December: Day 29: Teaching 2: Venerable Markellos of Akoimeton Monastery

December: Day 29: Teaching 2:
Venerable Markellos of Akoimeton Monastery
 
(Tips On How To Give Alms)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. The Venerable Markellos, whose memory is now celebrated, began to labor in a monastery near the city of Ephesus from his youth. He lived by the labor of his hands, spent his days copying books, his nights in prayer; he used only a small part of the money he earned by his labor for himself, and gave the rest to the poor. Living near Ephesus, he once heard that in Constantinople there was a “Monastery of the Unsleeping Ones” (or Akoimeton), founded by the ascetic Alexander; this monastery received such a name because divine services were performed in it continuously, day and night. Markellos went to Constantinople and joined the ranks of its monks. After the death of Alexander, the brethren chose Markellos as abbot of the monastery, and he moved the monastery to Bithynia (in Asia Minor). The internal order in the monastery, the precise fulfillment of the monastic rule, the impeccable behavior of the brethren - all this placed the Monastery of the Unsleeping Ones very highly in the opinion of the surrounding residents. If the abbot of any monastery in that country died, a monk from the monastery of Saint Markellos was usually chosen in his place. Many pagans were converted to Christianity by Markellos.

For his holy life, the Saint received from God the gift of foresight and healing. Thus, one day, three bishops, freed from captivity, visited the monastery. The Saint ordered the steward to give them ten silver coins. The steward took pity and gave only three. This did not escape Markellos, and he again confirmed to the steward that all ten should be given. The steward again did not listen and although he added, he still hid one coin. Soon after, a pious man came to the monastery and donated ninety silver coins for the needs of the brethren. Then Markellos called the steward and said to him: "You hid one coin, and for that the Lord deprived our monastery of ten: this man initially wanted to donate a hundred coins, but by the will of God he donated only ninety." The steward fell at the feet of the abbot and tearfully asked for forgiveness, which he received; and the donor marveled at the foresight of the Saint.

II. From the event narrated we can draw the following instructions:

a) When we do any good to our neighbor, help the poor or give alms to the needy, we must do it willingly, in the name of the Lord, from Whom we have received everything we have; we must do it with a good disposition, sincerely desiring to help our neighbor, so that, as much as we can, we can alleviate the need of our neighbor, and thus fulfill the commandment of the Lord, who commands us to do to others what we would wish for ourselves. So the Apostle also commands: “So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Cor. 9:7).

b) Here is another rule for those who do good to their neighbors: not with grief and not under duress. When doing good to your neighbor, you must watch yourself so that you do good to your neighbors with love, showing your good disposition with kind words and a cheerful look on your face, and in every way beware of not nurturing in your soul feelings of anger, annoyance, hostility or contempt for your neighbors, and not showing your inner hostility with a gloomy or sad look or words that are offensive to your neighbor.

One should give alms "not grudgingly or of necessity." But those who do good to their neighbors grudgingly or of necessity give alms to the poor are usually those who do not have sincere love for their neighbors in their souls, and do not have zeal to help the needs of their neighbors, but have a passion for self-interest, or are devoted to the passion of luxury and love to use the earthly goods given by God to satisfy their wicked desires and passions. And when they give alms or help the poor, they do it reluctantly, forcing themselves, in order to maintain decency, or to get rid of the pestering of poor petitioners, or for some other worldly calculations, but not for the sake of God, and not out of love for their neighbors. The wise son of Sirach gives this instruction: "Praise the Lord by making generous offerings to him; don't be stingy with the first of your crops. Be cheerful with every gift you make, and when you pay your tithes, do it gladly” (Sirach 35:8, 9).

"For God loves a cheerful giver," added the Apostle. We must always keep this in mind, so that whatever we do for our neighbors, whatever help we give to others in their needs, we always do it willingly, with love, thinking that God requires such goodness from us, and that God is pleased with such goodness.

c) Let no one think that by giving all possible help to the poor, the giver himself will suffer need, or will little by little be left with nothing. The wise man says: “He who has mercy on the poor will himself be fed; for he gave of his own bread to the poor” (Prov. 22:10). Inspiring to be merciful to others, the Holy Apostle Paul assures Christians that the all-good God, in His wisdom and goodness, will not allow them to fall into poverty and destitution. "God is able," he says, "to make you rich in all grace," with all the gifts you need, "so that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work" (2 Cor. 9:8), so that you, possessing in sufficiency external goods, having a disposition and zeal for good, render assistance to your poor neighbors and prosper in Christian virtues. And the Apostle confirms this truth with the testimony of the Psalm: "As it is written: He who has scattered abroad has given to the poor; but his righteousness endures forever" (2 Cor. 9:9; Psalm 111:9). "The righteous man has scattered abroad, he has distributed to the poor; but his righteousness endures forever." His philanthropy does not cease, but with God's blessing it continues throughout the life of the righteous man, and his truth passes into eternity, opening the entrance for the righteous man into the Kingdom of Heaven.

III. Brethren! Give alms generously, that you may receive a generous reward from the Lord. Give alms and do all the good deeds possible to your neighbors willingly, with love, and not with regret or compulsion: "for God loves a cheerful giver." In doing good to your neighbors, imitate God, according to the Lord's commandment: "Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful." Strengthen yourselves in the virtue of doing good by the expectation of mercy from the Lord, according to His promise: "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy" (Matt. 5:7). Amen. 

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