October: Day 22: Teaching 6: Saint Abercius, Equal to the Apostles

October: Day 22: Teaching 6:
Saint Abercius, Equal to the Apostles
 
(Serving Others Should Be the First Goal of Our Life)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. Saint Abercius, now remembered by the Church, lived in the 2nd century and was bishop of the city of Hierapolis in Phrygia. At that time, the Christian faith was just beginning to spread throughout the Roman Empire, and there were many cities whose population was almost exclusively pagan. Hierapolis was one of these cities. One day, Saint Abercius witnessed a pagan festival in the city and looked on with sorrow as the people worshiped idols. Abercius was filled with zeal for the glory of God, took a staff in his hands and went to the pagan temple where the sacrifices had just ended. Entering the temple, Abercius began to smash the idols standing there. When the priests noticed this, they immediately reported what had happened to the city leaders; the people also learned of this and everyone hurried to the temple. The idolaters became very angry and were about to set fire to Abercius’s house. The bishop's friends and neighbors, seeing the crowd approaching, wanted to save him from danger and advised him to hide somewhere for a while until the commotion died down, but the Saint was not afraid of the crowd, went out to the assembled people and began to speak about the vanity of idols, trying to turn the people away from idolatry and attract them to the true God. The pagans were already ready to rush at the Saint and kill him, when suddenly an event occurred that gave a different turn to the matter. Suddenly, confusion arose in the crowd of people: three possessed youths raised a terrible cry, tore their clothes and fell to the ground foaming at the mouth. "Abercius," they shouted, "we implore you by the one true God, Whom you preach, do not torment us!" The people fell silent at these cries: everyone was waiting to see what Abercius would do. The Saint took pity on the possessed and began to pray to God for the healing of the youths, after which they felt completely healthy and began to thank the Saint with tears. This miraculous healing softened the rage of the people, who saw in Abercius not an enemy, but a healer and benefactor. Instead of cries of anger and hatred, exclamations began to be heard in the crowd: "There is only one true God, Whom Abercius preaches." Many began to turn to Abercius with the words: "Tell us, man of God, will your God accept us if we turn to Him?" The next day, even more people gathered, wanting to receive instruction in the faith and be baptized, and Abercius baptized 500 people that day. Thus began the apostolic activity of Saint Abercius. Soon all of Hierapolis converted to Christianity.

After this, Saint Abercius happened to be in Rome. Emperor Marcus Aurelius was giving his daughter in marriage, but shortly before the wedding she fell dangerously ill and no medical treatment could help her. Then the emperor turned to the ruler of the eastern regions with a request, asking him to send to Rome the Bishop of Hierapolis, who was known in Rome to heal all kinds of illnesses. Abercius did not hesitate to go to Rome and was received by the emperor with great honors. His hopes were justified, and through the prayers of the Saint the sick woman recovered. In gratitude for the healing, the emperor offered Abercius great wealth, “but Abercius,” as a true shepherd, “took advantage of the emperor’s favor not for himself, but for the common good.” First, he wished that all the poor of the city of Hierapolis be given 3,000 measures of wheat annually by the government. This distribution continued until the reign of Julian the Apostate, who stopped it soon after ascending the throne. Secondly, he asked the emperor to build a bathhouse at the newly appeared spring so that the sick could use the healing water more conveniently. Both of the Saint's wishes were fulfilled. Returning to Hierapolis, Abercius spent the rest of his life in that city, instructing and strengthening his flock in faith and piety. He died in 167, at the age of 72. For his great services in spreading Christianity, he received the title of "Equal to the Apostles."

II. Beloved brethren! Saint Abercius teaches us by his life and deeds the truth that “we must dedicate ourselves, and what we have, and what depends on us, to the service of our neighbors.” The common good and the upbuilding of our neighbors – this is the only goal towards which we are obliged, according to our strength, to strive steadfastly, and with the assistance of God’s grace, not to become exhausted in this striving, but, as much as the Lord pleases, to stretch further and further, ascending from measure to measure.

a) This height seems unattainable for our weakness. Although the need to love our neighbor lies at the foundation of our being, our self-love, in a way that is imperceptible to us, gives a false direction to what is most natural for us, and when we think that we love our neighbor, we do not love him so much as ourselves. Laziness, carnal indulgence, cowardice and other passions, apparently, place even more insurmountable barriers between us and our neighbor. And even if we do decide to do a good deed, then, upon strict examination of our conscience, it turns out that, contrary to the apostolic instruction, first “our own,” and then “we look to our friends” (Phil. 2:4). If we dare to make any sacrifices, we often do this more out of zeal or vanity than to please our neighbor. If we sometimes do not spare our property and strength in serving society, then even in this we often have in mind not only the common good, but also ourselves, praise, honors, fame, good glory.

b) Sin has humiliated and humiliates us greatly. Therefore, it seems difficult for us to succeed even in the most related matter. However, we should not, because of this imaginary difficulty, refuse to practice it, as something beyond our strength and impossible. Even if this were impossible for us because of the deep damage to our nature, then “the things which are impossible with men are possible with God” (Luke 18:27): and “all His divine powers have been given to us, which lead to life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3). If we feel a great lack of love in ourselves during our first experiences in the field of serving our neighbor, this only shows that we must make greater efforts to enrich ourselves with it. For that which is acquired slowly and with great effort is lasting and desirable. If after repeated experiences it turns out that much self-interest is mixed with zealous concern for the welfare of others, let this not lead us to faintheartedness. The Apostle rejoiced when others preached Christ to the "unclean" (Phil. 1:16): because such preaching also served to spread the kingdom of Christ on earth. Good that is done to one's neighbor is always good, and will not remain completely fruitless for the one who did it, if he approaches to accomplish it not from the sole motive of perfect love; one can hope that, at least, the prayers of those who have been benefited will obtain mercy from God, and he will be granted the strength to eradicate the disease of self-indulgence in himself, if only he himself does not hinder this by stubborn persistence in it. Let not he despair who, after many years of service to society, seeing the approaching end of his difficult life, cannot testify before the court of a sincere conscience that he has finally learned not to please himself. If he has labored much in the struggle with this other law, not given by God, but from elsewhere, that is, from the evil one, which has come over us - to seek in everything our own benefit, and not that of our neighbor: then let him, on the one hand, console himself with the thought that the Lord values our desires and accepts our labors, not so much according to their success as according to our zeal, and on the other hand, let him not weaken in prayer, asking the Generous Giver, even at the end of life, to make him abundant in love.

III. Through the prayers of Saint Abercius, Equal to the Apostles, may the Lord grant us to acquire this active and selfless love for our neighbors.

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