Saint Joseph the Hesychast

Mm-hmm.

And even to read about, like, to read about Elder Joseph is incredibly inspiring.

Mm-hmm.

I think it's important to remember, too, where you are at in your spiritual journey.

And you don't see that part in the movie, but there were years and years of struggle.

So that same thing, you know, where is, where is God putting you, and where are you at?

And you get this even from, uh, the book that we just referenced of my Elder Joseph.

He's referred to in that book as a, as a frontline fighter, as in, as he cast at the peak of Mount Athos, living the most radically ascetical life, and even really encouraging other monks from Mount Athos who, inspired by his life, to, to go back to their monasteries that the life that he was living, for whatever reason, wasn't the life that they were being called to.

I do think Trump is going to try something on these islands.

And part of the reason I also think that is because that's what Elder Joseph, about the P.D., said is going to happen.

So I'd love your thoughts on all of this analysis and what's going on in the strait with Iran, Dimitri.

No, certainly.

We have rumors from his family members and from other high-level clerics in the Iranian sphere of things that he was attending his father's funeral in secret in mashad that he's been seen in public at another number of events completely incognito only known to those that are aware of him so that is the current lore on the streets as it were from from persia but again I do think that something's going to have to happen in the Strait with the islands, no matter how much more viable an operation outside of the Strait or, again, in Chabahar, in near Balochistan, where we've seen a major increase in ISIS, Balochi, ISIS-K linked activity in the past few weeks.

Of course, it's clear the U.S. and Israel are trying their best to get the, quote-unquote, domestic Iranian resistance ramped back up to help them on the ground when they do one of these major operations.

But Again, what did Elder Joseph of Atapiti said? He said here, the Americans will have occupied Iran's coastal zone after a fierce struggle, but they will not be able to advance inland due to their strong resistance they will face.

So again, whether it happens outside of the Strait or inside the Strait, it's clear that Elder Joseph anticipated that they would not be able to advance inland very far.

People who were simple, uneducated, and humble, who reached great spiritual heights, and those who, on the other hand, had an advanced education, were really stunted by it and struggled to grow spiritually.

And Elder Joseph's mom was one example of this simplicity.

She was truly a godly person and modest in her manners and a sense of her own sinfulness and shortcomings and had the simplicity and piety of God.

someone who was so advanced in the spiritual life that she experienced many visions, whether she was cleaning the church or at liturgy, and was blessed with a prophetic vision of Elder Joseph at the time of his birth, that he was to become a monk, and later she was granted a terrifying vision of hell that continued to lead her further into the fear of God.

And although she was uneducated, she really cultivated piety and self-accusation and love of God in both herself and in her children.

And because she was unencumbered with a higher education, she was able to have that freedom to grow spiritually.

She wasn't so caught up in her head.

Her heart was free to love.

And we have to try to muster up some courage and not conceal the evil that is within us.

And Elder Ephraim of Arizona, the disciple of St. Joseph the Hesychast, related a story of himself when he was under Elder Joseph.

And one night, Elder Ephraim was having these judgmental thoughts against his spiritual father that it was a silly thought, but we all have these silly thoughts that can creep in.

And the thought that he kept having was that Elder Joseph wasn't making the sign of the cross correctly, that it wasn't reverent enough.

And he was thinking to himself, that's not how you make the sign of the cross.

That's how you play the guitar.

And as you were telling that story, it was amazing.

I remembered kind of the opposite example from the life of Elder Joseph, the Hesychast.

And there was a monk that wanted to be a disciple of his, so at least on the surface, wanted to grow in virtue.

And one of the key stepping stones to humility is obedience and obedience.

The monks, it was Father John got to Elder Joseph and within a couple of days was already showing signs of disobedience.

And Elder Joseph asked him to do a certain number of prostrations.

And he said, I can't.

And a couple more days went by and Elder Joseph asked Father John, here's some work that I need you to do.