On Judging and Criticism
A spiritual father confessor named Benjamin, when a person who had come to
him for confession was talk-only about others and criticising his brothers,
would ,e "penitent" away until he could correct himself and his attitude.
The most simple Dionysiatan monk Elder David would tell his visitors this
about criticism: "Be careful; do not say person does this and the other does
that. If you do so, you lose Christ's grace. Even if you see a person acting
like -.do not criticize. Love your neighbour as you would your own self.
This is what Christ tells us to do."
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A young visitor once was scandalized when he saw the we! known spiritual
father Gregorios caressing his cat, and he criticized him. It so happened,
however, that this your person who was so judgmental later found himself
destitute in Turkey, and he went to the ambassador there to ask for job.
"I have nothing else to offer except that I need , someone : to look after
my dog; if you take the job you can feed whatever is left over after my dog
has eaten."
The young man accepted the employment, because at that time he did not have
even one piece of bread to eat But when he came to himself, he realized the
terrible « he was in, and he thought that it was a retribution for |t ing
Father Gregorios. When he had an opportunity, he wend by boat to Mount Athos
and to Small St. Anne's, when. bowed to the spiritual father and asked his
forgiveness
Father Gregorios said to him, "I knew you had judged. me, my son, and our
souls' enemy sent you away, a' prayed to St. Anne to bring you back, and she
did. Beware, though! Do not judge the monastics, for many times' hide their
virtues and pretend they are fools, so that t might not be praised."
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The God-inspired spiritual father Savvas never critics anyone. When they
would ask him, "What kind of per is that, Father?" he would always say,
"That man is a saintly man!"
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An elderly monk said, 'Always, when you are tempted criticize, you should
put a question mark on the whole situation and not judge. For we do not know
what is really going on."
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The famous father Dionysios, one of the Kartsonians, advised the monk
Daniel: "My son, from the things hear against someone you should not believe
anything believe only half of what you see. In fact, not even half of it.
For many pretend to be fools. Do not judge."
