Saint Ephraim of Katounakia said the following story about Saint Nektarios:
A young woman went to Saint Nektarios in Aegina to become a nun, let's say, she was a novice, and he said to her:
"My child, be a shepherd, for we have five to ten little sheep: graze them."
"Well, may it be blessed."
One day, two go by, and she said:
"Elder, thoughts have taken a hold of me, for I came to be a nun, I didn't come to be a shepherd."
"My child," he said to her, "when I do the censing I see you in the stall."
The nun, even though she was a shepherd, yet her thoughts were in the short prayer, in the single-phrased prayer "Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me." She was inside the church with her thoughts, therefore the Saint saw her inside.
Source: Translation by John Sanidopoulos.
A young woman went to Saint Nektarios in Aegina to become a nun, let's say, she was a novice, and he said to her:
"My child, be a shepherd, for we have five to ten little sheep: graze them."
"Well, may it be blessed."
One day, two go by, and she said:
"Elder, thoughts have taken a hold of me, for I came to be a nun, I didn't come to be a shepherd."
"My child," he said to her, "when I do the censing I see you in the stall."
The nun, even though she was a shepherd, yet her thoughts were in the short prayer, in the single-phrased prayer "Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me." She was inside the church with her thoughts, therefore the Saint saw her inside.
Source: Translation by John Sanidopoulos.
