Homilies from the Menaion for Every Day of the Year: October 31

 

The Month of October

Day 31

62. Work and Prayer

(From the Life of Venerable Spyridon, the Prosphora Maker at the Kiev Caves Monastery)

It is well known that almost all the saints combined bodily labor with prayer. Thus, of the Venerable Spyridon, the Prosphora Maker at the Kiev Caves Monastery, whom the Church commemorates today, it is said that while serving in the prosphora bakery, he continually sang the Psalms of David. Whether he was chopping wood, kneading dough, or doing some other task, he always offered up to God, alongside his work, a sacrifice of praise. In this way, the saints knew how to work and pray at the same time. But what do you think, brethren? Was there any benefit to them in doing so, or not? We do not know what you will say in answer to this, but for our part, we believe that there was indeed a benefit, and a great one. What was it? We shall answer you now.

Once, the Venerable Anthony the Great, while sitting in his cell, was troubled by various soul-destroying thoughts. Striving to rid himself of them, he cried out to God: “Lord! You know that I desire to be saved, but thoughts assail me. Teach me what I must do in order to be saved.” Then, through his open door, he saw someone who looked exactly like him sitting not far from his cell, occupied with weaving baskets and twisting ropes. Afterward, the stranger laid aside his work and began to pray. When he had finished praying, he returned to making baskets and ropes. After working for a considerable time, he once again took up his handiwork. Then the Angel of God who had appeared to him said to Anthony: “Do likewise, and you will be delivered from soul-destroying thoughts and will be saved.” The elder rejoiced, understanding from this vision that honest labor and unceasing prayer are the surest means of salvation. (Voskresnoye Chteniye [Воскресное чтение], 1830–1831.)

Thus, the benefit that the saints received from work combined with prayer was that prayer during their labor drove away soul-destroying thoughts and made the work of their salvation easier. But was this the only benefit the saints received from work and prayer? No, there was another as well: prayer during their labor also bestowed upon them a special grace of God, through which the saints overcame every obstacle they encountered in their work. Thus, it is written of that same Spyridon that once, when he had lit the oven, the flames that came out of it spread to the ceiling of the prosphora bakery, which caught fire. Without giving it much thought, the Venerable One took off his mantle and used it to cover the mouth of the oven. Then he removed his hairshirt, tied its sleeves together, ran to the well, scooped water into it, and, carrying it back, hurried to the prosphora bakery and began calling the brethren for help. The monks arrived, and how great was their astonishment when they saw that the mantle with which the mouth of the oven had been covered had not burned, and that not a single drop of water had spilled from the hairshirt! The fire was soon extinguished, and the monks, we are told, “glorified God exceedingly.”

It is clear that from these accounts you, brethren, should be convinced of the truth that work combined with prayer was of great benefit to the saints. As we have just seen, prayer during their labor delivered the saints from soul-destroying thoughts, made the work of their salvation easier, sanctified their labor, and bestowed upon them a special grace of God, with the help of which they overcame every obstacle encountered in their work. Having become convinced of this, you should also understand that if work combined with prayer was beneficial to the saints, then it will undoubtedly be beneficial to you as well. Having understood this, make it your rule from now on to work and pray together. How should you pray? While working, keep God in your thoughts; remember death, the Last Judgment, Paradise, and hell; from time to time, recite whatever prayers you know, even if they are brief, or simply keep them in your thoughts. In this way, you will have inward, mental prayer accompanying your work. Does this prayer lack prostrations? But the difficult and strenuous positions your bodies assume during work will be counted by the Lord in place of prostrations and kneeling. Amen.

Questions for Discourse 62:

1. What did Venerable Spyridon offer up to God while serving in the prosphora bakery?

2. What did the rejoicing elder understand from the vision?

3. What does prayer during work do with regard to soul-destroying thoughts?

4. What should we remember while working?

5. What prayers should we recite or keep in our thoughts?

 

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.