“The Joys of Suffering” or Facing the Illness in a Spiritual Way. Spiritual Advice of St. Paisios from Mount Athos
IOAN C. TEȘUABSTRACT. Saint Paisios of Mount Athos is one of the most important contemporary saints and, at the same time, one of the most beloved in all Eastern faith and spirituality. Strengthened by the divine grace and lined up by the spiritual remedies of repentance, humility, patience and prayer, the tried one lives the “joys of suffering” sprung from the hope of eternal reward. For “the burden of suffering we endure for Christ means nothing but the weight of the glory that awaits us. In a phrase of exceptional spiritual charm St. Paisios observed that this peace and joy of the soul is due to the fact that every time there are heavy times, virtue is a spiritual impermeable cover above us.
Keywords: joy; suffering; spiritual way; Saint Paisios; advice