Every Christian at least once heard about the elders, whose feat was pleasing to God. Their prayers saved people from illnesses, dangers, troubles. Are there such monks today, in our time? Of course yes! About one old man who lived in the last century, and will be discussed.
The life of Elder Paisius the Holy Mountaineer: birth and baptism
It would be more accurate to say - life. Monk Paisios was canonized in early 2015. So let's imagine his life.
In Turkey there is a historical area called Cappadocia. It was here that in 1924, on July 25, a boy was born in a large family of Prodromos and Evlampia Eznepidis. The child's godfather was Arseniy of Cappadocia, now glorified as a saint. He named the baby after himself and said he wanted to leave the monk behind.
Subsequently, about the man who was his godfather, the holy elder Paisios Svyatogorets wrote that with his righteous life Arseniy of Cappadocia preached the Orthodox faith, he changed souls and overshadowed Christians and Turks, believers and unbelievers with God's grace.
Childhood and youthArseniya
During the infancy of the future Elder Paisius, Orthodox believers experienced harassment and persecution from the Turks of the Muslim faith. As a result, many families were forced to leave their homes. Among the refugees was little Arseniy with his relatives. In September 1924, forced migrants arrived in Greece. The family of the future saint settled in the city of Konitsa.
Paisius Svyatogorets, an elder in the future, from early childhood dreamed of a monastic life, often ran away to the forest, where he spent time in prayer - selfless beyond his years.
After graduating from school, Arseniy worked as a carpenter. In 1945 he was called up for military service. During the war, the future monk was a radio operator. But this did not stop him on the front line from asking the command for the most dangerous missions instead of comrades who had wives and children.
The monastic path of the elder
In 1949, Arseniy was demobilized from the army. He chose to become a monk and decided to go to Mount Athos.
Elder Kirill, who later became abbot of the Kutlumush monastery, in 1950 received Arseny as a novice. After some time, the future saint was sent to another monastery - Esfigmen. Here he ascended to the next step of the monastic path and in 1954 became a cassock monk with the name Averky. He often visited the elders, read the lives of the saints, constantly prayed in solitude.
In 1956, Elder Simeon tonsured Arseniy into the small schema (the third stage of monasticism). The name of the future saint was given in honor of Metropolitan Paisios IICaesarean.
Elder Kirill became the spiritual father of a monk. He always foresaw the time of the arrival of Paisius in his skete, knew the needs of the child and helped to find answers to all questions. Through the prayers of Father Cyril, monk Arseniy grew spiritually. He tried to achieve divine grace and believed that for this any problem must be met with humility, patience, good intention.
Paisy the Holy Mountain
Although Arseniy loved solitude from early childhood, he trusted the providence of the Heavenly Father. Many believers went on a pilgrimage to Paisius the Holy Mountaineer in the hope of advice and support. And the monk never refused anyone.
In 1958-1962, Paisios Svyatogorets, an elder, lived in Stomio, in the monastery of the Nativity of the Virgin. Here he began to receive pilgrims who came to him with their spiritual needs.
In 1962, the elder moved to Sinai to the cell of Saints Epistimia and Galaction. Paisius returned to Athos two years later and began to live in the Iberian Skete.
The elder's illness in 1966 was very severe. As a result, he had to lose part of his lung. But the Lord did not leave the saint in illness - Paisius was well cared for in the hospital. The nuns, who dreamed of building a monastery in honor of John the Theologian, helped the elder to recover and looked after him. Having recovered, Paisiy Svyatogorets helped them find a place for the monastery, besides, he supported the sisters spiritually for the rest of his life.
Blessed Elder Paisios the Holy Mountaineer and love for people
Father Paisius changed his seat again in 1967. He settled in Katunaki, in the Lavriot cell of Hypatia.
The elder has special memories of this place. He wrote that one night, while praying, he felt heavenly joy and saw a beautiful bluish light that was very bright. But the monk's eyes held him. According to the elder, he stayed in this light for many hours, not feeling the time and not noticing anything around. It was not a physical world, but a spiritual one.
In 1968, the monastery called "Stavronikita" became the refuge of Paisius Svyatogorets. The pilgrims found the old man everywhere. Feeling his boundless love for each of the people, receiving spiritual relief and necessary advice from him, they called him a saint. But the elder himself quite sincerely believed that he was the last of the sinners, and he never refused support to anyone. He was a cordial and hospitable host, offering everyone who came a Turkish delight and a mug of fresh cold water. But another thirst came to him to quench.
Even in times of illness, Elder Paisios, strengthened by the Lord, accepted the afflicted. He comforted them all day and helped them gain faith and hope, and spent his nights in prayer, resting only 3-4 hours a day. The elder himself told his spiritual children that goodness only brings benefit and joy when you sacrifice something for it. He accepted the pain of people as his own, knew how to put himself in the place of any person and understand like no one else. Such was Saint Paisius the Holy Mountaineer, the elder, and such was his love for God and people.
Monk's prayers
Every daythe saint completely reread the Ps alter, and when everything around fell asleep, he fervently prayed for the whole world, as well as for those who are sick, for spouses who are in a quarrel, for working late and traveling at night.
One day, in the dark, the elder was given a revelation that a man named John was in danger. Paisius the Holy Mountain began to offer prayers for him. The next day, the same young man visited the monk, telling how despair filled his soul at night and he decided to get on a motorcycle, leave the city, fall off a cliff and crash. But the young man was stopped by the thought of Elder Paisios, and he came to the monk for advice. Since then, John has acquired a spiritual father who loves and understands. Through the prayers of the holy young man, he embarked on the true path.
The elder Paisios the Holy Mountaineer uttered prayer words with such faith and love that many people received healing from diseases through this. Here is one example: the father of a girl who was deaf and mute turned to the saint. He told the elder that before the birth of his daughter, he interfered in every possible way with his brother, who dreamed of becoming a monk. Paisius the Holy Mountaineer, seeing that the man sincerely repented, promised healing to the child and prayed about it. And indeed, after a while the girl began to talk.
Miracles of healing
Many people suffering from diseases of the musculoskeletal system, and even the disabled, moving with great difficulty, left monk Paisios he althy. There have been cases of couples recovering from infertility.
The father of a girl who had cancer, turning to the old man withasking for help, I heard in response that, in addition to the prayer of Paisius himself, the man himself must sacrifice something for the sake of saving his daughter. The monk advised him to quit smoking. The man vowed to get rid of the addiction, and through the prayer of the elder, the girl soon recovered. But the father quickly forgot about the promise to God and started smoking again. After that, her daughter's illness returned again. The man again turned to the elder, but the monk only said that the father should first of all try for the sake of the child, and prayer is the second thing.
There are many testimonies about the healing of terminally ill patients, who were told by doctors that nothing could be done. The monk's prayers helped people recover here too. But Paisios Svyatogorets himself, the elder, was losing his he alth more and more.
End of life
Even during a lung disease, in 1966, after taking antibiotics, Paisius developed a complication with severe abdominal pain. The elder believed that this was only beneficial, since the soul humbles itself through physical suffering. And he endured pain, standing for hours and accepting those who wished to receive his blessing.
In 1988, the condition of the monk was complicated by bleeding. But the holy elder Paisius Svyatogorets, not wanting to go to the doctors, continued to receive people, until in 1993 it became completely difficult for him. But even then, to the advice of spiritual children to go to the hospital, Paisius Svyatogorets answered that the disease helps in spiritual life, so he does not want to get rid of it.
The monk endured bodily suffering with patience and meekness and prayed only for others, but he never asked for anything for himself. Yet Paisiossuccumbed to the perseverance of spiritual children. When doctors examined him, cancer was discovered. Two operations performed in 1994 brought no relief. His soul passed away on July 12, 1994. This date is the day of memory of the elder. Paisius the Holy Mountaineer was buried in the monastery of John the Theologian in Suroti Thessalonica.
But the saint's intercession didn't stop there. Prayer to Elder Paisius the Holy Mountaineer still works miracles today, helping to heal the soul and body of the sick.
The Works of a Monk
Many sayings and thoughts, written and spoken, left behind a saint. All of them arouse the interest of believers and those who are looking for their own path in life. And here the elder Paisios the Svyatogorets will come to the rescue. The books authored by the saint himself are easy to understand. Here are just a few of them:
- "Words" (five volumes);
- "Arsenius of Cappadocia";
- "Return to God from earth to Heaven";
- "Letters";
- "High Mountain Fathers and Stories of the Holy Mountain";
- "Thoughts about the Christian family".
I would especially like to note the book "Words". Elder Paisios Svyatogorets put many thoughts on paper, conversations with him were recorded on tape, and his letters were also very interesting. All this material was used in compiling five volumes, each of which is a separate book.
The first volume is called "With pain and love about modern man". The reasoning of the elder in it concerns modern mores,the role of the church today, about the devil, sins and the spirit of our world.
The second volume is called "Spiritual Awakening". Elder Paisius the Holy Mountaineer speaks in it about the importance of working on oneself, prudent behavior, victory over today's indifference and irresponsibility of people.
The third book called "Spiritual Struggle" tells about the sacrament of confession and repentance, as well as about the struggle with thoughts.
"Family Life" is the title of the fourth volume. It speaks for itself. Elder Paisius tells about the role of a husband and wife in the family, about raising children, choosing a life path, about trials in the relationships of loving people.
In the fifth book, The Passions and Virtues, the saint's advice concerns how to recognize passions and get rid of them, as well as how to move on to virtuous deeds.
Prophecies of Elder Paisios the Holy Mountain
The monk started talking about hard trials and the times that are already coming in 1980. In conversations with people, he tried to awaken them from the indifference that embraces the whole world. The elder sought to help get rid of selfishness and infirmities so that the prayers offered to the Lord were stronger, otherwise the words addressed to God would be weak and incapable of helping people, and even himself.
The predictions of Elder Paisios the Holy Mountaineer mainly concern the events leading up to the end of time. What John the Theologian wrote about in his book "Apocalypse", the monk clarifies to give a guide to what is happening.
According to the elder, the coming of the Antichrist will look like this: the Zionists will present him as their Messiah. This person is the Buddha, and Christ, and the imam, and the Messiah of the Jews, and the one whom the Jehovists are waiting for. The latter also recognize him.
The coming of the False Messiah will be preceded by the destruction of the mosque in Jerusalem to rebuild Solomon's temple.
All these events are being postponed by the Lord for the sake of each person. As Elder Paisius said, so that "we would acquire a good spiritual dispensation."
About the number 666, the monk said that it is already being implemented in all countries. Even laser marks are made for people in America - on the forehead and on the arm. This is how the seal of the Antichrist will be placed. Those who do not agree to do it will not be able to get a job, buy or sell something. So the Antichrist wants to seize power over all of humanity. Christ himself will help those who refuse the seal. Accepting the mark would be tantamount to denying Jesus.
The future through the eyes of an old man
There were also predictions made by Elder Paisios the Holy Mountaineer. Books
with his statements contain many prophecies. So, the saint said that Turkey would be occupied by the Russians, and China, with a two hundred millionth army, would cross the Euphrates River and reach Jerusalem.
Another old man claimed that a world war would begin soon after the Turks dammed the Euphrates River and used water for irrigation.
Also, the saint during Brezhnev's time predicted the collapse of the USSR.
He spoke many more times about the war in Asia Minor, about the collapseTurkey, about Constantinople.
As you can see from the above, some predictions have already come true, others may soon begin to come true.
By the grace of God, the future opened up to the elder to warn once again those living on earth now and to reason, to make them think.
There are many saints in the history of Christianity. But the role of those who live with us or lived quite recently cannot be overestimated. After all, many people were strengthened, and some even believed thanks to the prayers and miracles of the saints. The life of the elder Paisius the Holy Mountaineer just convinces us of this. A bright monk whose love for people was boundless. Such courage in overcoming oneself, one's infirmities and illnesses can be shown, probably, only by saints.
Blessed Paisius the Holy Mountaineer, pray to God for us!
