"O servant of God, we know not how to serve God, we only serve ourselves, and find ourselves food."
"Then how do ye pray to God?" asked the Archbishop.
And the very ancient elder said, "We pray thus: 'You Three, you Three, have mercy upon us!'"
And no sooner had the ancient elder said this, than all three old men raised their eyes to heaven, and cried: "You Three, you Three, have mercy upon us!"
The Archbishop smiled, and said: "Ye have heard, meseems, of the Holy Trinity, but not thus should ye pray. I have taken a liking for you, ye ancients of God; I perceive that ye have the will to please God, but know not how to serve Him. Not thus should ye pray, but listen to me and I will teach you. I will not teach you of mine own self, but out of God's word will I teach you how He would have men pray to Him."
And the Archbishop began to explain to the old men how God revealed Himself to people; he explained to them about God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost ; and he said, "God the Son came into the world to save people, and thus He taught all men to pray—listen, and repeat after me."
And the Archbishop began to say, "Our Father," and the first old man repeated "Our Father," and the second old man repeated "Our Father," and the third old man repeated "Our Father." "Which art in Heaven." "Which art in Heaven," repeated the three old men.
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