Archimandrite Ephrem Philotheos
There was once a pious hermit who lived an ascetic life in the desert. One of his close acquaintances who lived in the city and who was a spiritual man himself because he had got sick and was close to death wanted very much to see the pious monk and receive his blessing to go to the other world with better hopes. The hermit wanted to fulfill his wish because he loved him dearly but he didn’t want to go to the city during day because he was a famous ascetic and he would have received many honors and praises.
Thus he thought to go there during night when the people were asleep, to avoid honors. When he entered the city God sent two bright angels each one of them holding a burning torch in his hand, one standing on the right and the other one on the left and they lit the path followed by the pious elder. Then the people seeing that light and the angels gathered and showed him more honor and praise than he had imagined. And saint Isaac the Syrian says that if the man humbles in the depth of his soul, he sees the glory of God.
Excerpt from the book The art of salvation, which will be published by
Evanghelismos Publishing.
