“In August of 1993”, recalls a cleric from a monastery in the world, “I was staying at an Athonite monastery. The abbot and the Fathers there suggested that I move to their monastery, and I was praying that God would show me His will. One day, I visited Elder at Panagouda.
“I had just gone to get his blessing, but I got a lot of surprises. He took me aside and asked me, ‘Where are you from, Father?’ I told him. He replied, ‘Father, you should stay at your monastery.’ I was astounded. He continued, ‘You will go through temptations, but be patient, because you have to go through them until the time comes.’ Secretly, I was thinking, ‘I do not understand what he’s telling me.’ But now that I have gone through, and continue to go through, temptations, I understand his words.
“Then he said, ‘You have to have archontia (ie spiritual nobility in Greek). I mean: when you speak to young people do not pressure them. That is Archontia. Respect the other person, without pushing him.’ Then he began to lecture me, talking about all the things that I did at my monastery. I wondered how the Elder knew that I spoke to young people, and that I pressured them too much about confession. Later, he added, ‘God could make the whole world repent in a minute if He wanted to. He would turn the dial up to seven Richter- He would cause an earthquake, and you would see everyone making the sign of the cross quite visibly. But that is not sincere repentance. That is forced repentance, and it is worthless. So you should not pressure them either.”
Hieromonk Isaac – “Saint Paisios of Mount Athos”, Holy Monastery “Saint Arsenios the Cappadocian”, Chalkidiki, Greece
