Saint Silouan loved Christ with his whole heart and dedicated his life to Prayer. He was Tonsured a Monk and fulfilled his Monastic Obediences in humility and always with Prayer in his heart.
“When the Soul knows the Love of God by the Holy Spirit, then he clearly feels that the Lord is our own Father, the closest, dearest Father, the best. And there is not greater happiness than to love God with all the mind and heart, and our neighbour as ourself. And when this love is in the Soul, then all things bring joy to the Soul.”
“What joy is ours that the Lord not only forgives our sins, but allows the Soul to know Him, so soon as she humbles herself. The poorest wretch can humble himself and know God in the Holy Spirit. There is no need of money or posessions in order to know God, only humility. The Lord gives Himself freely, for His Mercy’s sake alone. I did not know this before but now every day and every hour every minute, I see clearly the Mercy of God. The Lord gives peace even in sleep, but without God there is no peace in the Soul.”
“The Soul that has come to know God fully no longer desires anything else, nor does it attach itself to anything on the Earth; and if you put before it a kingdom, it would not desire it, for the love of God gives such sweetness and joy to the Soul that even the life of a king can no longer give it any sweetness.”
“The Lord has given the Holy Spirit upon the Earth, and in whomsoever He dwells, that one feels Paradise within himself. You might say: why hasn’t this happened to me? Because you have not given yourself over to the Will of God, but you live according to yourself. Look at the one who loves his own will. He never has peace in himself and is always displeased with something. But whoever has given himself over to God’s Will perfectly has pure Prayer. His Soul loves the Lord, and everything is acceptable and good to him.”
“No matter how much we may study, it is not possible to come to know God unless we live according to His Commandments, for God is not know by science, but by the Holy Spirit. Many philosophers and learned men came to the belief that God exists, but they did not know God. It is one thing to believe that God exists and another to know Him. If someone has come to know God by the Holy Spirit, his Soul will burn with love for God day and night, and his Soul cannot be bound to any earthly thing.”
“The humble Soul is Blessed. The Lord loves her. The Mother of God is higher than all in humility, and therefore all races Bless her on Earth, while the Heavenly Powers serve her. And the Lord has given us this Blessed Mother of His as a defender and helper.”
“A certain Monk told me that when he was very sick, his mother said to his father, “How our little boy is suffering. I would gladly give myself to be cut up into pieces if that would ease his suffering.” Such is the Love of God for people. He pitied people so much that He wanted to suffer for them, like their own mother, and even more. But no one can understand this great Love without the Grace of the Holy Spirit.”
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Below are some photos of the mill where Saint Silouan worked and Prayed, and also of his Monastic Cell.
