“THE GRACE OF GOD FIXES EVERYTHING!”

“THE GRACE OF GOD FIXES EVERYTHING!”

Testimony of Archimandrite Daniel Gouvalis.

 Theologian, writer, Oropos

Soul and self-government

In the late 1970s, Elder Porphyrios suffered a serious heart attack and, after his hospitalization in

HYGEIA”, he was hosted in the homes of his spiritual children.

He had difficulty receiving visitors, because he did not want to get tired. However, I managed to visit him.

At that time, I was a Deacon, I was not burdened with pastoral duties and I had time to study spiritual

matters. For my emerging questions, the Elder had

unparalleled answers and clarifications. After we sat

in the room for a while, we went down and took a walk nearby.  We were walking and discussing various

topics. We came to a grove where there was a fountain.

As we looked at the surface of the water, he told me something

very beautiful about the prayer of Jesus. Then he asked me: - What is the soul

- It is an immaterial substance from which thought or

will and emotion originate.

- The soul is a created hypostasis

I liked this phrase, because with the word hypostasis

the concept of the person is defined, which was excluded from

my own definition. Then the talk turned to the "image" and with careful words and precise expressions

as if  He emphasized to me that he was trained in theology:

“In the image” refers mainly to man’s free will, to the freedom of his will. Man has freedom, the ability to freely choose his way of life and his behavior.

Man can agree or oppose the law of God. He differs from animals because he carries within him the divine image. In his pastoral activity, the Elder greatly respected man’s free will. He wanted everything to be done in freedom, without direct or indirect violence. He said that when and what is done without the full participation of the will, serious problems are created later, and he told me an incident about someone who became a monk without  to want it wholeheartedly. He told me

This man did not do well to become a monk.. He chose something that he did not want 100%, he did not make the right

choice. He was influenced by impulsive moments... and chose something that he did not want wholeheartedly, something that did not give him

inner completeness and so now he is presented with

strange situations. The same is true from the other

side. If someone wants to dedicate himself to God but by some concessions to temptations is led to marriage,

then he, as a family head, will appear strange and

problematic. Everyone with a clear mind should distinguish the

possibilities  his, his gifts, his inclination (the

spiritual predisposition) and his calling (the calling) and

then with complete freedom to carve out his own

path. And may this path please him

The Elder attached great importance to freedom in

the education of children, so that they would not be oppressed

by their parents. Those who approached the Elder felt

comfortable near him, because he was positive and avoided exerting

pressure. When some of the Lord's disciples (without a stable

faith) abandoned Jesus, he asked the twelve

and “Do you also want to go away?” Do you also want

to leave? Christ did not  He wanted to gain many followers, but he wanted those who would follow him to do so of their own free will and not by force. Those who knew the Elder understood that a wind of freedom blows within the Church of Christ. Christianity and freedom are interrelated concepts. No feat has any value when it is carried out in a forced manner. Bibliography. I HOLY PORPHYRIOS THE PROPHET. MARTYRS. SAINT PAUL'S HOLY CELL OF SAINT THEODORES. VOLUME C.