By
Hieromonk Christodoulos the Athonite
One
morning in 1981, when I was a young monk, I went to see Elder Paisios, to ask
him if there was another contemporary holy elder through whom Divine Grace was
at work... His response was clear:
"There
is Elder Porphyrios, who is in a great spiritual state and is a sanctified
figure. You should go and visit him, when you can, because he is an old man and
may repose."
I
asked where I could find him, and he told me that he lives in an hesychasterion
in Nea Palatia in Oropos.
My
first question was answered, but now I had a second question to have answered:
"I
wanted you to tell me about another, if you knew someone else, who is in the
same state. No matter where he lives - either here at the Holy Mountain or
elsewhere - no matter where he is, I want to visit him."
Elder
Paisios, speaking again of Elder Porphyrios, responded: "You should go to
him. He is in a very great state!"
+++
It was
refreshing to see how Elder Paisios and Elder Porphyrios thought of each other.
A
certain monk asked Elder Paisios: "Elder, I want to see you about a
certain problem that I discussed with Elder Porphyrios."
Elder
Paisios told him: "If you discussed it with Elder Porphyrios, then you
don't need to discuss it with me, because he bears the gift of having a color
television, while mine is black and white."
The
Elder had such a humble mind. Elder Porphyrios would tell us:
"The
Grace of Elder Paisios has greater value than mine, because he acquired it
after labor and ascetic sweat, while God gave me it completely free, when I was
young, for the sole reason to help the brethren."
1/16/2015
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