Elder Joseph, St. Maximus the Confessor appears and interprets a difficult passage for him!

Once, to encourage us [Elder Joseph of Vatopedi] in the study of the Patristic writings, he said that benefit comes not only from their teachings and paternal admonitions, but also from their embassies.

We must invoke them while studying their works.

In his hesychast hut in the New Skete [of Mount Athos], studying the works of Saint Symeon the New Theologian and praying to the Saint at the same time, the presence of the Saint became so strongly felt that it caused him shame and embarrassment.

"I'm scared," he said, "don't touch him!"

He studied the Holy Fathers diligently, systematically and in depth.
He always read from the original text and avoided translations.

Writings inaccessible to many, such as those of Saint Gregory Palamas and Saint Maximus the Confessor, were not only understandable to him but were his main spiritual nourishment, even though he did not even have the most elementary formal education.

He had a living communication with the Fathers, whose texts he studied.
He had told me that once he did not understand a difficult passage of Saint Maximus the Confessor, and the Saint himself appeared and interpreted it for him.

Many times, Aunt Harris herself would explain to him certain things or unknown words that he encountered while reading.

Another time, when we were discussing a topic, he mentioned a word to me - I don't remember now which one it was - which is found in one of the iambic canons of Saint John of Damascus and told me that at that very moment, Charis gave him her interpretation, which she also told me. To confirm, he even made me look in the dictionary we had, and we found that the dictionary gave exactly the same interpretation as the Elder.

From the book by Archimandrite Ephraim of Vatopedi, “Elder Joseph of Vatopedi, (1.7.1921-1.7.2009), published by the Holy Great Monastery of Vatopedi.