There lived the elder
Zosima in a monastery, and a rumor circulated that miraculous healings happened
by his prayers. A lot of people came from distant places to ask for his help.
Monastic brethren were proud that their monastery had such an elder. But there
were also many of those who envied, thinking: “Why does God not hear our
prayers no matter how much we pray? We make so many bows, but all in vain! Yet
God somehow accepts the prayers of this elder…”
Once a young novice decided to
find out how Zosima performed wonders and why God listened to him. He thought
that since the elder was kind, he might teach him… He came to the elder and
asked: “Why do your prayers perform miracles, but ours don’t? Teach me your
secrets! What if you die suddenly, who will glorify our monastery then?!” The
elder looked kindly at him and said: “It’s hard to explain… I would say that I
don’t pray at all… “It’s just necessary to kindle in the human heart the light
similar to that of a candle or of an icon-lamp! “This light originates from
love. “And one can expand this light of the soul up to immensity, like the
light of the Sun!"
And then — the Great Light of the Holy Spirit appears and is
ready to help! And I can see everything inside that Living Divine Light, as if
there were no walls of my cell and as if there were no towers of the monastery.
And inside this Light, every human body can be seen through and every soul can
be understood regardless of distance. “It happens like this: I just need to
start saying the words of the prayer addressed to the Holy Spirit, and It
comes! The Light of God begins to flow like a river and embrace everything with
Itself!
“This Light understands the love of the heart but not the words
muttered by a person! “You ask how miracles occur… When the soul merges with
this Light, I stop distinguishing where my love is and where — God’s Love! “In
the River of Light, there are numerous Arms. It seems that they are mine but at
the same time not mine fully… “I see those Arms of God That do His Work! Just
as the arms of a ploughman or cook do their work so the similar Arms of the
Holy Spirit work! “It is these Arms That can heal. If the Holy Spirit wants, I
can — with these Arms — cleanse filth and diseases from the bodies. But if the
Holy Spirit do not want — I can’t move even a finger tip. “Inside this Light of
God, I can see diseases in the body of a sick person and vices in the soul.
“However, not every soul can be cleansed, not everyone can be helped… “The soul
needs to be taught to love first! Otherwise, later it may become a debtor of
God for that miracle!” … Zosima said this and smiled gently. But the young novice,
in fright of the elder, fell to his knees and set his head against the floor…
Then, crossing himself devoutly, he jumped out of the cell… Zosima sighed
quietly: it seems that again not that man had come, whom God was talking about…
This novice did not want to know about the warmth of the heart or about the
spiritual heart love… So many years had passed already since Zosima began to
look for a worthy disciple…
Author: Zubkova, Anna Vladimir Antonov (Editor) Book: Parables about the Elder Zosima
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