Elder Sofian: How do we lay aside all worldly cares?
The world pulls you and diverts you from the great and beneficial and important things of life. Only if you have a different power within you to help you, can you truly seek the more important things.
Living in the world, is it beneficial for the soul to be freed from worldly things? How can one reach this state?
Through prayer, especially through the Jesus Prayer. Then grace works in a person. Without a doubt, it is necessary for the soul to let go of worldly things. However, in practice it is more difficult; because the problems and attractions of the world are diverse and quite powerful many times. The world pulls you and diverts you from the great and beneficial and important things of life. Only if you have a different power within you to help you, can you truly seek the more important things; but the petty things - and I can say the evil things - you can avoid them.
A single case comes to my mind now. Father Ioann, a priest who stayed at our monastery at the beginning of the period of the Burning Bush, from 1945-1947, practiced the Jesus Prayer, unceasing prayer. At one of the conferences which were held at the Burning Bush, he spoke about many details from the period of the Russian Revolution. And someone asked him while he was speaking: “Father Ioann, in this moment are you praying?” “Yes, I am praying,” responded Father Ioann. He was speaking about very difficult problems - about prison, about battles, about different methods of coercion - and at the same time, he was praying! That is, he could follow his train of thought while praying, as unfavorable as the circumstances were - the context in which this happened. He had a force that was given to him from outside, namely, it was given by God, through prayer.
From an interview with Elder Sofian in January 2000 titled
“Cea Mai Desavarsita Pace Este Pacea Inimii” [“The Most Perfect PEace is Peace of Heart”] în Duhovnici români contemporani: Părintele Sofian (Bucharest, Editura Bizantină: 2007), 151-165.
Amin Amin Amin!
Amen! May God help us, save us, have mercy on us, and keep us by His grace! By the prayers of the Holy Elder!