Commemorated on December 1
/
Righteous
Philaret the Merciful, son of George and Anna, was raised in piety and
the fear of God. He lived during the eighth century in the village of
Amneia in the Paphlagonian district of Asia Minor. His wife, Theoseba,
was from a rich and illustrious family, and they had three children: a
son John, and daughters Hypatia and Evanthia.
Philaret was a rich and illustrious dignitary, but he did not hoard his
wealth. Knowing that many people suffered from poverty, he remembered
the words of the Savior about the dread Last Judgment and about "these
least ones" (Mt. 25:40); the the Apostle Paul's reminder that we will
take nothing with us from this world (1 Tim 6:7); and the assertion of
King David that the righteous would not be forsaken (Ps 36/37:25).
Philaret, whose name means "lover of virtue," was famed for his love for
the poor.
One day Ishmaelites [Arabs] attacked Paphlagonia, devastating the land
and plundering the estate of Philaret. There remained only two oxen, a
donkey, a cow with her calf, some beehives, and the house. But he also
shared them with the poor. His wife reproached him for being heartless
and unconcerned for his own family. Mildly, yet firmly he endured the
reproaches of his wife and the jeers of his children. "I have hidden
away riches and treasure," he told his family, "so much that it would be
enough for you to feed and clothe yourselves, even if you lived a
hundred years without working."
The saint's gifts always brought good to the recipient. Whoever received
anything from him found that the gift would multiply, and that person
would become rich. Knowing this, a certain man came to St Philaret
asking for a calf so that he could start a herd. The cow missed its calf
and began to bellow. Theoseba said to her husband, "You have no pity on
us, you merciless man, but don't you feel sorry for the cow? You have
separated her from her calf." The saint praised his wife, and agreed
that it was not right to separate the cow and the calf. Therefore, he
called the poor man to whom he had given the calf and told him to take
the cow as well.
That year there was a famine, so St Philaret took the donkey and went to
borrow six bushels of wheat from a friend of his. When he returned
home, a poor man asked him for a little wheat, so he told his wife to
give the man a bushel. Theoseba said, "First you must give a bushel to
each of us in the family, then you can give away the rest as you
choose." Philaretos then gave the man two bushels of wheat. Theoseba
said sarcastically, "Give him half the load so you can share it." The
saint measured out a third bushel and gave it to the man. Then Theoseba
said, "Why don't you give him the bag, too, so he can carry it?" He gave
him the bag. The exasperated wife said, "Just to spite me, why not give
him all the wheat." St Philaret did so.
Now the man was unable to lift the six bushels of wheat, so Theoseba
told her husband to give him the donkey so he could carry the wheat
home. Blessing his wife, Philaret gave the donkey to the man, who went
home rejoicing. Theoseba and the children wept because they were hungry.
The Lord rewarded Philaret for his generosity: when the last measure of
wheat was given away, a old friend sent him forty bushels. Theoseba kept
most of the wheat for herself and the children, and the saint gave away
his share to the poor and had nothing left. When his wife and children
were eating, he would go to them and they gave him some food. Theoseba
grumbled saying, "How long are you going to keep that treasure of yours
hidden? Take it out so we can buy food with it."
During this time the Byzantine empress Irene (797-802) was seeking a
bride for her son, the future emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitos
(780-797). Therefore, emissaries were sent throughout all the Empire to
find a suitable girl, and the envoys came to Amneia.
When Philaret and Theoseba learned that these most illustrious guests
were to visit their house, Philaret was very happy, but Theoseba was
sad, for they did not have enough food. But Philaret told his wife to
light the fire and to decorate their home. Their neighbors, knowing that
imperial envoys were expected, brought everything required for a rich
feast.
The envoys were impressed by the saint's daughters and granddaughters.
Seeing their beauty, their deportment, their clothing, and their
admirable qualities, the envoys agreed that Philaret' granddaughter,
Maria was exactly what they were looking for. This Maria exceeded all
her rivals in quality and modesty and indeed became Constantine's wife,
and the emperor rewarded Philaret.
Thus fame and riches returned to Philaret. But just as before, this holy
lover of the poor generously distributed alms and provided a feast for
the poor. He and his family served them at the meal. Everyone was
astonished at his humility and said: "This is a man of God, a true
disciple of Christ."
He ordered a servant to take three bags and fill one with gold, one with
silver, and one with copper coins. When a beggar approached, Philaret
ordered his servant to bring forth one of the bags, whichever God's
providence would ordain. Then he would reach into the bag and give to
each person, as much as God willed.
St Philaret refused to wear fine clothes, nor would he accept any
imperial rank. He said it was enough for him to be called the
grandfather of the Empress. The saint reached ninety years of age and
knew his end was approaching. He went to the Rodolpheia ("The Judgment")
monastery in Constantinople. He gave some gold to the Abbess and asked
her to allow him to be buried there, saying that he would depart this
life in ten days.
He returned home and became ill. On the tenth day he summoned his
family, he exhorted them to imitate his love for the poor if they
desired salvation. Then he fell asleep in the Lord. He died in the year
792 and was buried in the Rodolpheia Judgment monastery in
Constantinople.
The appearance of a miracle after his death confirmed the sainthood of
Righteous Philaret. As they bore the body of the saint to the cemetery, a
certain man, possessed by the devil, followed the funeral procession
and tried to overturn the coffin. When they reached the grave, the devil
threw the man down on the ground and went out of him. Many other
miracles and healings also took place at the grave of the saint.
After the death of the righteous Philaret, his wife Theoseba worked at
restoring monasteries and churches devastated during a barbarian
invasion.
TROPARION-TONE 3
From the wealth of your faith in God,
You distributed your riches to the poor, O Philaret.
Your life was adorned with compassion
And you glorified the Giver of mercy.
Implore him to have compassion and mercy on those who praise you!
KONTAKION-TONE 3
You possessed the spirit of Job in temptations,
And compassionately distributed your wealth to the poor.
You were a living fountain of almsgiving,
And by your manner of life you gladden those who cry:
Rejoice, O Philaret, servant of Christ God!
SOURCE:
SAINT OR FEAST POSTED THIS DATE 2011(with 2010's link here also and further, 2009, 2008's, even 2007!)
.jpg)
