Letters of Elder Joseph of Vatopedi, No 6

“Confession: a practical obligation of obedience”

Nea Skete 8/3/84

To my beloved son and to my darling daughter, I am always sending my fatherly prayers.

I have received your letter and I am pleased that you continue to show interest towards our objective, but I am sad to discern such awkwardness. You had better feel sorry for me because my deficiencies and helplessness are in excess…

Despite my deficiencies, let us begin again and hopefully our Jesus, the All Wise, who gives prayer to those praying and gives man knowledge, will replenish your pure and innocent hearts according to your godly intentions and “give you even more than what you have asked for”, according to Paul.

It is your duty to ask questions. Because our Church instructs us to do so, and the scriptures say “You shall ask your father and he will inform you and your elders and they will advise you”.

Obedience and dependency are recognized duties and constitute the first step to our progress. As a proof, God the Son has kept this before everything else. “There is nothing less than the Splendor of the Father”. Therefore, as an unquestionable duty, it cannot be the subject of choice. Without obedience, which means total dependency on the life giving Son of God, one cannot be freed from the power of death.

The doctrine of obedience was imposed upon our perceptive Elder Joseph (the Hesychast), even as a simple formality, to certify his toils as legitimate, even though he had the testimony of Grace and his eagerness to carry out his duties.

Generally speaking, one must remain firmly under obedience until the death of the Elder. Then his prayers and the gift of acquired experience make the obedient continue his way under the auspices of Grace.

The mystery of Confession is the practical way to show obedience and therefore, a necessary duty because it also needs humility, which is something inseparable from the Christian life.

The Holy Spirit, without Whom “everything we do constitutes a trespass”, will not approach unless He finds obedience and humility.

I do know what else I should say here…

I wish that our Benevolent Lord, Who “gives repentance to the sinners so that they may be saved” will strengthen all of us in our struggles now and always. Amen.

With all my devotion in Christ and best wishes,

I remain your humble father, Joseph monk.