Hilarion the Great and the monks accompanying him?

3. How many grapes did the monk offer to the monks accompanying Saint Hilarion the Great in his garden?

4. Why did Philaret the Merciful, who had given everything away to the poor, once again receive wealth and honor?

5. With what kind of heart should we help the poor with a generous hand? 

 

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.