The Soul in a Material World – Fr. Pimen Vlad, Lucian Apopei

Listen to a very interesting (fortunately) and very current (unfortunately) conversation between Lucian Apopei and Fr. Pimen Vlad about the tribulations of the soul today in the material world we all find ourselves in. A very necessary discussion for all of us.

Enjoy!

L.A.: Welcome, folks, to a new edition of your beloved show, “Windows to the Soul.” The good Lord helped us and we arrived here on Holy Mount Athos. We are at Lacu Skete, the Cell of the Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple. We have come, as someone expressed very beautifully, to catch our breath, for it is our soul that defines our being. Yet, too often, we think we are somebody due to our material possessions — our homes, our cars, our barn is full. In this materialistic world which offers countless worldly goods which make us feel like we are somebody, where, then, is our soul? To find answers to these questions and many more we are joined by Father Abbot Pimen Vlad. Father, thank you for welcoming us back here!

Fr. Pimen: May the Mother of God help us, protect us always!

L.A.: So, let us contemplate the soul. What is the value of the soul in today’s world, and throughout time?

Fr. Pimen: It is said that the soul is more precious than the entire world. And it is written somewhere if I remember correctly: “What shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” We witness the fleeting nature of material possessions, which may vanish at any moment. There comes a flood, an earthquake, and it all ends in ruin, no value left. Only the soul is immortal.

When God made Adam, He took dust. Regarding this, I liked a beautiful explanation: We see it rather simply, that He took some soil, molded it and made man. He took dust from the ground and made man. Do you know that modern medicine now reveals that all the world’s metals are present in minute quantities in the human body? So everything that exists in the soil, all the different things that they are discovering now, are present in the human body in almost undetectable quantities, so to speak, but they exist. Herein lies the perfection of God, when He made something that man can never replicate. So, only God could do this thing.

Moreover, after all this, God bestowed upon humanity the gift of immortality, the Divine spark. Hence, the scripture proclaims, “You are gods.” Why is this so? Because within us resides a minute fragment of God. He breathed into us the breath of life. We are kin with God, children of God. Can you fathom the value it holds for us? What pride, we might say. “Who are you?” “I am a son of God!” That little Divine spark.

Over time, myriad theories have emerged, among them Darwin’s. If you debase yourself to the level of claiming descent from apes, then that is what you deserve. To descend from the lofty station of being a little God to the level of a monkey. I observe the Eastern peoples who claim lineage from cows, snakes, and others, speaking of reincarnation. Can you comprehend the depths of foolishness and of degradation we have reached after thousands of years?

L.A.: Yet science has progressed!

Fr. Pimen: Indeed, science has evolved, but therein lies the issue; it has done so without God. And the moment science develops in the absence of God, it veers off course. What does this mean? God remains here, while science deviates. So it’s straying ever further away. But, when it seeks God, it goes the other way, aligning with God, leading to discoveries beneficial to humanity. Alas, our folly lies in the fact that everyone tries to disregard God, thinking they are so smart. So then we can see the level we are at now, the level of the animal, and that is an understatement, because animals have their own order of life for thousands of years. They have their own order of things, while man has gone crazy. He’s way bellow the level of animals. And what does man have?

Regrettably, he takes on something demonic. It says that the devils fell; God created hell for the devils, not for mankind; yet, what do people do? They cast aside God and choose to follow the devil. And in the end, where will they go? Since the devils will all be taken to hell, they also go to hell because they chose to follow the devil. Imagine taking a route from the center of Bucharest to Craiova, only to exclaim, “But I wanted to reach Constanța!” You chose the way to Craiova; thus, there was no possibility of arriving in Constanța. Similarly, if one travels the path leading to hell, reaching heaven becomes impossible.

This is why the soul holds great value if we maintain our connection with God to return to our true origins, for inevitably, we shall face God and give account for what has been entrusted to us. Much like the parable of the talents, where one man received a single talent, another one three, another one five and they are called to give account. “Man, I gave you a pure and beautiful soul. Consider how a child is born—pure, lovely. What have you done with your soul?” “Well, Lord, I thought I was smarter and set that aside!” And you hit your head against the ceiling, until it swelled and you say, “God, I thought..,” but why did you not seek help? Why didn’t you ask? Why did you not learn from the mistakes of others who hit their heads before you?

As an Orthodox Christian, how have you found yourself separating from the Church? Haven’t you seen how many heresies have emerged over the past two thousand years, and how many have split away, and how many remain cursed even now? Why did you follow their path? Why? Because for all those who took that path, pride went to their heads believing themselves to be smarter and they cast God aside, cast aside Christ, the head of the Church, choosing another path. And you believed the same, that you could do without God, yet without God, we are, as they say, worth nothing—zero, and we can do nothing.

That is why there is chaos in the world, because people removed God from their lives. When you remove God from your life, chaos ensues, for without His grace, there is no peace, no tranquility. And if your soul is not calm, at peace, you cannot share peace with others. No matter how much you try, even as an empire, as a power, you only produce chaos, because it is all according to your own mind, and you don’t have grace, you don’t have peace and tranquility inside you, you cannot bring these to others. And then, you go solely by your own mind, which is inspired by the devil. In serving him, he inspires your actions, and when you look back, you’ll see you’ve made chaos around you, rather than good, and then we go further from God, and when we are called to give account…

For He has told us, “You cannot serve two masters! You will love one and hate the other!” It’s either God or Mammon; there is no middle path—let that be clear! Some claim to neither follow God nor the devil, but this is impossible. Automatically when you take God out of your life, the devil takes control. Automatically! Because God departed from your life, and then, the devil will do as he pleases with you, twisting your mind and “helping” you towards his own dwelling where he suffers, and where he wants you to suffer too. For the devil always hates God because He has cast him out from where He was. Even though it’s his fault, and he cannot humble himself, that’s why this pride is called “Luciferian pride,” he can never renounce it. Therefore, if you do not let go of Luciferic pride, you will find yourself where Lucifer is.

That’s why we have to be very careful, as I have said before, humility can never fall, for it sees one as the very lowest. If we stay low, if we see our sins and recognize our own frailty, then we always cry out to God, “Lord, help me! Lord, you see I can’t manage this! Tomorrow, I have an exam; enlighten me! I have much work at the office tomorrow, help me, Lord! I have my driving test; help me, Lord!” Cry out to God, to the Mother of God and if you cry from the depths of your heart, you will see how much they help and enlighten you.

Years ago, I had a connection with a family from Thessaloniki. Their daughter was studying medicine. One day, she calls me in distress, saying, “Father, I have an exam tomorrow. Can you say a prayer for me?” I readily agreed, I told the other fathers to pray, commemoration at the Divine Liturgy which was every day. And she would call every two days, as she neared the end of her studies, she faced a relentless series of examinations, everyday, for about ten days or so. Eventually, I met her in Thessaloniki, and she recounted, “Father, I called you for every exam.” What did that mean? It wasn’t that we prayed, it was the humility of the person asking for help. She was also praying but said “Let others pray for me too, maybe my prayer doesn’t go up.” And she asked for help. She said, “I had a subject for which I had only read three or four pages out of a 300-page book—such was my lack of time, and I went to the exam. Those exact pages I had to know for my examination paper and I wrote beautifully and passed the exam. I aced nine tests, but the last one, which was the easiest because I knew it by heart, and I said, ‘Why call father again because I will for sure pass this one!’ It was the only one I failed! My mind went blank, and I knew nothing. For the ones I didn’t study, it was as if someone was putting the answers in my head.”

Do you see what humility means—when one humbles themselves and seeks the help of God and those around. We see in the Patericon, that there was a father in the desert who, whenever he did not understand something, would seek divine illumination, saying, “Lord, enlighten me, or send one of Your prophets to shed light upon the Scripture quote I do not understand!” One day, grappling with a particular passage, he prayed fervently but received no answer. “I shall consult my brother,” he decided, who lived about two kilometers away and was also a hermit. As he stepped out of his cell, his guardian angel appeared to him and revealed the meaning he sought. It was in that moment of humility—not merely waiting for God’s response but going to someone and asking, “Maybe God would illumine them because my prayer did not reach…” and when humbled himself, took his bag and headed towards the other, that’s when God sent the angel to show him what was needed. He wanted to see that he humbled himself. Thus, do we not see the value that humility has in our lives?

L.A.: Is humility a cure for the soul?

Fr. Pimen: Humility encompasses everything, as I said. It serves as both remedy and healing, and whatever we want. Humility prevents one from judging others; You see yourself as the lowest. If you find yourself mired in muck, would you dare to shout at neatly dressed passersby, “Take care not to get dirty!”? When you’re in the mud up to your neck, you bow your head, wishing to go unnoticed, so you do not dare to judge nor to draw people’s attention.

There were holy fathers who lived in great humility. They seldom spoke and continuously mourned their sins. If the thought came that they did something, they inscribed the virtues of the greatest saints upon their walls. Whenever a thought arose that they had actually achieved something, they would point to the deeds of the saints and reflect, “Look at what saint so-and-so accomplished! Have you done anything like that? You haven’t! Then you’re small, remain humble and quiet!” Thus, they always compared themselves against the best. Not to a drunkard; to think, “I’m better because I am not like the drunk in a ditch.” Why compare yourself to him? Rather, compare yourself to those who do great good in this world and see how you measure up!

L.A.: Is this how we better see the soul? You were referring to the creation of man and the science that has diverged down other paths, focused solely on material matters. But how do we see the soul, and how do we relate to the other as a soul?

Fr. Pimen: We must regard the other as a sick individual. If you see them doing wrong, plagued by passions, do not judge them! We must consider them to be spiritually ill, having lost their connection with God, ensnared by certain vices and sick. Would you approach someone suffering from cancer or paralysis and slap them, demanding to know why they are ill? You don’t ask him why he is sick, you look for ways to help and console them. It is the same here—if you see someone struggling with alcoholism, think, “Poor soul! Who knows what burdens they bear, what troubles they might have at home? Let me go and lift them up!” “Come now, brother, rise up, let us see how I may help you.”

So we, as sons of the Church, are members of Christ, united as one member. If a finger hurts, what do you do? Do you strike it with a hammer, or do you seek to bandage and heal it? In this way we help ourselves. The Holy Fathers teach us, “He who covers his brother’s transgressions, God will cover his!” If you notice someone erring, refrain from broadcasting their faults throughout the village; instead, go, and if you can help, do so, but avoid judgment and refrain from gossiping. For when you find yourself in similar circumstances, God will shield you from the judgment of others.

L.A.: So, I understand that the material things often divide us, while matters of the soul bring us closer together?

Fr. Pimen: It draws us closer together, it binds us together because God unites us. We see that there is God’s grace. Especially for us, We regard God as our Father, while the Church is like our Mother. In the Church, we unite for the services, seek confession, we receive Communion, we somehow embrace one another, asking for forgiveness, so the Church unites us. And what does this mean? What do you receive at Church? Spiritual nourishment. And we see that through this spiritual nourishment, through the connection to God, people unite and help each other.

And then do we not see that through the material side, the more we accumulate, the further we distance ourselves from the others? Because if you amassed a lot, you have to build a 5 meter fence to safeguard it, lest someone steals. So, you’ve separated yourself from others, you’ve isolated yourself to keep what you’ve accumulated, lest someone steals it. Through the material, we begin to look down upon one another; we cease to lift each other up. There is a quote, “A man may only look down upon another when he bends down to lift him.” That’s it, this should not stem from pride, foolishness, or anything else.

If God has blessed you abundantly, it is with the intention that you assist those less fortunate, so that those will pray for you so that you may be saved. Otherwise, you go crazy and loose your soul. Then what does a man offer in exchange for his soul if he has lost it? How does all this matter benefit him? Daily we see people departing this world. Take a moment to gaze upon them in their coffins! Perhaps they were millionaires, yet their family put on them cardboard shoes to save money, so they may have fun with it afterwards. What use is everything you have amassed in this life when you can take nothing with you? And there you will find that which you have sent forth. If you have done no good, have not helped the poor, neglected families with many children, haven’t commemorated at the Holy Liturgy, didn’t do good according to ability, what will you find on the other side? And you realize that you have spent a lifetime striving to accumulate wealth, only to depart for eternity, to torment. God has granted us these years, whether many or few, for us to prepare for unending eternity. He has bestowed upon us opportunities—health, resources, and more—so that we may serve those around us and attain salvation, with God’s help, of course!

L.A.: Are these the duties of man towards his soul? To relate to and help the other?

Fr. Pimen: What happens? We even see, God himself created Adam and said that it is not good for man to be alone. He could have left Adam to indulge in solitude in Heaven, but instead, He made him a helper, to be in communion with someone and together to glorify God. After the fall, He brough him to earth and what did He command? “Be fruitful and multiply.” How shall the woman find salvation? Through the birth of children. He said clearly, this is how the woman will be saved, by bearing and raising children properly! This illustrates the family’s cross—the husband must strive to provide, while the mother ought to embody the warmth and love of the family, the center of the family universe, the children around her. When the husband returns home, he should find warmth, and he, as the saying goes, by the sweat of his brow he will earn his bread, he should be weary from work, bringing what is necessary.

Then, a family united in love is a happy family. This does not suggest it’s easy. Happiness springs forth from their shared love and unity. Thus, if we have love, help one another, and support each other, we can approach God gracefully while also enjoying our time on Earth. God did not command us to refrain from eating, to forgo having a car or a home, to sit and suffer, NO! Everything must be in an ordinance, according to our needs. You do not eat with two spoons. Have what is necessary for yourself and the family, sharing the surplus with others. In this way, we can lead beautiful lives, rejoicing here on earth, rejoicing in your family, and you go with joy into eternity.

L.A.: How come sometimes it can be hard to relate to the other as a soul, to see in them the image and likeness of God?

Fr. Pimen: So, every person bears the image of God. It is not limited to the Orthodox; all of creation reflects the image of God. It is the resemblance we struggle to attain. We see how the Savior gave us this path. What did He do on earth? He did only good — he healed and helped others. So, the Savior did only good and even while He was being tortured, He prayed for those who tortured Him, when He was crucified He embraced all and prayed for them. The Savior has shown us the way: when we face harm, we must respond with love, humility, and patience. Through this we can win.

What did the martyrs do? Consider Saint Demetrius the ruler of Thessaloniki, he gave all he had as alms and what did he say? “I am going to Christ, I am going to joy!” That is, he disregarded all the material things and the power he possessed. Saint George, too, was in the emperor’s guard. So, they overlooked such worldly matters, knowing that a better life awaited them in Christ.

L.A.: And they took care of their souls!

Fr. Pimen: We see in their lives a profound connection with God. They were giving alms, helping others, drawing others to God through their deeds, their lives, their words. We must be an example. And parents, in particular, should serve as role models within the family, so that the children are amazed: “Look at how wonderful my parents are!” They observe their parents’ conduct, noting that they do not curse, speak ill, or lie to each other.

In the evening, let us give thanks to God together with our little ones, aged two, three, four. On our knees, let us express our gratitude to God for the food on our table and the roof over our heads! This is how the child grows up. Every night, we should thank God for what we have. In the morning, we ought to express our gratitude to God for waking up. Others never woke up. “Glory to You, Lord! and look at the Mother of God, who is our mother. She cares for us all, she is our mother, the mother of all. She wraps us in her embrace; let us show her our thanks!”

Thus, we must always be in a spirit of gratitude, and in doing so, we become even more united and supportive of one another. When you raise your children this way, they will pray for you when you are ill. You are in trouble and you don’t have the strength to pray, your children pray for you because they know that prayer truly helps. In this way, they support one another. Imagine, if a family is formed this way, and there are many other families in a parish, then when the priest announces, “So-and-so is ill,” five hundred families rise to pray. And you will see that the sick one heals.

This unity, this love, this communion brings us to God, all through Him —nothing without Him! Thus, all that is in this world without God is chaos. The moment we remove God from our lives, chaos ensues. When we invite God in, peace, joy, tranquility, and love follow, and we rejoice here on earth beautifully, and we go to eternity in joy.

L.A.: Father, as we approach the end of our conversation, since we have two, three minutes left and we are here in this place blessed by the Good God, on Mount Athos, of course God knows exactly, but how greatly do the prayers raised here sustain the life of the soul of this world and its orientation towards the Good Lord?

Fr. Pimen: Throughout history, Holy Mount Athos has served as a bastion of Orthodoxy. All eyes were turned toward Athos. “What does Athos say?” “What does Athos do?” For here have dwelled great fathers of all times. St. Athanasius the Athonite, with a thousand monks, along with St. Paul with three hundred monks, St. Gregory Palamas, St. Nicodemus the Athonite. All these were spiritually powerful people. There was St. Maximus of Kavsokalyvia, who was soaring through the air. Some saw him flying, they would go to his cell and he would land in front of them. Divine gifts that transcended the natural.

But why do such wonders occur on Mount Athos? It is because the Mother of God herself trod upon this sacred ground two thousand years ago, and she asked God, “Lord, grant me this mountain!” And then came the answer from the Savior, “Let it be to you according to your desire, My Mother, and may it serve as a place of tranquility for those who seek to withdraw here.” So Athos is in the direct care of the Mother of God. And to conclude with one thing, what does this Athos mean… We have St. Mark, who was a spiritual child of St. Gregory of Sinai, who was called and had to leave Athos. And St. Maximus of Kavsokalyvia said to St. Mark, who was a simple man with a lot of love, the spiritual child of St. Gregory, “Take care, Mark; you must not depart from Athos!” However, Mark did not pay attention to this and when the time came for his abbot to leave Athos, he [Mark] said he would accompany him. As they were about to leave Athos, he heard a sweet woman’s voice calling, “Mark, Mark, Mark!” and he turned to see who was calling him. Then he saw Athos transformed. It was like a beautiful mountain of gold, encircled by golden walls, angels and archangels, with arches, bows, all gazing out to sea: Athos’ protection. And above Athos, the Mother of God covering it with her Veil.

It was an indescribable beauty, like you cannot even imagine. Upon witnessing such beauty, he exclaimed, “Father, Father, bless! I shall not leave this place!” He turned and stayed in Athos. The Mother of God revealed the unseen side of Athos to him, which is its reality. We see the earthly things around us, but they are under the direct care of the Mother of God.

We reflect on the trials endured—the pirates and the Turks—but Athos has remained steadfast, giving rise to holy men. Let us not forget that beyond the twenty great monasteries, there exist numerous sketes and cells where the Divine Liturgy is celebrated daily. Imagine the hundreds of Liturgies served each day, where each pray, alongside numerous other services. There are so many humble elders who spend entire nights with the prayer rope in hand! All these prayers ascend to God, not merely for us present here but for the whole world. And we don’t know that maybe sometimes in some difficult moments in this world, the prayer of so many fathers here has balanced things, has kept the peace.

Athos has been, and remains, a bastion and a strong place of prayer. Further on, whatever the Mother of God wants!

L.A.: May the Mother of God and the Good Lord help! I thank you!

Fr. Pimen: May the Mother of God help us! Lord, help us!

L.A.: Folks, as Father Pimen has said, take care of your soul! It is our most precious good, and remember that in the end, these three things endure: faith, hope, and love. And the greatest among these is love. Lord, help us!

Fr. Pimen: Lord, help us!

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