Elder Parthenios, Abbot of St. Pavlos Monastery, Mount Athos.

 

When he was a young monk he went to his spiritual abbot of his Monastery telling him that he has the following problem:

When I sit with other monks and we talk while I am peaceful and I don't have anything with anyone I get a commotion, I get dirty inside and I criticize and I can't get it out.

The spiritual father then tells him, whoever you criticize you will make a pray with the prayer rope for him each time. May it be blessed Elder Parthenios.

Well, he didn't have time because of church services and he got lost in the many prayers on the prayer rope and forgot and got confused.

He went and found the spiritual father and told him. "Elder, I can't stand it, I can't do it."

And then his Elder told him nicely that he succeeded.

Since then he tried not to criticize and then it became a habit and almost a necessity for him not to criticize.