By Fr. George Dorbarakis
Only a few days have passed since we celebrated our Holy Father Nicholas Planas (March 2). And now today, our Church celebrates another Saint as well, with the same gift of holiness: the simplicity according to God.
Simplicity made Paul into a great holy man; simplicity also made Father Nicholas Planas into a great saint. It is not accidental that some have proposed, with the same designation as for Saint Paul, to call Father Nicholas “the Simple” (like Paul).
The late Elder Gerasimos Mikragiannanitis, the Hymnographer of Venerable Paul, points this out first of all for Venerable Paul: “You have beautified yourself, venerable one, with the ways of simplicity, and you have been revealed as simple, meek, and measured, blessed Paul, and you became a true servant of Almighty God through your brilliant life” (Sticheron of Vespers).
The reason for the recognition as a saint of one who has simplicity according to God is that this virtue reveals the greatest of all virtues, humility. Wherever there is simplicity, there is humility. And where there is humility, there is also the grace and love of God. For “God gives grace to the humble.”
“You alone among the disciples of Christ were called simple, Paul, as a type of humility and a fragrant myrrh-vessel of simplicity” (Sticheron of Vespers).
“Truly, Paul, you appeared great among the ascetics, because you had humility as your adornment, and for this you received the brilliance of the great gifts of God” (Ode 5).
“You were filled with the immaterial divine light, because you were meek, humble, and full of simplicity” (Ode 6).
The Holy Elder Gerasimos cannot but focus greatly on the attitude of Venerable Anthony, the great teacher of the desert. In front of the “phenomenon” Paul, even this most strict ascetic bows. He admires him and makes him a sharer of his own life, so that ultimately, by seeing Venerable Paul, we also see and praise Venerable Anthony, as a kind of “model” of him.
“You became a god-like initiate of the divine Anthony, God-bearer Paul, and his imitator and instrument of dispassion” (Sticheron of Vespers).
“Truly, the great Anthony marveled at the fervent desire of your soul and the steadfastness of your mind and your unwavering determination for higher things. For you became, Paul, his imitator and alike in the ways of his life, and through the struggles of your asceticism, you were made worthy of rich gifts” (Sticheron of Vespers).
The Elder Hymnographer attempts to explain the paradoxical fact of how a man of advanced age, inexperienced in ascetic struggles, could follow the strict ascetic way of Venerable Anthony as if it were his recreation, his delight, and his joy. And the explanation he gives is one: deep love for God, the burning of his heart for Him.
“You considered the labors of ascetic life as recreation, venerable one, because you were inflamed by divine love” (Lity).
And precisely this makes him admire another paradox: how a great man displayed literally youthful determination. Precisely to confirm the truth that wherever there is love for God, the heart of man always remains young and full of strength.
“You were well trained in the hands of the great Anthony and showed youthful determination toward the struggles of ascetic practice even in old age” (Doxastikon of Vespers).
And elsewhere, in a hymn of the lity: “You took the cross upon your shoulders and despised the age of old age, and therefore you became a servant of the Savior, according to the divine Paul, living the new way of life brought by Christ.”
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
