The fathers of earlier times
were pious, careful and strict. They were unconcerned about their outward
appearance, their face and hair, caring not whether their face or hair looked
good. Their rasos were short. They kept their heads down with piety and respect
and avoided a direct gaze at anyone's face. They were shy. They did not
converse or laugh. In the church they wore slippers.
Once the monk Modestos had a
new pair of shoes that made a noise when he was walking. The other monks called
to him and asked that he wear the new shoes when he was at home and the old
ones in church.
"We were afraid to look up at the elderly fathers an ascetic said, meaning
that there was fear, respect and piety towards them. "It used to be so.
How is it now? O what times these are!"
Elder Antonios the
Kafsokalyvitan was a perfect example of order and exactness in Agioritan rules.
He was a pious monk, simple and humble. He was always uttering "God
bless," or "may it be blessed," or "through the prayers of
our Holy Fathers." He always wore his raso. All the elders remember him
with nostalgia.
Once we asked an ascetic who
was over eighty years old to tell us something that would benefit us, about the
fathers of the past. He then replied laconically: "What can I tell you?
The past fathers were different. They were pious."
There was a blessed group in
Vigla's hut of the Three Holy Children. The pious elder M. from Kerasia told me
all abol this group. Their elder Dositheos was very strict. The mo senior
subordinate to him was the monk Agathodoros.' most pious of all was Father
Akakios, who had a beard which reached to his waist. He predicted his own
death, and mo of the time he had tears of joy in his eyes. When there was a
visitor he would sit down with his hands crossed. The were all reverent and
silent. Only the elder would speak. "I dead person does not do
anything," they would say. Until the elder told them to do so, they would
not offer any thin to their guests. They knew nothing of anger. They judged no
one. They were filled with inner prayer, joy, happiness Even in their sleep
they saw Christ.
On the eve of a monk's
tonsure, the ever memorable] hegumen Gabriel ate olives. For that reason, the
tonsure was postponed, as he told us. He should have eaten on plain bread, as
he did the following day, even though it was the feast of the Annunciation.
