Elder Porphyrios from Greece foretold a spiritual child of his that he would have a long life. In spite of that, when that person put his life at risk, the elder said that he could have died.
“Father, didn’t you tell me that I will live for many years?” the latter argued. “Why do you say that I could have died yesterday?”
“I told you the truth,” the elder replied. “The lamp of your life has enough oil to burn for many years. However, if you allow it to fall down, the oil will spill and the lamp will stop shining. God gives us this life as a precious gift: as soon as we accept it, we must protect it and not expose it to meaningless dangers. Be careful with your lamp!”
Translated by The Catalog of Good Deeds
