St Silouan the Athonite

A few days ago, we celebrated the feast of a widely known saint, Saint Silouan the Athonite.

He is a great saint who received a special message from Christ Himself for his generation and for the generations to come:

‘Keep thy mind in hell and despair not.’

Let’s dig a little deeper into his life:

First stage

He lived a very simple life with little education. His father was a farmer. His early life doesn’t give the impression that this person would one day become a great saint. Like many of his peers in his generation, he lived a careless and sinful life and made many mistakes. Then he went into the army, where the grace of God visited him, and he felt a strong desire to become a monk. So he went to Mount Athos. At this stage, he was very determined to live this monastic life fully, a desire that had already become clear to him while he was in the army. He struggled for 15 years without much spiritual help around him. Eventually, he fell into great despair and decided to leave the monastery. But before leaving the monastery, he thought of visiting the church to apologise to Christ that he could no longer continue. Surprisingly, Christ appeared to him through the icon and gave him this message: “Keep thy mind in hell and despair not.”

Second stage 

He started afresh and continued for years. Because he was strongly built, he willingly poured himself into a sacrificial self-denying life. He worked in the mill, baking bread all day long, and afterwards served the elders in his monastery. At night, he prayed vigils with many prostrations and very little sleep. This stage shaped his life, and he began to write down notes about what the Holy Spirit was teaching him.

Third stage

As a result of this faithful way of life and commitment, he was given a great love for all people. He felt indebted to Christ and began to intercede for the whole world.

Fourth stage

This was the final stage, when God allowed the meeting between him and St. Sophrony, who was already in the same monastery. St. Sophrony  greatly revered St. Silouan, but he never had the opportunity to speak with him at first. Eventually, he became his spiritual son for 8 years, and St Silouan entrusted all his notes to him. After the repose of St, Silouan, St Sophrony remained in seclusion for another 8 years, studying and trying to live out all that had been handed down to him. It is through St Sophrony that we came to know much of St Silouan’s life and teachings.

So, finally, let’s not become discouraged when our lives seem ordinary or even below ordinary, with many challenges and hardships. Let us learn from the example of St Silouan: to be determined, to live a self-denying life, and to remain faithful, trusting God; and above all, even if we find ourselves in hell, NOT TO DESPAIR.

May the prayers of St Silouan be with us all

Amen