ATHONITE FATHERS
AND ATHONITE MATTERS

BY THE BOOK OF ELDER PAISIOS,
OF MOUNT ATHOS

Elder Evlogios (the Disciple of Hadji-Georgis)

To the north of Karyes, towards the Monastery of Vatopedi, is the Cell of Saint George "The Revealed One". Six spiritual sons of Hadji-Georgis lived the the ascetic life there having as their elder the oldest one, Elder Evlogios. Later, two other brothers were added to their brotherhood, Father Pachomios and Father George, who thus became spiritual grandchildren of Hadji-Georgis.

It is a joy to see this holy patristic continuum and godly transmission of the monastic life from the righteous grandfathers to righteous Father Hadji-Georgis and from the father to sons and grandsons. It is, of course, worth writing a great deal about them, as well as about Elder Evlogios. Since one of the fathers of the Monastery of Simonopetra, who came from the same part of the world, has also written about him, I shall restrict myself to one event from the end of his life to show how the "athlete" of Christ, Father Evlogios, wrestled with demons into the depths of his old age!

When the elder had become an old man, past his hundredth birthday, he used to sit on a bench and say the Jesus Prayer without ceasing. One day, his two disciples, Father Pachomios and Father George, went to pick olives and Father Evlogios locked the door and lent against the bench to say the Jesus Prayer. All of a sudden, a loud noise was heard coming from his cell and he interrupted the Jesus Prayer. Then, thirty demons hurled themselves upon him, threw him to the floor and flayed him mercilessly. Naturally, the elder was unable to regain his feet after such a terrible beating! When it was noon, the fathers returned from their work and called the elder to open the door for them. But how could the poor elder hear, let alone get up, in the state he was in? Father George was worried and got into the cell by a window, opened the door and both fathers went into the elder's cell in great trepidation. What did they see? Elder Evlogios down on the floor, beaten black and blue. He said to them quite calmly: "Listen. Thirty demons got together to beat me! Not just one or two!"

He had a wooden Cross hanging in his cell and it was before this Cross that he usually prayed. Once, while he was praying, a devil got in through a window to torment the elder. Suddenly the elder saw the Cross disengage itself from the wall and approach the devil, who immediately disappeared, the villain. Then, he saw the Cross move by itself back to its normal place.

That was how Elder Evlogios struggled until his hundred and eighth year. Now that he had matured spiritually and was due to leave this life for that of eternity with his spiritual riches, he was informed by God to prepare himself and his monks by giving them his last advice along with his blessing: "My monks, I am now leaving. I am going up near Saint Anthony. Later on, you will come up as well, to Paradise. You, Father George, will live eighty years." The blessed servant of God, Father Evlogios, then asked to be given Holy Communion and rested in the Lord on April 11, 1948. When Father George had reached the age of eighty, he said: "This year I will die. That is what the elder told me."

The doctor, seeing how strongly built he was, had said to him: "You will live another thirty years". But as soon as he reached eighty, Father George closed his eyes for good, and everyone marvelled!


Elder Pachomios (the Disciple of Elder Evlogios and Grandson of Hadji-Georgis)

I shall do for Father Pachomios the same as I did with respect to his spiritual father, Elder Evlogios, that is, I shall mention something from the end of his life. Devout strugglers who have pure thoughts will discern the purified soul of Elder Pachomios by themselves.

Three days before his death, a Thursday it was, Father Pachomios called Father George and said to him:
"Be kind, Father George, and go to Kolitsou to buy fish for the feast of Saint George on Monday. But buy a lot of fish this time, because you will have two feasts. I will be celebrating in heaven with Saint George. I won't be with you". Father George went straight off to Kolitsou, brought back the fish and prepared them, so that they would not spoil.

On Friday, Elder Pachomios again sent Father George to invite the fathers for the feast and said to him:
"Tell the fathers to arrange their work, because they will have two feasts here: my funeral with the memorial service and next day the memory of Saint George". Father George announced it to the fathers, just as Father Pachomios had told him. On Saturday morning, he sent for Father Demetrios to come and give him Communion. As soon as he saw the priest, he began to chant joyfully "Of Thy mystical supper" and, after having received Communion, said "Glory to God!" He then embraced the fathers who were there with him and his sanctified soul departed for the heavens on April 22 in the year 1974.

On Sunday, they had his funeral and memorial service and a festal meal, while on Monday they celebrated Saint George's day and a second feast was held. Father Pachomios, however, celebrated with Saint George in heaven, as he said, satiated with the beauty of Paradise and drunk on the spiritual wine of the love of God, together with Saint George. May God in His goodness make us, too, worthy of tasting a little of it. Amen.


Father Seraphim, the Anchorite (18) of Athos

A devout young man from a wealthy family in Athens had already lost his mother through a dreadful illness, when suddenly his father died a short time later. The young man was deeply shaken by the death of his parents, which spurred him to reflect upon the vanity of this world. So he gave all his riches away to the poor, left his large commercial enterprise to his employees and went to the Holy Mountain.

On his way through New Skete, he became acquainted with Father Neophytos, who was living in the hut of Saint Demetrios. The young man was given hospitality there and made his confession. Father Neophytos told him a great deal about the ascetics and a divine passion kindled within him when he heard of the anchorites at the peak of the Holy Mountain. He asked Father Neophytos' blessing to be received into his brotherhood, to be tonsured a monk and then to be given a blessing to go and live as an ascetic high up on Athos. Father Neophytos saw that he was very devout and humble and accepted him, but kept him a layman for five years, quietly preparing him spiritually. No one else knew of the young man's sacred aim, who avoided meeting even the other fathers of the Skete. When he had been trained spiritually for five years, the elder made him a monk, gave him the name Seraphim and his blessing to live as an ascetic high up on Athos, out of contact with everyone.

Three years later, as I was told by Father Dionysios, his spiritual brother, he came down once and told them of the temptations he had encountered at the beginning, how the demons had constantly been threatening him. In fact, one night, they cast away the old piece of corrugated iron that he had placed in front of his cave to keep out the worst of the wind and rain. Father Seraphim was not only unmoved by this, but said to the demons:
"God forgive you! You have done well, because I had made the cave ugly with that corrugated iron I put there".

Father Seraphim turned up again five years later and Father Neophytos gave him an Artophorio (19) with Holy Communion, whereupon he left for the peak of Athos and was never seen again. Father Seraphim became the angel "Seraphim"! How could he fail to fly away, since all his possessions had flown away for the sake of Christ! His blessing be upon us. Amen.

19. A container which sits on the Altar Table containing the reserve Holy Communion (Tabernacle).