A response to when a Hieromonk named Arseny was asked about miracles that happened to him. He said:
Miraculous? Miracles? No, nothing ever happened to me that could be called a miracle. Every priest-hearing the confessions of so many people, giving communion and acompanying the dying, guiding his spiritual children-every priest has remarkable spiritual experiences. The same things can happen to lay people, to any believer, but very often we cannot see the magnitude of what is happening and do not see the will of God, His hand, His providence, His leadership. Yes, what happened to me and what I saw around me shook me up*, made me tremble so that I clearly saw the will of God. I didn’t stop to think whether it was a miracle or simply the result of amazing coincidences in my life. I have always believed and I still firmly believe that God brings us to everything that happens and therefore whatever way we take, we must recognize only His will in everything.
And it is only by understanding things in this way that we can see the will of God. Many events in which I participated amazed me and I said to myself, ‘but this is a miracle’. But then when I realized my own nothingness I understood that it is not for me to see a miracle.
Everything in life is a miracle: the main miracle is that by the will of God man lives on earth. Believe in this!
*Fr. Arseny was a prisoner in the brutal special sector of the Soviet prison camp system in Russia for many years.
Excerpt taken from the book: Father Arseny 1893-1973 Priest, Prisoner, Spritual Father- Translated by: Vera Bouteneff
“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” – Albert Einstein
I like that quote. Thanks Mike!
What an amazing way to look at priesthood.
And, I have just ordered this book through Paperback Swap (I got to the top of the wish list) I think I’m the last person in the Orthodox world to have read it.
Mimi, this book is truly a must read! My husband recently got this book for me, and I have not been able to put it down since. I’m not done the book yet, but I’ve read majority of it and plan to finish it soon. I highly recommend this book to everyone (Father Arseny 1893-1973).
I hope your order does not take too long, you’re going to love it!
God Bless.
Thank you! I’m very excited to read it!
Haha cheap post hits! Interesting article though! =P
LoL Moses! You wish you had cheap post hits too, don’t you?!
Haha if I did, I’d have the read more with 2 lines left in my posts!
Moses, watch It!
This is the first year of Orthodox walking and the first time in a dormition fast. Protestants have missed a lot by their neglect of the Theotokus. God Bless everybody!