Mulțumirea, milostivirea, Sf. Filofteia - părintele Pimen Vlad

Here we are my beloved ones seeing each
other again and as you see,

at the foot of the Athon mountain. You
can see that you can spot in the distance

the Athon, from the orchard near our
cottage. You know I've been a little bit

out in the country through different
places, I've met beautiful people, good

ones, loved ones, I've all enjoyed it.
What can I tell you, we have a beautiful

country, even if sometimes it is somehow
said that "a beautiful country, a rich

country with poor people". They're not
poor. Those who have Christ cannot be poor

So this is our treasure, our country's
treasure, primarily Orthodoxy.

We were born Orthodox in an Orthodox
country, so that's the most valuable,

and the others God cares for.
God knows what we need

He gives us exactly what we need, as much
as we need, that He also allows troubles,

He allows diseases, He allows suffering,
He knows better what is useful to us.

Sometimes we may grumble, we are
dissatisfied that maybe we wanted

something else, but we always want
something else, we are always dissatisfied

that if God gave us something different,
we would always want something else.

That's why let's be satisfied with what
we have. Because the man who is

satisfied with what he has, is happy all
the time. Acknowledge this, do not

to forget. Give glory every day to God
for everything and all the things,

for all you have, for your loved ones, and
for all that you have around you.

Because one day we may not
have them anymore.

A 12-year-old
And as I said, wonderful things I've seen.

This year I did not arrive, that’s how
it was ordained, but I want to tell you

this, a few things, last year I arrived at
Saint Filofteea from Arges.

A 12-year-old child, a martyr, think
about it. Who was Saint Filofteea

from Arges? A child at 12 years old.
Let's see a current 12-year-old.

What's he thinking like? What does
he think? Think of this 12-year-old

giving almost everything she had.
She was sharing, she had pity for

the poor. Where had she learned
all this from? From her mother.

She had a good, merciful mother,
she barely got to teach her this path

to God a little bit, and she left this
world. Out of God's indulgence.

She left a young child but had already
caught the 7 years at home, as they say,

she had learned how to live her life.
What she needs to do in her life.

And in this way she kept in her heart all
the teaching and love for God from

her mother. Of course, after her mother
died, her father remarried to another

woman. The stepmother was not so
merciful, and of course,

being a stepmother, she behaved a little
harsher with the little girl, but she kept

her way. And as her dad was working,
he had fields and he worked them.

At lunch she would be sent with food
to her father, but what was she doing?

Her father's problem
Because it was enough food there for him,

she felt pity for the poor that she met
on the way. And she'd give them food,

a little bit of here and there and she'd
share it. And he didn't get enough food,

to get full, as he was working. So somehow
he’s justified too, and what did he do?

He complained to his wife, why didn't
his wife send him enough food.

And then she said, "I always send you
enough food. What does this girl of yours

do that I don't trust her. She couldn't
wait, as they say, to complain about her.

She said, “follow her" and that's when his
father started following her, he would

come out before her when he knew she
was bringing food, to see what she

was doing.
And he watched her share the food

with the poor. And then he kind of like
that, that he was a little bit ruthless

so to say, when he saw that from his food
that he had to eat, she gave to the poor,

he got very angry. And where he worked
there, he had an axe at his waist like

this, and he quickly pulled out the axe,
and by the oddity he did not questioned

anymore, he threw it directly at his
daughter, and he hit her in one leg,

and so God ordained that out of that cut,
she should fall down and her soul should

come out instantly.
Death of the Martyr

And then he got frightened when he
saw her, he approached her, and when

he saw her that she was no longer alive,
he got scared, but he could not even touch

her, because at that moment a light came
out of her that was rising up to heaven

around her, and he got scared and quickly
ran into the village and announced

the bishop, “look what happened" and
the bishop came with such honor,

took her body as the body of a martyr.
So you see? A 12-year-old child, who was

doing good out of love for Christ,
for those around her, so a beautifully

child raised. And she got now to have
the whole holy body relics to which

we go and worship. See what it means to
live a beautiful life, a clean life,

a life of mercy to others. That's what
she had learned from her mother.

And I remember last year, I don't know
anymore, maybe I said it before, I repeat

myself, when I got there at Saint
Filofteea, I went I worshiped her relics,

after that I went through the monastery, I
walked, I enjoyed everything as they

say of all the surroundings, of that
unique church that is there made.

Then I went out to the gate to leave.
An old woman knitting stockings

And there was an old woman there who was
knitting stockings with knitting needles.

And I was going out like this slowly,
I was walking. And when I got next

to her, I asked her , "what are you doing
grandma here?" She says, "well I'm

knitting". And then an old man next door
says to me, "Do you see her, father?

She is 82 years old, she is knitting all
day woolen stockings, with knitting

needles, without glasses, without
anything, so he sits knitting." So she

was working to make a living. And then I
bought a few pairs of stockings, I asked

her how much it costs, I left her
something on top of it there, I say,

her work, she did not charge much, and
then I left something to the other old man

a little help, next to her was an old
woman, I gave her a little help,

from what the Mother of God
had given me, with love.

When the three elders had begun to
bless me all and wish me what they

knew best, they blessed me out loud all
three of them, a grace came from God so,

I felt like I was floating.
So it wasn't like praise from them,

it was a blessing, it was something they
were saying wholeheartedly.

And what I had given them I had given
them with all my heart with love.

I felt when I left there, that I was no
longer walking on the ground,

it was like I was floating, I was treading
through the air, and they were yelling

for me, I had the car about 50 meters
away, a little bit further away,

they were always yelling after me
the same blessings. And it was like

I was going through the replay, I got to
the car, so much joy, so much peace

and quiet, I got in the car, and I was
driving slowly, I started the car I

opened the windows, as if I wanted
not to lose that state of joy, of peace.

And I left there from Curtea de Arges,
to Brasov in that state, as if the car was

no longer on the ground.
Grace

I felt like the car was floating, so I
drove for a few hours in the state of joy

I had received because of the blessings
of those elders. In fact I could say,

a gift, a grace from the Holy Martyr
Filofteia. That I had been to her at

the time. I have told you this so that you
may see that from small things,

from small mercies made with love,
God fills us with grace.

Maybe this is what Saint Filofteea did,
that she also loved mercy very much.

And then she wanted to give me a little
bit like that, as a sign, of the grace she

had received from God. That she was
somehow glad that I passed by,

that I helped those elders, so this
small gesture before God has value.

That is why let us not be indifferent when
we pass by someone who we see that

he needs it. A little bit there, or a
good word, or whatever, a smile,

something, all of this has
value before God.

Yes, this is all I wanted to tell you,
and may Saint Filofteea help us all

and especially the children that are
like that, younger, up to her age and

older, to pray to her that she helps you
a lot. And follow her example in good

deeds. And you'll see how much use
you're going to get. Yes, my beloved

ones. May the Mother of God and
Saint Filofteea help us and

always guard us. God help!