Saint Silouan the Athonite

by Sophrony Sakharov

In the autumn of 1892, a young peasant – his name was Simeon – from the province of Tambov reached Mt Athos. Although he was unlearned and ignorant in the ordinary sense – two winters at the village school were all he could boast of in the way of scholarship – tireless inner striving gave him a personal experience of Christianity identical with that of many of the early ascetic Fathers.

Saint Sophrony went to Mt. Athos in 1925 and there, at the Monastery of St. Panteleimon, became amanu­ensis to Staretz Silouan whose writings were pencilled in laborious, unformed characters on odd scraps of paper.

Genres: Christianity, Religion, Theology, Spirituality, Biography, Nonfiction, Christian

504 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

Archimandrite Sophrony (Sakharov), also Elder Sophrony, was best known as the disciple and biographer of St Silouan the Athonite and compiler of St Silouan's works, and as the founder of the Patriarchal Stavropegic Monastery of St. John the Baptist in Tolleshunt Knights, Maldon, Essex, England.

Reviews

[Michael O'Brien · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, a good book on and by St. Silouan. Perhaps, I am not giving it as high a rating as it deserves. From other's reviews in my faith, they seem higher.

As I write this, I am now going through the darkest valley of my life so far. So, in reading some of St. Silouan's teachings and thinking, I found some of it difficult to digest. Like harsh medicine, that doesn't mean it was poor quality or wrong.

For example, he states about the 3 levels of prayer --- varying in levels of spirituality and in communion with God. In the state of mind I am in right now --- and for others in similar dire straits --- what hope is there for us when we cry out to God and can barely manage the will to pray to a God that seems so distant. Silouan doesn't seem to hold much hope for us, nor even manifest an understanding of what life is like for those of us in the arena of the outside world instead of Mount Athos. And adding to the guilt, he suggests that inability to reach each higher level directly depends upon our humility and obedience both to God, to the Church, and to our spiritual father. As if I needed any more of that than I have already in the pain I am now in.

But I read on further, albeit reluctantly and, perhaps bitterly cynical. And slowly I began to understand. For it occurred to me and perhaps to some others, that much of this pain I feel is from a form of pride --- self-pity and a feeling that I am entitled to a certain level of treatment --- that, somehow, right now, the universe must be made to seem fair as I, not necessarily God, sees it. Like as if God is obliged to reorder the Universe to accord with my notions of fairness and justice --- while somehow overlooking my imperfections --- to the exclusion of His holiness and perfection.

And then, once I got past that, then I understood, I think, better what Silouan meant when he speaks of humility and its importance with respect to reaching a closer relationship with God, a better prayer life, and an ability to get along with others, even when they seem now to be indifferent or to have turned from me.

Don't get me wrong --- I can't say that I clicked with this book as well as I have with other Orthodox Christian writers and thinkers, but I do feel that Silouan administered a dose of what I needed --- even if it seems right now more like chemotherapy than it does like wonderful narcotic.

So I think that this book is a good one for Christians desiring to look for an example of how to grow closer to God, but it's not for everyone. It's tough medicine!

[Stephen Crawford · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have now read this book twice, with a view to re-reading it at least once a year during one of the major fasts (perhaps Nativity). Having read it at a slow and consistent pace twice, I now feel I can post a minor review.

The first time I read this book, which was recommended as a primer for understanding Orthodoxy in Russia, I had recently given up on re-reading Lossky's "Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church". I knew that Lossky's message wasn't landing well with me spiritually, because I was so new to Orthodoxy and my heart wasn't ready for it. So when I ran across similar obstacles in St. Silouan, I was tempted to give up. However, my spiritual hunger overcame my lack of comprehension and I kept reading.

This is in many ways one of the hardest books I have ever read - not because it is hard to understand, but because it can be understood very easily by the mind but very feebly by the heart. It's like reading the fifth through eighth chapters of Matthew, where the commands often seem simple enough, but are enormously hard to put into practice. Indeed, St. Silouan's life and teaching appear as a life dedicated to carrying out the commands of Christ in the Gospels, and it is for this reason that I almost turned away. His way was hard, just as Christ said it would be. To travel that road is to take on the same suffering and hardship, and it took awhile for me to start to make an attempt in that direction.

The book is meant for the serious seeker, the person who won't rest until he has found the way to God. It will offend, shock, and revolt even people who think they are serious about their faith. Even on my second read, I struggled mightily with many passages. I will struggle every time I read it, which is exactly why I will read it at least once a year from now on. This book will humble you, grip you, and ring in your ears until you either throw your hands up in despair or run to God with tears and gratitude.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

"At first when a man begins to work for the Lord, grace gives him the strength to be zealous for good, all is easy and effortless; and seeing this, in his inexperience he thinks to himself, 'I shall continue thus zealously all my life long.' And at the same time he exalts himself above those who live carelessly, and begins to pass judgement on them; and so he loses the grace that was helping him to keep God's commandments. And he does not understand how this happened - everything was going so well with him but now it is all so difficult and he feels no desire to pray. But he should not be afraid: it is the Lord in His mercy nurturing the soul. The moment the soul exalts herself above her fellows, she is attacked by some thought or impulse unpleasing to God. If she humbles herself grace will not depart, but if she does not, some small temptation follows to make her do so. Should she again not humble herself, a ravaging struggle with lustful passions will start up within her. If she still does not humble herself she will fall into a measure of sin. Should she once again fail to humble herself a great temptation will ensue and there will be grave sin. And so it will go on until the soul does humble herself, when temptation will leave her, and if she brings herself very low a gentle peace will come and all that is evil disappear."

[Lieutenant · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great man, not a melancholic or phlegmatic saint. He has more of a choleric temperament. He is strong, audacious, a man of contemporary times with godly convictions, a rare man.
Too bad there is only one chapter about his life before he joined the monastery.

There's much about the spiritual life here, saint Silouan was a staretz, that is, one who had the gift of the discernment of spirits. There are spiritual teachings here one cannot find anywhere else with precision, since the author of the book was also staretz, saint Sophrony.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will admit that I struggled with the first section of this book, though St. Silouan's biography was obviously edifying and inspiring. The real force of this text came from the second half: St. Silouan's own writings, which were apparently collected from scraps of paper and even napkins. These meditations and prayers cover a wide range of topics and occasionally include anecdotes from St. Silouan's childhood or time on the Holy Mountain. His words are deeply profound and moving. This one is definitely worth your time.

[Ashley Weis · Rating 5 out of 5]

favorite book ever

[Silouan · Rating 5 out of 5]

“At first, because of my lack of experience, I let a dissolute thought enter my heart. I went to my spiritual father and said, "I have had a lecherous thought." He replied, "You must never dwell on such thoughts." Forty-five years have gone by since then and I have never once accepted such thoughts, never once been angry with anyone, for my soul is always aware of the Lord's love and the sweetness of the Holy Spirit, and I do not dwell on affronts.”
How many men that walk this earth can humbly say that?

[Ade Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, in my sharper fantasies I want to become a hermit monk on Mt Athos. Meanwhile in the bustle of life, I remember to 'Keep you mind in Hell, and despair not.'

[Dylan Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fourth or fifth reading. Pain is all that remains to us. One feels this pain so acutely when the great variety of drugs we once accumulated have, each and every one, lost their desired effect. "Do ye, then, bear the travail of repentance."

When Christ dwells in the heart, it can no longer be hardened, numbed. There is no dampening his fire. There is only the fire, and we are burning. "The greater the love, the greater the sufferings of the soul."

Staretz Silouan and Sophrony's violently heartsick prayer then encompasses even we who pray in their shadows, and cauterizes the wounds of the whole world. "What shall we render unto the Lord for His love to us?"

[David Gwartney · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first half of this book is a biography of Saint Silouan, written by someone who met him, learned from him, and gathered together his teachings in order to compile such a work. He related many insights into the life of this man, who understood "that all ascetic striving must be directed toward acquiring humility." I enjoyed the insights from the author into the life of this remarkable person.

The second half of the book contains the writings of Staretz Silouan, himself. One gets an appreciation into the prayer life of this saint, as he can scarcely write a couple of pages without his prayers spilling onto the pages of his writings. Perhaps his most challenging teaching was the means of keeping himself humble - "Keep thy mind in hell, and despair not." This seems far removed from any teaching you might hear today. Yet, it speaks to the way that Saint Silouan pursued the ascetic practices of humility and prayer.

This is a lengthy book - really two books in one - but well worth the read for anyone who is looking to add depth to their faith and prayers.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Spuneam deja că legăturile şi contactele cu stareţul aveau un caracter extrem de deosebit. Mi se pare că, prin convorbirile sale a căror formă era atât de simplă şi prin puterea rugăciunii sale, el avea darul de a-şi introduce interlocutorul într-o altă lume. Lucrul cel mai important părea ca interlocutorul să nu fie introdus în această lume într-un chip abstract, ci ca el să pătrundă aievea, printr-o experienţă lăuntrică ce îi era transmisă. La drept vorbind, pe câte ştiu, aproape nimeni n-a fost în stare să păzească mai apoi starea duhovnicească astfel primită şi să realizeze mai apoi în viaţa sa ceea ce a aflat în timpul convorbirii sale cu stareţul. E sigur că acest lucru a fost pentru mulţi o sursă nesecată de suferinţă pentru întreaga lor viaţă; căci sufletul care a văzut lumina iar apoi o pierde din nou nu poate să nu se mâhnească. Şi, totuşi, nu e oare încă şi mai trist şi mai deznădăjduitor a nu avea nici o cunoştinţă despre lumină şi, lucru deloc rar, să nici nu bănuim măcar existenţa ei?"

[Ramón S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my spiritual favorite book.
You can feel Faith, Hope and Charity growing meanwhile you read and meditate the life and writings of Saint Silouan
Saint Silouan of Mount Athos pray for me a sinner.

[Conor McCartney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Possibly the most beautifully articulated book addressing the life of a modern-day saint and his teachings. Saint Sophrony takes great care and reverence in telling the story of Saint Silouans' life, as well as addressing theology in a way that is edifying and life-giving. The personal writings of Saint Silouan in the second half of the book will humble you, challenge you, make you cry, and make you feel great joy.

I would recommend this for any Christian who is serious about deepening their understanding of what Christian love and humility looks like.

[Brett Gracely · Rating 5 out of 5]

It will take some effort, but it is worth it.

You might consider the following format. Read it as a study and discussion group, perhaps with a spiritual father or mother, or with someone that has read it previously. Take turns reading it aloud to one another around the table (with coffee). Stop to reread and discuss as needed. Take your time without any preconceived notions of how long it will take to finish it.

Insight and transformation will follow if your nous is ready.

[Troy Shelton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing.

[Ivan DS · Rating 5 out of 5]

„Християнството не е философия, не е „учение“ (доктрина), а живот.“

За съжаление, свободната воля, с която сме дарени, се използва и разбира от всеки човек в света, както си иска. Превръщаме я в слободия, а не в свобода. Дори и светската свобода е ограничена от законите в различните държавни устройства, които трябва да се спазват, камо ли духовната свобода с нейните закони, дадени ни от Създателя. Спазваме законите и регулациите на творението, а се опъваме и недоволстваме от законите на Твореца.
Били сме зависими от Него, а от кого да сме зависими, от безумците, които използват свободата както си искат и ни въртят на шиша. Пълно безумие. Представете си свят по Неговите правила, спазвани от всеки един в света. Какъв ли би бил той? Когато кривнем от Неговите закони, Той ни праща изпитания, за да се осъзнаем и да обуздае безумството ни. И вместо да разбираме изпитанията като благословение, ние ги приемаме като зло, пратено ни от Бога. Злото в света идва от момента на откъсване плода на любопитството и желанието ни да станем богове, а това е абсолютно невъзможно. Да ни прости Бог неразбирането!

От правилния избор за използване на нашата свободна воля зависи и благополучието ни в духовен и светски смисъл. Затова е добре да се четат повече книги от светите отци на Църквата като „Свети Силуан Атонски“ от Архимандрит Софроний (Сахаров), защото те ни дават отговорите, които всеки човек търси от време оно - за смисъла на живота, за любовта, за свободата и други житейски истини. Мнозина философи, от Античността до днес, са търсили истините за живота, но малцина са достигнали до Истината. За да я достигнем и за да не се лутаме по различни пътища, Иисус Христос е категоричен: „Аз съм пътят и истината и животът“ (Йоан 14:6).

Ето как отговоря св. Силуан Атонски на въпросите: Какво значи свобода? Как е възможно някой да обича всички хора? И къде да намерим такава любов, че да станем едно с всички?

За свободата

„Кой не иска свобода? Всички това искат, но трябва да знаем в какво е свободата и как да я намерим… За да станеш свободен трябва най-първо да се „оковеш“. Колкото повече оковаваш сам себе си, толкова по-голяма свобода ще има твоят дух… Трябва да оковеш вътре в себе си страстите, за да не те овладеят; трябва да оковеш самия себе си, за да не вредиш на ближния… Обикновено хората търсят свободата, за да правят „каквото си искат“. Но това не е свобода, а власт на греха над тебе. Свободата, която върши блудство, или яде невъздържано и пиянства, или е злопаметна, насилва и убива, или върши друго нещо подобно, съвсем не е свобода, а както е казал Господ: „Всякой, който прави грях, роб е на греха“ (Йоан 8:34). Трябва много да се молим, за да се избавим от това робство. За нас истинската свобода е в това да не грешим и с все сърце и все сила да обичаме Бога и ближния. Истинската свобода е да сме постоянно с Бога. Докато човек не постигне своето възкресение в Христа, дотогава в него всичко е изкривено от страха пред смъртта, следователно и от робството пред греха. „И тъй, ако Синът ви освободи, ще бъдете наистина свободни.“ (Йоан 8:36); „А Господ е Духът; дето пък е Духът Господен, там има свобода.“ (2 Кор. 3:17)“

За любовта

„За да станем едно с всички, както казва Господ: „да бъдат всички едно“ (Йоан 17:21), не трябва нищо да измисляме, всички имаме едно естество и затова за нас би било естествено да обичаме всички; а силата да обичаме я дава Светият Дух.
Силата на любовта е велика и победоносна, но не е докрай. В човешкото битие има определена област, където дори на любовта е сложена граница, където дори и тя не е пълновластна. Коя е тази област?

Свободата.

Свободата на човека е истински реална и е толкова голяма, че нито жертвата на Самия Христос, нито жертвата на всички, тръгнали след Христос, не може непременно да доведе до победа.
Господ е казал: „И кога Аз бъда издигнат от земята (т. е. разпънат на кръста), всички ще привлека към Себе Си“ (Йоан 12 32-33). Така любовта Христова се надява да привлече всички към Себе Си и затова слиза до последните дълбини на ада. Но някой – неизвестно кой, неизвестно дали ще са мнозина или малцина – може дори на тази съвършена любов и съвършена жертва да отговори, отхвърляйки Бога дори в плана на вечността, и да каже, а аз – не искам.
Същността на абсолютната свобода е да определиш сам във всяко отношение своето битие - напълно независим, без никакво ограничение или необходимост. Това е свободата на Бога; човекът няма такава свобода.
Изкушението за човека, сътворен свободен и по образ Божи, е да иска сам да създаде своето битие, сам да го определи във всичко, сам да стане бог, а не да приеме само онова, което му се дава, тъй като в това има чувство на зависимост.
И това изкушение, както и всяко друго, се преодолява с вяра в Бога. Вярата, че Той е по-високо от всяко съвършенство, привлича благодатта към душата и тогава го няма тягостното чувство на зависимост, а душата обича Бога като истински рòден Отец и живее чрез Него“.

Душата „вижда“ в Светия Дух целия свят и го обгръща със своята любов.

[Stephen Case · Rating 4 out of 5]

What does it mean to be holy? I’ve asked this before, in a previous review of the theology of Archimandrite Sophrony. Sophrony was a monk who lived for a time in the monastic community of Mount Athos and served as an assistant of sorts to an older monk, St. Silouan. Sophrony saw Silouan as a great spiritual leader, and this volume is an account of Silouan’s life by Sophrony (which takes up the first half of the large book), followed by the collected writings of Silouan himself.

Silouan was a Russian peasant who came to Mount Athos as a monk in the early twentieth century and who lived there in poverty, prayer, and ascetic practice for decades. In the minds of many, this is a waste: a life of chastity, cut off from the rest of the world, without practicing good deeds or serving others, simply a life of “navel-gazing”—fretting about one’s own spiritual life and a constant, morbid attention to death, to unworthiness, to begging for repentance and the love of God. As some of my students would point out, this seems very much like a “works-based” salvation.

But I’ve already argued for the merits of something like this elsewhere, so I won’t go down that road again. Let’s just make the assumption that the ascetic life is a recognized and integral part of the Christian tradition, and once that assumption is made let’s see what we might learn from it. Because I doubt many who read this book will actually be called to that life (and Silouan is careful to point out that no one should embark on such a life unless they are called by God). Rather, there’s the idea that maybe folks who go up the mountain have some wisdom for those who remain below. And if nothing else, anyone who’s interested in diversity of views and perspectives (and what could be stranger than someone who self-consciously rejects what most of the rest of us spend our lives pursuing?) should occasionally peruse the writings of the Christian mystics.

For Siluoan, prayer and repentance are central to the life of the Christian. For those who claim that the life of a monk is one of inactivity, Siluoan (and tradition) would argue that prayer is the most essential, ontological reality of the world, and that this is thus the action of all true monks, the center of their existence. Indeed, there is the idea that if prayer ceases, the world itself ends. Prayer is the proper orientation of reality to God, the source of all reality, and for women and men like Siluoan, learning to pray—disciplining the mind and the will so that ceaseless prayer becomes a reality—is the primary task of the monk (or nun).

But the prayer Siluoan speaks about might be a bit foreign to those of us who are used to saying a few prayers on behalf of our own interests and the interests of our friends and family each day. True prayer, for an Orthodox monk like Siluoan, springs from repentance, which is not a “once and done” kind of thing. Rather, repentance is a constant posture before God: a sort of humility that borders on self-hate, a realization that the monk is the least in the kingdom of God, that others are sure to be saved but that there is no hope for the penitent, no excuse. It is for the monk an echo of the humility of Christ, that one must consider himself the least of all, must descend in humility and brokenness as Christ did, must shed bitter tears.

Like so many things in Orthodox Christianity, this is balanced in paradox: this deep repentance cannot give way to despair, because in the midst of all there is the hope of the mercy of God. This is the source of Siluoan’s famous statement, which he said he was given by the Lord Himself: “Keep your mind in hell, and despair not.” That is, keep your mind on your own wretchedness and brokenness, keep a posture of ultimate humility and depth of need in prayer, but trust in the mercy of God.

There is a purpose to this disposition. It is not self-flagellation or psychological masochism in order to earn some kind of salvation; rather, it is the path to true prayer, because only from such a posture of humility can one begin to bear the burden of the world, can one begin to shed tears of compassion not simply on behalf of one’s own sins but for the sins of the world. And this, Siluoan argues, is the ultimate purpose of the monk’s life in prayer: to offer up the world itself to God, to ceaselessly intercede with tears and compassion for everyone.

It is in this context that Siluoan makes what I think is perhaps his most powerful (and helpful) claim regarding prayer and the presence of God. In today’s climate of religious fervor and fundamentalism, of preaching and emotivist appeals, Siluoan claims there is one true way to know whether the Spirit of God is actually present. In Siluoan’s world, this sort of discernment was necessary for monks who claimed to have received a word or a vision from God. I think it holds equally true for us outside of the monastery, surrounded by people who claim to speak for God.

Siluoan’s statement is this: where the Spirit of God is, there is true humility, true love for enemies, and tears for the whole world. That is, if you claim to have any sort of deep experience with God, and the results are pride, derision, or division, this is a false claim. The true marks of the presence of the Spirit of God, according to Siluoan, are recognition of one’s own unworthiness (humility) and a compassion that extends to even those you thought you hated. Siluoan emphasizes this multiple places in his work, arguing that Christianity is never violent, never cajoling, but always something built on humility and compassion. This struck me as incredibly profound: that an encounter with God brings about, not confident fiery preaching or denunciations or clearly-defined lines between us and the other, but rather tears, compassion, and a reticence to speak because we’ve finally realized how broken we actually are. Replace our confidence to denounce others we believe are wrong with a heartfelt compassion for our enemies and a humility that says they are more deserving of God’s grace than we ourselves, and Siluoan says you have a much more genuine Christianity and the true marks of encountering God.

For those who might immediately protest that God hates sin and that we have a responsibility to speak about the righteous judgement of God, I’d offer the saying of another monk, St. Isaac the Syrian, who, hundreds of years ago, offered this advice: “Do not speak of the judgement of God. His judgement is not evident in His dealings with you.”

What this thread of Christian thought is speaking to is this: Christianity is praxis, and the center and the goal of the Christian life is to know the love of Christ. Learn the love of Christ, these fathers would say. This knowledge is not book-knowledge. This is not a system of thought to be absorbed and repeated. This is an experiential knowledge, one arrived at through action, discipline, and the grace of God. Focus on that, bend your energies to that, to learning the love of God in Christ. Then and only then, these writers would say, worry about the implications of your theology for the life and practice of others. And then what you will find, according to their testimonies, is that you’re more interested in serving them, in serving even your enemies, in humility and love and compassion, then you are in condemning them.

Siluoan’s work is a hard read. The book is long and repetitive, and for a Western reader the nuggets of profundity seem buried in a lot of chest-beating and woe-is-me rhetoric. But for Siluoan, that’s the point. You have to do the hard work of self-abnegation to arrive at true knowledge of the love of God. The first portion of the book is a difficult go because it’s written by Siluoan’s protege and the tone is very hagiographic; it’s hard to see where the actual person was in the midst of all this. And then the second portion is Siluoan’s own writings, which, as the editor explains, are the occasional, unorganized scraps of a barely-literate peasant. So this portion is very repetitive and lacks a certain polish, but if anything it provides a more genuine glimpse into the mind and heart of someone who would forsake the world and spend a lifetime in the desert for love of God. Along the way, you also get some anecdotes about life on Mount Athos, which at times seems like another planet or at least another time period. And in the midst of this all, you get a sense of the things outlined above, of the goal of prayer and the life of repentance for the monk.

[Saint Katherine BookstoreVA]

Inthis spiritual biography and reflection on Saint Silouan,we are blessed with the thoughts of two Athonite saints. His spiritual son and biographer, St. Sophrony, was himself canonized in 2019. In the first half of the book, Sophrony writes on Silouan, who he frequently refers to as
“the Staretz” (a grace-gifted spiritual teacher). The second half of the book is mostly Silouan’s prayerful writing.

Reflecting his own highly developed experience of God, Sophrony further elevates Silouan’s bright simplicity:

God Himself seeks man before man looks for Him. And when, having caught the right moment, the Lord manifests himself to man, only then does man come to know God in the measure given to him, and he begins to seek God who secretes himself from the heart. The Staretz would say, “Who will seek that which he is not lost? How can you look for something that you do not know at all? But the soul knows the Lord and therefore seeks Him.” (100)

Reading this book is challenging and humbling, and rightly so. One’s life in the world is distracting. Temptations toward pride abound, along with a willingness to selectively accept and apply the Church’s teachings and its call to asceticism. What is proper in our obedience and emulation?

Sophrony models it:

There were occasions when God showed me that the Staretz was indeed the bearer of the Holy Spirit, and so I trusted in his word, accepting it without question, which would have been
totally out of place on my part. Now, too, I am not conscious of the slightest resistance to the Staretz teaching, feeling in my heart that his is the final word. (229)

Thomas Merton described Silouan as “the most authentic monk of the twentieth century.” It wasn’t theology and piety made him so. Rather, it was absolute humility and deep prayer in response to the Father’s call. Barely literate on his arrival on Mt. Athos and never much given to
study, St. Silouan came to know deep in his soul the wonders of God’s love for all things—creation, friends, and enemies alike.

Once, watching the movement of the clouds across the emerald
Attic sky, [Silouan] remarked, “How sublime our Lord is! What beauty He has created to His glory, for the good of His people, that men might joyously glorify their Creator . . . O Sovereign Lady, make all peoples to behold the glory of the Lord!” Thus having briefly contemplated the visible beauty before him and the divine glory in it, he would return anew to pray for the people. (97)

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic read, honestly. I mean, what could I say of this book and its contents better than the saint who wrote them?

Some things that stood out particularly to me:

"The Lord does not manifest Himself to the proud soul. All the books in the world will not help the proud soul to know the Lord, for her pride will not make way for the grace of the Holy Spirit, and God is known only through the Holy Spirit."

"Let us not be distressed over the loss of worldly goods: such losses are a small matter. My own father taught me this early in life. When some misfortune happened at home, he would remain serene. When our house caught fire and the neighbours said, ‘Ivan Petrovich, your house 1s burnt down!’ he replied, ‘With God’s help I’ll build it up again.’ Once we were walking along the side of our field, and I said, ‘Look, they’re stealing our sheaves!’ ‘Aye, son,” he answered me, ‘the Lord has given us corn and to spare, so if anyone steals it, it means he’s in want.’ Another day I said to him, ‘You give a lot away to charity, while some who are better off than we are give far less.’ To which he replied, ‘Aye, son, the Lord will provide.” And the Lord did not confound his hope."

"I remember once I was attending Vespers in the Pokrovsky Cathedral. A confessor, Father N., was reading the Acathist." Looking at him, I thought, ‘What a fat monk! He could not prostrate himself in worship!” At that instant, just as I was about to bow low myself, an unseen something hit me a blow in the back. I wanted to call out, ‘Hold me up!’ but couldn’t because the pain was so bad. Thus did the Lord mercifully punish me and so teach me never to pass judgment on anyone."

[Elizabeth Fitzgerald · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book grew on me. At first, I skipped the section written by Archimandrite Sophrony. No offense intended; I simply wanted to get to St. Silouan's own words. Then, on my second reading, I realized the part I had skipped was deeply wonderful - but not easy to grasp for me.

I have grown to love both writers.

To make St. Silouan's wisdom more easily accessible to people like myself - laypeople busy with life in the world - I have published, "A Year in the Holy Spirit with St. Silouan the Athonite" which contains one quote per day from "St. Silouan the Athonite". https://buff.ly/2UNP7UL

At the writing of this review, I post daily quotes from "St. Silouan the Athonite" on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

[Liam Stevens · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a tougher read than I thought it would be. This was my first “life of a saint”, and what I didn’t expect was that very little of this book had to do with people and events. It’s about the lessons Holy Silouan learned through experiencing GOD’s grace, through Holy Sophrony’s and through his own. The lessons I learned:
- “Keep thy mind in hell, and despair not”
- HUMILITY
- GOD loves us
- Pray for the world
- There’s a certain understanding of GOD that can only be had by profound experience of His grace. Those who have it are truly blessed
- Losing grace grieves the soul more than anything

[w gall · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a profound yet simple devotional book! Read and grasp how one peasant become monk climbs to the heights of Christian spiritually. A 504 page book that will certainly maintain a serious Christian's interest.

[Rastko · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book on practical Eastern Orthodox spirituality and prayer.

[Athena Terzopoulou · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing

[Jackson Swain · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I could only bring 5 books to a desert island with me, this would be one of them.

[Невен Паштар · Rating 5 out of 5]

Одлична књига!
Овакво штиво је потребно, ако ништа, оно,
да знамо како смо сами слаби и без животног подвига.

[Dimitrios Dickos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly life changing this book taught me how to read with my heart

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a must read book!

[Melina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hefty but awesome book 😎 Love reading about Saints of recent times... lots of stories I can relate to/personally understand. Great book to finish up my 2025 goal of 15 books!

[Katerina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Put simply, there is almost always something to gain from books of this nature, especially for an Orthodox Christian, and that was true with regards to the teachings faithfully transcribed by St. Sophrony in this book about his own spiritual father, St. Silouan. I liked learning about his life story, and there was a lot to ruminate on, especially from the chapters dedicated to his encounters with other people and the lessons within them.

However, I felt that there was a lot of repetition in the book - stories, sayings, references - and at over 500 pages, I did wonder whether it couldn't have been made more concise without this redundancy. I'm not sure whether that was a flaw in the editing process or whether it was intentional to reinforce the main messages of each chapter. Otherwise a good book, with a fairly equal distribution between insight into lived experiences vs dogmatic theories about the faith.