September: Day 29: Teaching 1: Venerable Kyriakos the Anchorite

September: Day 29: Teaching 1:
Venerable Kyriakos the Anchorite
 
(On the Reading of the Lives of the Saints)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. Venerable Kyriakos, whose memory is celebrated today, was born in Carthage and was the son of a priest. From his early years, Kyriakos became addicted to reading books. From morning until evening he sat with books, from which he learned about the works of God, directed to the salvation of man. So he studied biblical history and began to read the lives of the saints. This reading finally strengthened his heart, he learned many lives by heart and wanted to imitate them in his life. He withdrew into the desert and spent his entire life in asceticism.

II. Read, brethren, the lives of the saints, and you, like Kyriakos, will find for yourselves many examples worthy of imitation. The example of the saints will instruct and encourage you to do good deeds.

a) The benefits of reading the lives of saints are great and, one might say, incalculable.

The very fact that the ancient Christians were educated by reading the lives of the holy martyrs and other ascetics of piety, and were distinguished by such high piety that we even marvel at their holiness of life, that the reading of the saving lives of the saints, in which the high feats of piety are depicted, forced many sinners to reflect on their own wicked lives and converted them to the path of Christian life, that reading the lives of the saints was the favorite reading of our ancestors, who drew from them the fear of God, and love for God, and compassion for their neighbors, and complete devotion to the Providence of God, and marvelous patience in enduring the most difficult trials sent to them - this alone speaks of the great, incomparable benefit of reading spiritual narratives about the lives of the saints.

One profound expert in spiritual literature speaks beautifully “about the educational influence of the lives of the saints.” “In these books, the Church daily points out to us,” he says, “lofty examples of spiritual perfection, trying to awaken in us the spirit of holy imitation of holy people; depicts the deeds of ancient Christians in order to humble the proud spirit of the age and our nature; brings before our eyes examples of the strictest repentance and self-denial, in order, on the one hand, to protect us from daily sins, and on the other, to teach us empirically how to rise from sins, with deep contrition of heart, but without despair.

Her sacred legends are extensive in places, in order to satiate the soul, in which an insatiable taste for spiritual things has been revealed; in other places briefly, so as not to burden the lazy soul. In places they are diversified with short moral words, so that the deed finds its basis in an abstract rule and truth, and the abstract truth is immediately confirmed by deed and example. They are almost always simple, because they are true, and the people who collected these legends usually made it a rule to say: 'Do not let me lie about the saints.' In some places it is surprising how simple-minded, because the people depicted in them were children not of knowledge, but of the kingdom of God, who simplified their nature to the innocent nature of a child, according to the word of the Savior: 'Unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of God.' Everywhere they are edifying and pleasant for a pious person, despite the simplicity of form, in an artless language, caring not about how it tells, but about what it tells. Secular taste, of course, will not find in them that fire, that liveliness and entertainment, which it likes to find in secular narratives; but for that they do not teach that subtle wickedness and specious depravity, which often breathes in the carnal and impassioned story of the world" (“Readings on Church Literature or Homiletics” by Professor of the Kyiv Theological Academy, Yakiv Amfiteatrov, Part I, p. 263).

b) But how should we, brethren, read the lives of the saints and what should we observe so that the reading of the lives is both pleasing and soul-profiting? The lives of the saints, brethren, are not simple secular writings, but spiritual and saving, and therefore they must be read not only with attention, but also with reverence.

1) When reading slowly, one must first of all contemplate, i.e. vividly imprint in the mind and heart the wondrous deeds of earthly life and the glory of the heavenly glorification of the saint, and then stop more often and indulge in reverent reflection on what has been read.

2) It is necessary, further, to go deeper within ourselves and listen attentively to the voice of conscience, which exposes our sinfulness, to look closely at what a nonentity we are and what spiritual poverty we have, in comparison with these heroes of the spirit, giants of faith!

3) After that, my brethren, immediately awaken in yourselves and strengthen good intentions to follow in the footsteps of the holy teachers in faith and virtues.

4) Along with reading the lives of the saints at home, one should attentively and reverently contemplate the “icon” of the saint in the church; listen to everything that is read, sung and said here “in the church of God” about the holy saints of God.

c) It is impossible not to cite here some advice from Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk regarding the reading of books of Orthodox Christian content in general.

“There is no benefit,” he says, “to read a book and not to do what the book teaches. Accordingly, one who reads a book should do the following:

1) He should read above all the Holy Scriptures, and after them other Christian Orthodox books – read not many sheets and pages, for it is impossible for one who has read a lot to understand everything and keep it in memory.

2) Read a little and reflect a lot on what is read, for in this way what is read is better understood and deepened in memory, and thus the mind is enlightened.

3) Look whether what is read in the book is understandable or incomprehensible. When you understand what you are reading, it is good; but when you do not understand, leave it and proceed forward (i.e. read). What is incomprehensible will either be explained by the next reading, or, with God’s help, will be clarified by repeated reading.

4) What the book teaches to avoid, what it teaches to seek and do, try to do in practice. Avoid evil and do good: every Christian Orthodox book teaches this.

5) When you only sharpen your mind from a book, but do not correct your will, then from reading the book you will be worse than you were before. For learned and intelligent fools are worse than simple ignoramuses.

6) Remember that it is better to love in a Christian way than to understand highly; it is better to live beautifully than to speak beautifully. “Reason boasts, but love creates.”

7) What you yourself learn with God's help, lovingly teach others on occasion, so that the seed sown will grow and bear fruit worthy of the heavenly kingdom.”

III. Through the prayers of our Venerable Father Kyriakos, may the Lord grant us both love for reading the soul-profiting lives of the saints and imitation of them!

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