THE INVISIBLE ASCETICS OF MOUNT ATHOS

THE INVISIBLE ASCETICS OF MOUNT ATHOS

My Dear People,

            In my keen interest in studying the monastic traditions of Mount Athos during the last five years, I have encountered a most unusual revelation about the existence of ascetics who practice an extreme form of asceticism.  These unusual ascetics are referred to as the invisible naked ascetics.  When one has read the monastic history of the Eastern Orthodox Church that started in Egypt in the fourth century you can see that naked asceticism was practiced back then. Knowing this, it is not unusual to see that this phenomenon is also practiced in the 21^st century on Mt. Athos.  The two Ascetic Fathers, Saints Onouphrius and Paphnoutius of the Egyptian desert, whose icons I have attached to this article, indicate to us that the practice of extreme asceticism goes back to the fourth century of the Christian era.  These ascetics lived in extreme asceticism and most likely without any clothing to protect them from the elements. 

            I found the following dialogue on YouTube. A contemporary monastic of Mt. Athos, Fr. Athanasius of Simonopetra Monastery, is having a conversation with Elder Paisios in 1974 about the invisible naked ascetics that are living on Mt. Athos today.  In this conversation the Elder Paisios tells Fr. Athanasius that there are about fifty monastics today on Mt. Athos who have reached an extremely high level of spirituality.   When Fr. Athanasius asks Fr. Paisios why they have not been revealed to the world, Fr. Paisios responds: “because God has not determined that the time is right to reveal them to the world.”

            When Fr. Athanasius asked Elder Paisios about the invisible naked ascetics, Paisios was living at that time in the Hermitage of the Holy Cross.  Fr. Athanasius tells us that on that particular day it was near the setting of the sun when he said to Fr. Paisios that he had heard  there are twelve of these naked ascetics on Mt. Athos.  At another Monastery he had heard that there are nine.  Elder Paisios responded to Fr. Athanasius by asking him: “what do you want me to tell you about the naked ascetics?  Do they exist or do they not exist?”  Fr. Athanasius then tells us that Elder Paisios put his left arm around his shoulders and asked him: “What do you say; do they exist or not?”  Fr. Athanasius responded by saying that with the power of the Holy Spirit why would we not have these spiritually advanced ascetics on Mt. Athos today?  Elder Paisios then said: “When people ask you if these ascetics exist, tell them that they do exist.”  Fr. Athanasius then asks: “How many of them are there?” “There are seven.”  “Where do they live?” “They inhabit the area around the top of Mt. Athos.”  “When one of them dies, how do they replace them?” “They know through the inspiration of Divine Grace the right person to seek out who is capable of enduring extreme asceticism.” “Can anyone see these ascetics?”  “No, they have the grace to say a prayer and become invisible.  They can stand in front of you and you will not be able to see them.  I have the eye-witness accounts of four responsible people who have seen them.”  “What do they eat?”  “Is it difficult for God to feed them?”

            Elder Paisios asked Fr. Athanasius to leave at this point.  Before he left, Fr. Athanasius then said: “Please tell me something else.” “Come now, you can leave.”  “Do you know who these ascetics are?” “Dear blessed one, let me tell you, I could die before you or you could die before me.  If I tell you now and I die first, people will say that Fr. Paisios said that he knows them.  If you die first, you will take the mystery with you.  Let me tell you, I know four of them.”  “How do you know them?” “We have an agreement that every five years we meet at a certain place.  Fr. Seraphim comes and talks to me.  And you should know that there are examples of holiness on Mt. Athos that is at a much higher level than the invisible naked ascetics.”  “Who are they?”  “I cannot tell you for if I do you will lose your mind and you will end up in the psychiatric hospital in Thessaloniki.” Fr. Athanasius left and as he was leaving Elder Paisios said: “before I die, I will call you and I will tell you who they are.”  But unfortunately, when Fr. Athanasius went to see Elder Paisios on his death bed at Soureti outside of Thessaloniki, the Elder was not able to speak to him.

            The Elder Marcellus of blessed memory is another monk who speaks about the invisible naked ascetics of Mt. Athos. Elder Marcellus is recorded having a conversation about the ascetic monks of Mt. Athos. “Elder we have heard that Fr. Paisios has verified the existence of the invisible naked ascetics.  These ascetics also replace those who die in a miraculous way.  I am sure that you have heard a lot about these ascetics.  Speak to us about them and about other simple and humble Elders that lived in the Garden of the Virgin and adorned it like myrrh—bearing spiritual flowers.”  Elder Marcellus responded by saying that he has heard many things about the invisible naked ascetic monks.

            Elder Marcellus tells us the following story. “I would like to tell you a story about these ascetics.  There was once a novice monk named John whose spiritual father was very overbearing..  The novice could not find any peace in his presence because he did not help him in developing the Jesus Prayer.  Because of these difficulties with his Elder John went to the Monastery of Kavsokalyvia to seek the counsel of another monk.  This Elder told John that he should wait for his Elder to fall asleep and then he could do his spiritual exercises in peace.  John proceeded to quietly wake up after his Elder fell asleep to do his prayer vigil.  His Elder one night found out what John was doing and scolded him harshly for being disobedient to his directives. John then decided to try something else.

            Once his Elder fell asleep, he decided to leave the building in which the monks slept and went to the Monastery Church to do his monastic vigils.  John did not go into the Church; he hid in the shadows of the entrance to the Church and did his genuflections, prayers, and kept vigil with great fervor.  One night while he was praying, he saw a very aged naked ascetic approach the Church.  The white—haired elderly monk approached without seeing John in the shadows of the Church.  The elderly monk stood before the door of the Church, made the sign of the Cross and the door opened of its own accord.  He entered and proceeded to the center of the Church.  He fell upon his knees, lifted up his hands towards heaven and started to pray in a loud voice.  He prayed for many hours.  When he finished, he came out of the Church and again made the sign of the Cross on the Church door and it closed again of its own accord. I know from experience that Church doors on Mt. Athos are always locked and yet the Elder entered and left the Church as if no one had entered at all.   

            The elderly ascetic left the Church and started taking a path that was leading up the slopes of Mt. Athos.  After watching all these unusual events of the white-haired asctic, John was overwhelmed with emotion.  He said to himself, “he is the type of spiritual father that I need.  I will follow him.”  The naked ascetic led the way with John following behind him at some distance so that the ascetic would not know that he was being followed. They reached the Church of the Holy Mother which is a small chapel on the trail to the peak of Mt. Athos. This chapel is used by pilgrims for either rest or for spending the night before ascending to the top of the mountain.  Reaching this point, John was afraid that the naked ascetic would turn off onto another path and he would lose him.  This is when he decided to catch up to the ascetic and get his blessing and also ask him if he would become his spiritual father.  As soon as John approached him, the Elder said to John angrily: “where are you going?”  “Elder, I have come to receive your blessing.  I beg you also to accept me as your spiritual child because I cannot find peace with the Elder that I now have.” The naked ascetic responded; “the conditions under which we live are very difficult and you will not be able to endure.  You must return to your Elder.” “But Elder he afflicts me terribly. I am enduring many difficulties with him.” “No, my son, you must go back to him.  You will remain there and you will find Paradise in that place.” “May it be blessed Elder. Since there is nothing else that I can do, I will return as you say.”

            John received the blessing of the naked ascetic and he began leaving when the Elder then called to him again.  John anxiously returned to the Elder and heard him say: “Be careful, my child, prepare yourself, because in a little while you will leave this world and you will depart being obedient to the Elder you now have.  You will not change your spiritual father.” “May it be blessed,” said John.   John returned to his spiritual father and told him about his encounter with the invisible naked ascetic and how he asked him if he could become his spiritual child.  “But he told me that I should remain obedient to you and in a few days I will leave this world.” His Elder responded: “As he advised you, that you must do.”   And surely enough, in a few days, the novice John fell asleep in the Lord.

            When the time came for the exhumation of the body of the novice John, it was found that myrrh was flowing from his skull.  The Elders who witnessed this phenomenon could not believe what they were seeing.  They could not understand how such a young monk, a novice at that could be blessed with such Divine Grace.  The moral of this story is the importance of the virtue of obedience in the spiritual life of Christians.  The invisible naked ascetic had told him that he would find Paradise in the presence of his very demanding spiritual father. **

                **This is a note from the translator of this article.  Having visited Mount Athos many times in my life, I have had the opportunity to see the practices of the monks in their daily lives.  Amongst other things, every Monastery that I have visited had a very small plot of land set aside for their cemetery.  I do not believe that most of the Monasteries have more than ten (10) grave sites.  When the average Monastery has more than a hundred monks in residence, you can see the problem that is created as the monks get old and give up their souls to the eternal Kingdom.  In order to address this problem, the tradition is to exhume the body after three years and use the grave again for another burial.  In most cases, the skeletal remains are the only things that remain.   These bones are lovingly gathered up, cleaned with wine and anointed with olive oil.  The bones are then taken to the Monastery ossuary where the large bones are separated from the skulls.  The monastic name and a Cross are inscribed on the skull and placed in the ossuary with all the other bones.   The bones are neatly placed in the ossuary awaiting the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.    There is also a chapel in the ossuary compound where memorial services are chanted for the deceased on a regular basis.

BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO FALL ASLEEP WITH FAITH IN ΤΗΕ RESURRECTED LORD

ΕΥΛΟΓΗΜΕΝΟΙ ΟΙ ΚΕΚΟΙΜΗΜΕΝΟΙ ΠΙΣΤΟΙ ΠΟΥ ΠΙΣΤΕΥΟΥΝ ΣΤΟΝ

ΑΝΑΣΤΑΝΤΑ ΧΡΙΣΤΟΝ

Translated by:

 +Fr. Constantine (Charles) J. Simones, Oct. 31, 2014, Waterford, CT, USA