{"id":3342,"date":"2023-12-06T02:45:22","date_gmt":"2023-12-06T09:45:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/svetisimeon.org\/en\/?p=3342"},"modified":"2023-12-06T02:45:24","modified_gmt":"2023-12-06T09:45:24","slug":"the-narrow-and-difficult-path","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/svetisimeon.org\/en\/?p=3342","title":{"rendered":"The Narrow and Difficult Path"},"content":{"rendered":"
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One time, when I was reading the Gospel, I read the phrase: \u201cBecause narrow is the gate and difficult is the way that leads to life\u201d (Matthew 7:14). I said, \u201cWhat is this way?\u201d Then I was taken in a spiritual manner to a place where there was a very narrow path, like a tube, and I had to go into it. I wondered, \u201cHow could a person fit through there? They would be squeezed.\u201d Then I tried to go forward with unbearable difficulty, pulling myself forward with my hands and feet until I made it through that fearsome path. Only my elder and I were able to pass through this way. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another time I found myself before a giant abyss, a bottomless chasm. Across this abyss there was a golden-white bridge that was no wider than a finger and I had to pass over this bridge to the other side. I made my way onto the bridge, walking very slowly and carefully, because if I fell into that chasm I surely would be lost. It was truly a struggle to do this; and then, suddenly, the golden bridge started to swing dangerously and to shake, putting me in danger of falling. I turned to see who was rocking the bridge, and what did I see? I saw the faces of some of the other fathers of the monastery rocking the bridge, and I asked them, \u201cFathers, why are you shaking the bridge? Don\u2019t you see that if I fall into this abyss I will die?\u201d In any case, I had passed over the great length of the bridge and had a only little bit left to get to the other side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

St. Iakovos of Evia
Source: Orthodox Ethos<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

One time, when I was reading the Gospel, I read the phrase: \u201cBecause narrow is the gate and difficult is the way that leads to life\u201d (Matthew 7:14). I said, \u201cWhat is this way?\u201d Then I was taken in a spiritual manner to a place where there was a very narrow path, like a tube, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3342","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-holy-fathers-wisdom"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t