When a brand falls out of favor with customers, companies have two choices. They accept defeat, move on and try again with another brand; or they take it on the chin and adopt an exceptional comeback plan. Branding resurrection isn't a walk in the park but there are some brands out there that've made a success of their rebranding – and some of them have become even bigger and better than they were before.
New and innovative product designs were introduced by LEGO in the late 90's, creating thousands of unique pieces that were entirely removed from the classic brick system that LEGO was renowned for. This strategy resulted in a $300 million loss in 2003, followed by a projected loss of $400 million the year after. All of these new pieces they'd designed didn't appeal to their primary audience – kids.
So, to find out where they'd gone wrong they asked kids what they wanted from LEGO, and the answer was simple – they wanted to build. They didn't want to play with LEGO action figures that had been pre-built (I mean, where's the fun in that?) so LEGO reverted back to form and the "Imagine" campaign was created. This showed off LEGO's classic bricks which were casting shadows of more complex objects, reflecting how a child's imagination works when they play with LEGO.
The result? In 2015, LEGO became the second-biggest toy company in the world with $5.2 billion revenue.
Despite their popularity in the 80's, Old Spice started to struggle towards the end of 2000, with new competitor's Axe taking over a large proportion of their market share. Axe offered a modern and sleek brand whilst Old Spice was outdated and stale (a bit like the men who were wearing it), and the sales reflected this.
One particular problem they had was with their deodorant scent "Glacial Falls" which wasn't performing well. And in order to change this, they enlisted the help of the agency, Wieden + Kennedy.
The campaign for Old Spice Swagger commenced in 2008 and included an interactive website, TV ads and print ads. The result? Old Spice quadrupled their sales on an underperforming product – but the resurrection of their brand didn't just end there.
The "Smell Like a Man, Man" campaign was launched in 2010 and their reputation as a modern brand was confirmed with Isaiah Mustafa (a former NFLer) appearing in their ads (this guy definitely wasn't outdated and stale!). After just six months, Old Spice once again became a category leader with their body wash sales increasing by 27%.
The expansion of Starbucks was well under way at the start of the 2000's both with the products on offer and the number of stores they'd opened. But even though coffee fans flocked to their stores, the quality of service on offer couldn't keep up with this increased demand. Furthermore, because they'd started to invest in other non-coffee related things, e.g. music, the public started to feel like they were diluting their brand – they'd lost their consistency.
When the economic downturn came in 2008, Starbucks started to flounder with many believing that their days were over. But to try and keep their business alive, Starbucks closed over 900 stores, making a huge number of people redundant in the process.
With everyone now watching their dollars, turning to cheaper alternatives like McDonald's, a new game plan was needed. Starbucks needed to convince customers that their coffee was worth paying that little bit extra for.
Teaming up with agency BBDO, they launched the campaign, "Coffee values and values", which helped to propel them back towards success. Within this campaign, they used lines such as "If your coffee isn't perfect, we'll make it over. If it's still not perfect, you must not be in a Starbucks". Confident but sassy.
The result? Starbucks showcased their brand as one that's focused on providing quality coffee, which resulted in $16 billion revenue in 2014.
As the world's biggest player in comic books, Marvel is home to a number of iconic characters, including Captain America and Spider-Man. But when the comics market crashed in the mid-90's, Marvel was left broke and could do nothing to save themselves from bankruptcy. But if a company that's responsible for some of the most awe-inspiring superheroes gave up without a fight, what hope is there for the rest of us?
In 1999, Peter Cuneo became CEO of Marvel and introduced Isaac Perlmutter to the company. They adopted a licensing model for all of their different forms of media, including television shows and movies. This enabled them to cut back on their capital and conserve cash.
But in order to make the company grow they realized that they needed to make sure they didn't just appeal to comic book fans (we don't need to describe what these guys look like, do we?) but appealed to the general public as a whole. The result? They focused on movies, creating X-Men, Spider-Man, the Avengers and Iron Man, which are all being billion-dollar franchises today.
No article about brand resurrections would be complete without mentioning Apple Inc. as many hail this as the greatest comeback of them all. Apple enjoyed their early success during the late 70's and early 80's, creating the likes of the Apple II and Apple III computers. But when co-founder Steve Jobs was fired in 1985 due to creative differences, things started to fall apart for the brand with many believing there were no more bites left of this apple.
However, in 1997 Jobs was reintroduced to the company and he brought with him some revolutionary ideas that turned the company around. He cavorted (quite unashamedly, we might add) with their biggest rival, Microsoft, taking a cash infusion of $150 million in order to get the rights to ship Internet Explorer and Microsoft Office on the Macintosh. He also looked at other avenues that ventured away from the traditional Mac, focusing on iPhones and iPods and he started opening more Apple stores, making sure his products were in front of everyone.
The result? Apple is now worth $586 billion (as of May 2016) and enjoys a 40% share in the U.S. smartphone market. And who can imagine a world without iPhones and iPads?
So, what can you learn from the amazing comebacks that these brands have enjoyed? Firstly, if you see something's not working, you need to change it. Then you need to make sure you're differentiating yourself from your competitors so you can bring a new twist to your customers. And finally, don't be afraid to break the mold. Many of these organizations have resisted the norm to enjoy their branding resurrection.


This audiobook was a fascinating one to listen to. I put a copy of the print version on hold, so I'd have some surprising statistics to quote for this review, but too many people want to read it and my copy still hasn't come in, so I will have to go by memory of what I heard and be more general.
The authors cover many different aspects of raising children and cover child development at all age levels. They begin with studies that show that too much praise is actually counterproductive for building a child's self-esteem. They go on to studies about many other things, and cover each topic in great depth, explaining the implications of the studies and how the researchers approached their surprising results.
We learn about the importance of sleep for children -- it's much more important for children and teens than it is for adults. They look at the lies children tell, which happens much more often than their parents realize. It turns out that children know they are lying much younger than their parents realize, but it also serves a developmental purpose.


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The Chill-Out Zone was set up in June 2002 to provide a calm, relaxing atmosphere ideal for escaping the hustle and bustle of daily life and simply 'chilling-out' whilst enjoying quality beauty treatments!
Our salon – with four private treatment rooms and a spacious reception area – was developed out of the old Oakworth bakery . We offer a wide range of beauty and holistic treatments, and our popular 'treatment of the month' specials displayed in the salon and on our web site enable clients to take advantage of new therapies or old favourites at preferential rates. In addition we sometimes have a 'daily special' which your therapist will bring to your attention during your appointment.
Our established team of therapists work with your health and well-being in mind. They are fully qualified and take part in an ongoing training programme to ensure that we can bring you the most innovative and up-to-date treatments available. Continuity of staff means you will soon be familiar with our team. You will have the comfort factor from knowing that the same therapist will be looking after you on an on-going basis and so will quickly understand your background and how best to meet your needs. Do come and 'chill-out' with us ………don't you deserve it?


At a Nov. 21, 2013, meeting of the Lehigh Valley Orthodox Clergy Brotherhood, St. Paul's pastor, the Rev. Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick, was elected as President of the Brotherhood for the ecclesiastical year 2013-2014. After his election, as well as with the election of other officers, an active and ambitious program of pan-Orthodox events was discussed and adopted for the coming year.


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Tsater () is a village in the Lori Province of Armenia. There is a small S. Astvatsatsin church on the southern edge of the village with a bell tower which was used as an electrical substation in Soviet times. About 3/4 kilometer north of the village, abutting the cliff is a small Chgnavor chapel of the 11-12th century.

References

Populated places in Lori Province

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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St. Rose of Lima receives art grant
PERRY – The Catholic Foundation of Oklahoma, in partnership with the Bobby Dean Little Trust, presented a Pastoral Music and Fine Arts Grant of $28,652 to Saint Rose of Lima Catholic Church to help restore the church's stained-glass windows.
The parish, dedicated in 1923, had most of its 38 stained-glass windows installed over seven years from 1923 through 1930. The windows were crafted by artists in the Munich Studios of Chicago, Ill.
Weather and decomposition have caused the nearly century-old windows to decay, so a campaign to raise $144,000 was started to restore them before the centennial celebration in 2023. Associated Crafts was selected to begin the restoration project. Their inspection of the windows revealed the windows' true artistic significance.
Along with the grant, funding was received from several sources, including descendants of original parish families, former and current parishioners and friends of the church. Due to the fund-raising efforts, the church will complete the stained-glass window restoration without using funds set aside for its Jubilee celebration.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Iran good shelter to Afghan refugees: Envoy to UN
IRNA – Iran's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations Gholamali Khoshroo delivered a key note statement at the UN to elaborate on Iran's support for Afghan refugees during past decades.
'Iran continues to participate in the work of Tripartite Commission in order to plan for voluntary, safe, dignified and gradual repatriation of Afghan refugees,' Khoshroo said.
The full text of Khoshroo's statement reads as follows:
It is noteworthy to remind that the Islamic Republic of Iran is to continue its support for the fraternal people and government of Afghanistan as they move through this difficult period of their history to a stable, safe and prosperous Afghanistan.
I hope the adoption of this resolution will help to this end.
Countries in our region still suffering from an alarming surge in extremist violence; and a dramatic increase in drug production are threatening our societies.
Unfortunately, Afghanistan is one of the most affected by these problems. This has become a trend that the level of violence and the number of terrorist attacks have increased year after year since the US invasion in 2001, each year reaching its highest levels since the UN started recording these incidents and surpassing the previous record, he said. More than a decade after its invasion, Afghanistan, the region and the world is not any safer.
Deteriorating security in Afghanistan has its deeper roots and cannot be addressed solely through military strategies.
Today, the Afghan National Unity Government is in forefront of fighting terrorism. The sustained support of the international community is much more needed to support the Afghan Government in its fight against terrorism and extremism, as well as to face the complex security, economic, and development challenges. Iran reiterates its support for any Afghan-led peace process.
Strengthening our regional cooperation with Afghanistan is a priority and a major step to consolidate peace and development in the region.
We welcome and urge further efforts to strengthen the process of regional economic cooperation, including measures to facilitate regional connectivity, trade and transit, as highlighted in the resolution just adopted. In this regard, the Chabahar port project and the first consignment from India to Afghanistan through this Port that started some days ago is an important progress.
The challenges facing Afghanistan and our region are interconnected. We are very preoccupied by the findings of Afghanistan Opium Survey 2017 of UNODC report which indicate an 87% growth in opium production in the course of this year.
This information is especially alarming when we notice that narcotics provide a major source of income for the terrorist groups. Under-development, low-income and lack of economic opportunities provide fertile grounds and abundant recruitment opportunities for terrorist groups and drugs networks.
The international community needs to support the relevant international and regional projects and activities, including those carried out by Afghanistan, the Islamic Republic of Iran and Pakistan within the framework of the triangular initiative to counter narcotics;
For more than three decades Iran hosted millions of Afghan refugees sharing our public services and public education. This year alone, our schools are providing education to nearly 400 thousand undocumented Afghan students.
Iran continues to participate in the work of Tripartite Commission in order to plan for voluntary, safe, dignified and gradual repatriation of Afghan refugees.
The number of returnees continues to be the lowest recorded since the establishment of the voluntary return program in 2002, with many of the returnees chose not to return to their areas of origin, including many who settled in urban centers.
We welcome any effort to help overcome the main reintegration challenges faced by returnees and to formulate a Comprehensive Voluntary Repatriation and Reintegration Strategy.
Success in voluntary repatriation first and foremost depends on providing the reasonable needs of repatriated refugees in Afghanistan, and underscores the necessity for mobilizing more international support for this purpose. Stronger coordinated approach between the Government, donors and the United Nations and an overall strategy for addressing the combined needs of the displaced and returnees are crucial in making the repatriation of Afghan refugees more effective.
We support UNAMA as well as UN agencies in their efforts to provide development and reconstruction assistance to Afghanistan through a genuine commitment by the United Nations to a sustained partnership with Afghanistan, as set forth in Final Report of the Tripartite Review Commission on the United Nations in Afghanistan.
We need to utilize the UNAMA mandate and its good offices for strengthening national institutions and capacities in priority areas as requested by the Government.
Afghan refugees in Iran, Gholam Ali Khoshroo, UN	November 20, 2017
All EU states supports full JCPOA implementation: Schmid
Supreme Leader holds special meeting with officials in quake-hit regions in western Iran


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Meghan Markle Won't Be Wearing This Sandal
Say it isn't so!
By Avery Matera
CHESTER, ENGLAND - JUNE 14: Meghan, Duchess of Sussex visits Chester Town Hall on June 14, 2018 in Chester, England. (Photo by Samir Hussein/Samir Hussein/WireImage)Samir Hussein
Meghan Markle might be our newest fashion icon, but there's one pair of shoes you may not see her wear as frequently. Along with a long list of items she's no longer able to wear as a member of the royal family, one summer sandal may also be included on the "no" list. That shoe is—drumroll please—the wedge sandal.
Refinery29 reported on an article originally written in 2015 by Vanity Fair that reminded readers of the go-to seasonal wardrobe staple that we haven't seen on Meghan's feet since she became a royal. According to the original article, a source told Vanity Fair that "The Queen isn't a fan of wedged shoes."
Along with rules about wearing nude tights and forgoing all color on her finger nails, Meghan might just have to give up wedge sandals, too, at least when she's around the Queen. As Vogue Australia pointed out, Meghan is free to sport the style when she's not in the company of the Queen.
Though we have not yet seen Meghan don a summer shoe essential, she has made a few fashion forward choices that not all have approved of. She received previous backlash for wearing an off-the-shoulder dress to Trooping the Colour, and it was pointed out that the nude-only-fingernails guidelines were challenged a bit when Meghan chose a white tone instead.
Despite the fashion restrictions that were laid down for royals to follow centuries before, Meghan has managed to take timeless classics and make them her own. Though wedge sandals might be off her fashion favorites list, we can't wait to see what she wears to replace the summertime staple.
Want more Teen Vogue? Check this out: Meghan Markle and Harry Styles Are Competing for the Same Fashion Award
Keywordsmeghan marklequeen elizabeth iiqueen elizabethshoessandalssummer styleroyal family


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BEAR EVENTS
Event Materials Provided
Start / Finish Gantries
Race Clocks
Crowd Control Barriers, Cones, etc
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Race Briefing Podiums
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National Cycling Championships
"Lakeside Wheelers, Mullingar hosted the National Road Cycling Championships in 2014. They were held in Multyfarnham, Co Westmeath on the 28th and 29th of June. Barriers for the event were supplied by Bear Events. They were an excellent company to deal with. Professional and friendly. Rob and his team delivered and collected at the appointed times and locations. I highly recommend them"
Donal Kelleher, (Organising committee member)
Remembrance Run 5k
"I often go with a gut feeling ,or maybe intuition, when I meet someone who I believe can deliver good work for me. I had that feeling when I first met Rob. Jennings from www.bearevents.ie at this year's Pink Run in the Phoenix Park where his company was supplying the infrastructure for the event.
It was Rob's attention to detail and friendly approach that convinced me that he was worth considering as our on -site supplier for this year's Remembrance Run 5k which is organised by Athletics Ireland.
This year's Remembrance Run 5k on November 9th was our best one to date – with an entry of over 3,500 – well up on last year.
From the moment we engaged Bear Events for this event, I discovered that personable and outstanding professional service is very much the norm at this fledging and young events company.
We had very challenging weather conditions in the Phoenix Park the day before the event, but Rob and his team were undaunted by the challenge that the elements presented. They worked a long day and well into the evening to make sure that everything was perfectly in place for the big event and they were back in the Park again before dawn on race day.
I don't often write endorsements for a supply company, but I think that on this occasion I need to compliment the service we received from Bear Events and recommend the company to other event organisers."
Frank Greally
Remembrance Run/Originator & Editor of Irish Runner magazine.
Tour De Picnic 2013
"We used Bear Events for Tour De Picnic 2013, they provided excellent service and we will continue to use them in the future."
Brian McDermott, MD Event Fuel
Run4Jude Charity Fun Run
"Bear Events provided all the start & finish materials for our Run4Jude Charity fun run
They were an absolute pleasure to work with, and extremely professional. We all had to battle horrendous weather conditions in the set-up and Rob & his team worked so hard to finish it in time for the run!
Would have no hesitation in recommending them, in fact they are a necessity!"
Joanne Rochford | MD Invoke PR & Events
European Triathlon Championships in 2010
"We hired the team behind Bear Events for the European Triathlon Championships in 2010, an event that hosted 4000 athletes over 3 days. They are, by far, the most experienced logistics support team for triathlon events in ireland. Since then we haven't looked anywhere else. Highly Recommended."
Hugh McAtamney Race Director European Triathlon Championships, Athlone. 2010
Leg it for your Liver 8k Fun Run
"Bear Events provided excellent service for our event. They did more than they were asked and as we are relatively new to organising charity runs their experience was invaluable. They removed a huge amount of stress leading up to and during the race. I can't recommend them highly enough. We will work with Bear Events for many years to come."
Nicola Perry, Race Director Leg it for your Liver 8k Fun Run
Bear Sporting Events Limited
"We hired the team behind Bear Events for the European Triathlon Championships in 2010, an event that hosted 4000 athletes over 3 days. They are, by far, the most experienced logistics support team...
To get in touch with the team at Bear Events see below. You can also request a callback or leave a message by visiting the contact page.
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What's the difference between a torn ankle ligament and a sprained ankle?
Whats the difference between a sprain thumb and a broken thumb?
What is the difference between a sprained ankle and a twisted ankle?
What's the difference between a broken and a sprained hand?
What is the difference between a fracture and a sprain?
Difference between a broken and sprained finger?
What is the difference between a sprained wrist and a fractured wrist?
What is the main difference between a twisted ankle and a broken ankle?
What is the difference between a hand fracture and a hand sprain?
What is the difference between a sprained ankle and tendonitis?
What is the main difference between a toe fracture and a sprain?
What is the main difference between a broken foot and a sprained foot?
What is the difference between a hand sprain and a hand fracture?
Broken ankle or just a sprain, what's the difference?
What's the difference between a broken foot or torn ligament?
How to determine the difference between a wrist fracture and a wrist sprain?
What's the difference between a broken arm and a fractured arm?
The same: They are the same.Thank you.
What is the difference between an ankle sprain and fracture?
Is there a difference between a broken and a fractured bone?
How can I distinguish between a torn ligament and a bad ankle sprain?
Broken ankle or sprain, how can I tell?
What is a sprain versus a broken ankle?
I have a broken ankle or sprained ankle~, what to do?
Is a broken ankle very painful? Or can it be only mildly painful and fool you into thinking it was a sprain?
What are symptoms of broken ankle bones compared to just a bad sprain?
3 years go=broken ankle & screwes sprained my akle playing tennis in auguet and it's still swollen. Had me in a cast. Is this normal?
When will a broken ankle typically heal?
How long willa broken ankle take to heal?
What exercises can I do with a broken ankle?
Stick with: Upper body until you heal.
How can I get a broken ankle to heal quickly?
How long would it take to heal a broken ankle?
What happens when you leave a broken ankle untreated? Will it heal by itself?
Help! my sisters fell down a ravine! how should I treat a possible broken ankle?
Will swelling make my broken ankle worse?
How long would swelling last for a broken ankle?
How long should a healed broken ankle be swollen?
For what reasons is a broken ankle not set right away?
What is the difference between a broken and sprained thumb?
How could i tell the difference between a sprained and broken finger?


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St. Paisios of the Holy Mountain (+1994)
St. Paisios of the Holy Mountain (+ July 12th, 1994), right, depicted with his spiritual forefather, St. Arsenios of Cappadocia (+ November 10th, 1924), who baptized him (source)
Note: 2014 year marks the 20th anniversary of the repose of St. Paisios the Athonite. Of course much has been written of this great man who during his life helped hundreds on a daily basis with his prayers and spiritual instruction, and after his repose, helps even more. Thousands flock to his grave at the Monastery of St. John the Theologian in Souroti (outside of Thessaloniki) to receive his blessing, and many miracles continue to occur through his prayers. His life and writings continue to inspire, instruct and lead many to repentance and a more spiritual life. Below is a short summary of his life with a small selection of his teachings. We pray that we might all have his blessing!
Elder Paisios was born on St. Anne's day, July 25, 1924, in Farasa of Cappadocia, Asia Minor. His father, Prodromos, a pious man, was the mayor of Farasa. He was characterised by a strong sense of patriotism and his life was many times put in danger by the Tsetes, who were a constant threat to the town of Farasa. Prodromos felt a deep devotion and love for Father Arsenios, the spiritual father of the family; he was recently canonized by the Church because of the numerous miracles he had worked, even before his death. Impressed by St. Arsenios' miraculous life, Prodromos kept a notebook where he recorded the saint's miracles, which he either heard, or experienced himself, for the benefit of both his children and his own. The Elder's mother was called Eulambia and he had nine brothers and sisters altogether.
St. Paisios the Athonite with his spiritual father, St. Arsenios of Cappadocia, icon by Alevizakis (source)
On August 7, 1924, a week before the big emigration from Farasa (Turkey) to Greece, St. Arsenios decided to have all the children baptized including Prodromos' son. The boy was supposed to be named Christos, after his grandfather, according to the old Greek custom. However, Fr. Arsenios refused to name him so, as he wished to give him his own name. So, he said to his parents: "I understand you wish to leave someone in the grandfather's shoes. Shouldn't I wish to leave a monk in my shoes, too?" Then, he turned to the godmother and said: "Arsenios will be his name!" Thus, St. Arsenios had predicted the Elder's calling who, since his early childhood, was chosen to become a receptacle of the Holy Spirit.
On September 14, 1924, the day of the Elevation of the Holy Cross, after many hardships, the immigrants from Farasa finally reached the harbor of Piraeus, Greece. They stayed in Piraeus for three weeks and then went to the island of Corfu, where they temporarily settled down at a place called Kastro. Saint Arsenios, as he himself had predicted, lived on the island for just forty days. On November 10, in the age of eighty, he fell asleep leaving behind, as a worthy successor and heir of his spiritual wealth, young Arsenios, later to be called Elder Paisios.
Young Arsenios and his family spent a year and a half on the island of Corfu and then moved to a village near Egoumenitsa (Northeastern Greece). Their final destination was the town of Konitsa in Epirus. Young Arsenios' heart and mind were totally devoted to Christ and the Virgin Mary and his strong desire to become a monk dominated his life. He loved to walk in the woods and pray all day long holding a wooden cross he himself had made.
St. Paisios as a layman during his military service (source)
After completing elementary education, he worked as a carpenter, in Konitsa, until the time of his military service. As a man of prayer, he was also a very sensitive and loving person. When someone passed away and he was assigned to make the coffin, he never accepted money from the relatives. In doing so, he was contributing, in his own way, in easing their pain and sorrow.
In 1945, he was drafted in the army, where he was distinguished for his ethos and bravery. He always wanted to be in the front line, or take part in the most dangerous operations, as he wished to put his own life into danger first. He was especially concerned about his fellow soldiers who were married and had children. He used to tell them: "You have your wife and children waiting for you, whereas I have no one; I am free." Many times, he nearly lost his life in order to save someone else's. For the most part of his military service, he served in the department of communications. In 1949, he was discharged from the army.
St. Paisios as a young monk (source)
The first years of the Elder's monastic life
After the end of his military service, he immediately left for Mount Athos as he had already decided to become a monk. He only stayed for a few months, however, because his mind was preoccupied with the future of his sisters who were still unmarried. So, he left to return to his family for just a short while.
In 1950, he went back to Mount Athos. He spent his first night at the cell of St. John the Theologian which belongs to the Great Lavra Monastery situated close to Karyes. Then, he went to the Skete of St. Panteleimon at the cell of the Entrance of the Holy Theotokos, where Father Cyril resided, a very spiritual and virtuous ascetic. Later on, Father Cyril became the abbot of Koutloumousiou Monastery.
Father Cyril's conscientious efforts in fasting and long vigils greatly benefited young Arsenios, who wished to stay by his side for the rest of his life. Unfortunately, circumstances did not permit him to do so. Father Cyril sent him to Esfigmenou monastery, a very hospitable one, which had not yet been involved in the old-calendar movement. He first set his foot there in 1950 and in 1954 he was tonsured a monk. His new name was now Averkios.
Young Averkios displayed great zeal in practicing obedience. When all the monks were involved in various communal tasks, he tried to remain alone and quiet, in order to be able to pray. For instance, when everyone was working in the olive groves, he would stay a hundred meters away, conscientiously completing his task, while at the same time he was in a state of spiritual contemplation.
He thoroughly studied the lives of the saints of our Church, the Gerontikon (a collection of brief stories and wise sayings of the desert Fathers) and the book of St. Isaac the Syrian; he always kept his book by his bedside, under his pillow. When Averkios completed his task (assigned by the monastery), he did not go to his cell to rest. Instead, he helped the rest of the monks to quickly finish their own tasks. He could not tolerate the privilege of enjoying the peace and quietude of his cell, while the others were still working late. He offered his services to the weakest ones and avoided those who were wasting time in useless tasks. He loved everyone without distinction and humbly obeyed all of them always considering himself the least important.
Averkios did not trust his own judgment or will. He unhesitatingly asked his spiritual father for advice on all matters. He prayed to God to always enlighten him, so He would guide him according to his own will.
His heart was full of gratitude, as he always thought about all the good deeds God was doing for him and the rest of the world. His love for God, originating from his inner gratitude, was continuously growing along with his effortless, unceasing prayers. The sole aim of his heart was to thankfully respond, even in the least, to God's benevolence. He believed that the grace of God was the only cause of every good; for every evil, he blamed himself out of his deep sense of humility. When he saw someone falling into sin, refusing to repent, or having no faith in God, he thought: "It is my fault that one of my brothers has found himself in this difficult situation. If I were acting according to Christ's will, then He would listen to my prayers and my brother wouldn't be in this unpleasant state; my wretchedness is causing my brother's misery." He always thought this way and tried to make the world's problems his own. He constantly prayed to God to help all the people who, as he humbly thought, suffered due to his own negligence and spiritual indolence. God, who listens to all humble people, always responded to Averkios' prayers that gushed out of his burning heart; a heart full of gratefulness and humility.
St. Paisios of the Holy Mountain (source)
Averkios liked visiting elders and spiritual fathers, who were full of grace and the Spirit of God; he loved to ask for their blessing and listen to their spiritual advice. His pure and childlike soul embraced, without any doubts or hesitation, whatever he heard from these elders, the so-called "beautiful flowers" of the Virgin Mary. He wholeheartedly believed in them, and never examined their words by passing them through the sieve of his own logic. Instead, he faithfully followed their advice by humbly giving up his own way of thinking or logical investigation. He very well knew that one must not try to use his common sense to understand spiritual matters; it is like trying to grasp air with human hands.
While he was still young, he visited many monks, and like a bee he collected their "spiritual pollen" so that he may produce later on his own "spiritual honey", which many of the people in grief were able to taste.
In 1954, circumstances (as well as his spiritual father's advice) led him to leave the Monastery of Esfigmenou to go to Filotheou Monastery, where his uncle was also a monk. The monastery was then idiorrythmic. Averkios became the disciple of Father Symeon who was a very virtuous man. In 1956, Father Symeon gave Averkios the small schema and his new name, Paisios, in honor of Archbishop Paisios B' the Caesarean who also came from the town of Farasa in Cappadocia.
In Filotheou Monastery, he became acquainted with Elder Augoustinos, the ascetic, who resided at the cell of Filotheou Monastery "The Entrance of the Holy Theotokos." His simple-heartedness and humility greatly benefited the Elder.
Elder Paisios continued his zealous spiritual struggle and always assisted the monks in the monastery in any way he could. Following is an incident indicating the Elder's strong desire to constantly assist the others. One of the monks had committed a sin but was embarrassed to confess it. As a result, he withdrew to himself, and being in despair, he started thinking of committing suicide. The Elder foresaw his situation and tried to help him. One day, he found him alone and started telling him about his own sins, mentioning on purpose, the same sin he had fallen into. Unfortunately, the monk reacted negatively to the Elder's effort to make him go into confession. Instead, he started going around the monastery telling everybody that Paisios, whom you love and praise, is a very sinful person, and reported word by word whatever the Elder had told him. Father Paisios, of course, did not try to find excuses for himself, and the monks, who understood his loving and caring intentions, justified his act and praised him for it.
He strove daily for the purification of his soul. He did not ask anything from God, as he very well understood that God had given him, through the mystery of Holy Baptism, the most precious thing in the world, the grace of the Holy Spirit. He was not jealous of the talents and gifts of others, as he knew that the same ones were also given to him by God through Holy Baptism. He was not proud for them either, because even though he knew he had these gifts, he admitted they were gifts of God's grace in him through his zeal and humility, and make it function the soonest possible. For this reason, he constantly looked after the purification of his soul.
He erased every trace of evil thoughts or negative dispositions from his soul and grew in their place good and positive ones. It was fascinating to see how, without any efforts, he always developed good and positive thoughts for every kind of situation, no matter how difficult and complicated it was; for he allowed God's grace, which "is not irritable or resentful" (1Cor 13:4) to act on his behalf. He could then skillfully cover the faults and mistakes of other people, as it is clearly shown in the following incident:
In one of the monasteries, there was a monk who was spreading around deluded stories. The visitors, who heard the stories, were scandalized and asked the Elder: "Father Paisios, one of the monks in this monastery is saying weird stories. What exactly is going on?" The Elder promptly answered: "Be careful not to judge others, because our brother is a pious one; when the monastery has visitors, he pretends to be a fool for Christ, so God will reward him." The Elder's answer calmed the visitors down.
His kind heart was gradually embracing and protecting everybody in the same way God tactfully covers up all our sins, so they are not exposed to the rest of the world. While he was at Filotheou Monastery, he used to visit Father Cyril in his Skete and seek his advice on various subjects. Father Cyril, with the help of God's grace, had greatly assisted the Elder. Very often, he used to give solutions to his problems, before the Elder had even had the chance to discuss them with him. He was almost always "informed" by God of his arrival and had the answers ready. Sometimes, he had even found the answer in one of his books, and had underlined it to show it to Fr. Paisios upon his arrival. The Elder expressed his admiration and after asking for his blessing, he left full of joy and spiritual profit.
In 1958, the Elder was asked to leave Mount Athos and go to Stomio, in Konitsa, to assist with the protection of the area against protestant proselytism. As he felt that this was truly God's will, he left for Stomio where he stayed at the Monastery of Nativity of the Holy Theotokos. With the help of God's grace, he offered assistance to many people. In 1962, for spiritual reasons he departed for Sinai, where he stayed at the cell of saints Galaktion and Epistimi and spiritually nurtured many people in the area. The Beduins loved him very much. He used to work many hours during the day carving wooden articles. After selling them, he bought food and gave it to them.
In 1964, he left Sinai and returned to Mount Athos where he settled down at the Skete of Iviron, at the Archangels' cell. In 1966, he fell ill and was hospitalized for a few months in PapaNikolaou Hospital in Thessaloniki. He was operated on and a large section of hislungs was removed.
His acquaintance with the Convent of St. John the Theologian
At this point, I would like to describe how God's providence led Father Paisios to become acquainted with the nuns of the Convent of St. John the Theologian. The Elder was in great need of blood for his surgery. He had no relatives by his side (as he himself wished) and a group of novice nuns donated as much blood as he needed. He was very grateful for their support. Wishing to express his deep gratitude, he used to say that their kind support resembled a woolen sweater embracing his bare flesh; he wished to take it off and offer it to them in return, as an expression of his heartfelt gratitude.
He sympathized with the nuns who were facing insuperable problems in their effort to build their convent. So, he personally took the initiative to find a suitable area for its construction. He offered his assistance in every way he could; along with the building's foundations, he also laid its spiritual foundations by giving instructions for the proper functioning of the convent. Thus, the Elder established a strong relationship with the Convent of St. John the Theologian and remained by its side until his death. By the end of 1967, he went to Katounakia in Mount Athos, where he settled down at the cell of Ypatios of Lavra. Living alone in this deserted area, many times he experienced God's presence and consolation, which contributed to his spiritual growth, enabling him to comfort thousands of people in pain.
St. Paisios writing the life of his spiritual predecessor: St. Arsenios of Cappadocia (source)
At Stavronikita Monastery
In 1968, Father Paisios went to Stavronikita Monastery, where he assisted in its renovation by offering labor work as well as spiritual advice. In the Holy Cross cell of Stavronikita Monastery, located near by, lived Father Tychon, the ascetic, who was also a spiritual father. (Fr. Tychon, the ascetic, who was also a spiritual father. (Ft. Tychon was born in 1884 in Novia Mihaloska of Russia. He was a very gifted man and lived a strict ascetic life). Elder Paisios often visited him for spiritual advice and helped him with the service of Divine Liturgy by serving as chanter. Quite frequently, the service was in spiritual contemplation, which sometimes lasted half an hour. He saw, as he himself confessed, the orders of the angels, the Cherubim and the Seraphim glorifying God. Father Tychon tonsured Elder Paisios and gave him the Great and Angelic Schema.
When Father Tychon's life was coming to an end, (ten days before he passed away), he asked the Elder to stay by his side and take care of him. Paisios served Father Tychon with great self-sacrifice, offering him anything he could to comfort him. Father Tychon used to tell him: "Paisios, our love is precious. My sweet Paisios, our love, my child, will last unto the ages of ages." He asked him to stay in his cell after his death and promised that he will visit him every year. Father Tychon fell asleep on September 10, 1968, two days after the celebration of the Nativity of the Holy Theotokos, as he himself had predicted, being well equipped and ready for his journey to eternity.
Father Paisios settled down at the cell of the Holy Cross, according to the wish of Father Tychon, where he stayed until 1979.
St. Paisios sitting and talking with pilgrims (source)
At Panagouda cell
On May 13, 1979, Father Paisios went to the Monastery of Koutloumousiou where he registered as a monk. He settled down at its hermitage, Panagouda (Nativity of the Holy Theotokos) after it was converted into a cell.
While living in Panagouda, the Elder assisted many troubled souls. All day long, from dawn to sunset, he gave advice to people, consolation and solutions to their problems, took away their sorrow and filled their souls with faith, hope and love for God. He dedicated the day to people and the night to God. He managed to rest only during the early morning hours, for 2-3 hours, so he would be able to survive through the day's fatigue. During the night, he spent quite some time reading the letters he received by the dozen on a daily basis.
The Elder was very distressed by the content of the letters and by what the visitors used to tell him. Almost always, people spoke about broken marriages, mental illnesses or deaths caused by cancer. Elder Paisios was transformed into a spiritual magnet drawing out the sorrow of people in grief.
The mental fatigue and pain of his visitors, his extremely sensitive soul, his physical exhaustion arising from the many daily visits, as well as his unceasing prayers contributed to his gradual physical weakness and vulnerability to various illnesses.
The illnesses of the Elder
The serious problems of the Elder's health began in 1966. As mentioned above, Father Paisios suffered from a disease of the respiratory system which made him very weak. The constant visits of the people, the heavy load of their problems and worries, which he always carried on him as if it were his own, but also the physical fatigue of the hospitality duties, resulted in his exhaustion. He had very few hours left to rest during the day as he dedicated the night to praying.
The Elder made small icons using a metallic mould that he himself had carved. He gave these icons (The Crucifix, the Holy Theotokos, St. Arsenios of Cappadocia) to the visitors as a blessing. This task was an additional burden to his already tight schedule, especially when he was using the press that required a lot of physical effort; as a result, he developed hernia. He systematically refused to be operated and tried to invent his own ways to relieve the pain, which were not very successful. He suffered when he was sitting down, but even more so, when he was standing up. When I was at the Convent of St. John the Theologian in Souroti, I remember once that he remained standing up for hours, so everybody could come by and take his blessing. He did not sit down even when he had turned pale and was sweating out of extreme pain. For five years, he endured with exemplary perseverance the painful disease of hernia, thus demonstrating in practice the great virtue of patience to both laymen and the clergy.
When a group of close friends, who were doctors, visited him in Souroti, they literally kidnapped and took him to the hospital to be operated.
The last illness of the Elder
Since 1988, Father Paisios was facing rectal problems. In 1993, during the period of the Great Lent, he was very weak as he was fasting strictly. He could not get any rest during the night due to the unbearable pain and constant bleeding. Although he told the visitors he was very ill, many insisted to see him. He felt so exhausted that he sometimes fainted. Ignoring the poor state of his own health, however, he accepted to see his visitors and relieved them of their grief.
When I was at the monastery, I undertook some nursing duties. One day, I went to the Elder and told him: "I brought you some vitamins and iron tablets. I believe these will help raise your hematocrit."
He answered: "Father, vitamins won't do me any good as my blood is in a very poor condition." And then he added jokingly:
"Besides, Father Theoklitos is in need of large amounts of iron, for he is doing some construction works in the monastery. I do not wish to put him in a difficult situation by taking away from him all the iron. As I understand, iron is useless for me; what I really need now is steel."
He stood up laughing, took a glass of water and dropped in an effervescent vitamin tablet and said: "My experience with medicine is a very negative one, so I do not wish to start taking pills again. I am willing, however, to take one's advice on what to do protect myself, and I will indeed be very grateful to him."
When the effervescent tablet was dissolved, he took again the glass and added laughingly: "Everything will be taken care of once I am buried in the ground!" He shook the glass as if to propose "in good health", but instead made the following wish: "Let's all rest in peace, Father!"
While listening to the Elder's words, I knelt by his side and begged him to go to Thessaloniki to have some medical tests done in order to diagnose his disease. The Elder asked me to stand up and said: "Listen, Father. My health's condition is a great benefit to my spiritual life and I do not really wish to alter it. These are the reasons why I do not wish to go to Thessaloniki for medical tests:
1) Christ knows the condition of our health. Since he is the best doctor, we should have trust in him. If it is for our own benefit, He will act accordingly and cure our illness.
2) Since I believe that I have developed a tumor in my intestine, it is best to leave it as it is; otherwise, if we "play around" with it, it will get worse.
3) In our days, everybody suffers from three things: cancer, mental illnesses and divorce. The dozens of letters I receive every week talk about these problems. "I do not suffer from any serious mental illness," he used to say laughingly; I have nothing to do with marriages and divorce. At least, let me suffer from cancer as a consolation to people in distress. Things do not look too good when everyone in the world is in pain and sorrow and one of us has nothing to worry about. Now, thank God, everything is just fine.
4) God is deeply moved when someone, who has cancer or some other serious problem, does not complaint about it, but instead prays for his fellow men. Then, one may dare say to Christ: "You see, I am not asking any help for myself, but please do help the others." And God does help. So, my Father, do not worry too much about me."
During the Great Lent of 1993, Father Paisios had a tendency to faint due to his low hematocrit. Often, while standing up he fell, unconscious. But he did not despair and faced his illness with great patience, perseverance and courage.
One Sunday, he asked a priest and two other monks to come and serve the Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great. Although he was very weak, he was assisting the priest in the Holy Altar. As he was standing at his stasidion (church seat) praying, suddenly he developed difficulty in breathing and started trembling. Then, he lost his balance and almost fell down unconscious, but fortunately the monks managed to catch him in time. They lay him on the floor where he remained unconscious for a few minutes. After a while, he recovered and they helped him get back to his seat. When they tried to lower the stasidion, so he could sit, he refused to do so. He was standing up during the whole service, even though his face was as pale as the pure candle. He was distressed because his health condition did not permit him to receive Holy Communion. After a while, he fainted again. When he recovered, they forced him to go and lie down, but he refused; not only he did not lie down, but he also refused to stand at the stasidion, and he continued to stand up. In a little while, he went to prepare the zeon, and for the third time he fainted. When he recovered, he asked: "Is the zeon ready?" completely disregarding the incident. He decided not to receive Holy Communion, as he was afraid he might vomit.
When the service was over, the monks sat in the small guestroom to have a sweet and Father Paisios (as usually) went to his cell to light up the oil candle. He stood on a stool- because the oil candle was high up- and the next thing they heard was: "Oh, Virgin Mary" followed by a loud noise. They were frightened and ran inside to see what was going on. They found him lying on the floor unconscious. When he recovered, he told them to leave. They said: "Father Paisios, how can you stay alone after having fainted so many times?" He answered: "There's nothing to worry about! Go now, I feel better."
St. Paisios the Athonite (source)
The monks obeyed and left, being very concerned about his well-being. This situation went on until October 1993. He had constant hemorrhages, fainting, a tendency to vomit; in addition, the pain in the intestine made it difficult for him to sit down.
October 22 (November 5 according to the new calendar) was his last day on Mount Athos; he left and went to the Convent of St. John the Theologian in Souroti to be present at the vigil service of November 10 performed in honour of St. Arsenios. He stayed at the convent for a few days, as he always used to do; when he was ready to depart for Mount Athos, the doctors diagnosed the presence of a tumor the size of a small orange in the last section of the rectum. They decided he should undergo radiation therapy to reduce its size and then be operated. The CT-scan confirmed the metastasis of cancer in the liver and lungs. Despite these findings, the operation was considered necessary in order to prevent the total obstruction of the intestine by the existing tumor.
Around 1:30 p.m., when the operation was completed, the Elder was taken to the Intensive Care Unit. Only very few people were allowed to visit him. We remained by his side until he regained consciousness. He opened his eyes for a short while and then fell asleep again. When he finally woke up, I asked him: "How do you feel?"
He answered trying to smile: "Don't you see, like an astronaut." (He had an oxygen mask on his face, intravenous serum in his two arms, the wires of the cardiograph on his chest, a nasal-gastric catheter in his nose, a urinary bladder catheter, and a special converter for the measurement of the partial oxygen pressure).
With great effort, he continued: "I was also given a medal, and he pointed to his chest where the wire of the cardiograph had been installed; but I don't really know the rank I was given. Am I a colonel or a general?"
Then he turned around to an old friend, a doctor, who had been greatly benefited by the Elder, and asked him: "Costa, what did they finally find inside me? Are there any metastases as the tomography indicated?"
"Yes, Father," the doctor answered. "The liver as well as the lungs have been affected."
"I don't mind where the metastases are as long as this remains clean." (And he pointed to his head).
He had a short discussion with the doctor and when he left, I stayed alone with him.
Among other things, he told me: "Honestly, my Father, if the hemorrhage could stop for just a couple of hours so I could be present at the service of the Divine Liturgy, I wouldn't be bothered at all. By the way, I just recalled that I had asked God to make me suffer from cancer."
I had some personal problems that Father Paisios knew about. I was deeply moved by the fact that in spite of his post-operative condition and unbearable pain, he tried to find solutions to my problems. He did the same thing for everyone else, disregarding the state of his very poor health. One could feel the sincere love he felt for all.
Many people were distressed, because they could not visit him at the hospital. The reason was not because the Elder wanted his peace and quietness, or he did not wish to see his visitors; being a monk with a very sensitive and discreet soul, he did not want to accept people's consolation and comfort, while the patients next to him had no one by their side. Moreover, he did not wish to disturb the hospital's daily routine, as some doctors disliked the coming and going of many visitors.
He used to say to those who informed him that someone is waiting to see him outside: "Visits are of no use to the patient. Peace and quietness are."
He remained at the hospital for ten days, and then was transferred to the Convent of St. John the Theologian for recovery. In the meantime, the doctors informed him that the prognosis was not so good, and his lifespan was not more than four months. When the Elder heard about it, he said smiling: "Do I have to wait for that long? Can't it be earlier than this?"
He suffered from acute pain, which at times was getting unbearable. He endured with exemplary patience and joy the terrible pain, thinking as he used to say, of the martyrdom the holy martyrs suffered for the love for Christ- while he suffered only in order to recover!
Father Paisios had irrevocably decided to return to Mount Athos. He had set his departure for Monday, June 13. Meanwhile, he developed high fever with difficulty in breathing and was forced to cancel his trip. His health condition was gradually deteriorating. According to a scan, the metastasis now occupied the biggest part of the liver which was significantly swollen. Every now and then, he had to use an oxygen mask to facilitate his breathing.
As time went by, his anorexia and difficulty in breathing were steadily increasing, as well as his abdominal pains, which were now becoming more acute and frequent. On top of all this, he periodically developed high temperature and serious tachycardia; his abdominal meteorism created great discomfort, as he could not comfortably lie in bed. During all the stages of his illness, he never ceased repeating that we must be patient, while his very own patience was an excellent example to all of us.
St. Euphemia the Great Martyr and All-praised, depicted as she had appeared to St. Paisios (source)
Towards the end of June, the doctors informed him that he had about 2-3 weeks left. On Monday, July 11, on St. Ephemia's day, Father Paisios received Holy Communion for the last time, kneeling in front of his bed. During the last 24 hours, he was very serene, and even though he suffered, he did not complain at all. He did not wish to take any more medication. The only medicine he accepted was cortisone, because, according to the doctors, it would not prolong his life span, but it would only give him some strength. On Tuesday, July 12, Elder Paisios humbly and peacefully rendered his soul to God, whom he had deeply loved and served since his early childhood.
Priestmonk Christodoulos (1998) "Elder Paisios of the Holy Mountain"
Holy Mountain (source)
On January 13th 2015, Elder Paisios was officially canonized by the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
A photograph of the martyric holy body of St. Paisios the Athonite taken during his funeral at the Monastery of Souroti (source)
A few quotes of Elder Paisios:
"We once asked Father Paisios:
- Father, you constantly tell us to have positive thinking. We would like you to give us some advice on how to deal with the following problem: Often people come to us to tell us that some priests charge a lot of money for performing the Holy Sacraments; they say that they smoke, or hang around coffee shops; they even say that some priests are involved in immoral acts, and in general, make strong accusations against them and present evidence to justify them. What answers can we give to people who accuse the clergy?
The Elder started telling us:
- I know from experience that in this life people are divided in two categories. A third category does not exist; people either belong to one or the other. The first one resembles the fly. The main characteristic of the fly is that it is attracted by dirt. For example, when a fly is found in a garden full of flowers with beautiful fragrances, it will ignore them and will go sit on top of some dirt found on the ground. It will start messing around with it and feel comfortable with the bad smell. If the fly could talk, and you asked it to show you a rose in the garden, it would answer: "I don't even know what a rose looks like. I only know where to find garbage, toilets and dirt." There are some people who resemble the fly. People belonging to this category have learned to think negatively and always look for the bad things in life, ignoring and refusing the presence of good.
The other category is like the bee whose main characteristic is to always look for something sweet and nice to sit on. When a bee is found in a room full of dirt and there is a small piece of sweet in a corner, it will ignore the dirt and will go to sit on top of the sweet. Now, if we ask the bee to show us where the garbage is, it will answer: "I don't know. I can only tell you where to find flowers, sweets, honey and sugar; it only knows the good things in life and is ignorant of all evil." This is the second category of people who have a positive thinking and see only the good side of things. They always try to cover up the evil in order to protect their fellow men; on the contrary, people in the first category try to expose the evil and bring it to the surface. When someone comes to me and starts accusing other people and puts me in a difficult situation, I tell him the above example. Then, I ask him to decide to which category he wishes to belong, so he may find people of the same kind to socialize with.
Elder Paisios was constantly stressing the importance of pious thinking in spiritual life. He used to say that a single positive thought equals a vigil in Mount Athos."
Icon depicting the Dormition of St. Paisios the Athonite, along with the various Monasteries founded by him directly or through his prayers and spiritual direction (source)
"In former days, the Holy Fathers first withdrew into the desert, becoming themselves a desert void of their passions by struggling. Without plans or programs of their own, they left themselves in the hands of God, avoiding honors and power, even when they arrived at measures of sanctity — unless Mother Church had need of them. They did obedience to the will of God, and they glorified the name of God with their holy life. They became spiritual blood donors, for they had acquired good spiritual health in the desert with good spiritual food and vigilant patristic watchfulness.
In our day, however, many of us, who are unfortunately influenced by worldly love, which can make no spiritual pledge, supposedly venture to do good, to donate blood, but our blood is full of spiritual bacteria and we do more harm than good.
If, however, we were living patristically, we would all have spiritual health, which even all the heterodox would envy, leaving their sick delusions aside to be saved without preaching. Now, however, they are not moved by our Holy Patristic Tradition, for they want to see how we continue the Patristic Tradition, to see our true kinship with our Saints.
Unfortunately, in our day, words and books have multiplied and experiences have diminished, because the worldly spirit, which pursues all conveniences and avoids all bodily effort, influences people. Most of us find rest in much reading but little or no implementation. We simply marvel at the holy athletes of our Church without realizing how much they've labored, for we have not toiled so as to be able to understand their toil, to love them and to struggle out of philotimo in order to imitate them.
Those, however, who struggle with philotimo and do not give themselves rest, removing their egos from every one of their actions, help very positively. For only then are the souls in need of help given rest, and only then will their own souls find inner rest, in this life as well as in eternity."
"One should not struggle, however, with sick scholastic meticulousness and be choked by stress (fighting with thoughts), but should simplify his struggle and place his hope in Christ and not in himself. Christ is all love, kindness and consolation, and He never stifles man, but possesses an abundance of spiritual oxygen — divine consolation. Thorough spiritual work is one thing and sick meticulousness is another; the latter chokes with its inner anguish (due to thoughtless external strain) and afflicts the forehead with splitting headaches."
St. Paisios the Athonite with Sts. Arsenios and Euphemia (Source)
"People who struggle hard, with much devotion, and have reached the angelic state to a certain extent and are nurtured with celestial honey, nevertheless offer nothing significant to God compared with what He has offered us. For they eat honey while offering Him wax. They eat sweet fruits and offer God tree resin with the censer. Therefore, we do nothing and offer nothing to God, compared with His great loving-kindness. For, while the Good God produces beautiful fruit with our rubbish or even with manure, in order to feed us, we wretched people turn beautiful fruit into manure."
"Blessed are those who have Christ as their hearts' axis and joyfully revolve around His Holy Name, noetically and unceasingly repeating "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me."
"The elder said: It's not only that we become accustomed to saying the prayer. The purpose is for the person to know himself and sense his sinfulness. If he only slapped someone, he's a sinner because he shouldn't have done it. We are all sinners. Consider what God did for us and what we do for God. After thinking of that, even if the heart is granite it will soften. Let's think a little logically. God could have made me a mule and given me into an undiscerning hand which would load me with 150 kilos of wood and beat me. Finally I would fall into a pit and the dogs would open my belly and those who pass by would cover their noses for the stink on the road. Just for that should I give thanks to God? I don't thank Him. God could have made me a snake or a scorpion. But His love made me a human being. God was sacrificed for me. With one drop of divine blood He washes away all the sins of the world. If a person thinks of all this; on one side the good work of God and on the other his own sinfulness and ingratitude, even if the heart were granite it would soften. And then he senses the mercy of God. The heart must gain rest with "Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me." The prayer refreshes, not wearies. When we do not proceed in this manner, we acquire only the habit although the elder, the old self, remains within and we follow the way of delusion."
"Theology is the word of God, which is apprehended by pure, humble and spiritually regenerated souls, and not the beautiful words of the mind, which are crafted with literary art and expressed by the legal or worldly spirit."
"Theology that is taught like a science usually examines things historically and, consequently, things are understood externally. Since patristic ascesis and inner experience are absent, this kind of theology is full of uncertainty and questions. For with the mind one cannot grasp the Divine Energies if he does not first practice ascesis and live the Divine Energies, that the Grace of God might be energized within him...Whoever thinks that he can come to know the mysteries of God through external scientific theory, resembles the fool who wants to see Paradise with a telescope."
"If we could go out of our self (the love for our self), we would also escape from the gravity of the earth and see everything in reality, with a divine eye, clearly and profoundly. That is why it is necessary for one to leave the world for the desert, struggle with humility, repentance and prayer, be deserted by his passions, remove his spiritual "rust" and turn into a good conductor in order to receive Divine Grace and become a true theologian...If we don't remove the rust from our spiritual cables, we will constantly be short-circuited, full of worldly theories, doubts and questions. Then we cease to theologize, being found in a condition of worldliness, but will speak historically, or examine things legally and mathematically. Namely, we will examine how many nails were used to crucify Christ and how many soldiers were present when He was crucified without proceeding to the essence of things: that Christ was crucified for our own sins, in order to redeem us, and suffered more than all of the Holy Martyrs put together. Although He helped the Martyrs with His divine power, He did not employ His divine power for Himself at all and suffered terrible pains out of love, having His two hands and His two legs pierced with nails. Whether they crucified His two legs with one or two nails has no importance, inasmuch as both were nailed and He suffered the pain and drank the vinegar, that He might sweeten us again in Paradise, eternally close to Him, as our Loving Father."
For more sayings of Elder Paisios online, see here and here.
For the full biography of Elder Paisios, see this incredible book written by his spiritual son, Elder Isaac (of blessed memory), and recently translated into English.
Also, for more substantial publications of the Elder's teachings on many different subjects, see the series published by Souroti Monastery: Spiritual Counsels of Elder Paisios (Volume I: With Pain and Love for Contemporary Man, Volume II: Spiritual Awakening, Volume III: Spiritual Struggle, Volume IV: Family Life, and a 5th volume yet to be published in English). These are available several places online.
For see here for an Akathist to St. Paisios of the Holy Mountain.
For the Greek text of the official Patriarchal act of canonization of St. Paisios, see here.
Icon of St. Paisios of the Holy Mountain (source)
Apolytikion in the First Tone
The offspring of Farasa, and the adornment of Athos, and the imitator of the former righteous, equal in honor, O Paisios let us honor O faithful, the vessel full of graces, who hastens speedily to those who cry out: glory to Him Who gave you strength, glory to Him Who crowned you, glory to Him Who grants through you healings for all.
Kontakion in the Plagal of the Fourth Tone
The most-famed ascetic of the Holy Mountain, and the newly-enlightened light of the Church, let us praise him with hymns with all our heart, for he leads the faithful towards a perfect life, filling them with rivers of gifts, therefore we cry out: Hail, O Father Paisios.
Synaxarion
On the this day (July 12th), the memory of our venerable Father Paisios the New, of the Holy Mountain, who reposed in peace in the year 1994.
Paisios, the tree of Mount Athos,
You were shown to be full of fruit, O Most-venerable one.
On the twelfth, Paisios reposed.
Megalynarion
Rejoice the communicant with the Venerable, the pride of Athos, the adornment of Monastics, Rejoice the new teacher of the Church, O godly-minded Paisios, our boast.
***Note: I include amateur translations of a few hymns for those who wish to seek his intercessions at this time. There are several services written to St. Paisios in Greek, and I will refrain from additional translations, for several reasons, but especially until we know which service will get the final approval. These are taken from the Greek service written by Metropolitan Joel of Edessa.
The life and hymns to St. Paisios the Athonite, published in Romanian (source)
Labels: Contemporary Righteous People, Quotes of the Fathers, St. Arsenios of Cappadocia, St. Paisios of the Holy Mountain
St. Paisios heals a child
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A recent miracle of St. Luke the Surgeon
St. Porphyrios' Advice to a Pediatrician
120,000 people visited the Grave of St. Paisios
Excellent Documentary on the life of St. Paisios
Elder Paisios on those who suffer for the world
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Selected hymns for the Deposition of the Robe of t...


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Q: Pipe output to egrep function I'm trying to define a bash function, highlight, that I can use to highlight search terms in the output of a previous command. When I do this from the terminal, it works fine as follows:
# highlight all occurrences of bar in file foo
cat foo | egrep '(bar|$)'

Yes, catting is a simplified example, but it demonstrates how I can do this from the command line. I'd like to use this generically as:  cat foo | hightlight bar
From what I've read, I can't simply pipe results to egrep like I hoped so I naively tried defining my bash function as:
highlight() {
  while read line; do
    pat="'("$1"|$)'"
    echo \"$line\" | egrep $pat
  done
}

However, this isn't working. Please advise.

A: I'm not sure what you read, but it is wrong. egrep stands for extended grep because it is using the extended POSIX regular expression syntax. It behaves like the standard grep -E
Read the man page:

egrep is the same as grep -E

A: It seems to me you should have changed this
pat="'("$1"|$)'"

To
pat="($1|\$)"

Also, I don't see the need of "$". In addition, I think it is better to move the initialization of "pat" out of the loop. Here is what I got (tested):
#!/bin/bash

function highlight {
    pattern="$1"

    while read line; do
        echo "$line" | egrep --color "$pattern"
    done
}

echo -e 'a\nb\nbar\nhibar' | highlight bar

A: Your quoting is just about entirely wrong.
pat="'("$1"|$)'"

you include literal single quotes in the pattern, and you're actually not quoting the function parameter.
echo \"$line\" | egrep $pat

You're including literal double quotes in the echo statement, and failing to quote both variables.
This is better:
highlight() {
  while read -r line; do
    pat="($1|$)"
    echo "$line" | grep -E "$pat"
  done
}

However, grep knows how to read from stdin, so simplify:
highlight() { grep -E "($1|$)"; }

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Borehole geophysical methods for analyzing specific capacity of multiaquifer wells / by Gordon D. Bennett and Eugene P. Patten, Jr.
Bennett, Gordon D., (author.). Patten, E. P. (Eugene P.), (author.). Geological Survey (U.S.), (issuing body.). Pennsylvania. Bureau of Topographic and Geologic Survey. (Added Author).
Geological Survey water-supply paper ; 1536-A.
Physical Description: 1 online resource (iii, 25 pages) : illustrations.
"Prepared in cooperation with the Pennsylvania Topographic and Geologic Survey, Department of Internal Affairs."


text:
Minnesota officer fired from police force after acquittal in Philando Castile shooting
Following a four-month investigation of the fatal officer-involved shooting, Ramsey County Attorney John Choi charged Yanez with manslaughter in the death of Castile, and two counts of risky discharge of a firearm for the exposure of Reynolds and her daughter to the gunfire.
Jeremy Corbyn goes nuclear in Question Time clash with Theresa May
One of the biggest issues with the 2017 general election, which has been working favors for the father of three, is the fact that while May has been willingly absent from public debates and suchlike, Jeremy Corbyn has done his best to make sure his public knows his stance on issues regarding Brexit, immigration and employment, as well as the glaring NHS problem in the country.
Donald Trump tweets surprising suggestion about firing of former Federal Bureau of Investigation director
Trump had previously boasted that he was not personally under investigation , and Comey said the president had repeatedly pressured him to publicly clear him. Earlier this month, Rosenstein told The Associated Press he would recuse himself from overseeing Mueller's investigation if his role in former FBI Director James Comey's firing becomes relevant to the inquiry.
GOP lawmaker Scalise still critical though doctors 'encouraged'
She remains in the hospital, is in good condition and is in good spirits, he said. The wife of the gunman who wounded a Republican congressman and several others says her husband went to Washington because he wanted to work with people on changing tax brackets.
Protesters demand justice after deadly London blaze
Very early in the morning on Wednesday, a fire erupted in high rise apartment building Grenfell Tower in West London . Mr Cundy said the victims included one person who had died in hospital. Mrs Leadsom said: "I understand people are desperately traumatised and understand people are angry, and that's totally understandable". The five million pounds are to be used to cover emergency supplies, funeral costs and loss of possessions, Efe news reported .
Trump confirms he is under investigation in Russian Federation inquiry
President Donald Trump is telling his Twitter followers that they are witnessing the "single greatest WITCH HUNT in American history". The tweets were clear signs of the president's frustration and anger over the revelation, published on Wednesday evening in The Washington Post , about the investigation by Mueller , who is heading an independent probe into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election .
London fire: Death toll rises to 30 in Grenfell Tower blaze
Police barred their way and scuffles broke out, a Reuters reporter said . According to a report in the Telegraph , missing two-year-old boy Jeremiah Dean and his mother Francis were told to stay where they were on the 14th floor by firefighters.
Sinn Fein Accuses Theresa May Of Breaching Good Friday Agreement
The move came as a senior Conservative source said talks with the DUP on a deal to prop up a minority Tory administration were "progressing well" with "broad agreement" on the principles of the Speech, setting out the Government's legislative programme for the coming year.
Putin critic detained after defying police with protest call
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny sits in a police vehicle after being found guilty by a court of repeatedly violating the law on organising public meetings, in Moscow , Russia, June 13, 2017. The protests, called by Navalny, a strong critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin , drew thousands of people and were some of the biggest in Russia since 2012.
Suspicious conversation leads to easyJet flight diversion
A planeful of easyJet passengers are expected to arrive back at Stansted airport around 19 hours late after a security scare on board their flight from Ljubljana. He said there was no panic on board and everyone was briefly questioned by police and told they would be put up in a hotel. "Prior to this, the pilot had been informed about a suspicious conversation on board, after which he chose to make an unscheduled landing in Cologne-Bonn".
Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant committed to keeping Golden State on top
Durant might be asked to do the same-take less than he might command elsewhere to allow Golden State to keep Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston without salary cap issues. "They're going to be around for a while", Cavaliers forward LeBron James said after suffering his second Finals defeat in three years to a Warriors team that went 16-1 in the playoffs.
Trump asks Americans to pray for Rep. Steve Scalise
Scott Applewhite, File). Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Speaker Paul Ryan and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi stood side by side to shout: "Let's play ball!" and the crowd chanted "U-S-A!" Rep.
Trump cancels Obama's 'one-sided deal' with Cuba
Many recent changes to boost ties to Cuba will stay as they are, and Trump still wants to engage with Cuba in hopes of forging "a much stronger and better path". "We have lots more to do and a lot more to learn". We have only scratched the surface with what's possible. "The last two years have shown that the two countries can cooperate and coexist in a civilized way", it said.
'Steve Scalise Took A Bullet For All Of Us'
It traveled directly across towards the other hip in what we call a trans pelvic gunshot wound. The bullet damaged blood vessels, bones, and internal organs, Sava said. Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, said in a brief interview that Democrats would be reminded of "positions they've taken in the past that are not consistent with their voice for bipartisanship today".
Baseball Gunman Had List of GOP Congressmen in Pocket During Attack
A spokeswoman for Capitol Police did not return CNN's request for comment. He injured four people, including Majority House Whip Steve Scalise , before being shot dead by police. "How dare they say such a thing?" Other Republicans said the criticism of Trump had crossed a line to a unsafe obsession among Democrats, one that implicitly encouraged violence.
Deadly blasts strike near funeral for Kabul protest victim
Ezadyar was among four people killed on Friday when an anti-government protest spiraled into street clashes, with police firing live rounds to disperse hundreds of stone-throwing demonstrators incensed by a catastrophic bombing . The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) claimed responsibility. A couple of hundred protesters had passed the night under two big tents on a road near the presidential palace following Friday's demonstration.
Annual Congressional Baseball Game Still On Following Shooting
MedStar Washington Hospital Center says Scalise underwent surgery Thursday related to his internal injuries and a broken bone in his leg. Rep. Steve Scalise remains in critical condition at a Washington , DC-area hospital following a shooting on Wednesday .
Grenfell Tower: PM reverses vow to keep survivors in the area
Kirkham, who spent much of her career as the technology and construction court judge in Birmingham, is retired but appears to be eminently qualified to get to the truth of what happened as the chair of a full public inquiry . She alluded to the fact that fire assessments may not have been adequate when testing the building. Advocates and other interested persons can ask relevant questions.
Trump lashes out at Russia investigators
A clear majority of Americans believe President Donald Trump has tried to interfere with the investigation into whether Russian Federation meddled in the 2016 election and possible Trump campaign collusion , a new poll released Thursday shows.
Hundreds protest after officer acquitted in Philando Castile shooting
Choi could not obtain a conviction the officer. She was praised for her split-second decision to stream the shooting's aftermath and her measured responses to Yanez , who had just fired shots into the vehicle and still had his gun out. Anthony said Yanez will not return to active duty and that it is negotiating a "voluntary separation agreement" with him. "He was compliant", Choi said.
European Union to open Brexit talks with divorce bill and citizens' rights
After a tumultuous week that pitched Britain into its deepest political crisis since the Brexit referendum a year ago, May's future was uncertain, darkened by her botched gamble on a snap election and muted response to a deadly fire in London.
Shot US Congressman Scalise in Need of Additional Surgery
As the game progressed, MedStar Washington Hospital Center released an update on Scalise's condition. U.S. lawmakers have returned to regular business ready to play their annual charity baseball game a day after a man angry at President Donald Trump fired on Republican legislators, leaving a senior congressman in critical condition.
Oregon becomes first state to give non-gender option on driver's license
As Elite Daily reported about a year ago, OR was also the first state to legally recognize an individual as a non-binary gender, so this news isn't a total surprise for the liberal state. The updated Oregon Transportation Commission regulations, which go into effect July 3, will allow applicants to choose "X" as opposed to "M" or "F".
Under pressure to soften Brexit, PM May to meet Northern Irish 'kingmakers'
May gambled that a strong election win, as forecast by some pollsters, would boost her majority in the House of Commons in time for the Brexit talks, but instead, her party surrendered 13 seats in the lower chamber. Speaking on the BBC's This Week, Mr Portillo said: "It's just not going to happen, you can see what the Chancellor of the Exchequer is up to". Mrs Foster was nearly certain to ask for greater investment in Northern Ireland as part of the deal, though changes to security and ...
Inquest opens into London Bridge attacks
BBC showed dozens of people, evidently caught up in the attack , being escorted through a police cordon with their hands on their heads. There are still about 12 people in that particular hospital recovering from their injuries. The Duchess of Cambridge spent an undisclosed amount of time at the hospital. He also privately met some of the young victims in hospital. 2017 has seen an unprecedented 34 people die, and 218 people injured in three separate attacks by Islamist extremists on ...
China can't 'buy its way out' of global problems
China insisted that the South China Sea issue has returned to the track of solution through negotiation and consultation of concerned parties. "The scope and effect of China's construction activities in the South China Sea differ from other countries in several key ways", Mattis noted, saying Beijing's "militarization" and "disregard for global law" showed its "contempt" for other nations' interests.
Rory McIlroy Misses Cut at 2017 US Open for 2nd Straight Year
Fellow Australian Adam Scott is stalling in his attempt to claw back into the tournament, stumbling with a double-bogey at his 10th hole to drop to three-over. Dustin Johnson is 1 over , on the cut line with six holes left. The greens, predictably, had become quicker in the scorching sun and the pins, even more predictably, were not as generously set.
Trump Says Scalise 'In Some Trouble', But Will 'Be OK, We Hope'
Scalise remained in critical condition at a local hospital, his family by his side, grievously wounded by a bullet that entered at the hip and injured internal organs. The Republican's team was practicing their batting at the Alexandria baseball field when shots suddenly rang out. "We had nothing but baseball bats to fight back against a rifle with", Alabama Rep.
Jury deliberations begin as Cosby defence rests after six minutes
McMonagle added that Cosby's "romantic interludes" with Constand were examples of Cosby being disloyal to his wife, but he didn't commit any crimes. Cosby is accused of drugging and sexually assaulting Constand at his home outside Philadelphia in 2004. Cosby entered the courtroom Monday appearing composed and confident, contrasting with an often-glum persona from previous days.
Play ball! GOP, Dems to battle as one - Team Scalise
The hospital said earlier in the week that he had undergone surgery for internal injuries and a broken leg. Scalise and four others were shot Wednesday morning during a Republican practice for the annual congressional baseball game . "If you're not sure which one I'll be, I'll be the one coaching third on crutches", Congressman Williams said. Investigators are trying to determine what his intent may have been - whether it was a list of potential targets for violence or whether he wrote ...
Twins draft high school shortstop Royce Lewis with top pick
This Southern California kid with the fast feet, soft glove and budding bat, fair or not, will be forever linked with the Falvey-Levine era in Twins history. "I have no pressure". "I just turned 18 last week". SS Kurt Stillwell (1983) and INF Nick Senzel (2016) selected with the second overall picks, are the only other players to be drafted that high by the Reds .
President Trump Reveals He Is Being Investigated
Rosenstein oversees Mueller, but the deputy attorney general is not actually conducting the investigation . The White House has said that Trump does not intend to fire Mueller, though he has the ability to. The Justice Department on Friday said any such of consideration of recusal was premature. "If the president thinks he can fire Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein and replace him with someone who will shut down the investigation, he's in for a rude awakening", she said in a ...
Paul Ryan Says Trump Should 'Let Robert Mueller Do His Job'
If President Trump wants to throw red meat to the legions of hungry lions hoping to take him down, he'll move to have special counsel Robert Mueller fired. So let's briefly review this most abnormal chain of events: The president was informed on January 26 that the FBI was investigating his national security adviser, Michael Flynn.
'Witch Hunt' Trump confirms he is being investigated over Comey firing
Rosenstein, who would be responsible for actually dismissing Mueller, told USA lawmakers he would fire him only with good cause. Trump's tweet read "I am being investigated for firing the FBI Director by the man who told me to fire the FBI Director!" Several White House officials and Trump associates insisted on anonymity in order to discuss the president's views of the unfolding investigation.
Sessions says he long had concerns over Comey
President Donald Trump interviewed Robert Mueller as a potential replacement for fired FBI Director James Comey the day before the former FBI director was named special counsel, a White House official said Tuesday. During the interview, Ruddy stated that Trump is "considering perhaps terminating" Mueller . Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says he has confidence in the Department of Justice's special counsel investigating Russian interference in USA elections.
ACLU: Carter conviction violates free speech protections
Carter , who could face up to 20 years in prison, will be sentenced in August. The sensational trial in Taunton offered a window into teen depression and suicide through text messages and Facebook communications. This case has brought about much debate over whether or not words can truly kill. "It's sad, it's tragic", he said, adding, "It's just not a homicide".
Japan, France welcome US leadership in the Asia-Pacific
Adding names to the United Nations blacklist - a global travel ban and asset freeze - was the minimum sanctions measures the Security Council could have taken and comes after five weeks of negotiations between Washington and Beijing. "Safronkov named the controversial American anti-missile THAAD system as destabilizing factor" in the region and called on the United States and South Korea to reconsider recent military exercises.
Theresa May's Powerful Advisers Have Resigned Following The Disastrous Election Result
With Brexit Secretary David Davis and Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon also staying put, there were suggestions changes could just centre on replacing the eight ministers who lost their seats. Northern Ireland is the only part of the United Kingdom where same-sex marriage is not legal. You might get a debate, I suppose, on a further reduction to abortion times as medical science advances.
Top aides talked Trump out of firing Mueller
Criticism of special counsel Robert Mueller used to be off limits. The president is nonetheless angered by the probe, which he has described as a "witch hunt", The New York Times reported . A top aide to President Donald Trump suggested that special counsel Robert Mueller is biased even as the White House worked to end a day of speculation over whether the president is considering firing the head of the Russian Federation probe.
Netanyahu: We Don't Want A Confrontation With Hamas
Abu Hasna, speaking in Hebrew on Israel Radio, cautioned that if "UNRWA is gone" in the Gaza Strip, where its food, educational and health services are crucial, "two million people will turn into IS [Islamic State] supporters". In response, UNRWA Spokesman Christopher Gunness claimed that the U.N. General Assemble lacks the power to determine the fate of UNRWA, stressing the fact that in December, "a large majority" extended the agency's mandate by three years, yet he voiced his vehement ...
Trump Appears to Confirm That He's Being Personally Investigated
Cullen is a former federal prosecutor who has long ties to former FBI director James Comey , whom Trump fired on May 9. The only other person who was involved in the decision to fire Comey, at least publicly, was Attorney General Jeff