An occasion for the exercise of patience presents
itself to us, and we are so burdened?
If we patiently endure this brief trial, we will gain
great benefits.
Gold, by trial in the fire, is purified and shines”
Saint
Sergius of Radonezh
Elder Spyridon lived in a
remote cell in the Kafsokalyvia of Mount Athos and had as his only companion
and assistant a donkey, Benjamin. Benjamin carried the wood for the winter and
the few provisions from the arsana (the harbor).
The Elder spoke to him as if
he were a human being.
“Benjamin, my child, be
patient, the climb is over,” he would tell him on the difficult paths. And the
animal, as if it understood, lowered its head and strengthened its step.
Once, a young and hasty
novice visited the Elder. Seeing the Elder unloading Benjamin with such care
and stroking his ears, the young man said:
The Elder looked at him
seriously and said:
“My child, this animal has
taught me prayer better than many books. Look at it. It carries the load all
day long without grumbling, it eats whatever I give it with pleasure and, when
the sun or rain hits it, it stands still and endures. If we monks had the
patience and humility of a donkey, we would have become saints long ago.”
It is said that when the
Elder became seriously ill and could no longer leave his cell, Benjamin stood
outside his window and would not leave to graze. When the Elder fell asleep,
the animal began to utter a cry so pitiful that the monks from the surrounding
cells immediately realized that something bad had happened.
At the Elder’s funeral,
Benjamin followed the procession to the small cemetery and remained there,
motionless, until the burial was completed. The fathers say that God gives the
ascetics’ animals a “spiritual sense” as a reward for their labor.
Many times, in fact, the
donkeys stand almost "equal" next to the fathers when they have a
table. When the time comes to eat, the monk will never sit down to eat unless
he is sure that his animal is next to him, in the shade, and has the best food
in front of him.
Many times, the fathers
share their own bread or rusk with their donkey, feeding it in its mouth.
"Blessed one,"
they say to him, "you have carried the burden of the day, you must eat
first."
2. They wronged you? -
Forget it.
3. They despised you? - Be
happy.
4. They accuse you? - Don't
argue.
5. They make fun of you? -
Don't answer.
6. They curse at you? -
Silence and pray.
7. They take away your
speech? They interrupt you? - Don't be sad.
8. They badmouth you? -
Don't fight back.
9. Do your children pass on
responsibilities to you? Your relatives, your own people? - Don't complain.
10. They get angry with you?
- Stay calm.
11. They steal from you
openly? - Turn a blind eye.
12. Are they mocking you? -
Be patient.
13. Are they not listening
to your advice? Are your children especially not listening to your advice? -
Get on your knees and pray.
14. Irritation in your
marriage? - It's your fault. It's your fault too. Not the other person.
15. Were you at fault? -
Apologize.
16. Were you not at fault? - Apologize again.
17. Are you healthy? -
Praise God.
18. Are you sick? Do you
have cancer, are you suffering, are you tormented, are you in pain? - Praise
God.
19. Grumbling, unemployment,
poverty in the house? - Fast. Be vigilant. Pray.
20. For everyone and for
everything, prayer. Much prayer. Much prayer. Fasting and prayer because
"this kind of passions and demons do not come out except by fasting and
prayer."
2) Nothing is mine
when it is only for myself.
3) The hands of a
beggar are better than the hands of a miser.
4) Do you want to be
poor, both you and I? Hoard!
5) Do you want to be
poor? Steal and work on Sundays.
6) Do you want to have
abundance? Scatter!
7) Do you want to be a
beggar? Store!
8) Do you want to die
of hunger? Close your eyes and ears to human pain and human misery!
9) Joy to the eyes
that weep for someone else who is in pain, because these eyes will see the good
of heaven!
10) Joy in the hands
that dress little children and orphans, because these hands will become wings
to fly high!!
11) Joy in the mouth
that speaks sweet words of comfort, because this mouth will sing with the
angels hosanna!!
12) Joy in the house
that opens the door to the passerby, because this door opens to the Virgin Mary
and to Christ!!
13) We were born and
exist on this planet Earth to glorify God and offer Love and Joy to others!!
14) The greatest joy
we know in life is the joy we feel when we give joy!!
Elder Gabriel of Mount Athos
fasting of the tongue is
abstinence from lewdness;
fasting of the eyes is
abstinence from indecency;
fasting of the hands is
abstinence from injustice;
fasting of the heart is
abstinence from evil thoughts.
Perfect fasting is
abstinence from all evil.
If you fast physically, but
with your tongue you speak evil, you have become like one who cuts a tree from
the root and expects fruit from its branches.
✝️Saint
Isaac the Syrian.
