Metropolitan Athanasios of Limassol

 

WHEN TO LEAVE A JOB

“I ask for your advice, Vladyka. If at work you are constantly faced with the disbelief of other people, with temptations, with assignments that contradict faith, isn’t it better to change your job? Thanks to.
– It is not easy to leave the place where we work, serve and live. Once a man from Halkidiki came to the Holy Mountain, who worked at a large metallurgical enterprise, where strontium was mined (this is a metal that is very deep in the earth). He worked in a deep mine with other people for many hours, but these people were blasphemers and blasphemed the Mother of God. He came to Athos and asked the elder for blessing to change jobs, because he could not hear how they blasphemed the Mother of God. The elder told him: “It is very difficult to change jobs. You do have a family. Wherever you go, won't there be temptations?" And thus gave him no blessing. He was very upset and during the service he went to the miraculous icon of the Virgin Vimatarissa (Altar), which is located in the Vatopedi monastery, knelt down and prayed with tears. He wept, prayed and said to the Theotokos: “Most Holy Theotokos, I cannot hear how they blaspheme You.” And he heard the voice of the Mother of God, Who said to him: “For two thousand years I have heard how they blaspheme Me, and I endure. Can't you wait a few years? Go, pray, and I will be with you." It is not easy to leave our seats. The word "patience", in Greek ὑπομονή, comes from the verb ὑπομένω, which means to remain in a certain place regardless of difficult circumstances, to remain in one's place no matter what.

WHEN WORK TAKES ALL THE TIME
- Bless! If I have to support my family and work takes all my strength, then how can I have time not only to pray, but also to read spiritual books, the Gospel? Does this mean that spiritual life is not yet possible for me?
– As we have said before, the spiritual life is not a bodily method. Spiritual life means that the Holy Spirit must live in your heart. And the one who sacrifices himself, works and tries every day and every minute for his family, for his neighbors, he is a martyr of love. And he can even use the few minutes that he has at his disposal to cry out to Christ, and Christ is a just and good Father. And He sees the struggle and work of each person. Spiritual life does not only mean that I read and pray, spiritual life means that I imitate Christ in all the little things of my life.