Chrysostom
Beloved of All
The fever and the affliction of the liver which have seized your mother are permitted by God, who chastens those whom He loves. Do not merely ask for the removal of the sickness, but search diligently whether any root of sin has given it entrance, for the Lord Himself said to the paralytic, “Sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.” Yet not all sickness comes directly from sin; sometimes it is sent to make the soul approved, as with Job. Receive this trial, then, with thanksgiving, and while you seek the physician’s aid, apply far more the remedies of repentance, prayer, and the reading of the Holy Scriptures. Let your mother examine her life, confess every transgression, and receive the medicine of the soul, that the body’s healing may follow. And do not neglect the care of her body through proper means, for the Apostle permitted Timothy a little wine for his stomach’s sake; but let all be done for health, not for indulgence.
You cry out about your debts and lack of employment. The remedy lies in your own hands, if you will grasp it. Though your want presses hard, do not cease to give alms from the little you have. A house built by almsgiving cannot suffer lasting calamity; it is a hedge around the household, as even the devil testified of Job. That righteous man, in the midst of his wealth, was eyes to the blind and father to orphans, and when disaster struck, it became the occasion of double blessing. So you, even now, stretch out your hand to those in greater need, and God will open His hand to you. Do not say, “I have nothing to give,” for a cup of cold water given in His name has its reward. Let this be your first financial strategy: mercy to the poor.
Moreover, the root of your distress may lie in a soul riveted too tightly to present things. You dream of financial stability as if it were your true good, but these cares are a sleep and a vapor. Instead, pour over the New Testament as a chest of medicines. When grief and anxiety beset you, dive into its pages; there you will find comfort for every loss and strength for every burden. Do not merely hear these words now and forget them tomorrow. Let them abide in your mind day and night, and they will bring forth fruit in due season, even if you have seemed insensible before.
You and your mother, having lost your earthly father, look to the Father of mercies. He is the defender of the widow and the fatherless. Walk according to His will, flee from every form of wantonness and soft living, and make provision for the flesh only so far as necessity demands. Bear one another’s burdens; tend your mother as your own soul, and let her encourage you in return. This mutual love will be a strong tower.
May the Lord, who healed the paralytic, heal your mother’s body and her liver, and grant her length of days to praise His name. May He open a door of employment for you, and not only meet your monthly need but make you a cheerful giver to others. And may He lead you both into a future secure in His arms, through the grace and lovingkindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father and the Holy Spirit be glory forever. Amen.
You cry out about your debts and lack of employment. The remedy lies in your own hands, if you will grasp it. Though your want presses hard, do not cease to give alms from the little you have. A house built by almsgiving cannot suffer lasting calamity; it is a hedge around the household, as even the devil testified of Job. That righteous man, in the midst of his wealth, was eyes to the blind and father to orphans, and when disaster struck, it became the occasion of double blessing. So you, even now, stretch out your hand to those in greater need, and God will open His hand to you. Do not say, “I have nothing to give,” for a cup of cold water given in His name has its reward. Let this be your first financial strategy: mercy to the poor.
Moreover, the root of your distress may lie in a soul riveted too tightly to present things. You dream of financial stability as if it were your true good, but these cares are a sleep and a vapor. Instead, pour over the New Testament as a chest of medicines. When grief and anxiety beset you, dive into its pages; there you will find comfort for every loss and strength for every burden. Do not merely hear these words now and forget them tomorrow. Let them abide in your mind day and night, and they will bring forth fruit in due season, even if you have seemed insensible before.
You and your mother, having lost your earthly father, look to the Father of mercies. He is the defender of the widow and the fatherless. Walk according to His will, flee from every form of wantonness and soft living, and make provision for the flesh only so far as necessity demands. Bear one another’s burdens; tend your mother as your own soul, and let her encourage you in return. This mutual love will be a strong tower.
May the Lord, who healed the paralytic, heal your mother’s body and her liver, and grant her length of days to praise His name. May He open a door of employment for you, and not only meet your monthly need but make you a cheerful giver to others. And may He lead you both into a future secure in His arms, through the grace and lovingkindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father and the Holy Spirit be glory forever. Amen.
