Авва Ефросин

There was a monk in a certain monastery named Efrosin, illiterate, but humble and God-fearing. He surrendered himself with all humility to obedience to the abbot and brethren. They assigned him the ministry of a cookery, and for many years they kept him in this ministry. Efrosin never complained or reproached; he carried out the work entrusted to him with all possible diligence, serving people as God, and not as people. Either he collected greens, or he carried firewood from the forest on his shoulders, heated the stove with it and cooked it for the brethren. Constantly busy fulfilling the demands of his obedience, he rarely came to church, but, constantly looking at the fire, he brought his soul into contrition, saying with tears like this: “Alas, sinful soul! You haven’t done anything pleasing to God! you do not know the law of God! you haven’t learned to read books that constantly praise God! For this reason, you are unworthy to stand in church with the brethren, but are condemned to stand here, before the fire. After death, you will suffer bitterly in the future unquenchable fire.” In this way the good confessor cleansed his soul and body daily. - The abbot of that monastery, Blasius, with the rank of priest, was decorated with all the virtues. From his youth he entered into the service of God and pleased God with fasting and prayer. This abbot had an irresistible desire to find out in what place the souls of monks who labored during earthly life reside. Taking upon himself fasting and vigil, he began to pray to God that God would reveal this to him. He spent three years in cell vigil every night. The All-Good God, who never despises those who pray to Him with faith, fulfilled the desire of the abbot. One night he was standing at his usual prayer, and suddenly felt himself in a state of frenzy. He imagined that he was walking across some great field; on the field was God's paradise. What is heaven? – this cannot be conveyed in human language. Blessed Blasius, having entered paradise, saw the most fragrant trees, showered with various fruits, and was saturated with the fragrance that these fruits emitted from themselves. In paradise, he saw the monk Euphrosynus sitting under one of the apple trees on a golden throne. Seeing him and knowing for sure that it was him, the abbot approached him and asked him: “My son, Euphrosynus! what are you doing here? Euphrosynus answered: “Master! For your prayers, I have been placed as a guard by God in this place of holy paradise.” The abbot said to this: “If I ask you for something, do you have the power to give? Efrosin answered: “Whatever you ask, you will receive.” The abbot, pointing to one of the apple trees, said: “Give me three apples from this apple tree.” Efrosin carefully removed three apples and gave them to the abbot. The abbot accepted them into the mantle, and upon acceptance, he immediately came to his senses. He found himself in his cell, three apples were in his robe. The morning bell rang. At the end of the service, the abbot ordered the brethren that none of them should leave the church; calling Efrosin from the kitchen, he asked him: “My son! where were you last night? Efrosin, lowering his eyes to the ground, stood and was silent. But the elder did not stop interrogating him. Then Efrosin answered: “There, Abba, where you saw me.” Elder: “And where did I see you?” Efrosin answered: “Where you asked me to give it to you, in holy paradise.” Elder: “What did I ask of you?” Euphrosynus: “What I gave you: three holy apples, which you accepted.” Then the abbot threw himself at his feet, took the apples out of his robe, laid them on the holy paten and said to the brethren: “These apples that you see are from holy paradise. for three years I prayed to God in my cell, staying awake all night, so that God would show me to which place the souls of piously laboring monks go after death. That night, by the grace of God, I was elevated to holy paradise, I saw its indescribable blessings and found in it our brother Euphrosynus, who gave me these three apples. I beg you: do not humiliate or dishonor the illiterate. They, serving their brethren with faith, find themselves above everyone else with God.” When the abbot said this to the brethren, Efrosin left the church and secretly left the monastery to a far side, avoiding human glory. The abbot divided the apples for blessing to the brethren; the sick who were in the brotherhood, having tasted the apples of paradise, recovered 300. You might be interested in: