Venerable Silouan

(10/23 June)

This Holy Father was a great struggler and faster, who kept diligent vigilance. He acquired great daring toward God, a radiant spiritual joy, and gifts of prophecy and wonderworking. The acquisition of spiritual gifts accompanied his spiritual struggles. God’s grace filled his heart and poured forth onto others. His Grace—filled words instructed many on the path of piety. Here is an example of his prophetic gift. He was a keeper of the monastery gardens. Once, thieves came at night to steal vegetables. The saint, who was at that time at prayer in his cell, foresaw their arrival and in order to bring them to a consciousness of their crime, bound them by his prayer. They became paralyzed and could not move for three days. The saint brought the thieves to repentance, taught them to lead an honest life and let them go. Forevision or spiritual discernment refers to the spiritual world. There are bodiless thieves, the enemies of our salvation, who would strive to steal the spiritual treasures of the heart, to destroy our holy life and render all our struggles fruitless. Much toil is needed to acquire a forevision of all the enemy’s traps, to be able to avoid his deceits. He who has cleansed his soul by a holy life, receives God’s gift to see and conquer the enemy’s wiles. St Silouan had such a gift and he avoided Satan’s snares himself as well as warned others of them. After a long and toil-loving life, he reposed in the Lord. His incorruptible relics rest in the cave.