Excellent IOANICHIE BALAN OF SIHASTRIA 1930-2007On the way just before Karyes we finished a preparation last at the pit of the acknowledged hesychast, Paisios the Athonite, a great holy man, admired and hunted out in the whole of Greece, who bemused us with his holiness and meekness.The pit of Fr. Paisios in Capsala is delimited by grape vineyards. We knocked at the talk and waited. A parson secondary of illustration, thin, shyly pure, about seventy-five years of age, but lustrous of spot and full of meekness, came and opened the talk for us. It was the Elder!"Canonize us, Fr. Paisios! We are pilgrims from Romania.""The Noble bless us all!"He invited us in the sphere of a secondary chapel bordering to the pit, wherever we venerated and sang the Axion to the Close relative of God. Afterward he invited us in the sphere of his pit for concert party, about eight by twelve feet. We sat down. Hand over were about ten of us in all. Fr. Paisios served us, according to the control of Athonite monks, with sweets and unfriendly water. Afterward he sat on a secondary officiate on the perimeter of the doorway."Fr. Paisios, we come from far not at home. Attractiveness - say us a business word.""Forgive me, at ease. I am not hieromonk and I do not be so bold to say a business word to priests," answered the Excellent."While, find for us a business word.""Fathers, I embrace not yet unresponsive the school of monasticism and I don't know innumerable words."Seeing his meekness, Archimandrite Cleopa asked him, "Fr. Paisios, which prayer is treat accommodating for a monk: to read the Psalter or to say the Jesus Prayer?""Apiece are good," he answered, "only say them from the mood, with expectation and with howl.""Which monastic ascetical exertion is better? Best part life or that of the inhospitable surroundings [desert-dwelling]?""If you embrace meekness," the Excellent believed, "in either you can be saved. He who requirements to be dependable of exchange enters in the sphere of a community under obedience; and he who loves stillness and prayer withdraws in aloneness.""How can we help in the exchange of others?""Nonstop prayer. The parson is leading of all a man of prayer and a candle on the candlestand for somebody. Truly in this way can we help and piously build up voters. Surpass is prayer, afterward the design of our life, afterward the word of information.""How can we locate the gift of tears?""If we embrace the meekness of the saints, we order locate both the Ornament of the Use and the gift of howl. I haven't been nimble-fingered to locate this gift, which is received from God by great exertion.""Having the status of object do you embrace of Athonite monasticism today?""I don't embrace any object. But I know that all came to the Holy Dimension to be crazy about God and to be saved. Therefore all energy themselves, according to their zeal and their crack, in prayer, in self-control, in fasting, in nightly vigils, and in all good works. All normal themselves, embrace wish, and exertion and perform Christ. Who, nonetheless, order lay inhibit of the crown of exchange, no one knows ingot God missing.""Having the status of books must monastics read?""Surpass of all the Holy Scriptures. Afterward the Lives of the Saints and the Patristic writings. We do not embrace to read or speak a lot, but we must do a lot!""Fr. Paisios, how innumerable grow old must we partake of Holy Communion per year?""The promptings of the mood and our spiritual fright elect to us how innumerable grow old. Several treat frequently, others less frequently. But if monastics can conclusion as soon as a week, it is very good. Lay voters - less regularly and in harmony with what their spiritual fathers referee.""Having the status of other suggestion can you say us?""Let us constantly be arranged for death like we know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of Man cometh (Mat. 25:13)""Fr Paisios, how innumerable hours must a parson siesta at night?""If I spread up how innumerable hours I siesta cheating down on a bed and how innumerable I siesta on my feet, you would see that I siesta all day yearn, like I don't reinforcement watch with my nursing in prayer!"And we benefiting form from the meekness and wisdom of Fr. Paisios, thanked him for receiving us and for the suggestion unambiguous, asked for his blessing, and continued on our way. (Accompany of Souls: The Fabrication of Excellent Cleopa, Man. 56 The Pilgrimage to Wheel Athos pp. 146-149).SOURCE: HTTP://CLASSICALCHRISTIANITY.COM/CATEGORY/BYSAINT/BLESSEDELDERCLEOPAOFILIE19121998/
