Once at the Holy Monastery of Iviron, when the priest officiating began to cense the brothers at their seats, he passed by one of them without censing him. After the dismissal of the Divine Liturgy the priest was asked to give an explanation. He said that when he reached the seat of that certain brother he saw it empty! They then called aside the brother and said to him:
– We beg you to keep watch over yourself because the priest is humble and, whatever he saw, this is the account that he gives.
The brother said contritely:
– The priest is right because even though I was at my seat, my mind was on the property of the monastery (metochion).
Many years ago, in the cemetery of the Skete of St Anna, in a small room of the charnel house, the priestmonk Matthew lead a hermit’s life praying unceasingly. One day he heard a noise. He opened the door and looked into the cemetery, and saw many young, handsome men who were bringing bones and arranging them there, and others who were taking bones and leaving. Fr. Matthew became ecstatic when one of them said to him:
– Why are you perplexed, Fr. Matthew? We are angels of God and have been given the commandment by the Holy Mother of God to do what you are seeing. We are transferring the bones of those who, possessing great virtue, brought their mind here constantly to Mount Athos, wanting to complete the path of their life here, but not managing to fulfil their desire. Since they had this strong desire, we are therefore bringing their bones so that they will be resurrected here at the Second Coming. The other bones – continued the angel – which you see us transferring to the world, belong to those who were here in body but their mind was in the world, remaining uncorrected despite the advice of the Fathers and wanting to have ties with parents and other lay people. That is why they will not be resurrected here on Mount Athos on Judgement Day, but in the world.
Alas! Dear reader. Wherever our mind is, so are we, and from wherever our mind is absent we too are absent. May the Lord have mercy on us. Strive, therefore, strive to preserve our nous at its natural place which is God and prayer. And whenever it is defeated by centrifugal powers, strive for the return, for the recovery of the nous from all types of distraction.
Centrifugal powers are worldly cares, things and faces which seek to allure the nous by the activity of the demons, to consume it among their thorns and make it unfruitful.
“O Master, Christ God …, lift my mind up unto Thee since it hath been drawn down below, and lead me up from the pit of destruction”.9
Mother Theodora was asked:
– How can someone, who is amongst tumult, listening to worldly conversations, have his mind on God?
And she replied:
– Just as when you sit at a table which is laden with many dishes you are not condemned if you eat but not voluptuously, if worldly conversations reach your ears, likewise you must have your heart turned towards God and not forget Him. And with this disposition, without listening with pleasure, you will not be harmed. (Evergetinos Vol. 3)
~ The Nous, Themes from the Philokalia, Number 2, 2nd Edition, Publications of the Holy Monastery of St Gregory Palamas, Koufalia, Thessaloniki, Hellas
9. Prayer from Supplicatory Canon to our Lord Jesus Christ.
