September: Day 10: Teaching 1:
Holy Martyrs Menodora, Metrodora, and Nymphodora
(Carelessness About One's Own Salvation is Reckless and Dangerous)
By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko
(Carelessness About One's Own Salvation is Reckless and Dangerous)
By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko
I. The Holy Martyrs Menodora, Metrodora, and Nymphodora, whose memory is celebrated today, were virgins and sisters. They lived in Bithynia in the 4th century, during the reign of Emperor Maximian Galerius. In order to save their souls, they retired to a deserted place and spent their lives in fasting and prayer. The ruler, having learned of them, called for them to come to him. Seeing the beauty of the virgins, he promised that the emperor would enrich them and marry them to noble lords if they would worship idols. "We worship the Lord Who created us, and we do not wish to hear about any god," the holy sisters told the ruler. The ruler began to frighten them with torture. "In vain do you do this," said the virgins, "the hands of the torturers will sooner grow tired and all the tools will break before we will renounce Christ." The ruler tortured the eldest of them, Menodora, and laid her disfigured corpse at the feet of the sisters. But the sisters cried out: “Blessed are you, our sister and mother! You have been deemed worthy to receive the crown of martyrdom. Pray to the Lord that He may also grant us this crown.” Then they turned to the torturers and said: “Why are you hesitating? We are ready for any torture. We ardently desire to die for Christ.” After this they were tortured. Parts of the relics of these Holy Martyrs are kept on Athos and in the Pokrovsky Cathedral. The hand of Saint Metrodora is also there, in the Pantocrator Monastery.
II. The Holy Martyrs Menodora, Metrodora, and Nymphodora, despite their youth and the seductions of the world, were very zealous in their care for the salvation of their souls; nothing turned them from this path: neither the severe feats of fasting and prayerful vigils, nor even the very torments for Christ, which ended in death. By their living example they denounced those who put aside all concern for their salvation. It is not difficult to show that the carelessness of Christians about their salvation is reckless and dangerous.
a) We, people, live on earth for heaven and in time for eternity. In this truth, in addition to the word of God, our very heart assures us, which, never satisfied with one earthly good, always strives for another and, having tasted all the blessings, remains with some kind of emptiness that cannot be filled by anything and thirsts for a new, greater and more lasting blessedness. And this very world, which cannot satisfy our heart with its blessings, but only irritates, poisons and damages it - this very world says that the enjoyment of its blessings is not the essential goal of our existence. If our existence is not limited to earthly life, if this temporary life is given to us by God so that during it we may make ourselves worthy of eternal blessings in heaven, into which, according to the word of the apostle, "no defilement shall enter" (Rev. 21:27): then what awaits in the future those who now not only do not cleanse themselves from all defilement of the flesh and spirit, but do not even think about it at all, swirling in a whirlwind of earthly vanities and pleasures? Unhappy, they are preparing for themselves after death the same fate that was suffered by the poor rich man, who, having spent his earthly days in joy and feasting, then asked for a single drop of water to cool his tongue, dried up by the fire of Gehenna! Careless sinner, be horrified by the fate that threatens you and come out of your destructive state, which in the word of God is called the sleep of death. Listen, God Himself, who does not want the death of a sinner, calls to you: "Wake up, you who sleep" (Eph. 5:14).
b) But having awakened from the sleep of death, one must not give in to the deadly slumber in which those who postpone their salvation find themselves. He who feels the need to be better in soul, and yet continues to sin, in the hope that he will one day correct himself, acts as foolishly as if someone, seeing an abyss yawning before him, began to plunge deeper and deeper into it, hoping to emerge from it later without difficulty.
c) "The merciful God," say some who are careless about their salvation, "accepts even a sinner who repents late: now we do not feel the grace-filled attraction to salvation; now it is difficult for us to struggle with sinful passions, and later they, of course, will weaken." But should His mercy really serve as an incentive for us to sin as much as possible? Should we, hearing His voice calling us to a holy life, burden ourselves more and more with sins? Moreover, we must not forget that the merciful God is also just: if He, out of mercy, still spares a sinner, then, as a just one, He is ready to punish him with death. Perhaps the mercy of God itself, vainly awaiting the correction of the sinner, will implore justice to deprive him of life, in order to thereby protect him from greater iniquities and lessen his future punishment.
d) What else will those who postpone their correction say? “Now it is difficult for us,” they say, “to struggle with sinful passions, but later they will certainly weaken.” No, brethren, man is always man! From youth to old age he is fought by passions; from youth he "thinks evil things all the day long" (Gen. 6:5). If with the years some vicious passions pass, then with them come others, so that there is not a single age in human life that would not have its weaknesses and vices that hinder our correction. But let us suppose that we have appointed a certain time during which, regardless of any obstacles, we will decide to lead a truly holy life. Who knows whether our life will continue until this saving time? Who knows, perhaps not months and years, but one day, one hour remains for us to correct ourselves? Could it be that now, at this very moment, the angel of death is hovering over us, preparing to cut the thin thread of our life and present us to the judgment of God?
III. Let us be careful and not put off our correction under empty pretexts. The hour of death will come: then it will be too late to think about it, and how will we appear faulty before the terrible Judge? What will we say to Him? Amen.
Source: A Complete Annual Cycle of Short Teachings, Composed for Each Day of the Year. Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
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