Homilies from the Menaion for Every Day of the Year: November 9

The Month of November

Day 9

71. People of Bad Character Who Live with Us Can Benefit Us by Teaching Us Humility and Patience

(Commemoration of the Venerable Nuns Eustolia and Sopatra. This instruction is composed on the basis of the accounts of the lives of ascetic women of the Eastern Church.)

When the people who live with us turn out to be people of bad character, what do you think, brethren? Do they bring us nothing but harm, or not? No; know that they bring us not only harm, but also benefit. What benefit? These people can teach us two of the greatest Christian virtues—humility and patience. How is this evident? It is evident from the following account.

In the life of the Venerable Nuns Eustolia and Sopatra, whose commemoration the Holy Church celebrates on November 9, there is, among other things, the following story. A certain noblewoman from a senatorial family came to Caesarea and decided to remain there. She approached the bishop with the following request: “Give me a young woman,” she said, “to teach me the fear of God.” The bishop assigned a humble young woman to her. Some time later, when the bishop met her, he asked: “How is the young woman I assigned to you getting along?” “She is good,” the woman replied, “but she is of little benefit to my soul, because she allows me to do as I please. This is because she is humble, whereas I need her to scold me and not allow me to do what I want.”

Instead of this young woman, the bishop gave her another, one of rather rough character. The latter began to scold her, calling her a foolish rich woman and other such names. After some time, the bishop again asked her: “And how is this young woman?” “She truly benefits me,” the woman replied. And she became very meek, humble, and patient.

From this account it becomes clear to us that even people of bad character who live with us can benefit us by teaching us humility and patience. From this, another truth also becomes clear to us: when living with stubborn people, we must not harbor malice toward them, complain about them, grumble, or add fuel to the fire. Instead, we should strive to overcome evil with good, remembering that evil can be cut off and brought to a halt by good alone, and that through dealing gently with stubborn people we can become practiced in the virtues mentioned above.

Yes, this is precisely how it must be: for by what means did all the saints overcome evil people and themselves grow in holiness? By meekness, humility, and patience alone. They are beaten, yet they pray for those who beat them; they are led to crosses and pyres, yet they praise and thank God. Therefore, brethren, learn from the saints how one ought to live with stubborn people. By learning this, you will acquire both humility and patience, and thereby advance greatly in the work of your own salvation. Amen.

Questions on Instruction 71:

1. For what purpose did a noblewoman ask the bishop to give her a young woman?

2. Why did the humble young woman prove to be of little benefit to the noblewoman?

3. What did the noblewoman become when the bishop, at her request, gave her another young woman of rather rough character?

4. By what can evil be cut off and brought to a halt?

5. From whom should we learn how to live with stubborn people?

 

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.