January: Day 28: Teaching 2: Saint Ephraim of Pereyaslavl

January: Day 28: Teaching 2:
Saint Ephraim of Pereyaslavl
 
(The Benefits of Building Temples and Charitable Institutions)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. Saint Ephraim of Pereyaslavl, whose memory is celebrated today, came from a noble family. He was the treasurer of the Grand Prince of Kiev, Iziaslav Yaroslavich, which means he was in charge of his entire household and economy. The bustling and noisy life at the court of the Grand Prince finally became a burden to him, and he decided to retire from the world. He came one day to Saint Anthony of the Caves and began to beg him to receive him into his cave. Saint Anthony accepted him and soon Ephraim was tonsured into monasticism. Since Ephraim took monastic vows without the consent of the prince, Saint Anthony had to endure many troubles because of him, and for some time he even had to leave the cave itself. But soon everything calmed down, and Saint Anthony and his brethren began to labor as before in their former place.

Ephraim imitated his spiritual leader and all the brethren of the Kiev Caves Monastery in everything, but he wanted to see even higher examples of spiritual monastic life. And so, with the blessing of the holy fathers of the Caves, he set off on a long journey to the East, visited many Greek monasteries, and also visited the Studite Monastery, where the brethren lived according to the rule of Saint Theodore the Studite. He liked this rule so much that he decided to bring it with him to the Caves Monastery. From then on, this rule was introduced first in the Caves Monastery, and then in all other Russian monasteries.

Education, experience, and a strict pious life distinguished Saint Ephraim from all the other monks, and he was soon elected to the Bishop's throne in the city of Pereyaslavl. Here a wide field of activity for the glory of God and for the salvation of the flock entrusted to him opened up for Saint Ephraim. He had large resources brought from the world, and he used all of them for works of piety and charity. During the 13 years of his episcopacy, he constantly built churches, charitable institutions, hospitals in which the sick were treated free of charge, and he decorated the city of Pereyaslavl with such buildings and institutions that it became unrecognizable.

After his death (in 1098), the body of Saint Ephraim was found to be incorruptible; at first it rested in the Church of the Holy Archangel Michael that he had built, and during the Tatar invasion it was transferred to the Cabes Monastery, where it rests to this day.

II. Thus, Saint Ephraim, during his episcopacy, was most concerned with the construction of churches and charitable institutions. What could be more beautiful than such care and such use of earthly treasures? Earthly goods are a gift from God, and they return to God through benefactions. Loving God, they build churches, and out of love for Him, almshouses, hospitals, shelters and other similar places are built. A better gift cannot be brought to the Lord our Benefactor for all His countless mercies, abundantly poured out on us. Happy is he who understands correctly, according to the Gospel, the purpose of earthly treasures, and correctly and wisely squanders them. Such a one fulfills the words of the Savior: “make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home” (Luke 16:9). And truly, through such use, how much spiritual benefit will he bring to others and to himself!

a) Here is a benefactor who has built a temple, the service begins in it, a bloodless sacrifice is offered, good Christians visit it, and how much joy each one receives for his heart! He comes detached from worldly cares, immerses himself entirely in God, listens to His praise, the word of God, and as if he is not on earth, everything is only heavenly, divine, nothing worldly. Here is the Savior, here is the Mother of God our first Intercessor, here are the apostles, the saints, the holy hierarchs, the martyrs, all the inhabitants of the heavenly world, and the spirit of the earthly wanderer is calmed in such a holy company. He looks at others, all are also immersed in the heavenly, everyone's eyes are raised upward. And he feels joy. And when he becomes a contemplator of the Mystery of Mysteries, being present at the Divine Liturgy, when he spiritually sees his Savior, now as if again going forth to preach to the world, now going again to be slaughtered for our sins, which happens at the Great Entrance, now as at the Secret Supper, again inviting everyone to receive His Body and Blood, now teaching, now appearing after the resurrection - tell me, is it possible to describe the joy of the spirit of the believer, spiritually contemplating all this? The sinner sheds tears, his beloved sin becomes disgusting to him, and how often he returns from the temple a new, different person, and he himself gradually begins to be transformed into a spiritual temple, into the temple and dwelling of the Triune God. Is all this really not enough for you to understand what a great blessing in the work of salvation each newly built temple is.

b) Another, or the same person, arranges a charitable institution with God-given funds - an almshouse. More than a dozen people, after a stormy voyage on the sea of life, came here to find rest for themselves. They have everything ready, both food and clothing, and they are dry and warm; those who can work work, the rest, the infirm, only rest. Tell me, what good deed can compare with this good deed? Those who have spent their whole lives in need, in worries, in sorrows, in labors have the opportunity to live the rest of their days without sorrow, in sole care for their souls. He who did not have a single free minute to think about God and His mercies, about the soul and its salvation, can now use every minute for this - is this not a mercy, a good deed for the poor, the elderly and the needy? Before, perhaps, a word of complaint escaped their lips; but now only words of heartfelt thanksgiving to the Lord are heard from them. And should we speak here of other similar institutions – hospitals, shelters? How much good, useful for the souls of those who use these mercies, flows, and cannot even be counted. But, saving others, the benefactor saves himself first of all. To him apply these sweetest and most comforting words of the Savior, which He will say to those who love Him at His terrible judgment: "Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. I was sick, and you visited Me; naked, and you clothed Me; I was thirsty, I was hungered, and you fed Me and gave Me drink."

III. O, God grant that there may be more and more imitators of Saint Ephraim in the work of improving churches and charitable institutions! There are many such imitators now. We are happy that we live in such times. God grant that the spirit of charity does not cool, but rather flares up even more in all. 

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