Elder Ephraim of Katounakia
and Aimilianos of Simonopetra
The Relationship between Elders Ephraim of Katounakia and Aimilianos of Simonopetra
Elder Aimilianos of Simonopetra was two years younger than Papa Ephraim, but the Most-holy Theotokos had judged that that hieromonk was in a state to understand the experiences of that venerable Athonite monk, as Papa Ephraim later related:
"Our hearts became one, and met like two flames rising up to heaven!"
At his first impression, Papa Ephraim misunderstood the later Elder Aimilianos of Simonopetra. He saw him dressed well, appeared with clothes well-ironed, amorphous, like a little prince, and he said within him:
"Yeah sure, a priest like the others came to talk about prayer! With ironed raso and shirt! Come on, I'll give him a loukoumi so he'll leave!"
Elder Aimilianos, as he was good natured, pleasant and radiant, out of reverence took off his skoufo (hat), and sat respectfully in front of Elder Ephraim. "I am an Abbot in Meteora", he said. He appeared to come with longing to speak with Papa Ephraim on noetic prayer, the monastic life, and its fruits, in general.
"At Meteora you have a lot of people" replied the Elder, perhaps still having some doubt regarding that unexpected visitor. "You should come to the Holy Mountain", he preferred to say.
Something, however, warned Papa Ephraim within him that he somehow misjudged the young Abbot from Meteora, who, after all, had worked hard, together with two others, to come meet with him.
"Maybe I am being unjust to the man?" He said within himself. He went to bring him a loukoumi for a treat, while within he was pressured and had very serious doubt. "Why don't I get information" in order to be sure. His "Information" [from God], was for the Elder a way and path of life.
"Our hearts became one, and met like two flames rising up to heaven!"
At his first impression, Papa Ephraim misunderstood the later Elder Aimilianos of Simonopetra. He saw him dressed well, appeared with clothes well-ironed, amorphous, like a little prince, and he said within him:
"Yeah sure, a priest like the others came to talk about prayer! With ironed raso and shirt! Come on, I'll give him a loukoumi so he'll leave!"
Elder Aimilianos, as he was good natured, pleasant and radiant, out of reverence took off his skoufo (hat), and sat respectfully in front of Elder Ephraim. "I am an Abbot in Meteora", he said. He appeared to come with longing to speak with Papa Ephraim on noetic prayer, the monastic life, and its fruits, in general.
"At Meteora you have a lot of people" replied the Elder, perhaps still having some doubt regarding that unexpected visitor. "You should come to the Holy Mountain", he preferred to say.
Something, however, warned Papa Ephraim within him that he somehow misjudged the young Abbot from Meteora, who, after all, had worked hard, together with two others, to come meet with him.
"Maybe I am being unjust to the man?" He said within himself. He went to bring him a loukoumi for a treat, while within he was pressured and had very serious doubt. "Why don't I get information" in order to be sure. His "Information" [from God], was for the Elder a way and path of life.
Papa Ephraim made two, then three prostrations, and said straightaway with honor to the Theotokos: "My Panagia, should I speak with him, or will I waste my words?"
Then, the Blessed Elder Ephraim of Katounakia heard the Most-holy Theotokos herself reply from within Her Icon:
"You have found a second Elder Joseph [the Hesychast]. Speak with him!!" She said.
Papa Ephraim arose, sweating and astonished! "O! I'm crying within myself!!" He said with astonishment. He ran outside, took Fr. Aimilianos and led him into the chapel. They talked for hours between them, and from then on, they were never separated.
Papa Ephraim continuously said of that man planted by God at Meteora: "I found my departed Elder, another Elder Joseph, the golden-tonged and honorable Elder Aimilianos!"
Elsewhere, he said of Elder Aimilianos: "He, my child, is fragrance."
The Blessed Skull of Elder Ephraim of Katounakia
Selected quotes from Elder Ephraim of Katounakia
Taken from the book: Elder Ephraim of Katounakia
Prayer is a struggle. It strengthens the fight of the faithful against the devil but it is itself also a painful and bloody struggle. All our effort is to concentrate our nous (common sense, practical intellect) on the words of the "Jesus Prayer."
We should make our "nous" deaf and mute to any other thought, either good or bad, that evil brings us. We should not listen to the thoughts that come from outside or answer them. We need to despise them completely and not converse with them. Thus we should seek in every way the complete muteness of our nous because only with this action can we keep our soul in calmness so that the Jesus Prayer can act effectively.
Elder Ephraim of Katounakia
It is known that the thoughts are led from the mind into the heart and disturb it. The troubled mind also troubles the heart. Just as the wind raises the waves of the sea, so the wind of thoughts raises waves in the soul. Attentiveness is necessary for prayer. That is why the Fathers talk about prayer in combination with watchfulness. Watchfulness keeps the nous in constant alertness and readiness and prayer brings the Divine Grace...
↠The Holy Fathers teach that even if man is not always under the dominion of the demons he is, however, under their influence and persistent hostility.
They continually turn around the soul and try, by all means, to make the faithful sin, either through the senses (when the object is near) or through the imagination (when the person or object is far away) or through the movements of the flesh. For the whole of man, who consists of soul and body, receives the influence of Satan and gets captured by him.
↠The hostile tactics of the evil, however, are more apparent during prayer. Those who fight in this inner struggle see evil making war against them furiously at every step. They see the devil clearly using all means to distract their nous from God. They see all the cunning devices of the evil demon, who hates the good and kills man.
Imagination is the most cunning weapon of Satan; imagining the past and imagining the future; imagining good works, imagining bad ones. Various thoughts come and preoccupy the nous, so that it ceases to meditate on the name of Jesus. He tries to make man not to show interest in God and express his love. Primarily he coaxes him to call to mind the various faults he has committed in his former and recent life.
↠The Holy Fathers say that the war is usually as fierce as the passions were before. For every pleasure he must pay the proportionate pain. There is a close connection between pleasure and pain in the ascetic life of the Fathers. Pleasure brought about both the Fall and pain; and it is precisely this pain which restores man to his original state and cures him. Thus, man suffers a lot. He pays for each thought and evil pleasure the proportionate amount of suffering, so that an equilibrium may be restored.
Events that happened many years ago which he felt pleasure for, being forgotten in the meantime, appear now in all their intensity and range. He may even reach the point of disgust and despair.
Blasphemous thoughts come upon the athlete of prayer...incredulity about the great matters of faith, like the divinity of Christ and the purity of the Most Holy Mother of God and the Saints, etc. Many times these thoughts are expressed and verbalized during prayer, without the wrestler of this struggle knowing it or wanting it...
Icon of Elder Ephraim of Katounakia
Blasphemous thoughts are inspired by the devil they are not ours. Here we can affirm that the Lord's word has validity: "You cannot serve God and mammon", (St. Matt. 6:24) that is, the nous cannot do two things simultaneously. It cannot be enchanted by the sweetest nectar of the Jesus prayer on the one hand and on the other hand, while it is praying, doubt the power of prayer or dogmatic truths. The latter is the attack of the devil. Contempt then is needed and if the blasphemous thought continually attacks us, it needs confession to the spiritual father. Then it disappears immediately. Moreover, the same happens with persistent thoughts. A thought that persists, especially during prayer, needs to be confessed. Thus the devil who hides under it immediately disappears, like the snake when we lift up the stone...
The athlete of prayer must not let himself be shaken. He must oppose imagination with the continuous invocation of the name of Jesus, and he must be concentrated within the words of the Jesus prayer. He must stand bravely in the conciseness of the Jesus prayer. He must not think of anything during prayer, either of wrong or even good works...
Many times the devil, he continued, appears and talks to the athlete of prayer. He challenges him and tries to open a dialogue with him. Sometimes he blames the athlete, sometimes he praises him, sometimes he scoffs at him, sometimes he interprets certain acts wrongly. The inexperienced in this spiritual contest start talking with the devil and answer his questions and his assaults. However, this is an error, especially for the beginners, because the inexperienced in these situations are defeated even if it seems that the devil was put to flight by their replies. Confusion and fear remain. And later, when they recall this scene and all that was said, they will be shaken and troubled. The Fathers recommend that those who do not have the experience and the necessary strength should not answer. They must be indifferent to the devil and despise him. They must do the same in the war against their thoughts. Thus contempt against the devil and perseverance in the Jesus prayer are needed...
The athlete of prayer must not let himself be shaken. He must oppose imagination with the continuous invocation of the name of Jesus, and he must be concentrated within the words of the Jesus prayer. He must stand bravely in the conciseness of the Jesus prayer. He must not think of anything during prayer, either of wrong or even good works...
Many times the devil, he continued, appears and talks to the athlete of prayer. He challenges him and tries to open a dialogue with him. Sometimes he blames the athlete, sometimes he praises him, sometimes he scoffs at him, sometimes he interprets certain acts wrongly. The inexperienced in this spiritual contest start talking with the devil and answer his questions and his assaults. However, this is an error, especially for the beginners, because the inexperienced in these situations are defeated even if it seems that the devil was put to flight by their replies. Confusion and fear remain. And later, when they recall this scene and all that was said, they will be shaken and troubled. The Fathers recommend that those who do not have the experience and the necessary strength should not answer. They must be indifferent to the devil and despise him. They must do the same in the war against their thoughts. Thus contempt against the devil and perseverance in the Jesus prayer are needed...
↠↠↠The best prayer is the one you say with your own words. Reading a prayer is not enough. For example, before receiving Holy Communion we read the Service of Preparation for Holy Communion, ‘From lips tainted and defiled, from heart unclean and loathsome…’, sometimes without even understanding the words. You yourself should pray with your own words. Then you will understand what you are saying to God. This prayer has great power; great power indeed.
and on obedience to the confessor, even for laymen.
Particularly we remember that he told us, '' For whoever kneels even just once
under the stole of the priest, divine Providence will arrange things in such
a way that Christ will finally gain him. ''
Obedience is Life - Elder Ephraim of Katounakia
Icon of the Blessed Elder Ephraim of Katounakia
Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us! Amen!
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