In this thread we hope to hear from anyone among the Men who have ever visited Mount Athos, or short of that, any men or women who personally know and have heard of any notable accounts first hand from pilgrims to Athos.
Before I share my personal accounts, I thought adding these three short commonly known accounts would be of interest, especially for anyone who may as yet have had the pleasure of hearing them:
An Young Unknown Greek Pilgrim's Surprising Experience
When I came to the Holy Mountain for the first time in 1950, I was going up from Kavsokalyvia to Saint Ann's when I lost my way, and instead of taking the path to the Skete of Saint Ann, I went up towards the peak of Athos. After I walked a good long way, I realized I was too high and looked around for some path to take me down quickly. Being in such an anxious state, I implored the Mother of God to help me and suddenly, an anchorite with a radiant face appeared before me. He was about seventy years old and his clothing showed that he had no contact with people. He was wearing a habit that looked as if it was made of sailcloth, but it was very faded and full of holes. He had fixed the holes with wooden awls, the way farmers close holes in bags when they don't have a sack-needle and string. He had a leather bag, too, discoloured, with the holes pulled together in the same way. Round his neck he had a thick chain on which a box hung down on his chest. It seems there was something holy inside!
Before I could ask him, he said to me: "My child, this is not the path to Saint Ann's", and he pointed to the right one. From his whole appearance it seemed he was a saint! Then, I asked the hermit: "Where do you live, elder?" He answered: "Somewhere round there", indicating the peak of Athos.
Since I had been wandering around left and right trying to find an elder to spiritually inform me, I had forgotten what day it was and had lost track of the date. I asked the hermit and he told me it was Friday. Then, he got out a little leather pouch, that had bits of wood inside with notches on. From the notches he was able to tell me the date. I took his blessing, went down the path he had shown me and came out at the Skete of Saint Ann. All the while, I was turning over in my mind the lambent face of the anchorite, glowing with light.
Later, when I heard that there are twelve anchorites at the peak of Athos -some said seven- thoughts filled my mind and related the incident to some experienced elders, who told me: "That would have been one of the righteous anchorites who live invisibly at the peak of Athos!"
Astonishing Account from a Lebanese Pilgrim
In the year 1977-78 the dikaios of the St. Anne's Skete was Monk Kyrillos. During the month of September he received as a guest a Lebanese Orthodox Christian, a refugee to Greece because of the war in Lebanon
This devout Lebanese had a strong desire to climb to the top of Athos. So early in the morning, with directions given by the dikaios, he began his long and exhausting ascent. On the same day during the evening, he returned to the skete's kyriakon. The following day after the Divine Liturgy, he was able with the little Greek he knew to relate the following marvellous incident:
In the location known as Babyla, below the mountain peak where the great slope begins, he stopped to rest for a moment and then continued climbing. While he was searching for a place to rest, suddenly he saw in front of him a house out of which two venerable hermits came. As soon as they saw him, they welcomed him and gave him fresh figs, which had a flavour and sweetness that he found impossible to describe, and cool water. His fatigue disappeared completely.
He also saw ten more respectable monks in the hut, each of whom was leaning on a curved "lazy stick" and praying with a prayer rope. They replied to his questions that they had been living there for a long time and did nothing else but pray for the entire world.
All these things and more filled the pilgrim with astonishment and admiration. He said that they were all of the same age. When the dikaios and the others heard, they were surprised and gave praise to God for his wonders through his saints.
A Young Bulgarian Novice Encounters a Mysterious Holy Elder
A certain youth, James, a Bulgarian, without asking for the counsel of any experienced spiritual father, attached himself to an elder, a Greek, who lived in the skete of Kavsokalyvia, in a cell below the main church. This particular elder was fond of the broad path of life. At the same time he was severe, obstinate, and altogether unskilled in the spiritual life, as one who did not seek it. James, however, aspired to the life of an ascetic; he wanted to pray and to fast, but the elder would not allow it.
James asked a spiritual father what he should do under such circumstances. The spiritual father said that he should be obedient even to such an elder, and he revealed to him what benefit he would receive if at the same time he guarded his mind and heeded the voice of his conscience. The disciple obeyed, but not without extreme inner constraint. He told his spiritual father about this and asked his blessing to go to another elder, but the spiritual father did not give his blessing and instructed him to obey him in all things. At the same time, he gave him a rule for prayer and fasting which he was to fulfill secretly, in a way that the elder would not notice. James obeyed. At night he prayed, during the day he labored, while practicing self-restraint and vigilance. It was difficult to keep this from the elder, who began to keep an eye on him, compelling him to eat and sleep more.
James made a habit of going every night to the main church, where he would pray before an icon of the Holy Trinity, located above the entrance. He had been doing this for a long time when, one night, as he was praying and sorrowing over the elder’s oppressive demands, he heard footsteps. Concealing himself, he observed an elder noiselessly enter the porch; he had a grey beard and long hair, and he was completely naked. On entering he stood before the doors to the church and, saying a prayer, made the sign of the cross over the doors, which proceeded to open of their own accord. The elder entered the church and, standing in the center, prayed for a long time, uttering the prayers aloud. When he had finished praying, the elder venerated the icons and came out. Again making the sign of the cross over the doors, which closed in the same way they had opened, he left the church.
James wanted to know just who this elder was and to ask him to accept him as a disciple. He left the church and began following the elder at a distance. From Kavsokalyvia they walked up the mountain until Kerasia, where the elder turned aside in the direction of the summit. When dawn cast its first rays they were already nearing the church of Panagia, and James finally decided to catch up with the elder. But just then the elder, who had been walking as though unaware of being followed, turned to James and said, “Where are you going?” James drew nearer and began asking if the elder would accept him. The elder replied, “You cannot live here. No one can endure this place without having divine grace. Go back to your elder and perform your obedience; this will serve for your salvation. He who has not received Divine Grace cannot live in this place. Your salvation lies with your elder. But know this; that shortly the Lord will call for you.” Continuing his way, the elder added, “There are two of us here.” And he began descending down from the “Panagia.” James related all this to his spiritual father. The latter confirmed what he had been told and instructed James how to prepare for his departure to the next world. Three weeks later James reposed.
After three years his remains were exhumed. They emitted a wondrous fragrance, and his head was full of myrrh. Many who did not know of his life were amazed, as was his elder.
