Counsels from the Holy Mountain.

[Silver]

Silver, you are a "Keeper" - these are wonderful!
I am joking a little here because right after the small contretemps, I saw a bottle called
Silver Keeper
That made me assume that to be a heavenly confirmation that you must help us out by posting these useful teachings.
Always people are reading when I look here, they are quite popular.
Thank you!

Catherine thank you for your support. And if it is God's will, I will continue posting Geronta Efraim's teachings.

In Christ,
Costas.

[Silver]

Chapter Three
On Sin, Repentance, Mourning, and Tears

10. Sin, as a hook camouflaged with the suitable pleasure, comes craftily as something sweet and charming to the tongue in order to attack the soul.
However, he who has been lured by the momentary pleasure and its comfort will find it more bitter than poison and more destructive than a pestilent disease in his soul.

[Silver]

Chapter Three
On Sin, Repentance, Mourning, and Tears

11. No matter what happened with your parents, confession forgives and erases everything, my dear brother in the Lord. Recall how much the prodigal son sinned (vid. Lk. 16:19-31 ), and how much he grieved his father with his reckless life. But when he repented, at once his father’s arms opened and the past was wiped out as if it had never happened. So the cure for your sad parents has already occurred, for the change of your life to a spiritual life has rectified everything. Now that they are in the true life, they are informed by God about the change of your lifestyle and your repentance, for them. If, when we sin against our true Father, God, He forgives us no matter what we have done, how much more so will our parents be pleased, there in the true life, where they see things clearly. They know human weakness and how easily youth slips, and they are aware of the great master of evil, the devil, who was the cause for all the troubles. Instead, they will be thankful to you that through you they receive aid from God. Remain fully at peace, my brother. Walk the path of repentance with a peaceful mind, and do not let the past trouble you. “Forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forward to those things which are ahead” (Phil. 3:14 ), we should look to the goal of our salvation. As soon as man says, “I have sinned!” God forgives him immediately and overlooks his sins. How much did blessed Augustine grieve that holy mother of his! Nevertheless, what sanctity and eros of God he attained later! With repentance everything is corrected. There is nothing that overcomes the compassion of God. “He is merciful to the last and provides for the first; to this one He gives, and to that one He shows kindness” (Paschal Homily of St. John Chrysostom ). The love of God covers and corrects everything. No one is sinless except for one-God.

[Silver]

Chapter Three
On Sin, Repentance, Mourning, and Tears

1. [The Elder writes to one of his spiritual daughters in the world (“In the world” means not in a monastery. ]:
   All that you suffered, my daughter, was because of your self-reliance. Didn’t I advise you to have humility and self-reproach? What did you trust in? don’t you know that if one boldly leans on a bamboo rod, it will break and pierce his hands? So what did you trust in? Don’t you know the saying: “Without Me you can do nothing”? (Jn. 15:5 ). Don’t you know that many Fathers fell by trusting in themselves? Humble yourself, blame yourself, weep, my daughter, wash your wedding garment. Your Bridegroom, Who is more beautiful than the sons of men, is calling you, is seeking you, and has prepared an abode for you in the heavens. The spiritual bridal chamber is extremely luxurious! Angels are serving; do not be sluggish. Arise; get some water and wash your wedding gown well, for you do not know when He will come. The time of death is unknown; it comes to us all. We do not know at what moment it will come. Repent. See how the harlot washed the immaculate feet of the Master. She shed tears more precious than myrrh, and they attracted God’s mercy and forgiveness. Then she heard, “Your sins are forgiven; go in peace” (Lk. 7:48,50 ). Repent, my daughter. Fall before the fearsome feet of the Master with mourning. Weep; cry out, “I have sinned, my Jesus. Accept me in repentance and save me. Overlook not my tears, O joy of the angels. Abhor me not, cast me not away. Thou Who hast bent the heavens by Thine ineffable abasement”. With these and many other such words importune Christ, resting assured that you will find His love three times as strong. Your repentance will give limitless joy to the angels, and exuberantly they will exclaim, “She stopped! She stopped! She stopped!” That is, she stopped short of falling. You were caught out of the flow, and now you are ascending again.

[Catherine5]

Thanks for these golden words of wisdom, Silver-Costas -!
I am forwarding to a friend - perfect for her - right now.

I earlier sent one of the On Illness passages to an eminent surgeon for his birthday. Probably a little bewildered,as he is not Orthodox, he nonetheless wrote back and thanked me for the great inspiration in the writings.
I accompanied that quotation with explanation about Elders, and had previously sent him the movie, "Ostrov" so he did have some background.
Incidentally, that film profoundly affected him.
Despite his hectic schedule, he watched it several times to get all the message.
Truly, though, all physicians and professionals living in America today need either to remember God's role in healing first and foremost. Not their role. They need to ASK Heaven what to do to help their patients/clients. Rather than consult dry books to administer drugs.
I studied Psychopharmacology the same time as this now-highly specialized surgeon was taking a pre-med class in that, and it's frightening to look back now that I know how dangerous the use of medication is for any condition, medical or psychiatric.

Better instead to read Elder Ephraim and settle back calmly to wisely utilize any affliction as a treasure to offer up to Heaven for sins or just in general. Rather than frantically searching through the medical world, paying out tons of money for no yield, why not get a Heavenly return on one's deposit above! The truth is, I don't think many doctors are really that good at diagnosing any more, let alone prescribing some detrimental drugs which may be for the wrong illness even!
I would stay away from all of them, myself. There are demons in their offices too. Quite bad ones, sometimes. Have to pray hard before even setting foot in a hospital or medical care facility of any type at all.

Sorry for the interruption, Coastas - I just wanted to commend you again and let you know that these selections may end up being read by the most unlikely people!
Catherine

[Silver]

... and let you know that these selections may end up being read by the most unlikely people!

..." how unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out!"

Glory to our sweetest Lord Jesus Christ!

God bless you Catherina!

In Christ,
Costas.

[Silver]

Chapter Three
On Sin, Repentance, Mourning, and Tears

13. Pray for me, my brother, so that the Lord may grant me repentance before I depart on the great journey from this world—for we were not created for this earth, but for heaven. There, God has prepared a place for His children who are obedient to Him in everything He tells them. On the contrary, for all who are deaf to His divine commandments, He has prepared a place of eternal imprisonment—may God keep us from going there. Now God cries out through the Holy Scriptures, the preachers, the spiritual father: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Mt.3:2 ). Unfortunately, though, those who think they are smart and strong turn a deaf ear to Him with various excuses. But the all-good God, wanting to distribute His riches to man, calls “all the feeble, the weak, the things that are not” (cf.1 Cor. 1:27,28 ). “Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind, that my house may be filled” (Lk 14:21,23 ), says God through the Holy Gospel. By calling the useless, His compassion is glorified more, and man is led to gratitude, for what leper counted worthy of purification would not render thanks to his benefactor? What person condemned to an eternal imprisonment would not be grateful to his Savior? Unfortunately, my brother, I do not thank God, because forgetfulness—the offspring of pride—has made me lose my head.