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In this video, Fr. Philotheos talks about the root of sin in the modern world—a lack of faith in eternal life—and shares a moving story about Saint Paisios the Athonite. The Saint was once challenged by a layman who jokingly asked how monks could be saved without performing “external works” of charity, such as visiting prisons as Christ commanded in the Gospel. Saint Paisios responded with a revelation that left the man speechless, explaining the hidden spiritual work of monks: they do not visit earthly jails, but rather the “prisons of Hades,” offering fervent prayers for the souls of the deceased who are in desperate need of God’s mercy.
Video source: Gus Tsin (https://youtu.be/NOEZa19XK1Y) Segment from the sermon of Fr. Philotheos Gregoriatis, given at the holy Church of Saint Demetrios in Keratea, Attiki, Greece, held on 8 March 2015.
Fr. Philotheos:
All great sins taking place in the world, and all the torments and pain stemming from them, are due to lack of faith—to unbelief concerning eternal life and to God. Everything starts from there. People say, “I don’t believe in the Kingdom of God, paradise, and hell, so why not enjoy myself in this life?” Such a poor one doesn’t understand what awaits him. Saint Paisios was in pain “on behalf” of the unfaithful and the unrepentant sinners, praying, holding vigils, and interceding for them and so many more people to the merciful Lord.
I remembered one more thing just now, which is not in my notes. It was known that Saint Paisios prayed a lot for the reposed. Even more, he prayed for the reposed who didn’t have a good “ending,” or Christian ending. He was praying a lot for them. Once, a layman who was half-serious, half-joking asked him, “Father, you monks, who don’t practice ‘external love’ because of staying in a monastery, how will you be saved?” Saint Paisios asked, “What do you mean?” The man replied, “For example, the Lord said, ‘I was in prison and you came to Me.’ You don’t visit prisons.”
Saint Paisios asked him, “Are you sure that monks don’t go to prisons?” The man replied, “Sure, you don’t.” Saint Paisios asked him one more time with a strict tone, “Are you sure that monks don’t go to prisons?” The man insisted, “Yes, I am sure.” The Saint pressed on, “Are you sure, blessed one?” The man said, “Geronda, you don’t go out of the monastery… how can you go to prison?” Saint Paisios then said, “Answer me this then: Who visits the prisons of Hades?”
The man was left speechless. Saint Paisios visited the prisons of Hades and prayed for the souls there who had much need of prayer upon departing this world.
