The brethren said, “By what means did the Fathers sing the Psalms of the Holy Spirit without wandering of mind?”
The old man said, “First of all they accustomed themselves whenever they stood up to sing the service in their...
How can one practice relaxation of fast during the Pentecost and still keep his spiritual life intact?
St John Cassian answers this question in his Conferences as follows: The celebration of the aforesaid days is to be observed in...
St Theodore once asked Apa Pachomius “I desire you to tell me, O my father, that I shall see God; otherwise, what good is it to me ever to have been born?”
Our father Pachomius asked: “Do you wish...
How can man pray continually, as the body becomes ill through constant prayer? What limit ought there be to prayer? And suppose I am talking with someone, how can I fulfill the command?
The standing up of a man...
How do I benefit from what I read?
Whoever reads much with meditation, exercises his spiritual senses for the intent that he finds an atmosphere for spiritual meditation in all subjects of his reading. He may come out with...
How do I convince my family and friend about my monastic calling?
When Moses asked Pharaoh to let the children of Israel go to the wilderness to worship their God, Pharaoh refused and even gave orders to his workers, “You...
A brother asked a certain Elder: How does one become foolish for the sake of Christ? The Elder replied to him:
There was a young boy in a monastery. He was given to an ascetic Elder to rear and...
Unfortunately St Shenouda , such a great saint and prolific author is still relatively unexamined by western historians of Christianity for several reasons.
First, St. Shenouda remains unmentioned in Greek and Latin writings about Egyptian monasticism.
Second, St. Shenouda has been...
Is Celibacy something you have to work hard to attain or is it a Gift from God?
Those who think that being celibate is merely a struggle on the part of the individual are wrong, no matter how holy that...
Tremendous, verily, is the mystery connected with thee, O virgin mother, thou spiritual throne, glorified and made worthy of God. Thou hast brought forth, before the eyes of those in heaven and earth, a pre-eminent wonder. And it is...
