The Relationship Between Elder Joseph of Vatopaidi and the Theotokos – Ακούστε πώς ο ίδιος ο Χριστός έδωσε στον Γέροντα Ιωσήφ τα κλειδιά της Ιεράς Μεγίστης Μονής Βατοπαιδίου
31 Ιανουαρίου 2010
In this video Elder Joseph describes with emotion how he received the keys to Vatopaidi Monastery from Christ Himself and the Theotokos. Below is an English translation of this lecture.
“This, I promise to you. Due to the fact that I can’t offer you anything else, and you do good to me, I pray whenever I’m free and all by myself. I’m not bragging. I’m not boasting. But, I confess to you. I insist, though many times with laudable audacity:
“All-Good One, I beg you! You attracted me, you made me wear these rassa. I beg you All-Good God! Don’t abandon me! Help! You called me and you brought me here and you gave me the keys of the Vatopaidi Monastery. You, Yourself! The Son of the Living God! When I was begging Him to show me His will through Elder Porfyrios, He talked to me. Himself! God the Logos!
“He gave me the keys of Vatopaidi. And, I used these keys to open Vatopaidi and what you see now took place. God the Logos Himself came, His affectionate Mother came, His Mother, our Mother, our consolation, and She spiritually renewed Vatopaidi. And She put us on the path of the terminοlogy of the Holy Fathers. I’m not denying anything.
“The first beginning is obedience; after obedience is the Prayer, unceasing prayer, that should never stop; after the unceasing prayer, humility and obedience come. After humility and obedience, love of persistent effort comes. And then, the person learns how to resist the various excuses of the false needs: to succumb to selfishness and egoism. We stand by the meaning of the love of persistent effort. We will not succumb to anything that’s prohibited in our life.”
