Elder Ephraim

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Jeff the Finn

Greetings to all. I have just come across this thread while looking up something else and thought it might help if I added what I know about Elder Ephraim.

My mother is one of Fr Ephraim's spiritual daughters and he has stayed at my parents' house on occasion. He has also stayed (a long time ago now) at the Canadian home of some friends of mine who now live in England. I have visited his monasteries in Florence, Arizona and Dunlap, California as well as two of his monasteries in Greece (near Serres and Volos respectively). I also know some monks at the Athonite monastery of Philotheou, where he used to be abbot. I myself have met Fr Ephraim only once and then only fleetingly.

First of all I have no doubt whatsoever that Fr Ephraim is a devout Orthodox monk who conforms to the patterns of monasticism that have been prevalent throught the whole course of the Church. He is certainly not the leader or creator of a personality cult centred around himself: I simply have never seen any evidence of it and I have met dozens of his spiritual children. My own observations of people I have met and who know him is that he is revered primarily for his personal piety and his good council. In some cases it seems to me, however, that the reverence can be somewhat overdone, particularly by some of the lay women (never any of the monastics) I have met. In that sense he may, perhaps, be considered a cult figure, but this has nothing at all to do with Fr Ephraim personally, but is rather an immoderate reaction to someone with exemplary qualities.

Rarely mentioned on the 'net is Fr Ephraim's role in rejuvenating the Holy Mountain. In the 1960's there was talk about the sad decline of monasticism on Mount Athos: about the old age and decrepitude of the monks and the decline of numbers in the monasteries. The reason Mount Athos is thriving today is ascribed to the influence primarily of Fr Ephraim of Philotheou and Fr Aimilianos of Simonopetra. (See for example "O, Holy Mountain" by Fr Basil Pennington, a Catholic monk who stayed at Simonopetra in the 1970's. He mostly talks about Fr Aimilianos and does not actually meet Fr Ephraim but he does talk about Fr Ephraim's influence.)

Perhaps the difficulties that Fr Ephraim is having in some quarters in the United States is the type of monasticism he exemplifies. On Mount Athos some monasteries are very strict about some matters such as attendance at services and the presence of the non-Orthodox in church while others are less so. Fr Ephraim's monasteries on Mount Athos (and at least four have been directly influenced by his example) are the most strict.

Fr Ephraim's monasteries in America, naturally, reflect this pattern of monasticism and this does not go down well in a country which is not used to monastic (or, indeed, other sorts of) discipline. Actually, I myself, am not totally comfortable in Fr Ephraim's monasteries and I prefer the sort of monasticism that one finds in Simonopetra and Ormylia, which are monasteries influenced by Fr Aimilianos, but I have no doubt that Fr Ephraim's monasteries have a valid form of monasticism.

I do think that Fr Ephraim is making a tactical mistake in making his American monasteries so very Greek, but I am told that his reason is that he knows how to set up a Greek monastery with all of its services, disciplines and routines and that he has no objection to more English speaking and 'American' monasteries, but that this is a job for someone else who would know how to do the job well.

Nonetheless, services in English would help to ameliorate the alienness of Orthodox monasticism, especially to those who tend to think of Mother Theresa when they are asked to think about monastics at all. (And I include some Orthodox priests, whom I personally know, in that category.) I'm sure that some of the difficulties are caused by people thinking that Orthodox monastics should somehow conform to the very different, western view of what a monk or nun should be.

Sorry for having gone on so long, but I hope that my contribution helps someone at least.

Yours in Christ

Dorotheos

Thank you so much, Dorotheos.

Dorotheos said:

I do think that Fr Ephraim is making a tactical mistake in making his American monasteries so very Greek, but I am told that his reason is that he knows how to set up a Greek monastery with all of its services, disciplines and routines and that he has no objection to more English speaking and 'American' monasteries, but that this is a job for someone else who would know how to do the job well.

Nonetheless, services in English would help to ameliorate the alienness of Orthodox monasticism, especially to those who tend to think of Mother Theresa when they are asked to think about monastics at all. (And I include some Orthodox priests, whom I personally know, in that category.) I'm sure that some of the difficulties are caused by people thinking that Orthodox monastics should somehow conform to the very different, western view of what a monk or nun should be.

Sorry for having gone on so long, but I hope that my contribution helps someone at least.

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There's no shortage of English speaking monasticism in the US. That's the thing that is tough about Orthodoxy in the United States. Because of immigration, there are so many different needs that have to be met. I'm a convert to Orthodoxy and am solely English speaking, and I have no problem with non-English speaking monasteries on these shores, because there seems to be a need for it. Also, I would think that over time, these monasteries will all become English speaking.

edit: I forgot to add. Thanks for your post!

nicodemus said:

There's no shortage of English speaking monasticism in the US. That's the thing that is tough about Orthodoxy in the United States. Because of immigration, there are so many different needs that have to be met. I'm a convert to Orthodoxy and am solely English speaking, and I have no problem with non-English speaking monasteries on these shores, because there seems to be a need for it. Also, I would think that over time, these monasteries will all become English speaking.

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Oddly enough, when I wrote my earlier comment about the use of Greek in Fr Ephraim's monasteries the people I primarily had in mind were not converts, but those Orthodox who, like myself, are culturally Greek, since criticism of Fr Ephraim's monasteries seems to have come mostly from Greek-Americans.

My impression is that some Greek-Americans find Fr Ephraim's monasteries uncomfortable because they remind them of those bits of Greekness that they have (consciously or unconsciously) rejected in becoming American. It is certainly possible to view the Orthodox church as a backward looking, superstitious, culturally stifling institution very much at odds with the forward-looking, pragmatic culture of the US which has brought wealth to a villager from Greece. I do not subscribe to this view, but I see it at work in some people I do know. (Of course, there are plenty of criticisms of certain backward-looking, superstitious, etc, individuals both in Greece and the US, that could be made but that is for another thread.)

It is the son or daughter of that villager from Greece, who grows up with a folk memory of the ill-educated village priest riding around on his donkey, that I had in mind. Such a priest could not possibly be expected to learn another language. Also plenty of these sons and daughters have only a limited grasp of Greek partially in reaction to the very Greekness of their parents. (For the record: while I'm no linguist I do speak Greek reasonably well.) So, while they are very proud of being Greek they would not like to be considered too Greek. Orthodoxy, itself, might possibly mark them as being too Greek. Using some English in Fr Ephraim's monasteries might indicate that the Orthodox church is universal and so is committed to America just as much as it is to Greece.

On the other hand I do not want to make a big issue of this. I could well be talking through my hat.

I quite agree that in the long run monasteries will become more and more English speaking. And if converts like Nicodemus are willing to put up with the foibles of the Greek-Americans then all the more power to them.

Yours in Christ

Dorotheos

Dorotheos,

That was quite a lucid, well thought out post. I can certainly see where those things could be issues. Every culture, Greek or American comes with a certain amount of "baggage," especially if taken out of its geographical "homebase." I certainly know that I tote around a certain amount of cultural baggage being a Southerner (my ancestors moved to Alabama before it became a state [1819.]) My largely Baptist family sometimes sees my embrace of Orthodoxy as some sort of "cultural rejection" (although they never overtly express that, I just get that "vibe" sometimes.) I still love biscuits for breakfast and bluegrass music and have a mild twang in my voice. I have no desire to become Greek or Russian or anything else. Orthodoxy isn't incompatible with being American. There are traits of all cultures that don't mesh with the Orthodox mindset. I look at all of these situations as merely growing pains, whether it is Greeks settling into the flow of American life or Americans coming to Orthodoxy. Over time, everyone will get more comfortable and realize that there is room for everything here. It seems to me that 90% of people's hangups are in their head and aren't really thought about by others as much as we think they are. I know we're basically arguing the same points here, it is just something I wanted to express

I've seen Elder Ephraim twice so far and what I can say is that I saw not a person but an angel, a true warrior of Christ whose life is Christ. The Elder is full of love; he is humility and love personified. It is almost impossible to see his holiness from the first time for our sins do not let us do it and fully appreciate him. And those people who accuse the Elder of various things do so either out of jealousy or blindness not seeing his truly Christian life. Elder Ephraim is the one whose life is unceasing Jesus prayer, absolute love for God and His people, kindness and humility; he is a man of God. My mom and I have personally experienced the great power of his prayers on ourselves. Visiting his monastery was a true pilgrimage, a miraculuous one.

I wished more people would come to him for his spiritual counsel, ask for his holy prayers because God works through him if we come to the Elder with sincere desire to become closer to God Who works through His servant, Elder Ephraim for our salvation.

In Christ,
Yana

Dear Yana,

I've never seen him but I have spoken with other monks and it is wonderful to hear them speak of God.

Please join us more often and Welcome to CF.

Here are some blessings for an avatar and signature.

Lovingly yours in Christ our God,
Elizabeth

nicodemus said:

There's no shortage of English speaking monasticism in the US. That's the thing that is tough about Orthodoxy in the United States. Because of immigration, there are so many different needs that have to be met. I'm a convert to Orthodoxy and am solely English speaking, and I have no problem with non-English speaking monasteries on these shores, because there seems to be a need for it. Also, I would think that over time, these monasteries will all become English speaking.

edit: I forgot to add. Thanks for your post!

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Sometimes church services are not really about language, it's what you feel that matters. Attending Greek services in St. Anthony's MOnastery was not a problem for me personally because a feeling of Divine grace was not based on whether I could understand the Liturgy or not.

Yana said:

Sometimes church services are not really about language, it's what you feel that matters. Attending Greek services in St. Anthony's MOnastery was not a problem for me personally because a feeling of Divine grace was not based on whether I could understand the Liturgy or not.

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Dear Yana:

Did you visit St. Anthony's Monastery in Florence, Arizona? I was told by an Orthodox Priest that it is commonly known that Elder Ephraim has the gift of bilocation. Sometimes he disappears and the brothers cannot locate him at St. Anthony's ... then shortly later, they receive a telephone call from Mt. Athos telling them not to worry that Father Ephraim will return shortly.

chanter said:

Sometimes he disappears and the brothers cannot locate him at St. Anthony's ... then shortly later, they receive a telephone call from Mt. Athos telling them not to worry that Father Ephraim will return shortly.

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That reminds me of Father Jacob, the abbot of the monastery of Osios
David in Eubeia. This sort of thing happened with him a lot.
You can read a bit about him and the fathers Porphyrios and Gerasimos here.

Also, Mother Gavrilla had a similiar experience.

God delights in glorifying His saints

John.

prodromos said:

That reminds me of Father Jacob, the abbot of the monastery of Osios
David in Eubeia. This sort of thing happened with him a lot.
You can read a bit about him and the fathers Porphyrios and Gerasimos here.

Also, Mother Gavrilla had a similiar experience.

God delights in glorifying His saints

John.

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Thanks, I read it all. Amazing -- the power of God in His Saints.

chanter said:

Thanks, I read it all. Amazing -- the power of God in His Saints.

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Tsk, tsk. Shouldn't you be studying

prodromos said:

Tsk, tsk. Shouldn't you be studying

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I decided to drop a course because I need time to do spiritual reading. Can't be all books and no play or pray.

My spiritual father is at St. Anthony's on a brief pilgrimage right now!

chanter said:

Dear Yana:

Did you visit St. Anthony's Monastery in Florence, Arizona? I was told by an Orthodox Priest that it is commonly known that Elder Ephraim has the gift of bilocation. Sometimes he disappears and the brothers cannot locate him at St. Anthony's ... then shortly later, they receive a telephone call from Mt. Athos telling them not to worry that Father Ephraim will return shortly.

Click to expand...

Yes, I did. I actually learned about Elder Ephraim in Russia from one monk-priest and there my mom and I have miraculously received a book of Elder Ephraim called "The treasures of ascetic wisdom: prayer and obedience" It's a wonderful book. Elder Ephraim is a poet of spiritual wisdom. The way he talks about the Jesus prayer just makes you want to practice it.

Bi-location? lol Orthodox people need to get control and stop spreading this kind of nonsense. There is a huge difference between fantasy and reality. It's this kind of story-telling gossip that has saturated the Orthodox Church in America. Where there is such an enormous spiritual vacuum, that people have to invent things like this.

Speaking about Arizona, this is a fact, not an invention. I know of a person who wrote them in desperation wanting to commit suicide. The only reply he got was "God cares." That was it. No advice, no consolation. These people ( like all Orthodox ) are as cold as ice. And no, Iam not a priest with an agenda. Iam in the Greek Archdiocese and what I said is the truth. Your conspiracy theories won't work here. Sorry.

By the way, I resent the icon of Father Seraphim Rose on this site. This icon assumes ( before canonization ) that he was a saint, when he clearly was not. The only reason there is so much hype over Father Seraphim, is because he was a good-looking man, with a Graduate degree from a prestigious institute. He wrote books. So what? That does NOT make him a saint. People don't make saints, GOD DOES. Had Father Seraphim not been very attractive, and not been educated, the Orthodox communuty would not have given him the time of day.