{"id":197541,"date":"2018-07-05T11:01:18","date_gmt":"2018-07-05T08:01:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/basilica.ro\/?p=197541"},"modified":"2018-07-05T11:01:18","modified_gmt":"2018-07-05T08:01:18","slug":"in-pictures-nine-year-commemoration-of-elder-joseph-of-vatopedi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/basilica.ro\/en\/in-pictures-nine-year-commemoration-of-elder-joseph-of-vatopedi\/","title":{"rendered":"In pictures: Nine-year commemoration of Elder Joseph of Vatopedi"},"content":{"rendered":"

Nine years have passed since the falling asleep of Elder Joseph of Vatopedi, one of the closest disciples of Venerable Joseph the Hesychast (\u20201959).<\/strong><\/p>\n

On Elder Joseph\u2019s death anniversary, His Eminence Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Chalkida officiated a memorial service at the Annunciation katholikon of Vatopedi Monastery.<\/p>\n

The service that took place Friday, June 29, 2018, was attended by many believers from Greece, Cyprus, Russia, and other Orthodox countries.<\/p>\n

Saturday, June 30, the Metropolitan of Chalkida celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the chapel of Elder Joseph\u2019s cell, during which he referred to the Elder\u2019s charismata, humility, and repentance.<\/p>\n

\u2018Elder Joseph is an angel of God who taught us all repentance, humility, and (the gift of) tears.\u2019<\/p>\n

In his turn, Abbot Ephrem spoke about the virtues of his spiritual father, Elder Joseph of Vatopedi.<\/p>\n

\u2018We always try to live everything that Elder Joseph taught us, and we glorify God for bringing us at the feet of this man, who struggled until the end for the love of Christ.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u2018I have never seen this man judge others, or complain, not even when he was slandered. He had a permanent divine love,\u2019 said the abbot of Vatopedi Monastery, who recently published a volume on the life of Elder Joseph.<\/p>\n

Elder Joseph was born on July 1, 1921, in the courtyard of the Holy Unmercenaries Monastery in Giolos, Cyprus, exactly during the festive Divine Liturgy celebrated on the feast day of Sts Cosmas and Damianos.<\/p>\n

In the world, he bore the name of Socrates. He arrived at the Holy Mount Athos in 1946, at the age of 25, being one of the few cell disciples of Venerable Joseph the Hesychast (the Spilaiotis or the Cave-dweller), whose holy and ascetic life is well known today.<\/p>\n

After establishing the monastic brotherhood, the cell of Nea Skete was renovated and enlarged. He remained here until 1988, when the entire brotherhood settled at Vatopedi Monastery, thus reviving this monastery.<\/p>\n

Until 1990, he dealt with the spiritual guidance of Vatopedi Monastery. The spiritual leadership was then taken by one of his disciples, abbot Ephraim.<\/p>\n

As a token of divine providence, monk Joseph of Vatopedi fell asleep in the Lord on July 1, 2009, on his 88th<\/sup> birthday.<\/p>\n