November: Day 23: Teaching 2: Saint Metrophanes, Bishop of Voronezh

November: Day 23: Teaching 2:
Saint Metrophanes, Bishop of Voronezh
 
(On How to Acquire Wealth, Health and Eternal Salvation of the Soul in a Christian Manner)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. The holy and now blessed Metrophanes, the first Bishop of Voronezh, known as Makarios as a schemamonk, came from the clergy and was born in 1623 in the Vladimir diocese. Having been widowed at the age of 40, he took monastic vows. For the strictness of his life he was elevated to the rank of abbot and administered monasteries, first Yakhrom, then Unzhensky. In 1682 he was made Bishop of the newly opened Voronezh diocese and participated in the coronation of Ivan and Peter Alekseevich. For twenty years Saint Metrophanes administered the diocese, establishing churches in it, improving the monasteries and edifying his flock by word and example. Among other things, he outlined the following rules of life: "Employ labor, maintain moderation - you will be rich; observe moderation in food and drink - you will be healthy; do good, avoid evil - you will be saved."

The Saint enjoyed special respect from Emperor Peter I, whom he helped more than once with monetary donations "for the military." The Saint died on November 23, 1703. The Tsar arrived in Voronezh and, together with his ascetics, carried his coffin for burial. On August 6, 1832, his holy relics were discovered, and he was canonized.

II. Pay attention, brethren, to the wise rules of life outlined by Saint Metrophanes. They lead to the possession of well-being, health and salvation of the soul.

Yes, these things are really very important: wealth and health are very desirable for almost everyone in this life, and blessedness is the object of universal desire for the future. Saint Metrophanes, Bishop of Voronezh, offers us the simplest and most accessible means for obtaining these blessings for everyone - both for the rich and the poor, both for the noble and the ignoble. For this, there is no need to travel to distant countries, or to cross stormy seas, or to be exposed to any dangers.

a) It is hard for a poor person to live in this world; everyone would like to have prosperity. Who is not tired of poverty and destitution? Who would not want to live peacefully and contentedly? For this, Saint Metrophanes offers us the following advice: “Employ labor, maintain moderation - you will be rich.” After all, we all know well that the main reason for poverty is, for the most part, an idle life and one that is inconsistent with one’s situation, when not only does one’s fortune not increase, but what one has inherited is soon destroyed. So, whoever wants to be rich or at least live without need, must certainly work in the class in which the Lord has placed him, and his labor will never remain without due reward - only one must maintain moderation in the reward received from labor, maintain moderation in clothing, food, and drink, and especially in the use of wine, “for he who loves wine and oil,” in the words of the wise man, “will not be rich.”

b) Likewise, who among us does not want to be healthy? Health is much more valuable than wealth. "Better poor but healthy," says Sirach, "than rich but wounded in body." In order to obtain health, many would give up wealth and honors. Saint Metrophanes offers us this advice: "Observe moderation in food and drink - you will be healthy." And indeed, the main cause of our illnesses is intemperance in food and drink. An abstinent person maintains even his very weak health and often lives to old age, but an intemperate person ruins even his strongest health and prematurely brings himself closer to the grave.

c) Finally, who among us does not want to receive eternal salvation? This is the main purpose of our existence on earth. In order to receive salvation, many have abandoned wealth, honors, did not spare their health, lived in deserts and caves of the earth, and died joyfully. So Saint Metrophanes offers us advice on this too: "Do good, avoid evil - you will be saved." What could be easier and more convenient to fulfill than this? Everything should motivate us to do good: reason, conscience, and the law of our Savior, and everything should turn us away from doing evil, since evil is not characteristic of man, created for good.

III. Such are the advices of Saint Metrophanes for each of us to obtain wealth, health and salvation. True advice, tested by himself. He, by his rank, was Bishop of the city of Voronezh and received at his time a small monetary reward for his labors; but since he kept moderation in everything, he was rich, so that he more than once helped Emperor Peter, who needed money to build a fleet against the unbelievers. Saint Metrophanes ate moderately, drank little and, having lived to a ripe old age, died at the age of 80. In life he did good to everyone and everything, and avoided evil, and for this the Lord placed his soul in the place of the saints, and glorified his body with incorruptibility and miracles, so that the Saint heals not only those who come with faith to his healing relics, but also those who are far away from various diseases.

Source: A Complete Annual Cycle of Short Teachings, Composed for Each Day of the Year. Translated by John Sanidopoulos.