Elder Anthimos of Saint Anne's : the wise and God-bearing contemporary Father of Athos

Translated by Fr Nicholas Palis Revised and edited by Fr Joseph Frawley Orthodox Logos Publishing Front cover: Elder Anthimos of Saint Anne’s (1913 - 1996) Photo by Douglas Lyttle Greek original title: ΔPOΣ XAPAΛAMΠOΥΣ M. MΠOΥΣIA O ΓEPΩN ANΘIMOΣ O AΓIANNANITHΣ EΚΔOΣEIΣ MΥΓΔONIA ΘEΣΣAΛONIKH 2004 © Theophileon Brotherhood P.O.Box 12 63087 Daphni, Mount Athos Greece 2011, Orthodox Logos Publishing, The Netherlands 2011, Orthodox Logos Publishing, The Netherlands www.orthodoxlogos.com ISBN: 978-90-811555-9-5 Hymns in the honor of the Elder Letter of the Ecumenical Patriarch Prologue Introduction to the English Edition I. BIOGRAPHY Dawn in Zireia Acquaintance with Famous Spiritual Fathers The Young Constantine’s Arrival on Athos Thirst for Knowledge, Longing for Virtue Handicraft and Prayer Saving Obedience The Repose of his Elder A Way of Life Equal to the Angels The Elder’s Love for the All-Holy Virgin A Vessel of the Paraclete A Strict Keeper of the Rudder An Unerring Guide of Souls Dikaios of the Skete of Saint Anne Pilgrimage to his Homeland He Spoke with his Silence With the Border Guards of Jerusalem A Chronicle of one of the Elder’s Days He Foretells his Death His Venerable End He Pleased God Eulogy Uncovering the Precious Relics II. TEACHINGS OF ELDER ANTHIMOS Monasticism, a Constant Restraining of Nature Remembrance of Death, Remembrance of God Our Duty to Fast Youth and an Ecclesiastical Outlook From Being in the Image to Being in the Likeness Exhortations to Married and Unmarried People Concerning Repentance The Slip of Young People into False Religions Humanity in the Last Step of Sin In This Place Every Step also Has its Saint III. WONDROUS SIGNS Illumined by God and Humble You Are Vasiliki’s Daughter He Could See behind Buildings Let the Other Woman Come You Will Have a Child The Snake Obeyed Utter Humility He Calmed the Sea A Theologian by Revelation He Is a Child of the Panagia Let’s Tear Up our Degrees He Didn’t Say Everything They Won’t Come Now, but Next Year No One Is Harmed. The Elder’s Money He Heals Cancer He Will Have a Boy His Presence Brings a Good Change He Foresaw Events with Mathematical Precision He Didn’t Want the Photograph to Come Out He Had Little Tumors which Never Developed A Lesson in the Anatomy of the Mouth It Wasn’t Raining on the Spot where They Were Working His Breath was Fragrant and He Shone Brilliantly He Solves a Notary’s Problem Is Father Agapios here? After the Vigils He Left Running Stop Digging and Leave Put the Little Paper in your Pocket He Was Fragrant, like the Relic of St Anne Curing a Sick Person with an Orange The Bells Rang by Themselves Dismiss the Housekeeper Let Her Wait until She Is Twenty-five The Wondrous Elder Paisios Kissed His Feet You Will Become a Monk Elder Anthimos Reads us All From His Cell a Heavenly Chanting Could Be Heard He Took Blankets to Put Out a Fire He Was not Standing on the Ground Healing with Louiza His Soul Flew to Heaven Like an All-white Dove IV. PRACTICAL PATERNAL COUNSELS Let Us Not Commemorate Him Have Children Your Husband Celebrates Today God also Makes the Water Milk You Come to Me, the Simple and Illiterate One? The Fetus is Your Child Sin Causes Psychological Upheavals Preparation for Death Love for Orphans To What the Cenobitic Monk Must Pay Attention Why Do You Condemn Me? Our Behavior Toward Our Fellow Men Will Save Us How We Must Pray Like is United with Like Why We Celebrate the Memory of the Saints How We Can Achieve Love in Christ He is Michael, Who Will Meet the Lord Teaching with Divine Illumination Attention to the Reading His Giving Way Turned Out Well He Always Gave a Good Example A Defender of Those with Many Children He is the Spiritual Father of the Wilderness V. ELDER ANTHIMOS AS SEEN BY HIS CONTEMPORARIES Metropolitan Christodoulos Archimandrite Nicholas Protopapas Metropolitan Germanos of Eleias Elder Moses of Koutloumousiou Professor Stylianos Papadopoulos Pantelis Yiannoulakis Archimandrite Ignatios Anastasios Apergis Hieromonk Ephraim VI. PUBLICATIONS ON THE ELDER’S REPOSE Ecclesiastical Struggle Christian Morning News Thessaly Orthodoxos Typos Protaton Magazine VII. LETTERS FOR THE PUBLICATION OF HIS LIFE Archimandrite Basil Damascene Gregoriatis Archimandrite Bessarion Metropolitan Eustathios Metropolitan Nikodemos Metropolitan Ambrose Metropolitan Theoklitos Metropolitan Jerome Metropolitan Maximos Metropolitan Prokopios Metropolitan Hierotheos Metropolitan Dionysios Metropolitan Meletios Metropolitan Aimilianos Metropolitan Nektarios Metropolitan Demetrios Metropolitan Andrew Metropolitan Cyril Metropolitan Seraphim Archimandrite Paul Nun Isidora Abbess Febronia Archimandrite Augustine John M. Fountoulis VIII. GREAT VESPERS IX. THE SERVICE OF MATINS X. SUPPLICATORY CANON GLOSSARY OF TERMS

It is with great pleasure that we announce the publication of the long-awaited English language edition of ELDER ANTHIMOS OF ST. ANNE'S, the wise and God-bearing Contemporary Father of Athos, by Dr. Charalambos M. Bousias. It was translated from the sixth Greek edition of 2004, and contains material not included in the Greek edition. Although the name of the Athonite Elder Anthimos (1913-1996) has not yet been added to the Church's calendar of saints, many of those who knew him have testified to the holiness of his life, and his strictness, or exactitude, in matters of the Orthodox Faith. This wise ascetic of Mount Athos has shone forth in our times "like a star shedding a new light of piety, and as a brightly shining vessel of grace." People were drawn to this humble monk because of his wise spiritual counsels, and by the holiness of his life. Reading the life of Elder Anthimos, we discover that he was indeed a holy ascetic who strove to purify himself of every sinful inclination, and to acquire every virtue. After years of struggle, he became an unerring guide of souls, a Spiritual Father to those at St Anne's, and in other monasteries on the Holy Mountain. He also had many other spiritual children in Greece, and in other countries. The Greek life of Elder Anthimos has already appeared in several editions. It has also been translated from Greek into Russian, and now, by the grace of God, it is available in English. The lives and teachings of righteous men and women can be a salutary antidote to the turbulent storm of modern existence, revealing the way of holiness to people in every land, and in every walk of life. It is hoped that those who read this book will be edified by his God-pleasing life, and encouraged by his words. New to this volume are some of the liturgical services in honor of Elder Anthimos, composed by Dr. Bousias, who is also a noted hymnographer. The service of Great Vespers, the Supplicatory Canon, and Matins were originally printed in a separate booklet. Now, the biographical and liturgical materials are conveniently gathered together in a single volume, which contains several photographs, many of them in color. A special Introduction to the English edition places Elder Anthimos within the context of Orthodox Tradition, and the spiritual history of Mount Athos. The influence of Elder Anthimos is not limited to St Anne's Skete, or to Mount Athos, for his life and teachings have great significance for the whole world. A Glossary has also been added, providing useful definitions of Orthodox terms for those who may not be familiar with them.