The Elder (Saint) Joseph the Hesychast, experienced a great temptation,
which resulted in his patience being exhausted. Specifically, in the chapel of
St. John the Baptist in the Skete of St. Mikra Anna at Mount Athos, the Virgin
Mary appeared to Elder Joseph, holding Christ in her arms. The Saint
recounts:
“In the past Our Lady had greatly consoled me when I was tempted. These
things I now remember. Once, when I was in Mikra St. Anne, temptations and
sorrows were numerous, and my only consolation was Our Lady. I used to go
to our chapel, where I had a small icon of Our Lady holding Our Lord as a
baby in the iconostasis. There before Her I prayed and pleaded with Her, as
She had promised me in the past to have my hope in Her. While I stood
concentrating and weeping before this image of Her, I felt her presence. The
space inside that church at that time was narrow (the distance from the
iconostasis to where I was standing was only a meter). Then I saw Her image
that radiated light and Her divine form took on normal dimensions. Our Lady
was no longer an image, but a living, full-figured, super-illuminated, sun-
shaped one. I saw as much as my mortality allowed, and with reverence I
turned my face to the earth. I could look no longer, for Her Infant, our sweet
Jesus whom She held in Her arms, shone more brightly than the sun,
according to His divine majesty. He so filled me with His love that I was
completely unaware of myself and only marveled. Then I heard Her voice,
fragrant and sweeter than honey, saying to me: “;Did I not tell you to have your
hope in me? Why are you discouraged? Here, take Christ!” She stretched out
Her long embrace to me, and the all-holy Infant drew as near to me as man
could reach! I, because from my surprise I dared not make any movement,
Our Most Blessed Jesus stretched out His little hand and touched me lightly
three times on my forehead and on my head! My soul was filled with
immeasurable love, and I could no longer stand on my feet. I fell down and
with tears I kissed the place where Our Lady was standing, because She
came to me and left with me Her consolation and her fragrance!” The little
Church of the Holy Baptist to this day, smells fragrantly at the spot where the
Virgin Mary appeared!
St. Joseph the Hesychast (1897 – 1959) Sayings
Translated by Dr. Nick Stergiou
