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Read from St. Sergios below:
IF YOU WANT TO SERVE GOD
It takes more than your body.
Saint Evphrosyne
Holy Monk-Martyr Paphnoútios,
St. Sergios of Rádonezh
Holy Monk-Martyr Paphnoútios,
St. Sergios of Rádonezh
Evphrosyne was the daughter of Paphnoútios, a wealthy and distinguished man of Alexandria. Her childless parents had besought God with prayer for the birth of a child, and they were given her.
Her devout parents raised their daughter in the Christian Faith. Not wanting to enter into marriage, the young Evphrosyne hid from her father, changed into men's clothing, and presented herself to the abbot of a monastery as a eunuch of Emperor Theodosius, giving the name Smaragdus. The abbot received her, and turned her over to the spiritual father Agapitos for guidance.
By her fasting and prayerful asceticism, Smaragdus quickly surpassed all the monks in that monastery. When she had completed thirty-eight years of strict asceticism, her father Paphnoútios visited that monastery, and the abbot directed him to Smaragdus for prayer and counsel. Smaragdus recognized Paphnoútios, but Paphnoútios did not recognize Smaragdus. When the father confessed his grief for his lost daughter, Smaragdus told him not to lose hope, for he would see his daughter again in this life, and besought him to come again within three days.
When Paphnoútios came again, Smaragdus was on her deathbed. The dying one said to Paphnoútios: ``I am Evphrosyne, your daughter; you are my father!'' For a long time, the father was unable to come to himself due to his severe shock. Then, the Blessed Evphrosyne breathed her last, and her father wept over her.
After burying her, Paphnoútios himself entered the monastery, and settled in the cell of his holy, reposed daughter. After ten years of asceticism, Paphnoútios also entered into rest in the Lord.
Galatians 5:11-21 KJV
11 And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution? then is the offence of the cross ceased.
12 I would they were even cut off which trouble you.
13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.
14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
15 But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.
16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
Saint Luke 5:12-16 KJV
12 And it came to pass, when he was in a certain city, behold a man full of leprosy: who seeing Jesus fell on his face, and besought him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.
13 And he put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will: be thou clean. And immediately the leprosy departed from him.
14 And he charged him to tell no man: but go, and shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing, according as Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.
15 But so much the more went there a fame abroad of him: and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by him of their infirmities.
16 And he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed.
If you want to serve God
by Saint Sergios of Radonezh
‘The Heavenly Kingdom is taken by force, and the who use force seize it.’ (St. Matt 11:12)
Taken from
THE ASCETICAL HOMILIES OF SAINT ISAAC THE SYRIAN
Our Holy Father Isaac writes from experience. That is why his words have such strength. There is nothing abstract about his teaching, as in the writings of the vain philosophers and disputers of every generation. He writes concerning the life of stillness which he lived himself, and from what he heard from others who lived the same life: observations and conclusions drawn from experience. He bears witness to this fact on many occasions in his writings. Here are a couple.
These things have written down as a reminder and source of profit for myself, and for every man who comes upon this book The Ascetical Homilies, according to what I have understood both from the divine vision of the scriptures and from true mouths and a little from experience itself in order that they might be a help to me through the prayers of those who are profited by them for have taken no little trouble to set these things down.
My beloved I have become foolish and I cannot bear to guard the mystery in silence, but I am become a fool for the sake of the profit of my brethren. For true love is not able to tarry in any mystery without her beloved. Often when I was writing these things my fingers failed me in sitting down everything on paper, and they were unable to endure the sweetness that descended into my heart and silenced my senses.
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