February: Day 4:
Venerable Isidore of Pelusium
(On the Deeds of Spiritual Mercy)
By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko
Venerable Isidore of Pelusium
(On the Deeds of Spiritual Mercy)
By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko
I. Among the great ascetics who chose the desert life for the love of Christ, the Church honors the Venerable Isidore of Pelusium, whose memory is celebrated today. He left many letters and writings, full of wisdom and edifying instructions. Venerable Isidore lived in the fifth century. He was born in Egypt, of rich parents, received a good education, and in his youth left the world, desiring solitude. He took monastic vows, then settled in a desert place, near the city of Pelusium, in lower Egypt, from which he received the nickname "of Pelusium". Here he lived in strict abstinence, wore coarse clothing, and ate only roots; he prayed incessantly and raised his thoughts to God. The rumor of his strict and pious life attracted other ascetics to him, and he was chosen as abbot of the monastery. Constantly concerned about the spiritual benefit of the brothers, he guided them with wise instructions, taught them by word and example humility, meekness, mercy, non-acquisitiveness, the struggle against passions and worldly thoughts.
However, it was not only to monks and hermits that Venerable Isidore addressed his teachings. His writings contain much that is edifying for people of all ranks. In letters, of which more than two thousand have come down to us, he addressed both rulers and bishops with wise advice, he refutes false teachings, expounds the dogmas of faith, explains the Holy Scriptures, so that everyone can draw useful instruction from them. He considered his greatest happiness to be if he managed to save some perishing soul, i.e. to show it spiritual mercy.
II. May the bright image of Venerable Isidore of Pelusium serve for us as an example of spiritual mercy towards our neighbors.
a) Mercy towards the body has so many different forms that it can be said that there is absolutely no person who could not perform it in one way or another. To feed the hungry, to give drink to the thirsty, to give shelter to the stranger, to clothe the needy, to minister to the sick, to visit one imprisoned - all these are various acts of mercy for which our Lord Jesus Christ promised the reward of the Kingdom of His Father (Matt. 25:35-36), and of which, if not all are possible and accessible to all of us, then at least many are for many. And a person does not at all need to be rich in order to be merciful, for even physical works of mercy are valued not by their apparent significance, not by their quantity, but by their quality, by the zeal with which they are done, by the purity of the means, intentions and motives. That is why sometimes one cup of cold water is more precious to the recipient and more salutary to the giver than a handful of gold thrown out of vanity or with disdain for the needy.
b) But along with the physical needs of our neighbors, there are also very diverse spiritual ones, which also require our compassionate participation. Here is our neighbor who is ill with ignorance in matters of faith, devoted to gross superstition, close to the danger of falling into the nets of false teachers, impious and wicked people - let us hasten to his aid, as we would hasten to a drowning man: with all the measures depending on us, which sincere sympathy for him inspires in us, let us try to turn him away from evil, remembering the words of the Holy Apostle, that he who converts a sinner from his false path will save his soul from death and cover a multitude of sins (James 5:20). Let us not wait for a call from those in need of our spiritual help, but let us act with them as the Lord God acts with them, Who says about Himself: "I revealed myself to those who did not ask about Me; I was found by those who did not seek me" (Is. 65:1).
Our neighbor is given over to inconsolable sorrow and faintheartedness on the occasion of the hardships, misfortunes and tribulations that have befallen him in life; he may be inclined to grumble against God and is ready to fall into despondency and despair - the sin of Cain and Judas. Let us take part in him, let us enter into his situation, let him understand that we sympathize with him, let us share his grief: he who weeps together with those who weep is a great benefactor for them.
When our neighbor encounters difficult circumstances and does not know what to do, what to decide on, let us give him good advice and thus prevent an unwise and, perhaps, irreversible step, which he would later regret.
We cannot be mentors and guides of others, so we will find other ways to be merciful. Someone has insulted us: we, of course, have the right to seek legal satisfaction for the insult, but it is better to endure and forgive the offender, and we will perfectly fulfill the commandment of mercy.
III. Let us, brethren, imitate our all-merciful Savior, so that the Lord Jesus Christ may show mercy to us at the Last Judgment.
Source: A Complete Annual Cycle of Short Teachings, Composed for Each Day of the Year. Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
