March: Day 8:
Venerable Theophylaktos, Bishop of Nicomedia
(On Serving the Sick)
By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko
Venerable Theophylaktos, Bishop of Nicomedia
(On Serving the Sick)
By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko
I. Saint Theophylaktos, whose memory is celebrated today, was for some time a monk in a monastery near the Black Sea during the very time of the iconoclast heresy. When, under the Empress Irene, the heresy was condemned by the Seventh Ecumenical Synod, the Holy Patriarch Tarasios, who knew the virtuous life of Theophylaktos, convinced him to accept the title of Bishop of Nicomedia. In this rank, Theophylaktos proved to be a true servant and follower of Christ: he served the poor, the sick, set up hospices and hospitals; during the plague that broke out in the city, he himself looked after the sick, washing their wounds with his own hands.
The iconoclast heresy, which had died down after the Synod, arose again under the Armenian emperor Leo. The worthy Bishop Theophylaktos and other bishops tried in vain to persuade the emperor, trying to turn him away from the heresy, but he sent them all into exile. Saint Theophylaktos languished for thirty years in exile, enduring hardships and suffering, and died in old age around the year 845.
II. May the example of our Venerable Father Theophylaktos, who served the sick and established hospitals, arouse in us the desire to serve our sick to the best of our ability and skill and to ease their suffering.
a) "Love your neighbor as yourself" (Matt. 22:39), says the Savior. What do we do if some member of our body hurts? We hasten to do everything that serves to alleviate and stop the pain: we turn to doctors and medicines for help, we try to protect the sick member in every way so that nothing disturbs it. We should act in the same way in relation to a sick neighbor - we will immediately invite a spiritual and physical doctor to him, we will take care of the purification of his soul with the mysteries of repentance, communion and unction (James 5:14-16), we will also offer him medicinal benefits (Sir. 38:4, 12). The merciful Samaritan, presented to us by the Savior as an example of compassion for the sick, not only bandaged the wounds of the man beaten by the robbers, pouring oil and wine on them, but also gave two denarii to the innkeeper, asking him to take care of the wounded man. Let us remove from the sick man everything that could disturb his peace. In a word, let us treat people in everything as we want them to treat us (Matt. 7:12).
b) When we suffer from illness, we want those around us to always be ready to serve us. Let us behave in a similar way towards a sick brother. Righteous people treated the sick in this way. Venerable Agathon, once going to the city to sell small vessels, found a leper on the road. The leper asked him: "Where are you going?" Venerable Agathon answered him: "To the city to sell vessels." The leper said to him: "Do me a favor, take me there too." The elder picked him up and carried him to the city. The sick man said: "Put me where you will sell the vessels." The elder did so. When he sold one vessel, the leper asked him: "How much did you sell it for?" "For such and such a sum," the elder answered. The sick man said: "Buy me a pie." The elder bought one. Then he sold another vessel. The sick man again asked: "How much did you sell this one for?" "For such and such a sum," Agathon answered. The sick man said: "Buy me the same pie." Venerable Agathon bought it. Finally, when the elder sold all the vessels and wanted to go back, the leper asked him: "Are you going?" "Yes," answered the elder. The sick man said to him: "Do me a favor, take me back to where you took me." The elder took him and brought him to his former place.
Here is another example of loving treatment of the sick. Saint Makarios, having once come to a hermit and finding him sick, asked: "Does he want to eat anything?" The sick man answered: "I want some pastila." The courageous elder did not hesitate to go to Alexandria, many miles away, to get what the sick man wanted. This is how selflessly and lovingly the righteous tried to please and calm the sick!
c) Warm care for the sick is considered the best way to please God. The Savior directly relates service to the sick to Himself. The righteous will ask the universal Judge: "Lord, when did we see You sick and serve You?" And the Heavenly King will answer them: "Verily I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of these my brethren, you did it to Me."
III. And so, brethren, attend to the sick with all diligence, not refusing their requests, trying to calm them down and not irritate them, disposing them not to grumbling but to good-natured patience. Such care of ours for the sick will be the best way to please God, will be recognized by the Savior as service to Him and will move the universal Judge to have mercy on us at His terrible and righteous judgment.
Source: A Complete Annual Cycle of Short Teachings, Composed for Each Day of the Year. Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
