In 2015, the great ascetic of Orthodoxy, Schemamonk of the Athos Monastery Paisios the Holy Mountaineer, whose life, compiled by Hieromonk Isaac, who knew him closely, formed the basis of this article, was canonized as a saint.
Every Christian has his own especially revered saint of God, to whom he addresses with prayers for intercession before the Throne of the Most High. For many people today, Saint Paisios has become just such a heavenly patron.
The first religious experience of the future ascetic
As it appears from the Life of Paisius the Holy Mountaineer, he was born on July 25, 1924 in Faras, a Greek settlement located on the territory of modern Turkey. The future saint became the sixth child in the family of respected and pious parents, Evlampios and Prodromos Eznepides, who gave him the name Arseniy in holy baptism. It is noteworthy that this sacrament was performed over him by another of his illustrious countrymen, who later canonized under the name of Arsenius of Cappadocia.
Bdue to a number of political reasons, the parents of the infant Arseniy were forced to leave their habitable place when he was barely two months old, and move to the city of Konitsu, located on the border of Greece and Albania. There he spent his childhood. As it is told in The Life of St. Paisios the Holy Mountaineer, in his early years a strong influence was exerted on him by his mother, a deeply devout woman who constantly performed the Jesus Prayer during the day, which is usually done by people who have taken monastic vows. This feature of hers sunk deep into the soul of the child and gradually became his own trait.
As people who knew his family closely later recalled, in childhood Arseniy was distinguished by a lively mind and excellent memory, thanks to which, almost without outside help, by the age of six he had already learned to read, and a little later to write. From that time on, his constant companions were books, among which the main place was occupied by the Bible, and especially the Holy Gospel. In addition to them, Arseny selflessly read the lives of the saints, printed in small cheap editions, of which he had a great many in his room. It is not surprising that from an early age he acquired a penchant for solitary prayer, which intensified over time so that it began to cause anxiety in those around him.
Working life and first thoughts about monasticism
Further in the "Life of St. Paisius the Holy Mountaineer" it is said that, after graduating from elementary school and not being able to continue his education, he mastered the profession of a carpenter and began to help his family, earning bread in one of the local artels. A capable and hardworking young man is verysucceeded in this truly evangelical craft, which our Savior, Jesus Christ, practiced during the days of His earthly life. Customers with invariable praise spoke about the iconostases made by his hands, shelves for icons, as well as all kinds of furniture. Arseny also had to make coffins, but he never charged for them, thus showing sympathy for human grief.
The "Life of St. Paisios the Holy Mountaineer" very vividly narrates how at the age of 15 the Lord helped him overcome the temptation in faith with honor. It so happened that one of his peers began to explain to Arseny Darwin's theory of evolution, which was fashionable in those years, while trying to prove its superiority over the biblical dogma about the creation of the world. Finding no arguments to refute his words, but feeling their fallacy in his heart, the young man spent several days in deep meditation and prayer, until he was able to see Jesus Christ Himself, who appeared before him in a dazzling radiance. This vision helped the future ascetic cast aside doubts and strengthen his faith forever.
It was then that Arseniy began to think about taking monastic vows and even applied with this request to the rector of one of the nearest monasteries, but he refused him because of his too young age, but gave all the necessary instructions to prepare for joining this future difficult path.
Tempering spirit and flesh
As it is written in "The Life of Paisius the Holy Mountaineer", since then the God-loving young man began to prepare his body and soul for future ascetic deeds. Unusually strictly fulfilling the requirements associated with Orthodox fasts, even in short days he ate only simple rough food without s alt, being content with the minimum amount necessary to maintain strength. Excessive zeal sometimes led to hungry swoons.
Besides, while working in the field, Arseniy never put on shoes, which caused his bare feet to bleed on the sharp stalks of cut grass. By this, as Hieromonk Isaac wrote in The Life of Paisius the Holy Mountaineer, the future saint strengthened his spirit and learned to endure the suffering of the flesh. An example of such an ardent faith could not but affect those around him. It was especially sensitive to children and adolescents, many of whom at the same time turned their hearts to God, and, having matured, rejected worldly temptations and embarked on the path of monastic life.
A time of hard trials
Following the peaceful youthful years spent in prayers and in-depth contemplation, the time of trials came for the future ascetic - the Greco-Italian war, which brought down on Konitsa, where his family still lived, all the hardships of the enemy occupation. During this difficult period, he and his parents shared their last crumbs of bread with hungry fellow countrymen, while sometimes they themselves had no means of subsistence.
However, life's hardships were greatly aggravated after the civil war broke out in the country in July 1936. This cruel time is also narrated in the Life of Paisius the Holy Mountaineer. On suspicion of helping supporters of General Franco, the future saint was thrown intoprison and there he fully knew the burden of torment that a person experiences, locked up for a long time in a cramped stuffy cell, filled to the limit with prisoners like him.
Temptation of the future saint
This period in the life of the saint is associated with one very characteristic incident, clearly showing the ascetic mood of his soul. Hieromonk Isaac wrote that once the jailers, having accidentally learned about the extreme religiosity of Arseny and his monastic lifestyle, decided to mock him. Having placed the young man in solitary confinement, they put two girls of easy virtue next to him, mentally anticipating the scenes of his inevitable, in their opinion, fall into sin.
However, despite the fact that, acting at their instigation, the harlots threw off all their clothes, the young man, overcoming the temptation of the flesh, prayerfully called on the Heavenly forces for help. Moreover, he addressed these fallen women with words of love and compassion, which made them ashamed and left the cell in tears. There are many descriptions and other cases on the pages of the "Life of St. Paisios the Holy Mountaineer" that vividly characterize his uncompromising ascetic nature.
Free again
With no evidence of his own involvement in any of the enemy combat groups, the prison authorities tried to accuse Arseniy of his older brother fighting on the side of the enemy. But he quite reasonably objected to them that, by the right of seniority, he himself is free to make decisions and is not obliged to report to him in his actions. There was nothing to be said against this argument.and Arseniy soon found himself free.
Another characteristic detail mentioned both in the historical biography and in the life of Paisius Svyatogorets: being released after several months of imprisonment, he helped both supporters of the pro-communist forces and their opponents with equal zeal. This position stemmed from his deep conviction that all people, regardless of their political orientation, are worthy of Christian compassion.
Serving in the army
The war and the difficulties caused by it for a while prevented Arseny from fulfilling his dream of leaving the monastery, since the family badly needed his help. Nevertheless, the spiritual life of the young man was still extremely rich. The free hours left from carpentry, he devoted to prayers and reading the Holy Scriptures, gaining strength for later life on its pages. At the same time, strict observance of all fasts and constant readiness to help one's neighbor prepared his soul for future obedience to the monastery.
War, as you know, requires people not only to pray, but also to actively participate in its destructive action. In due time, Arseniy also received a draft summons. In this regard, it is appropriate to recall one more characteristic detail mentioned in The Life of Paisius the Holy Mountaineer by Hieromonk Isaac: going to the front, the young man prayed to God not that He would save his life, but that he himself would not happen to someone kill. And the Lord heard his prayer: upon arrival at the unit, the young man was sent to radio operator courses and, having mastered this speci alty, he safely escapedneed to kill.
While in the service, Arseniy, in his mental make-up, remained the same as he was in civilian life - he looked for an opportunity to help his neighbor and always willingly did any, even the most difficult and dirty work. At first, his colleagues laughed at him and often abused his willingness to replace any of them in the outfit. However, over time, ridicule ceased, giving way to universal respect. At the end of the service, which lasted three years, the future saint was so loved that they considered it a kind of talisman sent down from above. In this they were very close to the truth, which was confirmed more than once during the battles.
A dream come true
Further in the Life of Elder Paisios the Holy Mountaineer, Hieromonk Isaac writes that, having barely been demobilized and had not yet had time to take off his military uniform, Arseniy went to Mount Athos, where his cherished dream attracted him. It was there that he desired to spend the rest of his life, devoting them to the service of God. However, this time he was not destined to fulfill his intentions, since the Lord sent the future monk one more, this time the last test of his humility. While in one of the Athos monasteries, Arseny unexpectedly received a letter from his father, in which he asked him to immediately return home and help the family in some very important matter for her. Taking his request as a call to obedience sent from above, the young man meekly obeyed and, leaving the monastery for a while, headed home.
Having lived with his family for almost two years andhaving fulfilled everything that his father asked, Arseny again went to Athos to begin the monastic life there, for which he had been preparing for so long and persistently. This time the Lord heeded his prayers and vouchsafed him to become a novice of the very monastery from which he had once been called home by a letter written by his father. Thus, the lifelong dream of this amazing man, who by incessant labor acquired the crown of holiness, came true.
Within the walls of the monastery
The initial period of monastic life is described in sufficient detail in the Life of Paisius the Holy Mountaineer, and the photos given in the article can serve as an additional illustration. Reading the lines written by hieromonk Isaac, we learn that even without sufficient experience, the novice Arseniy, with the blessing of the abbot, led such a harsh ascetic life that he led seasoned monks into involuntary awe. Working all day as a carpenter (this craft was in great demand in the monastery), he stood up all night in prayerful vigil, and spent the short time that human nature still needs to sleep, he spent lying on bare stones.
Finally, with God's blessing, in March 1954, the novice Arseniy took monastic vows with a new name - Averky. Having embarked on the path of monasticism, the future saint outwardly did not change his former way of life, but was filled with even greater humility. He, as before, spent his days in the carpentry workshop, where he carried out the obediences imposed on him by one of the senior monks, who, unfortunately, turned out to be a rough and hard-hearted man. HowIt can be seen from this circumstance, mentioned in the Life of Paisios the Holy Mountaineer, that the Lord sometimes allows such people, who are far from true piety, to tie themselves up in His cloisters. By such temptation He strengthens the humility of His true servants. Meekly enduring all the rudeness and nit-picking of his boss, the young monk Averky remained in his obedience for two years, after which he was tonsured into a mantle (the second stage of monasticism) with the name Paisios, under which he received nationwide fame, and later became famous among the saints.
Heavy but honorable eldership cross
From that time, as Hieromonk Isaac wrote in The Life of Elder Paisius the Holy Mountaineer, a new and most important period of his earthly life began - eldership, determined not by age, but by the presence in the soul of a special grace sent down by God. It is known for certain that the ascetic, while still in the perishable world, was repeatedly vouchsafed to see Jesus Christ and His Most Pure Mother appearing to him and speaking to him. At different moments of life, They filled his soul with Divine grace and bestowed strength for ascetic deeds.
As the rumor about the extraordinary piety of Father Paisius went beyond the monastery, people began to come to him with requests for prayer help in various life circumstances. Many records have been preserved in the monastery books, testifying to the miracles revealed by the Lord through the prayers of the elder. Among them are cases of healing hopelessly ill people, and the facts of finding people who went missing many years ago.
It is quite remarkable that the elder had the giftto talk not only with people, but also with animals, who willingly listened to him and unquestioningly obeyed. Thus, in the Life of Paisios the Holy Mountaineer, Hieromonk Isaac recalls a case where once, in the presence of many pilgrims, a large poisonous snake crawled into his cell. After calming the frightened visitors, the elder took the bowl and, filling it with water, gave the uninvited guest a drink. After that, he ordered her to leave, and the snake obediently disappeared into the crevice of the wall without harming anyone.
Blessed death and posthumous prophecy of the elder
It is difficult to enumerate all the miracles revealed through the prayers of the elder, both during the days of his earthly life and after the blessed death that followed on July 12, 1994. The great elder went to the Lord after a long and debilitating illness, but none of those who happened to be near him in the last days heard from his lips either groans or complaints. He spent the sunset of his life with the same humility and obedience to the will of God as all the previous years, which we learn about from the Life of Paisius the Holy Mountaineer. The date of death of this great ascetic, no doubt, should be considered the beginning of his stay in the Kingdom of Heaven, the path to which he paved for himself from early childhood.
At the end of the article, I would like to cite one of the prophecies left by Elder Paisios, who, as those who knew him personally testify, had an extraordinary gift of clairvoyance. It concerns the relationship of the Greek state with its age-old political and military adversary - Turkey. Between them, the elder predicted a military conflict in the future, the outcome of whichwill largely change the current balance of power. He said that the centuries-old dispute over priority on the Bosphorus would finally be resolved in favor of Greece, and an Orthodox cross would shine over Constantinople. In fairness, we note that Hieromonk Isaac in "The Life of Elder Paisius the Holy Mountaineer" does not mention these words of his, and they became public knowledge at the suggestion of journalists.
