Elder Proclu Nicau (d. Jan 28, 2016): Fall Asleep Praying
I was impressed by the fact that he loved and honored Saint Isaac the Syrian, a saint who wrote about the Jesus Prayer and the virtue of humility.
God gave Elder Proclu many virtues. I was impressed by the fact that he loved and honored Saint Isaac the Syrian, a saint who wrote about the Jesus Prayer and the virtue of humility. Well, it’s extraordinary to me that the Good God arranged for Elder Proclu to die exactly on the feast day of the great venerable, Saint Isaac the Syrian. Those who went to him confess that he would barely begin speaking about Saint Isaac and tears would start streaming…
I liked the fact that Father strongly encouraged everyone to pray. He told us to pray as much as possible, to pray to God with much faith, to pray with the Jesus Prayer. He encouraged us to fall asleep, if possible, with this prayer in mind, so that it could work on its own in the soul unceasingly. He would say: “If the evil one comes to wake you up, take care to say the prayer again and to fall asleep with Lord Jesus.”
A monk from the Holy Mountain said that a great man is not rich or poor, intellectual or simple, but a great man is one who loves God. And Elder Proclu was truly a great man, because he loved God very much!
—Fr. Nectarie Clinci of Sihastria-Putnei Monastery