Category Archives: Writings of Elder Paisios the Athonite

Cases of Childlessness

By Fr. Luke | Published: October 14, 2008

—Geronta, a husband and wife that both have Mediterranean anemia [1] asked us if they should try to have children. We told them to ask their spiritual father.
—Spiritual fathers should not tell such couples not to have children. They must guide them in philotimo, so as to struggle in abstinence (to abstain), and with discernment grant them economia.
—Geronta, there are couples who, although they live very spiritually and want to have children, are not able.
—The reason God does not give children to some is so that they will love all the children of the world as their own and help in their spiritual rebirth. There was once a man without children but, when he would walk out of his house, all the children of his neighborhood would run to him and surround him with such love. They wouldn’t let him leave and go to his job. See, God didn’t give him his own children but graced him with the blessing of loving all the children of his neighborhood as a father and in his own way to help them spiritually. The judgments of God are fathomless. Read more →

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Human Logic and the Will of God for Childbearing

By Fr. Luke | Published: December 13, 2007

Oftentimes couples express to me their insecurity regarding the topic of childbearing, and they ask my opinion. Some only want one or two children, while others want to have many. It would, however, be to their advantage to leave the issue of childbearing to God—to entrust their lives to divine providence and not try to implement their own plan. They must have faith that God, Who cares for the birds of the air, will care much more for their children. There was once a sailor who married at eighteen years old. He was poor, and so was the girl he married. They rented a basement to live in. The girl also found a little work. In this way they lived quite sparingly. Just imagine it: for a table they used a leftover crate from some peaches they once bought. Later they began having children, living very frugally in order to raise them. And yet, little by little, they became prosperous homeowners. Read more →

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Difficulties in Childbearing

By Fr. Luke | Published: December 12, 2007

—Geronta, if a woman is not Orthodox, and if she is not able to conceive a child, is it alright for her to wear the belt we have blessed on the holy relics of St. Arsenios? [1]

—Does she believe in the power of the Saint or does she think that it will help in some magical way? If she believes in the Saint, it’s alright for her to wear it.

For some women who aren’t able to conceive children, the spiritual laws are at work, because they didn’t start families when they should have. They become very picky, “No, he has this problem and the other guy has these problems.” So, they make a promise to someone; but then they see someone else, so later they say “no” to the one to whom they had originally made a promise–and he, instead of seeing it as a blessing that she left him, goes and commits suicide. Eh, what kind of family is a woman like this going to make? Other women aren’t able to have children because in their younger years they lived a wild life. Then others are troubled by their diet. Many foods contain lots of drugs and hormones. Read more →

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Saints Joakeim and Anna are the Most Dispassionate Couple

By Fr. Luke | Published: December 6, 2007

—Geronta, tell us about Saints Joakeim and Anna, the ancestors of God. You once started to speak of them.

—Since I was little I’ve had a great veneration for the Holy Ancestors. Surely I’ve told one of you about wanting them to give me the name Joakeim when they made me a monk. We owe them so much! Saints Joakeim and Anna are the most dispassionate couple ever! They didn’t have a fleshly mind in the slightest. Read more →

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Through Asceticism, Man Becomes Immaterial (Part II)

By Fr. Luke | Published: November 30, 2007

I know a layman who became holy with the asceticism he practiced. Yes, not many years ago there was a man and his son who worked for years on the Holy Mountain. Later, a good job opportunity presented itself back in his homeland, and the man decided to leave and take his son with him so that the entire family could be together again. His son, however, had been greatly affected by the ascetic life of the monks; and remembering the worldly life with its many pressures, he didn’t want to follow his father and return to the world. “Father, since you have other children,” he told him, “leave just one of them in the Garden of the Panagia.” Because he insisted, his father was forced to leave him. That little warrior was illiterate, but he was very softhearted and had much philotimo and simplicity. He considered himself totally unworthy to become a monk because he thought that he wouldn’t be able to fulfill his monastic duties. Read more →

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Through Asceticism, Man Becomes Immaterial

By Fr. Luke | Published: November 15, 2007

—Geronta, you once had told us: “A blockade is needed in spiritual warfare.” What did you mean?

—In a war they try to blockade the enemy. They surround him, confine him within the city walls, and deprive him of food. Then they cut off his water: for if the enemy is left without basic supplies and ammunition, he will be forced to surrender. Therefore, I mean to say that in the same way, with fasting and vigil, the devil is disarmed and retreats. “Through fasting, vigil, and prayer, thou didst receive heavenly gifts…”, as the hymn says. [1] Read more →

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Work Doesn’t Make the Man

By Fr. Luke | Published: November 7, 2007

—Geronta, when someone feels strained at work, what is to blame?

—Perhaps they don’t approach their work with good thoughts? If they confront it rightly, then whatever job they do will seem like a festival.

—Geronta, when someone is upset because his job is difficult or distasteful—for example, he works construction or washes dishes at a restaurant—how should he find peace? Read more →

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Sanctifying One’s Work

By Fr. Luke | Published: October 31, 2007

Everyone should, by his life and prayers, sanctify his work and become holy. Additionally, if he is an employer and has responsibilities, he should help his employees spiritually. If he has a good inner state, he sanctifies his work. For example, when young people go to study under a craftsman to learn his trade, he should also teach them to live spiritually. This will benefit himself, his employees and his customers, for God will bless his work.

Every profession can be sanctified. A doctor, for example, shouldn’t forget that that which helps most in medicine is the Grace of God. Therefore, he should strive to become a receptacle of Divine Grace. A doctor who is a good Christian also helps the sick with his goodness and faith, because he encourages them to face their sickness with faith. To a patient with a very serious illness he can say: “Medicine has helped to this point—but remember from now on that there is God Who works miracles.” Read more →

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Love for Work

By Fr. Luke | Published: October 26, 2007

—Geronta, why do so many people feel bored at work?

—Maybe they don’t love their job? Or, maybe they work on the same thing continually? With some jobs—say at a factory where they make door and window frames—a laborer might do the same thing from morning till the time he leaves: glue, glue, glue. Another constantly handles windows; another, putty. They constantly do the same monotonous work; and their boss is always watching them—not for just one or two days, either. It is always the “same old, same old,” to the point of boredom. In the old days it wasn’t like that though. A contractor would be given four walls from the carpenters and was expected to present the owner with a finished house and the key. He would have built the floors, the door and window frames, and would even have set the windows with putty. Afterward he would have built spiral staircases, turned banisters; after that he would have painted, built the cupboards and the shelves—even the furniture! Even if he didn’t do all of it himself, he knew how to do it. In a pinch a contractor could even put the tiles on the roof. Read more →

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Stress and Work

By Fr. Luke | Published: October 17, 2007

—Geronta, many people return home from work stressed out.

—I suggest to men that if they can, they should find an open church after work, go in, light a candle and stay inside for ten to fifteen minutes. Or go sit in a park somewhere and read a small section of the Gospel, so as to quiet down a bit. Then they can go home in peace, smiling, instead of stressed out and ready to pick a fight. They shouldn’t bring work problems home with them—leave them at the door on the way out.

—But Geronta, some of them are justified, for their work responsibilities fill them with anxiety. Read more →

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