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An old bishop sailed the smooth seas towards Solovétsk Monastery, eager to visit holy sites. Amid pilgrims’ chatter, he overheard a fisherman speak of three hermits on a nearby island. Curious, the bishop arranged to meet them.
Upon arrival, he found three humble men living in simplicity. Their prayer was a straightforward appeal to the Holy Trinity: “Three are ye, three are we, have mercy upon us.” The bishop, deeming their prayer inadequate, taught them the Lord’s Prayer instead.
Satisfied with his teaching, the bishop sailed away but soon saw the hermits walking on water towards the ship. They confessed to forgetting his lesson and asked for help.
The bishop, humbled, acknowledged their purity of heart. “Your prayer will reach the Lord,” he said, recognizing the power in their simple faith.