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Meeting the devil. Extreme humility. Orthodox monk living as a hermit | Fr. Cleopa of Romania

In this video recording, Fr. Cleopa Ilie, a well-known Romanian spiritual father and preacher, arrested by the Communist regime multiple times for preaching the Gospel, talks about his experiences of living in the mountains as a hermit. One can notice his great sense of humility and discernment.

Video source: Parintele Calistrat, 1994

Fr. Cleopa:

I lived in the mountains for 9 years and 7 months because I was arrested by the communists so many times… Only a dear forester knew where I was, Maxim Dumbravă, may God rest his soul… and I went to the depths of the mountains… And there, by the mercy of the Most Holy Trinity, I was in need [of food], but I had time for prayer. I was weak, if he brought me a potato, I would have one a day… I would also find a mushroom, a nettle, something… The dear man used to bring me also a small bag of dry bread. I would soak it with cold water…
Only God’s mercy knows where I lived… BUT… I had time for silence and prayer! I have written some books that have been printed recently…

Q: But what does man gain in wilderness?
What does he gain? Go there and after a year you will see what you gain. Just be patient, because if you don’t have patience and you tie yourself to a rather small tree you pull it from the roots and fall with it…

Q: But can man live in solitude [in wilderness]?
He can, didn’t the Holy Fathers stay?

Q: For us, in the cities, if one is alone for an hour then he feels like going crazy.

My hut’s entrance was covered with green moss. And there were thousands of stones with green moss. You see a stone… who knows that there is something under that stone… This is how I lived…

Q: But did the devil appear there?
The Holy Fathers say not to talk about your [spiritual works]. If I told you about those, you would cross yourself and run away with your camera. 🙂

Q: [Then tell us] what you ‘heard from others’…
No, no…

Q: Just for us, to understand more precisely…
Yes, yes… go there and live in fasting and prayer and you will meet the devils.

Q: If I move 10 meters away from your cell I start to get scared… How can I go there?
The Holy Fathers say not to talk about it… I told you about the birds, the hut, but we won’t talk more… If I told you about those things, you would cross yourself and run away with your camera. 🙂

Q: Just a little bit…
No, no…

Q: Do you think it is not useful for people to know about demons and how to fight them?
I am obedient to the Holy Fathers, who say not to talk about your spiritual achievements… That’s it!

Well, look, this is how I lived there: I slept, I ate well, I walked around at night and during the day, I didn’t do anything good there.

Q: And here in the monastery compared to there? It’s another level of comfort…
The same, I don’t do anything good, only bad: I eat, sleep, drink… And I am a rotten old man. And wherever you go, tell them about me, that my name is ‘rotten old man’, ‘rotten old man’…

Q: Bless me, father!
But do you know how to cross yourself? Let’s see.
Oh, it looks like you know. 🙂

 

 

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