March: Day 12: Teaching 1: Saint Gregory the Dialogist, Pope of Rome

 

March: Day 12: Teaching 1:
Saint Gregory the Dialogist, Pope of Rome
 
(Under What Conditions is Philanthropy Not Pleasing to God?)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. Saint Gregory the Dialogist, Pope of Rome, whose memory is celebrated today, descended from a noble and pious Roman family. He left worldly life and the noble office of governor and entered the Monastery of Saint Andrew the First-Called, which he founded. Having distributed all his property to the poor and to monasteries, Saint Gregory spent his life in extreme poverty, and struggled in abstinence and prayer. Elected Bishop of Rome, he refused the episcopal rank for a long time and hid in secret places. When his refuge was discovered, he submitted to the election and accepted the rank of Pope of Rome. Full of humility and ardent love for God and neighbor, Gregory was burdened by his high rank, but zealously fulfilled the duties imposed on him: he used all his income to help the poor, with the firm word of a shepherd he pacified the enemies who attacked Italy, sent preachers of the Christian faith to distant countries, for example, he sent Augustine to England, wrote commentaries on the Holy Scripture, in conversations he expounded the lives and miracles of Italian saints; for these conversations he was called the Dialogist. He is credited with putting in writing the rite of the Liturgy of the Presanctified, which until then had been celebrated according to oral tradition.

The following story is told about his mercy. While living in the Monastery of Saint Andrew, Saint Gregory gave six gold coins to a man who, some time later, having been subjected to a terrible storm at sea, lost all his wealth and again came to Gregory to ask for help. Gregory, having no money with him, gave him a silver plate. Later, already occupying the papal throne, Saint Gregory once ordered a dinner to be prepared for twelve poor wanderers. But during the meal, to his utter surprise, he noticed that not twelve but thirteen people were sitting at the table. After dinner, Saint Gregory, having dismissed everyone, approached the one whom he had seen before to ask his name. It turned out that this was his guardian angel, who, having once appeared to him in the form of a beggar, tested his mercy and, from then on, was with him constantly, protecting his life. Saint Gregory fell on his knees and thanked God.

II. Saint Gregory the Dialogist gives us, brethren, a lesson to be merciful to our neighbors.

The needs of our neighbors are of two kinds: physical and spiritual. Whoever, out of a feeling of compassion, helps his neighbors in their needs, does works of mercy, namely: physical, if the works of mercy relate to the body of the neighbor, or spiritual, if the works of mercy relate to the soul of the neighbor.

Jesus Christ Himself listed the most important of the bodily works of mercy when He said: "I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me" (Matt. 25:35–36).

But when we admonish the sinner, teach the ignorant, especially in what is necessary for the salvation of the soul, give good advice to the doubting, console the grieving, the despairing, etc., then we do spiritual works of mercy. Both those and other works of mercy constitute a very important duty for us.

Helping our neighbors in their needs is a very important duty of ours. The Lord says: "Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful" (Luke 6:36). "Be merciful, love your brethren, be compassionate, be kind," says the Apostle Peter (1 Peter 3:8). "Let brotherly love continue. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels. Remember the prisoners as if chained with them — those who are mistreated — since you yourselves are in the body also..., do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased," says the Apostle Paul (Hebrews 13:1, 2, 16).

So that we may help our neighbors in their needs with greater zeal and love, the Lord urges us to do it so strongly that a greater urge for us, free beings, is impossible. Namely, the Lord declared that the assistance we render to our needy brethren He recognizes as rendered to Himself, and He also recognizes our refusal to help our neighbors as a refusal made to Himself, and therefore He will say to such: "Because you have not done it to one of the least of these, you have not done it to Me. Depart from Me, you cursed, into everlasting fire" (Matthew 25:41, 45).

However, not every help given to needy neighbors is pleasing to God. In order for help given to neighbors to be pleasing to God, it must necessarily be done out of love for God and for neighbor. For there are only two commandments, as the Lord said: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart," etc., and: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself" (Mark 12:30, 31), so that on these two commandments all the law and the prophets hang (Matt. 22:40).

a) He who gives alms to the poor in order to be known as generous, so that he will be praised and respected - his alms are not worthy of their name, and mean nothing to the Lord God, because such a benefactor does not do philanthropy out of love for God and his neighbor, but out of love of glory and ambition. He already receives his reward here, and therefore is deprived of the heavenly one.

b) Whoever diligently looks after some sick person in order to receive an inheritance through his spiritual life, his looking after the sick person, as not based on love, is not worthy of the name of Christ's help, and has no merit with the Lord God.

c) He who helps the poor in order to dispose him to some mutual service, especially to the fulfillment of some criminal desire, intention, undertaking, - his work is by no means a matter of love for his neighbor, but love only for himself, and not only is he not worthy of a reward from God, but also, if he is not atoned for by repentance, he will be punished by God.

d) He who gives a ruble to someone in need, in order to receive a thousand from the Lord God in this life, or some important earthly benefits, his alms are not worthy of their name, and mean nothing to the Lord God. For he who helps someone in need in this way, helps not out of love for God and his neighbor, but out of self-interest: he has nothing to expect from the Lord God.

e) Whoever provides some material assistance to someone in need, and what he provides, takes without permission, secretly, from others. For example: when children take from their parents, servants from their masters, subordinates from their boss, then such assistance is not alms, but theft, and therefore not a virtue, but a sin, although many, unfortunately, do not understand this.

f) He who by theft or in some other unjust way appropriated to himself more or less significant property of another, and thinks that if he gives something from this property to the needy, he will be freed from the obligation to return the property of another to whom it belongs, he does not give alms, but sins. The very first duty of such people is to return in abundance the unjustly acquired property of another to its owner. The publican Zacchaeus, who rightly felt the duty concerning the property of another in his possession, at his repentance said to the Lord: "Behold, half of my goods I give to the poor, and if I have wronged anyone in any way, I will restore fourfold."

g) He who gives help to someone in need should not give it only out of decency, reluctantly, with sorrow, or even with annoyance, for example, just to get rid of a persistent petitioner. For someone who gives help in this way, his help is obviously not a matter of Christian love for his neighbor; and is undoubtedly unpleasant to God, because "God loves a cheerful giver" (2 Cor. 9:7).

III. Therefore, give all aid to those in need, as each one can, but give it as you ought; give it, not seeking human glory, your own advantage, or anything like that; give it willingly, give it out of love for God and your neighbor. Let everyone strive to sow for a blessing (abundantly), so that he may reap for a blessing (abundantly) in the life to come (2 Cor. 9:6). The souls to whom the Lord will say at the Last Judgment: "Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world" (Matt. 25:34), will forever be intoxicated with inexpressible blessedness. Amen. 

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