The Smile of Eternity

Photo: Orthodox Christian Life

Elder Joseph of Vatopedi reposed in the Lord on July 1, 2009. He was born exactly 88 years earlier on July 1, 1921.

Born in the courtyard of the Monastery of the Holy Unmercenaries in Giolos, Cyprus, he would eventually repose on the feast day of Sts. Cosmas and Damian (New Calendar). This is just one sign of how blessed the life of the holy elder was.

A disciple of St. Joseph the Hesychast and the spiritual father of Elder Ephraim, the current abbot of Vatopedi Monastery on Mount Athos, Blessed Elder Joseph is considered a modern-day saint and one of the greatest contemporary Athonite elders.

In 1937, Elder Joseph became a novice at Stavrovouni Monastery, founded by Sts. Constantine and Helen in the fourth century, where he received the monastic name Sophronios. He remained there until 1946, when he moved to Mount Athos to join the brotherhood of Elder Joseph the Hesychast at Little St. Anne's Skete.

In 1948 he received the name Joseph, and in 1951 the brotherhood moved to New Skete closer to the coast due to the age of St. Joseph the Hesychast.

Remaining a disciple of Joseph the Hesychast for 13 years in total until St. Joseph's repose in 1959, Elder Joseph would go on to move into the Cell of the of the Annunciation of the Theotokos in 1967, become the spiritual father of the Monastery of Koutloumousiou in 1975, be ordained as abbot at the Monastery of the Precious Cross in Cyprus in 1978 after receiving advice from St. Paisios to move there, and return to Mount Athos in 1981, where he moved around several times before finally settling down at Vatopedi in 1987, where he remained for the rest of his life.

While dealing with all of these changes, it is my assumption that Elder Joseph took the call to pray without ceasing seriously.

Recently, one of my friends had the opportunity stay at Vatopedi on the Holy Mountain under the care of Elder Joseph's spiritual son, Elder Ephraim.

It was shared that Elder Joseph used to stand atop the monastery's buildings, watching the monks work below. If he caught any of them lapsing into idle conversation and being distracted from their work, he would yell from his birds-eye-view position, "The prayer! The prayer!" This, of course, meaning the Jesus Prayer.

It is also said that Elder Joseph was such a man of God that he did not speak about anything that was of this world. Perhaps that is why he smiled when he was called to the next one.

From the 2021 Orthodox Times article, "Elder Joseph of Vatopedi's 100th birth anniversary, 12 years since his 'smile from eternity'":

Elder Joseph's mouth had remained open for a long time immediately after his passing and despite all their efforts, the monks present were unable to close it.

In accordance with the Athonite custom, the Elder's body was wrapped in his monastic cloak which was then sewn up.

After a while, on the instructions of Abbot Ephraim, the body was placed on a bier, and a hole was cut in the cloak to expose his face and another to expose his right hand for veneration.

To the astonishment of all, Elder's Joseph's mouth had not only closed, but his face was now beaming miraculously with a smile! Not only his lips, but his eyes and cheeks. And the color had even returned to his lips and face.

The exhumation of his holy relics was overseen by another of his spiritual sons, His Eminence Metropolitan Athanasios of Limassol, in 2021.

Metropolitan Athanasios has shared that, in the hermitage where the Divine Liturgy was served daily, he never saw Elder Joseph commune without tears. In fact, he would have to wait for the elder to stop sobbing so he could offer him Holy Communion. 

In the bishop's words:

"But does he have a button he pushes so all these tears come out? What was his 'button'? The great self-condemnation he had! He practiced self-condemnation! What does self-condemnation mean? Humility, repentance, the fact that he was blaming himself. And indeed, he spent all his life in tears! Those tears were not like tears that kill, but they were tears that filled him with joy! He was full of joy! Full of joy! And when he died, immediately, a smile appeared on his face! What did Christ say? 'Blessed are those who weep, for they will laugh.' His entire life, he wept, and when he died, he laughed! We laugh our entire life, and when we die, we cry!"

Elder Joseph's grave is in the courtyard of Vatopedi, where pilgrims and monastics still stop and ask for a blessing from the beloved geronda who departed this life with a smile, and, it seems, with a holy laugh.

"All Good-One, You are God. You know everything. You knew me before I was born. Were You misled in having drawn me to You? Your All-Loving Self led You to do it. But now, I have slipped and cannot get up. I beseech of Your love, remove this demon hovering over me, this passion that hinders me. And it is impossible that He will not hear! I tell you this empirically, and out of my meager experience. But me, All Good-One? Was it me You chose? Well, when one thinks about that, even if his heart is made of stone, he will be moved."

- Elder Joseph of Vatopedi

Elder Joseph of Vatopedi, pray to God for us!

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