St. Paisios of Mount Athos

 

*Disclaimer: I will speak the truth in this blog. Some might find my words harsh to describe some groups and enemies of the Church. If I offend you, I implore you to seek forgiveness and return to the Orthodox Faith. I do not do this harm you or hate you, for I love all of you dearly. I only do so that you might see the truth and live

Today’s Saint is Saint Paisios. Though today is not his feast day, I have studied St. Paisios since before I was chrismated into the church. St. Paisios has spoken at length along with so many others regarding the masons, Marxists and other enemies of the church. Even those who the world would assume as the people of God, the Jews are fully against God and His Church. Do not have anything to do with those who seek to destroy it. I have been reading once again the remarkable prophecies of St. Paisios and have recorded some in previous articles so that you might find strength and repentance when the time comes. Today we will look at the remarkable life of the saint, and also detail his words of encouragement for the Church. Though he reposed in 1994, two years after I was born I have felt a strong connection to this saint and was one of the names I mulled over in my mind before I took St. Seraphim’s name. I will hopefully do a blog, Lord willing, on St. Seraphim in a few days’ time that looks more in depth at him. St. Paisios though is one of the pinnacles of the recent church and his life can give us hope and encouragement. Let us pray that he will do so through this article.

               He was born Arsenios Eznepidis in Cappadocia, Turkey where many of our most beloved saints have hailed from. From an early age Arsenios was well versed in the theology of the church and the Holy Scriptures, his family was uprooted from their home in Turkey to Epirus in Greece as part of an exchange between the two countries. Though Arsenios would be called to military action during the Greek Civil War, he did not wish to do time as a combatant and served instead as a radio operator. He was noted for his bravery and his concern for others despite not caring for his own safety. He wished to enter the monastic life in 1950, but was also concerned for his sisters, who unmarried were his responsibility as well. Thus, having taken care of his sisters Arsenios finally sought the monastic life. Having entered the monastery as a novice, he was taught the ways of monasticism and prayer and was finally tonsured as a monk in 1954, receiving the new name Averkios. He went to Philotheou Monastery where his uncle resided and was placed under the care of Elder Symeon. There he dwelt in extreme self-denial, focusing purely on his own sins and judging himself very harshly. He was given the small schema in 1956, with the name he would carry the rest of his life…Paisios. From there many visitors would come to seek his counsel, but he would pretend to be a fool so as to preserve his silence and meditation on the holy things of God. In 1958, after groups of protestant heretics began speaking out against the Orthodox Faith, he went home to his village and spoke out against them, encouraging the faithful and returning many back to the apostolic faith. In 1962, he left for Sinai, where he had wished to go for a long time, seeking the desert but also the spiritual desert where he could grow in faith and stature. The Bedouin people of the region became well endowed to St. Paisios and loved him with great love. He would buy the people food from the woodcarving he would do, as he was a trained carpenter. In 1964, after failing health, he returned to Mount Athos, a place where he would rarely leave again. He had part of his lungs removed in 1966. He was finally granted the highest rank of monasticism, the Great Schema, and resided in the hermitage of Elder Tikhon. In 1979 he finally left for his last home on the Holy Mountain that of Panagouda. Because of his extreme asceticism, he was only afforded 2-3 hours of sleep a night. St. Paisios at this time began to receive visitors for hours on end, at a women’s monastery where he could relax and be their spiritual father. He had no choice but to leave the mountain, a few times due to illness and returned without complaining, noting that all was for God’s glory and he did not expect anything in return. Finally due to cancer, St. Paisios left Mount Athos for the final time. In 1993, he was diagnosed with Cancer and sent to Thessaloniki for treatment. He was eventually transferred to a local monastery where despite his suffering and pain he continued to receive visitors and listened intently at their sorrows. On July 11^th, 1994, he received communion for the final time, surrendering his soul to the care of God on July 12^th. Officially declared a saint by the Holy Synod of Constantinople in 2015, he is widely regarded as a living saint while here on earth. The Church only proclaimed what God had already established.

               Now a little regarding his prophecies. I said I would speak to the nature of them and will do so now. St. Paisios was always concerned for the wellbeing of the people and for his Greek nation. He often noted the lukewarm nature of many priests and the spiritual deception that was taking place in the world. He also noted that time was coming when Turkey would no longer exist, and that Greece would once again be triumphant. He predicted the beginning of WW3 and what it would entail for the people that participated in that horrific conflict. He has also been proven right in regard to the reestablishment of the Hagia Sophia as a mosque and the call to extend the borders of the Greek nation. All of which precedes the beginning of the end for Turkey and the number of enemies the Church has gathered. He had incredible foresight into the nature of the world and predicted the coming of a great illness (possibly Covid-19).  He spoke out against protestants, against the communists, and against the New World Order. He knew that all of those things would be greatly influential in the coming years though noting that Christ would be victorious. He asked us to guard our hearts from any flight of the devil and to remain steadfast and true. In a world today that seeks to say that truth is unknowable he boldly preached the truth of the Church.

               We know that all of us are not called to the monastic life. Some of us will be married, raise children, and participate in the life of the parish, which it too is for the glory of God. I have not been called to such a position and remain happily married and enjoy life within my own parish in Memphis. While we certainly can learn from the extreme humility and patience that St. Paisios exhibited can be a great comfort and example for us all. May God through his intercession bring us all to repentance that we may live.

               Amen.