Ο άφρων πλούσιος -Γέροντας Εφραίμ της Αριζόνας ( Video )

Συγχώρησόν με αδελφέ

Δύο αδέλφια πήγαν μαζί στην έρημο κι ασκήτευαν στην ίδια καλύβη. Ο διάβολος, φθονώντας την αγάπη τους, βάλθηκε να τους χωρίση.

'Ενα βράδυ ο νεώτερος πήγε ν'ανάψη το λυχνοστάτη, τον αναποδογύρισε και χύθηκε το λάδι. Ο μεγαλύτερος θύμωσε και του έδωσε ένα μπάτσο. Τότε ο πιο μικρός, χωρίς να ταραχτεί, έσκυψε, του έβαλε μετάνοια και είπε ταπεινά:

-Συγχώρησε την απροσεξία μου, Αδελφέ. Τώρα αμέσως θα ετοιμάσω άλλο.
Την ίδια νύχτα ένας ειδωλολάτρης ιερεύς, που έτυχε να βρίσκεται μέσα στο ειδώλειο, άκουσε τα δαιμόνια να κάνουν δικαστήριο μεταξύ τους. 'Ενα απ' αυτά ομολόγησε ντροπιασμένο στον αρχηγό του:

-Πηγαίνω και κάνω άνω κάτω τους Μοναχούς. Μα τι φταίω, όταν κάποιος απ'αυτούς γυρίζει και βάζει στον άλλο μετάνοια και μου καταστρέφει όλη τη δουλειά;
Ακούγοντας αυτά ο ειδωλολάτρης, έγινε ευθύς χριστιανός κι' αποτραβήχτηκε στην έρημο. Σ' όλη του τη ζωή κράτησε στην καρδιά του την ταπείνωσι και στο στόμα του είχε διαρκώς πρόχειρο το «συγχώρησόν με».




Γεροντικό

The Story of a Pilgrim. ( Elder Paisius of Athos )

"Our family lived in Greece, destitute. Our father had 5-6 tracts of land, which he cultivated, and off of which we lived. Suddenly he died, and we, the five children, were left with only our mother. The brothers decided to work out the inheritance, i.e. which piece of land each one of us should take, because our father did not have time to leave a will. So, we sat down, and the brothers began to quarrel about who would take the biggest piece, and who -- the most fertile. I, being the youngest and, by nature, extremely timid, sat on the side, waiting for whatever the brothers would give me. When they divided the good fields among themselves, they gave me a field in a distant and deserted area. The soil there was absolutely barren, sandy, where only wild grass could grow. I was hurt that they slighted me so, but I thanked them, not reproaching them for their injustice.

A few years later, I married, and because I could no longer stay in Greece because of financial difficulties, I took my wife and moved to Germany. There, with God’s help, I established my own business, and I fed my family on the money from my business — without anyone else’s support.

After living in Germany for 20 years and saving up a modest sum, we decided to return to Greece and continue our business there. We had completely forgotten about the field that my brothers had given me as an inheritance, and crossed it out of our memories as useless, but God did not forget it.

And so? — During our absence, many big hotels and tourist attractions were built around my barren land, so that the prices for land in that district increased greatly. It turned out that our sandy piece of land was in the middle of several large buildings, and I was offered a good price for it.

As was typical at that time, I decided to sell it at auction, because many wanted to buy it and its price rose to several millions. Naturally, I sold the field to the one who offered the highest price.

Now, living in complete comfort, I came to the Elder, in order to make a generous donation for benevolent deeds. Advise me, Geronta, how much should I give and for what?"

When the pilgrim finished his story, the Elder asked him:

— And what are your brothers doing?

— They are cultivating their fields from which they live, — answered the pilgrim.

So, — concluded the Elder, —Divine truth triumphs everywhere! It may be a little late, but it never happens that it won’t triumph. For that reason, the Lord demands from us that our truth be higher than the Pharisees’, for they limited themselves to human truth …

The Elder explained that when we are not right, God does not accept our prayers — no matter how many vigils and bows we perform. We sit and judge our brothers, and then serve night vigils. Eh, we waste our batteries for nothing! God will not listen to us until we change.

Each one should look at himself, and not touch others. Otherwise, God cannot look at us. But, if we have Divine truth and do not look at ourselves at all, but love God and others, then God, fearful thing, watches and takes care of us.

The Third Beatitude - Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. ( Law of God )

Meekness is peaceful, fully developed Christian love, free from all malice. It is manifested in the spirit of a man who never becomes angry, and never permits himself to grumble against God or people.

Meek people do not become irritated and they do not vex or aggravate other people. Christian meekness expresses itself mainly in patient endurance of insults inflicted by others and is the opposite of anger, malice, self-exaltation and vengeance.

A meek person always regrets the hardness of heart of the offending party. He desires his correction, prays to God for forgiveness of his deeds, remembering the precept of the Apostle: // it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord (Romans 12:18-19).

The best example of meekness given to us is that of our Lord Jesus Christ praying on the cross for His enemies. He taught us to not take vengeance on our enemies but to do good to them. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls (Matt. 11:29). Meekness tames even the hardest hearts. We can be convinced of this by observing the lives of people, and we find confirmation of it throughout the history of Christian persecutions.

A Christian may become angry only with himself, at his own fall into sin, and at the tempter — the Devil.

The Lord promises the meek that they will inherit the earth. This promise indicates that meek people in the present life will be preserved on earth by the power of God, in spite of all the intrigues of men and the most cruel persecution. But in the future life, they will be heirs of the heavenly homeland, the new earth (II Peter 3:13) with its eternal blessings.

Aπίστευτο και όμως αληθινό το μεγαλύτερο θαύμα του αιώνα έγινε στην Ρουμανία.( Aγιος Νεκτάριος )

Σε ένα χωριό της Ρουμανίας δεν υπήρχε ιερέας, και οι κάτοικοι πήγαιναν συχνά στον Πατριάρχη με το αίτημα, την πλήρωση της κενής θέσης.

Όμως ο Πατριάρχης δεν είχε την δυνατότητα να ικανοποιήσει το αίτημα των ανθρώπων.

Πήγαιναν και ξαναπήγαιναν οι κάτοικοι, αλλά, τίποτε ο Πατριάρχης τους έλεγε τα ίδια λόγια, ότι δεν έχω ιερέα να σας στείλω στο χωριό.

Εντωμεταξύ άλλοι πέθαιναν αδιάβαστοι, άλλοι είχαν γυναίκες και παιδιά χωρίς γάμο, τα παιδιά και οι μεγάλοι ήταν αβάπτιστοι.

Μια μέρα σταμάτησε έξω από τον Ναό ένα αυτοκίνητο και κατέβηκε ένας ιερέας όλο το χωριό ανάστατο ήρθε παπάς φώναζαν.

Πήγαν εκεί οι κάτοικοι, τον καλωσόρισαν και του είπαν: πως ήρθες στο χωρίο αφού ο πατριάρχης μας είχε πει ότι δεν έχει παπά να μας στείλει;

Τότε ο ιερέας τους είπε αυτό δεν θέλατε; δεν θέλατε ιερέα; Να ήρθα.

Όλο το χωριό χάρηκε στην παρουσία του νέου ιερέα.

Ο Ιερέας άρχισε αμέσως δουλειά πήγε σε όλους τους τάφους και διάβαζε την εξόδιο ακολουθία, βάπτισε και πάντρεψε όλους στο χωριό λειτουργούσε τους κοινωνούσε.

Μια μέρα καλεί του χωρικούς και τους λέγει ότι: θα φύγω τελείωσε η αποστολή μου.

Τότε το χωριό αναστατώθηκε, τώρα που ήρθε θα φύγεις;

Όμως ο ιερέας δεν άκουγε τους κατοίκους και ενέμενε στην απόφασή του.

Αφού οι χωρικοί κατάλαβαν ότι δεν γινόταν τίποτε τον ευχαρίστησαν για την προσφορά του και τον κατεβόδωσαν.

Μετά από μέρες πήγαν στον Πατριάρχη να τον ευχαριστήσουν που τους έστειλε παπά και να του πουν όταν μπορέσει να τους ξαναστείλει κάποιον ιερέα, αλλά ο πατριάρχης δεν ήξερε τίποτε. Τους είπε ότι εγώ δεν έστειλα κανέναν παπά γιατί δεν έχω, όμως περιμένετε μήπως ο πρωτοσύγκελος, σας έστειλε κάποιον για να σας εξυπηρετήσει.

Πήρε τηλέφωνο τον πρωτοσύγκελο αλλά ούτε αυτός είχε στείλει κανέναν.

Ο πατριάρχης τους είπε τι έκανε αυτός ο ιερέας στην ενορία;

οι χωρικοί είπαν μας πάντρεψε, μας βάπτισε, μας έκανε τις κηδείες των γονέων, μας έκανε ότι κάνει ένας παπάς.

Καλά είπε ο πατριάρχης δεν σας έδινε χαρτιά δεν έγραφε τα μυστήρια;

-βεβαίως είπαν οι χωρικοί μας έδινε χαρτιά και τα καταχώρισε στα βιβλία του Ναού.

- Δεν είδατε τι έγραφε; και πως υπέγραφε με τι όνομα;

-Ολα τα στοιχεία δέσποτα τα έγραφε στα ρουμανικά πολλά γράμματα δεν ξέρουμε γιατί την υπογραφή την έβαζε σε άλλη γλώσσα που δεν έχουμε ξαναδεί.

Ο πατριάρχης παρακάλεσε να πάνε να φέρουν τα βιβλία για να δει ποιος ήταν αυτός ο κληρικός.

Όταν του πήγαν τα βιβλία ο πατριάρχης έμεινε έκθαμβος δεν πίστευε στα μάτια του όντως όλα τα στοιχεία ήταν γραμμένα στα ρουμανικά ενώ το όνομα του ήταν γραμμένο στα Ελληνικά με το όνομα της υπογραφής Νεκτάριος επίσκοπος Πενταπόλεως.

πηγή: Δημήτριος Βελαώρας

The Second Beatitude - Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted ( Law of God )

Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.

The weeping about which the second beatitude speaks is first of all true tribulation of heart, and repentant tears for our sins, over our guilt before the merciful God (for example, the tears of the Apostle Peter after his renunciation).

For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death, said the Apostle Paul (II Cor. 7:10).

Tribulation and tears coming from misfortunes which befall us can be spiritually beneficial. For example, the death of one of our close ones can result in beneficial tears, if the sorrow is permeated by faith and hope, patience and devotion to the will of God. Jesus Christ Himself wept over the death of Lazarus.

Even more so can tears and tribulation lead to blessedness when they are shed over the suffering of our unfortunate neighbor, if these sincere tears are accompanied by Christian deeds of love and mercy.

Worldly grief is grief without hope in God. It proceeds not from acknowledgment of one’s sins before God, but rather from disappointment in ambition, aspiration to power, desire for gain. Such sadness, characterized by despondency and despair, leads to spiritual death, which can also result in physical death, by suicide or simply weakness due to lack of will to live. An example of such grief is that of Judas Iscariot, the betrayer of Christ the Saviour. As a reward for mourning the Lord promises that they that mourn will be comforted. They will receive forgiveness of sins, and through this, internal peace. The mourners will receive eternal joy, eternal blessedness

Correcting the misdeeds of others ( Elder Paisios )

There is great skill in learning how to correct the misdeeds of others. A direct attack rarely succeeds. Elder Paisios was a master at this. He often used his charming sense of humor to correct others.


Here is one example

The Elder was sitting in his garden with a few pilgrims having a discussion on spiritual matters. A little boy, standing nearby 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 telling people how to correct their mistakes without hurting their feelings, turned to the child and whispered laughingly:
- George, dont hit so hard because it is night time in America, which is located right underneath us, and you will wake up its citizens.
The child obeyed immediately, while the relatives were laughing with the charming way Father Paisios told him to stop.

Source: Elder Paisios of the Holy Mountain, p 112