Remember, remember, my soul the moment when you left the world, you went on the ship and sailing on the sea towards the Holy Mountain you cried without cease, being inflamed by the divine love so the world for you did not exist anymore and with the help of God and of the Holy Mother of God you were living in the heavenly world.
After we arrived in the port of Daphni I went up on the way which leads to Karyes, shedding hot tears of humbleness. Full of insatiable joy and merriment I thanked God and the Holy Mother of God that by miracle they took me out of the vanity of the world, from sufferings and sorrows and they brought me to the Holy Mountain as to a shore of salvation.
I was full of ardent love for God so nothing from the world interested me anymore. I cried and sighed all along the way shedding sweet tears of humbleness.
I was in ecstasy and out of the world seeing the beautiful places of the Holy Mountain and the holy monasteries, sketes, cells and hermitages. It seemed to me that I was in an earthly heaven.
Out of insatiable joy and merriment my lips like a spring did not cease to bring glory and chants to God.
My joy was endless and it seemed to me I was flying and not walking on earth. I was in ecstasy and out of the world seeing the beauty of the Holy Mountain and the holy life of the monks. They had a sweet talk and shed without cease tears of humbleness. Wonderful monks, heavenly men, pillars of light, vessels of humbleness and gentleness, entirely oriented towards the ones from above, happy.
All these made me see all the things of the world as trash and dust and only God was my joy.
I decided to enter the skete of Saint Panteleimon at the cell of the Dormition of the Holy Mother of God.
Oh, what a joy ! What piety I had then when I called my elder saying : `Father !`
Oh, what tears I was shedding every day, how I was running to the depth of the forest only for not being heard my voice!
As only from the cry and the ceaseless remembrance of God I got comfort. The tears were like bread for me day and night. I spent my day with the ceaseless prayer to God and in the ardent and sweet humbleness of the heart.
All day it seemed to me it passed in a moment. My thought was winged by divine love and my mind spoke with God. I was never satiated by the contemplation and the talk with God as I had a great piety for the monachal life.
Excerpt from Father Matthew from Karakalu – A silent practitioner of virtue –Evanghelismos Publishing.
