I approached him and told him that what time once upon a time I went to the joint cooperation unit of the infirmary to visit Fr. John Romanides, who had suffered a pace, and I asked him to candid me what the doctors were saying about the pronounce of his health, he rumored that he was not informed in the view of doctors for his health, but he cared how the ecclesiastical aver in Greece was going. And he began to vocalizations to me about theological issues, even at the same time as he was already the distress of death. I asked Adult Anastasios how he possibly will train in this. He replied:
"The misery from separation the legs is stronger than the pace fight." He later continued saying: "In here one and all theologizes."
Unashamedly he destined that they were in misery and they speak in diverse ways with God, that is, they are wrestling with Him.
Fr. Antonios Fragakis, referring to some experiences the Adult had a few days previous, said: "The mortal dressed with the sun", making give a figure of to the Apocalypse of John. After that I usual word to want him and said:
"Adult, once upon a time I read the Apocalypse of John, I see mostly what is described is the uncreated Divine Liturgy in the uncreated Top of Fantasy. This Divine Liturgy we vibes on earth. I character that for the hesychast the nous in the summit regularly liturgizes finished the night and in the hours of daylight he goes to the Divine Liturgy in the sacred temple, even at the same time as a Divine Liturgy is booty place in his summit. But despite the flatten liturgy in the summit and in the temple, the nous in the summit waits for the Body and Blood of Christ to come in Divine Communion. Namely, is submit a associate among the two liturgies, the one in the summit and the one in the temple?"
The Adult "revved up" and began to say:
"It is fair thrill this, Your Permanent. Still, this is not lived by masses. Emphatically, in the Apocalypse of John submit is described the uncreated Divine Liturgy in the temple formed weak spot hands. State the liturgist is Christ in isolation. In the environs of, in the formed temple, it is officiated through the Priesthood and they lead His Body and Blood. It scarcely exists in the formed temple, but it does not rest in the place it is officiated, as in the hearts for which it was meant. This is equally the meaning of the scripture: 'My son, proffer me your summit.' State is the noetic liturgy and the reasonable liturgy. The before time precedes and waits for the other. With Divine Communion Christ sits on the noetic altar of the summit and becomes a form of all good."
At some scale I told him Adult Sophrony writes somewhere that at the beginning of his turn towards the living Christ, overdue his give in Eastern philosophy, he felt about the inner world of his summit a lead wall and whatever thing thrill a run through voted for through his hound, which formed a capillary fly, from which a ray of light penetrated.
Adult Anastasios, hearing this, said: "This happened to me equally." Let it be noted that he treasured Adult Sophrony very a long way away, about whom he rumored in amazement: "Sophrony the Great!" He equally treasured very a long way away Fr. Paisios and Fr. Ephraim of Philotheou who is in America.
He went on to say:
"In the summit is formed a hair-like separation. I lived this what time. From submit the nous enters echoing all the rage the summit and detects everything. This roar remains, the nous does not move from submit, but the separation changes. It is not perfectly the extraordinarily give. Dynamic says the prayer, and once upon a time it is chubby it gives equally to the summit. Christ descends submit with the nous. Dynamic is the place of the nous. Afterwards, intention describes anything it can watertight from this give of the summit. This is the fixed utter of which Noble mock and it is the gap to the summit. Finished the summit the nous enters the illusion of God. At the same time as you put in at at theosis you limit everything. The path terminates. Saint Gregory the Theologian said: walk all the rage your summit and you command see illusion.' For submit is one gap to Fantasy, and that is the gap which opens in the summit."
I was dumbfounded by all that I was hearing in the infirmary on a bed of misery from an operated man, who angry, but his theological words were administration thrill a stream.
After that we were loving for a time. I did not necessitate to have time out him and tire him even if it appeared he accept to speak theologically. En route for these words I mock to the monks who were standing come together at the heart of the bed. I saw that the Adult was looking at me questioning with his beautiful descriptive eyes.
On the contrary he angry, he did not watertight any nit-picking with a certain corporal movement or a facial frown. He was not anxious with the mischievous spirit of masses nation at that moment to his bed.
At last he said: "Reduce is the gap by which one enters the other life. And this lane, I route ahead of."
I leaned washed up and embraced him, and stroked his pointer fondly. I went inoperative him and thought the pillows open so he possibly will sit a infinitesimal on the bed. He was not with it, neither pleased nor expressing his misery. He had a violent care of individual. He looked thrill a acquire theologian as well as thrill a infinitesimal child, and this unity is formed by the Flexibility of God with indifference in Christ.
In his hand submit was serum, but all of his hands were hurt and blackened from the irk jabs. Fr. Antonios at one scale caressed his hand and he looked weak spot broadcast that he was anxious. One of the bystanders rumored that he was in misery at that scale from the irk jabs. After that Fr. Antonios told the Elder: "I did not know, Adult. Why didn't you candid me?" And the Adult replied smiling:
"I specifically limit two hands and they couldn't find a third to position uninjured."
Several lay nation tie together asked the Adult perfectly to wound him and be photographed with him. He replied neither satisfactorily nor unenthusiastically and remained tell and peaceful.
I told him that it is the summit which feels God. The Adult synchronize, but full of wisdom he replied:
"At the extraordinarily time the summit can be fool." This occurs once upon a time the summit isn't purified of the passions. He went on to say:
"Christ is patience. Christ is everything. He said: 'I command thump, and I command heal.' Sometimes He expresses Himself with severity, sometimes with sweetness, but with all ways He manifests His love. Relentless is the wrestling with God. This wrestling is not known bank by God and the athletes of Christ. It is an unremitting fight, since God is deafening. But He is equally all-love. And once upon a time He shows His steadfastness, mostly He is depicting His love."
Touching the Adult was a patient who was energetic thickly and groaning. I asked him if he was sulky by the groaning and if he accept me to ask to cart him to in mint condition room so he possibly will be unconventionally and limit harmony. He told me:
"No, thank you, they don't upset me, but they help me. All of these theologize their misery. They equally finish my theology."
It's unanticipated to vibes the misery of others as theology. This shows a inexperienced summit that has been altered by the Flexibility of God.
Best of the time I was to hand him, I did not speak so as not to tired him. The monks told me that the Adult does not arise tired, but he is blissful to speak theology. Emphatically, once upon a time he was in in mint condition room, all night he rumored the prayer with his lips and all the unpleasantly possibly will clutch him.
I sat stop to him for about a half hour. I felt tell in my individual and summit, a certain tranquil and joy. As soon as I usual his blessing to position. He asked me to pray for him. I told him that I am put on an act it, but I asked for his prayers. He responded: "You say that out of reticence." I kissed his hand, he asked to kiss hope, I kissed his temple, and he told me:
"I wish you eternal magnificence."
I consumed with an harsh sweetness in my summit. At the middle of the day I met with some loved nation, continuing the theological contest we had with Adult Anastasios. I later went to the airstrip, where on earth other loved Christians came to stroke me. I boarded the out-and-out, and at 5:50 silent from Heraklion for Athens. At concerning 10:00 I now in Nafpaktos. For fourteen hours that day I was complete with harsh emotions. It was a lightning barn dance, impressed with the lightning of empirical theology of an empirical Adult in a infirmary where on earth misery is in heavy-handedness.
As soon as two days Fr. Antonios sent me two messages which is air of our meeting:
"Adult Anastasios rumored yesterday: 'The visit of the Town of Nafpaktos invigorated me a lot. He came out of love on such an artificial barn dance. How can I reciprocate? Free with intense gratitude.' The Adult later invigorated a bit, but he did not theologize. He was echoing in the mystery of restraint."
"These days, Fr. Timothy, a brother from Koudoumas Monastery: once upon a time the loved Town of Nafpaktos came to the Adult, he notably regained dialect and waited for him with strong wish. After that was arranged the keep on theological quote from the Adult. He did a help yourself to chafe of all of his theology. It was his swan lone. As soon as this gathering he voted for definitively all the rage restraint. To the set of laws of the higher life."
The blessed Adult owing corridor all the rage the eternal Divine Liturgy, which he longed for finished his life, the same as the time he lived in the caves and the Sanctified Monastery.
