Our venerable father and confessor Eustathius, Bishop of Bithynia, lived in the time of the iconoclasts, i.e. people who rejected the veneration of holy icons. For his veneration of holy icons he received from them: threats, spitting, beatings, prisons, he saw many rebellions and rebellions in his flock, he was beaten with rods and clubs, and finally he was deprived of his episcopacy and condemned to exile. In the latter he spent many years and was insulted, embittered, deprived, was in hunger, thirst and nakedness, and in such sorrows he died. And Eustathius was not the only one who endured such torments from the iconoclasts. Not only thousands, but also thousands of Orthodox Christians, for venerating holy icons, suffered from them the same thing as Eustathius.

What does it mean that the iconoclasts treated holy icons so viciously? Were they not right in denying them? No, brethren, they are wrong, and we will now prove this to them.

In Orthodox Theology it is written: "Reliable tradition testifies that the Evangelist Luke, who was a physician and painter, painted and left behind him icons of the Mother of God. In the first three centuries of Christianity, although the use of icons was not so universal, due to the narrow circumstances of the Church, it is known beyond doubt that the image of Jesus Christ was in use. In the fourth century, with the triumph of the Church, icons of the saints of God appeared everywhere together with icons of Christ the Savior, as the most splendid decoration of churches and objects of veneration. St. Basil in his homily on the Martyr Barlaam wishes that this martyr be depicted on a board, and together with him, Jesus Christ, crowning him. St. Athanasius calls proud and foolish those who reject the images of the saints. Further, in the unfortunate times of iconoclasm, when a terrible persecution was erected against the venerators of icons, this dogma was sealed with the blood of many great and holy men of the Church, the confessors, and, finally, it was decisively confirmed by the common voice of the Church at the Seventh Ecumenical Council, where excommunication was proclaimed to those who reject holy icons and call them idols (Dogm. Theology of Anthony, p. 25).

Thus, the iconoclasts are wrong, rejecting holy icons and calling them idols. We are not idolaters and we revere icons, and do not worship them? Looking at the holy icons, we venerate them, ascending our thoughts to God and His saints; But we do not honor wood, not paints, not art, but faces - and not in themselves, but for the sake of the creatures they depict. We revere and worship before icons, but we attribute our worship to God and His saints, to our intercessors before Him (St. Eusebius' Homily on Faith, part 3, p. 315). Let the iconoclasts know this, and stop their blasphemy against the holy icons and against us, who worship them. Amen.

Alms to givers return

(Homily to the maiden Mononia, how St. Macarius saved me, who was unmerciful to her)

The Lord says: "Make yourselves friends of the mammon of iniquity, that when ye shall be poor, they shall receive you into eternal dwellings" (Luke 16:9). What does that mean? "This means that with earthly, perishable, transient wealth, it is possible, however, if it is used correctly, to acquire friends who are poor, beggars, who generally require help and assistance here on earth, and they can provide us with eternal abodes in heaven, since such use of wealth is a virtue, for which there will be a reward in the Kingdom of Heaven" (Commentary of Bishop Micah on 9 verse 16 of the chapter of Luke, And St. Chrysostom says: "He who distributes wealth to the poor uses it for the benefit of his soul" (Homily on Avarice, the same truth is confirmed by examples).

A maiden who lived in Alexandria, named Mononia, despite the fact that she was a nun, loved money, collected gold and was distinguished by miserliness. And, despite the fact that she was rich, she never gave anything to the strange, or to the poor, or to widows, or to monasteries. Saint Macarius the presbyter, who lived at that time in Alexandria, a great lover of poverty, wished to bring Monia to reason, and for this he devised the following remedy. In his youth, he was engaged in finishing precious stones, and everyone knew about it. And one day he came to Mononia and said: "They brought to me two very expensive stones; and I do not know whether they were bought or stolen; only they ask for only five hundred pieces of gold, while they are incomparably more expensive." The money-loving Mononia fell at the feet of Macarius and began to beg him to buy her these stones. The Elder said: "Go and see for yourself." But Mononia, as a nun, refused this and handed Macarius five hundred pieces of gold. He distributed this money in favor of the poor. A long time passed. Since Macarius enjoyed extraordinary respect from everyone, Mononia was ashamed to ask him about money on purpose, and she kept waiting for an opportunity when it would be more convenient to talk with the elder. The opportunity finally presented itself. One day Mononia saw St. Macarius in church and asked if he had bought the stones. Macarius said that he had bought them, and invited her to look at them. Mononia gladly agreed and followed the elder. And he, having brought her to an asylum built with her money for the poor, said to her: "Which stone do you want to see, the first or the second?" - "As you please," she answered. Then Macarius brought her to the department, where lame, blind and paralyzed men lived. "Behold," he said, pointing to them, "is the first stone." Then he brought her to the women's department, and, pointing to those who were being taught, said: "Here is the second stone, and this is this: if you want my business, then let it be so, and if you do not wish, then take your money back from me." The heart of the covetous woman was greatly wounded, and although she said nothing to the elder, she was so sad that when she came home, she went to bed and fell cruelly ill. Then the Lord Himself enlightened her. A light-bearing man appeared to her and showed her the places of torment of sinners. Mononia was horrified. Then the one who appeared said to her: "Do not be afraid, the Monk Macarius has delivered you from all these torments, having bought you two precious stones, which you have set up." After this, Mononia recovered and became extraordinarily merciful to the poor.

Thus, Bl. Augustine, that mercy stands before the gates of Gehenna, and does not allow anyone to be thrown into prison" (Discourse 39, question 50). And if even the riches used against their will for the benefit of the poor brought down such God's mercy on the soul of a sinner, then how much more generously will the Lord reward those who, voluntarily, out of love for Him, share their wealth with their needy brethren! Oh, truly, "God, who gives seed to him who sows and bread for food, will give abundance to what you sow, and will multiply the fruits of your righteousness" (2 Corinthians 9:10). And listen to what else (on behalf of the Lord says Blessed Augustine: "I have taken the earth, I will give heaven; I have received the temporal, I will repay the eternal; I have received bread, and I will give it back, but; heavenly and eternal; I received a hotel, I will give the house away; being in sickness, I was visited, I will repay salvation; I have been in prison, and have been visited, and I will give you freedom. (In a treatise on luxury and avarice). Let us not, therefore, forget good deeds and fellowship, remembering that God is pleased with such sacrifices (Heb. 13:16). Amen.

On Non-Condemnation of Neighbors

(Homily of the Holy Father Anastasius of Sinai about a certain father who has passed away, who does not condemn anyone)

Do you wish, brethren, to avoid righteous condemnation for sins at the judgment of God? If you want, then observe one of the main conditions: do not judge anyone.

You will not judge, and the Lord will not condemn you. In this He Himself is a true witness to you. "Judge not," he says, "and ye shall not be judged, neither condemn ye, that ye be not condemned" (Luke 6:37). The Holy Fathers teach the same way. "Do not judge," says St. Demetrius of Rostov, "unless you wish to be condemned" (Op. cit., St. Demetrius, Vol. I, p. 365). And what the Lord said is actually fulfilled for those who do not condemn.

St. Anastasius the Sinaite narrates the following: A certain monk, who had spent his life in negligence and sloth, fell into a grave illness and came close to death. And in the monastery where he lived, it was customary for all the brethren to gather to the dying and not to leave the bed, which had ended until he had breathed his last. According to this custom, the brethren also gathered to the above-mentioned monk, and at the sight of him they were not a little astonished. He died without the slightest fear of death, with gratitude to God and with a cheerful face. They said, "Brother, we know that you have spent your life carelessly; Tell us, then, what makes you so happy and gladest in the hour of death"? The monk answered: "Truly, honorable fathers, I have lived carelessly; but this is what happened to me. I was at the judgment of God, and the angels brought out the handwriting of my sins, read them to me, and asked, "Do you know that these are your sins?" I know, I said, but since I rejected the world and took my vows, I have not condemned anyone and have not held a grudge against anyone, and therefore I pray the Lord to fulfill His words on me: Do not condemn, that you may not be condemned, leave and it will be left to you. And as soon as I said this, the angels immediately tore the handwriting of my sins, and therefore I am now careless, and with joy I depart to the Lord." Having eaten these words, the monk died peacefully. In view of such mercy of God, shown to a brother who did not condemn anyone, let us, brethren, imitate him and turn away our eyes from the sins of others. Instead of looking at the sins of others, let us deepen within ourselves the awareness of our own weaknesses, and from such a consciousness humility will be born, and through humility there will be an approach to God. And when we draw near to God, then we will receive forgiveness for our sins and be vouchsafed to be heirs of the Kingdom of God. Amen.