Life and Sayings of Elder Mettaous

About this book

Life and Sayings of Elder Mettaous gathers the life and sayings of Fr Mettaous El Souriany, a modern Coptic monk and pillar of monasticism, for monks, nuns and every reader seeking a balanced spiritual life.The late Very Rev Fr Mettaous El Souriany came to the Syrian (El Sourian) Monastery at the age of 22 and lived there for 60 years in moderate asceticism and a true spirit of worship. He was a pillar of monastic life, both in his own monastery and far beyond it. He lived in a humble cell, and in the early 1960s built his own cell near the eastern wall of the monastery garden, where he lived until his departure.His spiritual exercises were moderate. As he always said, "The middle pathway has delivered many people without many struggles." He cared deeply about the depth of the spiritual virtues rather than extreme feats of asceticism.Written by Fr Ignatius El Souriany, this book shares stories from the elder's life and a selection of his sayings, with the prayer that it will be a blessing to everyone who reads it. It is a gentle and practical witness that the wisdom of the Desert Fathers lives on in the monasteries of Egypt today, and a valuable companion for anyone who wants to grow in prayer, humility and spiritual balance.