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!"
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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."
From the book Σκεύος Εκλογής, pp. 347-348 and 379. Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
