August 17, 2016 + Committing Ourselves to the Lord's Will

by St. Silouan the Athonite

Father Lazarus, who had been a captain in the army, used to tell the story of how a certain peasant went to fetch wood for the furnace. Exhausted by his labors, he lay down to rest under a giant oak-tree, and looking up at the branches of the oak and seeing the masses of fat acorns growing on them, thought to himself, '"It would have been better had pumpkins grown on the oak-tree." With this thought he shut his eyes, and suddenly an acorn fell and hit him hard on the lip. Whereupon the peasant said, "I was wrong: God is smarter than I am, and did well to make acorns and not pumpkins grow on oak-trees. If that had been a pumpkin, it could have killed me with its weight!"

We all of us criticize God's work like this, instead of trusting Him. The man who has committed himself to His holy will is at peace, whereas the one who strives to apprehend everything with his mind is unskilled in the spiritual life. One must submit to God's will in order to find out what God's will is, and the Lord by his grace will then give understanding, and life will be easy. And though such a man be ill, or impoverished, there will be joy in his soul, because both his soul and his understanding are sound, and with his mind he sees the Lord, and in lowliness of spirit loves Him, and from his love forgets the world; but should he think of the world, the love of God will constrain him to pray for the world, even unto tears.

So agreeable is the way of the Lord for our spirit.

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Martyr Myron the Presbyter of Cyzicus

Troparion, Tone 4

Your holy martyr, Myron, O Lord, through his suffering has received an incorruptible crown from You, our God. For having Your strength, he laid low his adversaries, and shattered the powerless boldness of demons. Through his intercessions, save our souls!

Kontakion, Tone 2

From childhood you longed for Christ, all-glorious one, keeping His divine commandments and running to Him with all your being, all-honored Myron. Now you zealously pray with the angels, asking remission of sins for those who celebrate your memory.

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