need help finding a saint's story

AMM

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So I read somewhere relatively recently (within the past few months) a post about a monastic saint. I believe he was a relatively modern saint (one of the 20th century saints, but my memory is fuzzy on the details - he could be an ancient). I remember that his story was one of the utmost obedience and submission to his spiritual father. Basically, he was a monk and his spiritual father was, well, not good - mean, cruel, etc. But the saint always listened and obeyed him. Other monks told him that he should find a new spiritual father; I believe I remember that the abbot also gave the saint his blessing to find a new SF if the saint wanted. But the saint chose to continue to submit to his SF. Eventually, his SF died, and the saint had a vision of his SF suffering in hell for his cruelty, meanness, sins, etc. I believe that the saint then prayed for his SF daily for a good length of time, showing his love for his SF in spite of the SF's failings.

That's really all I remember. I've been searching my browser history and some blogs I follow for a couple weeks trying to find this, but it escapes me. If anyone can help, I'd be forever grateful!
 

gzt

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A quick search (not in that book, though) didn't turn it up, but I did find this joke:

A man joins an order of monks.

The head monk says to the man, "This is a silent order. You will only be allowed to speak once, every 15 years." The man agrees and so begins his time with the silent order. 15 years pass and the man is sitting in the refectory when the head monk approaches and says to the man, "It has been fifteen years. What would you like to say, brother?"

The man responds, "The porridge could do with a little more sugar."

The head monk nods in acknowledgment and walks away. Another 15 years pass and the head monk finds the man in the dormitory and says "Brother, it has been another 15 years. What is it that you wish to say?"

"The bed sheets are a bit thin," replies the man. Again the head monk nods in acknowledgment.

Yet another 15 years pass and the head monk sees the man and asks "15 years have passed. Have you anything to say?"

"Well actually I've been thinking about it and I'm leaving the order. It's not really for me." says the man.

"Yes, yes" sighs the head monk "I think that's for the best. You've done nothing but complain since you got here."​
 
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AMM

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Off the top of my head that sounds like a story from the Desert Fathers, though perhaps retold in a more modern source. For some reason I'm thinking it might be in The Arena.
I'm reading The Arena now. If I come across it, I'll let you all know! Glad I'm not the only one who can't think of it, at least!
 
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icxn

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It sounds like the story of St Acacius mentioned in the Ladder of Divine Ascent. Perhaps someone quoted it from memory, innocently changing a few details in the process? Or it could be a different story altogether...

Quote:

The famous John the Sabbaite told me things worth hearing. And that he was detached and above all falsehood, and free from words and deeds of evil, you know from your own experience, holy father. This man told me: ‘In my monastery in Asia (for that is where the good man came from) there was a certain elder who was extremely careless and undisciplined. I say this without passing judgment on him, but simply to state the truth. He obtained, I do not know how, a disciple, a youth called Acacius, simple-hearted but prudent in thought. And he endured so much from this elder that to many people it will perhaps seem incredible. For the elder tormented him daily not only with insults and indignities, but even with blows. But his patience was not mere senseless endurance. And so, seeing him daily in wretched plight like the lowest slave, I would ask him when I met him: “What is the matter, Brother Acacius, how are you today?“ And he would at once show me a black eye, or a scarred neck or head. But knowing that he was a worker, I would say to him: “Well done, well done; endure and it will be for your good.” Having done nine years with this pitiless elder, he departed to the Lord. Five days after his burial in the cemetery of the fathers, Acacius’s master went to a certain elder living there and said to him: “Father, Brother Acacius is dead.” As soon as the elder heard this he said: “Believe me, elder, I do not believe it.” The other replied: “Come and see.” The elder at once rose and went to the cemetery with the master of the blessed ascetic. And he called as to a living person to him who was truly alive in his falling asleep, and said: “Are you dead, Brother Acacius?“ And the good doer of obedience, showing his obedience even after his death, replied to the great elder: “How is it possible, Father, for a man who is a doer of obedience to die?“ Then the elder who had been Acacius’s master became terrified and fell on his face in tears. Afterwards he asked the abbot of the Laura for a cell near the tomb, and lived in it devoutly, always saying to the fathers: “I have committed murder.” And it seemed to me, Father John, that the one who spoke to the dead man was the great John himself. For that blessed soul told me another story as if it were about someone else, when it was really about himself, as I was afterwards able to learn for certain.’​
 
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I found the one I was thinking of! Not from The Arena -- it's Elder Ephraim of Katounakia; I found it listening to Talk 29 (at the 2:45:00 mark, approximately) from Hieromonk Kosmas of OrthodoxTalks.com. I've transcribed his reading of the story here, edited slightly.

When we visited Elder Ephraim [of Katounakia], in 1973, he was terribly exhausted because his spiritual father, Father Nicephoros, had died, on the 23rd of September, 1973. And on the very next day the elder wrote to one of his spiritual children, and said "I'm writing this letter to you like a body without a soul. My elder, my beloved elder has died, and we held his funeral yesterday in his evening. Elder Nicephoros had given money, and said that, "When I die, give 500 sovereigns -- some large amount of money -- to charity, and also do 40-day liturgies for me." That's what elder Nicephoros said: "when I die, I want this money to go for the poor, and I want this money to go for liturgies for my soul." Elder Ephraim prayed for his elder with the prayer rope also. He dedicated himself to praying for his elder's soul -- why is he praying for his elder's soul? A Mount Athos monk? Because how does he know where his elder is, whether his elder is saved or not saved. How does he know? He once revealed to a visitor the way he prayed, and the visitor recorded the whole prayer. This is the way elder Ephraim prayed for his elder. He prayed, "O Queen Mother of God, say a word to your Child to forgive this soul. Here I am, a sinful man, going down into Hades, to plead for another sinful man. Please say one word to your Child (meaning to Christ - he's saying it to the Mother of God), and then there will be much joy in the heavens. All the angels will celebrate, and the whole of heaven will rejoice. If the master of the dark approaches, give him one, and send him deep down into the very depths of hell." He was repeatedly visited by the grace of God during Great Lent of the year 1974. So the next year, about 5 months later, because of his holiness, Elder Ephraim was told that his elder was saved from his prayer ropes and from the liturgies, et cetera. Elder Nicephoros who was taking care of Father Ephraim was a very rough person. He had a passion that he used to get angry, and he used to tell off a lot. Not like Elder Joseph [who did it on purpose to teach his monks humility]. But this particular man, he had a passion of anger. And elder Ephraim stayed with him, even though this elder was very rough and was not really capable of guiding him to his fullest extent. And at the end, he prayed for his elder, who was always rude to him, and at the end, his elder was saved.



There's more to the story -- Hieromonk Kosmas was telling it in a talk about prayers for the dead, among other things, but as soon as he started telling the story I recognized that this is the one I was thinking of.
 
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