Saint Pachómios the Great Saint Achíllios, Bishop of Lárissa
Pachómios was born in Egypt and, in his youth, was a pagan. As a soldier, he fought in battle with Emperor Constantine against Maxentius. Following that, he learned of the One God from Christians and witnessing their devout life, Pachómios became baptized and withdrew to the Tabennisi wilderness, to the famous ascetic Palamon with whom he studied the ascetical life for ten years. Then, an angel appeared to him in the habit of a Schema [The Great Angelic Habit of a Monk] over the place called Tabennisiot and gave him a board upon which was written the Monastic Rule [Constitution] for the Cenobitic Life, ordering him to establish such a monastery in that place, prophesying to him that in this monastery many monks will come for the sake of salvation of souls. Heeding the angel of God, Pachómios began to build many cells. When his brother John reproached him for building unnecessary cells, Pachómios simply said to him that he is following the command of God without regard as to who will come to live there and when. But soon, many men gathered at that place, moved by the Spirit of God, and began to live a life of asceticism according to the Rule of Pachómios, which he received from the angel. When the number of monks increased, Pachómios gradually established six more monasteries. The number of his disciples amounted to about seven thousand. St. Anthony is considered to be the founder of this kind of life, but St. Pachómios as founder of the monastic cenobitic (community) way of life.
The humility, love of labor and abstinence of this holy father was and remains a rare example for the imitation of the vast number of monks. St. Pachómios worked numerous miracles but endured numerous temptations from demons as well as men. He served men as a father or a brother. He inspired many to follow the path to salvation and directed many on the path to truth. He was and remains a great light of the Church and a great witness to the truth and justice of Christ.
Pachómios died peacefully in the year 348 A.D. in the seventy-fourth year of his earthly life. The Church has included many of his disciples in the ranks of the saints, such as: Theodore, Job, Paphnoutios, Pecusius, Athenodorus, Eponymus, Sorus, Psoi, Dionysios, Psentaesis and others.
On Useful Anger
by Saint Nikolai Velimirovich
Be angry and sin not (Psalm 4:4).
Be angry with yourself, brethren, and sin no more. Be angry at your sins of thoughts and deeds, and sin no more. Be angry with Satan the father of lies (John 8:44), and no longer do his will. Be angry at sin in the world and the trampling of God's holy Church by godless men, but beware that you do not cure sin by sin. Be angry with your friends when they sin; but be angry with the intention to correct them, and not to embitter them even more. The anger of a friend toward a friend, and the anger of parents toward their children-and of God toward men-is not a storm that uproots the tree but a wind that strengthens the tree, and rids it of rotten fruit so that the healthy fruit will increase in number and beauty. But let your anger have measure, so that it may be healing and not poisonous. In order to have this kind of control, keep God before you in your anger. There is no stronger containment for anger than God. All anger that is not in the name of God and God's righteousness is a sin. Do not become angry for the sake of idleness, but become angry for that at which God is angered. If your will is firmly set in God's law, you will always know when it is necessary to be angry, and how much is needed. This cannot be expressed entirely in words, nor can it even be explained to the uneducated. Anger, in its place, acts as mercy does in its place. O my brethren, do you see how various powers are placed in our souls, and man, by his free will, can utilize them for life or death? Anger toward oneself can never be recommended enough. Here is a wonderful example: the more a man learns to be angry with himself, the less he is angry with others. Carried away with anger at his own weaknesses, he either does not see the weaknesses of others, or when he does see them, he judges them kindly.
O Lord God, Thou only righteous One, implant in us the remembrance of the Day of Thy righteous anger, so that we may protect ourselves from spiritual sin.
To Thee be glory and praise forever. Amen.
Yes
ReplyDeleteThank you
ReplyDeleteYes
ReplyDeleteOnce again God has spoken to me in this writing. Anger is a tough thing
ReplyDeleteto deal with if that’s how you feel. When things of all kinds gets in the way
of you and the Father to stay on His path. Worse than that anger leads to
hate which is even worse. There is no place within God for anger and hate,
although it exists. Thank you for some new ways rid myself of these sins,
and ultimately get back on the path. CHIST HAS RISEN. ric
Well said. Most often we blame others for making us angry but as St. Dorotheos of Gaza told a monk, no, don't blame others. Anger was already in you.
ReplyDelete