There is a story of a saint whose name I can not remember :'( Its driving me crazy! Please help. I think His name begun with an E ??? ::)
He was a very handsome monk and a woman told him that "God created women from men so that they can look at men but he created men from the ground" or something along those lines. He was known for looking at the ground and walking with a stick. If you know his name and story can you please tell me more stories about him/his life? THank u.
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There is a story of a saint whose name I can not remember :'( Its driving me crazy! Please help. I think His name begun with an E ??? ::)
He was a very handsome monk and a woman told him that "God created women from men so that they can look at men but he created men from the ground" or something along those lines. He was known for looking at the ground and walking with a stick. If you know his name and story can you please tell me more stories about him/his life? THank u.
"God created women from men so that they can look at men but he created men from the ground"?
That's what this monk said? lol
hahaha
Was he catholic? What a thing to say! So, you are dying to know the name of this monk? He was handsome, he had a very original opinion, and you want some more quotes from this man?
Yes, I remember now, I forgot his name, but here's another of his sayings:
Roses are red
Violets are blue
I'm schizophrenic,
So am I and me too.
Are you SURE this is a Coptic ORTHODOX Monk??
I'm sorry if I sound sarcastic, I'm just laughing here, but this is not something to tell someone:
God created women from man so that women should look up at men. I think God created us equal, (obviously, there are some here on tasbeha.org who that may not apply to), but generally speaking, we are created equal. Woman came from man, so she has to look up to him, and man came from mud, so he must spend the rest of his miserable life looking at the mud on the ground?
Why doesn't he also look at the woman? She's much more prettier than the mud from which he was created from?
I am trying to find out who it is Gust123!
I am sure there are many great saints in the RCC and I believe in their prayers and did experience their interventions. Saints are usually obedient to their higher Priesthood authorities and keep their vows of obedience.
May be the saint gust mentions is the catholic Saint Charbel of Lebanon because he was always so humble and looked down at his steps on the ground? I do not know of any quotes or sayings of this great saint but I know God makes many miracles by his prayers. He is also famous for this miraculous sign and proof: that God kept his body intact for decades.
more
http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&source=imghp&q=saint+charbel&btnG=Search+Images&gbv=2&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=
GBU
From what i know of the story... There was a young monk who was very handsome.One day as he was walking a woman came to him and told him that beacause woman was taken from man, that she is naturally inclined to look at men. But man was taken from the ground and he should look at the ground. Lets not forget he was monk so it probably applies to him more then anyone else living in the world.
I am trying to find out who it is Gust123!
Jesus Christ BLESSED our nature in Him. Our human nature, our human being was blessed in Him. Therefore, from looking to the ground (from where we came), we should look up to heaven to where we should be going, and to where our Lord is.
Not everything monks say applies to us. This is so important. We are not dead to the world, they are!
We did not have funeral prayers prayed on us, they did.
Secondly, you'll get a bad posture if u keep on looking at the ground. This is just a wrong thing to tell any young person.
It is a good practice for a man, if he notices a woman, to look away or at the ground. It is part of the discipline of guarding our eyes so that they are not used for sin, and so that we do not store up sinful images.
Our baptism is a true death to the world. We have died with Christ in baptism, so as far as the world is concerned we have already had the funeral service prayed over us all.
Father Peter
http://st-takla.org/Full-Free-Coptic-Books/Coptic-Synaxarium-or-Synaxarion_English/11-Abeeb/Coptic-Calendar_15-Epep.html
He is the monk who The woman said that to the st. monk in Edessa (Reha) (Arabic site):
http://st-takla.org/Saints/Coptic-Orthodox-Saints-Biography/Coptic-Saints-Story_258.html
A sinner woman said this to him at the city's entrance because he rebuked her after she was starring much at him. And he thought: "if this city's women are so wise what about its men's wisdom?". He stayed in the city and worked a little and preached the pagan citizens.
The devil mobilized a neighbor woman against him with lust, so she went to approach him saying: "would you need anything?" He answered: "just few stones and some mud so that I close this window between us." She got very angry at his bold reply and threatened she'd go to spread around he raped her if he doesn't comply.
He acted as if he accepts on the condition they do that in the market place. The woman asked with surprise: "how can we do that in the midst of a crowd of people?" He answered "if you're so much shy from people, wouldn't you be shy of God whose eyes see even through total darkness?" After this shocking reply it is known that she repented under his guidance and then lived the rest of her life in a convent.
There are more stories and works of this great saint.
GBU
I think I understand what Zoxasi means, but there is benefit in looking at the ground when we are surrounded by things that might tempt us to sin.
It is a good practice for a man, if he notices a woman, to look away or at the ground. It is part of the discipline of guarding our eyes so that they are not used for sin, and so that we do not store up sinful images.
Our baptism is a true death to the world. We have died with Christ in baptism, so as far as the world is concerned we have already had the funeral service prayed over us all.
Father Peter
In that respect, yes, whenever we are tempted to sin, we should turn our eyes.. whether to the ground or above. I think it is best to look to heaven as Christ teaches us "we can do nothing without Him" - therefore, through God's Grace, we can overcome temptation.
However, if we look to the ground, we are depending on our inherent goodness not to sin. This is noble - to look to the ground whenever tempted. But it is wiser to look to Christ.
I am very cautious of what some monks have been teaching - not all of it applies to us. I know so many youths that have suffered tremendously by their spiritual guides telling them stuff like this, and they ended up with very bad postures - LITERALLY!
Whenever you are tempted, look to Christ and say "Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner".
Done deal.
Firstly looking in the sky will cause an accident, and secondly not looking away from temptation will lead to sin.
This is not some novel teaching, it is what the spiritual Fathers have always taught.
Father Peter
I am not sure that makes sense?
Firstly looking in the sky will cause an accident, and secondly not looking away from temptation will lead to sin.
This is not some novel teaching, it is what the spiritual Fathers have always taught.
Father Peter
lol... OK father, I didnt say you should stare endlessly at the sky whilst walking. I meant its best to look up rather than down.
In this situation, I feel looking down can ruin your posture.
And also, this (in my opinion) is really good advice for monks. I mean, I know people that have taken this advice and walk around endlessly with their heads to the floor. That cannot be right - can it?
Regardless which way you look, (up or down), it is right to look away from any site that could lead u into temptation, but from what I've seen, the way this advice has been implemented in practice - it is really damaging for one's posture.
I can't believe anyone, other than me, wrote something like this.
BTW: Schizophrenia is not the same thing as a split-personality. At least that's what my other personality tells me.
OK geomike: no comment - for now Some links to works, life (in English) and icons of Saint Ephraem El-Soriani:
http://www.voskrese.info/spl/XefremSyria.html & scroll down there
http://www.orthodoxwiki.org/Ephrem_the_Syrian
http://www.anastasis.org.uk/ephrem.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ephrem_the_Syrian
http://www.jesus-passion.com/saint_ephrem_deacon.htm
NB: could not check all of them
Icons
http://www.google.com/images?q=saint+ephrem&um=1&hl=en&tbs=isch:1&ei=NZI_TPTBN-iI4gb205izCg&sa=N&start=0&ndsp=20
Here is another story from the Arabic site of St Takla above.
In Egypt's ascetic desert:
Saint Ephraem visioned St Basil the great as a column of fire coming down from the sky and he sought to meet him, so he traveled to Egypt with a translator.
When he reached there the ascetic desert captured his senses and he spent in it 8 years.
There is a tree by his name still planted in al-Syrian Monastery. It is told that he was very weak due to his severe asceticism and he had to walk using a wooden stick. Some monks thought it was about pride, to be seen as important as the elder monks, so he planted his stick in the ground to get rid of it and immediately it grew into a leafy tree.
GBU
It explains about this great saint.
GBU