Letters by Elder Joseph of Vatopedi, No 3

LETTERS BY ELDER JOSEPH OF VATOPEDI 3

A letter by Elder Joseph on fasting, temperance and diet

11/9/ 1988 Vatopedi

My most descent lady M, may our Christ’s Grace be with your spirit.

I have received your letter and read the contents carefully. The issues you raise are not worthy of as much praise, as your good will and decision to live a more meticulous life in Christ is. I wish you to have never ending progress.

The issue of our diet is something which preoccupies everyone, as the most necessary duty and element of our lives, not to mention that some of us are becoming prisoners to it because of the special luxuries that our generation enjoys. Now, it is neither beneficial nor worthy of praise to stop eating, especially suddenly, one of the most basic foods, thinking that perhaps, you may have lost control over it. Even our fathers do not approve of or praise such a move, but in my opinion the middle road is the best. Which road is this? To restrict its consumption, so that your health is not affected, and to prevent people kicking a fuss that “M is not eating meat”, which will create for you a useless struggle to avoid haughtiness and pride. The same applies to sweets, since they too are useful to a certain extend to preserve a normal and balanced life.

It is only in this way that temperance as a rule of life can be applied, in order to cause prudence and balance in our lives. The psychosomatic state and condition of our lives lies in the balance created by this very temperance in our diet. A healthy balance of mind and body is formed as a result.

Consequently, our sleep is normalized, our harmful thoughts and onslaught to our minds disappear and an increase in eagerness and zeal for struggle is born. This is, therefore, what you must do without any further excesses and if you do not succeed sometimes, you must start again and again, and finally you will certainly win, with the Grace of our Christ.

You are a social person and live in difficult and unhealthy times and you cannot apply monastic rules to your life, which even the monks today cannot keep.

You have my many prayers and affection in Christ,

Humble Elder Joseph, monk