Don’t love to be treated, but love to study health: 13 recipes of the Athonite elders

Complain to God

“Wherever you turn, wherever you look, God is everywhere: in heaven, on earth, in the abysses, in trees, in stones, in your mind, in your heart.
And if God is there all the time, why do you worry? “In Him we live, we move” (Acts 17:28). He carries us in His arms. We breathe in God, we dress in God, we touch God, we taste God in the sacrament. And doesn’t He see that you are suffering, that you are tormented? Complain to Him, and you will see consolation, you will see healing that will heal not only your body, but, to a greater extent, the passions of your soul.”

Venerable Joseph the Hesychast

The name day of the 100-year-old elder abbot Jeremiah (Alekhine) was celebrated on Mount Athos

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In our vain age, the feat of service of
Schema-Archimandrite Jeremiah (Alekhine), the Russian abbot of the St. Panteleimon Monastery on Athos , is a rare but striking example of what was inherited through spiritual continuity from the saints of his predecessors.
A distinctive feature of the spiritual appearance of Father Jeremiah is the virtue of not remembering or seeing evil, and thanking God for everything .

The image of the father-abbot is made attractive not only by his handsome senile appearance, but, above all, by his deep spiritual prudence, bright mind, fatherly participation and care, simplicity and accessibility in communication.

But the main quality of Elder Jeremiah is the grace-filled power of his prayer and words. Although many pray and pray often, not everyone is heard. Father-Hegumen is one of those few whose prayers the Lord hears and answers. He is not an orator, not a preacher, but his word is filled with such extraordinary spiritual power that crushes any hard heart and makes it receptive to the grace that he draws from the treasury of his soul, tempered by many years of selflessness, humility and obedience.

Elder Jeremiah does not have complete, complete sermons and words. But there are many instructions spoken to the brethren under different circumstances.

In his instructions to the brethren, Father Jeremiah always emphasizes gratitude to God, Gospel love for each other, self-compulsion and constancy in asceticism.

We offer readers of the portal “Russian Athos” some of the teachings of the 100-year-old Russian abbot on Athos of the St. Panteleimon Monastery of Schema-Archimandrite Jeremiah (Alekhine):

About gratitude

According to the elder abbot Jeremiah, gratitude is the greatest virtue. “The ability to be grateful instills in a person submission to the will of God, facilitates the path to acquiring humility, teaches prayer, and helps to comprehend the mystery of love. A grateful soul will never grumble at fate, will never offend its neighbor and will not even rise above him; it will be diligent in prayer and worship, not at all burdened by their duration. A grateful soul cannot help but be merciful, cannot hate and plot evil, because it remembers the mercy shown to it and strives to repay the same a hundredfold.”

About love and obedience

“Love cannot exist without heroism, without self-sacrifice. Therefore, I would like to remind you how love is expressed first of all. If you love your brother, give in to him, preferring his benefit to your own; do not envy him when you see that in something he is superior to you; bear with his weaknesses and condescend to his shortcomings; do not harm him by idle talk, ridicule, or condemnation of someone. If you love the monastery and your mentors and superiors, then show obedience, put aside your will, sacrifice your own self. This is what true love is all about. Obedience, about which the holy fathers say that it is higher than all other virtues, is love, manifested in our will and activity. Just as sin is a product of passion, so obedience is a product of love. He who loves is always obedient, sacrificing his will, his opinion and his benefit in the name of filial and brotherly love in Christ. And whoever does not obey loves only his own “I”, his passionate and fallen will, and is guided by his own opinion distorted by passions. Obedience is everyday self-sacrifice and the greatest feat. If mutual obedience becomes scarce, then there will be no achievement in our lives, then love becomes scarce.

“Let there be love among you,” says the Lord. Just the word of the Lord, but how to fulfill it? What is love and how do you know whether you love out of virtue or out of passion? If you want to learn true spiritual love in Christ, first of all accustom yourself to be slow to idle talk and jokes; if they don’t ask you, don’t be the first to start a conversation, especially with elders; if they speak to you, answer cordially, but briefly. Train yourself not to contradict, not to argue, not to insist on your own. Don’t rush to say “no” when they ask you to obey or just help.”

About the knowledge of God

“Knowledge of God is limitless,” notes Fr. Jeremiah, - and everyone extends into it as much as they move away from the world, from earthly pleasures, from vanity, corruption, futility and idleness. But on the other hand, no one can reject the world and its charm if the love of God does not attract him first. The Lord commanded the apostles to remain in Jerusalem until the time of receiving the Holy Spirit. This solitude symbolizes evasion from the world, and not only from the external, but also from the internal - that is, from the totality of passions. As passions subside in a person, the action of the grace of the Holy Spirit is revealed in him. The psalm speaks about this: “Be silent and understand that I am God” (Ps. 45:10). The city of Jerusalem is the mind of man, and the heart is the throne on which the fire of the Holy Spirit must descend. A Christian must abolish all passions, settle down, retire into his inner cell, and there wait for the Comforter, Who will bring him the enlightenment of the Truth, victory and freedom. Only in the grace of the Holy Spirit do we know our Creator, meet Him, converse with Him as with the Heavenly Father, and receive true victory over the passions and true spiritual freedom - freedom to live not according to the impulse and violence of the passions, but according to the will of God. And this is a person’s happiness.”

About spiritual life and acquiring grace

“The life of every Christian consists not only of visiting church, reading certain prayers, participating in sacraments and rituals, fulfilling certain duties of a Christian - all this is very important, but if at the same time a Christian does not try to lead an inner spiritual life, everyday, hourly correcting thoughts, feelings and desires in accordance with the Gospel, he will not achieve the main goal of his life, will not fulfill his destiny, will not attract divine grace to himself, will not become the temple of God and “God by grace.”

The Monk Simeon the New Theologian says that anyone who has not acquired grace in this life cannot be called a Christian. Formal affiliation with Orthodoxy is not enough, but an experienced participation in the fruits of the feat of the Cross, the resurrection and ascension of Christ is also necessary. Through grace, God, who is by nature unknowable, is revealed to the faithful. By grace, a faithful Christian can not only become a knower of God, but also become a God-bearer, acquiring God within his heart. He Whom neither heaven nor earth can contain, says St. Ephraim the Syrian, by grace, fits into the human heart. But this heart must be cleansed of passions. “Blessed are those who are pure in heart, so that they will see God” (Matthew 5:8). And when the Lord Himself rests in your heart, then “the whole Kingdom of God is within you (cf. Luke 17:20-21).” Then a person, like the apostles on Tabor, contemplates the Lord in the light and glory of the impregnable Divinity.

Inner, hidden life in God, the struggle with passions, the search and acquisition of grace are integral aspects of Orthodox spirituality.”

On attention to worship

“The entire service of our holy Church, all rituals and liturgical texts are filled with deep meaning and edification. There is not a single action, not a single word in the Church that is not full of meaning. Let us listen carefully, brethren, to the service. If someone has not acquired prayer, then the service itself will show him an image of prayer that propitiates God. Whoever immerses himself in the words of worship with attention and reverence will soon learn prayer. The service educates and churchizes our feelings, cleanses us of the admixture of passions, and teaches us how to combine them with prayer. Stichera, troparia and canons teach the soul of the person praying to praise God worthily. Attentive listening during worship not only introduces one to prayer, but also facilitates the understanding of church dogmas. True theology is hidden in church hymns, not from human wisdom and reason, but from the Holy Spirit.”

About prayer

The Lord created man and therefore all of man’s thought should be in God. Put aside everything earthly, all vanity and care, so that nothing possesses you, and raise all your thoughts, all your feelings to God. God is your refuge, God is your help and strength. God is your interlocutor and your Father. Run to Him alone often and diligently, and converse with Him in solitary prayer. It’s scary to think: the holy fathers call on the praying Christian to become like the cherubim, who constantly look to God and glorify Him. The eye is a symbol of the mind. It is not by chance that this angelic nature is called many-eyed in the Holy Scriptures, but because of an excess of prayerful attention. The Cherub is in constant spiritual contemplation and knowledge of divine secrets. This is the form of prayer we, brethren, are called to, especially while standing at the Divine Liturgy.

About sin, repentance and monastic tonsure

“Passion enslaves a person’s will, violently turns his mind away from God and directs him to sin. The mind, under the influence of passions, loses divine enlightenment and is darkened by vain and unclean thoughts, instead of offering God a pure sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. The spirit of a person wounded by sin ceases to listen to God and dies to spiritual life if the wound is not cleansed by repentance. Sin and passion deprive the soul of the boldness to stand before God in pure prayer. Sin wounds and wounds the soul, so that often even after repentance the soul feels the pain of these wounds. Grace, when it comes, consoles, renews, enlightens and delights the soul, so that it no longer remembers the consequences of the sins committed. The sacrament of repentance is a font that washes the soul and restores the grace of baptism, which is lost due to sin. A soul that has experience of spiritual life feels and knows that the Lord has forgiven its sins in the sacrament of repentance. Taking monastic vows is one of the forms of repentance. Entering the monastic rank, we repent for our entire lives, for all the sins we have previously committed, and we cut off our hair, as we once cut it in the sacrament of baptism; as at baptism, in monastic tonsure, we deny the devil and all his works, and unite with Christ. And the Lord, in this sacrament of repentance, renews the grace of baptism to the repentant tonsure, a sign of which is the singing of the baptismal hymn: “Be baptized into Christ, put on Christ, hallelujah.” The sacrament of baptism cannot be repeated; it is performed only once. But by His mercy, the Lord gave us the opportunity to renew the grace of baptism through repentance, and return to the boldness to stand before God in prayer that was lost due to sins and passions.”

About mobile phones and the Internet

The monk who exchanged his rosary for a telephone, an icon for a computer screen, and contemplation of divine mysteries for the Internet has lost his way from the path to salvation.

About events in Ukraine

One day the brethren asked a question about. Jeremiah about what is happening in Ukraine. Father Superior answered this question this way: “Rev. Silouan of Athos was a contemporary of the revolution and civil war in Russia. Naturally, these events could not but disturb the Russian inhabitants of Svyatogorsk at that time. One day the monk found himself among monks who were lively discussing the atrocities of the Bolshevik terror. Having talked enough, they turned to Elder Silouan: “Why don’t you say anything to your father? What do you think about it?" After being silent for a while, the elder replied: “I know that the Lord endlessly loves people and loves our Fatherland. I know that everything that is happening now in Russia is not happening without God’s permission. I can't understand it and I can't stop it. All I can do is love, forgive, endure, and pray...” I have nothing to add to these wise words of our elder Silouan.”

About forgiveness and mercy

“To forgive your neighbor his sins is a great virtue. No matter how hard it is for you, no matter how seriously your neighbor has sinned against you, but if he has asked for your forgiveness, with all your heart forgive him at that very moment, blot out his offense in your memory.

Forgive your neighbor without reserve, and you will know God’s mercy towards yourself. Whoever forgives quickly and purely, God quickly forgives his sins. For He who gave us this prayer is not false: “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.”

You often hear: “I forgave my brother, but I made a note so as not to make a similar mistake in the future.” Sly wisdom and rancor, hidden in the guise of reasoning. Forgive your neighbors in simplicity, and God will not remember your sins and sins. Every person is a lie: he repents before God, and again sins and falls. But God has mercy on us if we repent and again ask for forgiveness, and forgives us, calling us to Himself. This is what we must do in order to be like our Heavenly Father.”

For about 40 years, Schema-Archimandrite Jeremiah has firmly held the shepherd's rod of abbess, with which he confidently grazes his verbal sheep, entrusted to him by God, on the rich and fruitful pastures that he himself has traversed and tasted with his own experience. Father Jeremiah has the amazing gift of kindling faith in God’s Providence, zeal for an ascetic life, a desire to change, to fight one’s passions in the name of acquiring grace. Tempted as gold in a furnace, he, according to the word of Holy Scripture, is able to help those who are tempted (Heb. 2:18).

The teachings were recorded in the Russian St. Panteleimon Monastery on Athos especially for the portal “Russian Athos”,

January 2021

For more information see:

Health is like a sea wave

“Bodily infirmities serve the many and varied purposes of God’s ineffable love. Here it is appropriate to recall the primitive popular opinion that illness is God’s punishment for sins, and health is a reward for virtues.

But in reality it may be quite the opposite. Thus, very many saints are burdened with many bodily ailments, and many people who live in sin and are far from repentance never get sick.

Of course, no one denies that a soul broken by sinful passions is fertile soil for the development of bodily ailments, and vice versa; a peaceful soul turned to goodness creates what is necessary both for its own healing and for bodily health.

Nevertheless, the health of each person, which, like a sea wave, comes and goes, serves the pedagogical purposes of God, hidden from us, but revealed to His saints.”

Dreams of Elder Porfiry

Rev. Porfiry Kavsokalivit
“The monastery seemed to me like Paradise: services and confession would not stop around the clock. The confessors would replace each other: new ones would take over on duty and constantly provide assistance to the sick... This would be at any time of the day or night.

To have a telephone where sisters would be on duty day and night to console so many who despair of life due to various wounds. With their words, they would lead them to the great Comforter - Christ, so that their souls would be saved and filled with the heavenly light that Divine grace would give them.

And I would like to confess to the people who come. When some sick person comes, especially after temptations, I would confess to him. And then the sisters come and reverently sing a prayer service for him. Prayer changes everyone’s condition, performs miracles, that’s why I’m so looking for this and fervently wishing for it. This is what I want to do in the monastery.”

Teachings of the Elders

. Elder Joel argued that he who devotes himself to God has within himself a sacred fire, which is kindled by God Himself. Namely, he said this: “The strong desire to devote oneself to God requires so many sacrifices from a person that if a fire does not ignite in him, capable of burning out any carnal lust and any earthly desire, then this desire will not be supported and will be exhausted. I cannot kindle such a fire myself. No man has such strength to kindle such a fire that makes a young man 20-25 years old, i.e. a person with all the recklessness of youth, to despise any carnal lust and lust after suffering and deprivation. This fire can only be lit by One – God.”

. The following liturgical experience of Elder Jacob is especially interesting: “People are blind and do not see what is happening in the church during the Divine Liturgy. Once I served the Liturgy and could not make the Great Entrance because of what I saw. Suddenly I felt someone pushing me on the shoulder and leading me to the holy altar. I thought it was a psalm-reader. I turn around and see a huge wing placed on my shoulder by the Archangel and leading me to the great entrance. What happens in the altar during the Divine Liturgy! Often I can’t stand it and sit down, at which time my co-workers think that something is wrong with my health, but they don’t know what I see and hear.”

. The same elder said: “When the priest takes out the particles and remembers the names of the faithful at the holy altar, then the Angel of the Lord descends, takes this remembrance and carries it to the Throne of Christ, as a prayer for those who were commemorated.”

. The words of preachers usually remain unanswered, for there is a reason for this. Speaking about this, Elder Amphilochius emphasized the following: “Nowadays the words of preachers are adding fuel to the fire. Nowadays the poor and uneducated people are abandoned and unheard. He needs deeds and life according to Christian love, he wants to be sympathized with like brothers. Only through love for them and through acts of philanthropy will we bring our brothers to Christ again.”

. Elder Paisios emphasized: “One word of a humble person, confirmed by experience, coming out with pain from the depths of his heart, is of greater value than the empty chatter of a superficial person, quickly produced by his educated tongue, which does not provide food for the soul, for he is flesh, and not the fiery tongue of Holy Pentecost." He spoke about the accusatory sermon like this: “If a passionate person denounces an egoist, then it’s like hitting a stone with a stone, causing sparks to fly away! If a passionate person denounces a sensitive person, he will cause him a great wound. It’s the same as a savage using a healthy metal brush to clean pus from the eyes of an infant.”

. One bishop complained that his fiery preaching did not bear fruit. And Elder Jerome told him: “A hunter must be not just an excellent shooter. He must also load his gun with gunpowder and shot. Teach by example first, and then you will see how much fruit your preaching will bear.” And another time he emphasized: “When the preacher has not learned himself, has not passed the test himself, then how will he teach others? People, for the most part, learn by deeds, not by words.”

. Elder Epiphanius said: “The priesthood is God’s greatest blessing for people. It is a conduit of God’s grace.”

. To the archimandrite, who felt like a failure for not becoming a bishop, the same elder said: “This seems like blasphemy to me. If you think that these meager members can take bread and wine, and by the invocation of the Holy Spirit transform them into the Body and Blood of Christ, if you think that you have been given the power in Baptism to create from the descendants of Adam partakers of the Cross and the Resurrection of the Lord, if you think, that you have been given the power to lay your hands and stole on the head of the greatest sinner and release him from the confessional with a whitened soul, then how dare you, after all this, consider yourself a failure? Just because he didn't wear a miter? May God have mercy on us!”

. Defending the outer attire of the clergy, Elder Epiphanius said: “The priest is the embodiment of the absolute, the expression of the constant, unchanging and unshakable, the trumpet of heaven, the image of incorruptibility, the signpost of the path to eternity. Let his outer attire remain unchanged throughout the centuries, as a reminder and symbol of eternal and immutable truths, those truths that he represents.”

. “The cassock,” said Elder Amphilochius, “is the banner of our Church of Christ, therefore we must make great efforts so that we who wear it honor the cassock with our holy life, so that others who do not wear it will honor and respect it.”

. And Elder Philotheus spoke warmly about the cleric’s attire: “I am proud of the cassock that I wear, and I consider it more precious and splendid than any other robe, and even the royal purple and dress. I consider myself unworthy to wear such a modest, respectable and holy garment, which was revered by myriads of saints, saints, confessors and saints. I grieve and feel sorry for those clergy who take off their cassock and shave.”

. A shining example of a cleric who devoted himself to his work was Elder Epiphanius of Athens. We present here a few of his words addressed to the clergy: “I am completely landless. I don’t have an inch of my own land, although I am not from a poor family. I have no property, neither movable nor immovable, except for my modest, simple and unpretentious vestments, robes and books. The Lord had mercy on me, and even to this day I have not acquired a penny from the priesthood: neither payment nor remuneration for sacred rites.” “Let us not forget, married or unmarried, that we are representatives of the meek and lowly of heart Jesus. We are called to thrive in humility, not to quarrel at the altar over primacy.” “Clerics, and especially celibates, must be chosen from people of mature age, excellent upbringing, extreme reverence, brilliant behavior, adamantine character and harmonious mental make-up, acquired through labor and sweat, prayers and teachings, fasting and vigils, voluntary poverty, suffering and various deprivations. For the feat is the privilege and responsibility not only of monks, but also of every believer, and, above all, of the clergy, especially the celibate. The Orthodox Church is deeply ascetic, and whoever does not love heroism and is a friend of bliss and peace has no place in it.”

. Elder Daniel, summing up his words about the qualities necessary for a confessor, said: “First, he must have blessed patience towards those who sin and show great love. Secondly, he must keep the secret and prefer to die rather than reveal the sin of the person confessed to him. And thirdly, he must have as his faithful guide the virtue of reasoning.”

. A good confessor has compassion for those confessing. Elder Jacob spoke about this pain of his like this: “I have compassion for the person confessing to me. I'm sick with him. I am sick and crying for the confessor. I pray to Saint David that after confession I will forget what is unnecessary and remember what I need to pray for. I pray for those confessing, worry about them and wait for their arrival again.”

. The experienced confessor Elder Philotheus said: “I testify that often after confession, especially in big cities, although, incidentally, in villages, all day and most of the night I felt such exhaustion that I fell on my bed as if dead, thinking that I will no longer get up, but will die or be ill for a long time, remaining motionless and inactive. But when I woke up in the morning, I felt completely healthy and with new strength."

. Elder Epiphanius said: “For me there is no greater satisfaction than sitting for hours in the confessional and reconciling a person with God.”

. About young clerics who are impatient to become confessors, Elder Paisius said: “Those who are in a hurry to become confessors and still have a lot of spiritual poison in themselves are like unripe and tart quince, from which, no matter how much sugar we put in, will not make good jam, but if it works, it will quickly turn sour. Sweet words and great truths have value when they come from true lips, and find a place only in souls inclined to goodness and in generous people who have a pure mind.”

. About the activity of the confessor, Elder Philotheus said: “To the present evil generation, the confessor must apply oikonomia (condescension), for if he applies exactly the church canons, then there will be none of those confessing, or very few, worthy of Communion. But the confessor needs great attention and reasoning, and warm prayer to Heavenly God and Father, so that He will enlighten him on how to apply oikonomia.”

. The confessor must have extensive experience in order to be able to relate to people with pastoral responsiveness. Elder Porfiry, who became a confessor at the age of 21, said the following about himself: “Since at first I was inexperienced, I imposed heavy penances on the monks and laymen who came to confess. But many of them soon came to me again and said that they could not bear the penances I imposed. Now I see how heavy the penances I imposed were due to my inexperience.” And another time he said: “When I don’t eat anything, then I understand people’s souls better.”

. Regarding the economy that a confessor should apply, Elder Daniel advised: “In order for you, my confessor, to always be safe, do not be too lenient in condescension, nor be too demanding in severity, in order to preserve repentance in people. Tolerate questions and sins that are tolerable from the point of view of economics with great reasoning. But be very strict with those who are intolerant, so that you will not have to answer for them on the Day of Judgment.”

. Elder Jerome said that “the weakness of the priests is disgusting - the love of money. Alas, when the priest becomes a lover of money, then he will fall into many other things.” And he gave the young priest the following practical advice regarding his behavior: “When you leave the house and walk along the streets, wherever you go, know that people are watching the priest, how he walks, how he talks, how he behaves. May your actions be correct. Don't wave your arms back and forth. Wear a long cassock as expected. Sleeves should be wide. Conduct yourself prudently, in a Christian manner, and not frivolously, like the worldly.”

. Addressing his spiritual children, Elder Joel said: “You are using a very rare gift from God. You can find me whenever you want. I listen to you willingly, with love and tenderness. I'm in your pocket! Only when I leave will you understand what I am telling you now.”

. Elder Amphilochius with Fr. Patmos often said: “I am like an old tree, whose shade on hot summer days is enjoyed not only by the gentle sheep of Christ, but also by the little birds sitting on its branches. Everyone, in order not to lose their joy, wishes the old pine tree many years to come. But its roots are slowly rotting, and a harsh winter will come, when a strong wind will knock down the pine and it will become suitable only for firewood. But now the old pine thanks the sheep and birds - its comrades in the desert.” And another time he expressed his love as follows: “I, my children, don’t even want heaven without you.”

. The following words of Elder Epiphanius are worthy of mention and imitation: “My heart has only entrances. There are no exits. Whoever goes inside stays there. Whatever he has done, I love him as I loved him when he first came into my heart. I pray for him and seek his salvation.” “The worst torment for me is knowing that I have upset a loved one.” “I want those who are next to me to feel spaciousness, not crampedness. I don’t call anyone, I don’t hold anyone, and I don’t drive anyone away. Whoever wants comes, whoever wants, stays, whoever wants, leaves. I don’t consider anyone my follower or supporter.” “I sacrificed everything before I got this. I sacrificed my position as a university teacher. I sacrificed my position as senior secretary of the Holy Synod. I sacrificed my position as head of the missionary brotherhood. I sacrificed my position as rector of a large temple. I sacrificed episcopal thrones. I have one stole to confess ten souls. Nothing else!"

. Elder Joseph wrote to his spiritual child: “My strong desire, the burning of my heart, my divine love, constantly burning my insides, is for souls to be saved, for them to offer themselves as verbal sacrifices to our Sweetest Jesus.” And he prayed a lot for this to happen. But his words addressed to others do not bear fruit, or, at best, occasionally change the disposition of those listening. In this regard, the great Hesychast said: “If the grace of God does not enlighten a person, no matter how many words you say, there will be no benefit. Now he listens, but soon, tied up, he returns to the old way again. But if grace acts immediately, together with the word, then at that very second a change occurs in accordance with the person’s aspiration. From that moment his life changes. But this happens to those who have not damaged their hearing or hardened their conscience. On the contrary, those who hear good, but do not obey and remain with their evil will, even if you spoke to them day and night, and showed them all the wisdom of the Fathers, and performed miracles before their eyes, and turned back the flow of the Nile , they won't get one bit of benefit. But out of despondency, they want to come here to my kaliva (a kaliva on Athos is a separate house for a hermit; unlike a cell, there is no temple on a kaliva - Ed.) and talk for hours, just to kill time. Therefore, I close the door so that through silence and prayer I can benefit at least myself.”

. Elder Jacob said: “We all put on a cassock with the goal of sanctifying our soul. But attention is required. For worldly honor, glory, and selfishness can make it so that instead of sanctifying our soul, we lose it.”

. The world lies in evil. This should not lead us to despair. Elder Jerome emphasized: “Even if there are thousands of blind people and only one sighted person, he can lead them all out so that they do not die.”

. On one of the last days of his life, Elder Anthimus revealed to his nuns: “I would like to have the strength to do something more for my neighbor, but I cannot. I only pray and ask my Lord that in the days of my life here he will give me His grace, so that I can bring something to the one who comes to me: cross him, give advice, consolation, pray for him... Whoever is next to me will my friend: Jew, Turk, whatever. I want my Lord to vouchsafe me to help them in some way, as I have done all my life.” Of course, he had the same love for the nuns, his spiritual daughters: “I am your father,” he told them. “Despite my old age, I am not tired of pouring out my fatherly love on you. I am also trying to plant trees for you, grow gardens, build buildings for you, do everything I can for you, so that you are at peace, live peacefully and are provided with everything, and do not cry, weep or grieve when you lose me.”

. Many young clergy unthinkingly take on the spiritual leadership of their parishioners, having neither the required experience nor the humility to consult with more experienced priests. What is especially interesting is what Elder Paisios writes in his letters: “When an elder does not have much experience, but has great love and great humility, he really helps his spiritual children, using the experience of more experienced ones with whom he consults, and with the help of the grace of God , which he constantly receives for his great humility. But the minor, gathering novices to himself, shows his great pride, which has penetrated into him to the marrow of his bones. He is like a baby born with a long beard, and those who follow him show damage to his mind or heart. And priests who study psychology in order to help souls with human art are spiritually unhealthy. And it’s also surprising that their psychologist teachers do not believe in God or the soul, or think about it differently. By this, the clergy show that they are spiritually sick and need patristic examination, and when they become healthy, then they themselves will recognize this sick spirit and, at the same time, know the grace of God, so that in the future they can apply divine power to suffering souls, and not human art "

. Elder Porfiry said: “If I upset the bishop and he is angry with me, my prayer will not rise to heaven.” And another time he revealed a secret: “The All-Holy God, in order to help me do my work better and to bring more people to me, gave me the gift of seeing a little more.”

. The same elder, addressing his spiritual children, spoke about the advice he was giving: “What I am telling you, do not tell other people, for this is the right medicine for you, for your case. The same things for another person, even if he has outwardly the same symptoms as you, will not have the same beneficial effects on him.”

. The sanctified elders (meaning elders in holy orders - Ed.) combined the mystical life with missionary work. Elder Amphilochius spoke about this characteristically: “I do nothing else but sow the seed of monasticism and missionary work, albeit unskillfully. I pray to God that He will show a suitable agronomist who would scientifically cultivate what I sowed, without knowing the art of spiritual cultivation. I see that God is now showing that Patmos is a suitable place for a spiritual airfield.” And he added: “From the depths of Africa, sad voices are heard asking us for the light of Christianity and guides, so that they too can walk the holy path of Golgotha. We have no right to pretend to be deaf. We are obliged to extend our hand to these brothers of ours, who are so tired because they are far from the Orthodox Church. So, tap into your spiritual energy.”

. Elder Amphilochius offered something unique and very important for the spiritual procession of any believer and, especially, a sinner: “It is necessary that throughout Greece there be hospitals for sinners, where they can stay, in accordance with their mental trauma, for two or three months, and “When they have acquired Christian experience, let them begin their studies again with the good skills of these spiritual institutions.”

. As you know, in 1879 the Holy Synod unjustly exiled Elder Eusebius to the Paleokastritsa monastery on the island. Kerkyra. From there he kept in touch through letters with his godbrothers. In one of his letters he writes the following: “I very much desire, if I were free, to travel around cities and villages to teach, comfort and advise my suffering brothers, and impart to them the valuable and saving truths that I have learned by grace of the Lord."

. Elder Daniel several decades ago said something that is still valid today: “With deep sorrow we see that of the graduates of theological faculties, few are conductors of the light of Orthodoxy for the people, lamps of the Church. Why does this happen? Because the majority are vigilant in the study of science and do not show diligence in the exercise of virtues and philosophy according to God, which can make the soul chaste. They, attempting to fulfill their lofty mission with external wisdom, fail.” And he added: “The great Fathers and Teachers of the Church, on two wings: education and virtuous life, rose above the earthly and were initiated into the wonderful secrets of sacred theology, and thus preserved the verbal sheep of Christ from the idle talk of the slanderous heretics.”

. The thoughts of Elder Paisius about theology and theologians are interesting and very useful: “Theology is the word of God, which begins with immaculate, humble and spiritually reborn souls, and not the beautiful words of reason, which are created by philological art and expressed in a legal or secular spirit. Such words cannot converse with a person’s soul, just as a beautiful statue cannot converse, unless the listeners are very worldly and are content with simply beautiful conversations. Theology, taught as a science, usually examines things from the historical side and, as a result, understands them externally, and since there are no paternal deeds, internal experience, this theology is full of doubts and questions, for no one can understand divine actions with reason if first he will not struggle to survive them, so that divine grace may act in him.”

Forget about your weakness

“Do you know what to do when you are sick? You must ask God to forgive you your sins. And God, since you, being filled with suffering, will humbly turn to Him, will forgive your sins and heal your body.

But be careful: never pray with a second thought, do not say: “My God, forgive me my sins,” while your mind is entirely occupied with your bodily illness.

Such prayer will have no result. When you get up to pray, forget about your bodily weakness, accept it as a penance imposed for the remission of your sins. And don't worry about what happens next. Leave it to God, He knows what he’s doing.”

The Athonite elders agree: all diseases are caused by nerves!

“At the time when we surrender to Christ, then our spiritual body comes into a peaceful state, as a result of which all organs and glands begin to function naturally. They all depend on our structure. Then we recover, we stop suffering...

This also happens in the case of cancer: if we place our care on God, and our soul calms down, then Divine grace, coupled with this peace, can act in such a way that both the cancer and everything else go away. For example, stomach ulcers occur due to nervous anxiety. Where does the nervousness come from? From sins, from mental disorder, turbidity.

Because the sympathetic nervous system is under pressure, compressed, and suffering, an ulcer forms. One, two, three, compression, compression, again, again, stress one, stress - stress - stress, and - pop... - Ulcer! When there is confusion in our soul, it affects the body and health is undermined.”

Venerable Porfiry Kavsokalivit

How to overcome unbearable pain

“If he is a worldly man, then with a worldly song, if he is a spiritual man, then with a spiritual song...

One day my father developed a high fever and a terrible headache. Do you know what he did? He ate some salted herring, drank a glass of wine and started singing: “Wake up, my unfortunate, powerless people.”

Then he sang a few more partisan songs, and his head went away! So - in order for the pain to dissipate - we will sing spiritual chants! I remember how I once caught a cold and began to have such a terrible headache that my head was splitting. Well, I started singing one very beautiful chant, and the headache went away. Indeed, psalmody along with the Jesus Prayer helps a lot in such cases...Do doctors have such pills?”

God “creates” neither disease nor disaster

“Invasions of locusts, wars, droughts, diseases are a scourge. And the point is not that God wants to raise a person in this way; no, these misfortunes are a consequence of man’s distance from God. All this happens because man is separated from God.

And the wrath of God comes - so that a person remembers God and asks for His help. It’s not that God arranged all this and gave commands for this or that misfortune to come to a person. No, but God, seeing to what extent the anger of people will reach and knowing that they will not change, allows misfortune to happen - for their admonition. But this does not mean that God “creates” diseases and disasters.”

“A little patience is the only thing we need. God gives illness so that a person will receive a small reward, and with the help of illness he eradicates his shortcomings. After all, physical illness heals spiritual illnesses. Physical illness humbles a person and thus weakens the illnesses of his soul.”

News

15 sayings of Athonite saints and elders that will help create and maintain a family

International Day of Families is celebrated annually on May 15th. This holiday was proclaimed in 1993 by a resolution of the UN General Assembly. We have collected sayings of the saints and elders of Holy Mount Athos about family life, which are important for the laity to know in order to find and maintain an Orthodox family.

1. “You know, so-called happy marriages really do exist. For a marriage to be happy, the spouses are required to meet one condition: they must acquire spiritual wealth by loving Christ and keeping His commandments. Then they will truly love each other and be happy. Otherwise, they will be mentally poor and will not be able to give love to anyone. They will be open to satanic attacks that will make them miserable." (Elder Porfiry Kavsokalivit).

2. “Once a man came to my kaliva and began to complain that he was very upset because of constant disagreements with his wife. However, I realized that there was nothing really serious between him and his wife. This man has his own “bitches” and “bumps”, his wife has hers, so they cannot get along with each other. Both of them need to be “tweaked” a little. Take two unplaned boards. One has a knot in one place, the other – in another. And if you want to connect them as is, unplaned, then there will be a gap between them. However, if you slightly plan the first board in one place, the second in another, they will immediately fit one against the other. You just have to plan with the same plane.” (Reverend Paisiy Svyatogorets).

3. “First find out the reason for marriage and why it came into our lives, without asking anything more. What is the reason for it, and why did God give us marriage? Listen to what Paul says: “To avoid fornication, each man must have his own wife.” He didn’t say “to get rid of poverty or to acquire wealth,” but what then? So that we avoid fornication, restrain lust, live abstinently and be pleasing to God, being content with our spouse. This is the gift of marriage, its fruit and benefit. So, leaving more, do not ask for less: because wealth is much less than self-control. Therefore, we alone need to get married in order to avoid sin and get rid of any fornication. Therefore, one should get married so that marriage will help one to practice abstinence. So it will be if we take pious wives, very self-controlled and modest in behavior.” (Elder Joseph of Vatopedi).

4. “I don’t find a common language with my wife! – some husbands complain to me. – We are completely different in character! She is a completely different person. How does God allow such absurdities? Couldn’t He have arranged everything in such a way that the spouses would have the same characters, so that they could live spiritually?” “Don’t you understand,” I answer them, “that in the difference of characters lies divine harmony? Different characters come together in harmony. Imagine if both you and your wife had the same personalities! God forbid!” (Reverend Paisiy Svyatogorets).

5. “Today is not like in the old days - spouses divorce for no reason, families are destroyed. Having withdrawn from the Sacrament of Confession, people suffocate in their thoughts and passions.” (Elder Joseph the Hesychast).

6. “Your children should never hear you quarreling among each other... even that you raise your voice at each other!” (Elder Porfiry Kavsokalivit).

7. “Of course, marriage was given for childbirth, but much more in order to extinguish the kindling of nature. A witness to this is Paul, who says: “To avoid fornication, let each one have his own wife,” and not for procreation. And again he instructs people to come together not to have children, but “so that Satan does not tempt you” (see 1 Cor. 7:5). And he didn’t say further if they don’t want children, but what? “But if they cannot abstain, let them marry” (see 1 Cor. 7:9). In the beginning, therefore, as I said, marriage had these two reasons, but later, when the earth, the sea, and the whole universe were filled with people, there remained only one reason for marriage - to avoid debauchery and debauchery.” (Elder Joseph of Vatopedi).

8. “Carnal love unites worldly people externally, only as long as they possess the worldly qualities necessary for such carnal love. When these worldly qualities are lost, carnal love separates people and they slide into destruction. But when there is real precious spiritual love between spouses, then if one of them loses his worldly qualities, this not only will not separate them, but will unite them even stronger. If there is only carnal love, then the wife, having learned that, for example, her life partner looked at another woman, splashes sulfuric acid in his eyes and deprives him of his sight. And if she loves him with pure love, she experiences even greater pain for him and subtly, carefully tries to put him back on the right path.” (Reverend Paisiy Svyatogorets).

9. “You, a man, should not treat a woman as a slave, since she, like you, is a creation of God. The Lord ascended the Cross both for you and for her.” (Saint Cosmas of Aetolia).

10. “If a wife contradicts her husband, everything in the house goes wrong, even if everything else is fine. And when there is peace and harmony, nothing unpleasant happens, despite the fact that countless worries arise every day.” (Elder Joseph of Vatopedi)

11. “You need to be content with little and not try to do too much, because if you have what you need and only what is necessary, you don’t need to work hard. Then they will have more time to sit at home with their children and family, do something, pray and, in general, be in family warmth and comfort.” (Reverend Paisiy Svyatogorets).

12. “We must fight for Love, but attachment itself fights to enslave us. Love always only gives, and affection always only takes. Love always seeks to give itself and never seeks to take.” (Monk Simeon of Athos).

13. “When one of the spouses loves the other, then, even being far from him - if circumstances require it - he will still be close, because for the love of Christ there is no distance. However, if, God forbid, there is no love between spouses, then even if they are close, they can, in fact, be far from each other. Therefore, each spouse must try throughout his life to maintain love for the other, sacrificing himself for his sake.” (Reverend Paisiy Svyatogorets).

14. “He who really loves his wife, even if she is not very obedient to him, will bear everything. It is difficult and difficult for spouses to reach agreement if they are not united by the “tyranny” of love.” (Elder Joseph of Vatopedi).

15. “In order for there to be peace and harmony in the family, this will help a lot: the husband must love his wife more than his mother, and more than anyone else from his loved ones. A husband's love for his parents should flow through his wife. Of course, the wife should behave the same way.” (Reverend Paisiy Svyatogorets).

Food surrogates

“In what era were there so many sick people? People weren't like that in the old days. And now, no matter what letter I open that they send me, I am sure to encounter either cancer, or mental illness, or a stroke, or broken families.

Cancer used to be rare. After all, life was natural. We are not talking now about what God allowed. The man ate natural food and was in excellent health. Everything was clean: fruits, onions, tomatoes.

And now even natural food cripples a person. Those who eat only fruits and vegetables suffer even more harm because everything is contaminated. If it had been like this before, then I would have died at a young age, because as a monk I ate what the garden provided: leeks, marulas, ordinary onions, cabbage and the like, and I felt great.

And now - they fertilize, spray... Just think - what do today's people eat!.. Mental unrest, food substitutes - all this brings a person illness. By applying science without reasoning, people destroy themselves."

Venerable Paisiy Svyatogorets

Teachings of Elder Paisius of Athos

The elder from Panaguda's cell on the Holy Mountain is a theologian of experience. Father Paisiy has no worldly education. He completed primary school and his profession in the world was carpentry. When writing, the elder makes spelling mistakes, and in conversation he is not distinguished by the art of rhetoric. But his writings (three books published to date) are amazing, his words are an expression of experience. The elder is a great teacher of Orthodoxy. What he says becomes widely known and convinces people. Even completely worldly people accept his words, and therefore trying to write down his teachings is not only commendable, but also necessary, so that they are not forgotten over time.

We present here some teachings of Father Paisius, which we believe are especially interesting for Christians living in the world.

The elder said: “A good Christian loves God first, and then man. Abundant love is poured out to both animals and nature.” The fact that we modern people are destroying the environment shows that we do not have an excess of love. Maybe we at least have love for God? Unfortunately no. Our life itself shows this.

* * *

Almsgiving is an expression of love. Modern Christians have almost forgotten this virtue. The elder reminds not only of its necessity, but also of its spiritual fruits: “The spiritual change that occurs in the soul, and the heartfelt rejoicing from mere alms or good deeds to one’s neighbor, cannot be given even by the greatest healer, even if you give him a whole bag of dollars.” . Let pensioners sacrifice their time and money to save the defenseless children of some broken family.”

* * *

There are monks who have achieved much in spiritual life, and God gives them the gift of insight. Father Paisiy says that they have a spiritual television and are radio operators of God.

* * *

The elder said: “The rosary is like a manual ignition handle in mechanisms, by turning it several times, we warm up the engine, and it starts working on its own. Something similar happens when praying the rosary. We say a prayer and our soul warms.”

* * *

The elder said: “We must say prayer everywhere. Once a driver on Arney hit a child with his car. The child was not injured at all, because the driver said prayer while driving.” And another time he said: “Just as ships in danger send SOS signals, so a person must constantly say the prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me. Prayer should be simple."

* * *

Prayer needs preparation. The elder always advised: “Before prayer, read a few lines from the Gospel or the Patericon. This way your thoughts will warm up and be transported to a spiritual land.”

* * *

The elder said: “The traitors who weaken prayer are spiritual dryness and coldness. Against them, you need to use short prayers, and mainly the Jesus Prayer, diligent reading of the Holy Scriptures and spiritual books. Thoughts about death, judgment, heaven, hell and the benefits of God also protect us from sin and help us. God watches our heart and checks where it is inclined.”

* * *

The elder said: “When praying, you must stand with the humility and simplicity of a small child in order to be worthy of fatherly care. Recognize your weakness and insignificance so that God’s mercy will cover you, because just as a shadow follows an object, so God’s mercy follows simplicity and humility. The one who feels his sinfulness and sighs from the depths of his soul is higher than the one who can raise the dead and help the whole world with his teaching. He who has achieved the knowledge of his spiritual weakness has achieved perfect humility.”

* * *

“Always have a good attitude. So that you understand me, I will tell you two cases that happened here. One day a boy, about seventeen years old, came and knocked for me to open the door for him. “I want to see Father Paisius,” he tells me. To test his mood a little, I tell him: “He’s not here. He went to Karya to buy cigarettes.” “Okay, I’ll wait for him,” the boy answers, always having a good thought in his mind. "Leave! - I tell him. “Why are you waiting for him?” “No, father, I want to see him!” - the boy insisted. This fellow had a good attitude, and I could not embarrass him, despite the fact that I tormented him for a long time. He did not accept a bad thought. This was a good soul.

Another time, a man came and asked me to pray for his child, who was seriously ill. “I’ll do something,” I told him, “but you have to help too. Of course, you don’t know how to pray, fast, bow, etc. But get rid of one of your shortcomings.” “What is the disadvantage, father?” - he asked me. “Stop smoking,” I told him. He listened to me carefully, and when I opened the church for him to come in and venerate the icons, unbeknownst to me, he left a pack of cigarettes and a lighter on one stasidia.

The same hour another came, entered the church, looked out of curiosity and went outside. He went and sat down on this stone pedestal, which is near the wall of the church, lit a cigarette and smoked without a twinge of conscience. I went outside and saw him. “Bah, dear, are you smoking here, where is the church? Go over there, under the trees, and smoke there, not here!” - I tell him. But he had bad and crafty thoughts and answered me with an insolent look: “What does it matter to you that I smoke? You smoke in church, and I’m doing something bad by smoking outside?” I told him again to leave here, but he resisted and told me the same words. "But what is he saying?" - I asked myself. I couldn't understand him. I enter the church and see a pack of cigarettes left by my anguished father. I immediately realized that this man had misunderstood me and thought that these were my own cigarettes and that I smoked in church! I explained to him what really happened, but he had a bad idea. He had no desire to benefit. He looked for excuses for his evil in order to keep it inside himself. And that boy, as I said before, had a good attitude.”

* * *

The elder said: “Satan will not stop sowing evil and unclean thoughts in our minds until our last breath. Let's not attach any importance to them. Let's leave them to fly past us like birds fly in the air. Let's set into motion the factory of good thoughts. What we give her is what we get. Give iron and we will receive iron. Let's give gold - gold and we will receive. We will always turn the evil we see into good. Let us look at everything with simplicity.”

* * *

The elder said again: “Let no bad thought remain in you for long, for it causes harm. He is like a fly that lands on meat and lays eggs. Soon worms appear in the meat. Likewise, a bad thought, when it remains in the mind, causes great harm.”

* * *

“Blasphemous thoughts are driven out only by indifference and contempt for them. When they attack us, we will sing. They are not ours, but strangers.”

* * *

The elder said: “The good God leaves the demons free for a while so that with their malice they can help us pass spiritual exams on earth and achieve eternal heavenly life. As long as a person lives on earth, he has the right to take these spiritual exams. There is no re-examination. So, let’s strive to gain spiritual points and go to heaven.”

* * *

The elder wrote: “At the beginning of spiritual life, the ascetic drives away bad thoughts through spiritual teaching, unceasing prayer and diligent deeds. Then only good thoughts come. Later, good thoughts stop and a certain emptiness is felt, and then Divine enlightenment comes to a person.”

* * *

The elder said: “You need patience, not anger in the heart. One man in Thrace became a Christian. However, his wife not only did not follow his example, but also greatly hindered him and treated him cruelly. But he endured and responded to her with love. In time, his wife bowed to his patience and love and said, “The God in whom he believes must be true and great.” And she also became a Christian.”

* * *

While talking with seminarians, among other things, he said the following: “Avoid occasions for sin. Let me give you one example. If someone has diabetes and shouldn't eat sweets, can they avoid it by wandering around candy stores? Be alert to temptations. It all starts with a thought that we are passionate about. The more spiritual a person is, the less rights he has in life. The greatest joy is serving another person and forgiving him for his mistakes. He who receives a good deed feels human joy, and he who creates it feels divine joy.”

* * *

The elder said: “Long-term study of theology is harmful. What is needed is simplicity and practical implementation of the acquired knowledge.”

* * *

The elder, turning to the young men, said: “Spiritual work should be done from a young age, because when a person is young, he can work and has the strength to do it. When he gets old, it will be difficult for him to work. Now I eat what I accumulated in my youth. And you work now while you are young.”

* * *

The elder said: “Our life should be simple. Don't have big requests, don't look for convenience. One day a German brought me a bread cutting machine. He gave it to me for convenience. “But what is this? - I told him. - I do not need this. Then, I don’t always have bread.”

* * *

One visitor to Father Paisius asked him why he did not feel Divine Communion the way he felt it when he was little, and the elder answered him: “If you have children, you can understand this. Father gives sweets to little children. Later, when they grow up, they will have to buy sweets themselves. So God at first gives His grace freely, but then He desires our personal achievement, so that we feel Divine Communion.”

* * *

The elder said: “The heart is cleansed with tears and sighs. One sigh with mental pain is equivalent to two buckets of tears. Let us cry over our sins, always hoping for the love and mercy of God. Let us immerse our souls in the sources of tears. Don't limit your prayer to just words. Make your whole life a prayer to God.”

* * *

To the seminarians who visited him and asked about the fight against the evil that exists in the world and about the demonic influences that they feel, the elder said: “Listen, not all things are devilish. Let's say coffee. Coffee is not diabolical, but when someone drinks a lot of coffee, his nervous system becomes upset and he resorts to the help of psychiatrists. I am not saying anything against it, there are good psychiatrists, but they are not needed if there are good confessors. The same thing happens with wine. Wine is sanctified and blessed, but when you drink a lot of it, you lose control of yourself, and then the devil finds an opportunity to exploit this state of yours.”

* * *

Worldly people are interested in external things, but are completely unaware of the internal life. The elder depicted their way of thinking with the following example: “Worldly people do not want garbage and dirt in their yard, so they sweep the yard and put things in order until everything is clean. They bring the collected garbage into the house so that it is not visible from the yard. This is what worldly people do. And let there be garbage inside, but not outside, because people see it. “Spiritual people, on the contrary, clean the house, throwing out garbage and not being interested in what others have to say.”

* * *

The elder said: “Nowadays man has crippled nature. You see, here on the Holy Mountain, the trees are beautiful. Some are small, others are larger. Other vegetation, you see, also has many shades. There's a lot of variety everywhere. But if you drive through Halkidiki, where people plant trees, you see that these trees look like Italian soldiers in 1940. They are uniform and there is no beauty in that.”

* * *

From the elder’s conversation with his lay visitors: “Father, we are struggling with many family problems.” “We make life very difficult for ourselves by pursuing material wealth. We don’t realize that the more benefits of civilization we have, the more problems we add to ourselves and our family.” - “Father, what problems do you mean created by the pursuit of goods?” - “We get into excessive fuss, losing precious peace of mind. We're getting scattered. A woman is forced to work because, they say, we don’t have enough money. And as a result, children lose their mother... We don't make ends meet because we want to have a video, a TV, a new car, a lot of jewelry. We get sucked into the hustle and bustle, and we just can’t stop, we want more and more, and as a result, children are left without attention. This is a huge mistake - that's what we need to understand. Let only one family member work, and we will be content with little. Then the problem will cease to exist.”

* * *

The elder said: “The more people move away from a simple, natural life and indulge in luxury, the more they increase their fear for tomorrow. And as much as worldly politeness develops, simplicity, joy and the natural human smile are lost.”

* * *

The elder, addressing the laity, said: “If you laymen could understand the dangers among which you live, then you would pray ten times more than us monks.”

* * *

The elder said: “Once a sorrowful father, whose son was suffering from leukemia, came to me and asked me to pray. I told him: “I will do something, but you must help too. Of course, you are inexperienced in spiritual things, but at least quit smoking.” He readily accepted my advice and thanked me as he left. The child's health began to improve day by day. The father saw the miracle, but over time he forgot and started smoking again. As a result, the child’s illness recurred. Two years later, his father came again and told me about what had happened. I asked why he abandoned his spiritual endeavor, and said that God wants to see some effort on our part. Like this. Another person's prayer is not enough. It is necessary that we ourselves show diligence and pray.”

* * *

The elder wrote: “God allows some righteous people to be slandered so that the guilty do not fall into despair. The great love of God, so that some weak soul does not perish, allows the righteous to be condemned and slandered, but in the end the truth is revealed.”

* * *

The elder said about resisting emerging moral temptations: “Attention is required. My brother needs help. Let us accept what he says in our defense and help with love. And if everyone despises him, then what will happen? There is no way to the moon for him to escape there. Need attention and love. We must step into the other person’s shoes to understand him.”

* * *

When asked which party Christians should vote for, the elder answered allegorically: “Prefer bitten olives. If there are none, then prefer those that have been at least a little bitten, because you can see from them what kind of olives they are.”

* * *

The elder said: “The devil always inspires us to compare ourselves with those who are worse than us.” And another time he said: “The devil is hiding a great secret.”

* * *

The elder said: “The only value in life is family. Once the family perishes, the world perishes. Show your love to your family first.” And another time he said: “When the family is destroyed, everything will be destroyed: both the clergy and monasticism.”

* * *

The elder said: “Often a state, from the eagle it should be, turns into a raven tearing apart its citizens. In words it is ready to die for them, but in reality it does nothing.”

* * *

Nowadays they talk a lot about magic, so one story of the elder is of particular interest, which I quote as recorded by his visitor Father Paisius: “A child is subjected to demonic influences, but when he is pure, the devil cannot tempt him. When a child begins to disobey his parents and dodge, then God’s grace moves away from him. You should know that demons motivate a person to do evil in a dream. But for them to enter it, a person must give them a serious reason for this. Otherwise they can't do anything.

To make this clear to you, I will tell you one typical case with a 40-year-old teacher and her 15-year-old student. She recently wrote to me about this incident herself. So, she was unmarried, as they say, an old maid, and was inflamed with an unclean passion for a 15-year-old high school student. She went to the magician to help her. But, since the child was pure, the magician could not do anything to him and therefore advised her to plunge him into sin, and then magic would find its place in him, that is, it would find the door of his soul open to do whatever it wanted with him. She brought the child to her home, seduced him and plunged him into sin. The devil immediately took advantage of the opportunity and entered him. From that moment on, the child, possessed by the powers of evil, began to grow weak, sick, exhausted and was close to death.”

* * *

The elder said: “The neophytes try to justify the mistakes of their lives using the creations of the Holy Fathers. They misinterpret the Holy Scriptures to justify the old man. They justify their sins with a fake Christianity tailored to their standards.”

* * *

The elder said: “The greatest disease of our time is the troublesome vain thoughts of worldly people. Only Christ can heal this disease with the help of spiritual silence, but it is necessary for the person to repent and turn to Christ.”

* * *

Sayings of Father Paisius

“Good wins with kindness”;

“Bodily injury can bring chastity to the soul”;

“We take exams to pass into eternal life. We must get at least a passing grade”;

“They serve God, not study”;

“Evil begins with a lack of faith in another life”;

“A believing and reverent woman is more valuable than an icon of some saint, for this woman is a living icon.”

An elder's conversation about raising children

The conversation that the elder had about the religious education of children is worthy of attention.
Here I put its main points. “There are many temptations and dangers for young people today, father.”
We are concerned about this, despite our efforts to keep our children inside the church fence. - For children who have been infused with piety from a young age, do not be afraid. Even if they move away from the Church a little with age or because of temptations, they will return again later. They are like doorposts that we grease with oil, and rot does not take them.

- What do you think, father, at what age do children become receptive, and what should we, parents, do so as not to be afraid of accidentally harming them with our extremes?

— First of all, children copy ourselves, and, of course, from infancy. From then on, we must treat them like watches. As soon as their spring weakens, we will immediately wind it up, but carefully and slowly so that it does not burst from excessive force.

— Often, father, children resist various pious customs.

- When something is wrong, there is always a reason for it. Maybe you are setting a bad example for them? Maybe some unworthy sights, bad deeds, bad words in the house are to blame? In any case, let us give our children piety in the form of milk, and not dry and solid food. You should never put pressure on them or order them, but above all, be an example for children.

— In case of bad deeds, is corporal punishment beneficial?

“We will avoid this as much as possible.” Even if we allow it, it should under no circumstances be permanent. Corporal punishment must be done in such a way that the child understands why we are punishing him. Only then will it be beneficial.

- Father, despite the fact that we do all this, our children become unbridled. Sometimes they cross all boundaries. We don't know what to do.

“We will sometimes give a screwdriver into the hands of Christ, so that He Himself will restore order by tightening some screws.” Let's not think that we can handle everything ourselves.

- If, father, a child goes to church, but at some age his behavior begins to change and he runs away from the church, how should we act?

- Calmly. If something serious happens, then intervene. But let us be careful so that the child does not become embittered and something worse happens.

—When a child gets involved with bad companies and leaves his home without having yet acquired at least a little of Christ’s grace, is there any hope for his return?

- Did he take love out of there? When there is love in the house and we surround the child himself with love, then if he leaves and gets involved with bad companies, then one day he will see that there is no love there. He will see that there is hypocrisy everywhere and will return home. But if he remembers the hostility and hatred in the house, then his heart will not force him to turn his steps back.

—If we came to know Christ late, when our children have already grown up, what should we do to guide them on the path of God?

“Here only prayer bears fruit.” We must, with much faith, ask God for mercy for these children who are not guilty of their unbelief. Let us admit that the responsibility lies only with us, we will humble ourselves and repent sincerely, and God will help them. He will still throw them some kind of life preserver so that they too will be saved.

Printed from the book. priest Dionisy Tatsis “Archondarik under the open sky”, M. 1998.

https://www.vera.mrezha.ru/525/13.htm