Prologue in Sermons: October 16

 

Against Hypocrisy

October 16

(Concerning the Hypocritical Monk)

By Archpriest Victor Guryev

Very often, one encounters people who fully deserve the name hypocrites or sanctimonious. These are those who, for worldly gain, make every effort to outwardly appear pious, fasting, prayerful, and merciful, while inwardly they have completely denied the power of piety (2 Tim. 3:5). Such people, in the words of the Lord, can be likened to whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men's bones and all corruption (Matt. 23:27). Woe to them if they do not come to their senses in time and abandon their pretense!

November: Day 9: Teaching 1: Venerable Onesiphorus of the Kiev Caves

November: Day 9: Teaching 1:
Venerable Onesiphorus of the Kiev Caves
 
(The Sin of Hypocrisy)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. There was in the Monastery of the Caves a man adorned with virtues, named Onesiphorus, who held the rank of priest, whose memory is celebrated today. Blessed Onesiphorus had a spiritual son, a monk and friend, who appeared to be a faster, humble, pious, but secretly ate, drank and made merry. One day he died. No one could come near his body, because of the stench. Horror fell upon everyone, no one dared to bury him. Finally, some decided to bury him in a cave. Then Saint Anthony appeared to Onesiphorus and said: “Why have you laid a wicked man here? Such a one has never been here before. He has defiled the holy place.” Onesiphorus began to weep and said: “Lord, why have you hidden the deeds of this man?” An angel said to him, “In order to show him to all who sin and do not repent.”

The next night they ordered the monk's body to be removed. But Onesiphorus began to pray to God and the monk's body stopped emitting a stench. Thus the sin of hypocrisy, i.e. external piety, was exposed.