Parental Blessing - Saint Paisios of the Holy Mountain

A mother’s blessing is an especially great thing! One person said: “Every word of my mother is a gold coin.” Recently, a Greek from Johannesburg came to see me. Do you know what impression he made on me? He came to me in the kaliva in the fall. “Heron, yes,” he said, “My mother got sick, and I came to see her.” Before three months had passed, he came again for Christmas.

“Have you come again?” - I asked. “Yes,” he answered. “I found out that my mother was unwell again and came to kiss her hand, because she was already old and might die. For me, my greatest wealth is my mother’s blessing.” A man is sixty years old - and he is traveling from Johannesburg to Greece to kiss his mother's hand!

And now God has blessed this man with such funds that he wants to build a large nursing home for clergy and donate it to the Church. That is, he, one might say, is overwhelmed with blessings and does not know where to put them! Such a soul is like a balm to me. It's like walking through the Sahara Desert and suddenly finding some water. Slowly all this is lost and goes away.

And another person came to my kaliva all in tears. “Father,” he began to say, “my mother cursed me. And here in my family there are continuous illnesses, disorders, at work everything goes awry...” “Probably, you yourself gave your mother some reason,” I answered him. “After all, she couldn’t curse you out of the blue.” “Yes,” he says, “I was also that little son...” “Go,” I say, “and ask your mother for forgiveness.”

“I’ll go, father,” he answered. “Give me your blessing.” “I give you my blessing,” I told him, “but you must take a blessing from your mother.” He says, “It’s unlikely she will give me a blessing.” I say, “Go to her, and if she doesn’t give it to you, tell her this: “An elder told me that you, too, once... then you will surrender your soul to God."

He went to his mother, and she blessed him like this: “My child, may the blessing of Abraham come upon you!” A little time passed, and he came to Athos again, bringing me gifts - cherry compote and Turkish delight.

He was full of joy. His children were healthy, everything was going well at work. There were tears in his eyes, and he endlessly said: “Thank God.” This man’s life changed, and he spoke only about spiritual things. And what can we say if a person has respect for his parents from the very beginning! How can such a person not have blessings of God?