October: Day 29: Teaching 4: Venerable Abramius of Rostov

October: Day 29: Teaching 4:
Venerable Abramius of Rostov
 
(On the Necessity and Benefits of Asceticism)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. Venerable Abramius of Rostov (12th century), now commemorated by the Church, was from the Kostroma region and before baptism was called Iverik. His parents were rich pagans. Until the age of 18, Iverik lay paralyzed. One day, some of the Novgorod Christians were in his father's house on business and discussed faith in Christ, who healed the sick and raised the dead. Iverik heard this conversation and decided to believe in Jesus Christ if he received healing. From that time on, he gradually began to recover and became well. Leaving his parents' home, he went to the outskirts of Novgorod; on the way he met other believers who instructed him in the truths of Christianity. Initially, Iverik entered a monastery on the island of Valaam and took the name Abramius (Abraham). Abramius spent the rest of his life in the monastery he founded near Rostov and actively spread Christianity among the pagans of the Rostov region. He destroyed the idol of Veles in Rostov and converted the idolaters living there to Christianity; on the site where the idol stood, Abramius subsequently founded the Church of the Theophany of the Lord and a monastery of the same name, which exists to this day. The pagans more than once intended to burn down Abramius's monastery, but the meekness and at the same time the firmness of the spirit of the Saint disarmed them each time. Preaching the word of God, Abramius tried to act primarily on the youth, being the more receptive; he taught children to read and write, baptized them and instructed them in the faith. Abramius's life served as an example of diligence for the other monks; the Saint participated in all the labors of the brethren, worked in the bakery, chopped wood, washed hair shirts and performed all sorts of other work. For his labors, Abramius was the first in Russia to be honored with the rank of archimandrite.

Saint Abramius died at a ripe old age and was buried in the Theophany Monastery he founded, where his relics still rest today.

II. Venerable Abramius teaches us by his example the truth that asceticism is very necessary and beneficial for the development and growth of Christians in the spiritual life, the Christian life.

Asceticism in our time not only does not enjoy respect and sympathy, but is also considered by many to be out of date, worthless, even unnatural, a violation of human nature. Meanwhile, asceticism constitutes an essential, necessary element in Christian life.

a) Christianity and a truly Christian life are unthinkable without asceticism. Within certain limits, to a certain extent, asceticism is obligatory, commanded to all Christians, legitimized for all of us. In fact, if we carefully examine Christianity and its moral teaching, we will see that in its essence it is a lofty asceticism and obliges us to great feats. For what does Christ require of His followers? He demands complete selflessness from us. “Whoever wants to come after Me,” He says, “let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me” (Mark 8:34). And to deny oneself, to renounce all addictions, attachments, passions, for the sake of following Christ – is this not asceticism, is it not difficult asceticism? To take upon oneself one’s cross – the cross of labors, sorrows, deprivations – is this not asceticism? The Holy Apostle Paul inspires all believers to “put off the old man with his deeds and put on the new” (Col. 3:9, 10), “mortify your earthly members” (v. 5), “crucify the flesh with its passions and lusts” (Gal. 5:24). Again, does not the Apostle demand great and difficult asceticism from Christians, obliging them to put off the old man, to mortify their members, to crucify their flesh with its passions and lusts? To put off the old man, to cut off from oneself that which has become a second nature, to overcome one’s sinful nature, destroying sin in it – is it possible without terrible pain, without severe suffering? Obviously, for all Christians asceticism is obligatory, and strict asceticism, and he is not a Christian, not Christ’s, who does not crucify his flesh with its passions and lusts. Therefore, those who rebel against asceticism in general rebel against Christianity, which is impossible without asceticism.

Thus, asceticism, commanded and obligatory for all, is not only not contrary to our nature, but is completely akin to the true nature of man. It corrects our souls, elevates and perfects our spiritual life. Can anything like this that is unnatural to our life be beneficial to the soul?

b) But it is not only the commanded asceticism that is in accordance with our nature beneficial for us and necessary, in perfect conformity with nature is the intensified asceticism which is recommended and not obligatory for everyone, the asceticism of which was represented by holy men, venerable monks, who devoted their entire lives to the service of Christ. And this asceticism is extremely useful both for the ascetics themselves and for the entire Church of Christ.

And in ordinary life there are people who, by the peculiarities of their nature, by the nature of their abilities, cannot be content with the life that the masses of the people live: the general track of life is narrow for them; they cannot fit their lives into the framework of general life, they cannot successfully apply their strength and abilities to it. How many people have been and are there who love bold and dangerous undertakings and among them display all their energy, and find joy and pleasure here! How many people have been and are there who work their whole lives on various inventions in the field of science, art, practical life, condemning themselves to tireless labor, to deprivations, disappointments, unpleasantness! Force these people to live a life in common with other people, and you will do violence to their nature and make them unhappy, lost people. Their abilities, not receiving the proper scope for their activity and the proper direction, can easily be stifled, or, what is worse, their abilities and aspirations can receive a perverse, false, harmful direction. Thus, pushing them into the general rut of life, you would make them completely useless, unhappy, even harmful people. But allowing them to choose a new, sympathetic path of life, you give them the opportunity to live in accordance with the demands of their nature and to be contented, happy, good workers.

What is observed in ordinary life, we see the same in Christian life. And in the realm of Christian life we meet exceptional individuals, morally strong, endowed with lofty aspirations. Naturally, such individuals cannot be satisfied with the life that is obligatory for everyone, and they seek new paths for their life and activity, and, having entered upon these paths, they display on them all the strength of their spiritual nature and, themselves moving towards perfection, serve as an edifying example for others. These people seek special labors for themselves, try to explore aspects of moral life that are not explained to others, to experience new spiritual feats - intensified ones, to enter into an intensified struggle with sin and the enemy of our salvation. Such individuals are satisfied only with this life. Such, by the way, was the now remembered Venerable Abramius. Yes; for the ascetics themselves it is a great happiness that they can choose special, unusual paths to moral improvement, on which they can display all the strength of their spirit, all the depth of their Christian conviction. Here they live a life that is completely in keeping with their nature. Here they achieve their salvation by the right path.

But intensified asceticism is useful not only for those people who live an ascetic life; no, it is extremely useful for the whole Church in general. Let us turn again to the indication of ordinary life. How many conveniences have been brought to mankind by such inventions as, for example, printing, steam locomotives, steamships, telegraphs, various economic machines – sewing, threshing, etc.! But all these inventions would not have existed, nor would the conveniences they provide, if there were no people striving to follow new paths, to find new ways to improve life. Then, how exceptional individuals are needed in the exceptional circumstances in which states and societies find themselves, and what great services such individuals render to states and societies! How much benefit is rendered to their fatherland during a war by those heroic individuals who strive to occupy the most dangerous military posts and enterprisingly inflict unexpected blows on the enemy, and, especially as a result of the unexpectedness, terrible and fatal ones! Without these individuals, possessing exceptional abilities and occupying exceptional positions, states and societies would be deprived of much; and these individuals are extremely useful and necessary for them. The same must be said about asceticism and ascetics. Ascetics, following new paths of moral life and saving themselves, have brought and continue to bring great benefit to the entire Christian world, arousing in people a love for moral life. They denounced the lazy and negligent who justified their dissolute life by the difficulty, even the impossibility, of the Christian feat. The ascetics showed by their own example to what strength, to what tension both the spirit and the weak human flesh can reach in the struggle with passions, in the endurance of seemingly impossible labors and deprivations. They taught those thirsting for salvation lessons of holy life, tested by their own experience; they pointed out the paths of moral life, which they themselves had walked, and along which they could therefore lead others. They were the foremost fighters against the enemies of our salvation and, from the heights of their moral life, discerning the wiles of the devil, aimed at the destruction of people, they warned their brothers against the attacks of the devil and showed them the means for repelling and defeating the spirits of evil. They were both the “light of the world” and the “salt of the earth” (Matt. 5:13, 14), illuminating the paths of salvation for people and preventing the decay of the moral world.

III. Let us love, brothers and sisters, holy asceticism! In our time, more than ever, it is necessary for the Church, for its good, for its renewal. Only it can defeat and destroy those deviations from Christian morality that in our time appear so often and with such force. Only with its help and influence is it possible to fight the evil that overcomes us. Amen.

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