Once three young ladies went to see Saint Seraphim of Sarov and one of
them said to the Saint:
"I, elder, want to be a nun, and glorify God."
and the other two said:
"we, elder, with your blessing… we are thinking of starting a family."
And the Saint said to the one who said that she wanted to be a nun:
"You, my child, will get married,
and you two will become great nuns"…
and so, it happened.
Because the Saint, when he lives in the Light of Christ, sees the past, and the
present and the future. He sees the soul of man. Saints are not
magicians. What has been abolished for them?
Time. They live in the Kingdom of God. That is why they know not the
surface but the depth of man's soul and that is why they answer us.
Of course, we do not go to the Saints out of curiosity! We do not go to see ….
You know how many times I am asked :
"Do you know, Despota, a prophetic elder I can go and see?" I say to him, my
child, even if you go, you won't understand anything. That's why I have no one
to tell you. Because the very thought with which you go is wrong. Because
basically you did not take care above all to observe the will of God, to live the
prayer and the blessing and there you go out of curiosity, you do not go out of
faith, you do not go because you seek enlightenment in your life. You ask for
an easy answer, will I get this, or will I get that? God will not tell you. And even
if the Holy Man know it, he won't tell you.
Blessed Metropolitan Pavlos of Sisani and Siatista
Translated by Dr. Nick Stergiou
