St Theodore once asked Apa Pachomius “I desire you to tell me, O my father, that I shall see God; otherwise, what good is it to me ever to have been born?”
Our father Pachomius asked: “Do you wish to see Him in this world or in the world to come?” Theodore answered: “I wish to see Him in the world that lasts forever.” Our father Pachomius then said: “Hasten to produce the fruit spoken of in the Gospel: ‘Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God’ (Mt. 5, 8).” And if an evil thought comes into your mind, whether it be of hatred, unkindness, jealousy, distrust toward your brother, or of human vanity, remember immediately and say to yourself, ‘If I consent to anyone of these things, I shall not see the Lord.’” When Theodore had heard these words from the mouth of Father Pachomius, he prepared from that time forward to walk in humility and purity, so that the Lord might fulfill his desire to see Him in the unchanging world.
