One of my absolute favorite people is Mother Gavrilia Papayanni, a nun who lived from 1897 to 1992 and spent much of her life traveling and serving those in need. Her life is an inspiration, not only because of her travels, but because she lived her life fully and freely in response to love. She was truly "not of this world," yet still so in touch with all people, a simple woman living out her heavenly calling on earth. Read a little about her life here or check out a wonderful book with her biography and sayings here.
Some of her sayings:
- Love is a bomb that shatters all evil.
- What people call "coincidences" I call "encounters."
- Any place may become a place of Resurrection, if the Humility of Christ becomes the way of our life.
Once when I was there where I was, some foreign missionary came and said to me, "You may be a good woman, but you’re not a good Christian."
I said, "Why?"
I said, "Why?"
"Because you have been here so long and you only go about speaking English. What local languages have you learned?"
I said to him, "I haven’t managed to learn any of the local languages, because I travel a great deal from place to place. As soon as I learn one dialect, they start speaking another. I've only learned 'Good morning' and 'Good evening.' Nothing else."
"Bah, you're no Christian. How can you evangelize? All the Catholics and Protestants learn all the local dialects in order to . . ."
Then I said, "Lord, give me an answer for him." I asked it with all my heart, and then I said, "Ah. I forgot to tell you. I know five languages."
"Really? What are these five?"
"The first is the smile; the second is tears. The third is to touch. The fourth is prayer, and the fifth is love. With these five languages I go all around the world."
Then he stopped and said, "Just a minute. Say that again so I can write it down."
With these five languages you can travel the whole earth, and all the world is yours. Love everyone as your own--without concern for religion or race, without concern for anything.
Everywhere are people of God. You never know if the one you see today might tomorrow be a saint.
(Nun Gavrilia [Helen Anthony, tr.]. The Ascetic of Love. Series Talantao, Athens, 1999.)
