Română
In this rare video recording, Elder Proclu Nicau, a Romanian monk and hermit, tells us the story of a hermit related to the burning question: “Should Christians sue?” Fr. Proclu, a very simple and humble monk, fell asleep in the Lord in 2017.
Video source: valentinoburlacu, Romania, 2006
Elder Proclu:
If someone says something bad to me and I don’t talk back then I’m free! But if I sue him or her, first of all it’s me who gets a ‘headache’, then that person starts to have a ‘headache’, then the Holy Spirit forsakes me… Then I feel abandoned… And if death finds me like that, I will lose my salvation! Because in the “Our Father” prayer I have to say: “forgive us [our trespasses], as we forgive [those who trespass against us]”. And because of this I am not permitted to sue anyone! Because if I sue him then I can no longer pray the “Our Father”… In “Our Father” I have to say: “forgive us [our trespasses], as we forgive [those who trespass against us]”. This thing is extremely difficult!
There once was a hermit on a mountain, in the old times… There was peace on earth at that time, there was not so much turmoil, so much bitterness… so… And he was sitting there… early in his life he was a great philosopher… he read all kinds of profound books… xBut the Holy Spirit revealed to him that the truest faith is the [Christian] Orthodox… and that all others broke with us, it was not us who broke with them… so… And he was sitting there, he was a great person, living a holy life…
But when people heard he will descend from the mountain in order to go to a monastery, far away (he had to pass by a city), crowds of people gathered there… It was rumored that the hermit is coming, the man living a holy life (he was enlightened by the Holy Spirit)… they waited for him to tell them a sermon… so…
He turned to face the people and said: “O people, the marriage life [Christian] and the monastic life are the most beautiful ways of life! Those living these two ways of life are blessed, they are very close to the Truth, they live in Truth. But one single thing corrupt them all, both the lay people and the monastics:
‘He told me this…
I’m going to show him…'”
And then he left.
And everyone was wondering what he said. He said this: “The marriage life [Christian] and the monastic life are the most beautiful ways of life! But one single thing corrupt both groups: “He told me this… I’m going to show him…” Starting from this the courtrooms get filled up and our rulers have work to do… we keep them busy…
I am not permitted to sue anyone! Because if I sue him then I can no longer pray the “Our Father”… In “Our Father” I have to say: ‘forgive us, as we forgive…”
This thing is extremely difficult! I mean… how to tell you… In my case, the place I live helps me a lot… and also my old age… These two things help me. But for those living among others [in the world]… I don’t know what to answer… I simply don’t know…
