A prayer unworthy of the glory of God

A certain elder, who prayed before God and fed himself by the labour of his own hands, came to a village to sell his handiwork. The God-pleasing ascetic was already making ready to return to his cell when a stranger, surrounded by the poor and by pilgrims, met him and invited him to his house.

They paid the elder fitting honour and saw him on his way. He took leave of his host and, marvelling at his hospitality, sought to learn who he was. He learned that this man was a stonecutter named Eulogius. He worked all day long, and when evening came and he received the wage of the whole day, he led home all the poor whom he met on the way and spent upon their entertainment everything he had earned in the day. Even the crumbs that fell from the table he threw to the dogs. Thus did Eulogius strive to inherit the heavenly kingdom, feeding all, from man to insect.

The kind-hearted elder was amazed at his virtues; day and night he besought God that, for the happiness of others, Eulogius might be made rich. Together with his prayer he fasted so that his soul scarcely held within him.

At last God heard the prayer of the ascetic and gave him this vision: the elder fell asleep; and suddenly he found himself in the church of the Ascension. He saw a certain divine Child sitting upon a stone. Beside Him stood Eulogius. Then the Child said: “If thou wilt be surety for him, we shall grant Eulogius riches.” The elder agreed, and he saw that two of those who were there began to pour gold into the bosom of Eulogius. At that moment the elder awoke from his dream and gave thanks to God, Who had heard his prayer.

Meanwhile Eulogius went on living as before. One morning, when he had come out to his work, he struck the stone with his chisel and felt that it was hollow. He struck a second time and saw the hollow. After the third blow gold poured out of the stone. Eulogius was terrified; he did not know what to do with so much gold; that day not one of the poor ate with him, nor did he himself eat anything. The next day he bought a horse and carried the gold home as though he were carrying stone. That evening he supped alone.

Long did restless thoughts torment Eulogius... At last he hired a ship and sailed to Constantinople, where he bought himself the rank of a nobleman; he acquired a huge and splendid house and began to live without care, with no thriftiness at all — that is, every day he invited to himself men of renown and of wealth.

The elder, who had asked of God this wealth for Eulogius, knew nothing of it. Two years later he saw again in his sleep the shining Child and thought: where is Eulogius? Whither has he gone? Someone of evil aspect was leading Eulogius away from the face of the Child... The elder awoke, sighed and said to himself: “I have destroyed a soul!” — and hastened to the place where Eulogius had lived before. Long he waited for the feeder of the poor to come and call them to his house, but in vain! At last, losing patience, he asked an old woman: “Is there anyone here who takes in strangers?” “No,” she answered with a sigh, “here there lived a stonecutter who greatly loved to take in strangers. Seeing his deeds, God sent down grace upon him, and now he is a nobleman in Constantinople...” Hearing this, the elder said to himself: “I have committed murder!” — and set off for the capital.

There he learned where Eulogius lived, sat down at the doors of his house and waited for him to come out... At last Eulogius appeared with a haughty look and a lordly gait, accompanied by a multitude of slaves and servants. “Have mercy on me,” cried the elder, “I would say somewhat to thee...” But Eulogius did not so much as glance at him, and the slaves thrust him away. The poor intercessor went round ahead of Eulogius into another street, stood again before him and called to him, but he was thrust away several times and was forced to withdraw. Thus the elder sat four weeks before the house of Eulogius, in rain and in snow, but he could not speak with him.

At last the elder gave up hope of the salvation of Eulogius, fell to the ground and began to entreat the Lord to undo his intercession. But by an extraordinary revelation it was made known to him that a foolish prayer and intercession are not worthy of forgiveness. The poor elder did not know what to do. He took ship to sail to Alexandria. Just then he fell into such little faith and despair that he became like one dead. In this state he fell into a slumber, and after many tormenting dreams he heard a voice: “Go to thy cell! I shall restore to Eulogius his former state; but thou, weak man, take not upon thyself before God a prayer unworthy of His glory.”

Three months later the elder learned that the emperor Justin had died. His heir began a persecution of the nobles who had been in favour with his father; two of them he put to death, and Eulogius fled. In the end the emperor promised the greatest reward to whoever should bring him his head.

The elder set out again for the place where Eulogius had lived before. But how he rejoiced when at sunset he saw him coming from his work surrounded by the poor! The elder would have run to meet him, but Eulogius was before him, kissed his hand and invited him to supper.

The elder and Eulogius talked together, and the stonecutter told him how he had returned to his own country. How all the inhabitants had run out to see him and to congratulate him on the rank of a nobleman. But Eulogius feared that his whereabouts would be made known, and said that he had been in Jerusalem to venerate the Sepulchre of the Saviour. “I took up my tools again,” Eulogius went on, “and hastened to that very stone where I had found the gold; I thought that I should find riches again, but however much I struck the stone, I found nothing. At last I was delivered from this temptation and, thanks be to God, I forgot the rank of a nobleman.”

Entreat the Lord that He forgive thee thy sins, that He keep thee from committing transgression; but in prayer ask not for riches, for power, or for the like. The Lord knows better what is profitable for a man and what is harmful. He will grant us all that a man has need of. Eulogius is the best example of how ruinous it sometimes is for a poor man to be made rich.