A Personal Encounter With Elder Paisios
By Protopresbyter George Efthymios
In the summer of 1975, I was blessed with going
for the first time to the Garden of the Mother of God, Mount Athos (Agion Oros).
I visited various ancient monasteries; I paid my respects to many of the
priceless treasures of the holy place, that is, holy relics of martyrs and
saints of our faith as well as holy icons. I participated in the daily all-night
long vigils which are concluded with the Divine Liturgy early in the morning. I
sat at the simple monastery dining room table, where everything reminds you that
you eat in order to survive and fight for your salvation and you do not live in
order to eat, where the reading of the devout patristic texts aim at
transporting the minds of the table companions to heaven. I associated with
conscientious monks who, inspired by divine love and obeying the urging of Basil
the Great, "take care of thyself", have denied the world, but not man for whom
they pray unfailingly with love and "with many tears" (Act. 20:19) in their
cells and the church during the sacred vigils.
During my visit, I did not succeed, despite my
wish, to meet Elder Paisios who was then an ascetic at the Stavronikita cell of
the Holy Cross. This came later, "when the time was mature" (Gal. 4:4). What I
realized about this full-of-grace person during my first pilgrimage to Mount
Athos were the characteristic words of another co-pilgrim, today an assistant
professor at the Medical School of the University of Thessaloniki, who had met
him and told me that "his love breaks you apart", something I verified myself
later on.
I will deal with this genuine man of God
briefly, as I had the opportunity to do in the past with my dear spiritual
fathers, Elder Porphyrios and Elder Iakovos.
On Tuesday, July 12, 1994 , the late Elder
Paisios, the Hagiorite, rested in the Lord, at the Holy Cemetery of St. John the
Theologian, in Souroti of Thessaloniki.
This genuine man of God, whose secular name was
Arsenios Eznepides, was born to pious parents, Prodromos and Evlavia, at Farasa,
Cappadocia on the 25th of July, 1924.
Due to the extraordinary and harsh conditions,
he was baptized a few days later at Farasa, on the 7th of August, by St.
Arsenios Chatziefentis and was given the name "Arsenios".
Barely a month after his birth, he was exiled
along with his parents, relatives and other citizens of Farasa away from his
paternal home and became a refugee.
The boat with the refugees arrived in
metropolitan Greece on September 14. The Elder's family lived for a little while
first in Piraeus, then in Castro of Corfu, and in a small village near
Igoumenitsa prior to settling down in Konitsa in 1926.
He finished the Konitsa Elementary School and,
then, he worked as a carpenter until 1945 when he was enlisted in the army. His
military service, during those unlucky years of the civil war, lasted for
approximately four years, until 1949, when Arsenios Eznepides, the radio
operator, received his discharge certificate marked with "excellent"
conduct.
In 1950, he went to Mt. Athos aiming at
realizing the dream of his life; that is to receive the angelic schema.
In 1954, he was tonsured at the Monastery of
Esphigmenou where he was serving as a novice as a rasophoros monk with the name
of Averkios.
In 1956, he was tonsured to the "Small Schema"
in Philotheou Monastery taking the name "Paisios".
In 1958, after being asked by the people of
Konitsa who were spiritually in danger by a "raid" of Protestants who had
managed to proselytize eighty poor families, he went to the Monastery of the
Nativity of the Theotokos, at Stomio, next to the Aos River. He stayed there for
four years and greatly helped the inhabitants of the area who visited the
Monastery.
In 1962, we find him as an ascetic at the Cell
of Saints Galaktionas and Episteme, in the desert of Mt. Sinai.
In 1964, he returned to Mt. Athos and took up
residence at the Archangels' cell, at the Skete of Ivira.
In 1966, he was operated on and had part of his
lungs removed due to a serious illness.
In 1967, he settled down at Katounakia, at the
Cell of Ypatios of Lavra, for more intense discipline.
In 1968, Papa-Tychon clothed him in the "Great
and Angelic Schema", at the Holy Cross Cell of Stavronikita Monastery. He
remained in the Cell after the repose of Papa-Tychon on the 10th of September
1968 , and stayed there until 1979.
In 1979, he moved on to his final home, the
Panagouda Cell of the Monastery of Koutloumousiou, near Karyes. He stayed there
until 1993 receiving many thousands of people who visited him in order to share
their pain with him and ask his advice and prayer.
I was blessed by God to manage to visit him and
talk with him during that blessed and fruit-bearing period of fifteen years that
he lived in the Panagouda Cell.
I remember my eagerness when I went down the
path that led from Karyes, the administrative centre of the Athos State, to the
Elder's cell. The sweet expectation of my meeting with this true man of God
flooded my heart and gave wings to my feet.
The waiting in front of the yard's gate at the
Cell was short or long depending on the case. The Elder took good care to "make
this waiting sweeter" having always in the Cell loukoumia or other sweets and
water to offer to the pilgrims. The inscription written by him "to eat is a
blessing" is characteristic. Apart from all the above, there were also makeshift
seats so that the waiting pilgrims could rest and various articles of clothing
to be worn by them so that they would not get cold as they were sweaty. Such
affection, such love, such providence for everybody!
At some point, the Cell's door, of the old and
poor building, would open and the Elder, who had been inside involved in
asceticism and prayer of the heart for the salvation of his soul and the souls
of his brothers, would appear. His face was always exhilarated and his attitude
cordial. He would receive us and ask us to sit in the "outdoors dorter" on seats
made of pieces from tree trunks. He would shake our hands and at the same time
offer us loukoumia and water according to the tradition of Mt. Athos.
There, under the trees, with the songs of the
birds "as the vocal drone", the Elder would start talking to us with "the words
of eternal life" (John 6:68) either answering our questions or making comments
on his own on the basis of information from "above" about the needs of each one
of us. Here is the miraculous thing! The pilgrims were of various ages,
professions, characters, spiritual and intellectual levels. Some of them were
conscious of who was sitting in front of them and exactly what they were looking
for. Some were there because they had heard something about him. Others were
there with an ill-tempered and negative mood. He, guided by the Holy Spirit,
offered "as every man had need" (Acts 2:45 ).
I will never forget, in relation to the above,
the Elder's behaviour towards a Spanish student of Fine Arts, follower of the
Pope, who happened to be amongst us in the "outdoors dorter" at some visit. At
some point, the Elder turned to him with affection and interest making use of
some Italian words and phrases he remembered from the Italian occupation so that
he could communicate with him. Then, he gave him many pieces of advice in the
Greek language and revealed to him many truths that, as he explained to us, the
Holy Spirit would help him feel regardless of the fact that the different
language would not allow him to understand. More specifically, when another
visitor made the comment that "the foreign student does not understand what you
are saying to him in Greek", he answered that "he will understand what he is
meant to understand".
His advice to all his visitors was to have a
spiritual father. This is why after giving answers and advice to questions or
problems put forward by the people, he would finally send them to their
spiritual fathers to lay the burden of their sins, which were the cause of all
problems, under their stoles.
Many Christians, therefore, leading autonomous
lives, selfishly, as orphans, "as sheep having no shepherd" (Matthew 9:36 ) took
his advice, found a spiritual father and started living according to the Church.
Their lives and the lives of the ones around them changed. Here I would like to
mention something that the Elder always recommended for his wedded visitors.
"Have the same spiritual father with your wife. Because as the carpenter uses
the same plane to work on two pieces of wood and make them fit, the same way the
spiritual father will use the same "plane" to work on the character of both
spouses so as to make them fit. Whereas if you have different spiritual fathers,
you will face difficulties."
I would like to mention something else
extremely important that the Elder said on another occasion. I was with a group
of people in the "outdoors dorter", when another group came, amongst whom there
was an assistant professor of the Medical School of the University of Athens who
held the Elder in great veneration. The professor asked Fr. Paisios at some
point with pain, interest and love: "There are, Elder, many colleagues of mine,
doctors, who have good intentions, good feelings, 'bowels of mercies'
(Colossians 3:12 ) but do not believe. What can we do for them?" "Listen," said
the Elder", "pray for them because under these circumstances they deserve God's
mercy." He had said the same about some teachers and professors on another
occasion.
The Elder, as a genuine man of God, had
consolidated and immovable ideas "in the things he hast learned and hast been
assured of" (2 Timothy 3:14 ). He knew and taught "by word and deed" (Romans
15:18 ) that in the issues of faith there is no swaying, negotiation or
compromise. He clearly knew that there is no greater unhappiness and bigger
danger for the Christian than to deny his faith and accept deceit. As we know,
many deceived people, people that did not feel rest, urged by his reputation,
went to meet him and discuss their existential problems. It is true that many of
those people went there full of delusions and left repented, seeking then
guidance in their spiritual fathers. If, therefore, someone gets involved with
some of the heresies and false religions that have flooded our country mainly in
recent years as well as if someone advances in the initiations, rites and other
demonic activities imposed in order to become a member, this means a conscious
or unconscious negation of the faith to the Trinitarian God, Christ, the Church
and Baptism. I once asked the Elder: "What should we do with these people when
they repent and want to return to the Church?" "You will say," he said, "the
Service for the One that returns to the Orthodox Church. The people that return
will denounce the bad faith with libel, they will confess the faith of the
Church by reciting the Symbol of Faith and then you will anoint them with the
holy chrism."
All of us are very much concerned about our
dear departed, their state and what we can do about them. We used to ask the
Elder about this and wanted really convincing answers. He would emphatically
advise us to pray a lot for them. "Prayers," he said, "memorial services,
liturgies, alms are very much to the benefit of the departed ones." "You should
pray more," he added, "for the departed ones than the living. Because there is
nothing they can do on their own any more, but we can help them attracting God's
mercy through praying and the other means we have mentioned so that their state
can be improved or even change, because they are still under judgment." And he
concluded by saying in his characteristic way: "Is it a small thing to take our
departed one from a sunless basement to a sunny apartment through our prayers?"
At some point, I remember, he mentioned something overwhelming as regards the
departed ones and our stance for them. There was a suicide once, a person who
put an end to his life by falling from a bridge into a river. This man, as the
Elder said, repented while he was falling, asked for forgiveness, his repentance
was accepted and his soul was received by a Lord's angel. We must learn not to
despair; and pray for our brethren asking for God's mercy and according to the
words of St. Isidore of Piluseum: "Do not forerun God's judgment" (P. G. 78,
377) and be judges of others
It is unanimously accepted by the
ecclesiastical tradition that pride is the biggest enemy of man's salvation.
This is also underlined by the Bible where, inter alias, it is said that
the "Lord scorneth the scorners…" (Proverbs 3:34) and "everyone that exalteth
himself shall be abased" (Luke 18:14). The Elder told the following story which
shows that pride is not the unfortunate privilege of the officials, rich and
intellectuals only but is found amongst the most insignificant, poor and
illiterate people. There was a shepherd who was discussing one day with the
Elder when he was an ascetic in the Stomio Monastery near Konitsa. During the
discussion, the dog of the flock approached trying to eat the shepherd's food
which was in a plate nearby. The shepherd realized the dog's intention and
managed quickly and swiftly to cover the plate avoiding thus the damage. Then,
he turned to the Elder and boasted: "Did you see, monk, how clever I am and how
I managed to save the food?" By mentioning this incident, the Elder pointed out
the danger of pride which threatens all of us and the need to be alert and show
repentance and humility in order to avoid the temptation stemming from the
right.
During one of our visits, we asked the Elder
about mercy. His answer was categorical. We have to practice this great
Christian virtue suggested by Christ in the Sermon on the Mount when he blesses
the ones that practice it and says: "Blessed are the merciful for they shall
receive mercy" (Matthew 5:7). He mainly urged us to help widows, orphans and, in
general, people that are in great need. He said that upon accepting our help,
they make a wish for us and our departed from the bottom of their hearts and say
"May God forgive them, may their bones become holy!" and God hears the prayers
that spring deep from their souls. In answer to the question that sometimes the
idea crosses our mind that the ones begging can be cons or use our mercy for
harmful purposes, he used to say that in these cases we should apply Christ's
order by giving a small amount of money, and He takes care so that the money
goes where it is needed. Furthermore, he referred for long periods to the ways
that this is done.
The bleak condition of the world that "lieth in
wickedness" (1 John 5:19) and the difficulties that the conscientious Christian
faces "because strait is the gate and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life"
(Matthew 7:14 ) are very well known. The "enemies of man", the devil that
"prowls about as a roaring lion seeking someone to devour" (1 Peter 5:8), the
old man, the one enslaved in the will of the flesh and the world, under the
thumb of the devil who promotes his will in an attractive way, fight fiercely
against the Christian who, literally, "goes in the midst of snares" (Sirach
9:13). In answer to the agonizing question raised by Christian family men about
what they should do in order to face these bleak circumstances, the Elder
provided the exit from the stranglehold of the daily reality talking to two
different men. He said to the one that we will be saved from these if we "cling
to the Church" and on a different occasion, he said to the other, as a
clarification to the above: "Go to the church, confess, receive the Eucharist
and you will reach the average".
The urging of Basil the Great "take care of
thyself" (P. G. 31, 217B) is well known; the same holds for the unanimous advice
of the Holy Fathers for continuous self-control exercised by the Christian.
Elder Paisios, following this tradition, used to advise us to look into our
selves and see "how many carats of Christians we are".
I left for the end two pieces of advice given
to me by the Elder when I visited him for the final confirmation of God as
regards my entering the holy orders. It was the 1st November 1986, when the
Church celebrates the memory of Venerable David the Elder. I walked down with
eagerness from Karyes to the Elder's Cell, Panagouda, in the wet autumn
afternoon. A bit further down from the Monastery of Koutlomousio, two dogs
became my "companions". They were running along the path which I did not know
well. When they led me to the gate of the Cell's yard and the Elder came out to
welcome me, he said to them and his words were full of meaning: "Ok, you can go
now." And the dogs, as good "subservients" left immediately upon concluding
their mission. This time the Elder welcomed me inside the cell where the stove
with the wood was lit. After the "traditional" treat we went to the small church
of the cells. I mentioned the purpose of my visit and after his unreserved and
at the same time overwhelming answer for me "of course it is God's will", we
talked about other things. There, inter alias, he gave me the following
pieces of advice which I am quoting hoping that they will help my brethren as
they have helped me. His first piece of advice was: "Do not put your plans
before God's plans". These words saved me. They freed me from stress and
anxiety. They taught me to put Christ's will always first in my life over my own
will, to ask Christ always to lead the way in my life and direct me in
everything. I saw, through the daily experience of so many years, that Christ
knows and can assume full charge in the best way when we love Him, trust Him and
ask Him to do that freely, voluntarily and unquestionably. We all understand the
importance of this, especially for the shepherd's ministration of rational sheep
and for the faithful that Christ entrusted him with. His second piece of advice
was: "Thank God for everything you are; everything you have and everything you
achieve. By thanking God you will realize that these are not your achievements
but His gifts and, thus, you will feel humble." Without many comments, someone
can understand the importance of the Elder's precept who with a simple, but
"square" way leads man to self-knowledge and balance, far away from the morbid
complexes of handicap and arrogance as well as away from man's lethal enemy,
pride. The Elder's words always remind me of what Apostle Paul writes: "What
hast thou that thou didst not receive? Now if thou didst receive it, why dost
thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?" (1 Corinthians 4:7).
I know that thousands of pages have been
written about Elder Paisios. And I am sure that many more will be written. My
work did not aspire to add some pages to the so many others. Stating my personal
experience, six years upon the repose of the blessed Elder, is a debt of honor
and gratitude for the person who, with God's providence, helped me in critical
choices of my life and continues to help me in my pastoral ministration with the
prayers and precepts he left me. These lines are also a debt of love for my
brethren so that they can get to know this genuine person and the holy will of
God as it was formulated through his lips with the wish that it will become
their own will for salvation.
Thanks to John Sanidopoulos:
Source:
Edited by John Sanidopoulos
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