Elder Paisios – The Holy War

“The spirit of lukewarmness reigns. There’s no manliness at all! We’ve been spoiled for good! How does God still tolerate us? Today’s generation is the generation of indifference. There are no warriors The majority are fit only for parades.”

 

 

“There’s a war on today, a holy war…”

 

“If the Metropolitans are silent, then who will speak?”

 

That unsettles me is the reigning mood of tranquility. Something is in the works. We still haven’t understood properly either what’s going on, or the fact that we will die. I don’t know what will come of this. The situation is very complicated. The fate of the world depends on just a few people, but God is still putting on the brakes. We have to pray a lot, and with pain in our hearts, so that God will intervene: our times are very hard to understand. A lot of ash, rubbish, and indifference has accumulated, and a strong wind will be needed to blow it all away.

 

It’s frightening! The Tower of Babel is upon us! Divine intervention is needed: Great upheavals are happening. What a bedlam! The minds of whole nations are in confusion. But in spite of the ferment I feel a certain consolation inside, a certain confidence. God still dwells in a part of the Christians. God’s people, people of prayer, still remain, and God in his all-goodness still tolerates us and will put everything in order. Don’t be afraid! We’ve gone through many storms, and still haven’t perished. So should we be afraid of the storm which is now gathering? We’ll not perish this time either”

 

God loves us. In Man there’s a hidden power which comes out when necessary. The difficult years will be few. Just a lot of thunder.

 

Don’t get upset in the least, for God is above everything. He rules everyone and will bring all to the defendant’s bench to answer for what they’ve done, according to which each will receive his just desserts from God. Those who’ve in some way helped the cause of good will be rewarded, and those who do evil will be punished. God will put everyone in their place in the end, but each of us will answer for what they did in these difficult years, both in prayer and in deeds.

 

Today they’re trying to destroy faith, and for the edifice of faith to fall they quietly pull out one stone, then another. But we’re all responsible for the destruction; not just those who destroy but we who see how faith is being undermined and make no effort to strengthen it. As a result the seducers are emboldened to create even greater difficulties for us, and their rage against the Church and the monastic life increases.

 

Today’s situation can be resisted only spiritually, not by worldly means. The storm will continue to rage a bit, will throw all the flotsam, everything unnecessary, onto the shore, and then the situation will become clearer. Some will receive their reward, while others will have to pay their debts.

 

Today there are many who strive to corrupt everything: the family, the youth, the Church. In our day it’s a true witness to speak up for one’s people, for the state is waging war against divine law. It’s laws are directed against the Law of God.

 

But we are responsible for not letting the enemies of the Church corrupt everything. Though I’ve heard even priests say: “Don’t get involved in that. It’s none of your business!” If they had reached such a non-striving condition through prayer I would kiss their feet. But no! They’re indifferent because they want to please everyone and live in comfort.

 

Indifference is unacceptable even for laymen, and all the more so for the clergy. An honest, spiritual man doesn’t do anything with indifference. “Cursed be he that doeth the work of the Lord deceitfully”, says the Prophet Jeremiah (Jer. 48:10). There’s a war on today, a holy war. I must be on the front lines. There are so many Marxists, so many Masons, so many Satanists and assorted others! So many possessed, anarchists and seduced ones! I see what awaits us, and it’s painful for me. The bitter taste of human pain is in my mouth.

 

The spirit of lukewarmness reigns. There’s no manliness at all! We’ve been spoiled for good! How does God still tolerate us? Today’s generation is the generation of indifference. There are no warriors The majority are fit only for parades.

 

Godlessness and blasphemy are allowed to appear on television. And the Church is silent and doesn’t excommunicate the blasphemers. And they need to be excommunicated. What are they waiting for? Let’s not wait for someone else to pull the snake out from its hole so that we can live in peace.

 

They’re silent out of indifference. What’s bad is that even people who’ve got something inside have begun to grow cool, saying: “Can I really do anything to change the situation?” We have to witness our faith with boldness, because if we continue to be silent we’ll have to answer in the end. In these difficult days each must do what’s in their power. And leave what’s out of their power to the will of God. In this way our conscience will be clear.

 

If we don’t resist, then our ancestors will arise from their graves. They suffered so much for the Fatherland, and we? What are we doing for it?.. If Christians don’t begin to witness their faith, to resist evil, then the destroyers will become even more insolent. But today’s Christians are no warriors. If the Church keeps silent, to avoid conflict with the government, if the metropolitans are silent, if the monks hold their peace, then who will speak up?

 

Give thanks to God for everything. Try to be manly. Pull yourself together a bit. Do you know what Christians are suffering in other countries? There are such difficulties in Russia! But here many exhibit indifference. There’s not enough disposition to kindness, love of devotion.

 

You see, if we don’t begin to make war against evil, to expose those who tempt believers, then the evil will grow larger. If we throw aside fear then the faithful will be emboldened a bit. And those who wage war against the Church will have a harder time.

 

In the past our nation lived spiritually, so God blessed her, and the saints helped us in miraculous fashion. And we were victorious against our enemies, who always outnumbered us. Today we continue to call ourselves Orthodox Christians, but we don’t live Orthodox lives.

 

A lukewarm clergy lulls the people to sleep, leaves them in their former condition so they won’t be upset. “Look”, they say. “By all means don’t say that there’ll be a war, or the Second Coming, that one must prepare oneself for death. We must not make people alarmed!”

 

And others speak with a false kindness, saying: “We mustn’t expose heretics and their delusions, so as to show our love for them.” Today’s people are water-soluble. There’s no leaven in them.

 

If I avoid upsetting myself to protect my fleshly comfort then I’m indifferent to holiness! Spiritual meekness is one thing, and softness and indifference are quite another. Some say: “I’m a Christian and therefore I have to be joyful and calm.” But they’re not Christian. They’re simply indifferent. And their joy is only a worldly joy.

 

He in whom these worldly seeds are present is no spiritual person. A spiritual person consists of nothing but pain. In other words, he’s in pain at what’s going on, he’s in pain for people’s condition. And divine comfort is bestowed upon him for his pain.

 

Elder Paisios was a gentle ascetic who lived out his monastic life, until he became ill, on Mount Athos. After a few days of suffering following surgery, he gave up his spirit on July 12, 1994.

 

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Pentecost / ጰራቅሊጦስ Reading

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Elder Paisios’ Amazing Prophecies About Constantinople

The famous Greek Monk, Elder Paisios, who was recently mentioned by the Wall Street Journal, made the following remarkable, and likely-to-happen prophesies about the City of Constantinople (modern day Istanbul).

“The Russians will soon take Turkey. The Chinese will cross the Euphrates. Providence tells me that many events will happen: The Russians will take Turkey and Turkey will disappear from the world map because a third of the Turks will become Christians, another third will die in the war and another third will leave for Mesopotamia.

The Mid-East will become a theater of a war in which the Russians will take place. Much blood will be spilled. The sign that this event is approaching will be the destruction of the Mosque of Omar, for its destruction will mark the beginning of work by the Jews to rebuild the Temple of Solomon, which was built on the same spot. There will be a great war between Russians and Europeans, and much blood will be spilled.

Greece won’t play a leading role in that war, but they’ll give her back Constantinople. Not because the Russians adore the Greeks, but because no better solution will be found. The city will be handed over to the Greek Army even before it has a chance to get there.”

Short Biography of Elder Paisios of the Holy Mountains

• Elder Paisios was born in Farasa in Cappadocia, Asia Minor on 25 July 1924.

• He was baptised by St Arsenios the Cappadocian on 7 August 1924.

• After the Greco-Turkish War he emigrated with his family to Epirus, Greece in September 1924.

• He worked as a carpenter in Konitsa, Epirus after completing elementary education.

• In 1945 he was drafted into the army and served during the years of the civil war until 1949 as a radio operator.

• In 1949 he went to Mount Athos to become a monk. He stayed for a few months and returned to his family because his mind was on his sisters who were still unmarried.

• In 1950 he went back to Mount Athos and in 1954 he was tonsured a monk.

• In 1956 his spiritual father, Elder Symeon at Philotheou Monastery gave him the name “Paisios”.

• In 1958 he was asked to go to Stomio in Konitsa.

• In 1962 he went to Sinai for 2 years.

• In 1964 he returned to Mount Athos.

• In 1966 he founded the Monastery of St John the Theologian in Sourote, Thessalonki, Greece which he also guided spiritually for 28 years, from 1967-1994 – which also contains the miraculous relics of St Arsenios of Cappadocia.

• He fell asleep on 12 July 1994.

Elder Paisios’s Gifts

While still alive, Elder Paisios was considered a saint by many. There are hundreds of signed witnesses of miracles he performed.

On the Holy Mountain he practised asceticism. The gifts God adorned him with were many:-

(a) Gift of healing – he healed many people from diverse illnesses, cancers, paralytics from birth, etc.

(b) Gift of taking out demons – from people.

(c) Gift of foreknowledge – to many he had told events which would happen to them in the future on a personal level but also prophesised future developments in history.

(d) Gift of clairvoyance – he knew the heart of each person deeper and more clearly than the person himself. For this reason, he also counselled correctly and with precision and each one listened to the word which he needed to hear.

(e) Gift of discretion of spirits – he knew with exactitude if a spiritual event was from God or from the devil who was trying to deceive and lead astray.

(f) Gift of discretion of God’s will – he knew in each case what God’s will was and if he ought to reveal it or not.

(g) Gift of theology – from the many spiritual experiences he had with saints, with angels, with the Virgin Mary, but also with visions of uncreated light, not once, but many times. He had truly become a theologian and deeply knew God’s mysteries.

(h) Gift of love – he had love for everyone, without limits, with absolute self-sacrifice. A love on fire, sweet, almighty, divine. It was this love which gathered people around him. Hundreds of people visited him daily in his cell. The elder gathered the pain, the agony and the problems of the people and gave a solution, joy and peace. He intervened miraculously with divine authority and solved the unsolvable. The Elder was a gift of God to people.

The Elder’s Teachings

1. “Before you do something, think what Christ wants you to; then act accordingly. Ask for God’s guidance.”

2. “Do not look at what people do, or examine how, and why they do it.”

3. “Perverse thoughts separate men from God. Our aim is to totally submit our mind to the grace of God.”

4. “If one lives in the world of his pride, that is, his own thoughts, he is filled with illusions and he is in danger. He must ignore both positive and negative thoughts and always confess to his spiritual father, and obey whatever he tells him. He should only trust him and not in his own thoughts.”

5. “As long as man humbly thinks of himself, God’s grace remains with him and protects him.”

6. “In our days, people have lost control over their lives and they do not know what they are doing. They do not wish to be guided. They want to live undisturbed, following their own freewill, which will eventually bring them to total destruction. He becomes deceived. He experiences and interprets everything by using his own logic. Instead of God’s grace, human logic rules his life and his mind is in “confusion”.”

7. “If a passion rules our lives it is because we consent to it. If we remain enslaved by it, we do it because we love our passion and want to be a slave to it. The moment we hate the passion and direct our love towards to God, we immediately become free.”

8. “”Purification” requires the soul to be pure and clean from our own will; to abandon our own will to the will of God. To humble our will and elevate God’s will.”

9. “”Obedience” means not to have a will at all and obey your spiritual father.”

10. “”Philotimo” is the reverent distillation of goodness, the radiant love of the humble man bereft of himself, but a heart full of gratitude to God and his fellow man, and because of spiritual sensitivity he tries to repay even the slightest good which others do to him.”

11. “A person who asks for miracles, in order to believe in God, lacks dignity. If God wishes he could make everyone believe with miracles. But he does not do so because he does not want to exercise force on man’s free will; man will then end up believing in God, not out of gratefulness or due to God’s excessive kindness, but due to his “supernatural power”.”

12. “Our saints had divine justice instead of human justice. When we neglect our spirituality and instead take to court people who treat us unjustly, we consider our material possessions and our pride more valuable than the salvation of our soul.”

13. “Divine Providence is the care that comes from God. He looks after the tiniest detail of the smallest of his creatures. His providence will take care of everything in our lives if we reject everything and become wholly and undistractingly devoted to his love.”

14. “We should constantly and unceasingly repeat The Jesus Prayer. Only the name of Jesus must remain inside our heart and mind. When we neglect our prayer, that is our communication with God, then the devil finds the chance to confuse us with negative thoughts.”

15. “When God sees that we are proud and arrogant, he allows for the presence of afflictions and temptations in our life. He will take them away from us when He sees that we have humbled ourselves.”

16. “Hell and paradise do exist. Our soul experiences both, as they are spiritual states and not places where fires are burning, or birds are singing. The soul experiences fear, terror, agony, anxiety, despair and disappointment. If it has been separated from God in this life. It experiences hell – a torturing experience. Hell is not a place where souls are boiling inside cauldrons, but rather a state is which the soul will be found after the separation from the body. Then, you will realise the truth and suffer tremendously for not believing in Christ and his preaching on life after death. The soul will more intensively feel the guilt for its actions and experience these unpleasant feelings of fear, terror, despair, etc. It becomes a place of hell. The same applies to paradise as well, your soul is filled with joy and love.”

The teachings outlined above are only a short summary of Elder Paisios’s spiritual knowledge and wisdom. Christians who take the time to read this book and put Elder Paisios’s counsels into practice will benefit significantly. “Blessed are they who live the word and not those who only hear it or read it.”

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P.S: The Image shows Mount Athos or Agion Oros, as it is locally known, which is the oldest surviving monastic community in the world. It dates back more than a thousand years, to Byzantine times. It is a unique monastic republic, which, although part of Greece, it is governed by its own local administration.

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