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Release of the Spirit
FROM
THE RELEASE OF THE SPIRIT
BY :
H. H. POPE SHENOUDA III
"The bonds of the senses:
St. Macarius the Great once met a monk who was fought
with self-righteousness, he thought he had overcome adultery,
love for money and anger.. St. Macarius began to ask him about
his feelings on seeing a woman.. The monk replied that he
would discern that she was a woman but would fly away lest he
should feel lust.. St. Macarius asked him again what his feeling
would be when he saw some money in the desert.. The monk
said he would be able to distinguish money from stones but he
would abstain from the love of money.. The saint asked him a
third time how he would feel if someone insulted him.. The
monk replied that he would feel that he was insulted but would
not let anger remain within his heart. Here, St. Macarius told
21
the monk that he was still frail and needed to strive more and
the saint began to teach him..
The bonds of the senses, dear reader, make a person
discriminate between a man and a woman, between an old
woman and a young girl, and between a beautiful girl and an
ugly one..
Such bonds also make one discriminate between money and
stones..
What about praise and insult then?
Once a monk asked St. Macarius for advice.. St.Macarius
ordered him to go and praise the dead. He did so but no one
replied to him. The saint then ordered him to go and insult
them, but when he did no one replied either.
Then St. Macarius said to that monk, 'You also must be like
the dead since you have died to the world.. You must not be
affected by anything whether this be praise or insult'..
Once a rich man brought some money to the monastery in
order to be distributed among the monks.. the abbot wanted to
teach that person a practical lesson, so he put the money aside
and rang the bell. When the monks gathered the abbot asked
them to take their need of the money as an expression of their
love for the rich man. But the monks looked at the gold as if
looking to stones and took nothing of it in spite of it. Their
behaviour had so great effect on that person that he asked to be
a monk..
"
From reading that I think I might be just like that monk who was fought with self-righteousness?
will I not be saved if I do not reach the state St Macarius the Great talked about?
THE RELEASE OF THE SPIRIT
BY :
H. H. POPE SHENOUDA III
"The bonds of the senses:
St. Macarius the Great once met a monk who was fought
with self-righteousness, he thought he had overcome adultery,
love for money and anger.. St. Macarius began to ask him about
his feelings on seeing a woman.. The monk replied that he
would discern that she was a woman but would fly away lest he
should feel lust.. St. Macarius asked him again what his feeling
would be when he saw some money in the desert.. The monk
said he would be able to distinguish money from stones but he
would abstain from the love of money.. The saint asked him a
third time how he would feel if someone insulted him.. The
monk replied that he would feel that he was insulted but would
not let anger remain within his heart. Here, St. Macarius told
21
the monk that he was still frail and needed to strive more and
the saint began to teach him..
The bonds of the senses, dear reader, make a person
discriminate between a man and a woman, between an old
woman and a young girl, and between a beautiful girl and an
ugly one..
Such bonds also make one discriminate between money and
stones..
What about praise and insult then?
Once a monk asked St. Macarius for advice.. St.Macarius
ordered him to go and praise the dead. He did so but no one
replied to him. The saint then ordered him to go and insult
them, but when he did no one replied either.
Then St. Macarius said to that monk, 'You also must be like
the dead since you have died to the world.. You must not be
affected by anything whether this be praise or insult'..
Once a rich man brought some money to the monastery in
order to be distributed among the monks.. the abbot wanted to
teach that person a practical lesson, so he put the money aside
and rang the bell. When the monks gathered the abbot asked
them to take their need of the money as an expression of their
love for the rich man. But the monks looked at the gold as if
looking to stones and took nothing of it in spite of it. Their
behaviour had so great effect on that person that he asked to be
a monk..
"
From reading that I think I might be just like that monk who was fought with self-righteousness?
will I not be saved if I do not reach the state St Macarius the Great talked about?
Comments
JG
From reading that I think I might be just like that monk who was fought with self-righteousness?
will I not be saved if I do not reach the state St Macarius the Great talked about?
You, as a person who is living in the world are not a monk. St. Makarios said to the monk:
"You also must be like the dead since you have died to the world."
So he's doing what he's supposed to be doing in the monastic life. And he will be judged for what he does on the last day but on another level. Not as those who are living in the world as us.
As for the story, it's a great way to keep yourself (as those who are not monks) away from the great sin of pride.
also God will accept us as we are on judgement day, we are all sinners and only few are blessed with priesthood etc but we are all blessed with God's love, the key is faith not measuring yourself by higher standards although in saying that we need to learn from our beloved saints, you need not reach the saint's level to be saved....
the way of service does not seem suited to my personality .. I think monasticism is more suited to me..
I am shy.. and introverted maybe.. I would rather pray and talk to God alone and work alone.. like if I could.. make a basket or mow the lawn and other work..
Whenever I am with someone I do not have much to say and alot of priests they talk about God for a long time...
I just say Hi and how are you and want to escape quickly... I sometimes think there is something hugely wrong with me..
I do desire to reach that level..
the way of service does not seem suited to my personality .. I think monasticism is more suited to me..
I am shy.. and introverted maybe.. I would rather pray and talk to God alone and work alone.. like if I could.. make a basket or mow the lawn and other work..
Whenever I am with someone I do not have much to say and alot of priests they talk about God for a long time...
I just say Hi and how are you and want to escape quickly... I sometimes think there is something hugely wrong with me..
good luck reaching that. it's a huge blessing if you really wont to go that way. it woudn't be easy. some people say the service here in the world, as hard as it can be, it is considered easier than monastasisim. of course you need to connect with you father of confession and see if God had send you the ticket for this path.