Sayings of The Holy Fathers:
Abba John said,
'Here is what one of the old men in ecstasy said: "Three monks were standing at the edge of the sea, and a voice came to them from the other side saying, 'Take wings of fire and come here to me.' The first two did so and reached the other shore, but the third remained, crying and weeping exceedingly. But later wings were given to him also, not of fire, but weak and without strength, so that with great difficulty he reached the other shore, sometimes under water, sometimes above it. So it is with the present generation; if they are given wings they are not of fire, but wings that are weak and without power."'
'Here is what one of the old men in ecstasy said: "Three monks were standing at the edge of the sea, and a voice came to them from the other side saying, 'Take wings of fire and come here to me.' The first two did so and reached the other shore, but the third remained, crying and weeping exceedingly. But later wings were given to him also, not of fire, but weak and without strength, so that with great difficulty he reached the other shore, sometimes under water, sometimes above it. So it is with the present generation; if they are given wings they are not of fire, but wings that are weak and without power."'
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There once was an old monastery that had fallen upon hard times.
Centuries earlier it had been a thriving monastery where many dedicated monks lived and worked and had great influence, but now only five old monks lived there and they were all over 70 years old. This was clearly a dying monastery.
A few miles from the monastery lived an old hermit who many thought was a prophet. One day as the monks agonized over the impending demise of their monastery, they decided to visit the hermit to see if he might have some advice for them. Perhaps he would be able to see the future and show them what they could do to save the monastery.
The hermit welcomed the five monks to his hut, but when they explained the purpose of their visit he could only commiserate with them. "Yes, I understand how it is," said the hermit, "the spirit has gone out of the people, hardly anyone cares much for the holy traditions anymore."
"Is there anything you can tell us," the Geronda (Elder of the monastery) enquired of the hermit, "that could help us to save the monastery?", "No, I am sorry," said the hermit. "I don't know how your monastery can be saved. The only thing I do know is that one of you is a saint, a holy one of Christ."
The monks were both disappointed and confused by the hermit's cryptic statement. They returned to the monastery wondering what the hermit could have meant by the statement "one of you is a holy one of Christ." For months after the visit, the monks pondered the significance of the hermit's words.
"One of us is a saint," they mused. "Did he actually mean one of us monks here at the monastery? That is impossible. We are all too old, we are all too insignificant. On the other hand, what if it is true and if it is true, then which one of us is the saint?
"Do you suppose he meant Geronda? Yes, if he meant anyone, he probably meant Geronda. He has been our elder for more than a generation. On the other hand he might have meant Father Damaskinos. Certainly Father Damaskinos is a holy man, a man of wisdom and light. He couldn't have meant Father Gabriel. Father Gabriel gets grouchy at times and is difficult to reason with. On the other hand, he is almost always right. Maybe the hermit did mean Father Gabriel. But surely he could not have meant Father Isidoros. Father Isidoros is so lazy and passive, a real nobody. Still, he is always there when you need him. He is loyal and trustworthy. Yes, he could have meant Father Isidoros. Of course the hermit didn't mean me. I am just an ordinary person. Yet, suppose that he did. Suppose I am a saint. Oh, dear Lord, not me! I couldn't be that much for you. Or could I?"
As they contemplated in this manner, the old monks began to treat each other with extraordinary respect on the off chance that one of them might actually be a holy one of Christ and on the off, off chance that each monk himself might be the holy one spoken of by the hermit, each monk began to treat the others with great respect.
Because the monastery was situated in a beautiful mountain range, many people came there to picnic on its grounds, hike the mountain trails, and now and then go into the monastery church to light a candle and pray.
As they did so, without even being conscience of it, they sensed the atmosphere of extraordinary love that now began to surround the five old monks and seemed to radiate from them, permeating the atmosphere of the place. There was something strangely attractive, even compelling, about it. Hardly knowing why, people began to bring their friends to show them this special place, and their friends brought their friends.
As more and more visitors came, some of the younger men started to talk with the old monks. After a while one asked if he could join them, the another, then another. Within a few years, the monastery had once again become a thriving institution and thanks to the hermit's wisdom a vibrant center of Holy Light and spirituality throughout the entire region.
Centuries earlier it had been a thriving monastery where many dedicated monks lived and worked and had great influence, but now only five old monks lived there and they were all over 70 years old. This was clearly a dying monastery.
A few miles from the monastery lived an old hermit who many thought was a prophet. One day as the monks agonized over the impending demise of their monastery, they decided to visit the hermit to see if he might have some advice for them. Perhaps he would be able to see the future and show them what they could do to save the monastery.
The hermit welcomed the five monks to his hut, but when they explained the purpose of their visit he could only commiserate with them. "Yes, I understand how it is," said the hermit, "the spirit has gone out of the people, hardly anyone cares much for the holy traditions anymore."
"Is there anything you can tell us," the Geronda (Elder of the monastery) enquired of the hermit, "that could help us to save the monastery?", "No, I am sorry," said the hermit. "I don't know how your monastery can be saved. The only thing I do know is that one of you is a saint, a holy one of Christ."
The monks were both disappointed and confused by the hermit's cryptic statement. They returned to the monastery wondering what the hermit could have meant by the statement "one of you is a holy one of Christ." For months after the visit, the monks pondered the significance of the hermit's words.
"One of us is a saint," they mused. "Did he actually mean one of us monks here at the monastery? That is impossible. We are all too old, we are all too insignificant. On the other hand, what if it is true and if it is true, then which one of us is the saint?
"Do you suppose he meant Geronda? Yes, if he meant anyone, he probably meant Geronda. He has been our elder for more than a generation. On the other hand he might have meant Father Damaskinos. Certainly Father Damaskinos is a holy man, a man of wisdom and light. He couldn't have meant Father Gabriel. Father Gabriel gets grouchy at times and is difficult to reason with. On the other hand, he is almost always right. Maybe the hermit did mean Father Gabriel. But surely he could not have meant Father Isidoros. Father Isidoros is so lazy and passive, a real nobody. Still, he is always there when you need him. He is loyal and trustworthy. Yes, he could have meant Father Isidoros. Of course the hermit didn't mean me. I am just an ordinary person. Yet, suppose that he did. Suppose I am a saint. Oh, dear Lord, not me! I couldn't be that much for you. Or could I?"
As they contemplated in this manner, the old monks began to treat each other with extraordinary respect on the off chance that one of them might actually be a holy one of Christ and on the off, off chance that each monk himself might be the holy one spoken of by the hermit, each monk began to treat the others with great respect.
Because the monastery was situated in a beautiful mountain range, many people came there to picnic on its grounds, hike the mountain trails, and now and then go into the monastery church to light a candle and pray.
As they did so, without even being conscience of it, they sensed the atmosphere of extraordinary love that now began to surround the five old monks and seemed to radiate from them, permeating the atmosphere of the place. There was something strangely attractive, even compelling, about it. Hardly knowing why, people began to bring their friends to show them this special place, and their friends brought their friends.
As more and more visitors came, some of the younger men started to talk with the old monks. After a while one asked if he could join them, the another, then another. Within a few years, the monastery had once again become a thriving institution and thanks to the hermit's wisdom a vibrant center of Holy Light and spirituality throughout the entire region.
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