Spiritual Awakening PDF
Preview Spiritual Awakening
ELDER PAISIOS OF MOUNT ATHOS SPIRITUAL COUNSELS Volume II SPIRITUAL AWAKENING Holy Monastery “Evangelist John the Theologian” SOUROTI, THESSALONIKI, GREECE 2008 Title of the Original: AOTOIB' nvcv^iaTiKi] AffivnyttJi] 1st Edition 1999 7th Edition 2007 Published by the Holy Monastery “Evangelist John the Theologian” Souroti, Thessaloniki, Greece Translated by Edited by Reverend Anna Famellos Fr Peter Chamberas Andronikos Masters In cooperation with the Holy Monastery “Evangelist John the Theologian” 1st Edition 2008 €) Holy Monastery “Evangelist John the Theologian” 570 06 Vasilika, Thessaloniki, Greece Tel +30 23960 41320 Fax +30 23960 41594 All rights reserved. No part ofthis publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner. CONTENTS Prologue 9 An Introduction to the Elder’s Counsels 19 PART ONE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF LOVE CHAPTER ONE The Indifferent Generation 33 CHAPTER TWO The Presence of a Christian Is a Confession of Faith 49 CHAPTER THREE To the Pure All Things Are Pure 68 CHAPTER FOUR Actions With Prudence and Love 81 PART TWO STRUGGLE AND DEVOUTNESS CHAPTER ONE The Good Fight 103 CHAPTER TWO How the Devil Works 123 CHAPTER THREE The Benefits of Good Fellowship 134 CHAPTER FOUR Devoutness Moves God 147 CHAPTER FIVE Self-Offering Provides Divine Oxygen 171 PART THREE SPIRITUAL BRAVERY CHAPTER ONE The Signs of the Times 197 CHAPTER I WO Sacrifice Brings Joy 218 CHAPTER THREE Bravery Is Bom of Trust in God 241 CHAP FER FOUR For the Faithful, Martyrdom Is a Festival 257 PART FOUR DEPENDENCE UPON HEAVEN CHAPTER ONE God’s Providence For Man 277 CHAPTER TWO Faith and Trust in God 294 CHAPTER THREE Where Man Cannot Reach, God Provides Help 315 PART FIVE SPIRITUAL WEAPONS CHAPTER ONE Prayer Is a Powerful Weapon 333 CHAPTER TWO Monasteries Are the Fortresses of the Church 355 CHAP I’ER THREE The Deeper Meaning of Life 381 INDEX Scriptural Index 399 General Index 403 PROLOGUE ✓ ■ he blessed Elder Paisios began speaking to us * I about the difficult years ahead as early as 1980. He often said that we, too, might experience many of the events described in the Book of Revelation. His purpose, of course, was to instil in us a positive con cern1 so that we may intensify our spiritual struggle, re sist the spirit of indifference, which he had seen slipping treacherously even into the ranks of Monasticism, over come self-love and combat our weaknesses in order to strengthen our prayer. “Our weaknesses,” he used to say, “weaken our prayer and we can neither help ourselves nor the people we pray for. Wireless communications2 1. “Positive or good concern is the good restlessness and anguish for the good struggle. The person struggles, observes himself, recognizes what ob structs his spiritual progress, expresses concern, asks for help and docs spiritual work.” Elder Paisios, Spiritual Counsels, Volume V, Passions and Virtues, Holy Monastery “Evangelist John the Theologian”, Souroti, Thessaloniki. 2. Throughout his counsels, the Elder made frequent reference to wireless communications, meaning, of course, our contact with God through prayer. He was fond of this metaphor, having served during his youth as a wireless opera tor in the Greek army. 10 PROLOGUE become useless. And if the wireless is down, we will be defeated by the enemy.” The overall prologue of the first volume, entitled With Pain and Love for Contemporary Man, features a comprehensive account of the origin, selection and compilation of the material contained in the series The Spiritual Counsels of the Elder Paisios of Mount Athos. In this present Volume II of the series, entitled Spiritual Awakening, we have included themes concerning the present-day reality. These themes call upon us to be in constant vigilance and readiness, preparing us for the dif ficult situations that we may confront one day. We have already realized what the Elder often noted: “We will go through storm after storm; this is how it will be for some years to come; an overall state of turmoil everywhere.” The second volume consists of five parts. The first part refers to the sense of indifference and irresponsibil ity prevailing in our time, and to the compelling duty of conscientious Christians to ease the situation through self-correction, prudent behaviour, confession of faith and prayer. At one point, the Elder noted, “I am not say ing that we should take up banners and march in demon strations, but that we should raise our hands towards God in prayer.” In the second part, the Elder kindles the zeal for spir itual work without confining us to a particular struggle. It is then up to each person to take up the struggle, according PROLOG I E 11 to his own strength and philotimo? and to live the life in Christ, which is Paradise on earth. The third part refers to the short occupation period of Satan, which will give Christians the opportunity to wit- v ness to Christ agaii^ as in Holy Baptism, but conscien- tiously this time -^to struggle against evil and to rejoice ' in advancqT^fhe victory of Christ over Satan. The Elder X used to say that the Saints would have envied this op portunity of ours: “Many Saints would have wanted to live in our time in order to take up the struggle earnestly. But it is now up to us....And we are unworthy; at least we should recognize our unworthiness.” Effectively con fronting the present situation requires the cultivation of a heroic spirit, as well as the spirit of selfless sacrifice. In the fourth part, which addresses divine providence, faith, trust in God and divine assistance, we are guided toward the source from which we can draw the strength to confront any adversity. Lastly, the fifth part focuses on the need for and the power of heartfelt prayer, a mighty weapon in combat ing the ever-increasing evil around us. The monks and nuns are called upon to be in an unceasing “state of aleiVQnuch like soldiers in time of war, constantly help ing the people with prayer and carefully preventing the distortion of the spirit of Monasticism, and, thus, leaving 3. Philotimo, according to Elder Paisios, is the reverent distillation of good ness, the love shown by humble people, from which every trace of self has been filtered out. Their hearts are full of gratitude towards God and their fellow men, and out of spiritual sensitivity and a sense of honour they try to repay the slight est good which others do for them. 12 PROLOGUE a leaven for future generations. This last part concludes with a chapter that defines the most profound meaning of life, while reiterating the need for metanoia (change of mind), that is, repentance. / In this volume, a^ct as always, the counsels and the activities of Elder Paisios are weighed in the scales of discernment. In these texts one may see the Elder deeply immersed in prayer, even as pilgrims knocked at his cell, ringing the brass bell hanging outside his wire fence and shouting impatiently and persistently, “Elder, stop pray ing for a minute, God will not be offended!” At other times he will abandon the desert and go out into the world as, otherwise, his absence from some common ac tivity could be misunderstood and harm the Church. Or, we may see him overcome by righteous indignation in reaction to someone’s blasphemies, while at other times he will remain silent and simply pray for the blasphemer. Given this, the reader should not rush to conclusions until all the chapters have been carefully studied. Above all, the reader should not isolate any of the counsels of the Elder and take them out of context, for this can lead to erroneous conclusions. The reader must always keep in mind that the Elder is speaking about a particular event or a specific question and is responding to a specific person, the salvation of whose soul is in the balance. Those who knew the Elder remember the gentle con solation his words brought to their hearts, no matter how harsh his counsels may have been sometimes. The rea son was that the Elder always aimed at healing the evil, not at stigmatizing it. He wanted to deliver the soul of
The list of books you might like
