The past few days I've been reading a truly awesome book called "Shepherd of Souls, The Life and Teachings of Elder Cleopa Master of Inner Prayer and Spiritual Father of Romania" by Archimandrite Ioanichie Balan. I can't recommend this book enough. I wanted to post this part about the unknown peasant women who was gifted with the uncreated light of God. Very few of the Saints are known by name and many of them labored in obscurity from the knowledge of the world. You never know, your own next door neighbor might be a Saint!
Woman of Prayer
Elder Cleopa told the following story about an incident that occurred in the Church of Sihastria:
"In the winter of 1971 it was my turn to serve at the Holy Altar. I came to the church at four in the morning to say my prayers before Holy Communion in front of the Holy Table. After not much time had passed, a woman entered to pray. She had come to the monastery the previous evening. I did not know her. She prayed slowly before all the icons and was constantly making prostrations. She did not know that there was someone else in the church, since it was dark, being wintertime. Seeing that she was praying so diligently, I looked through the Holy Doors to see who was praying with so much faith. The woman was on her knees in the middle of the church with her hands raised and was saying from her whole heart these words: 'Lord do not leave me! Lord, do not leave me!'
"Then I saw a yellowish light around her head and it frightened me terribly. The woman fell with her face to the ground and prayed voicelessly. The ray of light above her became bigger and rose above her head. After a little time the light slowly went out. The woman got up and went out of the church. It was a peasant woman."
"Behold who has the gift of prayer! Behold, lay people surpass us monks! I had finished Proskomedia, and with great feeling I began to weep with the spear in my hand. Only God knows how many chosen ones there are in the world"
Elder Cleopa :
YouTube - Elder Cleopa - On Prayer
Woman of Prayer
Elder Cleopa told the following story about an incident that occurred in the Church of Sihastria:
"In the winter of 1971 it was my turn to serve at the Holy Altar. I came to the church at four in the morning to say my prayers before Holy Communion in front of the Holy Table. After not much time had passed, a woman entered to pray. She had come to the monastery the previous evening. I did not know her. She prayed slowly before all the icons and was constantly making prostrations. She did not know that there was someone else in the church, since it was dark, being wintertime. Seeing that she was praying so diligently, I looked through the Holy Doors to see who was praying with so much faith. The woman was on her knees in the middle of the church with her hands raised and was saying from her whole heart these words: 'Lord do not leave me! Lord, do not leave me!'
"Then I saw a yellowish light around her head and it frightened me terribly. The woman fell with her face to the ground and prayed voicelessly. The ray of light above her became bigger and rose above her head. After a little time the light slowly went out. The woman got up and went out of the church. It was a peasant woman."
"Behold who has the gift of prayer! Behold, lay people surpass us monks! I had finished Proskomedia, and with great feeling I began to weep with the spear in my hand. Only God knows how many chosen ones there are in the world"
Elder Cleopa :
YouTube - Elder Cleopa - On Prayer
