My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Our Lord, God, and Savior JESUS CHRIST,
CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.
ON THE 19th of June, the Holy Church Commemorates Our
God-bearing Father PAISIOS the Great.
Saint Paisios, the holy ascetic, was born in Egypt in 300 A.D. He was the child of parents who were pious and virtuous, possessed of noble and Christian ideals. They had seven children who resembled them in their ways and virtues. Their material wealth was enough not only to supply their own needs but also to provide for the needs of others. For as long as they distributed their possessions among the poor, so much more had God reimbursed them and multiplied their substance. However, after the death of the father, the burden of caring for the family fell solely to the mother. The one child whom she had to care for most was Paisios, for he was the youngest of the seven.
The task of caring for the family caused sorrow for the mother, until one night an Angel of God appeared to her and said, "God, Who is the Father of orphans, has sent me to tell thee the following: "Thou shouldest not to grieve inordinately over the burden of caring for thy children; for the task is not thine alone but God’s as well. Therefore, do not despair. But rather, dedicate one of thy sons to God; and, through him, the name of the Lord will be blessed to all ages." After she heard this, she answered, "All my children belong to God. May He receive whomever He chooses!" The Angel then took Paisios by the hand and said to her, "He is the one most pleasing to God." The mother remarked, "But he is not ready to serve God." Take, therefore, one of the older ones–whoever is most worthy." And the Angel said to her, "O most worthy of women, thou claimest that Paisios is not yet capable to serve God because of his age. Know this, that the strength of God is usually manifested through the weak ones. This one, the youngest of all, is the chosen of God. It is he who is foreordained to glorify the Lord’s name one day." After saying these things, the Angel departed. The woman awoke from her sleep, being astonished by the Divine command. She glorified God by these words: "MAY THE MERCY OF GOD VISIT US AND ALSO HIS SERVANT PAISIOS!" This utterance and many other similar things, she spoke, praising and glorifying God. Then she took the child and dedicated him to God.
Paisios grew in Divine grace because he possessed the fear of God. As his age increased and his heart and his heart was filled with the love of God, he contemplated the Monastic Life. When he reached the proper age to work, he was instructed by Divine grace in the Commandments of God. He, thereupon, departed into the desert as an innocent lamb. He came to the great Abba (Father) Pambo, the shepherd OF THE RATIONAL FLOCK OF CHRIST AT Mount Nitria, who also possessed THE GIFT OF PROPHECY. He foretold everything that was to happen to Paisios. Abba (Father) Pambo received the young man with great joy. He, at once, clothed him with the HOLY SCHEMA OF THE MONKS. Now because Paisios was a chosen vessel, he, through Divine grace, attained to every virtue. At first, he achieved PATIENCE, AND OBEDIENCE, performing all the tasks that his elder had instructed him to do. Later, he subjected himself to many more hardships and toils, ever striving TO ACHIEVE PERFECTION.
Abba (Father) Pambo instructed Paisios to be on his own and contemplate Divine things and ponder upon the Magnificence and Glory of God. Following his instructions, he went three years without gazing into anyone’s face. Young Paisios’ main preoccupation was TO READ THE DIVINE SCRIPTURE AND TO STUDY SPIRITUAL MATTERS, which were like refreshing streams that revived his soul. He also began to recite versus from the Psalms of king David, such as the following: "THY WORDS ARE SWEET IN MY MOUTH, SWEETER THAN HONEY TO THE TASTE" (Psalm 118 (119).
Paisios was seized by Divine zeal and strengthened by the Holy Spirit for a much higher way of spiritual life. He fasted throughout the seek, partaking of food only on Saturdays. His fare consisted of a little bread and salt. During the other days of the week, instead of partaking of edible bread, he lived on a much different type of bread, THE SPIRITUAL WORD OF GOD. Paisios would read the Holy Scripture and recite the prophecy of the sublime Jeremiah, who, they say, appeared often to him. The Prophet interpreted for Paisios the hidden meanings of the prophecies, inspiring him with love for the future rewards promised to us by God.
One day, as the hallowed Paisios sat in his cave glorifying God, our Savior appeared before him saying: "PEACE BE UNTO THEE, MY BELOVED SERVANT PAISIOS." At this Theophany, Saint Paisios became terrified and stood on his feet saying, "BEHOLD THY SERVANT, O LORD! WHAT IS THE REASON FOR THY CONDESCENSION TO ME?" The Lord answered, "DOST THOU SEE THE LENGTH AND BREATH OF THIS DESERT? ONE DAY, I SHALL FILL IT THROUGH THY PERSON WITH MONKS WHO WILL GLORIFY MY NAME." The chosen man of God, Paisios, then fell to his knees, saying, "O MASTER AND LORD, ALL SUBMIT TOTHY POWERFUL HAND, SO THAT ALL THINGS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THY WILL CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED. BUT I BEG THY DIVINE GOODNESS, HOW SHALL SO MANY SOULS SURVIVE IN THIS DESERT? AND HOW SHALL THEY PROVIDE FOR THEIR NEEDS?" The Savior replied, "BELIEVE ME, MY SON, THAT IF THOSE WHO WOULD LIVE HERE SHOULD HAVE LOVE AMONG THEMSELVES, WHICH IS THE MOTHER OF ALL VIRTUES, AND SHOULD THEY KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS, I WILL CARE FOR THEM AND PROVIDE FOR THEIR NEEDS." Then the righteous Paisios spoke to Him again, saying, "Once more, I shall entreat Thy goodness. How shall they be delivered from evil temptations?" And the Savior remarked, "IF THEY KEEP, AS IT TOLD THEE, MY COMMANDMENTS WITH HUMILITY AND RIGHTEOUSNESS AND MEEKNESS OF HEART, NOT ONLY I LIBERATE THEM FROM THE ASSAULTS OF THE ENEMY AND FROM HIS EVIL SNARES BUT ALSO SHALL I MAKE THEM INHERITORS OF THE KINGDOM OF THE HEAVENS." The Savior, having said these things, ascended with glory into the heavens. The Venerable Paisios was seized with fear in himself, marvelling at Christ’s condescension to him.
Amidst these Wonders, what does THE ENVIOUS AND MAN-HATING ENEMY MACHINATE? Observing that the divine Paisios was escaping all his SNARES with ease and remaining safe from his assaults, he growled in anger and clenched his teeth. Since Satan was unable to approach Paisios himself, ON ACCOUNT OF THE GRACE THE MAN OF GOD HAD RECEIVE FROM CHRIST, the evil one attempted to defeat him SUBTLY IN ANOTHER MANNER. He attempted to beguile him and strip him of THE VIRTUE OF POVERTY AND NON-POSSESSIVENESS. With divine grace withdrawn, Satan thought that it followed that he could then draw closer and inflict A FATAL WOUND DECISIVELY. He, consequently, appeared to a wealth nobleman of Egypt IN THE FORM OF AN ANGEL, saying to him, "Go to the Inner Desert. Thou shall find a man, named Paisios. Though impoverished in this world’s wealth, yet he is enriched and adorned by many virtues. He is a true vessel of Divine grace. Show him due respect. Offer him a generous sum of money that he may distribute it among the monks who are struggling there." The wealthy man, not knowing of the demonic scheme, gathered a large sum of silver and gold and came to the Saint.
But God revealed to his servant the connivance of the devil and THE TRAP LAID FOR HIM BY MEANS OF THE DONATION OF THE NOBLEMAN. The Righteous father, therefore, rose up at once and went to meet the nobleman. At once, as the nobleman saw the ascetic, he asked him, "Who is Paisios? How can he be found?" Paisios asked him, "Why dost thou seek him?" The nobleman replied, "I have brought him silver that he may distribute it as alms among the monks. Paisios said to him, "Forgive us, O Christ-;loving man, because we have not the least need of money as we wish to dwell in this desert. Take the money and go in peace. Cease grieving, God would still accept thy contributions, if the silver which thou hast brought for the monks were to be distributed among the poor. In the villages of Egypt there are many needy people, orphans, and widows. If thou will show them mercy, thou shall receive a manifold reward from God. The nobleman obeyed the words of the Saint, and he returned to Egypt. (Source: The Great Synaxaristes of the Orthodox Church)
(To be continued)
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"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"
– Saint John Chrysostomos
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With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
The Eastern Orthodox Christian Ethos 