Elder Efraim of Arizona: The gate of the kingdom of heaven

Elder Efraim of Arizona: The gate of the kingdom of heaven

When they accuse us, when they slander us, when they tease us, when they humiliate us, when they wrong us, we must forgive. According to the heart, the strength, the desire that we offer our forgiveness, God will provide His blessings not a hundred fold but a million fold. Here is the way! Here is how we can be saved! This is the gate through we can enter the Kingdom of Heaven!

Elder Ephraim of Arizona.

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Blessed Sunday from Elder Ephraim of Arizona

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Elder Ephraim of Arizona, Bright Week

 

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The Art Of Salvation - Elder Ephraim of Arizona

 At a certain monastery, there was a monk whom the devil had successfully led into negligence. He stopped doing his prayer rule, ceased attending church, and discontinued his appointed prayers.

 

The other fathers were aware of his negligent conduct. Eventually, the time of death approached, and the other fathers gathered by his side hoping to see a sign that God would, perhaps, show for their benefit. The fathers noticed that this careless monk was exceedingly joyous as death drew near. They were puzzled. “How can he be so peaceful?” they wondered.

 

“He spent his entire monastic life with complete indifference. Doesn’t this worry him? Isn’t his conscience protesting? Doesn’t he feel uneasy? Why isn’t he despairing?” Meanwhile, the monk continued to be joyful. Compelled by curiosity, they asked him, “Forgive us, dear brother. We notice that you are quite cheerful. We all know, however, that you were negligent and indifferent when it came to your monastic duties. Now that you are departing to be judged by Christ, we expected you to be somewhat concerned and apprehensive. However, we see the exact opposite: you are joyous, peaceful, and full of hope. We are truly perplexed. How do you justify this?”

Everything beautiful is associated with pain, but pain leads to joy.Elder Ephraim of Arizona.

 Everything beautiful is associated with pain, but pain leads to joy. The rose produces thorns, and a rose grows out of the thorn. A rainbow usually appears after a thunderstorm.

The name of Christ is fragrance.

 Once when Geronda and I were outside with our prayer-ropes and he was telling me about prayer and his experiences of looking after monks in their old age, I could smell lilies and roses, even though we only had holly-oak trees there. I was sniffing intently, and he said to me, “Why are you doing that?”

“Geronda, I smell lilies and roses.”

“Why don’t you go over there to my door?” So I went over to his door and smelled his cell. That heavenly fragrance was so strong that it stuck to my beard and my clothes. Then he explained to me, “It is from prayer. Don’t you understand? The name of Christ is fragrance.”

I could sense the scent of his prayer pervading everything around him. It affected not only my bodily senses but also my entire internal self. When my brothers went to Geronda’s cell after his vigil to tell him their confessions, they also sensed the same fragrance many times.

When Geronda’s prayer culminated, his little cell became a “burning bush.” Many times I said to myself, “I wonder what takes place within the soul, within the heart of this holy man?” In order to grasp what was really taking place within the heart of this contemporary saint, we, too, must also get a taste of how it feels when the prayer is continuously being said on its own accord within our heart.

What is the truth?Elder Ephraim of Arizona

What is the truth?

We should keep the eyes of our soul continuously open to see the truth. This is the truth—let’s not forget it. When we hold on to the truth, we have nothing to fear. When Pilate asked our Christ who He was, and informed Him that he had the power to free Him or crucify Him, our Christ responded, “You would have no authority at all over Me, if it had not been given to you from above. I have come to bear witness to the truth” ( Jn. 19:11 & 18:37). Pilate then asked, “What is truth?” However, he immediately left the room because he was not worthy of hearing “what the truth is.” In order for someone to recognize the truth, he must be worthy. Thus, the truth will free him from the lie and deception of condemnation. What is the truth? It is this: We must correctly love our fellow man. Our love must not be contaminated with microbes, foreign elements, or ulterior motives. Today, mankind is in need of true, genuine, Christian Orthodox love. 

We do not love correctly. If we did, our deeds would attest to it. Our deeds reveal the truth about our life and our thoughts. The basic constituent known as selfless and sincere love for our brothers (not only the living but also the deceased) must not be absent from our hidden work[38]—the unseen spiritual work which every Christian must carry out.

A NOVICE OF HER OWN SON . On Gerontissa Theophano, the mother of Archimandrite Ephraim of Philotheou

Elder Ephraim at the grave of his mother

Only godly works, that is, whatever works were done for the love of God, will never burn out, but will shine for a person so that he may ascend the path to reach the throne of God.

Take a look at death, my child, which reaps everyone. All human things melt and burn out like a candle. Only godly works—that is, whatever works were done for the love of God—will never burn out, but will shine for a person so that he may ascend the path to reach the throne of God. Work the deeds of salvation, even if it takes great effort. Everything will be counted as a struggle, as ascesis, and as resistance to the devil, and your due reward will be definitely given to you. Compel yourself. Bear in mind your departure, your death, the toll-houses, and the fearsome judgment of God.

My child, with the weapon of prayer in your hands, fight for the divine battlements

My child, with the weapon of prayer in your hands, fight for the divine battlements. Whoever struggles is crowned, not with olive branches, but with the unfading crown of eternal glory in the heavenly Jerusalem!

Whoever puts into practice everything his spiritual father advises has his blessing; whoever does not do what he is advised does not have the blessing of his Elder here or in the other world.

Whoever puts into practice everything his spiritual father advises has his blessing; whoever does not do what he is advised does not have the blessing of his Elder here or in the other world. Whoever disregards whatever he is commanded, whoever does not regard as law the things which he is advised and does not strive to apply them out of disdain, must realize that damnation will befall him!

Are you able to enumerate the mercies of God?

Are you able to enumerate the mercies of God? The sins of the worst person, before the compassion of God, are like a handful of sand in the ocean. There is no sin which overcomes the compassion of God. God may be portrayed as our mother: is it possible for the sin of a child to overcome his mother’s love? If a mother loves her child so much, how infinitely does God love us, Who clearly proved this by being crucified on the Cross?

Blessed are they who sow tears with spiritual fasting, that is, always hungering and thirsting for good works, for they will reap eternal joy!

Everything will pass and will end as if had never existed, whereas works done in God will remain with the soul that worked them so that the worker may reap eternal life from them. Blessed are the spiritual philosophers of God, who give away transient things and store up eternal things, so that when they depart, they will find their treasures in God’s treasury with accrued interest.

Man comes into the light of this world crying, he passes his life in weeping and sorrows, and he leaves the world in tears and pain.

Man comes into the light of this world crying, he passes his life in weeping and sorrows, and he leaves the world in tears and pain. O vanity of vanities! The dream vanishes, and man awakens into the reality of the true life. No one notices how this vain life flows by—the years pass, the months roll by, the hours disappear, the moments slip by imperceptibly, and then without any warning, the telegram comes: “Put your house in order, for you will die; you will live no longer!” (Is. 38:1 ). Then the deception is uncovered, and a person dying realizes what an important role the world played for him. He feels regret and distress; he yearns for the time that is gone; he would give all his wealth to buy one day in order to repent and receive communion. Unfortunately, though, not one favor is given to him. Previously, time was at his disposal for years; he, however, wasted it in business, in bars, in cinemas, and in every shameful desire.

Whenever you are in pain and are afflicted, call to mind Him Who was Crucified and then you will find much relief.

Here in this vain world, my child, we shall be afflicted, we shall be embittered, we shall feel pain. But all this is for a limited time; it is temporary—let us pray that God does not abandon us to an eternal degree and measure, for then we would not bear it.  Whenever you are in pain and are afflicted, call to mind Him Who was Crucified and then you will find much relief. For who could gaze at the Crucified One and reflect on His Passion which He suffered for us, and not find balm for his wounds, whether spiritual or physical?

Without afflictions and sufferings let no one expect repose in the life beyond the grave.

Man’s life is a martyrdom. Ever since we fell from true happiness we gather the fruit of disobedience: “Thorns and thistles will the earth bring forth to you” (Gen. 3:18 ) –the earth of the heart will, too. How will we know that we are exiles, if not through afflictions and torments? There is no person who does not have something that afflicts him. Pious Christians are afflicted, too, but in the depths of their souls they also have the hope that one day the many afflictions will result in blessed repose for them. Without afflictions and sufferings let no one expect repose in the life beyond the grave.

What beauty awaits us ..

 Ah, if you could only see a little bit of paradise, if you could only hear for a few seconds the chanting of the sweet angels who shine with heavenly light and emit paradisiacal fragrance! Oh, what beauty! Unfortunately, we are in the dark about all these things.

There everything shines with limitless bliss. And what does the throne of Christ tell you? Christ the Master sits upon a throne, and due to His light no one can discern His sacred and most sweet face. Oh, what sweetness and beauty! What is more beautiful than this? This is truly paradise: to behold the face of our Jesus! Glory to Thy Cross, O Lord, and to Thy Resurrection!

O depth of the wisdom of God! O mysteries of the three sun Deity! Blessed is he who humbles himself like a child, obeying all commands with a guileless soul for the love of God! And woe to him who will hold on to his egotism, like me; how many divine gifts does he deprive himself of!

Τhe future glory

 Everything will pass and will end as if had never existed, whereas works done in God will remain with the soul that worked them so that the worker may reap eternal life from them. Blessed are the spiritual philosophers of God, who give away transient things and store up eternal things, so that when they depart, they will find their treasures in God’s treasury with accrued interest. Blessed are they who clean their hearts from the weeds of sin and cultivate the good seed, for the time will come for them to reap sheaves of eternal life! Blessed are they who sow tears with spiritual fasting, that is, always hungering and thirsting for good works, for they will reap eternal joy!

All the labor, toil, and temptations in this life, my blessed child, cannot be compared with that blessed life.

On Afflictions, Pain, and Labors

 

May the love of our heavenly Father be with your souls, so that being invigorated by it you may bear the fruit of obedience to His life-giving commandments. “Those who desire to live piously in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution (2 Tim. 3:12).” Since you follow the Savior Christ through your devotion to the angelic way of life, your greatest duty is to bear all suffering, whether it comes from nature, indolence, sins, or people. Since we desire to live a Christ-like life, we are obligated to submit to God’s will because all things come from God. And since they are from God—and thus are the divine will—the heavenly

Father commands them. Shall we not obey? Shall we not cry out with the blessed Job, “As it seemed good to the Lord, so it has come to pass. Blessed be the name of the Lord (Job 1:21)”?

The eternal life

 Do not forget your goal, my child. Look into heaven and see the beauty that awaits us. What are the present, earthly things? Aren’t they but ashes and dust and a dream? Don’t we see that everything here is subject to decay? Whereas things above are everlasting, the kingdom of God is endless, and blessed is he who will dwell in it, for he will behold the glory of His divine face!

My child, do not forget that we are in this world only temporarily and that our life dangles by a thread and that all the desirable things in the world are vain. So, whoever despises the vain things of the world—in other words, does not passionately desire them—will participate in the eternal good things.