General Spiritual Advice Is Generally Not Received

Elder Arsenios of Gregoriou (+ 1991) was asked:

What advice would you give us young people, Father Arsenios, before you leave this present life?

What can I tell you, my brother? I have bitter experiences and I have great experiences that advice does not take hold. See, if the young people of our Nation listened to advice and the suffering we went through during the Wars and the guerrilla war of 1948-9, they would have avoided Communism. But what do they say to us now? That we are being reactive. Therefore, when thoughts take hold of you, you do not hear any advice. We ought only to supplicate Divine Grace to help everyone and prepare us all for our journey for the Kingdom of Heaven.

Advice is similar to dry soil, which does not stick to walls. I am not able to give general advice, because people differ in their spiritual measure. God will teach you and train you in the way He knows. I guard myself from giving advice, because it does not take hold. This is what experience has taught me. Man is like weather conditions. Today it is calm but tomorrow come the clouds, rain storms, thunder and lightning. Man also suddenly changes. Joy is changed to sadness and does not remember the joy experienced yesterday.

Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos