A country priest going to the neighbouring village with some business to do, saw a woman from his parish washing her laundry in the river and approaching her asked:
`On Sunday at the holy service I saw that not everybody listened to me carefully. Maybe I spoke about very scholarly matters and on the coming Sunday I`m thinking to speak more on everyone`s understanding. Tell me, what did you understand from what I said in my preach?
`Father I didn`t study much in school but I`d like to ask you something: do you see the cloths I am washing now? The water passed through them and cleans them. Do you think they have any idea how water cleaned them? However they become white and beautiful.
In the church I don`t understand all your preach but I feel in my soul the warmth of the Holy Spirit Who cleanses me of sin as this water cleans my cloths.
The priest left very satisfied seeing someone who is not only with the mind but also with the soul at the holy ones.
`We reach God through a certain way of living, not through a way of thinking.`
(Christos Yannaras)
Excerpt from the book The Most Beautiful Christian Orthodox Parables and Stories – Leon Magdan, Aramis Publishing House – Romanian Patriarchy Română, 1998.
