Priest Ioan Istrati
I saw how wretched and useless and worthy of laugh and cry are the earthly high ranking people. Nobody thinks of the great potentates, at kings, presidents, at the torturers of crowds. Once a year maybe three fool people come and light a bent candle for these.
The engines of culture, the people of genius, the writers, the important theologians, the patriarchs, the academics, the inventors, nobody remembers them. They lie in tombs and among books full of dust and mites.
All the glory of this world is only dust! Nobody except for your mother cries after you after death. For a few days a few speak about you then there is an absolute and eternal silence…
There is only one exception, if the people feel that you have been and are a great man of prayer.
Look at Saint Paraskevi, a tagged young girl who gathered around millions of people by her prayers. Look at the casket of Saint Demetrios the New from Bucharest, a humble shepherd from the river LOm. The row of people waiting to express their veneration to him almost never ends.
The Saints of God are the only bond between sky and the world that defy and break the seals of this huge tomb which we call earth.
All the rest is dust, flatulence, fastidiousness, riches, gold, shrimps, caviar, rottenness, carrions with make-up displayed in the showcase of death…
Nothing remains of us only the moments of prayer and of mercifulness!
Put your heart at work to pray, as only this saves us from the eternal death !
