+ 19/11/2019

Gerondas Gregorios Papasotiriou, Spiritual Father and Founder of the Saint John the Forerunner Monastery at Metamorfosi, Chalkidiki–This list was compiled by some of his spiritual children in his memory on the day of the memorial.

1. Orthodoxy equals Orthopraxy— we should always seek virtue by engaging in a spiritual battle against our passions.
2. Paradise is not earned “from the armchair” [Greek idiom, meaning without any effort],
   but requires hard work. “The Kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence, and the
   violent take it by force.” (Matthew 11:12)
3. We should endure with patience sorrows, trials, injustices, and insults.
4. We should study the Gospel and the lives of the Saints so that we can see our spiritual poverty and wretchedness.
5. We should also pray alone “ Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on us”, “ Most
   Holy Theotokos save us”, “ Holy Saints of God pray/ intercede for us”.
6. We should chant to dissipate our melancholy and spiritual idleness/acedia.
7. Whatever we do, we should do it with all our heart. Life without a heart is not
   really life. We become robots if we have a mind, a sharp brain, and are very
   clever, yet do not have a heart; then we have nothing.
8. We should attend Church as often as we can and we should receive Holy
   Communion after Confession, and if that is not possible, when we have peace in our heart.
9. We should prepare before Confession so that when we go to the Sacrament,
   we should confess our own sins, and not those of others, without idle words,
   with self-knowledge, and real repentance.
10. We should tolerate and forgive others so that God also forgives us.

End of an Era

Elder Gregorios 40 Day Memorial Service