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Thursday, July 17, 2008

"Father, what must I do to be saved?"

I am reading this book, Shepherd of Souls, the Life and Teachings of Elder Cleopa, Master of Inner Prayer and Spiritual Father of Romania (1912-1998), by Archimandrite Ioanichie Balan. I very much like it and found this little tidbit when I was reading last night about one of the Elder's brothers who also was monastic, Brother Basil. He would often visit and bring provisions of food to desert-dwellers if they allowed it.

'While delivering the provisions, he would often ask the Elders for a profitable word.
Once he asked a desert-dweller, "Father, what must I do to be saved?"
"Br. Basil," replied the Elder, "pray constantly, do your obedience with love, and have humility. If you guard these three, you will surely be saved." '

Hmm, sounds way easier than it is, and yet, still so simple...I really like this book a lot, highly recommended! =)

3 comments:

ANIA said...

Hello
I am so happy for you because you reading this book.I am from Romania,and late in his life i meet him at the monastery where he was leaving.What i miss here is the church,but am reading and leasten the ortodox radio.

Martha said...

It really does sound simple, but being the worldly person that I am, to pray constantly is hard....I'm so easily distracted. I can strive, though!

Susan Sophia said...

What caught my attention from that was "do your obedience with love".
I wouldn't have really understood that well had I not spent time down at St. Paisius recently and while spent time directly with one of the novices quite a bit. They have obediences given to them that they must do. One in the "world" could look at their vocation as an obedience from God. It really is! So what the Elder says there brings on a different but usable and understandable meaning for me, here in the world.
Do my obedience with love!

Thank you!