Saint
Paul the humble, whose memory our church is honoring, once stayed in
front of the church gate of a monastery and was watching the state of
the monks' s souls, since he had a discerning gift from God. The monks
who entered the church had a very nice and pleasant look, and each of
them was accompanied by his happy- looking angel. The holy father
glorified God for what he had seen. But at a certain time he saw a monk
with a dark look, accompanied by many demons and his angel at a
distance looking gloomy and anxious. When Paul saw this, he started
crying and did not want to leave his position so as not to miss
watching that monk again during his exit from the church.
After
the Liturgy, while the monks were leaving the church, he watched that
monk again, but this time his face was shining and was all white,
gleaming like light and close to him his angel was following happily
whereas the gloomy looking demons were in distance.
When
Paul saw this, rose up from his position and glorified God. He stood at
higher place and narrated the miraculous things he had seen. Everybody
kept asking the monk what had happen to him. He said out of extreme
humility; "I am a sinful man but sin has not left me yet. When I
entered the church, I listened to the words of prophet Isaiah, which
are God' s words; "Wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds
out of my sight! Stop doing wrong, learn to do right! Seek justice,
encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the
case of the widow. Come now, let us reason together", says the Lord.
Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be as white as snow. If
you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best from the land."
"When
I heard this, I came to, I felt pain in my heart, I cried and sighed;
"My Lord God, who came to this world to save the sinners, please bestow
on me, who is a sinner and an unworthy man, all the things you promised
through your prophet. I promise you that from this very moment I give
up every lawlessness and sin which I have committed until now and from
now on I will never sin again with Your help". When I finished my prayer I went out and decided to do all the things I had promised to the Lord.".
When
the fathers heard these words, they glorified God for his great
philanthropy and extreme condensation, since the power and the
consequences of the sinner' s repentance was obvious. (from the book of
Evergetinos).