Homilies from the Menaion for Every Day of the Year: September 10

The Month of September

Day 10

11. To Orphan Girls Who Are Wronged

(From the Life of Saint Pulcheria the Empress. September Menaion, Sept. 10)

It is difficult, and for the most part very difficult, for all those who are underage and have been left orphaned by the premature death of their father and mother—both young men and maidens—to live. But it goes without saying that it is harder for orphans who are not young men but girls to live. A young man, after all, will now and then speak up for himself and stand up for what is his; but what is an orphaned girl to do? By her innate maidenly modesty, she for the most part remains silent, and she does not even dare to say anything against anyone who may sometimes act unlawfully toward her. And dishonest people often take advantage of this and wrong an orphan girl as they please, however and whenever they see fit. Yes, at times it is bitter for such orphaned girls; at times it is so bitter that it is difficult even to speak of it! How, then, shall we comfort and encourage such girls?

Homilies from the Menaion for Every Day of the Year: September 2

The Month of September

Day 2

3. To Mothers Who Are Widows and Have Young Children

(From the Life of the Holy Martyr Mamas. September 2 in the Festal Menaion)

One often encounters in this world such a sorrowful sight: a widow dies surrounded by helpless young children. How terrible is her situation! Even as she struggles against death and grows weaker, you see that what torments her, what torments her beyond expression, is the grievous fate she imagines awaits her orphans after her death. “What will they do after I am gone? What will they live on? Who will need them?” such a woman thinks. And thus to bodily illness is added yet another torment, that of the soul; fear presses upon her heart, pity for her children strikes it with sorrow, and, looking ahead to the bitter fate of her children, who will then be complete orphans, the poor widowed mother gives herself over to boundless grief.

Widowed mothers who have young children! What do you think? Must all of you likewise look with such sorrow upon the future fate of your orphaned children without you? Is it really only left for you to think that without you your children will inevitably be both unhappy and helpless? And finally, is there truly no means by which you might in some way comfort and encourage yourselves when reflecting upon their future fate?

Prologue in Sermons: May 27

From Unrighteous Wealth You Will Not Be Happy

May 27

(A discourse of Saint John Chrysostom concerning those who take garments from orphans.)
 
By Archpriest Victor Guryev

People driven by greed do not distinguish whether the means by which they increase their wealth are sinful or not. Their only goal is to obtain money, and everything else means nothing to them. And because of this, orphans are often left hungry because of them, widows suffer distress, and debtors robbed by them weep. Yet the hard-hearted rich pay no attention to this and continue their work. What do you think, brethren? Will all the evil that greedy men do pass without punishment or not? Will the Lord require from them the tears of the unfortunate, or will He not require them? How should we look upon this?

Prologue in Sermons: April 29

 

 

A Wise Woman

April 29

(Discourse about a monk corrected by a woman.)

By Archpriest Victor Guryev

Enumerating the virtues with which Christian widows should adorn themselves, the Apostolic Constitutions say: “Every widow should be meek, silent, free from malice, not prone to anger, not talkative, not double-tongued, not inclined to meddle in others’ affairs. She should continually raise prayers to God for the Church. She should have a pure eye, a clean hearing, hands not defiled, feet at rest, and her lips should speak what is fitting… She should be temperate, reverent, modest, sing psalms, pray, read the sacred writings, fast” (Apostolic Constitutions, book 3, ch. 5 and 7, pp. 105, 109, 110. Kazan, 1864). Such should be the virtues of a Christian widow. But is that all? No; in our opinion, one more may be added.

Prologue in Sermons: February 17

The Tears of Widows Especially Reach God

February 17

(A Word on Those Who Work Signs.)

By Archpriest Victor Guryev

We often say that the Lord is the defender of widows and orphans. And we speak the truth; for indeed the Lord is their defender and at times reveals to them particular and extraordinary signs of His mercy.

Venerable Sisoes relates the following incident:

“When I was,” he says, “in the skete with Abba Makarios, and once, after leaving it, we went out for the harvest, a certain widow followed behind us, gathering ears of grain and weeping bitterly. Venerable Makarios called the elder of that village and asked him: ‘Why is the old woman who walks behind us gathering the ears of grain continually weeping?’

The elder answered: ‘Her husband entrusted some gold to a certain man for safekeeping, but soon afterward he suddenly died without telling his wife where the gold he had taken was kept. The owner of that gold now wishes to take her children into servitude.’