Thursday, October 8, 2015

Do not stop saying the prayer of our Christ ....


My children, I beg you, for the love of God, do not stop saying the prayer of our Christ, not even for a moment. Your lips should continuously murmur the name of Jesus Who destroys the devil and all his plots. Cry out incessantly to our Christ, and at once He will hasten wholeheartedly to help us. Just as iron cannot be grabbed or even approached when it is red-hot, the same thing happens with the soul of him who says the prayer with the fervor of Christ. The demons do not approach it—and how could they? For if they draw near it, they will be burned by the divine fire which the divine name contains. Whoever prays is enlightened, and whoever does not pray is darkened. Prayer is the provider of divine light. This is why everyone who prays well becomes all radiant, and the Spirit of God dwells in him. If despondency, indifference, listlessness, etc., approach us, let us pray with fear, pain, and great noetic vigilance, and we will immediately experience the miracle of consolation and joy by the grace of God. It is not possible for a person who prays to hold a grudge against someone or to refuse to forgive him for any fault whatsoever. Everything is reduced to ashes when it comes near the fire of the Jesus prayer. So, my children, struggle in the salvific and sanctifying prayer of our Christ, so that you may become radiant and holy. Pray also for me, the indolent sinner, so that God may be merciful on the multitude of my sins, as well as on my countless liabilities.

Elder Ephraim of Arizona

Εδώ εις αυτόν τον μάταιον κόσμον, παιδί μου, θα θλιβώμεν, θα πικρανθώμεν, θα πονέσωμεν... ( Γέροντας Ἐφραίμ Φιλοθεΐτης )


 Εδώ εις αυτόν τον μάταιον κόσμον, παιδί μου, θα θλιβώμεν, θα πικρανθώμεν, θα πονέσωμεν. Μα όλα είναι δι’ εν χρονικόν διάστημα, είναι προσωρινά, μόνον εις αιώνιον βαθμόν και μέτρον να μη μας εγκαταλείψη ο Θεός και δεν τα υπομείνωμεν. Όταν πονάς και θλίβεσαι, τον Εσταυρωμένον να μνημονεύης και τότε θα ευρίσκης πολλήν ανακούφισιν. Διότι ποίος ατενίζων εις τον Σταυρωθέντα και αναλογιζόμενος τα πάθη Του, άτινα υπέρ ημών έπαθε, δεν θα εύρη βάλσαμον εις τας πληγάς του, είτε ψυχικάς είτε σωματικάς; Βλέπε και συ, τέκνον, άνω, εκεί εις τον Γολγοθάν, εκεί όπου έδωσε την τροπαιοφόρον νίκην το άγιον Αρνίον, ίνα δια του Αίματός Του πλύνη τα έλκη των αμαρτιών και των παθών μας.
Η ευσπλαχνία Του είναι μεγάλη, ποτέ μη χάσης το θάρρος σου εις Εκείνον, που δια σε εσταυρώθη.
Εύχομαι την Μεγάλην Τεσσαρακοστήν να την διέλθης με λίαν ακμάζουσαν ψυχικήν και σωματικήν υγείαν. Αμήν.


Γέροντας Ἐφραίμ Φιλοθεΐτης