Saint Paisios was born as Arsenios Eznepidis on 25 July 1924 in Pharasa (Çamlıca), Cappadocia, during the population exchange between Greece and Turkey. Arsenios’ name was given to him by Saint Arsenios the Cappadocian, who baptised him, naming the child for himself and foretelling Arsenios’ monastic future. After the exchange, the Eznepidis family settled in Konitsa, Epirus. Arsenios grew up there, and after intermediate public school, he learned carpentry.
During the civil war in Greece, Arsenios served as a radio operator. In 1945, Arsenios enlisted in the Army. With bravery and self-sacrifice, he requested to fight on the front line instead of family men, so that their families would not suffer the pain of losing a loved one. During the Civil War (1945-1949), he served as a radio operator. Later, extolling the value of monasticism to some who doubted it, he said that “there are monks who have spiritual television and are God’s radio operators.” He is characterized in his biography as one of them. His fundamental teaching was: “If you want to ‘catch’ God so He can hear you when you pray, turn the dial to humility, for this is the frequency on which God operates.”
In 2017, by decision of the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece, he was proclaimed the patron saint of the military communications corps, in which he had served.
In 1950, having completed his service, he went to Mount Athos: first to Kyril, the future abbot of Koutloumousiou Monastery, and then to Esphigmenou Monastery (although he was not supportive of their later opposition to the Ecumenical Patriarchate). He was tonsured as monk on 27 March 1954 and spent time as a monk at Skete of Iviron , Philoteu Monastery, Monastery of Stavronikita, Skete of Katounakia and also in Egypt as Saint Katherine’s Monastery in Sinai.
Although he was a man of the world, his spiritual calling grew, even with a keen awareness of worldly matters. He gave up more than most would, including his own family, in order to become a monk. He spoke eloquently about the pressing needs and tribulations of our time, addressing concerns that resonated with his era. His foresight was remarkable; he envisioned the collapse of the Soviet Union, the invasion of Cyprus by Turkey, and voiced apprehensions about Israel and the tumultuous times ahead.
One important prayer for St. Paisios was the “Jesus Prayer.” He engaged in continuous prayer for others, often kneeling with his hands, assuming a posture of deep reverence, touching his head to the ground. With his prayer rope in hand, he fervently recited variations of the Jesus Prayer, beseeching divine mercy for all, whether it be “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me,” “…on us,” or “…on Thy servant” followed by the individual’s name. His prayers extended for anyone in need, driven by his deep concern for the salvation of the immortal souls.
Additionally, he sought intercession from Christ, the Mother of God, the Forerunner, the Saint commemorated on that day, and his own patron Saint, Arsenios. This example of spiritual life serves as a path towards deeper prayer, while dispelling negative influences or passions.
Elder Paisios taught: “The devil does not hunt after those who are lost; he hunts after those who are aware, those who are close to God. He takes from them trust in God and begins to afflict them with self-assurance, logic, thinking, criticism. Therefore, we should not trust our logical minds. Never believe your thoughts. The ancient fathers did not trust their thoughts at all, but even in the smallest things, when they had to give an answer, they addressed the matter in their prayer, joining to it fasting, in order in some way to ‘force’ Divine Grace to inform them what was the right answer according to God. And when they received the ‘information,’ they gave the answer.”
Saint Paisios Timeline
1958: Paisios was asked to spend time in his home village to support the faithful against Protestantism.
1962: Paisios went to Saint Catherine’s Monastery on Mount Sinai.
1964: On his return to Mount Athos, Paisios took up residence at the Iviron Monastery, then at Katounakia. His failing health may have led him to leave Katounakia.
1966: Paisios had an operation, and part of his lungs was removed. During this time, his friendship with the sisterhood of the Monastery of St. John the Theologian in Souroti, began. Paisios would place the relics of Arsenios the Cappadocian in this monastery.
1966: On 11 January 1966, Paisios received the Great and Angelic Schema from Tikhon, at the Hermitage of the Holy Cross, of the monastery of Stavronikita.[22] After Tikhon’s death on 10 September 1968, Fr. Paisios resided in that hermitage.
1979: Paisios moved to Panagouda, a hermitage belonging to Koutloumousiou Monastery. It was here that his renown grew. Between prayer and assisting his visitors, he only rested for two or three hours each night.
1993 October 5: Paisios left Mount Athos for medical attention. Despite his wish to be gone for only a few days, he was diagnosed with cancer requiring immediate surgery, and after recovery, he was transferred to the Monastery of St. John the Theologian, Souroti.
Despite wishing to return to Mount Athos, his health did not allow it.
1994 July 12: Having received Holy Communion the previous day, Paisios went to the Lord. He was buried at the Monastery of Saint John the Theologian in Souroti, next to the church of St Arsenios the Cappadocian.
Miracles through Prayers to Elder Paisios
Many saints, who have passed into eternity long ago, continue to perform miracles, appearing to people and healing them. There are many testimonies of help coming not only at the Saint’s grave, but even after a short prayer to him anywhere in the world. Countless people have received a miraculous answer from God through the prayers of the holy elder Paisios of the Holy Mountain. Among them there are especially many of those suffering from cancer and demonic attacks. The Elder’s personal items exude an indescribable fragrance and also possess miraculous powers.
The Miracle of Saving a Child
Fr. Christos Tsandalis, parish priest from the village of Kerasia in the Nea Michaniona area near Thessaloniki and father of nine children, testifies:
“My children once climbed onto the flat roof of our house with an opened hatch of the lighting shaft going four floors down. The children began to jump over this hatch.
One of my sons, a six-year-old boy with a speech delay, tripped over the hatch and fell into the shaft.
With a trembling heart, I opened the shaft door on the first floor, preparing to see a terrible sight. Imagine my amazement when I saw my son, yellow with fear, but unharmed. I took him to the hospital. After examining the boy, the doctors confirmed that there was not a scratch on him, and not the slightest fracture.
We understood that a miracle had happened. I thought that the child was saved by the miraculous icon of the Most Holy Theotokos, kept in one of our village churches. I brought my son to the icon and asked him: “Was it Her that saved you?” “No,” the boy said. He led me to a photograph of Elder Paisios and began to point his finger at it, making it clear that it was the Elder that had saved him.”
A Miraculous Incident
This is the testimony of Mr. Nicholas Xinaris, a resident of the city of Paphos in Cyprus. “I am a plumber. One day, in July 1997, after finishing work, I was loading the tools in my car. It was getting dark, and it was hard for me to see a drying line made of a piece of wire stretched next to my vehicle, whose sharp end was sticking out. It was bent like a hook, about two centimetres long. As I was bending over to load my tools in the car, this hook became stuck right in my eye.
I froze in place like a hooked fish. With all my might I screamed for help. The house owner saw me and said that he was going to pull out the wire. I refused, fearing that, through lack of experience, he would make me blind. I asked him to bring me wire cutters so that I could cut off the wire and go to the emergency room.
While he was looking for wire cutters, I cried, because I felt sorry for my three children whose father, as I was sure, was about to become blind.
At that moment, a thin man dressed in a black cassock appeared in front of me. When I saw him, I crossed myself. I started to have chills. I could feel his hand taking me below the cheek and pushing my head up. At the same instant, the wire came out of my eye.
When the owner brought the wire cutters, there was no more need for them. He took me to the emergency room. The doctors examined me and did not believe my story. There was a cut mark right on the pupil. They gave me an ointment and told me to wear a bandage for three or four days.
On the following day, I went to the store. On the wall I saw a photograph of the man who had appeared to me. I asked the shop owner who it was. She told me it was a very famous monk, whose name was Paisios. I wanted to buy that photo from her by any means, because it was priceless to me. However, the photo was just as dear to her, and she gave me a book about Elder Paisios instead. I read that book in a day. Today I treasure it as a sacred relic.
Kontakion of Saint Paisios of the Holy Mountain
The most-famed ascetic of the Holy Mountain, and the newly-enlightened light of the Church, let us praise him with hymns with all our heart, for he leads the faithful towards a perfect life, filling them with rivers of gifts, therefore we cry out: Rejoice, O Saint Paisios.
Saint Paisios, pray to God for us!
