An Ascetic who went to court

An Ascetic who went to court

Father Filaretos was one of the fragrant flowers that grew on the rocks of Karoulia. Highly ascetic, humble and diligent, he was always barefoot. One day Fr Gerontius, wanting to try him said:
" Father Filaretos, you're a hypocrite. You show us that you walk barefoot and with ragged clothes to make yourself look humble!
"Elder," he replied "I'm a hypocrite. But what can I do to heal?"
"Put on shoes and repent."
"That's what I will do," said Father Filaretos making a bow..
        He went immediately and found some old shoes and, as soon as he reached the door of the restroom, he put them on and went in! This was done with great pain because, for so many years barefoot, his soles had swollen and they could not fit into shoes. But obedience and humility do wonders!
One day, a passerby passed by, saying he was a deacon. He stared at Father Filareto's old books and stole them. He headed to Daphne, unaware that he would be searched at customs. There he was arrested and, in order to escape, he claimed that Father Filaretos had sold them to him.

The police began the interrogation and eventually, convinced by the thief, they interviewed the saint. The fathers gave him some clothes and told a well-known lawyer to go and help him. He was given a little money to go to Thessaloniki to stand trial. After fifty-eight whole years he had to get out of Mount Athos !! Fifty-eight years being a hermit in the Karoulia, eating only a few herbs and drinking the water of God!!

This blessed man, who had attained a great measure of virtue, went and sat at the defendant's stand. So the President of the court called him out:
"Monk Filaretos?
"It's me,"he replied bowing his head humbly.
"Why did you sell these books?"
"I didn't sell them. Well, the brother came by and he got them to read them, and he would certainly return them. That's what I thought."
"You have to swear father, "the president said. "This is the order of the Court of Justice."
- Oh, I don't swear, because in the Holy Gospel it says "do not swear at all".
- But you must, father, swear.
- How do they swear?
- Putting your palm on the Gospel.
Father Filaretos then made three lamentable prostrations in front of the Holy Gospel and embraced it with devotion, saying:
"Is that good?"
"No, father" the president said, "you have to put your hand on the gospel and say "I swear..." If you don't swear, you're going to go to jail for nine months."
"Go to jail a thousand times! I expect eternal condemnation from God for my sins and will I consider imprisonment of nine months??
The false deacon was present, unscathed in his shiny robes. He also had a lawyer who said a bunch of falsehoods.
How is it possible, gentlemen, for this chosen cleric to steal the books of this ascetic?
Is that possible? Did he need them?
Finally, with the false testimonies and the distortion of truth, the thief was justified and convicted of the virtuous ascetic. The conviction was announced and the ascetic was taken to jail. At the time, the attendees held a fundraiser with each other and collected the amount it needed to let the ascetic go free. With simplicity, Father Filaretos thanked everyone and returned to Karoulia.
"Thank you, fathers" he said, "wish I could be freed from prison forever!"
Among other things he was excited about the lawyer who had been advised to defend him. He said and was impressed again:
"This lawyer has God's spirit!"
"Just as things happened, so he said."
-"Elder, they told him, it's his job."
"No, bless you, it is God's spirit," he insisted.
When asked how he saw the world, after fifty-eight years since he had departed to the  Holy Mountain, the blessed ascetic replied:
"What can I tell you, all the people outside are very good. Everybody runs back and forth for their salvation, except for me, the lazy one, who is sitting on these rocks here and not working God's will.