By nature, man is unable to pass through life without pain and suffering. These two states accompany any mortal his entire life. Who has not felt pain and he never complained in his life? From his birth, man begins to breathe the air of this life crying. And leaves this life weeping and in tears! As we can see in the case of the dead, when the soul is about to leave the body, a small tear drips from one’s eyes. Not only in the case of the grownups, who admit that are mature and sinful, but also in the case of infants, and young children, we see tears shedding from their eyes.

Pain is a bad thing, but behind it, behind the suffering and the test lies the blessing of God, the rebirth and the refashion of man and of family. Almost everyone owes their return to this aspect. Behind any trial there is God’s will and of course at that time we cannot see the benefit, but in time we will be able to see it. We have so many examples in this regard!

(Translated from Avva Efrem Filotheitul, Sfaturi duhovniceşti, traducere de Pr. Victor Manolache, Editura Egumeniţa, Alexandria, 2012, p. 5)