Saint Paisios of Mount Athos by Hieromonk Isaac

Saint Paisios of Mount Athos
by Hieromonk Isaac

Elder Paisios of Mount Athos (1924-1994) was one of the greatest and most revered elders of the Orthodox Church in the twentieth century. An inheritor and conveyed of the ascetic ethos and dogmatic consciousness of the Holy Apostles and Holy Fathers, he lived the monastic life in obscurity on the Holy Fathers, he lived the monastic life in obscurity on the Holy Mountain of Athos in northern Greece but became a beacon of true life in Christ to faithful throughout the world. He commited himself entirely into the hands of God and God in turn gave him as a light and guide to all who seek the Truth and salvation.

This biography, written by his close spiritual disciple Elder Isaac and universally recognized as the most authoritative account of his life, has been reprinted numerous times in noumerous languages. The life and virtues of the elder are exhaustivelu and accurately sketched in profound simplicity, revealing the spiritual brilliance which shone forth from his heart, enveloping on all who drew near.

In part one, we are led step by step through the development of a contemporary saint: from his origins in Cappadocia and early spiritual zeal, through his monastic beginnings in the monastery and ascetic struggles on Athos and Sinai, to his outpouring of spirituala consolation to his fellow man and his blessed repose in the Lord. In part two, we are presented with the full spectrum of his spiritual personality: his virtues, way of life, spiritual gifts, self-offering and teaching.

The life of Elder Paisios of Mount Athos resembles a garden adorned with countless flowers in bloom, radiant and colorful, beautiful to the eyes of man's spiritual heart, letting off an otherworldly aroma of holiness. The reader is invited to enter into his life and words, to "lay aside all earthly cares," to see life from the divine perspective, to understand the mystery of the Gospel by standing under, submitting and entrusting oneself to the experience and wisdom of this God-bearing Holy Father.

From the Preface by F. Peter Alban Heers

PART ONE
His Life

His Ancestors According to the Flesh and to the Spirit 3
The Frontier of Farasa 5
His Family 7
Baptized and Uprooted 10
In Training for the Ascetic Life 13
An Upbringing in the Instruction and Admonition of the Lord 15
Childhood Ascetism 16
A Carpenter 20
A Grace-filled Child 22
With the Cross as his Guide 23
A Vision of God 23
Preparation for the Monastic Life 25
Caring for Others 28
Trials and Dangers 30
The Staff and Support of his Family 32
Army Service    35
A Virtuous Signalman 37
Hardships 38
Ascetic Struggles and Experiences 39
Sacrifice for Other 41
He does Good and is Slandered 42
He Saves the Unit 43
Self-sacriface 44
Prayer in the Midst of Bullets 45
Disobedience to a Blasphemer 46
Searching and Preparing    49
His First Visit to the Holy Mountain 51
Labor and Preparation 54
Coenobitic Life in the Monastery of Esphigmenou    57
An Obstacle before his Departure 59
Coenobitic Monastic Life at Esphigmenou 59
The Novitiate and Obediences 61
A Begginer's Struggles 62
Enduring the Pangs of Love for his Family 64
Demonic Appearances 64
A Rasophore Monk 65
He sees the Lamb Thrashing 66
An Ever-vigilant Laborer 67
Obedience unto Blood 68
A Visit of Divine Grace 71
Departing for Stillness 72
Life in the Idiorythmic Monastery of Philotheou    73
As the Disciple of an Elder 75
Willing Disciple and Unseen Struggler 77
A Proud Thought 79
Annoyances from the Little Troublemaker 80
He Devices a Way to Help 81
In Konitsa for Healing 82
The Providence of God 84
The Small Schema 85
His Association with Virtuous Fathers 87
Blessings from the Mother of God 89
He Receives a Ralevation 90
At the Monastery of Stomio in Konitsa    93
Rebuilding the Monastery 95
Commanding Respect 99
Leaping into the Chasm 101
Transferring the Relics of Saint Arsenios 101
Labors, Ascetic Feats, and Stillness 104
Protector of the Poor and the Orphans 107
Confronting Temptation as a Martyr 109
Anti-Heretical Struggles 112
Led by the Holy Spirit 113
Demonic Attacks 115
Saved by Divine Providence 116
A Nighttime Visit from the Mother of God 117
A Deceptively Attractive Demonic Vision 119
Closeness to Wild Animals 120
Other Incidents at Stomio 121
Departure from Stomio 125
A Hermit on the God-trodden Mountain of Sinai    129
Journey to Sinai 131
He Ends the Drought 134
Blessed Life in the Desert 134
Tasting Divine Communion 138
Handiwork and Almsgiving 139
Tempted in the Desert 141
A Hermit's Companions 143
The Passionless Ancestors of God 144
At the Forty Martyrs' Chapel 145
His Mother's Repose 145
"Kazantzakis" 146
Consolation for a Non-communicant 146
Unseen Warfare and Indescribable States of Being 147
Leaving the Sweet Desert 149
At Iveron Skete    153
Stillness or a Brotherhood? 155
Life at the Skete 157
Help for a Departed Soul 159
The Holy Forerunner Comes to his Defence 160
A Demonic Stoning 161
Fed by an Angel 162
The Great Schema 162
Lung Surgery 163
In Remote Katounakia   167
At the Poor Hermitafe of Hypatios 169
Undershirts for an Ascetic 171
A Demon-possessed Man 171
Cutting a Gordian knot 172
Poverty 173
"I Eat all the Time" 173
A Most-sweet Light 174
The Founding of a Women's Monastery 175
At the Hermitage of the Holy Cross    177
At the Monastery of Stavronikita 179
The Repose of Father Tikhon 180
His Life at Holy Cross 182
"A Light unto my Paths" 186
The Elder Helps a New Monk 187
Fish from God 189
An Appearance of Saint Arsenios 190
Father Tikhon and the Temptation 192
On the Island of Tinos 193
Birds Become Silent 193
A Deluded Monk 194
Suffering with the Sick 195
Cassocks and an Olive Tree 199
In Farasa 200
A Soul in Hell 202
Saint Euphemia 204
"Olet" 208
Prayer Even for Demons 208
Demonic Disturbances 209
Safe from Gunfire 210
An Unforgettable Visit 211
He Sees a Soul 212
Young George from the Far East 212
In Australia 215
The Nighttime Visitor 218
The Appearance of Christ 220
Roads and Cars 222
Foresight 224
A Radiant Icon 224
A Saint "Treated Unjustly" 225
A Crowd of Demons 227
A Snake Confirms the Elder's Words 228
He Prayed and the Heavens Gave Rain 228
Guardian Angel 229
A Different Kind of Feast 229
A Different Kind of Answer 234
Divine Liturgy at the Hermitage of the Holy Cross 236
God has to Help 238
Cheerful and Witty 240
At Panagouda Giving to the Suffering    247
Settling at Panagouda 249
Saints Panteleimon and Lucillian 252
"Comfort Ye my People" 254
The Appearance of Saint Blaise 257
A Fragrance from the Icon "It Is Truly Meet" 259
The Relics of Saint Kosmas the First 260
A Goat on the Roof 260
A Multitude of Lights and his Hermitage 261
The Promise of the Mother of God 262
In the Holy Land and Sinai 262
Energies of Divine Grace 264
A Vision of a Praying Child 266
"My Christ, Bless me" 266
"A Terrible Vision" 267
"The Panagia!" 268
The Antichrist, the Number 666, and Identification Cards 269
A Fragrance from Holy Relics 273
A Hernia Operation 273
Surprises 275
The Blasphemous Film 276
He Sees the Grace of the Priesthood 278
Transfiguration 279
The Elder Responds to a Pilgrim's Thought 281
"Your Legs are Broken" 281
Healing the Sick 282
Capturing the City 285
First, Ask Forgiveness 287
"You have to have Spiritual Nobility" 287
The Swinging of the Oil Lamp 288
"He's Coming..." 289
The Hindu Leader 290
A Disciple of Maharaji 291
The Elder and Young people 292
Illness and a blessed repose    307
Pain and Illness 309
"Something Happened to Me" 311
At the Limit of his Endurance 312
His Final Departure from Athos. His Illness Progresses 314
Helping Others Amidst Agonizing Pain 316
A Blessed, Unnoticed Repose 320
Miracles After His Repose    325
"He has not Left Us" 327
Heavenly Fragrance 328
He Casts out a Demon 330
A Child's Deliverance 331
Appearance and Aid to a Student 332
Appearance in a Dream 333
Miraculous Aid 334
Invisible Presence 335
Intervention in Traffic Accidents 336
Spiritual Resurrections 339
A Tumor Disappears 341
Healing of a Demoniac 341
He Restores Eyesight 343

PART TWO
Themes
Virtues    347
Utter Estrangement from the World 349
Obedience 156
The "Wealth of Humility" 363
Worker and Preacher of Repentance 375
Non-possessiveness 383
An Unquenchable Thirst for Asceticism 390
"And We Labour, Working with our own Hands..." 405
The Aroma of Reverence 414
He Loved Righteousness 422
Eager Goodness 427
Trust in Divine Providence 430
An Angel of Peace 435
A Lamp of Discernment 440
A Lover of Stillness 450
Watchfulness 458
His Rule of Prayer 465
Dispassion 487
Noble love 491
Spiritual Gifts    505
Transcending the Laws of Nature 507
Reconciliation with Creation 522
Praying for the Whole World 527
Gift-bearing Teacher 536
The Gift of Comforting 540
A Foe and Persecutor of the Demons 546
As Myrrh Gushing Forth 558
Communicating with Foreigners 562
Strange and Wondrous Journeys 565
Sensing Prayers and Entreaties 569
Knowledgeable about the State of the Reposed 574
Clairvoyance and Foresight 577
The Gift of Healing 598
Appearances of Saints 611
A Beam of Uncreated Light 616
Offerings    623
A Professor of the Desert 625
Missionary Work from the Desert 628
Going out into the World 634
Defender of Tradition 644
The Mother Church 655
On behalf of his People and his Native Land 666
Addendum    667
The Elder's Appearance, Character, and Natural Gifts 679
His Message 685
The Elder's Spiritual Will 687