"The monk flees far from the world, not because he detests the world, but because he loves the world..."

The monk flees far from the world, not because he detests the world, but because he loves the world and in this way he is better able to help the world through his prayer, in things that don’t happen humanly but only through divine intervention. In this way God saves the world.

- Elder Paisios (Eznepidis) the Athonite (1924-1994)