Geronta Pavlos of Sinai The Elder Pavlos of Sinai falls asleep in the Lord

Geronta Pavlos of Sinai

The Elder Pavlos of Sinai falls asleep in the Lord

I received the following email this morning from Sister Joanna, the nun who accompanied the Elder on his visit to our monastery, back in May of 2012:

“We rejoice in the knowledge that holy Geronta Pavlos of Sinai, having reposed in the Lord, now enjoys the reward of the enormous martyrdom he underwent during the past three years of severe illness without so much as a sign of protest.

May we have his blessing by keeping his counsels, following Christ with our lives as he wished. The great Spiritual Father who devoted himself to the Mystery of Confession entered into genuine Life, shortly before dawn, on the Sunday of Forgiveness.”

This photograph of Elder Pavlo that is in our library, was taken by me in our monastery’s courtyard during his visit. I remember apologizing to him during my private time with him in our library, after one of my monks ask him, “How does one know if he is in the right monastery?” His reply to this monk, who left without a blessing, was, “you are in the right place if this is the place of your tonsure”.

I proceeded to tell Elder Pavlos that I was a poor excuse for a spiritual father, and that we were not the monastery that we should be. His reply surprised me, but also uplifted and encouraged me. He said, “Oh no, I sense the love of the Sinai here”.

I later heard from Sister Joanna, that he told people in Southern California, that our monastery was the favorite place he’d visited during his trip to America. To this day, I am comforted by the memory of those words, and uplifted by the knowledge that we now have a new heavenly intercessor.

As I am with the memory of my own late spiritual father, Blessed Dimitry of Santa Rosa, I am gratified that the Lord has seen fit to visit me, in my unworthiness, with such illumined monastic saints as Geronta Pavlos of Sinai, and Gerontissa Markella of Life Giving Spring Monastery in Dunlap, CA. By their holy prayers and example, I may actually become a holy monk myself, one day.

The Elder Pavlos of Sinai, who spent a Saturday afternoon with us, recounted something about my own late Spiritual Father, Blessed Dimitry of Santa Rosa, that I’d forgotten. Archimandrite Dimitry, who had escaped from Communist Russia, having suffered beatings and imprisonment, never spoke against them, nor ever uttered a word in judgement regarding his former tormentors. In fact, Elder Dimitry never spoke a word in judgement against anyone.

This demonstration of holiness is within the realm of possibility of us all, for it simply requires commitment on our part, and a willingness to never allow ourselves to utter a word of judgement against anyone. If we do this, we will learn we can love everyone, for when we decide to judge no one, love can enter our heart, and everyone will be the recipient of our love, and kindness, and mercy.

With love in Christ,

Abbot Tryphon

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