This homily by Saint Gregory, "On the Love of Poverty", is read
during the Night-Vigil of Meatfare Sunday, in accordance with the
ancient Rubric of the Triodion of Easter.
Prologue
Saint Gregory is not only a great father and
teacher of the Church, but also her most eminent theologian after the
apostle and evangelist John. Born between 326 and 329 in Arianzus, near
Nazianzus of Cappadocia, of well-to-do parents, he obtained a great
classical and theological education. Together with his fellow student
and friend Saint Basil the Great, archbishop of Caesarea of Cappadocia,
and Saint Gregory, bishop of Nyssa, he belongs to the “great
Cappadocians”. From his father, Gregory also, bishop of Nazianzus, he
was ordained presbyter and from Saint Basil bishop of Sasima. In any
case, since he was a monastic nature, he dedicated the greater portion
of his life to isolation and ascesis.
In 379 he was called to Constantinople, to deal
with the heresy of Arianism. With the small church of the Resurrection
as a centre, he catechized, taught, gave his famous homilies about the
godhead of the Son, which secured him the characterization of
Theologian, and he rejuvenated Orthodoxy, despite the fact that he faced
the violent reaction of the Arians. Since he served Archbishop of
Constantinople for a small time period (November 380-June 381), he
resigned from the throne and he retired to his birthplace, where he
dealt with the writing and the fighting of the heretical Apollinarists
up to his repose in 390.
As an author Saint Gregory is characterized by
theological depth, intense poetry, oratorical skill and deep knowledge
of the Attic speech. His texts, as many as were preserved, are
distinguished in epistles (246), theological and historical epics (at
least 396) and homilies (43). His homilies comprise his highest
creations, both from a theological and also from a literary viewpoint,
are divided in dogmatic, apologetic, festive, encomiastic-funerary and
moralistic-social ones. One of the last is also the homily “Concerning
love of poverty”, an anthology of which follows in a free Modern Greek
rendering.
In this speech, which was given very likely in
Caesarea around 370, the sacred author, with unparalleled oratorical
power, diverse expressive schemes, fine linguistic colorings and vivid
images, manages to captivate the reader, to inspire compassion and
philanthropy in him, to convince him of the necessity of social
supportiveness.
Love of poverty
It is not at all easy for one to find the highest
of all the virtues and to give it the first place and reward, as
precisely it is not easy for one to find in a fully blossoming and
fragrant field the most beautiful and fragrant flower, as sometimes the
one and sometimes the other draws his attention and causes him to cut
the first. So thus, I think that good virtues are faith, hope and love.
And witnesses of faith are Abraham, who was justified by his faith.
Witnesses of hope are Enoch who first supported his hope in the
invocation of the Lord, and all the righteous ones, who suffer hardships
in the hope of salvation. Witnesses of love, finally, are the Apostle
Paul, who reached the point of praying for his own perdition for the
sake of his brother Israelites, and God himself, who is named love (1
Jn. 4:8).
Hospitality is good. And witnesses of this
are of the righteous Lot, the Sodomite in residence but not a Sodomite
in conduct, and of the sinners Rahab, the prostitute in body not
prostitute in disposition, who was praised and saved by hospitality
(Joshua of Nun 2:1-21).
Longsuffering is good. And witnesses of this
are Christ himself, who did not want to use the legions of His angels
against His torturers and not only scolded Peter, when he drew his
sword, but also the ear, which he had cut, He placed again in its place.
Stephen, the disciple of Christ did the same thing later on, who was
praying for those who were stoning him.
Meekness is good. And witnesses of this are
Moses and David, who above all as meek were witnessed by the Scripture,
as also their Teacher, the God-man (Theanthropos) Jesus, who neither
argued nor cried out nor shouted in the squares nor resisted those who
had captured Him.
Prayer and vigil are good. And a witness of this is the Lord, who before His passion kept vigil and prayed.
Good are purity and virginity. And witnesses
of this are both Paul, who instituted them, rewarding justly both
marriage and celibacy, as well as Jesus himself, who was born of a
Virgin, to honor birth but to prefer virginity.
Good is humble-mindedness. And witnesses of
this are many, with the main one again being the Saviour and Lord of
all, who was humbled, not only taking on the form of a servant, handing
over His face to shame and to the spitting and numbering Himself with
the transgressors. He, who cleanses the world of sin, but also washes
the feet of His disciples like a servant. Good is non possessiveness and
the scorn of money. And witnesses of this are both Zacchaeus, who, as
soon as Christ entered his home, distributed almost all his belongings,
as well as the Lord Himself again, who, speaking to that rich youth,
limited perfection in precisely this thing (Matt. 19:21).
In short, good are vision, good is also
action. Vision because it elevates us from the earthly things and leads
to the holy of holies and brings back the mind to its original natural
condition, and action because it welcomes Christ, serves Him and proves
love with the works. Every virtue is also a path which leads to
salvation, to one of the eternal and blessed places. Because, as there
are many ways of life, thus there also exist many places near God, which
are separated and distributed analogous with each one’s action. And let
one exercise the one virtue, another the other, another many together
and another all of them, if of course this is possible. So long as one
proceeds and strives for the highest, following step by step Him who
leads him well and guides him and places him, from within the narrow
path and gate, to the vast heavenly blessedness.
And if Paul, who also follows Christ,
considers love as the first and greatest commandment, as the summary of
the law and of the prophets, its better portion I consider to be love
for the poor and, in general, compassion and kindness to fellow humans.
Because, nothing else pleases God so much and nothing else is as beloved
to Him as compassion. She, together with the truth, goes before Him and
she must be offered to Him before the Judgment. But also in nothing
else is given as recompense by Him, who judges with righteousness and
weighs with precision the compassion, as in philanthropy, philanthropy.
So to all the poor and to those who for whatsoever reason suffer
hardship, we ought to show compassion, according to the commandment:
“Partake in the joy of whoever rejoices and in the sadness of whoever is
sad” (Rom. 12:15). And we ought to offer to people, as we are also
people, the expression of our kindness, when they need it, beaten by
some misfortune, for example widowhood or orphanhood or being in a
foreign land or harsh bosses or unjust rulers or uncompassionate tax
collectors, or murderous thieves or insatiable thieves or the taking
away of estates or shipwreck. All are worthy of pity. Everyone sees our
hands, as we see God’s hands.
So what will we do, who have been honoured
with the great name “Christians” and we comprise the chosen and distinct
people who ought to be occupied with good and saving works? What will
we disciples of the meek and philanthropic Jesus do, who carried our
sins, humbled, taking on our human nature, and he became poor, for us to
become rich with divinity? What will we do having before us such a
great model of compassion and kindness? Will we overlook our fellow men?
Will we scorn them? Will we abandon them? Everything else, my brethren.
These don’t suit us, who are nurtured by Christ the good Shepherd, who
brings back the wandering sheep and searches to find the lost one and
supports the weak one. But they don’t suit neither our human nature,
which imposes kindness, since from its weakness itself it learned piety
and philanthropy. Why, with all these things, don’t we help our fellow
men, while it is still time? Why do we live in enjoyment, whereas our
brethren in misfortune? Let me never become rich, if they are deprived!
Let me not have health, if I don’t put balsam on their wounds! Let me
never become filled, let me never get dressed, let me never be calm in a
home, if I don’t give them bread and clothing, as much as I can, and
if I don’t give them rest in my home.
Let us entrust all in Christ, to follow Him
truly, carrying His cross, for us to ascend to the heavenly world
lightly and comfortably, without anything pulling us downwards, and for
us to gain in the place of all these Christ, lifted up thanks to our
humility and enriched thanks to our poverty. Or, at least, let us share
with Christ our belongings, for them to be sanctified somewhat with
their correct possession and the offering of a portion of them to the
poor.
Won’t we recover, even if late? Won’t we
defeat our senselessness, so that I don’t say our stinginess? Won’t we
think as humans? Won’t we put mentally in the place of foreign
misfortunes our possible misfortunes? Because, truly, none of the human
things are certain, nothing is firm, nothing is independent of other
factors, and nothing is based on unchangeable presuppositions. Our life
turns in a circle, a circle, which brings many changes, often in one
day, sometimes in one hour. It is more certain for one to entrust the
wind, which moves ceaselessly, it is safer for one to entrust the line,
which a seafaring ship leaves on the waters, it is more certain for one
to entrust the deceptive dreams of one night, whose enjoyment lasts so
little, it is more certain for one to entrust whatever the children
trace on the sand, when they play than human happiness.
So they are prudent, who, not having trust in
the present things, strive to secure themselves for the future.
Because human prosperity is unstable and changing, they love kindness,
which is not lost, to gain at least the one of the three: Either the
compassion of God, who always benefactors in heaven the pious people for
their earthly good works. Or boldness before God because they suffered
hardship not for some evil, but for some good purpose. Or, finally,
God’s philanthropy, as they first showed philanthropy to the poor,
benefiting smartly.
Let the wise person not boast of his wisdom,
says the Lord, nor the mighty person for his might. Nor he rich person
for his wealth” (Jer.9:23), even if they have reached the highest point
of wisdom, might, or wealth. I, though, will add those things also which
follow: neither the notable person for his glory nor the strong person
for his health nor the handsome person for his beauty nor the young
person for his youth nor, in short, no one else for whatsoever else of
what is praised in this world and causes pride. But, whoever boasts,
only for this let him boast, in that he knows and seeks God, he suffers
together with those who are suffering and entrusts his hopes for good
things in the future. Because the present goods are passing and
temporal. They constantly move and go from the one to the other, like
the soccer ball. And there is nothing more certain for the person who
possesses them, than that he will lose them in time or out of envy. On
the contrary, the future goods are firm and permanent. They are never
lost, they never go from the one to the other, they never betray the
hopes of whoever trusts in them.
“Who is wise, to understand these things?”
(Hos.14:10). Who will be indifferent of ephemeral things and will pay
attention to the permanent things? Who will ponder that the present
things will pass? Who will consider that the awaited things will remain?
Who will distinguish the real from the seeming ones, to follow the
former and scorn the latter? Who will distinguish earthly residence from
the heavenly lifestyle, the sojourning dwelling from the habitation,
the darkness from the light, the mud of the depth from the holy lands,
the flesh from the spirit, God from the ruler of the world devil, the
shadow of death from eternal life? Who will expiate with the present
things the future things, with the corrupt wealth the incorrupt wealth,
with the visible the invisible things? So blessed is he who
distinguishes these things, separates with the sword of the Word the
better from the worse, is elevated with his heart, as the sacred David
says somewhere (Psalm 83:6), he leaves with all his strength far from
this valley of pain, pursues the goods which are in heaven, is
crucified for the world together with Christ, is resurrected together
with Christ, ascends to the heavenly habitations together with Christ
and becomes an inheritor of true life, which is never altered any more.
Let us follow the Word, let us strive for the
heavenly enjoyment, let us be delivered from the earthly estate. Let us
hold from the earthly things only whatever is good, let us save our
souls with charities, let us give of our belongings to the poor, to
become rich in eternal goods. Give something to the soul also, not to
the flesh only. Give something to God also, not to the world only. Take
something from the belly and give it to the spirit. Take something from
the fire, which burns up the earthly things, and take it away from the
flame. Grab something from the tyrant and entrust it to the Lord. Give a
little to Him, who has offered you the much. Give all of them even to
Him who has granted you everything. You will never surpass the
generosity of God, even if you give all your belongings, even if you add
to these even your own self. Because even the offering of your own self
to God is equal with obtaining. No matter how many things you offer,
those which remain are more. And you will not give something your own,
because you have taken everything from God.
Let us not become, my beloved friends and
brethren, evil stewards of the goods which were given us. Let us not
strive to treasure and store up things, while others are suffering from
hunger. Let us imitate the highest and chief law of God, who sends rain
to the just and the unjust and dawns the sun also for everyone. He made
the land spacious for all the land animals, He created springs, rivers,
forests, air for the birds and waters for the animals which live in the
sea, and He gave to all the beings the necessary elements for their
life, without limiting them in any authority, without any written law
defining them, without borders preventing them. And these elements He
gave them common and richly, without distinguishing and being cut off,
honoring the similarity of nature with the equality of the gift and
showing the wealth of His goodness. People however once they took out
from land gold, silver and the precious stones, once they made soft
clothes and superfluous and once they obtained other similar things,
which comprise causes of wars and revolutions and tyrannical states,
were overcome by irrational haughtiness. Thus, they don’t show
compassion to their unfortunate fellow humans and don’t want even with
their excess to give the necessary things to the others. What vulgarity!
What harshness! They don’t think, if not anything else, that poverty
and wealth, freedom and slavery and the other similar things appeared in
the human race after the fall of the first created beings, like
illnesses which appear together with the evil and which are its own
inventions. Initially however, things did not happen thus, says the
Scripture (Matt. 19:8), but He who created man in the beginning, left
him free, with free will restrained only from the law of the command –
and rich in the paradise of delight. This freedom and this wealth God
wanted to grant -and granted- through the first man, and to the
remaining human race. Freedom and wealth were only the keeping of the
commandment. True poverty and slavery were its transgression. So after
the transgression envies and arguments and the sly tyranny of the devil
appeared, which sways everything with the gluttony of pleasure and stirs
up the more daring people against the weaker ones. After the
transgression, the human race was separated into various races with
various names and avarice cut up the nobility of nature, after it also
took the law as its helper. You however look at the original unity and
equality, not the final division. Not the law which prevailed, but the
law of the Creator. Help, as much as you can, nature, honor the former
freedom, show respect to yourself, cover the dishonour of your race,
assist in illness, help in one’s need.
Let the healthy person console the sick
person, the rich person, the poor person, the upright person the fallen
person, the joyous person the sad one, the happy one the unfortunate
one. Give something to God as a pleasant gift, for that you are one of
those who can benefactor and not one of those who has need to be
benefactored, for that you are not awaiting help from the hands of
others, but of your own hands others are awaiting help. Become rich not
only in estate, but also in piety, not only in gold, but also in
virtue, or rather only in virtue. Become more honourable than the
neighbour by showing more kindness. Become a god for the unfortunate
person by imitating God’s compassion. Give something, even slight, to
him who has need. Because even the slightest thing is not unimportant
for the person who is deprived of everything, but neither also for God,
since it is analogous with your capabilities. Instead of a great
offering, give your eagerness. And if you don’t have anything, shed
tears. Kindness with one’s whole soul is a great medicine for him who is
in misfortune. True compassion comforts very much in one’s misfortune.
Man doesn’t have less value, than the animal, who, if he is lost or
falls in a pit, the law commands you to lift it up and to gather it up
(Deut. 22:1-4). How much compassion, consequently, ought we to show to
our fellow man, when furthermore even with the irrational animals we
ought to be kind? “The Scripture says “Whoever gives charity to a poor
person lends to God” (Prov. 19:17). Who won’t accept such a debtor, who,
aside from the loan, will also give interest, when the time comes? And
elsewhere again he says: “With the charities and with honesty sins are
cleansed” (Prov.15:27a).
So let us cleanse ourselves with charity, let
us wash with the good herb the filth and our stains, let us become
white, others like cotton and others like snow, each one analogous with
his compassion. “Blessed”, he says, “whoever shows mercy to others,
because God will show them His mercy” (Matt. 5:7). Mercy is underlined
in the beatitudes. And elsewhere: “Blessed is he who has compassion on
the poor 8 and the deprived person” (Psalm 40:2). And: “A good person is
he who has compassion on others and lends to them” (Psalm 111:5). And:
“The righteous person always gives charity and lends” (Psalm 36:26). Let
us grab the beatitude, let us understand it, let us respond to its
calling, let us become good people. Neither let night interrupt your
charity. “Don’t say, “Leave now and come again tomorrow for me to give
you help” (Prov. 3:28), because from today to tomorrow something may
happen, which will put to naught the benefaction. Philanthropy is the
only thing which doesn’t take a delay. “Distribute your bread to those
who are hungry and put in your home the poor, who don’t have a roof”
(Is. 58:7). And do these things with eagerness “Whoever gives charity”,
says the apostle, “let us do it with pleasure and sweetness” (Rom.
12:8). With eagerness, your good is considered as double. The charity
which happens with distress or by force is ungraceful and tasteless. We
should celebrate and not mourn, when we do kindnesses. Maybe you think
that philanthropy is not necessary, but voluntary? Maybe you think that
it does not comprise a law, but a counsel and urging? I would very much
like it if it were thus. And thus I thought of it. But whatever the
Scripture says about those who, on the day of Judgment, the Just Judge
will place on His left, as a habitation, and He condemns them, scares me
(Matt. 25:31-46). They are not condemned because they stole or robbed
or were lewd or did whatsoever else of whatever God forbids, but because
they didn’t show care for Christ through the unfortunate man.
So while it is time let us visit Christ, let
us take care of Him, let us feed Him, let us dress Him, let us gather
Him in, let us honor Him. Not only with a meal, like some, not only with
myrrh, like Maria, not only with the tomb, like Joseph of Arimathea,
not only with burial, like the Christ-loving Nicodemus, not only with
gold, incense and myrrh, like the Magi earlier on. But because the Lord
of all wants mercy and not sacrifice and because compassion is better
than the sacrifice of myriads of well fed lambs, let us offer Him
through those who have need, through those who are today in a harsh
position, so that they welcome us in the heavenly kingdom, when we leave
from this world and go near our Lord, Christ, to whom is due glory
unto the ages. Amen.
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Translated by Fr. Nicholas Palis from the Greek Book “Voice of the Fathers”
The Sacred Paracletos Monastery, Oropos, Attica.
Translated by Fr. Nicholas Palis from the Greek Book “Voice of the Fathers”
The Sacred Paracletos Monastery, Oropos, Attica.
