January: Day 14: Teaching 2: Saint Nina, Enlightener of Georgia

January: Day 14: Teaching 2:
Saint Nina, Enlightener of Georgia
 
(We Must Take Care of the Welfare of our Neighbors)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. Saint Nina, whose memory is celebrated today, was the niece of the Patriarch of Jerusalem and was brought up in Jerusalem. From the Jews who came to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, Nina often heard that to the north of Palestine there was a country called Iberia (as Georgia was called in ancient times), where the gospel had not yet been preached. Stories about pagan Iberia aroused in Nina's soul a strong desire to convert the inhabitants of this country to Christianity. This desire was further strengthened in her by a miraculous vision: once in a dream the Most Holy Theotokos appeared to Nina, handed her a cross made of grape twigs and commanded her to go and enlighten the pagans. When, after a long and dangerous journey, Nina reached the Iberian city of Mtskheta, a celebration was taking place there in honor of the pagan gods. Nina, sorrowfully seeing the pagan celebration, fervently prayed to God that He would turn the people away from idolatry. Suddenly a thunderstorm arose and a bolt of lightning smashed the idol. The priests and people fled in terror, and Nina glorified God, who answered her prayer by destroying the idol. Having settled in Mtskheta, Nina soon became famous far in the vicinity for healing the suffering, who came to her in large numbers. One woman's child was dying; Nina blessed him with a cross made of grape twigs and he recovered. Through the prayers of the Saint, the queen of Iberia, who had fallen dangerously ill, was also healed. One relative of the Persian king, who visited the King of Iberia, Mirian, recovered thanks to Nina's prayers and accepted Christianity. Mirian, fearing that the Persian king would be angry at the conversion of his relative, hated the righteous woman and wanted to put her to death. But one day, while hunting, he was caught in a thunderstorm and was blinded by lightning. Seeing in this the wrath of God for his evil intention, Mirian promised to accept Christianity if his sight returned, and he fulfilled his promise.

Thanks to the preaching of Saint Nina, the number of believers was constantly increasing; the King of Armenia, Tiridates, also converted to Christianity. Nina herself went to the Queen of Kakheti, Sophia, to convert her as well. This journey was her last feat, soon after which she died (in 335).

II. Brethren! Following the example of Saint Nina, who ardently loved her neighbors and cared for the salvation of their souls and their enlightenment with the light of the true knowledge of God, let us also always care for the welfare of our neighbors, for their edification. Nurtured by love for our neighbors, according to the commandment of the Lord, we must have sincere concern for the needs of our neighbors, and be ready, for the sake of the Lord, to do everything we can for the good of our neighbors.

Do you have advantages in spiritual gifts necessary for salvation? Strive, for the glory of God, with unfeigned love for your neighbors, to do good to them, for the salvation of their souls.

If you meet a neighbor who is sinning or is about to fall into sin, take care to lovingly distract him from sin and dispose him to virtue.

If you meet a brother who does not know the truth or who is mistaken through ignorance, instruct him in the truth, show him the direct path to virtue, and thus lead him out of error.

You see a man who is perplexed, wavering in choosing one path or another: when you can, help him, give him good advice, and dispose him to choose the path of truth and justice.

You see someone grieving, faint-hearted, despondent: come closer to him, comfort him in the name of the Lord Jesus; dispel the darkness of his sad thoughts with your kind and sincere reasoning; strengthen his soul in devotion to the Lord and in unshakable trust in His boundless goodness and love for mankind.

If you are insulted by words or offended by their deeds, then, thinking that “Christ suffered for us, leaving us an example, that we should follow in His footsteps” (1 Peter 2:21), accept, without confusion, every insult and every offense, bear it with good will, and try to respond to insults with words of love and goodwill, and to offenses with good deeds. By doing so, you will fulfill the commandment of the Lord: “Bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you” (Matt. 5:44), and the apostolic instruction: “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Rom. 12:21).

If God has blessed you with external gifts, do not look upon them as your own property; but look upon them as gifts of God, entrusted to you so that you may share all your abundance, for the glory of God, with those in need of help, and be faithful to your calling. “Share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; if you see someone naked, clothe him” (Is. 58:7). Remember the words of the Wise One: “Blessed is he who has mercy on the poor” (Prov. 14:21); “He who has mercy on the poor lends to God” (19:17). Remember what the King of heaven and earth, the Judge of the living and the dead, will say on the last day to those who, according to God’s commandment, do good to their neighbors: “Then shall the King say to them at His right hand, Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave Me food; I was thirsty, and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger, and you took Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you visited Me” (Matt. 25:34–36).

III. Brethren! Thus, reverent before God and nourishing in our souls the love for our neighbors commanded by the Lord, we must all do good to one another, as much as we can, for mutual comfort and edification and for the glory of God. Keep in mind the apostolic instruction, and follow it: “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. Let us not grow weary in doing good: for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all men, and especially to those of the household of faith” (Gal. 6:2, 9, 10), always glorifying God, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and ever. Amen.

 

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