Homilies from the Menaion for Every Day of the Year: November 11

The Month of November

Day 11

73. On the Words of the Savior: “And if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them” (Mark 16:18)

(From the Life of the Holy Martyr Victor)

In His conversation with the Apostles, before His Ascension, the Lord, while enumerating those blessings that would be bestowed upon believers in His name, said, among other things: “And if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them” (Mark 16:18). Can we not, brethren, prove the truth of these final words of Christ by an actual deed and demonstrate it through an example? Of course, we can, and this is what we shall now do for you.

Once, a pagan, the Roman military commander Sebastian, summoned a certain sorcerer and ordered him to kill the Holy Martyr Victor with poison. The sorcerer prepared a deadly poison and presented it to the Saint. Taking the poison, Victor said: “Although I ought not to accept or eat anything unclean from you, nevertheless, I shall take your poison so that you may be convinced that it has no power whatsoever over those who truly believe in Christ.” After these words, the martyr prayed and then took the poison, which had absolutely no effect on him. When the sorcerer saw this, he prepared an incomparably more deadly poison and, as he handed it to the Saint, said: “If you take this poison as well and remain alive, then I shall abandon both magic and sorcery and believe in your God.” Hearing this, Victor took this second, even more deadly poison that was offered to him and once again remained unharmed. Seeing this, the sorcerer cried out in a loud voice: “Behold, you have conquered, Victor, the power of my sorcery and have brought my soul, which had long since perished, out of Hades! For now I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ whom you preach.” After this, the sorcerer went to his house and there, gathering together all his books of magic and spells, burned them, and thereafter became a perfect Christian.

Thus, brethren, as you see, the example has shown that the truth of the words of Christ quoted above, “And if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them,” can also be demonstrated by an actual deed. But what lesson can we draw from this for ourselves? Certainly, first of all, that we should remember that the word of the Lord is true and worthy of all acceptance; that “heaven and earth will pass away, but the words... [of the Lord] will not pass away” (Matthew 24:35), and that “He Who promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10:23). Secondly, another lesson is made clear to us: we should know that miracles are performed by God not to satisfy our curiosity, but to establish believers in the faith and to make unbelievers faithful. Why did the Holy Martyr accept the poison? Was it simply to show that he could take poison without suffering any harm? No, but rather to convert the sorcerer to Christ and to make him, who until then had been a child of sin, wrath, and curse, into a child of holiness, love, and blessing. Remember all these things, then, my brethren! Glorify the Lord, wondrous in His works, and do not forget that with Him everything is arranged with wisdom and everything serves our salvation and blessedness. Amen.

Questions on Discourse 73:

1. According to the words of the Holy Martyr Victor, over whom does poison have no power whatsoever?

2. What did Victor do before he took the poison for the first time?

3. What did the sorcerer promise Victor he would do if Victor took the even more deadly poison and remained alive?

4. What did the sorcerer say Victor had done with regard to his soul?

5. Into a child of what did Victor wish to make the sorcerer?

 

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.