THE HOLY MONASTERY OF ST. PAISIUS
A women’s Orthodox Christian monastery in the high Sonoran desert
St. Paisius Monastery was founded in the early 1990’s by women seeking a traditional cenobitic monastic life. The monastery is dedicated to St. Paisius Velichkovsky, who labored in translating the Philokalia and other spiritual texts into Russian, founded multiple monasteries, and was the spiritual father of over 1,000 monks. To support themselves, the Sisters publish books and akathists, and make handmade prayer ropes.
THE EXHORTATION OF ST. PAISIUS
I IMPLORE and exhort you, my beloved fathers, brethren, and children, in the following: Love the Lord with all thy soul and all thy heart. Be righteous and just, submissive, with bowed head and your mind turned towards heaven. Have contrition towards God and men. Be a consoler of the sorrowful, patient in trials, and not given to irritation, bountiful, merciful, a feeder of the poor, receiver of strangers, sorrowful for the sake of sins, joyful in God, hungry and thirsty, meek, patient, not a lover of glory, not a lover of gold, a lover of your neighbor, not hypocritical, not proud, a lover of labor for the sake of God, silent, pleasant in replies, fervent in fasting, in frequent prayers, vigils, and psalm-singing, sensible. Do not judge any man, but condemn yourself. And for this you will be the child of the Gospel, the son of the Resurrection, the inheritor of life in Christ Jesus our Lord. To Him may there be honor and power and worship, with the Father and the Most Holy Spirit, both now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.