Joseph the Hesychast

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Athonite Monasticism, Hesychasm

Joseph the Hesychast (Greek: Άγιος Ιωσήφ ο Ησυχαστής; born Francis Kottis, Greek: Φραγκίσκος Κόττης;[1] Lefkes, Paros, February 12, 1897 – Mount Athos, August 15, 1959[2]) was a Greek Orthodox monk and elder who led a small group of monks at Mount Athos. He was canonized as a saint by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople in 2020. His annual feast is celebrated on August 16.[3][4]

Early life

He was born Frangiskos (Francis) Kottis (

Greek Navy. At approximately the age of 23, he worked as a vendor in Piraeus and Athens. While in Athens, he began to read about the lives of saints and ascetics. On Mount Penteli, he would stay up all night praying in caves or even on trees, similar to the medieval anchorites and stylites. Afterwards, he went to Mount Athos to become a monk.[5]

Monastic life

Joseph the Hesychast as a young monk

In 1921, his first destination was

Daniel Katounakiotis of Smyrna, the founder of the brotherhood.[7]
He left with the blessing of Katounakiotis as he moved on to pursue a more ascetic lifestyle.

A year later, he came to Mount Athos on the day of the Transfiguration of the Savior, celebrated at the summit of Mount Athos in the Chapel of the Transfiguration. There, he met Arsenios (also known as

Ephraim Katounakiotis
. During the same period, Kottis's brother, Nicholas Kottis, left the secular world to join his brother's group as a monk, and took the name Athanasios.

The hut or cell of Joseph the Hesychast near Little St. Anne's Skete

In January 1938, the small group led by Kottis went to

Haralambos of Dionysiou), who would later become the abbot of Dionysiou Monastery.[5] In 1953, Kottis's group settled in the New Skete
of Athos, which was the final skete that he stayed at during his lifetime.

Death and burial

A month before his burial, he claimed to have been informed of the exact time by the Virgin Mary herself.

On 14 August 1959, he attended the holy vigil in honor of the

Blessed Sacrament. He died from heart failure on August 15. He was laid to rest on 15 August 1959 in a tomb in the holy chapel of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary in the New Skete of Mount Athos, near the Tower of the Skete. His relics are kept in monasteries, including St. Anthony's Greek Orthodox Monastery in Florence, Arizona
, United States.

Today, his tomb, enshrined in a chapel, can be visited at the northern edge of

Little Saint Anne's Skete
.

Canonization

Icon of Saint Joseph in an Orthodox parish in the United States

On 20 October 2019, Ecumenical Patriarch

Vatopedi Monastery. On 9 March 2020, the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, by the Patriarchal and Synodal Act, inscribed Elder Joseph in the Holy Calendar of the Orthodox Church.[13]

Legacy

His teachings and spiritual work are preserved in 65 letters published by the Holy

Monastery of Philotheou, as well as in various books. He is also known for his mystical approach to advocating for the use of the Jesus Prayer at Mount Athos.[14] Joseph the Hesychast played a key role in the repopulation of six monasteries at Mount Athos, as well as many nunneries in Greece.[13]

His life and spiritual legacy are presented in a documentary film titled Elder Joseph the Hesychast (2019), which was produced, written and edited by the Holy

Monastery of Vatopedi.[15] The documentary won four awards from the jury at the London Greek Film Festival in London.[16]

See also

Wikiquote has quotations related to Joseph the Hesychast.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Joseph the Hesychast.

References

  1. ^ Ntolkas, Dimitris. "Παριανά oνόματα - επίθετα και οικόσημα: Παριανά επίθετα Κ & C & Q".
  2. ^ "St. Joseph the Hesychast (1897-1959)". St. Anthony's Greek Orthodox Monastery. 2019-10-20. Retrieved 2022-08-22.
  3. ^ "ΕΚΤΑΚΤΟ: Αγιοκατατάξεις Οσίων Γερόντων Ιωσήφ του Ησυχαστού- Δανιήλ Κατουνακιώτη- Εφραίμ Κατουνακιώτη". March 9, 2020.
  4. ^ a b "Κατουνάκια - Άγιο Όρος Χαλκιδική".
  5. ^
    ISBN 978-960-93-0580-8
    .
  6. ^ "Ιστορία του Αγιογραφικού Οίκου της Αδελφότητος των Δανιηλαίων". May 28, 2015.
  7. ^ Даниил Катунакийский. «Православная Энциклопедия». (in Russian)
  8. ^ Monk Joseph Dionysaitis. Elder Arsenios the Cave-dweller (1886–1983): Fellow Ascetic of Elder Joseph the Hesychast. Transl. Angela Georgiou. 2005.
  9. ^ mountathos-eshop.com Archived 2020-09-24 at the Wayback Machine.
  10. doi:10.12681/makedonika.176
     – via ejournals.epublishing.ekt.gr.
  11. ^ The Holy Elder Joseph the Hesychast, I.M. of Timios Prodromos Mesa Potamos, p. 23
  12. ^ "kathidrimata - ΚΕΔΑΚ". October 25, 2019. Archived from the original on 25 October 2019.
  13. ^ a b http://www.ec-patr.org/docdisplay.php?lang=gr&id=3036&tla=gr/
  14. ^ "Γέροντας Ιωσήφ Ησυχαστής: Λέγε διαρκώς την Ευχή!". Newsbomb. August 31, 2016.
  15. ^ "Για τρία βραβεία, προτάθηκε, το ντοκιμαντέρ για τη ζωή του Γέροντα Ιωσήφ του Ησυχαστή σε διεθνές φεστιβάλ. Παγκόσμια προβολή το Μάιο (δείτε το τρέιλερ)". April 3, 2020.
  16. ^ "Τέσσερα βραβεία για το ντοκιμαντέρ Γέροντας Ιωσήφ Ησυχαστής". April 12, 2020.

Sources

Further reading

External links
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