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[[Image:Elder Paisios of Mount AthosSão_Paísios_2.jpg|right|thumb|210px|Elder [[Saint Paisios (Eznepidis)]] of Mount Athos.]][[Image:Paisiostomb.JPG|right|thumbnail|Tomb of Elder Paisios]][[Image:PaisiosPlaque.JPG|right|thumbnail|Plaque at tomb]]Our venerable and God-bearing Father '''Paisios of Mount Athos''' or '''Paisios the New, of the Holy Mountain''' ([[July 25]], 1924 – [[July 12]], 1994), also known as '''Elder Paisios''' (Greek: Γέροντας Παΐσιος ο Αγιορείτης), was a monastic of [[Mount Athos]]. An [[asceticism|ascetic]], he was known by his visitors for his gentle manner and acceptance of those who came to receive his advice, counsel, and blessing. His words of counsel continue to be published. [http://noctoc-noctoc.blogspot.com/2008/08/elder-panteleimon-of-hamatouraa-hidden.html?showComment=1217990940000] Elder Paisios was canonized on [[January 13]], 2015, by the Holy and Sacred Synod of the [[Ecumenical Patriarchate]] of Constantinople.<ref>''[http://www.patriarchate.org/-/anakoinothen-13-01-2015-?redirect=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.patriarchate.org%2Flatest-news%3Fp_p_id%3D101_INSTANCE_fJBy4jqgMuQe%26p_p_lifecycle%3D0%26p_p_state%3Dnormal%26p_p_mode%3Dview%26p_p_col_id%3Dcolumn-1%26p_p_col_pos%3D1%26p_p_col_count%3D2&languageId=en_US Announcement (13/01/2015)].'' Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople - News Releases. 1/13/15.</ref><ref name=OMHKSEA>''[http://www.omhksea.org/2015/01/ecumenical-patriarchate-officially-entered-elder-paisios-among-the-list-of-saints/ Ecumenical Patriarchate Officially Entered Elder Paisios among the List of Saints].'' Ecumenical Patriarchate - Orthodox Metropolitanate of Hong Kong and South East Asia (OMHKSEA). January 13, 2015.</ref> The Church commemorates St. Paisios on July 12.
==Life==
It was at Panagouda that Elder Paisios' fame as a God bearing elder grew, drawing to him the sick and suffering people of God. He received them all day long, dedicating the night to God in prayer, vigil, and spiritual struggle. His regime of prayer and asceticism left him with only two or three hours each night for rest. The self-abandon with which he served God and his fellow man, his strictness with himself, the austerity of his regime, and his sensitive nature made him increasingly prone to sickness. In addition to respiratory problems, in his later days he suffered from a serious hernia that made life very painful. When he was forced to leave the Holy Mountain for various reasons (often due to his illnesses) he would receive pilgrims for hours on end at the women's monastery at Souroti. The physical effort which this entailed in his weakened state caused him such pain that he would turn pale. He bore his suffering with much grace, confident that, as God knows what is best for us, it could not be otherwise. He would say that God is greatly touched when someone who is in great suffering does not complain, but rather uses his energy to pray for others.
[[Image:Paisiostomb.JPG|right|thumbnail|Tomb of Elder Paisios]]
In addition to his other illnesses he suffered from hemorrhaging which left him very weak. In his final weeks before leaving the Holy Mountain, he would often fall unconscious. On [[October 5]], 1993, the Elder left his beloved Holy Mountain for the last time. Though he had planned on being off the mountain for just a few days, while in Thessaloniki he was diagnosed with cancer that needed immediate treatment. After the operation he spent some time recovering in the hospital and was then transferred to the monastery at Souroti. Despite his critical state he received people, listening to their sorrows and counseling them.
After his operation, Elder Paisios had his heart set on returning to Mt. Athos. His attempts to do so, however, were hindered by his failing health. His last days were full of suffering, but also of the joy of the [[martyr]]s. On [[July 11]], 1994, he received [[Holy Communion]] for the last time. The next day, Elder Paisios gave his soul into God's keeping. He was buried, according to his wishes, at the [[Monastery of St. John the Theologian (Souroti)|Monastery of St. John the Theologian]] in Souroti. Elder Paisios, perhaps more than any other contemporary elder, captured the minds and hearts of the Greek people. Many books of his counsels have been published, and the monastery at Souroti has undertaken a great work, organizing the Elder's writings and counsels into impressive volumes befitting his memory. Thousands of pilgrims visit his tomb each year.
[[Image:PaisiosPlaque.JPG|right|thumbnail|Plaque at tomb]]
Elder Paisios was glorified on January 13, 2015, by the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. He is commemorated each year on July 12.
