Τι είναι η θεία Πρόνοια και πώς «εκδηλώνεται» στη ζωή μας..

 Γέρων Ιωσήφ Βατοπαιδινός

Στη θεία πανυπερτελειότητα όλα είναι γνωστά και πριν ακόμα γίνουν, αλλά και μέχρι το ατελεύτητο τέλος τους. Σε μας φαίνονται άγνωστα και τρεπτά και ακατάληπτα, εξαιτίας των ποικίλων μεταβολών, που προκάλεσε η πτώση του ανθρώπου, μαζί με την απρόσεχτη και ένοχη διαγωγή του. Αν και τα πάντα υπάγονται στη θεία πρόνοια και κηδεμονία, μεταβάλλονται ανάλογα με την πε ρί σταση, το χρόνο, τον τόπο, τα πρόσωπα και την πο λύπλευρη σατανική πανουργία. Κανένας παρά γο ντας δεν μπορεί να παρεμποδίσει ή να ακυρώσει την περιεκτική πρόνοια του Θεού για την κτίση του. Μέ τις δικές μας λανθασμένες ενέργειες μεταβάλ λο νται ανάλογα μόνο οι τρόποι της λειτουργίας των στοιχείων.

Τό θείο θέλημα ή η θεία βουλή, αν το αναφέρουμε κλιμακωτά, εμφανίζεται σε τέσσερις μορφές. Πρώτο είναι η θεία ευδοκία, «τό κατ  ευδοκίαν» θέ λημα, αυτό δηλαδή που ο Θεός κατ  εξοχήν θέ λει. Δεύτερο είναι η οικονομία, «τό κατ  οικονομί αν» θέλημα, κατά το οποίο πατρικά υποχωρεί ο Θε ός, για την αδυναμία μας. ∆ρίτο είναι η παραχώρηση, «τό κατά παραχώρησιν» θέλημα, κατά το οποίο επεμβαίνει ο Θεός και παιδεύει και τέταρτο και πολύκλαυστο είναι η εγκατάλειψη, «τό κατ  ε γκα τάλειψιν» θέλημα, όταν ο άνθρωπος ζεί με αμε τά βλητη σκληρότητα και αναισθησία και προκαλεί την εγκατάλειψή του από το Θεό.

Μέσω του θεοπρεπούς θείου θελήματος εφαρμόζεται και επικρατεί η πανσωστική θεία πρόνοια, αν και η δική μας πτώση διέστρεψε τους λίαν καλούς όρους και τρόπους της ισορροπίας. «∆ίς σοφός και φυλάξει ταύτα και συνήσει τα ελέη του Κυρίου;» (Ψαλμ. 106,43).

O Θεός, επειδή προγνώριζε τα πάντα, μπορού σε να εμποδίσει την περιπέτεια, που συνέβη στον άν­θρωπο, αλλά αυτό θα ήταν κατάργηση της προ σω πικής ελευθερίας του.  επειδή ακριβώς τη σεβόταν, άφησε την εκλογή και την προτίμηση στον ί δι ο. είναι, λοιπόν, υπεύθυνος ο άνθρωπος για την πο λυ­κύμαντη και κοπιαστική ζωή, είτε εξαιτίας του σκο τισμού της διάνοιάς του, είτε εξαιτίας της εμπαθούς του διαστροφής και του παραμερισμού της λο γι κής του διακρίσεως.

Σ  αυτήν την πολυστένακτη κατάντια, που έ φθα σε ο άνθρωπος, αφού φυσικά χωρίστηκε από το Θεό, δεν απουσιάζει και η παγκάκιστη επιβουλή και επίδραση του σατανά, ο οποίος έχει εξουσία στην κοιλάδα του κλαυθμώνος αυτής της παροικίας μας, δικαίωμα που του παραχωρήσαμε εμείς όταν αποδράσαμε από τον Παράδεισο και τον ακολουθήσαμε. Σαν «θεός του αιώνος τούτου» (µ΄ Κορ. 4,4), σύμ φωνα με τον Παύλο, ο βύθιος δράκοντας ουδέποτε παύει να επιβουλεύεται και να αποπλανά τον άνθρωπο με ακατονόμαστες προφάσεις. ειδικά στους καιρούς μας, που το κακό παράδειγμα έγινε νό μος και μεταδίδεται ακαριαία με τα μέσα που υ πάρχουν, χρειάζεται περισσότερη προσοχή και προ σευ χή.

Αρα θεία πρόνοια είναι η πανσωστική και συνε κτι κή διοίκηση και κηδεμονία του Θεού προς τα κτί σματά του, αισθητά και νοητά, παρόντα και μέλ λοντα, στο παρόν και την αιωνιότητα.

Μέσα στη θεία πρόνοια εντάσσεται και η εφαρ μο γή της θείας δικαιοσύνης, που επεμβαίνει, όταν το πα­ράλογο κυριαρχεί στην ανθρώπινη ζωή.  ετσι η θεί α δικαιοσύνη, σαν απόλυτη, το ανακόπτει για το γε­νικότερο συμφέρον του ανθρώπινου προορισμού. Κά θε τι που υπάρχει, είναι από την αρχή της δη μι­ουρ γίας του προορισμένο για κάποιο σκοπό. Αυ τό το θείο σχέδιο δεν μπορεί να μεταβληθεί, για τί ο Θεός «τά πάντα εν σοφία εποίησεν».

Αν όμως η ανθρώπινη αφέλεια και η δαιμονική κακουργία προκαλέσουν την παραβίαση του αρχικού σκοπού, τότε η φιλάνθρωπη του Θεού οικονομία, εξαιτίας της μεταμέλειας του ανθρώπου, μεταβάλλεται ανάλογα με το βαθμό της μετάνοιας και της διορθώσεως του σφάλματος και τη θέση της θείας ευδοκίας παίρνει η θεία οικονομία.

O Θεός, «θέλων πάντας ανθρώπους σωθήναι και εις επίγνωσιν αληθείας ελθείν» (µ΄ ∆ίτ. 2,4), προορίζει τα πάντα σύμφωνα με το κατ  ευδοκία θέλημά του, που δεν είναι άλλο παρά ο δρόμος της απόλυτης και αλάνθαστης επιτυχίας και μπορεί να μας χαρίσει «υπερεκπερισσού ών αιτούμεθα ή νοούμεν» ( εφ. 3,20). Oταν ο άνθρωπος πλανηθεί ή αμελήσει το καθήκον του, αντί ο Θεός να αλλάξει την απόφασή του, για το έλεος που του χάρισε, και να τον απορρίψει ως φταίχτη, επεμβαίνει με παιδευτικό τρόπο, για να τον οδηγήσει στη διόρθωση· αυτό αποτελεί κατά τους Πατέρες μας τις λεγόμενες «παιδευτικές ή συμβατικές επιφορές». Χωρίς να αλλάζει ο Θεός την πατρική του ιδιότητα, ανέχεται τον παραβάτη, αλλά τον πιέζει σε διόρθωση. ∆ότε εφαρμόζεται το «όν αγαπά Κύριος παιδεύει, μαστιγοί δε πάντα υιόν όν παραδέχεται.» (Παρ. 3,12).  H φιλάνθρωπη του Θεού οικονομία ιατρεύει την αρ ρώστια της προδοσίας με αρμόδιους πειρασμούς, α ντί να απορρίψει τον παραβάτη. ∆ά πιο πολλά α πό τα αβυσσαλέα κρίματα του Θεού, μέσω των ο ποί ων διοικείται η παρούσα ζωή ανήκουν, σ  αυτό το είδος των συμβάσεων. «Μακάριος άνθρωπος όν αν παι δεύσης, Κύριε, και εκ του νόμου σου διδάξης αυ τόν» (Ψαλμ. 93,12). Καί πάλι: «πρό του με τα πει νωθήναι εγώ επλημμέλησα» (Ψαλμ. 118,67) και «παιδεύων επαίδευσέ με ο Κύριος και τώ θανά τω ου παρέδωκέ με» (Ψαλμ. 117,18).

H μετά την πτώση ανθρώπινη τρεπτότητα και η διάνοια, που είναι «εγκειμένη επί τα πονηρά εκ νε­ότητος ημών» (Γέν. 8,21), είναι οι κύριες αιτίες της ακαταστασίας, που υπάρχουν στην ανθρώπινη ζωή.  ετσι επειδή δεν πειθόμαστε να παραμένουμε συνεπείς στις υποχρεώσεις μας, παραβιάζουμε τα σχέδια της θείας πρόνοιας και αναγκάζουμε το Θεό να επιφέρει τις συμβατικές επιφορές, που είναι επώδυνες, για να συγκρατήσει την ισορροπία. Αυτό αποτελεί το σταυρό που πρέπει όλοι να βαστάσουμε.

Πηγή: Συζητήσεις στον Άθωνα

What is Divine Providence and how is it “manifested” in our lives?

By Elder Joseph of Vatopaidi,Mt.Athos(+2009)

 Divine super-perfection knows about everything before it even happens, up to its very infinite end. To us everything seems unknown, unpredictable and incomprehensible because of the various changes which man’s fall has caused, along with his careless and guilty conduct. Even though everything submits to the divine providence and stewardship, it varies in different situations, times, places, people and because of the multiple satanic cruelties. No factor is able to prevent or annul God’s comprehensive providence for His creation. By our own wrong doing we are only able to alter the performance of various elements.

The divine wish or divine will, appears in four ways if we refer to it progressively. First, is the divine delight, the so called “in accordance with his pleasure and will”( kat eydokian thelima): that which God takes delight in most. Second is His providence, the so called “Will by the dispensation of His providence”( kat oikonomian thelima) : He succumbs to this will as a Father, because of our weakness. Third is His concession, the so called “Will by concession” (kata parahorisi thelima): Whereby He intervenes and disciplines man. And fourth is the most regrettable of all: the divine abandonment (egkatalipsis). When man continues living with consistent cruelty and insensitivity, he provokes his abandonment from God.

 

It is through His God-like wish, which God’s all- saving providence reigns, even though our fall has perverted the ‘very good’ terms and conditions of nature’s equilibrium. “Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things; let them consider the steadfast love of the Lord” (Psalm 107, 43)

Because God knew about everything beforehand, He could have prevented the whole adventure which befell on man, but this would have constituted an obliteration of his personal freedom. Just because He respected his freedom, he left it up to man to chose and show his preference. Therefore, man is responsible for his most turbulent and laborious life, either because of the confusion of his intellect or because of his impassioned perversion and his rejection of his rational discretion.

Satan’s most wicked stimulation and effect is not absent from this most lamentable state to which man has been rendered, after he had of course severed himself from God. Satan has authority to act in this valley of tears which is our abode, because we have given him this right when we had defected from paradise and followed him. As “a god of this world” (B Corinthians 4, 4) according to Paul, this abysmal dragon never stops plotting against and deceiving man with unspeakable pretexts. Especially nowadays when the bad example has become the law and is instantly transmitted by the available means, man needs to be extra vigilant and resort to more prayer.

Therefore, the divine providence is the all-saving and cohesive authority and governance of God towards His material and spiritual creatures, present and future, now and in eternity.

The implementation of the divine justice, as part of the divine providence, intervenes when irrationality governs human life. Thus the divine justice, as an absolute, prevents irrationality for the general benefit of human destination. Everything that exists has originally been created to accomplish a purpose. This divine design cannot be altered since God “created everything with wisdom”.

If, however, human naivety and the devil’s wickedness violate this original purpose, God’s philanthropic providence is altered, if man repents, according to the degree of his repentance and the amount of restitution for his transgression. In this case, the divine providence takes the place of divine delight.

Because God wishes “all men to be saved and recognize the truth” (Titus 2, 4) predetermines everything according to His pleasure and will. This is none other than the road to complete and unmistaken success. He may also grant us “far more abundantly than all that we ask or think” (Ephesians 3, 20). When man is being deceived or abandons his obligation, God, instead of changing His decision for the mercy He has shown him and rejects him as an offender, He intervenes in a disciplinary way in order to guide man to correct himself. This constitutes, according to our Fathers, the so called “disciplinary or conventional attacks”. Without God altering His fatherly attribute, He tolerates the offender on the one hand, but presses him to amend his ways. This is when the saying “the Lord reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights” (Proverbs 3, 12) is applied. God’s philanthropic providence heals the ailment of rebellion with the appropriate temptations instead of rejecting the offender. Most of God’s deep judgments, by which He governs nature, belong to this kind of conventions. “Blessed is the man whom you discipline, O Lord, and whom you teach out of your law” (Psalm 94, 12). And again: “Before I was afflicted I went astray” (Psalm 119, 67) and “the Lord has disciplined me severely, but he has not given me over to death” (Psalm 118, 18).

 The main reasons for the disorder which exists in human life are human volatility and “the intention of man’s heart which is evil from his youth” (Genesis 8, 21). Since, therefore, we are not convinced to remain consistent with our obligations and continue to violate the designs of divine providence, we compel God to impose the conventional attacks, which are painful in order to restore the equilibrium. This constitutes the cross which we must all carry.

Translated from the Greek: 

Source-Pemptousia.com

Ποιος είναι ο διάβολος και πως ενεργεί;(Γέροντος Ιωσήφ Βατοπαιδινού)

 

Η Αγία Γραφή μας λέει ότι ο διάβολος είναι «ο πεσών Εωσφόρος». Γι’ αυτόν  μας  πληροφορεί  ο  Κύριος:  «είδον  τον  σατανάν  ως  αστραπήν  εκ  του  ουρανού  πεσόντα» (Λουκ. 10,1).

Είναι  ο  άρχοντας,  ο  αρχηγός  του  αγγελικού  τάγματος  των  εκπεσόντων  από  τον  ουρανό,  όταν  θέλησαν  να  αποστατήσουν  από  το  θείο  θέλημα.  Τότε  αυτόματα  συντρίφτηκαν και ξέπεσαν από την αξία και  τη θέση τους. Έχασαν συγχρόνως και  την έκπαγλη και φωτεινή ωραιότητα της μορφής τους. Έγιναν φρικιαστικά τέρατα των  οποίων  και  μόνο  η  μνήμη  είναι  μισητή.  Δεν  υπάρχει  στη  διαβολική  του  υπόσταση τίποτα το καλό, το αγαθό, το δίκαιο, το ευθές, το λογικό, το αληθινό.

Ο διάβολος, ο άλλοτε φορέας του φωτός της δικαιοσύνης, της αγάπης και του  αγιασμού,  μεταβλήθηκε  απότομα – με  την  ανταρσία  κατά  του  Θεού – σε  απόλυτο  όργανο του σκότους, του μίσους, του ψεύδους, του ολοκληρωτικού κακού και όσων  συντελούν στον όλεθρο της φθοράς και του θανάτου. έγινε και θα παραμείνει πάντοτε  σκότος  και  ψεύδος  και  απώλεια -  με  ένα  επί  πλέον  σκοπό -  την  αντίσταση  σε  οτιδήποτε  είναι  του  Θεού  και  σε  όσα  ο  Θεός  προνοεί  και  ιδιαίτερα  τον  άνθρωπο.

Έγινε – και θα παραμείνει στο διηνεκές – κληρονόμος του θανάτου και κάτοικος του  Άδη, με κύριο του σκοπό να αποπλανά και να παρασύρει προς το μέρος του όσους  μπορέσει.

Κεντρικό  στόχο  του  έχει  τον  άνθρωπο,  που βαδίζει  να  ενωθεί  με  το  Θεό. Ο  διάβολος δεν ενέχεται να τον βλέπει να ανεβαίνει ψηλότερα από την πρώτη αξία, που  είχε  πριν  την  έκπτωσή  του,  γι  αυτό  και  ρίχνει  εναντίον  τα  πιο  λυσσαλέα  βέλη  του.

Έγινε και έμεινε κατά πρόθεση ανθρωποκτόνος.

Ως ψέμα και δόλος και κακία δεν παρουσιάζεται φανερά. Μόνο με υποβολές  ερεθίζει το νου και τις αισθήσεις με δόλια προσχήματα, για να αποπλανήσει τη σκέψη  και τη θέληση, να παρασύρει σε συγκατάθεση τη γνώμη και έτσι να υποσκελίσει το  θύμα  πάντοτε  με  δόλο,  υποκρισία  και  απάτη.  Ο  άνθρωπος  κινείται  και  ενεργεί  περισσότερο  με  τις  αισθήσεις  και  τα  συναισθήματα.  Ο εχθρός  το  γνωρίζει  αυτό.  Γι

αυτό ερεθίζει τις αισθήσεις με προφάσεις ευλογοφανείς και έτσι κλέβει ευκολότερα τη  συγκατάθεση.  Προβάλλει,  βλέπετε,  τη  βιολογική  αναγκαιότητα.  Αυτό  γίνεται  και  στο  σωματικό και ψυχικό κόσμο.

Αν  ο  άνθρωπος  είναι  ελεύθερος  από  πάθη  και  κακές  συνήθειες,  εύκολα  απαλλάσσεται  από  τη  διαβολική  επιβουλή  και  πάλη.  Αν  όμως  είναι  αιχμάλωτος πονηρών έξεων, η μάχη είναι σκληρή και αγωνιώδης.

Πάντως η αντίσταση με βάση τον προορισμό μας και τις θείες εντολές γίνεται κατορθωτή με τη συμμαχία της χάριτος που συνυπάρχει με μας.

Δεν έχει εξουσία ο διάβολος απ’ ευθείας ή αισθητά να πειράξει τον άνθρωπο.

Μόνο  με  τη  φαντασία,  με  εικόνες,  που  προβάλλει  στην  οθόνη  της  διάνοιας,  και  με έννοιες  μέσω  του  νου,  προκαλεί.  Τότε  ο  άνθρωπος  μόνος  του  αποφασίζει  να αποδεχθεί  την  πρόκληση  (προσβολή)  ή  να  την  απορρίψει.  Αυτός  είναι  ο  κύριος τρόπος επαφής του πονηρού με τον άνθρωπο. Η συνέχεια πλέον εξαρτάται από τη θέληση του ανθρώπου. Ή να υποκύψει ή να αντισταθεί.

Ο  αμεσότερος  τρόπος  της  δικής  μας  άμυνας  και  αντιστάσεως  είναι  η  θεία επίκληση  (προσευχή)  και  η  ενθύμηση  του  σκοπού  και  προορισμού  μας.  Το παράδειγμα του Κυρίου μας, όταν ήταν στην έρημο, μας χάραξε τον πρακτικό τρόπο της πάλης με τον εχθρό, καθώς και όσα συντελούν σ’ αυτόν.

Ο  διάβολος  δεν  έχει  προορατική  ικανότητα,  ούτε  γνωρίζει  τί  σκέπτεται  ο άνθρωπος. Συμπεραίνει από τις κινήσεις των συναισθημάτων και ερεθίζει ανάλογα τα μέλη και τις αισθήσεις με εμπαθή νήματα. Όταν βλέπει να κλίνει η διάθεση μετά την εικόνα  είτε  του  πράγματος  είτε  του  νοήματος,  που  προσέβαλε  τη  φαντασία, καταλαβαίνει  ότι  σ’  αυτό  έχει  ο  άνθρωπος  την  επιθυμία  και  την  πρόθεσή  του  και φέρνει τα κατάλληλα αίτια για να υποτάξει το θύμα του.

Στη  φύση  του  ο  διάβολος  είναι  όμοιο  με  τη  φύση  του  νου.  Είναι  ταχύτατος, ακούραστος,  ανύστακτος  και  αδίστακτος,  αμετάβλητος  στην  πονηρία  και  κακία.

Μεταβάλλεται και μετασχηματίζεται αμέσως σε διάφορα σχήματα και μορφές, αν αυτό βοηθά  τον  πονηρό  του  σκοπό.  Μετακινείται  πάντοτε  ταχύτατα,  σε  κάθε  χώρο,  και μετέρχεται κάθε τρόπο, με κύριος σκοπό της παρεμπόδιση του θείου θελήματος.

ΠΗΓΗ.

Γέροντος  Ιωσήφ  Βατοπαιδινού, Συζητήσεις  στον  Άθωνα,  Ψυχωφελή  Βατοπαιδινά  13, εκδ. ΙΜΜ Βατοπαιδίου, Άγιον Όρος 2005.

Γ.Τασούδη.Μακαριστός Γέροντας Ιωσήφ Βατοπαιδινός.

Elder Joseph of Vatopaidi- On Practical repentance and its fruits

 Elder Joseph of Vatopaidi Monastery(Mount Athos)

Christ is the living truth. “I am the way, and the truth and the life” (John 14, 6). Therefore, He is life without beginning, unlimited (ἀπεριόριστος), unbound (ἀδέσμευτος), co-eternal with the Father, inseparable and undivided from him. “Praise be to God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For, he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will-to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding”. After this revelation follows the infinite blessing of the divine promises, which is initiated by the first calling made by Lord: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4,17). 

Through our repentance the essence and power of life is being revived inside us and the honor and value of our lost humanity is being restored through faith. Our ability to come into contact with and receive the grace of the Holy Spirit and in general of divine enlightenment is being renewed through the lament of repentance. This ability had initially been weakened by our transgressions. At the beginning of practical repentance, no matter how hard one is struggling one cannot achieve, as he imagined, his redemption nor can he be freed from the limitations of the ‘old self’ (παλαιόν άνθρωπον). Initially, he simply tries to control his sinful intentions and stop his practical submission to the passions and the sinful customs. He finally stops borrowing and begins to think about pay off. Sometimes he happily repels his passions and temptations, and at other times this becomes painful. Then he begins comparing to the best of his ability, how far he still is from true spiritual life, especially when his behavior towards others is improper. At this point he is presented with the need to blame himself and this leads him to humility without which there is no social life. Such task needs patience and perseverance, but the complete success only depends on God’s grace and “has nothing to do with us”.

 

            The Lord of the entire universe is truly encouraging us. He is the one who says: “Take heart, I have overcome the world!”(John 16, 33) Our real triumph is not the fact that these guarantees are being offered by the All Mighty Creator and God, but by Him as a person as well. The winner of the world, that is the winner of sin or rather the winner of all sin in all worlds and all time, the person Jesus Christ has become transcendent so that He renders transcendent all His followers. When we heed the divine commandments in our whole life, we are heading exactly towards the same victory. “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be given to you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples” (John 15, 7-8). We are only made worthy of this with Him (εν αυτώ) and by the power of His grace. There is no other path. No one else is capable of leading us, or of revealing to us the mysteries of divine treasures which are beyond nature, “for in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form” (Colossians 2,9). He alone contained in a single, eternal, divine deed the entire universe, the heavens, the earth as well as the infernal regions. If we decisively follow in His footsteps and remain steadfast in His teachings, we are able to perceive through His illumination, to participate in His transcendental “BEING” to the measure of our repentance.

            He who humbly repents feels that he embraces not just the visible but also the invisible creation by the power of love which spills over from his heart. This is so because this kind of prayer is most welcomed by God and an indication that he has acquired a “crashed spirit”. He, therefore, becomes, just as our Jesus, “all things to all men” (1 Corinthians 9, 22).

From now on, he who has tasted this sweetness let him be prepared to also taste the corresponding bitterness which is the result of the changes. Mother grace, which has so affectionately consoled and fortified the repenting soul and has saved it from the effects of temptations and ignorance; which  has raised it to perceive so many mysteries, suddenly becomes merciless and hides her presence. The repenting soul knocks at the door of repentance in vain; it knocks at the same door which had been immediately  opened in the past. Everything, everywhere looks gloomy and there is no help from anyone. “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”(Matthew 27, 46) There is no Simon Canaanite to lift our cross. Even if we thrice or many times cry out we are not able to clearly perceive the response. There is only one secret consolation: hope has not been extinguished but it silently encourages the fighter: “Do not be afraid. Just believe”. Let me rather cite the words of our great Father, the most Holy Elder Silouan: “Keep your mind in hell and do not despair”.

The saying : “I put on sackcloth and humbled myself with fasting” ( Psalm 35,13) becomes our daily duty as well as this one: “my tears have been my food day and night” ( Psalm 42,3).  Then again we remember our Lord’s encouraging words: “I will see you again and you will rejoice” (John 16, 22).

Serenity follows brainstorming and calm seas follow stormy waters. Grace reappears after the test of partial desertion; the soul begins to triumphantly chant: “You my Lord removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy” (Psalm 30, 12). The presence of the divine grace  after the testing period is of higher value and “sweeter than honey, honey from the comb” (Psalm 19, 10) because it enhances the perception of the divine love more than the soul had ever known before. Humility is also improved, since human worthlessness is being revealed compared to the might of the divine love and the soul confesses with crashed spirit: “It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees” (Psalms 119,72 … “I know o Lord that you laws are righteous” ( Psalm 119, 75 …“I have suffered much; renew my life o Lord, according to your word” (Psalm 119,107). This deep sense of humility expands man’s spiritual powers and introduces him to the realm of freedom. We come to perceive our “gentle and humble in heart” Jesus in humility and this is the meaning of “you will know the truth and the truth will set you free” (John 8, 32).

Thereafter, we enter the realm of the new creation and restored nature, where the air and the climate, according to our blessed elder, are different. The proprietors of this state become sons of the new age, according to Saint Makarius, and come to develop different kind of senses. “What is mortal is swallowed up by life” (2 Corinthians 5, 4). Our senses are completely revived so that they no longer behave irrationally but only as “in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness” (Romans 6, 19). Let no one think, however, that this luxury comes handy and effortlessly to anyone, but only after his victory over a tough trial of being patient in the face of temptation, through which the divine grace tests and tempts the fighters. “I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on rock and gave me a firm place to stand” (Psalm 40, 1-2). This saying comes from David’s psalms, who wishing to declare the hyperbolic degree of something, repeats the word “ypomenon ypemeina”( I waited patiently): I have excelled myself in the state of perseverance. This is what draws the Lord’s attention. He subsequently “lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire”. These are the deprivations and the desperation which follow harsh temptations. Then, “He set my feet on rock and gave me a firm place to stand”. “The rock” on which He set his feet is the acquired state of freedom. “The firm place” is the virtue of discernment. This is how the “old self” is being renewed. Soon, those who receive Christ with faith, conceive the hitherto strangeness of his teaching as the absolute truth. Man recognizes his worthlessness and comes towards the Father who has no beginning. He regards everything else as made of stone, as corrupted and worthless and the desire for prayer attracts him towards the personal, living God. He comes to perceive Him by His emptying of himself, since He went down to the infernal realm, down to Hades and subsequently ascended above all heaven and sat to the right of the Father in order to fulfill everything. Therefore from now on, He is the path and only through Him each one of us is able to come to the Father: “No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14,6).

As Paul says, the Christians have inherited an abundance of grace, more than what has been given to the prophets and those who lived before the law and during the appearance of the law. They came to perceive the divine matters in a shadowy and enigmatic manner, while “we have participated in divine nature” (2 Peter 4,). We have perceived with our senses and “our hands have touched” the Word of life. He Himself testifies: “Blessed are your eyes because they see and your ears because they hear. For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it” ( Matthew 13,16-17). Paul assures us that the knowledge of Christ’s mystery was given to us by the Holy Spirit, something which “was not made known to men in other generations” (Ephesians 3, 5). This mystery is so great and wonderful that the Church should make known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms “the manifold wisdom of God, according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. In Him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence”. (Ephesians 3, 10-12) The essence of this mystery is for us to recognize Him, as well as the power of His resurrection and to communicate with His PASSION in order “to attain to the resurrection from the dead”. (Philippians 3, 10) The risen Lord, who has sat at the right of the Father, has descended to the lowest regions of the earth. Therefore, the path which leads us to Him requires us to empty ourselves through suffering. That is the reason why the phase of the various temptations exists. Our corrupted image has distorted the faculties of our intellect. Therefore the decrees “be holy for I am holy” (A Peter 1, 16) and “be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5, 48) must become our absolute duty.  “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14, 22) and justifiably “a righteous man may have many troubles” (Psalms34, 19). It is through the violent struggle against the irrational laws which affect our corrupted body, that we convince the restoring grace to reform us. That is the reason why our Fathers have embraced the love for hard work even to an extent well beyond their own ability. They have grasped the meaning of the saying: “if we died with him we will also live with him” (B Timothy 2, 11) and have truly nullified their bodily members. Thus they became worthy of wearing the image of the divine. They have learnt by experience that before they enter life they must go through Golgotha. Therefore, they did not allow their tired feet to walk the broad and easy road, but they followed the narrow and steep path throughout their lives in order to reach their Savior Christ, who had died and risen for them.

            Our Lord promises to those who wish to follow Him with the appropriate self denial, a hundredfold reward in this life and His eternal kingdom in the afterlife. By ‘hundredfold’ reward He does not mean the physical goods or peoples’ appreciation, but the spiritual gifts which freshen the soul, and the supernatural contemplations which render us capable of communicating with the divine mysteries. Since “the kingdom of God is within us” ( Luke 17, 21) it does not hide its mysteries from the one who heeds its precepts,  but responds to the silent exhalations of his heart in a motherly way, and reveals to him what is in store in the future for him. It also shows him those who lived before him and how they are now participating in the divine glory to the measure of their adequacy. The fruits of the Holy Spirit, the divine gifts which are the strength of the Church, are shared amongst the god-loving and hard-working fighters. It is in this way that those who live insignificant and despised lives during the period of their struggle become honest and respected later because they offer support and comfort to the faithful since they have been “instructed by God” and “bring out of their storeroom new treasures as well as old” ( Matthew 13, 52). “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires” (Galatians 5, 22) and “no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again” (2 Corinthians 5, 15). It is obvious that they also participate in His charismas. “To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another the ability to speak in different kind of tongues and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines” (1 Corinthians 8-12).

If all these and other gifts, which the Lord distributes to those who love him, are only the hundredfold of those they themselves have abandoned to follow Him, no one is able to describe how grand would the eternal gifts be after the regeneration. The godly have only been “partly” allowed to comprehend such grandeur since they still are in the struggling (στρατευομένην) Church. No one is capable of judging “spiritual people and spiritual issues”, but the spiritual people alone judge everything. We are therefore not able to evaluate anything, but we may only slightly describe what they themselves have confessed to us. Spiritual charismas are a gift of the very same All Holy Spirit; some precede and others follow. But all are given to the Church to meet its needs and therefore they are revealed in the appropriate circumstances to help the faithful. Some, like the gifts of prophesy and healing are described as ‘introductory’. To some, the gift of healing is given in accordance with their faith while the gift of prophesy is given to those who have a more strict conscience. The gift of prophesy is sometimes given in stages through prescience; the latter seems to be rather a residue from man’s original personality which has been corrupted by the fall. Prescience is also met amongst relatives. Therefore, many mothers have a premonition about the suffering of their own children or twins share in each other’s pain even when they are far away from each other. This gift is sometimes found in the faithful during their first spiritual stage, as soon as they start living a godly life and are cleansed from sin. Any spiritual advancement boosts prescience to the level of vision. If the intellect reaches illumination by the grace of Christ, then the gifts of foresight and prophesy are granted by the will of the Holy Spirit. God’s charismas are always found in abundance in those who are simple in their character and are like children spiritually. All these gifts are handed over to the ardent lovers of the divine love, like Paul, who was thinking “that everything was insignificant to him in order to win Christ” (Philippians 3, 18?) Very few people in each generation are granted such charismas.

Discernment is regarded by the Fathers as “the highest of all virtues”. Therefore, we will not be mistaken if we place this virtue in the highest rank. What else is discernment other than ‘the spiritual eyes’, which perceive and discriminate the mysteries of the natural and spiritual world in all dimensions like the cherubs do? The Lord’s decree “have salt in you” (Mark 9, 50) is not far removed from the meaning of the virtue of discernment. “The wise man has eyes in his head” (Ecclesiastes 2, 14). What else does this verse mean other than the ‘eyes’ of discernment? How many times did our blessed elder describe this virtue to us and how many times have our Fathers written about it from their own experience? Those of our Fathers who have been blessed with the fragrance of this virtue of the Holy Spirit, have always become the centre of attention for the people of their generation, who approach them to learn God’s wishes and solve their personal queries. Such people are like the Abbot Pimen- the true lamp stand of discernment; the great elders Barsanoufius and John; the professors of the spiritual law: Marc the Ascetic and Saint Maximus the Confessor and many others, who have always been regarded as the “proprietors of sight” among the congregation of the Church. These people, as participants in the all illuminating charisma of the Spirit, may repeat along with Paul “We are not unaware of Satan’s schemes” (B Corinthians 2, 11). They are pure in heart, have perfected themselves in obedience and submission and have completely denied their own will; they also possess strict conscience and have absolutely no selfishness; they persevere in the spiritual task of the Lord’s Prayer and keep the memory of God constantly in their minds; they diligently persevere in the face of temptations. Such people are declared as the true keepers of the mysteries of the Lord and are awarded the virtue of discernment. They become spiritual beacons for the people, the spiritual eyes of the Church and the break-waters of the evil one. The Lord’s command “work and keep” (Genesis 2, 15) is perfectly applied to them and they become able to shepherd Christ’s flock.

Therefore, after God, let us regard our conscience as the sleepless guardian and the unambiguous rule for each of our actions. “Then, being aware of the direction of the wind, we will open our sails accordingly” (Saint John of the Ladder, Chapter ΚΣΤ, paragraph 5).

source: Translated by Olga Konari Kokkinou from the Greek edition: Γέροντος Ιωσήφ Βατοπαιδινού, Αθωνική Μαρτυρία, Ψυχοφελή Βατοπαιδινά 2, Έκδοσις β΄, Ιερά Μεγίστη Μονή Βατοπαιδίου, Άγιον Όρος 2008.

Source-Pemptousia.com

Elder Joseph of Vatopaidi-On Humility and the Humble Outlook

The title of this speech in Greek is ‘Περί ταπεινώσεως και ταπεινοφροσύνης’. An Elder has explained the difference as being that ‘ταπεινοφροσύνη’ is an attitude of mind (hence ‘humble outlook’), while ‘ταπείνωσις’ (‘humility’) is from the heart. In practice, however, the terms are often used interchangeably.

Without question, the Scriptures as a whole, as well as Patristic philosophy, are ‘seasoned with salt’, as it were, garlanded with the good mother of the virtues, the humble outlook. This is particularly noticeable at the points related to the behavior and comportment of people living by the direct instructions to reach their destination and striving to put these into practice through repentance.

In another homily, we referred to obedience as a virtue. Now we’re obliged to describe humility as an attribute, the character and form of the soul and of the personality.

If duty is an inviolable rule of life for rational beings, how much superior to it must be the personal attributes, the form and the character? And if, again, humility were only a human skill and achievement, which adorns and perfects rational beings, without it also being divine, human boldness would be able to describe it. But from the moment that it was revealed to us that it reaches as far as the Incarnate Word of God Himself, humility became something beyond that which human thought can conceive, and which can be understood only with admiration and astonishment. He Himself says: ‘Learn from my example, for I am meek and humble in heart’.

Elder Joseph of Vatopaidi-On the Mystery of the Faith of the Saints

  Elder Joseph of Vatopaidi

You see what a great thing is faith? This is precisely what God asks of humanity. And we continuously hear that beautiful hymn of the Apostle Paul. For it is not simply an epistle, or a letter, which was written by an illumined man. This is a God-revealed hymn: "[All the Saints] through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the mouth of the sword, were made powerful out of infirmities, became strong in battle. Women received by a rising again their dead, and others were tortured, not accepting the redemption, that a better rising again they might receive, and others of mockings and scourgings did receive trial, and yet of bonds and imprisonment; they were stoned, they were sawn asunder, they were tried; in the killing of the sword they died; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins -- being destitute, afflicted, injuriously treated..."(Heb. 11:33-37). And as you know, the splendid hymn continues.

All these prizes, all these triumphs which renew and complete the relationship of the human race with God, were born from faith. This is what saves us. Faith is what extends to each of us, the choir of the faithful, and is what justifies everything.

We now come to a deeper mystery. All these Forefathers were those who were inclined towards revelation and hence to these people it was granted to be given the blessing; for God pre-ordained them and called them and dwelled among them, that He may boast of being their God. These also received the immediate promises and spoke face to face with God. And still all of these despite the certainty of the promises which were effectively revealed from above, won their divine reverence, their piety, and in general their turning to God, with a comprehensive cross, that is to say, with sadness, with grief, with persecution, with discomfort, and nearly expired from this world without seeing anything of all that which was promised by God, except for symbols and periods of various experiences. Do you see the mystery? In this valley of lamentations, the divine promises are partly seen, partly known, and partly revealed. This is precisely where we apply the following: "Whoever is wise, let him heed these things and consider the mercy of the Lord" (Ps. 106:43 LXX).

This is the way by which we the chosen through faith abide in and keep our relationship with God and His promises. Again, interpreting through faith, in the midst of immense long-suffering, patience and endurance, in the midst of the trials of temptations, we will be perfected like all the saints.

"Testimony from Mount Athos"Elder Joseph of Vatopaidi On Delusion

I think that we will not deviate from our subject if we give here a more detailed account of this demonic calamity which torments mankind. Delusion is the devil substantially and existentially. Through wrongful and selfish thoughts and judgements he has severed himself from the truth, God, from whom he had been receiving his participation in the “well being” and the entire normal performance of his personality. Thus he became The delusion, because he has not been truly and correctly thinking and acting. Having then been subjected to a total reversal, he first revolted against his own self and then he passed on to his victims his own corruption.

            According to our Fathers, only good has a real existence.The non good is devoid of personality and status.This is what has happened to the devil by necessity; He has lost his personality. However, when he is trying to assume a status and a personality, which he is naturally lacking, he forges it and this is what delusion is.

            Of course the devil exists as an entity, because he has died in the face of the Lord as well as in the sense of  any goodness, but he exists as a body of “death” in accordance with his corrupted entity. Nevertheless, he does not present himself under this nothingness but steals the methods and schemes of whatever is good, useful and beneficial- acting falsely and deceitfully- and deludes those who believe in him. He incessantly tries to haul human nature into the revolt of his own demise, either totally or partly. This act is and is called DELUSION.

              Satan’s first frontal attack was seen during the first appearance of divine revelation. The Creator’s providence towards His created beings extends beyond His creating energy towards their preservation as a constant and prolonged intervention. The Devil cannot corrupt God’s constructive intervention towards the creation in accordance with the unspeakable and unfathomable ways of His divine All Might. Thus he deceitfully interferes with the prolonged preservation and stewardship of the creation, especially of the rational beings.

"Testimony from Mount Athos"-Elder Joseph of Vatopaidi-On the state of grief

“Grief in the Lord(or grief for the sake of the Lord- Πένθος κατα Θεόν) is the state in which the soul feels gloomy; it is the disposition of the aching heart, which does not cease fervently seeking that for which it feels thirst. The longer it takes for it to attain to this goal, the harder the heart struggles chasing after it and runs after it with painful lament”.( Saint John of the Ladder, 7th Word on On the joy-producing grief”)

            Grief and  what follows from it, are the most valuable tools and spoils of repentance. Without them our repentance is doubtful. What other means or tools could the penitent show when he is called upon to appear at the gate of the courts of repentance? What alternative posture is available to the convict and the condemned if not his sad, mournful and tearful attitude? That is the reason why grief not only is set as a prerequisite of repentance but is also blessed: “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted” ( Matthew 5,4)

            The factors which make up the state of grief are well known and I do not think that there is any man on this earth who has never been acquainted with them. If by ‘grief’ we generally mean ‘common grief’, definitely most or rather all the descendents of the first man have experienced this pain because “your whole head is injured, your whole heart afflicted”( Isaiah, 1,5). We are endorsing grief in the Lord (κατά Θεόν πένθος) as the state of mind which every penitent must acquire if he is to succeed in his goal. Tears stemming from social grieving and the hardships of life are of no value. On the contrary, they corrupt  their victims since “a crushed spirit dries up the bones” ( Proverbs 17,22). Tears in the Lord (or tears for the sake of the Lord- κατά Θεόν δάκρυα) freshen and comfort man like good envoys sent to our Lord and introduce us to His heaven, just as He promises: “Blessed are you who weep now for you will laugh”( Luke 6,21).

            The comprehensive love for hard work (φιλοπονία) is the main cause of grief. However, all the other tasks for which one is struggling also create this mournful state which conveys grief and lament. “Thirst and lack of sleep coerce the heart. When the heart is pressurized tears sprout”(Saint John of the Ladder, Word 6th, On the memory of death, paragraph 14). Every labour the body undertakes gives reason for grief and lament, if the penitent realises that this hardship reflects his effort for repentance.

            When we speak to the people today about grief, they think it is weird since they believe that crying is a shame. Of course it is not worth crying about transient and vain things. This kind of grief is part of the social convention. Our spiritual grief ( πνευματικόν πένθος) has more to do with our relationship with God and is a product not so much of our choice but of the grace of the Holy Spirit. The heart is coerced and causes the mournful state of grief when we recognise our responsibility for our trespasses. However, the spiritual grief which caused the Lord’s blessing is not the product of our invention but a gift from grace. God’s love approaches the heart and this causes spiritual joy, which is derived from the experience of the rejuvenation of our transformation or rather of our resurrection.

When the penitent is found at the state of “becoming” (γίγνεσθαι), whereby he is trying to intensify his cry towards our Savior, his tears become “his daily bread”. Similarly, “I eat ashes as my food and mingle my drink with tears”( Psalm 102,9). However, the divine power of the Father does not delay in sheltering and in advancing the mourner from the state of purification to that of illumination on which our entire hope rests. “You, O Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light..With your help I can run through a barricade” (Psalm 101,10).

            The humiliated heart, which has first been pierced by the arrows of the devil and then by the fatherly love of our Saviour after its repentance, has no other means of expressing itself than by tears. One is naive if one thinks that he can follow in the footsteps of Christ without shedding these double tiered (διπλά) tears. No matter how much the unfeeling heart has turned to stone by its demonic selfishness or by its monstrous self-love, the divine fire of Christ’s fatherly love is capable of softening it and making it as tender as a child’s. It is difficult for one to understand what we are talking about if one has never felt the flame of such love. But even at this latter stage, let one try to heed the first phrase of the gospel: “repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” ( Matthew 4,17) and he will experience this warmth reviving him.

            Grief, which we are describing as ‘spiritual’, has nothing to do with psychopathological phenomena. It is inexorably connected to the memory of God and thrives in the fire of divine love. Grief increases more and more when the fear and anxiety that it may retreat intensifies in the mind. This heavenly fire, while refreshing the heart, consumes passions and illuminates the mind; “our God is a consuming fire” ( Hebrews 12,29). When the mind perceives grace’s alliance, it regains its strength but it specifically empowers the soul to defend itself and stand up and fight. The four forces of the soul: wisdom, prudence, bravery and justice ( φρόνησις,  σωφροσύνη, ανδρεία και δικαιοσύνη), which had been enslaved by passions and darkness are hence being restored and the mind is able with their help to rout the strangers “as if they are one man”. The deeper our cry of repentance, the more decisively we are set free from the many, apparent needs. Hence frugality is advanced to actual indigence(ακτημοσύνην). The irrational fear for the need of self-preservation ceases while the second faith, that of contemplation becomes our property.Then, as our ever-memorable elder used to stress, man is able to breath an air of freedom.

During this state there is nothing which resembles the elements of this world. The air we breath, the light we see, the weight we feel, and generally speaking this body, are all transfigured to become heavenly and godly. More specifically, the light is the uncreated light which surrounds the “divine being” and pours out from none other than our God. It is the food of the immaterial angels, the joy and garment of the godly and our own expectation.

“I was trying to examine it”, our blessed elder was confiding “and it was becoming inconceivable. It was the purest white, immaterial. And funnily enough it seemed to be inside the body, outside and everywhere”. God “dwelling in the light”( A Timothy 6,16) wishes to approach the grieving soul with the fire of His love and abridge the length of our separation. For its part, the soul moved by the enormity of the award, expresses itself through whole-hearted tears, which are the measure of its own love, since it has nothing else to offer, because our Lord is in need of nothing (απροσδεής) and all-perfect (υπερτέλειος). “What God is so great as our God? You are the God who performs miracles”(Psalm 77,13-14).

The painful and bitter tears of repentance have been transformed into tears of love. This means that our prayer has been received by Christ, who has opened the inner sanctuary behind the curtain for us to enter, “where he went before us, has entered on our behalf”( Hebrews 6,20) through His tears at Gethsemane. “For all of you who were baptised in Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ”( Galatians 3,27)says the Church. And those of you who have been baptised in the divine and uncreated light, you have been clothed with it for ever. It is in this way that the God of all( ο επί πάντων Θεός), becomes everything to everyone in favour of the humilitated and grieving soul. “And in my prosperity I said I shall never be moved. Lord by your favour you have made my mountain stand strong, but when you hid your face and I was dismayed” ( Psalm 30,6-7). The more we take care to preserve this state of grief, the longer grace remains with us, since it is rather from grace that the total energy is derived. Several times however despite our vigilance, this blessing is interrupted and then the following verse of the psalm is applicable: “You hid your face and I was dismayed”. Such conditions are inevitable during our lives, but remain hidden from the masses. Our Fathers call these conditions “changes”, which always accompany man in his practical struggle until such time as he transcends the second stage, i.e the illumination with the help of grace, and enters the deification or final stage, where total spiritual love reigns and the divine promises are absolutely accomplished.

Loving hard work willingly and continuously proves the practical presence of humility. Here God “gives grace to the humble”( James 4,6). And again: “I humbled myself and the Lord did save me”(Psalm 114,6?) When the energies of passions cease and divine grace assesses that the soul has made enough progress, it will certainly permit temptation to enter. Here again, changes will appear. If temptations present themselves before the cessation of passions, then this means that there was some carelessness which needs to be rectified and the spirit crashed so that “the lame may not be disabled but rather healed”( Hebrews 12,13). Natural temptations, through which all the devout have been tested, will show up only in their appropriate place, as we have said before, and all of them are invaluable. That is the reason why our Fathers stress: “remove the temptations and no one will be saved”. If according to the scriptures “things that cause people to sin are bound to come”( Luke 17,1) who can swim through these seas in calm waters? The saying: “We went through fire and water but you brought us to a place of abundance”(Psalm 66,12) will also be applicable on us, because it is only through this path that the countless martyrs and confessors and all those who loved God, have travelled.

We have spoken about changes which, after our fall, are the inseparable companions of our lives, just like parasites. They also show up together with the various temptations, and they will also have to be targeted during our continuous fight. Temptations, which test our faith in God, are not just external and neutral, but also internal, through the natural changes which have to do with our physical world. According to our fathers, the changes have four causes. They transform the body’s constitution and convey either good or bad thoughts to the mind. These are: the angels, the demons, the environmental climate and diet. Because of such effects, the natural laws of our constitution change and convey the relevant thoughts to the mind. When the Lord wishes, the angels change man’s thoughts and disposition through words; when the Lord permits either to educate or to test man, demons affect man by contact; while the environment and diet upset man’s health and alter his disposition and intentions. There are also some acquired influences which come from memory or hearing or sight and are caused by bizarre, horrifying, distressing or pleasant events. This whole irregularity, which takes place  unexpectedly, especially if there are some passionate inclinations of the soul which alter a man’s state, is and is described as ‘temptation’. These are more or less the temptations caused by the various changes. But the ‘labyrinth’ under examination is immeasurable. David was justified when he was lamenting “Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand”( Psalm 139,18), And again this is what he was writing on the dire causes of temptations: “A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you” (Psalm 91-7)

After the fall, since man lives in the valley of tears because he has shown preference for the passionate knowledge (or flawed knowledge-εμπαθή γνώση), ought from now on to engage in a constant fight against evil as if he is a prisoner on death row, in order to practically confess his opposition to evil and restore his obedience and his dependence on God, whose grace has been given as a present through his baptism.

The whole meaning of our life in this world is none other than to be constantly confessing since we have fallen because we have denied God’s wishes. The incarnate Word God, concerned about our salvation, has granted us the absolution of our guilt through the shedding of His blood. However, He has left it to us to chose the way with which we are to reverse our treason, so that we may replace the willing denial with the willing confession. He did not give an order for the way this was to be done, but gave a practical example of the perfect submission and obedience to the Father, by His presence, “nothing is similar to the greatness of the father”(μηδέν ων ήττον τής πατρικής μεγαλωσύνης). “So that every mouth be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God” ( Romans 3,19).

 Since God created everything as “very good”, man could not render imperfect the creation through his own trespass. Therefore, the cause and the restoration of the trespass belongs to the very carrier of the disorder. In his incomparable love however, the Lord’s only begotten Son has set Himself as the model, becoming man, in order to reveal the fullness of His love to the creation and practically teach  obedience as a cure for disobedience and rebellion.

source: Translated by Olga Konari Kokkinou from the Greek edition: Γέροντος Ιωσήφ Βατοπαιδινού, Αθωνική Μαρτυρία, Ψυχοφελή Βατοπαιδινά 2, Έκδοσις β΄, Ιερά Μεγίστη Μονή Βατοπαιδίου, Άγιον Όρος 2008.

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THE PRACTICAL EXPRESSION OF LOVE TOWARDS THE LORD

(On the feast day of Saint Paul of Thebes and John Kalyvitis)

  

 Elder Joseph of Vatopaidi      

 Our Church honours the two great saints, Paul of Thebes and John Kalyvitis. Their life stories are a little strange but quite fitting for us, monks. The former was among the first people to become monks, since he had truly forsaken the world and went to the desert all alone. Both lived alone with the Lord, something which was unheard of those days and rare. In a sense they were the pioneers of this way of life. The latter, (John Kalyvitis) lived later than Paul. He was a young child when he left home to become a monk, burning with zeal. A few years later, he left his monastery and returned to his home, but stayed only at the front step, fighting struggles beyond human power and ended his life there.

           One marvels sometimes. What gave them such vigour to carry out such superhuman struggles? This is what really concerns us. We end up wondering sometimes: ‘Why can’t we do this?’How could they do it?’ We even study the cases of martyrs, who were human like us, to find out how they could endure such horrifying trials; this shocks us even just hearing about them! Can anyone say that these stories were blown up? Woe, we cannot even think that! What is their secret, therefore? In whose name did these human beings made of flesh, manage to accomplish such achievement?

          Obviously, the first explanation is that they have accomplished such feats through Divine Grace. But then again, we wonder: ‘Ok. Was the Lord assisting only those? Is He absent in other generations? Is the Lord biased? Does He chose some people, whom He strengthens and promotes and gives others a miss?’ Such questions are always appropriate.  The Lord is the One who gives His grace and accomplishes ‘signs and wonders’ but it is man who causes Grace to operate. Thereafter, this same man with the assistance of Grace accomplishes these tasks which are beyond human nature. Therefore, what is the main reason behind all these?  What is the reason which causes this kind of Grace to operate? We will find the answer in the writings of our holy Fathers.  Once, St Paul of Thebes was having a conversation with Saint Antony the Great. St Paul asked St Antony: ‘How come your name is better known than mine, since I have fought more fierce battles than you?’ Obviously their conversation was not so much for their benefit as for ours, when we were going to learn of it later. St Antony teasingly replied: ‘It is simply because I love the Lord more than you. My name has become better known only because I love the Lord more than you’.

          Now the mystery has begun to unravel. He who accomplishes more is the one who loves the Lord more and Divine Grace influences him more. This is the key! In practice how are we to love the Lord more so that Grace increases in us and assists us in overcoming our despicable ways which hamper our spiritual progress? This is the most appropriate question for us, as monks.

          If we are to show how much we love the Lord in practice, we ought to obey His commands. ‘Whoever does not love me does not keep my words’ (John 14, 24). Also ‘whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he is the one who loves me’ (John 14, 20). I can safely say that to a great extent what causes this outcome is the expression of our love towards the Lord; we have also heard this from our Fathers and it is worth keeping. Such an expression (of love) begins with the memory of the Lord.  Someone, who says that he loves the Lord but does not remember Him is like someone who is not telling the truth. We all have such an experience. Our mind sticks on the subject of our love or on what has captured our attention. If we truly wish to love the Lord, we are obliged to force ourselves to keep remembering Him constantly. We must do what St Gregory the Theologian says: ‘It is better to remember the Lord rather than breathe’.

          These are the keys; one after the other. The mysteries, which may have been unfathomable, now unravel in front of us. Obviously earlier fathers had more dedication towards hard work and more muscle. They themselves reveal that they had entered into the struggle with such commitment towards hard work and lived through such harsh conditions, that not only they did not submit to any pleasure or vanity, but they did not even obey the laws of necessity. Having such passion for hard work it was obvious that they would find Someone whose memory they would hold on to.  For this reason, they particularly concentrated on the issues of the mental prayer and inwardness and held the former to a high esteem. This issue was handed down to us and it is very consoling and pleasurable. Indeed we, more than our forefathers, are weak and have neither selflessness nor any ability. However, we do wish to be saved. Thus we have a double issue here.  We wish to be saved- and we most certainly must be saved- but our passions are more powerful since we are weak and have no selflessness. Unfortunately we also commit more sins.  Therefore, we must get rid of the passions since their existence hampers our deliverance. Thus, we must hasten to cause the influence of Grace, so that she can help us, free us from the bondage of our passions and from our weaknesses and guide us to our salvation.

          Thus, we, more than our predecessors, need to locate Divine Grace operating inside us, both in quality and quantity. We are only required to express our love towards the Lord through this means, namely His memory. Therefore, we ought to force ourselves to recite the mental prayer.  If someone wishes to keep remembering the Lord there is no better way than this.  All virtues are somehow the paths, the routes which lead us towards the Lord, towards His memory and towards our relationship with Him. But there is no better virtue than the mental prayer which leads us directly and actively towards the memory of the Lord. It is for this reason that our Fathers, with whom we lived, have insisted on this issue. And if you ask me, I also say to you that as monks, we ought to adhere to this prayer on top of all the other promises we have given. We may make some allowances for other things but not on this. We are all able to stick with this, if we want to. Whether standing, or sitting, whether we are sick or working, walking or eating or whatever else we are doing, we must recite the prayer for as long as we are awake so that we even recite it in our sleep. To those who have made some progress, the mental prayer operates in their sleep. You must be attentive and keep trying. You must not give up in any way. Let’s go to our cells now and get on with it. We will meet with resistance and temptation, of course. We know these things.  It is possible to make progress and feel at peace for one or two nights, a week or a fortnight. This cannot possibly continue; it will be interrupted. Sleepiness will come or slumber or various thoughts and a thousand other predicaments, of which we all have had experience. It is irrational to be scared since we know who will come and from where and what he is looking for. However, we also know that our goal is to preserve on the memory of the Lord and on this we will insist. Won’t he let us stand? Let us sit down. Won’t he let us sit but brings on sleepiness? We will get up again. Will he not allow us to stand? Let us walk. He comes and pressurizes us. We are overwhelmed by various thoughts. We stop for a second and somehow talk with ourselves or rather we tell the one who is opposing us: ‘What do you want from me? I will not give up. I did not come here by chance. I am fully aware of my mission and I know very well that I am a monk. I will not retreat. This is my duty. I love my Jesus, who has called me to follow Him and I will continue to pursue Him. I will not allow you to stop me’.

            In his way we fortify our determination, we receive some courage and continue on our way. Doesn’t the mind stay on the prayer? Is it confused and stressed by various thoughts? Never mind. The lips are praying. The lips will not stop. They will continue reciting the prayer and will call out: ‘Yes, Devil. You will not allow the mind to concentrate on the prayer? I will call out with my lips. My Lord knows even the movements of my hands. I insist and I will call upon Him and He will come to my rescue. ‘Raise the war cry you nations, and be shattered! Listen all you distant lands. Prepare for battle, and be shattered! Prepare for battle, and be shattered! Devise your strategy, but it will be thwarted; propose your plan, but it will not stand, for God is with us’ (Isaiah 8, 9-10).

          If we insist in this way, be certain that we will succeed since our lives are entirely programmed by the Lord’s providence and this cannot possibly be forged. Aren’t we offended  how a child,  12- 13 years old as Saint John Kalyvitis was when he became a monk, returned and crashed Satan’s power with such selflessness, which horrifies us even to hear of it? What kind of child was he? Was he like ourselves, who were farmers and laborers and have had experience of the harsh life? What did he know of life other than how to live in opulence? And look what he had achieved! He provoked Divine Grace with his selflessness and she awarded him with so many trophies.

          We are also looking to acquire this same Grace. St Paul of Thebes had acquired it from the very first time without realizing it. He dared leave for the desert alone without company, counsel, experience or knowledge and fought with the battalions of demons without any fear in the face of such unrelenting temptations. He did not turn back. He had faith in the Lord and was saying to himself: ‘It is not possible. I have started this for the sake of the Lord. It is not possible for Him to abandon me’. And indeed he has succeeded.

source: Translated by Olga Konari Kokkinou from the Greek edition: Γέροντος Ιωσήφ Βατοπαιδινού, Διδαχές από τον Άθωνα, Εκδόσεις ‘Το Αγιον Όρος’, Θεσσαλονίκη, 1989.

"Testimony from Mount Athos"-Elder Joseph of Vatopaidi -On temptations

The whole combat and struggle which the recruited members of the Church have to fight against has only one meaning and one purpose: to win over the organised evil, which is none other than the denial of God’s will. All the resisting powers which are provoking and coercing us to become traitors and apostates, are called ‘temptations’ and have many causes. Their name ‘pirasmos’( πειρασμός- temptation) also reveals part of their features, since it is only through combat and struggle that we acquire “pira”,(πείρα- experience) and perceive the mysteries of divine justice, which is the “spiritual law”, through which our Lord governs His creation.

The types of temptations are various, but they have only one purpose: To prove that we are cowards and unfaithful in the face of the Lord and prevent us from accessing the goods promised to the faithful: “resurrection and life”. Each temptation is neither pointless nor accidental as some people believe. But it is also neither just the malicious product of the subject who has provoked it, be it the devil or another person. Those who provoke or carry the temptations are usually numerous and varied. However, temptations are not deeds falling under their assailant’s own authority, but have been ceded by God who governs and manages everything. If it is said: “All the hairs on your head are numbered”( Matthew 10,30) and “It does not depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy”( Romans 9,16) then truly “now Lord what wait I for my hope is in thee”(Psalm 39,7).

We have earlier cited the views of our Fathers regarding these issues as well as of the fact that whatever happens to man is caused by his own thoughts or deeds. The spirit-bearing (πνευματοφόροi) Fathers have cited five main reasons why our Lord gives permission to our enemies to launch a fight against us. The first reason is that by fighting, we learn to discriminate virtue from evil. The second reason is to enable us to establish a firm and unwavering ownership of that which is achieved through pain and combat.The third reason is to help us remain humble and not think highly of ourselves, while we are advancing in virtue and justice.The fourth reason is to learn to absolutely hate vice. The fifth and final reason is to remind us not to forget our own infirmity, nor the Lord who has been helping us in everything “in order to become impassioned with the grace of God”.

God is by nature good, or rather He is Goodness and All Good (αὐτοαγαθότης καὶ ὑπεράγαθος). There is no  hardship or tribulation in His will in accordance with His own good pleasure (κατ᾿ εὐδοκίαν θέλημα) for his own creatures and especially man. The accumulated hardships which befall our nature are not the result of God’s will in accordance with His own good pleasure, but the result of the dispensation of His providence ( οικονομία) and concession (παραχώρηση). If man remained steadfast in the first will of God, which is in accordance with His own good pleasure, none of the other wills would have been revealed since they would not be needed in correcting our insolent behaviour. Man’s disobedience and fall has corrupted the harmonious performance of the created beings. Therefore, the other attributes of God’s will presented themselves, causing the hitherto rebellious nature to return to equilibrium. From this point onwards all temptations which cause our continuous fight are tolerated by God’s dispensation of his providence in order to recall us to order since what is inside, outside and around us, which constitutes our world, is rebelling both towards its own nature as well as towards the Creator. The cunning and insidious enemy and avenger devil has assumed authority over us ever since the first man had willingly submitted to him. Human nature became diseased ever since. Therefore, after the fall our good judgement has been corrupted, our “every inclination of our heart is evil from childhood”( Genesis 8,21) and has become the carrier of everything that is irrational and wicked. Our intentions in principle agree with the meaning of repentance given by God. But in practice, the above factors resist repentance and therefore we needed someone to intervene and assist if we were to secure our salvation. This subsidiary assistance which was granted to us by God’s mercy, takes the form of assaults ( επιφοραί), permitted by the divine providence in order to wake us up and contribute to our improvement, since all the elements of our existence act negatively. “When we are judged by the Lord we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world” ( 1 Corinthians 11,32). According to Saint Maximus the Confessor “Just as the nights follow the days and the winters follow the summers, sorrow and pain follows pride and pleasure”.( Saint Maximus the Confessor, Four Hundred Chapters on Love, Second hundred , paragraph 65)

 Hardship and sorrow have been permitted so that we pay for the trespasses of our sinful lives while still alive, otherwise the disease of our crimes would continue unto the future and our salvation will be lost. “It is not possible for one who has sinned to avoid the future judgement unless he perseveres in either willing hardship or unwilling tribulation in this life”( As above, paragraph 66). Elsewhere he says: “Let no one deceive you, monk, that you may be saved, if you are a slave of pleasure and pride”( as above, paragraph 63) “When an unexpected temptation afflicts you, do not blame the one who caused it, but examine why it has afflicted you, and you will be able to correct yourself. Since no matter where it came from, you had to drink this bitter drink of God’s judgement” (As above, paragraph 42). One more verse offering an overview of temptations is the following: “Temptations are sent to some people from God to wipe out the transgressions already committed; to others for sins which are currently being committted and to others to prevent them from committing the sins which they were about to commit in the future. Of course there are the exceptions, like the temptations sent to someone to test him, similar to those sent to Job” ( as above, paragraph 45).

Let us mention one simple example from our daily lives. We are trying to fulfill our duties as Christians, but no matter how hard we try somehow we slip, since there is no such thing as infallibility. We are certainly able to correct our mistakes through repentance according to our judgement, but usually our regret is not as it should be if it was to erase our guilt. Hence our dues remain unpaid. Such dues increase with the passing of time because of the complications posed by causes and occasions and by our own weakness. The ‘amount’ outstanding becomes tens, hundreds, and thousands and is unknown to us but is accurately accounted for by the divine justice. What ought we to do now? Either we firmly repent in accordance with the gravity of the trespass or we are going to be condemned after our death and lose out on our salvation. In this case, God’s dispensation of His providence sends a discipline, a conventional assault” («συμβατικὴ ἐπιφορά»)- some reluctanly received painful warning- which is appropriate to the ‘volume’ of the tresspasses. This settles our outstanding dues otherwise our salvation would be questionable. Generally speaking, all the hardships which affect our lives are of this kind. On our part, we do not understand the purpose of divine providence and we get annoyed against people or things who have caused the events.

Sometimes these events are not caused by our own mistakes but by our own negligence or ingenuousness. In this case, the All Goodness allows us to be tempted in order to obstruct the progress of our intentions before any damage, possibly huge, occurs. These kind of temptations are called “preventive” (προλαμβάνοντες πειρασμοί). There are also acquired temptations which are caused by our communication with others of ‘the ascending or descending’ type. One is communicating with the temptations afflicting others. For example, the unjust communicates with the temptations afflicting the one who has suffered the injustice, the critic with those of the criticized, the slanderer with those of the slandered and generally speaking, the tempter communicates with the temptations of the person tempted. This is the descending type of communicating with temptations. The ascending type takes place when the spiritual fathers via prayer, remove the temptations of their spiritual children or of those they are praying for.         Of course, we also have the great temptations suffered by Christ’s saints, who have taken upon themselves the world’s sin and founded the Church. This is why one should never feel burdened by anyone and moan against him; he is only paying for his dues because of his own negligence or bad judgment.

We have been trying to describe the nature of temptations and their attributes but we cannot hide the fact that we have become frightened even by their depiction. When Saint Mary of Egypt was confessing to Abbot Zosima and was accounting for the bitter hardships she had suffered, caused by temptations, she responded in his questions thus: “Father, please do not force me to describe them in detail since I am scared in case they return”. The same thing happens to everyone when they refer to temptations. May the Lord rescue us from their force and manic power. However, how can this be done if our salvation becomes impossible without them?  “The Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father punishes the son he delights in”(Proverbs 3,12) And again: “Blessed is the man you discipline O Lord, the man you teach from your law”( Psalms  94,12). And also: “If you are not disciplined, and everyone undergoes discipline, then you are illegitimate children and not true sons”( Hebrews 12,8).

The fight against tribulation is not so hard when the grace of God assists us. “I put to death and I bring to life. I have wounded I will heal, and no one can deliver from my hand” ( Deuteronomy 32, 39). When the motherly providence of grace secretly assists and sustains the fighter, everything becomes bearable since the one who disciplines is at the same time the one who comforts. “God disciplines us for our own good that we may share in his holiness” ( Hebrews 13,10) This is what happens in the face of natural temptations, which occur either because of our natural weakness or naivete or the devil’s envy or in order to contribute towards man’s spiritual advancement. All the above are regarded as natural obstacles which necessarily present themselves during the fighting stage, so that man accomplishes his confession. At this stage, the divine grace assists imperceptively and secretly comforts the fighters, who must always show courage for this reason. However, where unnatural temptations occur, the struggle is very harsh and hopeless and courage evaporates while desperation drowns and discourages the fighter to the extend that he curses the day he was born.

Lord Jesus Christ, You who are the constant consolation of those who place their hopes in You, rescue us from this darkness and fill us with Your hope. Amen.

The unnatural temptations are not only caused by enemy schemes because he does not have this authority, but are caused by our own sloth and pride, which we have fallen into. When one is negligent in carrying out his duties, this causes him to be forsaken since he is “the one who knows but does not perform”. The Lord permits his fall into the hands of his enemies to humilitate him, so that he recognises Who was that saved him and advanced him to the level of knowledge and grace and that those achievements are not his own “since apart from Christ, you can do nothing” ( John 15,5), and from now on becomes humble and  watchfull and not contemptuous of the gift.

However, the temptations which befall the proud are harsher since God “opposes the proud” (James 4,6). If God opposes someone, who is able to assist him? It is during these tribulations that indeed courage is absent. Man feels completely  alone and none of his prayers is answered. He feels discouraged and God seems to be merciless and hard. All previous methods which provoked the perception of God are of no help now and man tastes Hades and drinks from the bitter drinks of hell. The only thing which consoles him are tears, if he can manage to shed them, since they too dry up, as well as earnest humility, which descends through his cries and from his mind down “to the deepest Hades”.

A this point, man recognises the significance of “working and keeping” since if he works but does not keep, he learns by experience that it is “a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” ( Hebrews 10,31). Those who fall into this kind of temptations need spiritual assistance and the prayers of experienced spiritual fathers who “are not unaware of Satan’s schemes” ( 2 Corinthians 2,11) and have learnt by experience “to assist the tempted”.

Saint Maximus cites four ways in which man is being abandoned and through which the harshness of temptations is horrifying. The first way, “by a dispensation of providence”, is the one experienced by our Lord, Who even though had determinedly requested His release, was not heeded, but was abandoned, so that He would restore us, the abandoned, to our fatherly inheritance.  The second way is the so-called “testing”, which affected Job and Joseph, so that the former was exposed as a pillar of patience and bravery throughout the generations and the latter as a pillar of purity and prudence. The third one is the “disciplinary” one, as it appeared to Paul so that he remains humble in the face of the extraordinary gifts. The Fourth and final one is the “ repulsion”. This was imposed on the Jews so that they seek repentance, while in hell.

Each temptation is beneficial if it is received by the tempted. Acknowledging the scriptures which affirm that those who will be judged as having denied God’s will and those who do not persevere unto the end in the face of the tribulations of the Christian confession, will be “thrown outside into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” ( Matthew 8,12) strengthens our resolution and reinforces us in exercising patience. The perils awaiting the traitors and apostates of the Lord’s faith are certainly not subject to challenge since our Lord’s declarations are not schematic but solid. The most aching fact is that we have fallen from the Lord’s love because we have offended and totally denied our Saviour’s fatherly affection which was perfectly expressed in a divine way. I do not think there is anyone who can stand this: “Having loved His own who were in the world, He now showed them the full extent of His love”( John 13,1) And those whom He loved turned against Him in the end!

Source: Translated by Olga Konari Kokkinou from the Greek edition: Γέροντος Ιωσήφ Βατοπαιδινού, Αθωνική Μαρτυρία, Ψυχοφελή Βατοπαιδινά 2, Έκδοσις β΄, Ιερά Μεγίστη Μονή Βατοπαιδίου, Άγιον Όρος 2008.

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