1 00:00:09,204 --> 00:00:14,104 Here we are my beloved ones seeing each other again and as you see, 2 00:00:15,304 --> 00:00:20,194 at the foot of the Athon mountain. You can see that you can spot in the distance 3 00:00:20,194 --> 00:00:31,004 the Athon, from the orchard near our cottage. You know I've been a little bit 4 00:00:31,004 --> 00:00:39,774 out in the country through different places, I've met beautiful people, good 5 00:00:39,774 --> 00:00:48,464 ones, loved ones, I've all enjoyed it. What can I tell you, we have a beautiful 6 00:00:48,464 --> 00:00:57,724 country, even if sometimes it is somehow said that "a beautiful country, a rich 7 00:00:57,724 --> 00:01:06,814 country with poor people". They're not poor. Those who have Christ cannot be poor 8 00:01:08,442 --> 00:01:14,334 So this is our treasure, our country's treasure, primarily Orthodoxy. 9 00:01:15,644 --> 00:01:22,434 We were born Orthodox in an Orthodox country, so that's the most valuable, 10 00:01:23,803 --> 00:01:26,763 and the others God cares for. God knows what we need 11 00:01:26,961 --> 00:01:33,601 He gives us exactly what we need, as much as we need, that He also allows troubles, 12 00:01:33,601 --> 00:01:40,381 He allows diseases, He allows suffering, He knows better what is useful to us. 13 00:01:43,625 --> 00:01:48,045 Sometimes we may grumble, we are dissatisfied that maybe we wanted 14 00:01:48,045 --> 00:01:53,653 something else, but we always want something else, we are always dissatisfied 15 00:01:53,653 --> 00:01:57,333 that if God gave us something different, we would always want something else. 16 00:01:59,026 --> 00:02:04,436 That's why let's be satisfied with what we have. Because the man who is 17 00:02:04,436 --> 00:02:10,456 satisfied with what he has, is happy all the time. Acknowledge this, do not 18 00:02:10,456 --> 00:02:17,666 to forget. Give glory every day to God for everything and all the things, 19 00:02:17,666 --> 00:02:22,286 for all you have, for your loved ones, and for all that you have around you. 20 00:02:24,039 --> 00:02:26,709 Because one day we may not have them anymore. 21 00:02:28,153 --> 00:02:32,153 A 12-year-old And as I said, wonderful things I've seen. 22 00:02:33,074 --> 00:02:37,716 This year I did not arrive, that’s how it was ordained, but I want to tell you 23 00:02:37,716 --> 00:02:42,716 this, a few things, last year I arrived at Saint Filofteea from Arges. 24 00:02:45,076 --> 00:02:52,086 A 12-year-old child, a martyr, think about it. Who was Saint Filofteea 25 00:02:52,086 --> 00:03:06,761 from Arges? A child at 12 years old. Let's see a current 12-year-old. 26 00:03:06,761 --> 00:03:14,041 What's he thinking like? What does he think? Think of this 12-year-old 27 00:03:16,425 --> 00:03:21,145 giving almost everything she had. She was sharing, she had pity for 28 00:03:21,145 --> 00:03:27,595 the poor. Where had she learned all this from? From her mother. 29 00:03:28,639 --> 00:03:35,179 She had a good, merciful mother, she barely got to teach her this path 30 00:03:35,179 --> 00:03:40,979 to God a little bit, and she left this world. Out of God's indulgence. 31 00:03:41,363 --> 00:03:50,023 She left a young child but had already caught the 7 years at home, as they say, 32 00:03:50,023 --> 00:03:55,883 she had learned how to live her life. What she needs to do in her life. 33 00:03:59,240 --> 00:04:07,050 And in this way she kept in her heart all the teaching and love for God from 34 00:04:07,050 --> 00:04:16,650 her mother. Of course, after her mother died, her father remarried to another 35 00:04:16,650 --> 00:04:21,230 woman. The stepmother was not so merciful, and of course, 36 00:04:21,230 --> 00:04:26,990 being a stepmother, she behaved a little harsher with the little girl, but she kept 37 00:04:26,990 --> 00:04:33,850 her way. And as her dad was working, he had fields and he worked them. 38 00:04:35,795 --> 00:04:42,434 At lunch she would be sent with food to her father, but what was she doing? 39 00:04:42,434 --> 00:04:45,374 Her father's problem Because it was enough food there for him, 40 00:04:45,374 --> 00:04:49,184 she felt pity for the poor that she met on the way. And she'd give them food, 41 00:04:49,184 --> 00:04:55,694 a little bit of here and there and she'd share it. And he didn't get enough food, 42 00:04:55,694 --> 00:05:07,064 to get full, as he was working. So somehow he’s justified too, and what did he do? 43 00:05:10,132 --> 00:05:14,132 He complained to his wife, why didn't his wife send him enough food. 44 00:05:16,708 --> 00:05:22,108 And then she said, "I always send you enough food. What does this girl of yours 45 00:05:22,108 --> 00:05:27,798 do that I don't trust her. She couldn't wait, as they say, to complain about her. 46 00:05:28,926 --> 00:05:33,256 She said, “follow her" and that's when his father started following her, he would 47 00:05:33,256 --> 00:05:36,796 come out before her when he knew she was bringing food, to see what she 48 00:05:36,796 --> 00:05:39,066 was doing. And he watched her share the food 49 00:05:39,066 --> 00:05:47,246 with the poor. And then he kind of like that, that he was a little bit ruthless 50 00:05:47,246 --> 00:05:52,936 so to say, when he saw that from his food that he had to eat, she gave to the poor, 51 00:05:52,936 --> 00:05:58,136 he got very angry. And where he worked there, he had an axe at his waist like 52 00:05:58,136 --> 00:06:01,976 this, and he quickly pulled out the axe, and by the oddity he did not questioned 53 00:06:01,976 --> 00:06:09,390 anymore, he threw it directly at his daughter, and he hit her in one leg, 54 00:06:09,390 --> 00:06:15,160 and so God ordained that out of that cut, she should fall down and her soul should 55 00:06:15,160 --> 00:06:17,480 come out instantly. Death of the Martyr 56 00:06:20,701 --> 00:06:25,041 And then he got frightened when he saw her, he approached her, and when 57 00:06:25,041 --> 00:06:28,938 he saw her that she was no longer alive, he got scared, but he could not even touch 58 00:06:28,938 --> 00:06:33,258 her, because at that moment a light came out of her that was rising up to heaven 59 00:06:33,258 --> 00:06:37,468 around her, and he got scared and quickly ran into the village and announced 60 00:06:37,468 --> 00:06:42,938 the bishop, “look what happened" and the bishop came with such honor, 61 00:06:42,938 --> 00:06:52,717 took her body as the body of a martyr. So you see? A 12-year-old child, who was 62 00:06:52,717 --> 00:06:59,873 doing good out of love for Christ, for those around her, so a beautifully 63 00:06:59,873 --> 00:07:07,613 child raised. And she got now to have the whole holy body relics to which 64 00:07:07,613 --> 00:07:15,257 we go and worship. See what it means to live a beautiful life, a clean life, 65 00:07:16,447 --> 00:07:21,507 a life of mercy to others. That's what she had learned from her mother. 66 00:07:23,027 --> 00:07:27,885 And I remember last year, I don't know anymore, maybe I said it before, I repeat 67 00:07:27,885 --> 00:07:34,985 myself, when I got there at Saint Filofteea, I went I worshiped her relics, 68 00:07:35,709 --> 00:07:42,509 after that I went through the monastery, I walked, I enjoyed everything as they 69 00:07:42,509 --> 00:07:48,315 say of all the surroundings, of that unique church that is there made. 70 00:07:51,734 --> 00:07:55,114 Then I went out to the gate to leave. An old woman knitting stockings 71 00:07:55,114 --> 00:07:59,114 And there was an old woman there who was knitting stockings with knitting needles. 72 00:08:00,004 --> 00:08:03,594 And I was going out like this slowly, I was walking. And when I got next 73 00:08:03,594 --> 00:08:07,254 to her, I asked her , "what are you doing grandma here?" She says, "well I'm 74 00:08:07,254 --> 00:08:11,634 knitting". And then an old man next door says to me, "Do you see her, father? 75 00:08:11,634 --> 00:08:19,764 She is 82 years old, she is knitting all day woolen stockings, with knitting 76 00:08:19,764 --> 00:08:24,824 needles, without glasses, without anything, so he sits knitting." So she 77 00:08:24,824 --> 00:08:32,954 was working to make a living. And then I bought a few pairs of stockings, I asked 78 00:08:32,954 --> 00:08:36,954 her how much it costs, I left her something on top of it there, I say, 79 00:08:36,954 --> 00:08:43,104 her work, she did not charge much, and then I left something to the other old man 80 00:08:43,104 --> 00:08:47,104 a little help, next to her was an old woman, I gave her a little help, 81 00:08:48,140 --> 00:08:52,570 from what the Mother of God had given me, with love. 82 00:08:53,354 --> 00:09:03,794 When the three elders had begun to bless me all and wish me what they 83 00:09:03,794 --> 00:09:09,904 knew best, they blessed me out loud all three of them, a grace came from God so, 84 00:09:09,904 --> 00:09:14,264 I felt like I was floating. So it wasn't like praise from them, 85 00:09:14,264 --> 00:09:17,704 it was a blessing, it was something they were saying wholeheartedly. 86 00:09:18,655 --> 00:09:22,655 And what I had given them I had given them with all my heart with love. 87 00:09:22,939 --> 00:09:26,789 I felt when I left there, that I was no longer walking on the ground, 88 00:09:26,789 --> 00:09:30,609 it was like I was floating, I was treading through the air, and they were yelling 89 00:09:30,609 --> 00:09:34,064 for me, I had the car about 50 meters away, a little bit further away, 90 00:09:34,924 --> 00:09:39,912 they were always yelling after me the same blessings. And it was like 91 00:09:39,912 --> 00:09:43,912 I was going through the replay, I got to the car, so much joy, so much peace 92 00:09:43,912 --> 00:09:49,282 and quiet, I got in the car, and I was driving slowly, I started the car I 93 00:09:49,282 --> 00:09:54,132 opened the windows, as if I wanted not to lose that state of joy, of peace. 94 00:09:55,278 --> 00:10:05,238 And I left there from Curtea de Arges, to Brasov in that state, as if the car was 95 00:10:05,238 --> 00:10:06,878 no longer on the ground. Grace 96 00:10:06,878 --> 00:10:13,128 I felt like the car was floating, so I drove for a few hours in the state of joy 97 00:10:13,128 --> 00:10:20,224 I had received because of the blessings of those elders. In fact I could say, 98 00:10:20,224 --> 00:10:25,584 a gift, a grace from the Holy Martyr Filofteia. That I had been to her at 99 00:10:25,584 --> 00:10:32,224 the time. I have told you this so that you may see that from small things, 100 00:10:34,354 --> 00:10:39,286 from small mercies made with love, God fills us with grace. 101 00:10:40,370 --> 00:10:44,370 Maybe this is what Saint Filofteea did, that she also loved mercy very much. 102 00:10:44,615 --> 00:10:50,685 And then she wanted to give me a little bit like that, as a sign, of the grace she 103 00:10:50,685 --> 00:10:56,765 had received from God. That she was somehow glad that I passed by, 104 00:10:56,765 --> 00:11:02,075 that I helped those elders, so this small gesture before God has value. 105 00:11:04,038 --> 00:11:08,048 That is why let us not be indifferent when we pass by someone who we see that 106 00:11:08,048 --> 00:11:14,008 he needs it. A little bit there, or a good word, or whatever, a smile, 107 00:11:14,008 --> 00:11:17,698 something, all of this has value before God. 108 00:11:19,486 --> 00:11:27,696 Yes, this is all I wanted to tell you, and may Saint Filofteea help us all 109 00:11:29,576 --> 00:11:35,016 and especially the children that are like that, younger, up to her age and 110 00:11:35,016 --> 00:11:41,436 older, to pray to her that she helps you a lot. And follow her example in good 111 00:11:41,436 --> 00:11:50,086 deeds. And you'll see how much use you're going to get. Yes, my beloved 112 00:11:50,086 --> 00:11:54,806 ones. May the Mother of God and Saint Filofteea help us and 113 00:11:54,806 --> 00:11:58,486 always guard us. God help!