One Great Lent, an old monk lived in a monastery.

One Great Lent, an old monk lived in a monastery. He was strict with himself: he ate little, prayed a lot, and barely spoke. The brothers respected him and were even a little afraid of him - it seemed that he was almost a saint.

And in the same monastery there lived another monk, a young novice. He was clumsy, absent-minded, and often made mistakes. He would forget to read his prayer rule, get lost in thought during the service, or drop something in the kitchen. The elder would sometimes look at him sadly: “What kind of monk would that be…”

And then one night, in the middle of Lent, the elder was praying in his cell. He prayed long and fervently, as always. And suddenly - as if something invisible had revealed itself to him.

He saw... an angel standing not next to him, but in the cell of that same careless novice.

The elder was amazed.

The novice was not praying at that moment. He sat on his bed, his head bowed, and said quietly:

“Lord... I have spoiled everything again.” I have been absent-minded again... I have been lazy again... I am unworthy even to be called Yours. But... if possible... do not drive me away completely. I will come to You nevertheless... even if only on my hands and knees...

And he began to cry.

And the Angel stood beside him—so attentively, so quietly, as if afraid to frighten this penitent.

The elder saw this—and his heart turned.

He understood that all his strict ascetic labors were only half the journey. And the other half is a contrite heart that does not justify itself, does not consider itself righteous, but falls before God and says: “I am bad... but You are good.”

The next day, the elder himself approached the novice... and bowed at his feet.

He was frightened:

“Father, what are you doing?!”

The elder said:

“Forgive me. I thought I knew the way to God... and you are already walking on it.”

They say that the elder changed from then on. He became more gentle, quieter... and cried more often during prayer.

Because during Lent, God does not look for the strong, but for those who can cry over themselves...

And it is precisely these that He exalts above all others.

Treasury of Spiritual Wisdom

In the picture, the blessedly reposed shearchimandrite Dionysius, Lipovac Monastery