Papa-Ephraim of Katounakia was very forceful in matters of spirituality. Behind the door of his cell he had written: "Impartial Judge", and every night for half an hour to three quarters of an hour he would seat himself on a stool and judge his actions of the day and try not to fall into the same mistakes again.
Papa-Dionysios the Mikragiannanitis told us that Papa-Ephraim, when he rarely went out into the world, then upon his return to the Holy Mountain it would take three to four months to find the state he had been in when he left. Once he was very sad that he had lost his previous state, and he asked Papa-Dionysios to give him the Relic of Saint Nektarios in his cell for a short time, so that he could beg him to help him. He had many tears. A monk met him on the road returning from Little Saint Anna and his eyes were constantly streaming with tears. He had a handkerchief and he was wiping them.
Papa-Ephraim used to say about Obedience, which was the virtue he excelled in:
- "Have you seen a monk not asking? He will be deceived. In order to avoid deception, one must ask."
- "The fathers founded monasticism on obedience. If you see a monk not saying 'bless', then do not expect success."
- "Do you know what power 'bless' has? It crushes the horns of the devil."
- "Do you want tears? You will find them from obedience, not from prayer."
- "Obedience is the basis of prayers."
- "Neither piety nor anything else saves us, but only obedience."
- "Do you want to be sanctified? Do you want to be fragrant? When the Elder tells you something, say 'May it be blessed.' Do not discriminate whether you like or dislike what the Elder or your brother tells you. 'May it be blessed.'"
- "When someone smells fragrant, it means that he has not only been saved, but has also approached holiness."
- "From my own experience, I tell you, only 'May it be blessed' will sanctify and save you. Whether we like or dislike what the Elder says, let us say 'May he be blessed.'"
Source: From the Ascetic and Hesychastic Tradition of Mount Athos, 2011, page 532. Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
Papa-Dionysios the Mikragiannanitis told us that Papa-Ephraim, when he rarely went out into the world, then upon his return to the Holy Mountain it would take three to four months to find the state he had been in when he left. Once he was very sad that he had lost his previous state, and he asked Papa-Dionysios to give him the Relic of Saint Nektarios in his cell for a short time, so that he could beg him to help him. He had many tears. A monk met him on the road returning from Little Saint Anna and his eyes were constantly streaming with tears. He had a handkerchief and he was wiping them.
Papa-Ephraim used to say about Obedience, which was the virtue he excelled in:
- "Have you seen a monk not asking? He will be deceived. In order to avoid deception, one must ask."
- "The fathers founded monasticism on obedience. If you see a monk not saying 'bless', then do not expect success."
- "Do you know what power 'bless' has? It crushes the horns of the devil."
- "Do you want tears? You will find them from obedience, not from prayer."
- "Obedience is the basis of prayers."
- "Neither piety nor anything else saves us, but only obedience."
- "Do you want to be sanctified? Do you want to be fragrant? When the Elder tells you something, say 'May it be blessed.' Do not discriminate whether you like or dislike what the Elder or your brother tells you. 'May it be blessed.'"
- "When someone smells fragrant, it means that he has not only been saved, but has also approached holiness."
- "From my own experience, I tell you, only 'May it be blessed' will sanctify and save you. Whether we like or dislike what the Elder says, let us say 'May he be blessed.'"
Source: From the Ascetic and Hesychastic Tradition of Mount Athos, 2011, page 532. Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
