Homilies from the Menaion for Every Day of the Year: November 5 and 6

The Month of November

Day 5

67. How One Should Act During Public Calamities

(From the Life of Jonah, Archbishop of Novgorod - November 5, Menaion. The Commemoration of the Fiery Ash That Fell from the Air Because of Human Sin, during the Reign of Leo the Great - November 6, Menaion.)

Here on earth, we are often afflicted not only by personal calamities but also by public calamities, which are especially terrible for us. In a personal calamity, either one person or one family suffers; perhaps even several may suffer. But in such sorrow, however great it may be, good people can always help and alleviate it. But what can one do in a public calamity? For example, a lack of rain, unfavorable weather, famine, or plague—who can prevent these things? Who can escape them? Who can put an end to the evil they cause? Certainly no one; there is no point in even discussing this. How, then, should we act during such calamities? By what means can we be delivered from them? Whose help should we hope for? To whom should we turn?

Once, during the lifetime of Saint Jonah, Archbishop of Novgorod, a plague broke out in Novgorod. The people fell into hopeless despair, and only Saint Jonah remained courageous in spirit. He comforted the inhabitants and told them: “Know that the plague has befallen us because of our sins, and therefore we must, first of all, repent of them.” The people took the Saint’s final counsel to heart, held a public prayer service, and built a church in the name of Saint Symeon. And immediately, it is said, “the plague ceased, and the people recovered their health” (November 5, Menaion).

Another instance: During the reign of the Greek Emperor Leo the Great in Greece, one day, at noon, the entire sky became covered with dark clouds, and it grew as dark as night in the middle of the day. Then the clouds became as though they were made of fire, and this phenomenon continued for about forty days. Everyone thought that the whole earth would be burned, just as Sodom and Gomorrah had once been burned, and all were in great fear and perplexity, thinking that a rain of fire would fall from the clouds.

Then the emperor and Patriarch Gennadios, together with all the priests and the people, began going out every day with crosses and holy icons into the public squares of the city. There they held prayer services, and all, with tears, implored God to turn away His righteous wrath. And the prayer of the entire people was not in vain. The Lord, the Lover of Mankind, it is said, turned His chastisement into mercy, and instead of a rain of fire, only black ash fell from heaven, as a warning to sinners. It covered the earth and burned only the grass. At that time, the people wept bitterly, cried, and lamented from the very depths of their hearts. After this, the Lord soon sent abundant rain, and the calamity came to an end completely (November 6, Menaion).

Thus, this is how we should act during public calamities: first, we must not fall into hopeless despair, but, following the example of Saint Jonah, remain courageous and encourage others; second, we must remember that, as the same hierarch told the people of Novgorod, public calamities are sent to us principally as punishment for our sins. Keeping this in mind, we must first of all repent of them, and not merely repent, but do so with tears and contrition of heart; and third, as was done in Novgorod and Greece, we must go out with crosses and holy icons into the public squares of cities or villages, hold prayer services there, and implore God with tears to turn away His righteous wrath.

As we have seen, such means proved effective in bringing an end to the calamities among both the people of Novgorod and the Greeks; and undoubtedly, they will prove equally effective for us as well. Why? Because God Himself assures us of this. “Turn to Me,” He says through the Prophet Joel, “with all your heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning... Gather the people... Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep and say: ‘Spare Your people, O Lord, and do not give Your inheritance over to reproach...’ Then the Lord will be zealous for His land and will spare His people” (Joel 2:12, 16–18).

Therefore, let us repeat once more: do not forget, brethren, that weeping over our sins, sincere repentance for them, and the prayer of the entire people for mercy are the foremost and most effective means of bringing an end to public calamities. Amen.

Questions for Discussion 67:

1. What disposition did Saint Jonah, Archbishop of Novgorod, maintain when the people fell into hopeless despair because of the plague?

2. According to Jonah, what must people do first, since the plague had befallen them because of their sins?

3. What did the people do after taking the Saint’s counsel to heart?

4. What did the people do, besides holding a public prayer service, after which the people recovered their health?

5. With what did Emperor Leo the Great and the Patriarch, together with all the priests and the people, begin going out into the public squares of the city, while all implored God to turn away His righteous wrath? 

 

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.