The Sacred Services and Hymns for Saint Paisios the Athonite

The Sacred Services of the Venerable Paisios the Athonite were written by His Eminence Metropolitan Joel of Edessa, Pella and Almopia and is to be chanted on July 12th, the feast of Saint Paisios and the day of his repose.

On the day when Venerable Paisios was listed among the saints of the Church, Metropolitan Joel said the following:

"The venerable Paisios, with his superhuman struggles and unfailing love for God and people, proved that God did not cease to manifest saints within human history. That's why he left his mark in our time, having inspired and continue to inspire all those who come near him. He worked and continues to work like a lighthouse, showing the way to the confused people of our time and as a consolation to those in pain. May his holy intercessions cover all of us and the whole world."

It should be noted that the official Services to Saint Paisios may change until further notice by the Ecumenical Patriarchate, but for now this is what we have. For this reason I will avoid translating anything other than what is below until we receive confirmation.

All the Services in Greek can be accessed in pdf formate here.

Below are some of the primary hymns in English which I translated:

(The Apolytikion below was revised by Metropolitan Joel in February 2015, together with other sections from the Service. Read the revision here.)

Apolytikion in the First Tone

The offspring of Farasa, and the adornment of Athos, and the imitator and equal in honor of the venerable ones from ages past; let us honor Paisios O faithful, the vessel full of graces, who hastens speedily to the pious faithful who cry out: Glory to Him Who gave you strength, Glory to Him Who crowned you, Glory to Him Who grants through you healings for all.

Kontakion in the Plagal of the Fourth Tone

The most-famed ascetic of the Holy Mountain, and the newly-illumined luminary of the Church, let us praise him with hymns with all our heart, for he leads the faithful towards a life of excellence, filling them with rivers of gifts, therefore we cry out: Rejoice, Father Paisios.

Synaxarion

On the twelfth day of this month, the memory of our venerable Father Paisios the New the Athonite, who was perfected in peace in the year 1994.

Verses

Paisios, the tree of Mount Athos,

You were shown to be full of fruit, most-venerable one.

On the twelfth, Paisios reposed.

Megalynarion

Rejoice the communicant with the Venerable, the pride of Athos, the adornment of monastics; Rejoice the new teacher of the Church, godly-minded Paisios, our boast.

See also: Elder Paisios is Officially Canonized by the Ecumenical Patriarchate

What St. Porphyrios of Kavsokalyva and St. Paisios the Athonite Said About Each Other

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."

Elder Paisios is Officially Canonized by the Ecumenical Patriarchate

It was announced this morning that the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate has officially numbered Elder Paisios the Athonite among the saints of the Church.

Below is the official press release of the Ecumenical Patriarchate concerning the canonization of Elder Paisios:

Elder Paisios on the Rise of Islam in France

Elder Paisios said the following in November of 1988, and it is recorded in the book Elder Paisios of Mount Athos, Spiritual Counsels I: With Pain and Love for Contemporary Man. France currently has the highest population of Muslims in western Europe, many of whom are converts to Islam, estimated at around 100,000 converts alone.

In France, although it is a progressive country - it's not underdeveloped - lately eighty thousand became Muslims. Why? Because they made sin into a fashion.

Elder Paisios on Religion and Societal Problems

Elder Paisios the Athonite said the following in June of 1985, shortly before the fall of Balkan and Soviet communism:

They were going to abolish religion, because they thought religion creates problems. Now they slowly see that humans, when they don't have a faith, they don't have boundaries and they become beastly; they have nothing to stand on without ideals.

Raphael Eznepidis, Brother of Elder Paisios, Has Reposed in the Lord

His funeral will take place tomorrow morning in the Sacred Church of Saint Nicholas in Konitsa.

December 26, 2014

Epirus Gate

One day after the great feast of Christendom, Christmas, 96-year-old Raphael Eznepidis died today, who was the brother of Elder Paisios (Arsenios Eznepidis in the world), widely known for his life and work, and has already been proposed to be classified in the List of Saints of the Orthodox Church. The elder Raphael Eznepidis lived bedridden with his wife and one of his children, Christos.

Elder Paisios the Athonite on Christmas

Christ, in His great love and great delight that causes the souls of the faithful to jump for joy for all His holy feasts, resurrects us truly since He raises us up to spiritual heights. It is sufficient that we participate and have a spiritual appetite to celebrate spiritually; then we spiritually party and spiritually get drunk from the heavenly wine the saints bring us at their expense.

To live the feasts we must have our mind on the holy days and not on the work we have to do for the holy days. Let us think about the events of each holy day and say the Prayer while glorifying God. In this way we will celebrate each feast with much reverence.

The Chapel of Saint Barbara in Konitsa and Elder Paisios

In the village of Konitsa stands the Chapel of Saint Barbara, which is connected with Elder Paisios in that it was the church he attended while growing up and it was here that he had his first divine vision and cultivated a life-long reverence and relationship with Saint Barbara.

A Chapel Dedicated to Elder Paisios in Alexandroupolis

By Kostas Karamesinis

When I heard about the chapel of Elder Paisios in Maistros of Alexandroupolis, immediately I had the desire to visit at the first opportunity.

Yesterday, therefore, when for business reasons I was in Alexandroupolis, I seized the opportunity and went to Maistros. I was fortunate to know the man who built the chapel and he was there, willing to guide me and provide for me information relating to Elder Paisios and his chapel.

Maistros is on the way from Alexandroupolis to the airport, in an area where you see nothing but trees and a river between them. In such a richness of nature is the chapel of Elder Paisios built.

The Personality of Saint Arsenios the Cappadocian (2 of 2)

...continued from part one.

"Our Faith Is Not Sold"

He never took money for healings, nor did he touch it with his hands. He was accustomed to saying that "our faith is not sold"! For instance, as Elder Paisios records:

A. Once they brought to Hatzefendis, from Tsahiroudes, a newly-married, possessed Turkish woman, bound with chains, for him to read prayers over. Since he was in retreat that day, the poor soul's relatives begged the church wardens to persuade him to receive them, because, although they had her tied up, they still could not keep her under control. Father Arsenios received them, and signaled them to release her. No sooner was the possessed woman set free, however, than she rushed at Father Arsenios, grabbed one of his legs and bit it. He was holding the Gospel to read over her, but he did not open it, just tapped her gently three times on the head and the demon at once left the woman, who then started to cry and kiss with reverence Father Arsenios' leg which she had bitten. Her father also fell at his feet and begged him to accept his whole kese (purse) and said:

The Baptismal Font of Elder Paisios the Athonite

Today, November 10th, our holy Church honors the memory of Saint Arsenios of Cappadocia. Saint Arsenios baptized Elder Paisios as an infant in Farasa, and he ordered his parents to give the child his name and not the name Christos that belonged to his grandfather. He then prophesied the meaning behind this: "It is good that you want to leave someone at the foot of the grandfather, yet do I not want to leave a monk at my feet?"

Panagia Stomiou Monastery in Konitsa and Elder Paisios

Orthodoxy in Greece has built in the most beautiful places many monasteries that testifies to its ascetic character. In one of these places, within the heart of the gorge of the River Aoos, is the Sacred Monastery of Panagia Stomiou in Konitsa of Ioannina.

Concerning the Book "Elder Paisios of Mount Athos" by Hieromonk Isaac (3 of 3)

...continued from part two.

3. Seer, Venerable One, Martyr

The people called the Prophets of the Old Testament "visionaries" and "seers", such as the Prophet Samuel, because they had spiritual binoculars, able to see the spiritual illnesses of humanity. They had constant communication with God through the spoken word and oral communication with Him, and they saw the future incarnation of the Son and Word of God. Such a "visionary" and "seer" was Elder Paisios, as we knew him personally and as aptly analyzed in this book.

Concerning the Book "Elder Paisios of Mount Athos" by Hieromonk Isaac (2 of 3)

...continued from part one.

2. Empirical Ecclesiology

By reading this book one will see a God-seeing Elder ascetic who went through all the stages of the spiritual life, such as detachment, landlessness, martyric obedience, asceticism of many years, the purification of the heart, the illumination of the nous, noetic prayer of the heart, experience of the vision of God, love for God. One will also see a monk who developed, to a large degree, philotimo and spiritual bravery, which is why he constantly spoke to Christians about acquiring philotimo and bravery.

120,000 Pilgrims Visit the Grave of Elder Paisios on the 20th Anniversary of His Repose

On the 20th anniversary of his repose, which took place on 12 July 1994, 120,000 faithful pilgrims gathered to pray at the grave of Elder Paisios in Souroti, after many waited in line for about four hours.

Concerning the Book "Elder Paisios of Mount Athos" by Hieromonk Isaac (1 of 3)

By His Eminence Metropolitan Hierotheos

of Nafpaktos and Agiou Vlasiou

With this title an amazing book was recently published that describes the Life and Disposition of the venerable Elder Paisios, whom I was made worthy by God to meet and to listen to his divinely wise teachings.

The author of the book is the ever-memorable Hieromonk Isaac, with the help of his Brotherhood, both before and after his repose, and its primary distribution is through the Holy Convent of Saint John the Forerunner in Metamorphosis of Chalkidiki.

Elder Paisios and the Aroma of Reverence

Once a reclusive ascetic, who had heard a lot about Elder Paisios, came to visit him. They talked for a while, and he ascertained that Elder Paisios was an exceptionally reverent man. Indeed, the elder had a rare reverence, which he had learned from his parents, and mainly his mother.

The Encounter Between Elder Paisios and St. Euphemia in Images

Saint Euphemia's Conversation With Elder Paisios

Saint Euphemia the Great Martyr as a Model for our Lives

By Protopresbyter Fr. George Papavarnavas

She was born in Chalcedon during the reign of Emperor Diocletian, the fiercest persecutor of Christians, in the third century. After being arrested she endured cruel tortures, from which she miraculously survived. Finally she surrendered her soul to Christ after the small bite of a bear. Following her repose she performed many miracles, and her sacred relic remains incorrupt and is kept at the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

The Last Pascha of Elder Paisios in 1994

By Archimandrite Arsenios Katerelou

Now, with regards to Elder Paisios, when I was at the Theological School, particularly in 1993-1994, I would often go to Souroti and participated then in several services, liturgies, etc.

I remember when we did an Unction Service and when the time came for my unworthiness to anoint Elder Paisios, he, because of my priesthood and of course his humility, bowed and kissed my sinful hand. I then blushed and lost it, and the only way I could legitimately react was for me to spontaneously receive his special blessing, because I had before me a Saint, and to kiss his hand at the same time. However, as I moved to reach down and kiss his hand, there was a clash of heads! Only, one was full of mind, or rather, full of Divine Grace, and the other one was hollow, not only of mind, but also of Grace, and this was shown from the hit - this is of course a hyperbole.