Athonite Fathers

Athonite Fathers are Orthodox Christian monks of Mount Athos, Greece. Well-known Athonite Fathers include Maximos of Kafsokalyvia, Paisios of Mount Athos, and Joseph the Hesychast.

An Athonite Gerontikon (2003)



 * "We suffer because we have no love. Whoever does not love does not have peace, even if he was placed in Paradise," said an elder.
 * p. 30, Ch. 1: On Christ-like love


 * An elder said: "He who loves God does not only love his fellow man, but also all of nature: trees, grass, flowers. Everything with the same love."
 * pp. 45-46, Ch. 1: On Christ-like love


 * Living in a state of high spirituality, and of perfect possessionlessness – we do not know if they are still alive – were seven, or twelve according to others, hermits in the virgin forests of the Holy Mountain. Totally naked, living like the birds of the air on wild greens, on roots, on chestnuts, on pine cone seed etc. It has been said that they would go and receive Holy Communion at the cave of St. Peter from the eminent hesychast Father Daniel. The learned Lavriotan and physician, monk Spyridon Kambanaos wrote concerning these earthly angels and heavenly men: "And what can we say of those who live in the area of Krya Nera, where only the all-seeing eye of God knows their way of life."
 * pp. 63-64, Ch. 3: Unknown saints and hermits


 * The elders of Mount Athos say: "Not where you live but the way you live is going to save you."
 * p. 190, Ch. 13: On the virtue of discernment of thoughts and spiritual states


 * An old monk said:
 * "The cliffs are the palaces of the monks.
 * Their roof is the sky.
 * Their mattress is the ground.
 * They live on nuts and wild greens.
 * Their neighbours are the wild beasts.
 * Royal chambers are the caves."
 * p. 195, Ch. 13: On the virtue of discernment of thoughts and spiritual states


 * "Elder, is monastic life difficult?" we asked a wise monk. "It is not difficult. There comes a time when you forget yourself entirely and you realize that it is the lightest burden to carry," he replied.
 * pp. 195-196, Ch. 13: On the virtue of discernment of thoughts and spiritual states


 * An elder said: "To the monk, the world is a charcoal-maker" (that is, the world dirties one's soul, like one who handles charcoal).
 * p. 203, Ch. 13: On the virtue of discernment of thoughts and spiritual states


 * An elder said: "The spiritual life of a monk begins when he distances himself from all visible and invisible things, save God." And he also said: 'When I was in the world everyone would say: 'The monk, the monk.' So I said to myself, 'If you're a monk, then, what are you still doing in the world?'"
 * pp. 203-204, Ch. 13: On the virtue of discernment of thoughts and spiritual states


 * An elder said: "I am unable to describe to you, my son, the joy I felt in my heart every time I was unjustly treated by others. I felt that I was clothed in the cloak of injustice also worn by Christ."
 * p. 206, Ch. 13: On the virtue of discernment of thoughts and spiritual states


 * A virtuous monk advised: "Show love to all, but have no particular friendship with anyone."
 * p. 208, Ch. 13: On the virtue of discernment of thoughts and spiritual states


 * A contemporary hermit would say: "Today there is plenty of dough, but there is no yeast..."
 * p. 215, Ch. 13: On the virtue of discernment of thoughts and spiritual states


 * Elder Modestos the Konstamonitan would say: "Act as if you can't see. Do not look at another's faults."
 * p. 216, Ch. 13: On the virtue of discernment of thoughts and spiritual states


 * Another said: "Why don't we have many saints in our times? Because we have put aside prayer and stillness."
 * p. 221, Ch. 13: On the virtue of discernment of thoughts and spiritual states


 * "Geronda D... you are poor and have no money," I once said to a truly poor Skete-dweller. And he replied: "Only the devil is poor!..."
 * p. 222, Ch. 13: On the virtue of discernment of thoughts and spiritual states


 * An elder used to say: "A monk resembles a small, clever fish. He knows how to escape the world like the fish which avoids the bait that hides the deadly hook."
 * p. 260, Ch. 17: On the activity of evil spirits


 * After the daily liturgy, the great hesychast father Daniel the Hosiopetritan would withdraw into his cell for an hour for silence. It was an hour dedicated to tears and compunction. He would say: "While the lantern indeed gives light to many, its wick holder is usually burned..."
 * p. 305, Ch. 22: On stillness which cleases the mind and heart


 * The famous father Dionysius, one of the Kartesonians, once advised monk Daniel saying: "My son, from the things you hear against someone, you should not believe anything, and out of what you see, believe half. And not even half, for many pretend to be fools. Do not judge anyone."
 * p. 351, Ch. 24: On not judging and accursed criticism


 * A brother asked an elder whose hair had grown white over many years which he had spent in ascesis: "How old are you, Geronda?" The elder replied: "One does not count age by the passing of years but by one's pure thoughts and pure way of life."
 * p. 358, Ch. 25: On compunction and tears


 * A great contemporary hesychast who had to go out into the world for medical reasons for a few days said to me: "When I returned to the Holy Mountain, a month had to pass before I was able to gather my mind from its roaming and wandering during prayer."
 * p. 391, Ch. 29: On the mind and thoughts


 * A monk asked another elder, who was over one hundred years old: "Now that you will depart from this temporary life, what do you feel?" "I feel so joyful and peaceful, as if I am going to a wedding," he replied.
 * p. 415, Ch. 31: On saintly death


 * A good and virtuous priestmonk from the holy Monastery of St. Paul reposed outside the Monastery while sitting on a small rock, blessing with his right hand.
 * p. 415, Ch. 31: On saintly death


 * A cheeky young man said to an elder: "God does not exist. I don't believe that there is a God!" "Come closer," the monk said. "Don't you know that the cicada chirping now is talking about God? Can't you see this little kitten that I've got here, the fur it has? Not even Queen Frederika owned a coat like this." The young man was moved by the elder's words. The hardness of his unbelief left him.
 * p. 438, Ch. 34: On faith


 * An elder said: "Many saints would have liked to be living and struggling in our times."
 * p. 440, Ch. 34: On faith


 * When St. Akakios of Kafsokalyvia stood in prayer, he resembled a steadfast pillar; and when seated he was unaware of his body, as it were, because he was in an elevated state of being, filled with grace and divine, uncreated light.
 * p. 471, Ch. 37: On the deifying virtue of prayer which contains all the virtues


 * "Many possess a neptic prayer but they do not even realize it," a hermit used to say.
 * p. 475, Ch. 37: On the deifying virtue of prayer which contains all the virtues


 * A monk used to say: "The prayer Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me; this is the foundation of monastic life."
 * p. 476, Ch. 37: On the deifying virtue of prayer which contains all the virtues


 * An elderly monk, a worker of noetic prayer, said: "We should always say the Jesus Prayer. With every opportunity we should say it. Our mind should not wander on vain things. In saying the Jesus Prayer one's mind finds rest and joy. Just like small children. They run around all day, shouting, playing, hitting each other. But the one thing that gives them rest and great joy is when at night they find themselves beside their mother. This is how it is with our mind also. It should not wander on vain things. It should be occupied with the Jesus Prayer."
 * p. 481, Ch. 37: On the deifying virtue of prayer which contains all the virtues


 * An elder said: "We are like nettle plants. From a distance they appear green and fresh as in a field or garden, but when you go close and touch them, that is when you see their ugliness and feel their sting."
 * p. 522, Ch. 39: On exalting humility


 * And he said again: "Saints sense themselves to be truly unworthy and sinful."
 * p. 523, Ch. 39: On exalting humility


 * "Patience must be acquired, it cannot be bought," an ascetic used to say.
 * p. 585, Ch. 43: On patience during trials and on struggling


 * An elder said: "The spiritual life requires patience, steadfast patience. Man undergoes all sorts of changes even from one day to the next."
 * p. 585, Ch. 43: On patience during trials and on struggling


 * An elder said: "Illness is a divine visitation. Illness is a great gift from God. The only thing that man can give to God in return is his pain."
 * p. 589, Ch. 43: On patience during trials and on struggling


 * A hermit said: "A monk is one who stands continually before the invisble God, as if He were visible."
 * p. 590, Ch. 43: On patience during trials and on struggling


 * St. Savvas from Kalymnos was a Hagiorite. He was from St. Anne's. He had absolutely no love of money. He did not even want to hold it in his hands.
 * p. 599, Ch. 44: On avarice and the fathers' non-avaricious way of life

Athonite Fathers and Athonite Matters (2016)



 * Later, when I had heard that there are twelve anchorites at the peak of Athos – some said seven – I got to thinking, so I related the incident to some experienced Elders, who told me: “That would have been one of the righteous anchorites who live invisibly at the peak of Athos”!
 * p. 72