“At night…the brothers retreated to rest and would wake two hours before the service to carry out their set prayer room on their own. The Abbot however straight after Compline had to complete whatever administrative responsibilities were left and to confess whoever was waiting for him: either pilgrims or monks from various other dwellings. Most of the time he went without sleeping at all. He heard confessions until it was time for the service. He then went to the service, liturgized, but before retired to his cell again he heard someone’s confession, saw someone else for guidance and was busy with them for quite a while. As soon as he went to rest a little the refrectory monk knocked on the door, “Elder it’s time for the meal, open so that I can make a reverence.”
Elder Haralambos (lifestyle)
~Abbot Haralambos Dionysiatis