Our life is filled
with difficulties but after all, don’t they happen to us because of our own
passions? Don’t they happen because of our “ifs”? Don’t they happen because of
our self-righteous manner of speaking and acting? Because of our hypocrisy and
falsehood? Don’t you agree with me? Nonetheless, self-knowledge and recognition
of this fact will help us to love our neighbor, to become more forgiving,
sincere, and genuine—basically, to become more human. If we become more human,
we’ll become God-like, too. When we land, we shall fly. You have to stand on
the ground firmly before you can take off and fly. First you make one
sure-footed step, and then defy gravity. First you should become a real human
and then a God-man.
It is a great
achievement to be simple, humble, natural, and friendly. You should always make
sure that you are who you are: a real person. We all should be striving for
that.
An abbot from Mt.
Athos used to share some memories of his life. That’s what he told us about the
spiritual father he had when he was young, “One day, my spiritual father and I
went to Athens by car. A pretty girl who wore fancy clothes crossed the street
when our car stopped at the traffic lights. She made people feel uncomfortable.
My spiritual father said, ‘Oh how many beautiful creatures of God are walking
the streets! There are so many pretty girls in this world. They stir everyone
up!’” The abbot continued his story: “Then I asked my spiritual father,
‘Geronda, are you aroused as well?’ ‘Of course, my dear. How can you not be
aroused when you see such a girl? Everyone would.’ And I said to myself,
‘That’s why I love my Geronda! He’s a real deal. He is godly but also genuinely
human.’ Later, in Athens, I met a woman who told me about her spiritual
counselor, ‘My spiritual father has transcended everything. He is an Angel. He
doesn’t touch the ground. Nothing bothers him.’” The old abbot added, “That’s
what I responded, ‘No-no! I don’t want a Geronda like that. I prefer my Geronda.
He is a simple man, a regular guy like any of us.’”
Here is an example
of a spiritual father who you can approach without fear and terror. Saints say
that this was the reason why Jesus left apostles and priests as his successors
to hear confessions and to interact with the world. It was made so that the
believers could feel comfortable, so that they wouldn’t be afraid of their
leaders and knew that they are like us. They can understand us because they go
through the same temptations. That’s right: whatever you do, I do the same.
The story that I’ve
mentioned was shared with me by the abbot of the Docheiariou Monastery Father
Gregory, who died a couple of weeks ago. His spiritual father, who admitted his
own temptations, was the recently-canonized Saint Amphilochius of Patmos.
The real people:
the sinners and the zealots, the repentant, the saints who are constantly
asking for God’s mercy and live honestly and authentically, with all it
entails… They don’t shock me. I’m not
especially fond of them, and still they don’t make me nervous. On the contrary,
they make me feel relieved, hopeful, and inspired to do good and avoid
sanctimony. O Lord have mercy on us thanks to the prayers and the intercession
of your saints!
Fragment of a book by the Archimandrite Andrew
(Konanos)
"Marriage and Its Problems"
Translated by the Catalog of Good Deeds
Source: https://pravlife.org/ru/content/arhim-andrey-konanos-o-duhovnoy-zhizni-bez-licemernoy-svyatosti
CONVERSATION