Learn this from the holy Gospels, that prayer remits sins. Therefore, what are they saying? The Kingdom of the Heavens resembles a certain man who closed his door and reclined to sleep along with his children. In the evening, someone came wanting to receive loaves of bread from him and knocked on his door, saying,… Continue reading Force God to Answer Your Prayer
Category: Stories and Guidance
The Need for Guidance According to The Race
Abba Abraham went to see Abba Ares. They were sitting together when a brother came to the old man and said to him, 'Tell me what I must do to be saved.' He replied, 'Go, and for the whole of this year eat only bread and salt in the evening. Then come back here and… Continue reading The Need for Guidance According to The Race
‘I Am Not a Heretic’
It was said concerning Abba Agathon that some monks came to find him having heard tell of his great discernment. Wanting to see if he would lose his temper they said to him 'Aren't you that Agathon who is said to be a fornicator and a proud man?' 'Yes, it is very true,' he answered.… Continue reading ‘I Am Not a Heretic’
The Endless Suffering of Giving in to Instinctive Urges
When I was in the cenobium, I don’t know how it happened, but the brethren simply deluded themselves into entrusting me with their secret thoughts. The abba agreed and with the consent and approval of the seniors, he commanded me to carry out this service. One day, therefore, there came to me one of the… Continue reading The Endless Suffering of Giving in to Instinctive Urges
The Nearer to God The Lower
I remember once we were speaking about humiliation and one of the great lights of Gaza, hearing us say, ‘The nearer a man is to God the more he sees himself to be a sinner’, was astonished, and said, ‘How is this possible?’ He did not know, and wanted to know the answer. I said… Continue reading The Nearer to God The Lower
The Fruits of Humility—St.Basil
The story is told of Blessed Basil that, making a visitation of his monasteries, he said to one of the Heads, ‘Have you any saints here?’ The Abba said, ‘Through your prayers, my Lord, we all desire to be saints.’ And again Blessed Basil said to him, ‘No! I mean have you got any saints… Continue reading The Fruits of Humility—St.Basil
Fathers in Iconography 