A spiritual child of St. Porphyrios
spoke of the Saint: "He spoke to me, not of some piecemeal good effort,
but on the decisive, definitive passing from an old life of sin into a new life
of holiness, in which we live in Christ and Christ lives within us, and for
this transition, we must give all our strength.
Once, he asked me: "Tell me, to
study to become a lawyer, how many years does it take?" I answered him.
He asked again: "To study to be
an engineer, a chemist, a physician, how many years does it take?" I
answered correspondingly, curious as to the nature of his questions.
And the Elder continued: "Do we
study to learn the will of God and to apply it?"
I understood what he was referring
to, and I was reluctant to respond. What could I say? That most of us faithful
are lazy, lukewarm, "amateur Christians"? He knew this.
And he told me: "One does not
become a Christian with laziness. It requires work, much work."
He himself was an example, without
showing off. He had dedicated himself with zeal all the years of his long life
to studying and to living Christ.
He was a worker, bodily and
spiritually, and he wished to transmit this love of work to others. He believed
that laziness leads to despondency and to many afflictions of soul and body. He
recommended occupational therapy. Especially for those who were disorganized
and desperate.
For the Elder, it was never too late
to make a new start. He perceived of course that the denial of worldly hopes
and the crushing of selfishness as the best precondition for this beginning.
Everything is transformed with
effort, both with the soul and the body.
Do not leave the prayer. Simply and
without being forced, fervently entreat for others. You will benefit them with
prayer, not with words.
Regarding my problems, St. Porphyrios
told me: "If we spoke a little on the phone, you would see that everything
had immediately gone well. Tire the body, do not fear effort. Everything is
transformed with effort, both the soul and the body. If they ask you about it,
say humbly: 'That's how I think, but whatever you think.'"
-From a spiritual child of St. Porphyrios,
in an Anthology of Instructions of Elder Porphyrios
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