Obedience is one of the most important virtues of monasticism. It is a precondition for modesty which is generally acknowledged as the cornice of all Christian virtues. The Fathers of our Church place obedience over fasting and prayer. Their rationale is that without obedience exercise will bring about vanity and pride, since when someone acts following orders there is no pretense for him to boast. Obedience is the unreserved offering of one’s self to the Will of God. The spiritual father will help the monk on this issue and his contribution is of grave and great importance for the development of the monk. As a sign of his obedience to God’s Will, the monk is called to ‘abide by’ his spiritual father.