September: Day 3: Teaching 1:
Holy Hieromartyr Anthimos
(On the Necessity for Christians in All States of Life to Strictly Adhere to the Truth and to Act According to the Duty of Their Calling)
By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko
(On the Necessity for Christians in All States of Life to Strictly Adhere to the Truth and to Act According to the Duty of Their Calling)
By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko
The Holy Hieromartyr Anthimos, whose memory is celebrated today, was chosen bishop of his native city of Nicomedia during the difficult time of persecution of Christians, raised by the emperors Diocletian and Maximian, which fell with particular cruelty on the Christians in Nicomedia, where these emperors lived for the most part. When a fire broke out, which destroyed part of the imperial palace and which was attributed to Christians, then an order was issued to exterminate mercilessly and by all means those who were recognized as dangerous enemies of the state. On the very feast of the Nativity of Christ, 20,000 Christians were burned in one church in Nicomedia.
They persecuted mainly the pastors of the Church, and therefore measures were taken to find Bishop Anthimos, who, by special inspiration of God, was staying at that time in a nearby village and from there sent out written exhortations for the support and consolation of his distressed flock.
Having learned of his whereabouts, the persecutors sent soldiers to bring him to Nicomedia. When the soldiers reached the village where Anthimos was, they met him by chance and asked him: "Where is the Christian teacher Anthimos hiding here?"
“Come into my house and rest,” the bishop answered them, realizing that the hour of his contest had come, “I will show you where the one you are looking for is hiding.”
And having received into his house those who had come to take him, Anthimos hospitably entertained them and then said to them: "I am that Bishop Anthimos for whom you were sent, take me and lead me to those who sent you." The soldiers were touched by the meekness of the venerable elder, and were ashamed, and did not dare to take him. "Try to hide," they suggested to him, "and we will say that we could not find you anywhere." "No," the saint answered them, "it is a great sin before God to act against the truth; it is criminal to deceive anyone, and especially your king, or to allow deception in the performance of duty. But you will honestly fulfill what you are entrusted with; after all, you are not guilty of fulfilling the unlawful assignment entrusted to you."
And Anthimos set off with the soldiers. On the way he conversed with them and so influenced their simple hearts that during the journey itself, when they came to a river, they wished to be baptized immediately.
Anthimos, however, when he appeared before his persecutors, firmly confessed his faith and with the same unshakable faith endured all the tortures and was finally beheaded with the sword (in 303).
II. The Holy Martyr Anthimos, a strict guardian of truth, who did not want soldiers to allow an apparently innocent deception in order to hide it from the court, may he serve as a living example for us of the truth that a Christian in all states and ranks of life must be truthful and act in accordance with the duty of his calling.
Each and everyone must observe the truth, according to their ability, in their own circle; and they must demand the truth from themselves with greater severity than from others.
a) If love of truth animates those who judge the earth, it, like the sun, shines upon the people, illuminates for them the paths of truth, excites and nourishes in them the life of truth, softens in them what is cruel, warms what is cold, dispels the darkness of wickedness and malice, tempts the impurities of vices and wickedness. Thus truth elevates the tongue.
b) Spiritual pastors must be examples of truthfulness. "Your priests, O Lord, shall be clothed with truth" (Ps. 3:9). Truth for us must be a garment or a garment that would clothe all the members of our being, all the instruments of our action, so that nothing in us would appear naked in untruth to tempt the people. If we feed on the bread of the altar, but do not feed those who come to it with the word of life, do not give them to drink the spirit of prayer, if we teach others, but ourselves act contrary to our teaching: what truth is there? And can our service in this case be a service of peace for the people? In the kingdoms of the earth there have already been experiences that in such cases it began with neglect for those serving the altar, and ended with apostasy from the faith. We must serve the altar with all our strength and ability, with all our time, with all our life: this is the truth with which the priests of the Lord must be clothed.
c) Who is fighting? John the Baptist expressed the truth of this calling in the following words: "Do wrong to no one, nor slander them, and be content with your wages" (Luke 3:14). Or in other words: from the soldier comes safety and security to the community, from the community comes honor and contentment to the soldier. But if he who should protect a peaceful citizen from the insults of external enemies during a battle, will in time of peace offend him, or compel him to give for himself that for which he is given dues from the government; or if the weapon entrusted to the soldier for the defense of the fatherland becomes in his hands an instrument of private anger and revenge in domestic discord, and the blind sword, or firearms are made the judge and resolver of strife: what is the truth here! If so: then what is the use of public law and order, what is the use of royal justice? Let us leave everything to the force, anger, and vengeance of each; but then, says the apostle, even "if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another" (Gal. 5:15).
(d) Is anyone a citizen who lives by trade or art? The right of his calling is to deliver the products, or the acquisitions of his activity, to those who have need of them, at a fair price; and from them, what is called profit, to receive as a reward for his labor, or better, as a means of his subsistence. If the seller wants to take as much profit as the ignorance or inattention of the buyer will allow - if, having increased his profit, he is not content with a decent maintenance for himself and his family, but wants to imitate the great in magnificence: what justice is there? And can the fruits of peace for society come from this? Trade, allowing deception, will make the trader contemptible in the eyes of other members of society; mutual trust will become impoverished; to say briefly: untruth will give birth to untruth, and all the untruths of various ranks and conditions will have one harmonious direction to destroy the peace or well-being of society.
III. We would not soon finish if we wanted to present the various types of truth that are required of each of us, according to his rank, condition, and various relationships in society. The truth that can teach everything most easily is the Gospel truth, which commands us to love not only those who love us, but also our enemies; to lend to those in need, without expectation of reward, to suffer for the truth, without grumbling, and not to turn away from the truth in order to avoid suffering, to always speak the truth and to flee from lies, whose father is the devil. If this truth shines in our hearts, then its light will not go out, and the multitude of its peace will not become scarce, until the moon is taken away. Amen.
Source: A Complete Annual Cycle of Short Teachings, Composed for Each Day of the Year. Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
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