By Protopresbyter Father George Papavarnavas
Saint Joseph the Hesychast was born in 1897 in Lefkes of Paros to pious parents, George and Maria. He was the third in order of the seven children of his parents, and was orphaned very early of his father while his mother took over the protection of the whole family. Until his teenage years he remained in the village, where he worked and financially helped his mother and his siblings. He attended school until the 2nd grade. After serving his term in the Navy, at the age of about 23 he went to Piraeus and Athens, where he worked as a peddler. He liked to read the lives of the Saints, with the result that he wanted to imitate them, so he kept vigils and prayed. In 1921, he went to Katounakia of the Holy Mountain, specifically to the Brotherhood of the Danielites, under the spiritual guidance of Saint Daniel of Katounakia, the founder of this synodia. Then, with the blessing of Saint Daniel, he withdrew, because he desired the hesychast life in the wilderness.
A year after he went to the Holy Mountain, he met Father Arsenios, who was already a Great Schema monk at the Sacred Monastery of Stavronikita and was to be his co-ascetic until the end of his life. Looking for a neptic and discerning Elder, he submitted, together with Father Arsenios, to two Elders, brothers according to the flesh, Father Ephraim and Father Joseph, who lived in asceticism in the Cell of the Annunciation of the Theotokos in Katounakia. At the age of 28 he took the monastic schema and was named Joseph from Francis. About ten years after the Elders reposed, he accepted subordinates, as he also took on the spiritual guidance of Saint Ephraim of Katounakia.
In January 1938, he went with his synodia to the Skete of Little Saint Anna, and in 1953 to New Skete, where it was to be the last station of his earthly life, until he reposed peacefully on August 15, 1959. A month before he was informed from the Panagia the exact time of his repose. On the eve of the Feast of the Dormition, August 14th, he participated in the solemn vigil, received communion of the Body and Blood of Christ, and at noon on August 15th he departed for the heavenly abodes.
Through the book titled "Eagerly Ascend, An Expression of Monastic Experience" - which was published in 1979 by the Sacred Monastery of Saint Philotheos of the Holy Mountain, and which contains 65 letters of Saint Joseph, which are answers to letters he received - there is given a scent of spiritual fragrance, which we will smell below, even if only a little, through his empirical, comforting and regenerating words. Among other things, he writes:
- "Don't despair. These things happen to everyone. It is a war from the evil one and it will pass. This is because you fought him in the beginning, and now, because your zeal has cooled, he wants to pay off his debts. But you ought to get up again, repent and weep."
As an experienced general and an excellent expert of spiritual warfare he instills hope and courage into the soul of the young soldier of Christ. He must not despair, if he has been defeated in a battle, because the war continues, so he must regroup his forces, with repentance and hope in God, and continue to attack the enemy with prayer, fasting, humility and love, as he emphasizes in another point of his letter. And at the end he writes to him, with a lot of love: "Together we will go to Paradise. And if I don't put you in, I won't sit inside either."
- "Because man is created rational and calm, he corrects himself incomparably better with love and in a calm way, than with rage and anger. I discovered this after a lot of experience and a great trial. With kindness and love, you can make many people calm. And if someone is well-intentioned, you quickly make him comply, to become an Angel of God."
These words are empirical and clear and do not need any explanation. Just to mention that it reminded me of the folk saying that "bread is better eaten with honey than with vinegar."
- "Idle talking is spending your time with words, without putting your words into action." "Your words should be measured. And when you speak, pray noetically that your words will be clothed with power from above."
Silence with prayer and speech with prayer, but also struggle, so that by the Grace of God speech becomes action.
- "The current situation of many has been limited to an external type. Apart from this, there is no care and concern for the interior of the soul, where everything consists." "And today, if anyone talks about Grace, about the purification of the inner man, it is considered delusional."
How timely are these words! Unfortunately, most of us worry and fuss about a lot, about external, secondary things, and we neglect the "inner man", the "hidden things of the human heart", which when it is cleansed, then man sees God, according to the unerring words of Christ.
- "This life is fermented with suffering. Everything is mixed like this, and blessed is he who has wisdom to gain from everything. Rather, the things that seem bad and ugly to us are the ones that leave the soul with more profit, when we endure them without grumbling."
Patience in temptations, failures and in the sorrowful events of life in general, when it is combined with prayer and glorification to God "leave the soul with profit", because it attracts the Grace of God, Who "knows how to open avenues in dead ends" and to change the heart into paradise.
- "As soon as the sensible eyes are closed, the noetic eyes of the soul will open; and as if from sleep we will wake up in the next life. Then you will see parents, siblings, relatives. Then you will see Angels, Saints, and the blessed Mother of All, the pure Virgin and Theotokos." "Then who should we talk to first, who will kiss us first, shall we kiss them? All will be pure, all will be modest, all will be holy." "Who then, having lived so well, should not endure here all the sorrows of life?"
These words are empirical, comforting, salvific, which dispels all thoughts of doubt, disappointment, despair and instills in the soul peace, courage, love for God and neighbor, and hope of eternal life.
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.