«Ἡ ἀρετὴ φαίνεται, ὅταν σὲ ἐλέγχει ὁ ἀδελφὸς κι ἐσὺ ταπεινώνεσαι ἀδιαμαρτύρητα.»

Γέρων ΦΙΛΑΡΕΤΟΣ ΚΑΡΟΥΛΙΩΤΗΣ

Ὁ Γ. Δανιὴλ Κατουνακιώτης μιλᾶ γιὰ τὸν μεγάλο ἀσκητὴ Φιλάρετο στὸ φρικαλέο Καρούλι
Μανώλης Μελινὸς
ἐφημ. «ΔΗΜΟΚΡΑΤΙΑ», 15.03.2014

Γέρων Δανιὴλ Κατουνακιώτης: Ἔχω διαβάσει στὸ Λαυσαϊκὸν τοῦ Παλλαδίου τὰ ἑξῆς περὶ τοῦ ἀββᾶ Ὤρ: «Οὗτος ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ διάγων, ἤσθιεν μὲν βοτάνας καὶ ρίζας γλυκείας, ἔπινεν δὲ καὶ ὕδωρ ὅτε ηὔρισκεν, ἐν εὐχαῖς καὶ ὕμνοις διατελῶν πάντα τὸν χρόνον». Νομίζω ἀποδίδουν ἄριστα τὰ τῆς ἀσκητικοτάτης βιοτῆς τοῦ πατρὸς Φιλαρέτου. Ἦταν ἓν ἀπὸ τὰ εὔοσμα ἄνθη ποὺ φυτρώνουν στὰ βράχια τῶν Καρουλίων! Φίλος τῆς ἀρετῆς ὄντως. Πάντα κυκλοφοροῦσε ξυπόλυτος. Μία μέρα ὁ Γέροντάς μας, ὁ π. Γερόντιος, θέλοντας νὰ τὸν δοκιμάσει ἂν εἶναι ἀπὸ τὸν Θεὸν ἡ τόση ἀγάπη καὶ ἁπλότητά του ἢ ἀπὸ ἐγωισμό, τοῦ εἶπε:
«Πάτερ Φιλάρετε…»
«Εὐλογεῖτε, Γέροντα».
«Εἶσαι ὑποκριτής! Μᾶς δείχνεις ὅτι περπατᾶς ξυπόλυτος καὶ μὲ κουρελιασμένα ράσα, γιὰ νὰ κάνεις τὸν ταπεινό!
«Γέροντα», ἀπήντησεν ἐκεῖνος κατεβάζοντας ταπεινὰ τὸ κεφάλι, «εἶμαι ὑποκριτής! Ὅμως τί νὰ κάνω γιὰ νά… θεραπευθῶ;» «Νὰ βάλεις παπούτσια καὶ νὰ σουλουπωθεῖς».
«Νά ’ναι εὐλογημένο, Γέροντα· αὐτὸ θὰ κάνω».
Ἔβαλε βαθιὰ μετάνοια κι ἔφυγε. Πῆγε ἀμέσως καὶ βρῆκε κάτι παμπάλαια παπούτσια καὶ τὰ εἶχε κάτω ἀπὸ τὴ μασχάλη του καί, ὅταν ἦλθε στὴν πόρτα τοῦ ἡσυχαστηρίου μας, τὰ ἔβαλε καὶ μπῆκε! Αὐτὸ ἔγινε μὲ πόνο πολύ, διότι, τόσα χρόνια ξυπόλυτος, τὰ πέλματα εἶχαν πρησθεῖ καὶ δὲν χωροῦσαν σὲ παπούτσι γιὰ πολλὴν ὥραν. Ὅμως ἡ ὑπακοή, βλέπετε, καὶ ἡ ταπεινοφροσύνη κάνουν θαύματα! Ἡ ἀρετὴ φαίνεται ὅταν σὲ ἐλέγχει ὁ ἀδελφὸς κι ἐσὺ ταπεινώνεσαι ἀδιαμαρτύρητα. Ὁ διάβολος καίγεται μὲ τέτοια συμπεριφορά…
«Τώρα, μάλιστα! Τώρα εἶσαι ὄντως ταπεινὸς μοναχός», τοῦ εἶπε ὁ Γέροντάς μας.
«Εὐλόγησον, Γέροντα, εὐλόγησον» εἶπε καί, ἀφοῦ ἔβαλε μετάνοια, ἀπομακρύνθηκε παραπατώντας σὰν παιδί…
Δίπλα στὸ ἀσκητήριό του φύτρωναν ἀγριόχορτα. Τὰ ἔκοβε καί, μολονότι τοῦ ἦσαν ἀπολύτως ἀπαραίτητα, μᾶς τὰ ἔφερνε λέγοντας:
«Φᾶτε, πατέρες. Τοῦ Θεοῦ εἶναι κι αὐτὰ καὶ πρέπει νὰ τὰ τρώγουν αὐτοὶ ποὺ εὐαρεστοῦν εἰς Αὐτὸν καὶ ὄχι οἱ ράθυμοι σὰν ἐμένα!»
.             Κάποια μέρα πέρασε ἀπὸ ἐκεῖ ἕνας ρασοφόρος, ὁ ὁποῖος εἶπε πὼς ἦτο διάκονος. Βλέποντας τὰ παλαιὰ βιβλία τοῦ ἀσκητοῦ, τὰ ἔβαλε στὸ μάτι καὶ μὲ τρόπο τ’ ἀφήρεσε. Ἔφυγε παίρνοντάς τα μαζί του. Κατευθύνθηκε στὴ Δάφνη, μὴ γνωρίζοντας ὅτι στὸ τελωνεῖο της γίνεται ἔλεγχος στοὺς ἐξερχομένους. Ἐκεῖ λοιπὸν τὸν συνέλαβαν!
«Ποῦ τὰ βρῆκες αὐτά;», τὸν ρώτησαν.
«Μοῦ τά… πούλησε ὁ πατὴρ Φιλάρετος, εἰς τὰ Καρούλια!»
Εἶπε ψέματα γιὰ νὰ δικαιολογηθεῖ καὶ συνέχισε τὴ φρικτὴ συκοφαντία του:
«Αὐτὸς εἶναι ἀρχαιοκάπηλος! Πουλάει παλαιὰ βιβλία!»
.             Οἱ ἀστυνομικοὶ ἦλθαν ἐδῶ στὴν ἔρημο κι ἔκαναν ἀνακρίσεις. Στὴ συνέχεια, ἔχοντας πεισθεῖ ἀπὸ τὸν πανοῦργο αὐτὸν ἄνθρωπο, μήνυσαν τὸν ἅγιον ἀσκητή! Κάποια μέρα ἔφθασαν σ’ ἐμᾶς οἱ κλήσεις, γιατί ἀπ’ ἐδῶ περνοῦν τὰ πάντα. Οἱ ἀσκηταὶ δὲν γνωρίζουν ἀπὸ αὐτά, ἀλλὰ καὶ γενικότερα δὲν ἀσχολοῦνται μὲ βιοτικὰ πράγματα. Μὲ τὶς κλήσεις ἐκαλεῖτο λοιπὸν νὰ δικασθεῖ! Τὸν ἐνημερώσαμε σχετικὰ κι ἐκεῖνος μᾶς εἶπε: «Ἐγὼ δὲν γνωρίζω ποῦ νὰ πάω. Σᾶς παρακαλῶ σεῖς νὰ μὲ ὁδηγήσετε». Ἔ, ἐμεῖς κάναμε ὅ,τι ἔπρεπε, τοῦ δώσαμε μερικὰ ρουχαλάκια -γιατί τὰ μοναδικὰ δικά του ἦσαν ξεσχισμένα ἀπὸ τὴν τραχείαν ἀσκητικὴ ζωὴ- καὶ εἴπαμε σ’ ἕναν γνωστό μας δικηγόρο νὰ πάει νὰ τὸν βοηθήσει. Τοῦ δώσαμε καὶ λίγα χρήματα γιὰ νὰ πάει στὴ Θεσσαλονίκη νὰ δικασθεῖ. Ποιός; Ἐκεῖνος τὸν ὁποῖον οὔτε ὁ Θεός, νομίζουμε ταπεινά, δὲν θὰ δικάσει «ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ». Ἕνας οὐράνιος ἄνθρωπος, ὁ ὁποῖος εὐωδίαζε ἄρωμα ἀσκήσεως! Παρὰ ταῦτα ὁ ἅγιος ἀσκητὴς μᾶς εἶπε: «Ἐγὼ θὰ κάνω ὑπακοὴ στὴν Πολιτεία καὶ θὰ πάω, ὅπως μοῦ λένε, νὰ δικασθῶ». Ἔφυγε γιὰ τὴν Θεσσαλονίκη αὐτὸς ποὺ εἶχε νὰ βγεῖ ἀπὸ τὸ Ἅγιον Ὄρος πενήντα ὀκτὼ ὁλόκληρα χρόνια! Πενήντα ὀκτὼ χρόνια ἀσκητὴς ἐδῶ, στὸ Καρούλι, τρώγοντας μόνο λίγα χορταράκια καὶ πίνοντας τὸ νεράκι τοῦ Θεοῦ! Ὁ εὐλογημένος αὐτὸς ἄνθρωπος, ὁ ὁποῖος εἶχε φθάσει σὲ πολὺ μεγάλα μέτρα ἀρετῆς, πῆγε καὶ κάθισε στὸ ἑδώλιο τοῦ κατηγορουμένου. Πῶς γίνονται ἐκεῖ οὔτε ποὺ ξέρω. Δὲν πῆγα ποτὲ σ’ αὐτὲς τὶς πόρτες… Ἁπλῶς θυμᾶμαι, ὅπως μᾶς τὰ ἔλεγε ὁ εὐλογημένος αὐτὸς Γέροντας. Τὸν φώναξε λοιπὸν ὁ πρόεδρος τοῦ δικαστηρίου:
«Ὁ μοναχὸς Φιλάρετος;»
«Ἐγὼ εἶμαι ὁ ἐλεεινός», ἀπήντησε ταπεινὰ σκύβοντας τὸ κεφάλι.
«Γιατί πούλησες τὰ βιβλία αὐτά;»
«Δὲν τὰ πούλησα, ἀδελφέ! Νά, πέρασε ὁ ἀδελφὸς καὶ τὰ πῆρε νὰ τὰ διαβάσει καὶ ἀσφαλῶς θὰ τὰ γύριζε. Ἐγὼ αὐτὸ πίστευα…»
«Πρέπει νὰ ὁρκισθεῖς, πάτερ, γιὰ νὰ εἶσαι πιστευτός. Αὐτὴ εἶναι ἡ τάξη τοῦ δικαστηρίου».
«Ἄ, δὲν ὁρκίζομαι γιατί στὸ ἅγιον Εὐαγγέλιο λέει “μὴ ὁμόσαι ὅλως”!»
«Μὰ πρέπει, πάτερ, νὰ ὁρκισθεῖς».
«Πῶς ὁρκίζονται;»
«Βάζοντας τὴν παλάμη πάνω στὸ Εὐαγγέλιο».
Ὁ π. Φιλάρετος τότε… ἔβαλε τρεῖς στρωτὲς μετάνοιες μπροστὰ στὸ ἱερὸ Εὐαγγέλιο καὶ τὸ ἀσπάσθηκε μ’ εὐλάβεια, λέγοντάς τους:
«Ἀρκεῖσθε σ’ αὐτό;»
«Ὄχι, πάτερ, πρέπει νὰ βάλεις τὸ χέρι σου στὸ Εὐαγγέλιο καὶ νὰ πεῖς “ὁρκίζομαι…” κ.λπ.».
«Δὲν μπορῶ νὰ ὁρκισθῶ».
«Μά, ἂν δὲν ὁρκισθεῖς, θὰ πᾶς ἐννέα μῆνες φυλακή…»
«Νὰ πάω φυλακὴ χίλιες φορές! Ἐγὼ ἀναμένω τὴν αἰωνία καταδίκη ἀπὸ τὸν Θεὸ γιὰ τὶς ἁμαρτίες μου καὶ θὰ σκεφθῶ τὴ φυλάκιση τῶν ἐννέα μηνῶν;»
Παρὼν ἦτο καὶ ὁ ψευδοδιάκονος -φουσκώνοντας καὶ ξεφουσκώνοντας ἀπὸ μεγαλοπρέπεια καὶ ὕφος- ἀτσαλάκωτος μέσα στὰ γυαλιστερὰ ράσα του. Εἶχε βάλει ἕναν δικηγόρο, ὁ ὁποῖος εἶπε ἕνα σωρὸ ψεύδη. Μεταξὺ ἄλλων ὁ δικηγόρος εἶπε:
«Πῶς εἶναι δυνατόν, κύριοι δικασταί, νὰ κλέψει ὁ ἐκλεκτὸς αὐτὸς κληρικὸς τὰ βιβλία αὐτοῦ τοῦ ρακενδύτου; Εἶναι δυνατόν; Μήπως τὰ εἶχε ἀνάγκη; Ἂν εἶναι δυνατόν…»
.          Ἐν τέλει, μὲ αὐτὲς τὶς ψευδομαρτυρίες καὶ τὴ διαστρέβλωση τῆς ἀληθείας, δικαιώθηκε ὁ ἀπαστράπων κλέπτης καὶ καταδικάσθηκε ὁ ἐνάρετος ἀσκητής, ὁ ὁποῖος παρουσιάσθηκε μὲ φτωχικὰ ράσα, χωρὶς τὴν τέχνη τοῦ ψεύδους καί, φυσικά, δίχως νὰ ὁρκισθεῖ. Βγῆκε λοιπὸν ἡ καταδικαστικὴ ἀπόφαση καὶ τὸν πῆρε ὁ ἀστυνομικὸς νὰ τὸν ὁδηγήσει στὴ φυλακή! Οἱ ἰθύνοντες δὲν συγκινήθηκαν καὶ συγκινήθηκε τὸ ἀκροατήριον. Ἔκαναν πρόχειρον ἔρανο μεταξύ τους καὶ μάζεψαν τὸ ποσὸ ποὺ χρειαζόταν γιὰ ν’ ἀπαλλαγεῖ ὁ ἀσκητὴς ἀπὸ τὴ φυλάκιση. Μὲ ἁπλότητα τοὺς εὐχαρίστησε κι ἔφυγε χαρούμενος, ἐπιστρέφοντας ἐδῶ στὰ Καρούλια, χῶρο τῆς μακροχρονίου ἀσκήσεώς του. Εὐχαριστοῦσε κι ἐμᾶς ποὺ τὸν βοηθήσαμε μὲ τὶς πενιχρὲς δυνάμεις μας: «Εὐχαριστῶ, πατέρες», μᾶς ἔλεγε, «εὔχεσθε νὰ λυτρωθῶ καὶ ἀπὸ τὴν αἰωνία φυλακή!» Μεταξὺ ἄλλων ἦταν ἐνθουσιασμένος μὲ τὸν δικηγόρο ποὺ εἴχαμε στείλει γιὰ νὰ τὸν ὑπερασπισθεῖ. Ὁ ἀγαθὸς ἀσκητής, κάνοντας πάντα καλοὺς λογισμούς, τὰ ἔβλεπε ὅλα ὑπέροχα κι ἔλεγε καὶ ξανάλεγε ἐντυπωσιασμένος:
«Αὐτὸς ὁ δικηγόρος ἔχει πνεῦμα Θεοῦ! Ὅπως ἀκριβῶς ἔγιναν τὰ πράγματα, ἔτσι τὰ ἔλεγε».
«Γέροντα», τοῦ εἶπα, «ἡ τέχνη του εἶναι αὐτή…»
«Ὄχι, εὐλόγησον, πνεῦμα Θεοῦ εἶναι», ἐπέμενε ὁ Γέρων!
Τὸν ρώτησα:
«Γέροντα, πῶς εἶδες τὸν κόσμο ὕστερ’ ἀπὸ πενήντα ὀκτὼ χρόνια ποὺ εἶχες νὰ βγεῖς ἀπὸ τὸ Ἅγιον Ὄρος»;
.              Ὁ καλὸς ἄνθρωπος ποὺ τὰ βλέπει ὅλα καλὰ ἔχει, ὅπως εἴπαμε, μόνον ἀγαθοὺς λογισμούς. Εἶπε λοιπὸν ὁ Γέρων Φιλάρετος: «Τί νὰ σᾶς πῶ, πατέρες, ὅλοι οἱ ἄνθρωποι ἔξω εἶναι πολὺ καλοί. Ὅλοι τρέχουν πέρα δῶθε γιὰ τὴ σωτηρία τους, ἐκτὸς ἀπὸ μένα τὸν ράθυμο καὶ ἁμαρτωλὸ ποὺ κάθομαι σ’ αὐτὰ ἐδῶ τὰ βράχια καὶ δὲν ἐργάζομαι ὅπως πρέπει, ὅπως εἶναι τὸ θέλημα τοῦ Θεοῦ!» Αὐτὰ εἶπε καὶ μπῆκε στὸ ἀσκητήριό του, δοξάζοντας τὸν Θεὸ ποὺ στὰ τέλη τῆς ζωῆς του τοῦ ἔδωσε αὐτὴ τὴ δοκιμασία γιὰ τὴ σωτηρία τῆς ψυχῆς του, ὅπως ἔλεγε συνεχῶς.
Ὅταν ἔφθασε σὲ βαθὺ γῆρας, μᾶς ἐκάλεσε μίαν ἡμέρα στὸ ἀσκηταριό του. Πήγαμε μὲ τὸν π. Ἀκάκιο. Μὲ χαρὰ μᾶς εἶπε: «Καλῶς τὰ παιδιά μου! Καλὰ κάνατε ποὺ ἤλθατε, διότι ἄλλη φορὰ δὲν θὰ σᾶς δῶ! Ἐγὼ ἀπόψε θὰ φύγω… Θέλω ὅμως, πρὶν συμβεῖ αὐτό, νὰ μὲ ἀναπαύσετε».
«Τί θέλεις, Γέροντα;»
«Νὰ μοῦ ψάλετε! Πεῖτε κάτι νὰ εὐφρανθεῖ ἡ ψυχή μου.
.             Ψάλαμε διάφορα κι ὁ Γέροντας ἔκλαιγε ἀπὸ χαρὰ καὶ σταυροκοπιόταν κατανενυγμένος. Μόλις τελειώσαμε, μᾶς εἶπε: «Τώρα, κάτι τελευταῖο: Θέλω νὰ μοῦ ψάλετε τὸν “ἐθνικὸ ὕμνο” τῆς Παναγίας, τὸ «Ἄξιον ἐστίν»! Αὐτὸ ὅμως θὰ τὸ ψάλουμε ὄρθιοι, ὅπως ψέλνουμε καὶ τὸν ἐθνικὸ ὕμνο τῆς πατρίδος μας!» Σηκώθηκε μὲ κόπο. Ἠτο σκελετωμένος. Τὸ δέρμα του σχεδὸν διάφανο. Ἀφοῦ συμψάλαμε, μὲ δάκρυα χαρᾶς καὶ συγκινήσεως μᾶς ἀγκάλιασε, μᾶς ἀσπάσθηκε καὶ μᾶς εἶπε: «Παιδιά μου, ἄλλη φορα ἐδῶ δὲν σᾶς βλέπω! Συγχωρήσατέ με, συγχωρήσατέ με!»
.            Δακρύσαμε ὅλοι. Ἐκεῖνος μὲ κόπο μᾶς προέπεμψε. Φύγαμε κατασυγκινημένοι. Τὸ πρωὶ μᾶς εἰδοποίησαν ὅτι ἐκοιμήθη! Ὅπως ἀκριβῶς τὸ εἶχε πεῖ… Ἀνοίξαμε στὰ βράχια μία λακκουβίτσα καὶ τὸν θάψαμε, ἀφοῦ τὸν κηδεύσαμε ὅπως τοῦ ἄξιζε… Ἔσβησε -ἀνθρωπίνως τὸ λέγω- στὸν ἀθωνικὸ οὐρανὸ τὸ ἀστέρι αὐτὸ τοῦ ἁγιορειτικοῦ μοναχισμοῦ. Ἄφησε ὅμως μίαν ἀείφωτη τροχιὰ ἀγωνιστικότητος καὶ ἀσκήσεως αὐστηρῆς. Αἰωνία του ἡ μνήμη. Τὴν πολύτιμη εὐχή του νὰ ἔχουμε.
.            Μερικὲς φορὲς ὁ πανάγαθος Θεὸς παραχωρεῖ καὶ στὸ τέλος τῆς ζωῆς μία δοκιμασία, γιὰ νὰ γίνει ὁ ἄνθρωπος καλύτερος καὶ νὰ ὠφεληθοῦν καὶ ἄλλοι. Ἔτσι καὶ ὁ π. Φιλάρετος ὑπέμεινε ἀγόγγυστα καὶ βραβεύθηκε ἀπὸ τὸν Κύριο. Εἴδατε, κ. Μελινέ, πῶς ὁ διάβολος πῆγε νὰ ταλαιπωρήσει τὸν ἄνθρωπο τῆς ἀσκήσεως καὶ τῆς ἀρετῆς, ἀλλ’ ὁ πανάγαθος Θεὸς τὸν σκέπασε μὲ τὴν χάρη Του καί, ἀντὶ νὰ πάθει βλάβη ἡ ψυχή του, δέθηκε ἀκόμη περισσότερο μὲ τὸν Θεό; Περισσότερο ἀγάπησε τὸν Θεὸ καὶ μὲ μεγαλύτερη ζέση Τὸν ἐδόξαζε.

THE ATHEIST STUDENT WHO VISITED MOUNT ATHOS...

Several years ago I was approached by a young student. With great reluctance, but with the intensity of a demanding seeker, who said he was an atheist, yet would love to believe, but could not. For years he tried and searched, but to no avail.



He spoke with professors and the educated, but his thirst for something serious was not satisfied. He heard of me and decided to share with me his existential need. He asked me for scientific proof for the existence of God.



"Do you know integrals or differential equations?" I asked.

 "Unfortunately no", he replied. "I am a Philosopher."

 "Too bad! Because I knew one such proof", I said, obviously joking.



He felt uncomfortable and was quiet for a bit.



"Look", I said, "I'm sorry I hurt you a bit. But God is not an equation or a mathematical proof. If it were so, then all the educated would believe in Him. You should know, there are other ways to approach God. Have you ever been to Mount Athos? Have you ever met an ascetic?"

 "No, Father, but I'm thinking of going, having heard so much. If you tell me, I can go even tomorrow. Do you know anyone educated to go and meet with?"

"What do you prefer? Someone educated that can make you dizzy, or a saint who can wake you up?"

 "I prefer the educated. I fear saints."

 "Faith is a matter of the heart. Why don't you try a saint. What is your name?" I asked.

 "Gabriel", he answered.



 I sent him to an ascetic. I described for him the way to access him and gave him the necessary instructions. I even sketched for him a map.



"You will go," I said, "and ask him the same thing. I am an atheist, you will tell him, and I want to believe. I want a proof of the existence of God."

 "I am afraid, embarrassed", he told me.

 "Why are you embarrassed and afraid of the saint but not embarrassed and afraid of me?" I asked.



After a few days he went and found the ascetic conversing with a young man in his yard. On the opposite side four others were sitting on some logs waiting. Among them Gabriel found a tentative seat. No more than ten minutes later the Elder finished his conversation with the young man.



"How's it going, guys?" he asked. "Have you taken a loukoumaki? Did you drink some water?"

 "We thank you, Elder", they replied, with conventional secular nobility.

 "Come here," he said addressing Gabriel, distinguishing him from the others. "I will take the water, and you take the box with loukoumia, and come closer so I can tell you a secret: It is fine for someone to be an atheist, but to have the name of an angel and be an atheist? This is the first time I have seen such a thing."



Our friend nearly suffered a heart attack after this revealing surprise. How did he know his name? Who revealed to him his problem? What, finally, did the Elder want to tell him?



 "Father, can I speak with you for a bit?" he asked, barely able to mumble.

 "Look, now it is getting dark. Take the loukoumi, drink some water, and go to the most nearby monastery to spend the night."

"My Father, I want to speak with you, is it not possible?"

 "What will we say, my lad? For what reason did you come?"

"To this question I felt my breathing open immediately," he told me. "My heart was flooded with faith. My inside world was heated. My doubts were solved without any logical argument, without any discussion, without the existence of a clear answer. All the 'if's, why's and but's' were automatically destroyed, and all that remained was 'how' and 'what from this time forward'."



What the educated could not give his thoughts, was given to him with the gentle hint of a saint, who was a graduate of only the fourth grade of elementary school. The saints have much discernment. They make a surgery on you, and you feel no pain. They do a transplant without opening your stomach. They raise you to inaccessible peaks without ladders or worldly logic. They plant faith in your heart, without tiring your mind.

By Metropolitan Nicholas of Mesogaias and Lavreotiki

Holy Mount Athos: A universal presence and a heavenward orientation

Metropolitan of Nikolaos of Mesogaias and Lavreotikis

The spiritual influence of Mount Athos is indisputable and certainly stems from the fact that many men have attained holiness through their secret ascetic struggles there. In recent years many pilgrims have found peace of mind and repose on the Mountain, together with spiritual guidance and support.

The higher one rises, scientists tell us, the weaker the force of gravity becomes, the less one feels the pull of the earth, the looser one’s connection with it becomes, the easier one can shrug off its pressures and demands, the lighter one becomes.

The closer, too, one feels to heaven, which, though so vague, is so real and so desirable. Although less tangible, it seems more real than the earth. The higher one rises, the clearer the air becomes, the sharper one’s hearing, the broader the horizon, the closer one draws to the truth, and the truth is more convincing than reality.

Of all the holy sites in the Orthodox world, Mount Athos is the place where for over a thousand years the monastic life has been lived in its most absolute form. The passing centuries may have stamped their ‘worldly’ influence on the Mountain; even there men may display their weaknesses or even passions, which is only natural, and modern ‘civilisation’ may have done its damage, but in an inexplicably mystical way the Mountain has retained its blessed character, the constant and unique evidence of its grace, its rare and singular spiritual strength, and its dynamic relationship in space and time with the Lord God and the Kingdom of Heaven. Its philosophy of life has not been jeopardised by wrong choices, has not been harmed by a bad process of modernisation, and has not been corrupted by the times or by men, whoever they may be. Its truth endures.

 

It is like a rock which problems like changing political influences, the immoderate use of technology, tourism, parochial views, inter-monastic feuds, rivalries and even hatred, and all kinds of hostile forces only succeed in briefly washing over or moistening the surface of, without in the least disturbing its inner core.

There is something that does indeed protect it. Perhaps it is its monastic diversity, perhaps it is its enduring quality, perhaps the naturalness of its monastic expression, perhaps its treasures, relics and splendour, perhaps the abaton¹ and its administrative autonomy, perhaps its ecumenical character, perhaps the care and protection of the Mother of God, perhaps its special grace. Despite its theocratic character, after eleven centuries of glorious existence Byzantium fell. Athos, on the other hand, is now in its fourteenth century of life but it moves at the pace of the world to come and gives you the impression that it is a place which is ‘not of this world’ (John 18: 36), one whose relationship with time is like that of its surface with the air and whose ‘citizens dwell in heaven’ (Philippians 3: 20).

Γιατί θυμιάζουν οι μοναχοί στις ακολουθίες;

Στην ακολουθία του Όρθρου ψάλεται ο Πολυέλαιος «Δούλοι Κύριον» έρρυθμα για να  ταιριάζει η ψαλμωδία με την κίνηση του κατζίου,του θυμιατού με το οποίο θυμιάζουν οι μοναχοί που έχουν το διακόνημα του εκκλησιαστικού.

Το κατζίο είναι φορητό και χρησιμοποιείται στις λατρευτικές συνάξεις εντός του ναού όταν ψάλλονται ύμνοι από την Παλαιά Διαθήκη ή αναγινώσκονται οι Μεγάλες Ώρες.  Είναι μεταλλικό με μακριά χειρολαβή και κουδούνια, τα οποία συμβολίζουν τα βήματα του Θεού στον Παράδεισο και προτρέπουν τους μοναχούς σε εγρήγορση :”’Και άκουσαν τη φωνή του Κυρίου του Θεού, να περπατάει στον παράδεισο προς το δειλινό” (Παλαιά Διαθήκη Γένεση Κεφ. 3, Στίχος 8..

 

Όταν οι εκκλησιαστικοί θυμιάζουν με το κατζίο φέρουν στον ώμο τους ένα τετράγωνο ύφασμα που λέγεται ”αήρ” ΄ συνήθως είναι χρυσοποίκιλτο και δηλώνει το αγγελικό τάγμα που εξέπεσε από τη πατρώα δόξα και που αντικαταστάθηκε από τους μοναχούς. Ο εκκλησιαστικός λοιπόν κρατά το κατζίο με το ”χειρομανδήλιον”, το οποίο είναι μικρότερο από τον ”αέρα”. Ο συμβολισμός του απορρέει από την απάντηση του Αναστημένου Κυρίου ”μη μου άπτου” (μην με αγγίζεις), στην Μαρία την μυροφόρο, όταν αυτή από την χαρά της ήθελε να Τον αγγίξει. (Κατά Ιωάννη Κεφ. 20, Στίχος 17..)

Επειδή το θυμιατήριο συμβολίζει τις δύο φύσεις, ανθρώπινη και θεϊκή, και τις τρείς υποστάσεις Πατήρ, Υιός και Άγιο Πνεύμα  και επειδή ο εκκλησιαστικός δεν έχει ιεροσύνη, πιάνει το κατζίο με το ”χειρομάνδηλο” από ευλάβεια και σεμνότητα.

Πηγή-Pemptousia.gr

The style and ethos of Athonite singing

Fr. Iakovos, Protopsaltis of the Protaton Church, singing together with the students of Athoniada School, Holy Mountain

Once, when I was talking to an Elder who’d been on the Holy Mountain for many years (more than twice the number I had), he mentioned the following in the course of conversation: ‘the late Father E… would always sing this doxastiko [a special hymn, sung between ‘Glory…’ and ‘Now and forever’] in the way Iakovos set it’. Since anybody who’s interested in Byzantine music knows how difficult it is to execute the settings of Iakovos the Protopsaltis (fl. ca. 1760-†1800), I was astonished and asked if Father E… knew music. The Elder seemed a little embarrassed, as if he hadn’t expected the question. He was quiet for a second or two, then said, ‘The Athonite kind’.

What he meant was that he knew more or less the settings that were normally sung on the Holy Mountain. And, he continued, in an effort to explain more clearly what he’d said and also to provide an answer to my question (where the Father had learned and knew how to sing the Iakovos setting): ‘That’s how they learned. Each one with the others’.

This little exchange encapsulates the way Byzantine music was learned and cultivated on the Holy Mountain fifty years ago and earlier. This was a time when contact with the external world was very limited and, for some monks, virtually non-existent. Most monks then came to the Holy Mountain at a very early age, and therefore hadn’t been able to study music and hardly had much knowledge beyond Elementary School, far less Secondary. The number of pilgrims who came was much fewer, and contact with singers and music teachers outside Athos would have been quite infrequent. In any case, the difficulties involved in getting to Athos didn’t allow for any consorting or interaction between the two musical worlds.

I came to Athos in 1993 to live as a monk, without any particular experiences from earlier pilgrimages. I was fortunate to meet the last elderly monks in the area around my monastery, and they had the characteristics I’ve just described. They had full, rich voices, thunderous, but very sweet at the same time. Their musical knowledge was absolutely specific. What they knew, and what they were used to, they sang probably better than anyone. If they saw something for the first time, they couldn’t even make a start. The chances of correcting them in what they were singing were nil.

The way they’d heard it was the way they sang it, to the end of their lives. But this was the beauty of the katholiko [the main church of the monastery]. Everybody expected to sing some musical piece with the particular timbre of their voice, and this lent a different atmosphere to the katholiko. No sooner had they started than the younger singers would look at each other and smile.

I don’t know that there was any systematic teaching. There may have been some preliminary lessons, and then the music school would have been the singing itself. Continuous singing of the repertoire would have helped the newer monks to learn, like apprentices under instruction. They didn’t much look at music in books; they’d committed some parts to memory and if, occasionally, they lost their way in the setting, they’d supply it from the closest one they remembered. Everyone had a right to take part, even those who didn’t have much of a voice or had learned from practice. You see, the services are so long and so frequent that the good singers can’t sing all the time, because they’d soon exhaust themselves.

So, in this way, quite a large part of the burden on the Holy Mountain is borne by singers who take the ‘supporting roles’. Of course, a large part is also undertaken by the abbots, and the elders, who sing the ‘pieces of the elders’. So we see that large parts of the services, particularly those that are the same, are sung by people who aren’t musicians and who, without realizing it, also contribute in their own way to the musical expression of the Holy Mountain.

Being still new to the monastery, I talked to one of the older brothers who told me what happened in a hospital to one of the most elderly monks, who was of an exceptionally simple nature. During the course of his treatment, a whole host of people made their way to the hospital to see him and ask for his blessing, and he, for his part, would tell them something for their spiritual benefit. I reacted sharply to this. I knew that this particular father was, of course, very good and pure, but he was also very simple. What could he have to say? The other monk answered that any monk who’d spent long years on Athos, however simple he may be by nature, whatever education he’d had, would certainly have something to say.

Everyday life in a monastery is a continuous spiritual education and it’s impossible to live in one without picking up some basic things to pass on to other people. It’s my impression that something similar is also true of music.

The overwhelming majority of monks who come to the Holy Mountain, even if they aren’t given any musical training in the monastery, will certainly learn something, either from listening or of necessity. Most of them, at some stage will be able to lead the choir on the left or the right at a daily service and often will be able to sing pieces they’ve learned by ear. The time covered by these practical singers at services is very considerable, especially at the daily office. I’d go so far as to say that the we should all take into consideration the fact that the Athonite style in the faster, shorter pieces has, to a large extent, been shaped by such monks.

But it would be wrong not to mention how the spiritual life has also had an effect on worship. Many psaltists outside Athos would also say this, but on the Holy Mountain they don’t just say it; they also apply it. An Athonite psaltist never knows when he’ll sing, or even if he’ll sing. He waits to be told by the typikaris (the monk in charge of services) before coming up to his place at the music-stand in the choir. If there’s a guest psaltist, he is given pride of place over the monastery’s own.

Most often, the opportunities for choosing settings that will be musically instructive are limited, either because the abbot won’t allow it, or because not all the monks would be able to sing the chosen setting, which would result in a hiatus that the abbot would punish with a commensurate canon (often extra prayers and prostrations). Nobody occupies the first place in the right-hand choir on a permanent basis. All the Athonite monastery rules envisage an exchange of choirs (from left to right and vice versa) through the course of the year. Even the first psaltist is often forced to bear with musically weaker monks, who, perhaps, aren’t of much help to him, but also have the right to play their part.

Naturally, there are also the vigilant eyes of the  elders, who will clip the wings of anybody who’s getting above himself. They’ll bring him to his senses with an appropriate canon (in this case, absence from the choir). From all this we can see that, apart from his musical efforts, an Athonite psaltist also has to engage in a spiritual struggle if he’s going to overcome all the above obstructions in order to use his music for the glory of God rather than to puff himself up. I don’t believe there’s a single Athonite psaltist who hasn’t said, at some time in his life, especially when he was just starting out, ‘I wish I’d never even learned music’.

Of course, as the elders say, these are just growing pains and happen to everyone. I confess that I had great difficulties in the early years, but my Elder encouraged me by telling me that he’d observed that monks who sang had greater grace.

And so, as the years go by, we all recognize our true position in the Church and overcome all those impediments, although they’re of great benefit to us in our spiritual life, particularly as regards the acquisition of greater humility. All of this, however, also has an effect on the musical execution of the settings. This is why I said above that the spiritual conditions have contributed to the shaping of the Athonite style of singing.

Many generations grew up in such conditions, and, of course, throughout the whole of Athos there are still elderly monks like this. Even the most prominent Athonite psaltists were nurtured by the same method. By their continuous presence at Church services and with their heightened musical awareness (it’s true that the zeal of psaltists in the pursuit of their art is extreme) and under the particular conditions of location, time and, in my opinion, spirituality, they created the much acclaimed and well-known Athonite musical style.

But we ought really to make mention of today. The Athonite style that people love is the one that was created in the manner I described above. I confess it’s not so long since I came to the Holy Mountain and, unfortunately, I didn’t manage to meet all the great psaltists of recent decades. But, by coming from the outside world with quite a good musical training, I was able to grasp, relatively quickly, how musical matters worked here

The truth is that what I see today is actually somewhat different from what I described above. Conditions are different, so it’s only to be expected that we would have a musical outcome different from the familiar Athonite style that we’ve known for so many years. This is natural, because conditions have changed. But this is not the time or place for such an analysis. For the moment let’s cling to the spiritual emotion we derive from the music of the Holy Mountain, which we know and which is loved by everyone.
Source-Pemptousia.com

 Psalm 33- I will Bless the Lord Chanted By "The Monks of Simonopetras Monastery" Mount Athos.

How the monks make kollyva on the Holy Mountain,Mount Athos.

On the Holy Mountain, the abbots of the last hundred years are commemorated, as well as the priests and monks of the last thirty. Kollyvo is made every time an icon is placed in the church for veneration. Every Saturday, however, the departed are remembered unless it’s the return of a feast of the Lord. It’s a little, zinc plate of boiled wheat which is placed under the icon of Christ.

  

The kollyvo for a feast requires real confectionary and iconographical skills. Normally, on the surface there’s an icon of the founder or the saint who the honored in the main church is named after, for example, Saint Athanasios the Athonite in the Great Lavra or the Annunciation in the Monastery of Vatopaidi.

Ordinary kollyvo is made as follows: they place crushed wheat into water to make it expand. Then they put it into a container of cold water and bring it to the boil. After half an hour, they pour off the water and add fresh, boiling it again until the wheat is soft and the liquid opaque. A little salt is added. They pour off the liquid, with the addition of sugar and cinnamon. They wash the wheat in cold water to stop it sticking and spread it out to dry. Two or three hours before the Divine Liturgy, the monk whose obedience it is, takes a handful of fine breadcrumbs and adds it to the kollyvo to soak up any moisture, so that it’s completely dry. Afterwards he’ll sieve it to get rid of the breadcrumbs. The wheat’s now ready. He spreads it out and sprinkles sugar on top (not caster sugar, but ordinary) and makes a cross with sugar colored with cinnamon. If he wishes, he can also add ground hazelnuts at an earlier stage in the process.

The kollyvo for a feast has ground walnuts added, as well as cloves and cumin. Some monasteries use ground hazelnuts (carefully peeled of their skins) instead of walnuts and cinnamon instead of cloves.

For the icons on the surface of the kollyvo, they take the wooden end of a fine artist’s brush and press the shape on the sugar from the anthivolo (a copy or template). In this way, they fill in the clothes, face and hair with different-colored sugars.

Ordinary kollyvo is the normal sweet for monks in a coenobium and is distributed in the refectory at the end of the meal. The Russians on the Holy Mountain make kollyvo not with wheat, but with rice, as is the custom in Russia. Smyrnakis noted that this was the case not only in the Monastery of Saint Panteleïmon, but also in the Russian sketes and cells, as well.

Source-Pemptousia.com

Οι 12 Αόρατοι μοναχοί του Αγίου Όρους

Η παράδοση χάνεται στα βάθη των αιώνων. Παρ’ όλα αυτά, διατηρείται αμείωτα ζωντανή: δώδεκα αόρατοι καλόγεροι κατοικούν στην κορυφή του Άθω, μερικές φορές εμφανίζονται για λίγο και χάνονται ξανά στην «ανυπαρξία» τους. Δώδεκα παράξενοι άγιοι, που προκαλούν τη σκέψη και τη φαντασία μας. Πόσο μυθικοί και πόσο πραγματικοί άραγε είναι;

Στο Άγιον Όρος υπάρχει μια παλαιά και άγραφη παράδοση που λέει ότι κοντά στην κορφή του Αθωνα χειμώνα-καλοκαίρι ζουν, τρεφόμενοι από την ευχή, δώδεκα μοναχοί αόραται. Όταν ένας απ’ αυτούς κοιμηθεί, άλλος τον αντικαθιστά. Και η δωδεκάδα μένει πάντοτε… ακεραία, χωρίς να της λείπει κανείς. Λέγεται ότι κάποιοι τους είδαν και αμέσως τους έχασαν. Κάποιοι άλλοι τους είδαν και χάθηκαν μαζί τους. Ένας νέος υποτακτικός είδε έναν απ’ αυτούς. Διηγήθηκε στον γέροντά του το γεγονός και ο γέροντας του είπε «έπρεπε να τον ακολουθήσεις».
Αρχιμανδρίτης Βασίλειος Γοντικάκης Προηγούμενος της Μονής Ιβήρων Αγίου Όρους

Μαρτυρία επίσημη δεν υπάρχει για τους περιβόητους -κατά τα άλλα- δώδεκα αόρατους μοναχούς του Αγίου Όρους. Στο εύλογο και λογικό ερώτημα: θρύλος ή πραγματικότητα; δεν υπάρχει «λογική» απάντηση.
Η μόνη απάντηση έρχεται αβίαστα και φυσικά από τον π. Βασίλειο, στο παραπάνω παλαιότερο κείμενο του, λίγο πιο κάτω: «Το γεγονός είναι ότι η πραγματικότης στο Όρος είναι Θρύλος». Δεν είναι άλλωστε λίγοι οι επισκέπτες του Άθω που, ενώ ξεκίνησαν για βόλτα αναψυχής ή διερευνητική εκδρομή στο βουνό αυτό της Χαλκιδικής, στο τέλος έφτασαν να αναρωτιούνται αν ήταν πραγματικότητα όλο εκείνο που έζησαν κατά την παραμονή τους στο Άγιο Όρος.
Σε τέτοιον τόπο λοιπόν, που γεννά αισθήσεις και εμπειρίες απρόσμενες, ακόμη και στους πιο «υλιστές» επισκέπτες του, τίποτε δεν θα μπορούσε να είναι πραγματικά α-φύσικο, πολλά όμως μπορούν να είναι «ονειρικά φυσικά».

ΜΥΣΤΙΚΑ ΣΤΑ ΒΑΘΗ ΤΟΥ ΧΡΟΝΟΥ…

Είναι εξαιρετικά δύσκολο, αν όχι αδύνατο, να ξετυλίξει κάποιος το νήμα αυτής της αγιορείτικης παράδοσης και να βρει την αρχή του. Πριν από λίγο καιρό, παρέα πολύ καλών φίλων μου επισκέφτηκε διάφορες μονές του Αγίου Όρους, όπου, μεταξύ πολλών άλλων ερωτημάτων, έθεταν στους μοναχούς -αλλά και σε τακτικούς χρόνιους επισκέπτες- το ερώτημα, τι γνωρίζουν για τους δώδεκα αόρατους.
Δεν ήταν λίγοι αυτοί, λαϊκοί και μοναχοί, που γέλασαν ή και σάρκασαν με την ερώτηση. «Μα είναι δυνατόν να ασχολείστε με τέτοια πράγματα;», «Μα πιστεύετε ακόμη σε τέτοια παραμύθια;», ήταν κάποιες από τις απαντήσεις που έλαβαν. Αυτό όμως που κυρίως εισέπραξαν από την πλειονότητα όσων ρώτησαν, ήταν καταρχήν η κρυψίνοια και η επιφυλακτικότητα. Κανείς δεν είχε διάθεση να μιλήσει, όσοι γνώριζαν κάτι δεν μπορούσαν να το πουν, επειδή «τους το είχαν μυστικά εμπιστευτεί», όπως έλεγαν.
Τα μόνα «στοιχεία» που συνέλεξαν ήταν ότι η «ομάδα» των δώδεκα αόρατων αποτελεί πραγματικότητα μακραίωνη, η οποία παρέμενε απόλυτα μυστική για πάρα πολλές δεκαετίες. Πριν από μερικά χρόνια όμως (κανένας δεν ξέρει πόσα χρόνια), η ύπαρξη αυτών διέρρευσε από τον πνευματικό πατέρα ενός από αυτούς τους δώδεκα, ο οποίος καλοπροαίρετα μίλησε κάπου για την ύπαρξη τους.
Είναι αξιοσημείωτο ότι κανένας δεν θέλησε να αναφέρει το όνομα του εν λόγω πνευματικού, ενώ όλοι όσοι είπαν τα παραπάνω, γνώριζαν το όνομα του. Τόνιζαν μάλιστα ότι από τότε που διέρρευσε αυτή η πληροφορία, πολλά έχουν λεχθεί, αλλά στην πραγματικότητα δεν υπάρχει καμία άλλη αξιόπιστη μαρτυρία από πρώτο χέρι.
Κατά γενική πεποίθηση, οι δώδεκα ζούνε κυρίως στην κορυφή του Άθω, πολλές φορές όμως μπορεί κάποιος να τους δει (αν έχει αντίστοιχο χάρισμα), σε οποιοδήποτε μέρος του Αγίου Όρους. Έχουν ξεπεράσει τις ανάγκες της φύσης, γι’ αυτό δεν χρειάζονται τροφή, αλλά τρέφονται επαρκώς με την ευχή του Ιησού (πρόκειται για το γνωστό Κύριε Ιησού Χριστέ, ελέησόν με).
Είναι εύλογο βέβαια αυτή η αναφορά να γεννά υποψίες και δυσπιστίες, αφού έρχεται σε κατακόρυφη αντίθεση με την ανθρώπινη λογική μας. Πρόκειται ίσως για την πραγματικά δυσεύρετη στην εποχή μας εμπειρία των «χωμάτινων» ανθρώπων, ανθρώπων σαν εμάς, να ζουν μέσα στην άχρονη και άκτιστη αλήθεια του Αγίου Πνεύματος. Πρόκειται για βίωμα που δεν μπορεί να μεταδοθεί με λόγια, ούτε φυσικά να αποδειχθεί με μαθηματική -ή οποια- δήποτε άλλη- λογική.
Πολλοί επισκέπτες του Αθω, αλλά και πολλοί καλόγεροι αναφέρουν ότι σε περιπλανήσεις τους στο βουνό ή κατά τη διάρκεια της μοναχικής προσευχής τους, είχαν την έντονη, διαρκή και βέβαιη αίσθηση της παρουσίας κάποιου κοντά τους, ενώ δεν φαινόταν κανείς.
Ξαφνικά εμφανίστηκε κάποιος «από το πουθενά», άλλοι αναφέρουν ότι τούς μίλησε και άλλοι ότι ήταν αμίλητος, κι ότι όπως ξαφνικά εμφανίστηκε, το ίδιο απρόσμενα εξαφανίστηκε.
Πρωτάκουσα γι’ αυτούς πριν από λίγα χρόνια από έναν φίλο μου που ονομάζεται Τρύφωνας – όνομα όχι ιδιαίτερα συνηθισμένο, το αναφέρω επειδή έχει κάποια σημασία στην εμπειρία που μου μετέφερε.
Είχε επισκεφτεί τότε για πρώτη φορά το Αγιο Όρος (κατά τα επόμενα χρόνια έγινε τακτικός επισκέπτης του) με διάθεση καλοπροαίρετη, αλλά ιδιαίτερα δύσπιστη, θεωρώντας τον εαυτό του «άθεο σκεπτικιστή», όπως έλεγε. Φιλοξενήθηκε σε κάποιο παραλιακό μοναστήρι, συγκεκριμένα στη Μονή του Οσίου Γρηγορίου.
Νωρίς το απόγευμα, την πρώτη μέρα της άφιξης του, βγήκε για να περπατήσει στη μεγάλη παραλία. Απολάμβανε τη γαλήνη του τοπίου, χωρίς σκέψεις, όταν ξαφνικά βλέπει κάποιον να τρέχει με απίστευτη ταχύτητα, όπως μου είπε, προς το μέρος του και να κουνά τα χέρια του, σαν για να τραβήξει την προσοχή του. Δεν υπήρχαν άλλοι άνθρωποι εκείνη την ώρα σ’ εκείνο το σημείο.
Πλησιάζοντας, ακούει να του φωνάζει με λαχτάρα: «Τρύφωνα… Τρύφωνα… είδα τον Θεό, μίλησα μαζί Του! Μεγάλη μέρα σήμερα…». Όταν έφτασε κοντά του σταμάτησε, τον κοίταξε στα μάτια και με άπλετο χαμόγελο τού είπε λαχανιασμένος απ’ το πολύ τρέξιμο: «Είμαι πολύ χαρούμενος σήμερα, Τρύφωνα, γι’ αυτό τρέχω…».
Ήταν μισόγυμνος κι έμοιαζε με τρελό. Ξαφνιασμένος ο φίλος μου και πριν καν προλάβει να τον ρωτήσει, τουλάχιστον, πού ήξερε το όνομα του, ο «τρελός καλόγερος» εξαφανίστηκε. «Δεν θα ξεχάσω ποτέ την ένταση των ματιών του που έλαμπαν από ευτυχία», μου είπε αργότερα ο Τρύφωνας.
Όταν διηγήθηκε την εμπειρία του στους καλόγερους του μοναστηριού που τον φιλοξενούσε, ομόφωνα όλοι τού είπαν ότι πρόκειται σίγουρα για έναν από τους δώδεκα αόρατους… Από τότε μέχρι σήμερα δεν είδε ξανά κανέναν στα πολυάριθμα ταξίδια του σε διάφορες περιοχές του Αθω.

ΔΩΔΕΚΑ ΑΟΡΑΤΟΙ ΦΥΛΑΚΕΣ

Πολύ συχνά, οι μυστηριώδεις αυτοί «αόρατοι» ή «ανύπαρκτοι» (με την έννοια του ακραία ταπεινού) καλόγεροι χαρακτηρίζονται ως «φύλακες». Ο χαρακτηρισμός αυτός μάλιστα, παίρνει πολλές φορές σπουδαιότητα μεγαλύτερη από την ιδιότητα τους ως «αόρατοι».
Τι είναι αλήθεια αυτό που φυλάνε; Πάλι δεν θα βρούμε μία και μόνη απάντηση στο ερώτημα, αλλά διάφορες, όχι κατ’ ανάγκη ετερόκλητες μεταξύ τους, απαντήσεις. Ο π. Βασίλειος ο Ιβηρίτης αναφέρει ότι «φυλάνε», «κρατούν» τη ζωή την ίδια στο Αγιο Όρος και αποτελούν ευλογία για όλον τον κόσμο.
Κάποιοι άλλοι τούς χαρακτηρίζουν ως φύλακες της ΟρΘοδοξίας και του Ελληνισμού. Υπάρχει μάλιστα διαδεδομένη -μεταξύ αυτών που πιστεύουν στην ύπαρξη τους- η άποψη ότι συγκεντρώνονται και οι δώδεκα σε κάποιο μέρος της κορυφής του Αθω (κάθε φορά σε διαφορετικό σημείο, αλλά πάντα στην κορυφή), όποτε προκύπτει στην κοινωνία κάποιο εθνικό ή πίστεως θέμα-πρόβλημα.
Πώς γίνεται η συνεννόηση μεταξύ τους για τον τόπο και χρόνο της συνάντησης; Όπως ίσως ήδη καταλάβατε, αυτή γίνεται με κάποιον τρόπο που εμείς μπορούμε να αντιληφθούμε ως «τηλεπαθητικό». Δώδεκα άνθρωποι που κατάφεραν να ξεπεράσουν τη φύση σε κάθε απαίτηση της και να πνευματοποιηθούν κατ’ ουσίαν, δεν είναι δυνατό παρά να επικοινωνούν μεταξύ τους επαρκώς, πνευματικά και μόνο.
Υπάρχει έντονη μεταξύ των μοναχών η πίστη ότι οι δώδεκα αόρατοι «συγκάτοικοι» τους προσπαθούν να περιφρουρούν από απειλές και να φυλάττουν ιδιαίτερα αυτό που ονομάζουμε «Ελληνισμό», ό,τι κι αν σημαίνει στις συνειδήσεις μας.
Για το λόγο αυτόν μάλιστα πιστεύεται ότι αποτελούν τη φυσική συνέχεια του αρχαιοελληνικού δωδεκάθεου, επιπλέον και για το λόγο της σύμπτωσης του αριθμού τους. Παρενθετικά δεν μπορώ να μην αναφέρω πως για άλλη μια φορά γίνεται αξιοσημείωτο το γεγονός ότι οι Αγιορείτες (και συνεπώς η ορθόδοξη παράδοση της οποίας είναι φορείς) δεν απορρίπτουν το αρχαίο ελληνικό πνεύμα, αλλά συνδέονται σε φυσική συνέχεια μαζί του και ιο αφομοιώνουν μετουσιώνοντας το σε νέα πραγματικότητα.

ΑΕΙΚΙΝΗΤΗ ΣΤΑΣΗ;

Άνθρωποι που έγιναν εν ζωή αύρες, άνθρωποι που πραγματοποιούν την ύψιστη δράση στην κατάσταση της ησυχίας, άνθρωποι που δεν προσεύχονται πια, αλλά έγιναν οι ίδιοι προσευχή, άνθρωποι που κατάφεραν τέτοια ύψη ταπείνωσης, ώστε πέρασαν στην ανυπαρξία πριν να πεθάνουν.
Και μέσα από την «ανυπαρξία» τους μπορούν να παρέχουν σε όσους τους γνωρίσουν, όλα όσα δεν μπόρεσε κανένας σημαντικός ή ασήμαντος κοσμικός να τους παράσχει. Σημαντικότερο απ’ όλα: η πνοή της ελευθερίας. Δεν διδάσκουν με λόγια κανένα δόγμα ή αρχή πίστης, αλλά εμπνέουν με την ύπαρξη τους και μεταδίδουν την απίστευτη δύναμη τους απέναντι σε κάθε δουλική αναγκαιότητα.
Η ευλογία τους διαχέεται σε σημείο που να αποτελεί δύναμη συνεκτική της κτίσεως. Η ανωτερότητά τους απέναντι σε κάθε ανάγκη και η γενναιότητα της αγάπης τους που τίποτε δεν αποζητά, παραμένουν για μας καταστάσεις ύπαρξης ανερμήνευτες. Λένε πως κάθε σύναξη τους συνοδεύεται μοιραία από λαμπρότατο φως στο σημείο της συνάντησης. Δεν αποκλείεται αυτοί οι ίδιοι να είναι το φως, υπάρξεις σωματικές, φωτεινές και άσαρκες.
Παραμύθι; Υπερβολή; Ψέμα υποκινούμενο από σκοταδιστές για χειραγώγηση των αφελών; Ίσως… Ίσως κι όχι… Αυτές οι ερωτήσεις μοιάζουν με το μεγάλο ερώτημα: «Υπάρχει Θεός»; Πώς να απαντηθεί με ναι ή όχι και πώς να αποδειχθεί η όποια απάντηση;
Αξίζει νομίζω να σας πω αυτά που μου ανέφερε ο Θανάσης, φίλος αγιογράφος που επισκέπτεται κατά καιρούς το μοναστήρι της «Μικράς Αγίας Άννας», για λόγους κυρίως επαγγελματικούς.
Το μοναστήρι βρίσκεται σε μεγάλο ύψος και η θέα που μπορεί κάποιος να απολαύσει από εκεί είναι, όπως λένε, μοναδική. Πριν από έναν περίπου μήνα ο Θανάσης ξαναβρέθηκε εκεί και το βράδυ, όπως συνήθιζε, βγήκε με το φακό του για περίπατο. «Είχε κρύο και υπέροχη διαφάνεια», μου είπε. Δεν είχε ύπνο και αφέθηκε να περιπλανηθεί μέσα στη νύχτα, ώσπου έφτασε στα Κατουνάκια. Δεν ήταν άλλωστε η πρώτη φορά που έκανε ανάλογες νυχτερινές βόλτες στο Αγιο Όρος.
Ξαφνικά άκουσε, πολύ κοντά του, έντονο θόρυβο μέσα από τα δέντρα και τους ψηλούς θάμνους. Τρόμαξε, έστρεψε το φακό του προς το μέρος απ’ όπου ερχόταν ο θόρυβος κι ενστικτωδώς έσκυψε για να πιάσει κάποιο ξύλο ή πέτρα ή οποιοδήποτε «όργανο άμυνας» για τον κίνδυνο που τον απειλούσε.
Προς στιγμή νόμισε ότι ήταν κάποιο μεγάλο ζώο. Ακουσε για δεύτερη φορά, πιο δυνατό τον ήχο. Με το φακό του σταθερά στραμμένο προς τα εκεί και αρκετά τρομαγμένος, είδε ξαφνικά μπροστά του μια ψιλόλιγνη, φωτεινή σιλουέτα, έναν άντρα γυμνό και πολύ αδύνατο με γενειάδα που έφτανε μέχρι τα γόνατά του.
Η λαμπερή ύπαρξη τού χαμογέλασε ήρεμα, έκανε μπροστά του μετάνοια κι εξαφανίστηκε χωρίς να πει τίποτα, αφήνοντας θεϊκή γαλήνη στο χώρο και τον Θανάση να κοιτά ακίνητος και ξαφνιασμένος μέσα στο τσουχτερό κρύο.
«Απ’ το χαμόγελο του θαρρείς ξεχυνόταν όλου του κόσμου η αγάπη», μου είπε όταν επέστρεψε. «Δεν είπε τίποτα, μου έδωσε όμως τόση δύναμη όση δεν θα μου έδιναν όλες οι φιλολογίες μαζεμένες…», έλεγε συνεπαρμένος.
Οι μαρτυρίες ανθρώπων που τους συνάντησαν μιλούν για άρρητη γλυκύτητα και έκχυση αγάπης, δίχως προϋποθέσεις και σχόλια. Για δυναμισμό μέσα στη σιωπή και στη γαλήνη. Για ολική δύναμη που δεν μπορεί να εκφραστεί. Για αρμονία εσωτερική και ταυτόχρονα με το εξωτερικό περιβάλλον.
Για άλλης ποιότητας ελευθερία που κανένα κοινωνικό, πολιτικό ή θρησκευτικό πρότυπο δεν μπόρεσε να εμπνεύσει και να πραγματώσει.

 
ΣΤΟ ΑΓΙΟ ΟΡΟΣ ΚΑΙ ΠΕΡΑ ΑΠ’ ΑΥΤΟ…

Στη θρησκεία, το «θαύμα» αποτελεί τομή στη φύση. Στην πίστη, το «θαύμα» είναι το φυσικό. Οι «άγιες» υπάρξεις είναι οι φυσιολογικές υπάρξεις. Γι’ αυτούς που έχουν δεχτεί τη χάρη του Αγίου Πνεύματος τίποτε δεν είναι αφύσικο.
Πρόκειται βέβαια για κατάσταση ύπαρξης που οι περισσότεροι από εμάς δεν γνωρίζουμε, το γεγονός όμως ότι εμείς είμαστε φτωχοί από αυτό το βίωμα δεν σημαίνει ότι η κατάσταση αυτή δεν υπάρχει.
Οι δώδεκα «αόρατοι» παραμένουν δώδεκα επί αιώνες, όχι επειδή ζουν σιην αιωνιότητα, αλλά επειδή αντικαθίστανται κάθε φορά που κάποιος αφήνει οριστικά αυτόν τον κόσμο. Η διατήρηση αυτού του αριθμού μάλιστα, σύμφωνα με την παράδοση, είναι απαραίτητη για τη σωτηρία της υλικής κτίσης ή μέρους αυτής.
Μοιάζει σαν οι δώδεκα αρχαίοι Έλληνες θεοί του Ολύμπου -οι δώδεκα απεικονίσεις των φυσικών δυνάμεων- να μεταποιήθηκαν σε δώδεκα τιέραν της φύσεως υπάρξεις, οι ανθρωπόμορφοι θεοί να εξελίχθηκαν αβίαστα σε «θεόμορφους» ανθρώπους και να μετακόμισαν στο άλλο βουνό, στον Άθω της Χαλκιδικής.
Στα αυτιά και στη διάνοια πολλών, φαντάζει παραμύθι. Γι’ αυτούς εκεί επάνω, στην κορυφή του Άθω, είναι αυτονόητη πραγματικότητα. Για εμένα προσωπικά αποτελεί μυστήριο, εξ ορισμού ανεξιχνίαστο, που δεν περιορίζεται βέβαια γεωγραφικά στο Άγιο Όρος, που δεν περιορίζεται γενικότερο σε κανέναν τόπο.
Το μυστήριο των δώδεκα αοράτων μοναχών στην κορυφή του Άθω, μέσα στη συνείδηση μου συγγενεύει με το μυστήριο της σιωπής του θεού, η οποία ξεπερνάει καθετί αισθητό, οι περισσότεροι όμως το έχουμε αισθανθεί με βεβαιότητα μοναδική.
Η πνοή, το πνεύμα, η ευλογία των αόρατων εκτείνεται σε οποιονδήποτε μπορεί να την αισθανθεί ως οικεία, οπουδήποτε κι αν βρίσκεται. «Το πνεύμα πνέει όπου θέλει», σύμφωνα με τη γνωστή ρήση και φυσικά αγγίζει οποιουσδήποτε βρει να έχουν στοιχεία συγγενικά μαζί του.
Είμαι από τους ανθρώπους που δεν πιστεύουν σε τίποτε μετα-φυσικό. Πιστεύω στη δυνατότητα ύπαρξης των υπερ-φυσικών πραγμάτων και καταστάσεων, στην υπέρβαση δηλαδή των δεδομένων της φύσης, αλλά όχι σε καταστάσεις «μετά τη φύση». Γι’ αυτό δεν μπόρεσα ποτέ να θεωρήσω την ιδιότητα του «μη ορατού» των δώδεκα μοναχών, ως κατάσταση μεταφυσική.
Θεωρώ ότι γίνονται αόρατοι, «ανύπαρκτοι», μέσα από την άκρα ταπείνωση, την εκούσια και ολοκληρωτική διαγραφή της ύπαρξης τους, την οδυνηρή συντριβή κάθε προσδιορισμού του «εγώ» (ακόμη και των θεωρούμενων «καλών» και θετικών), μέσα από την ελεύθερη και απόλυτη αγάπη που δεν γνωρίζει υστεροβουλίες, γιατί προέρχεται από υπάρξεις που εκμηδένισαν τις ανάγκες.
Μ’ αυτήν την έννοια, η αντηλιά των αόρατων εκτείνεται πέρα από τα όρια του Άθω, σε κάθε ασκητή της ταπείνωσης και της μηδένισης του «εγώ», σε κάθε «σαλό» που καταισχύνει τη σοφία των σοφών, σε κάθε άνθρωπο, μοναχό ή κοσμικό, που αγάπησε τόσο πολύ τον Θεό, ώστε «ηρπάγη» κοντά Του, ενώ συνέχιζε την ύπαρξη του σ’ αυτήν τη ζωή και σ’ αυτήν τη γη…
Φυσικά δεν μπορώ, προσωπικά εγώ, να γνωρίζω και να μιλήσω για τη βέβαιη ύπαρξη ή βέβαιη μυθολογία αυτών των μοναχών, μπορώ όμως με βεβαιότητα να πω ότι, εφόσον μπορούμε να γίνουμε μέτοχοι των καταστάσεων που οδηγούν σ’ αυτήν την ενεργητική και δημιουργική «ανυπαρξία», οι δώδεκα μοναχοί θα ζουν πάντα μέσα στους μετόχους αυτών.

ΑΝΤΑΥΓΕΙΑ ΚΑΛΟΣΥΝΗΣ…

Οι αόρατοι της κορφής του Άθωνα είναι οι ταπεινοί, οι απλοί και ασήμαντοι οι πλήρεις Πνεύματος Αγίου που κυκλοφορούν μεταξύ μας.
Κάνουν τη ζωή παράδεισο. Και ενώ σου χαρίζουν ό,τι πολύτιμο βρήκες στον κόσμο, δεν ζητούν καμμιά ανταμοιβή.
Δεν Θεωρούν τον εαυτό τους μεταξύ των ζώντων. Δεν έχει, κατ’ αυτούς, καμμιά αξία η ύπαρξή τους. Ό,τι έχουν το οφείλουν στον Θεό. Ετσι καταλήγουν να είναι μια ανταύγεια καλωσύνης προς όλους, φανερώνοντας την αγάπη του Θεού προς τον κόσμο ολόκληρο. Αυτοί αγιάζουν το Όρος.
Σε κάνουν να αγαπάς τη ζωή, και σου ανοίγουν ορίζοντες ελευθερίας. Σου δίδουν όλα όσα δεν μπόρεσαν να σου δώσουν οι «σοφοί και συνετοί».
Αυτοί δεν παρέρχονται και δεν χάνονται, έστω και αν περάσουν αιώνες. Βρίσκονται εδώ και παντού ως ευλογία και κουράγιο ανερμήνευτο.
Το παραπάνω είναι απόσπασμα από το κείμενο του π. Βασιλείου Γοντικάκη, με το οποίο άρχισα. Η πληρότητα της γραφής του πάνω στο δέμα αυτό είναι απόλυτη.
Συνήθως, όταν αυτο-αποκαλύπτονται, ταυτόχρονα αποκαλύπτουν. Κι αυτό που αποκαλύπτουν βρίσκεται μέσα στον άλλον που έχουν απέναντι τους και που ο ίδιος πιθανόν να μην το είχε ποτέ συνειδητοποιήσει. Η επαφή μαζί τους δεν συγκινεί, συγκλονίζει. Όπως η αστραπή με τη λάμψη της, οξύτατη και σύντομη. Όπως ο Θεός, τιανταχού παρών και ταυτόχρονα υπερφυσικός. Όπως οι άγιοι, αφύσικα δυνατοί μέσα στην άκρα ταπείνωση.
Δεν νομίζω ότι έχει σημασία τι πιστεύει η διάνοια μας. Ο καθένας μπορεί να πιστεύει, να απιστεί, να προσεύχεται ή να χλευάζει, να σέβεται ή να σαρκάζει… Ο καθένας μπορεί να σταθεί με την απόλυτη προσωπική του ελευθερία απέναντι σ’ αυτό το μυστήριο. Κανένας δεν είναι «καλύτερος» ή «χειρότερος», εφόσον η άκρα ταπείνωση των αόρατων μπορεί να τους εμπεριέξει όλους με την ίδια αγάπη.

ΠΗΓΕΣ
Μ. Σταματίδου – Τα Μυστικά των Ελλήνων 2005
Εφημερίδα ΤΟ ΒΗΜΑ, 1997

"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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"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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