Preface to the quote from Saint Nikolai: As I stood near a conversation concerning the "class" of people who shop and work at WalMart, one of the individuals surprisingly turned asked if I shop at WalMart. I replied: Yes, I do and also at other stores.
'Why would you shop at there?' she asked.
'Why would you shop at there?' she asked.
'To be with the people I grew up with' I replied.
LEARN TO LOVE AND RESPECT THE LOWLY SIMPLE PEOPLE
by Saint Nikolai Velimirovich
[and an anecdote about a man named Bob]
Such as these are the most on earth: such as these are the most in the Kingdom of Heaven. In them, there is no pride, i.e., the basic madness from which the souls of the rich and the powerful of this world suffer. They carry out their duty in this world perfectly and yet it appears to them amusing when someone praises them for it, while the self-seeking men of this world seek praise for all their work and often, it is imperfectly completed.
St. Alexander was an eminent philosopher and he left everything, hid himself from exalted society, the praise of the world and mingled with the lowliest and the simplest of men, as a charcoal-burner among charcoal-burners. Instead of former praises and honors, he endured with rejoicing that children ran after him and laughed at him because of his sootiness and raggedness. However, Alexander was not the only one who liked to live with the lowly and simple. Many kings and princes, learning of the sweetness of Christ's Faith, removed the crowns from their heads and fled from aristocratic vanity to be among the simple people. Did not He alone, the King of Kings, the Lord our Christ appear among shepherds and fishermen?"
~ Saint Nikolai
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