Ἀφιερωμένο στόν Κύριό μας Ἱησοῦ Χριστό καί τήν Ὑπεραγία Θεοτόκο
God arranges things correspondingly. When I hear of the death of some youth, I mourn, but I mourn as a man. Because, if we examine things more deeply, we see that, the older someone gets, the greater struggle he has, and the more sins he adds. Especially when he is wordly, as the years…
Συνέχιση ανάγνωσηςWhy does God allow sickness? One of the reasons our God may not make a sick person well is so the person does not lose his reward in the afterlife. This is similar to a father not giving all of the inheritance to his children at once so they don’t go on to waste it….
Συνέχιση ανάγνωσηςIt was I remember, November 1975. It had been a few months since I had become a monk, and as I was going up from the monastery of Stavronikita to the Athoniada School, and as usual I passed by the hut of Father Paisios. There I found the elder sitting in his ascetic cell and…
Συνέχιση ανάγνωσηςOne monk from the Holy Mountain was from a village in Bulgaria. There were many unbaptized. This monk told me that, still a layman and unbaptized, he saw in a dream his little nephew, who had recently died. The kid was standing behind the fence of a beautiful garden and wept. And the garden was…
Συνέχιση ανάγνωσηςOne day St. Paisios was asked: can monastic life be considered higher than family life? To which the elder answered with a short parable: “Suppose two people go on a pilgrimage. One goes along a well-groomed road, the other goes along the path. However, both marchers have the same goal.
Συνέχιση ανάγνωσηςThe venerable Saint Paisios the Athonite used to pray and commemorate the departed souls The Elder related: “As soon as I went to live at the skete, old Thanassis, who worked for Philotheou as a forester, found out about it and came to see me. He was a friend of mine, and he brought me…
Συνέχιση ανάγνωσηςFilokalia Reading the Filokalia No. 1 Elder, if we read books like Filokalia* that refer to the Jesus Prayer (Lord have Mercy on me a sinner), the so called prayer of the heart, then do we improve in our praying? They help but only those who have humility. However, those who have pride and aim within a certain…
Συνέχιση ανάγνωσης“I know from experience that in this life people are divided in two categories. A third category does not exist; people either belong to one of the other. The first one resembles the fly. The main characteristic of the fly is that it is attracted by dirt. … The other category is like the…
Συνέχιση ανάγνωσηςLISTENING When someone has a problem, you must listen to him carefully. The entire time that he is talking do not show him that you got tired, because then you lost everything. One time I was listening to a young man for nine hours without moving. This is why I got a problem with my…
Συνέχιση ανάγνωσηςSt. Paisios in Sinai: What We Can Learn from Camels On July 12th the Church celebrated the memory of a new saint of our times, St. Paisios of the Holy Mountain, canonized in 2015. In his monastic life there actually were two Holy Mountains – Mount Athos and Mount Sinai as well. The beloved…
Συνέχιση ανάγνωσηςThe Elder was sitting in his garden with a few pilgrims having a discussion on spiritual matters. A little boy, standing near by, was hitting the ground with a piece of wood making a loud noise, thus attracting the attention of the pilgrims. The Elder, who had a very simple and charming way of…
Συνέχιση ανάγνωσηςThe model in spiritual life must be the saints, and not the people of this world. – St. Paisios the Athonite http://apantaortodoxias.blogspot.gr/2018/05/the-model-in-spiritual-life-must-be.html?m=1
Συνέχιση ανάγνωσηςThere are two pleasures for a person: one – when he takes, and the other – when he gives. The joy that they experience, giving away, is incomparable to that which they feel taking something. Man, in order to understand whether he is doing well in relation to the spiritual, must first of all test…
Συνέχιση ανάγνωσης” We went through fire and water…” The crosses of ordeals • I have always on me the small cross you gave me, O Elder, and it helps me to overcome difficulties. • Yes, these small crosses are our crosses. Like the ones we wear around our necks and protect us in our lives. What…
Συνέχιση ανάγνωσηςA man asked Saint Paisios the Hagiorite: “Elder, what does it mean for you to pray?’ He responded: “It means that I am sending a message, I ask for help. I ask continuously help from Christ, our Mother the Theotokos, our Saints, for myself and everybody else. If I don’t ask, I am not…
Συνέχιση ανάγνωσης“If while praying we don’t feel comfort, something is clearly going on: we must repent and correct it. Some people say that this happens because of the devil’s jealousy –but this isn’t true. Instead, it’s as though God is saying us, ‘I don’t understand the way you’re speaking to me”. Just like Holy Communion,…
Συνέχιση ανάγνωσηςFor everybody that lives in the world, do not despair when you are possessed by many passions, the weight of your sins is extremely heavy, and you feel you are driving really fast “downhill”. Put your hope in Christ’s hands and turn suddenly and abruptly the steering wheel in the way of God, uphill. Soon…
Συνέχιση ανάγνωσης“Avoid the causes, what triggers sin. For example, if you have diabetes and you are supposed not to eat sweets, how can you stop them if all the time you are inside or around stores that sell sweets and pastries? (Source: Dion. Tatsis, Outdoor Archontariki, Recorded teachings of St. Paisiou, Konitsa Feb. ’94,…
Συνέχιση ανάγνωσης“A person ought to act in accordance with his spiritual state. To do, therefore, things that correspond to the spiritual state in which he finds himself”. (i.e., to not exceed his spiritual measure). *** “During the day, you ought to do as did St. Anthony the Great: a little handy work, a little…
Συνέχιση ανάγνωσης“The devil fell because of his pride. A dreadful thing! He was the chief Angel, and became an enemy of God, and of man. There is no one, however, who should feel hatred, but only empathy– pity for his sorry state.” *** “Humility, kindness, and simplicity, these are basic things. Kindness means to first think…
Συνέχιση ανάγνωσηςSaint Paisios of Mount Athos One time, some seniors from the Athonite School asked elder Paisios what they should watch out for most in their lives. “Pay attention to the little, everyday things,” he answered. “You sit there comfortably in your armchair, and you think that it’s not bad or a sin; you say, ‘It doesn’t…
Συνέχιση ανάγνωσηςThe venerable Saint Paisios the Athonite used to pray and commemorate the departed souls The Elder related: “As soon as I went to live at the skete, old Thanassis, who worked for Philotheou as a forester, found out about it and came to see me. He was a friend of mine, and he brought me…
Συνέχιση ανάγνωσης“When someone is irritated, it is better not to speak to him at all, unless of course you have a very good reason. His irritation resembles a wound, which he does not allow to be caressed, as this agitates it. *** “When man sins the grace of God abandons him. When he repents, God…
Συνέχιση ανάγνωσης“When in prayer we don’t feel joy and comfort, as does a little child who runs to its mother’s embrace, then we have either hurt someone through our conduct and harshness, or pride exists in us”. *** “The man who has humility is covered by the grace of God. However, the proud man…
Συνέχιση ανάγνωσηςOur Lord Jesus Christ, do not desert your servants who at present are away from the Church, but through your love and grace bring everybody close you. Remember Lord all your servants who are in pain, who are in despair, who are sick, who are poor, who have lost a loved one, who have been…
Συνέχιση ανάγνωσηςWhen we think of the saints, they think of us and help us. So you make friends with the saints, which is the surest form of friendship. Then you can be alone and live with everyone: with the saints, the angels and everybody else in the world. » Venerable Païsios the Athonite Source: pemptousia.com http://www.diakonima.gr/2015/09/07/the-surest-form-of-friendship-saint-paisios-the-athonite/
Συνέχιση ανάγνωσηςPeople who won’t accept a word of advice, even from people who love them, are, in the end, like warped pieces of wood and render themselves useless spiritually. Just as planks that you can’t plane to make furniture end up as scaffolding or a staircase where they’re trodden on and muddied and eventually end…
Συνέχιση ανάγνωσηςELDER PAISIOS: SAY THIS PRAYER EVERY DAY AND GOD WILL ALWAYS BE AT YOUR SIDE ELDER PAISIOS The love of the Elder Paisios for the whole world is well known. The Elder has helped a whole host of people before and after his physical death. But the question is from where…
Συνέχιση ανάγνωσηςDIVINE PROVIDENCE From the Conversations and Homilies of Elder Paisios. Our duty and concern must be how to please God and our fellow men; we should not be preoccupied with our needs, as God will take care of them. There is a silent spiritual agreement between God and man. He will…
Συνέχιση ανάγνωσηςON OUR TIMES St Paisios of the Holy Mount Athos. Τhe spirit of lukewarmness reigns. There’s no manliness at all. We’ve been spoiled for good. How does God still tolerate us? Today’s generation is the generation of indifference. There are no warriors. The great majority are fit for parades and feasts only. Godlessness…
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