The good God gives us His rich blessings. Let us not show ingratitude and do not anger Him, for "the persecution of God is coming upon the children of disobedience"[80]. Let us not be such sons. People of our era have not survived either wars or famine. "Nor do we need God," they say, "either." They have everything and therefore value nothing. However, if hard times come, hunger or something like that, and they have nothing to eat, then they will properly understand the price of bread, and simple jam, and everything that they will then lose. If we do not praise God, then He allows some kind of trial to come, so that we appreciate what we have. If we value what we have, then God does not allow any evil to happen.

In the old days, when there were not all these many conveniences, when science had not yet made such great strides, people had to resort to God in all difficulties, and God helped them. Today, people go through life without God, plan one thing or another, hope for the fire department, then for boreholes, for the fifth, for the tenth... But what can people do without God? They will only bring the wrath of God upon themselves. You see: when it doesn't rain, people don't say, "Let's pray to God," but say, "Let's drill wells for wells." The bad thing is that because of all these technical means, not only non-believers, but even believers think so, and they slowly begin to forget about the power of God. Thankfully, God is patient with us. But people do not even understand that God cares for them.

Once several people came to me and began to say: "We do not need God: we have artesian wells." And this at a time when it is necessary more than ever to ask God to perform a special miracle — because people have already distorted nature with the works of their hands. Once I watched the clouds - they were carried by the wind here and there, they gathered in one place, then flew to another - then jumped up, then fell down... The wind rises and begins to disperse the rain clouds, and people, instead of saying, "Now God must perform a special miracle to hold them back," say, "We do not need God." Fortunately, God does not take our words seriously, otherwise we would have a hard time.

In search of water, people drill wells of artesian wells to a depth of one hundred to one hundred and fifty meters, but they do not find water. In the city of Nafplio[81] they drilled a well one hundred and eighty meters deep — and instead of fresh water, they dug up to sea water. Others decided to lead the river Elenos[82] to Athens. And in order to bring it to Athens, it will take ten years of work and huge expenses, but then this water will run out anyway. Men do not say sinners. Recently, when there was a drought, a politician came to a remote village and told the villagers that a sewage treatment system would be installed in their village so that they would have water to drink. And they treated this idea as something outstanding! And it is indecent to allow such things even in thoughts! Look at what people go to – they drink, excuse the expression, their own urine! If something like this is done in some big city where people have deviated from the (true) path, then well, there is at least some excuse for it, because the city is carried away by the worldly spirit. But when the inhabitants of a remote village are offered to purify and drink their own urine as a solution to the problem, and instead of turning their eyes to God, they say a single word, "I have sinned" and receive water from Him, they consider it a serious undertaking, it is frightening.

And in one Svyatogorsk monastery, they came up with the idea of planting pine trees, and then selling them for the paper industry. And God punished them – all the planted trees withered. Why, my brother, the Holy Mountain will become a manufacturer of napkins and toilet paper? Do you understand what is happening? And so they worked, planted trees, and everything that was planted withered. The wrath of God..

 "Geronda, did they realize their mistake?"

 "Oh, the fact of the matter is that no!" After that, they brought drilling rigs from Germany to pump water from the depths of the earth. As a result, the water that was there before also disappeared. You see where the mercantile approach to business can lead if spiritual sensitivity is lost! That is why reverence gradually disappears from monasticism. They do not understand that if there is no rain, then nothing will help - the water that still remains in the reservoirs will disappear. People use only logic, and God is relegated to the last place.

The Old Testament describes such an incident[84]. During the siege of Samaria by the Syrians, even the city ran out of water. A terrible calamity began, famine, animals died, and mothers went so far as to eat their children. The prophet Elisha went to the steward of King Jehoram and said to him: "The animals have fallen, people are dying of hunger, but God will send us His help." The manager approached everything from the standpoint of logic. "How will He help? he said to the Prophet. "Tomorrow," the Prophet answered him, "God will send us help, but you will not have to rejoice at it." And indeed: the next day God brought a terrible panic to the enemy camp. The Syrians heard the clatter of horses' hooves, the clatter of chariots, and their ears began to ring, and they thought that the Egyptians had come to the aid of the Israelites. They fled, and all that they had - tents, food, weapons - they left in the camp. And when they reached their homeland, the tempter brought such terrible confusion upon them that one hundred and eighty thousand people killed each other. Meanwhile, the four lepers who were sitting at the gates of Samaria said to one another: "Shall we not go into the enemy's camp, and perhaps we shall find some food? After all, one way or another, you have to die." They approached one tent - no one. They approach the other - no one! Not a soul of enemies! They collect food, things - they stuffed whole bags. Then they returned to the city and told the Israelites that the enemy had lifted the siege. But the Israelis decided that this was a military stratagem. "The enemy hid themselves," they said, "to force us to open the gates and thus enter the city." Then one commander suggested: "We have five horses left. Perhaps we should send soldiers to reconnoitre them to see what was happening?" The soldiers went in their own direction and, returning, reported: "The enemies fled in panic, leaving behind everything they had." Then all the Israelites ran to the city gates to get out of the city, to collect food and various things from the enemy camp. And the same manager was in the city gates and tried to restore order there. And so, the crowd rushed through the gate and trampled on him. Everything turned out as the prophet Elisha had predicted: the steward saw God's help, but he did not have to rejoice at it. See how God has put everything in its place?

May God have mercy on the world and send us rain

How wisely everything is arranged by God! As the snow melts, the springs fill. But now[85] there is no snow, no rain. What will come of all this? What will people drink? May God have mercy on the world, may He be propitiated on us and send rain. After all, if the drought continues, then even the leaves on the trees will slowly dry out. On olives, not only a green fruit, but even a green leaf will not be visible. Whatever a person sows, if God does not sprinkle holy water on top, that is, rain, then everything planted will dry up. Rain is holy water.

Unfortunate people, what will they do when there is a shortage of water, having become accustomed to its abundance? God does not give water for sins, but even simply reasoning in a human way: how can there be enough water if people spend it so wastefully? I can imagine what will happen in the cities! After all, only one flush tank in the toilet requires a whole hefty tin can of water. Cities will be filled with microbes, cholera will begin. People will die, remain without burial, and on top of the corpses will be sprinkled with some kind of powder for disinfection. Fortunately for us, God has not yet left the world completely and is caring for it.

We live in apocalyptic times. What, in your opinion, are the droughts, lack of rain that we endure from year to year? Have there been droughts like the current one before? Here, in Halkidiki, the river dried up, the fish died, the stench spread throughout the area. And in Thessaloniki, the problem with water became acute. In Lake Marathon[86] the water level has dropped very low, and islands of land are already visible. In Pineos[87] the water level also dropped. In Evros[88] there used to be at least a little water, but upstream the Bulgarians blocked it with a dam, and it came to naught. If some kind of mess begins, then the tanks will easily pass through the river. And in Cyprus - if it does not rain again this year, then the problem with water will become very acute. And is that all? There is so much more... Trees – some are withering, others are affected by diseases... People get sick and die. If people don't repent, then what kind of rain will there be, will God give it? But do you know how things change if you have trust in God? Is it a joke to have God as your ally? For God, there are no difficult situations, and it is not difficult for Him to find a way out of any situation. For God, everything is simple. He does not use more power for the supernatural and less for the natural, He uses the same power in everything. If only a person would cling to Him — that is the most important thing.

Do you pray for rain or does this question not concern you? Now is the time for people to plow the land and start sowing. The fields should already be sown, but people cannot yet even cope with plowing[89]. This rainlessness is a test from God. And to pray in the event of such trials is the business of a monk. I will not hide the fact that I am dissatisfied with you. In the last drought, when people had to cut wheat for hay because of the lack of rain, you didn't even move about prayer. Why? Because you yourself water the garden with a hose? For this to happen for the last time, next time you must feel pain for people. When you learn about what is happening, pray about it. And write to me about what is happening. You will have to pass exams. If you surrender them—that is, if it rains—then I will make you my co-workers in prayer. And everything that God's Providence will give us, you and I will begin to divide among ourselves.

When, praying for rain, I see that at least one cloud has appeared in the sky, I praise God for sending it, even if it does not rain. And my conscience reproaches me for the fact that there are many spiritual clouds in me that drive away God's clouds. If we humbly ask for God's mercy, then God will help. During a drought, the prayer of a humble person gathers rain clouds. Let us always pray that the rain sent by God will also have a spiritual effect, that it will extinguish the spiritual fire that, through the devil's malice, rages in the world and scorches the souls of people.