It would be a grievous oversight to fail to bring attention to the passing of great Saints. The sad question is “why are they being removed?”

The passing of great Saints, a testament to Eternal Life

Elder Ephraim 

Elder Ephraim of Philotheou and Arizona has reposed in the Lord. The Athonite elder, loved throughout the entire Orthodox world, reposed at about 10:00 PM at St. Anthony’s Arizona in Florence, Arizona, which he founded in 1995.

He founded 17 monasteries in all in America and Canada and remained the spiritual father of several monasteries in Greece and on Mt. Athos, where he labored for many years as the spiritual child of the recently-canonized Elder Joseph the Hesychast and as abbot of Philotheou Monastery. May his memory be eternal!

Father of a Huge Family: The Memory of Elder Ephraim 
The prayer is not transmitted by precepts—not in the letter, but in the spirit. You live with an elder and you draw from his spirit.

Ortho-Christian Article

Before his transition, Elder Ephraim writes of the death of his spiritual Father, Father Joseph:

Finally. the time came for his departure. He had awaited death all his life. for his sojourn here was nothing but trials and afflictions. His soul longed for rest and so did his body. And even though he had firmly implanted within us the remembrance of death, his familiarization with “that most dreadful mystery”-death-made a very strong impression on us. It seemed as though he was getting ready for a festal celebration. That was how much his conscience informed him of the divine mercy that awaited him. But even so. during his last few days he wept more than usual. To console him. Elder Arsenios said. “Geronda, you have toiled and prayed so much all your life. you have cried for your soul so much. and you are still weeping?

“Eh, Geronda Arsenios, that is true-but I am only human. How can I know whether or not my deeds are pleasing to God? He is God and does not judge as we humans do. Besides. it is not as if I am coming back to weep again; this is my last opportunity. The more one mourns and weeps for his sins, the more he will be consoled.” His love towards the Mother of God was beyond any description. As soon as he mentioned her name. his eyes would shed tears. He had been beseeching her for some time to take him from this life so that he could rest. and the Queen of all hearkened to his supplication. She informed him one month before his departure that his time had come. The Elder then called me and told me what to prepare. We waited. On the eve of the Dormition of the Theotokos-the four-teenth of August, 1959-Mr. Sotiri Skoinas from Volos passed by to see him. They were very good friends.

“How are you, Geronda? How is your health?’ “Tomorrow. Sotiri, I am leaving for the eternal Fatherland. Remember my words tomorrow when you hear the bells toll.”

That night, during the vigil of the Dormition of the Theotokos, the Elder chanted along with the rest of the Fathers as much as his ailing body permitted. During the Divine Liturgy, right before he was to partake of the immaculate Mysteries, he said, “Provision for life eternal.” It was early in the morning, the fifteenth of August. The Elder was . sitting in his martyric little chair in the yard of our hesychas-terion. He was awaiting the hour and moment of his departure. He was sure of the Panagia’s promise. As time passed and the sun began to rise, though, it seemed that he was starting to worry about the delay. It was the last visit of the evil one. He called me and asked, “My child, why is God slow in taking me? The sun is rising and I am still here!”

“Geronda, don’t worry. We shall say the prayer* for you now, and then you will leave:’ His tears stopped. All the fathers were saying the prayer intensely with their prayer- ropes.  Not more than fifteen minutes had passed before the Elder said, “Call the fathers of the synodia to come and do their last metanoia because I am leaving.” We all did our last metanoia and received his blessing. Shortly thereafter, he started to stare up in the sky for about two minutes. Then, turning to us full of serenity and indescribable spiritual amazement, he said to us, “Everything is finished; I am leaving. I am departing. Bless!” He then bent his head down to the right, opened and closed his eyes and mouth calmly for two or three times, and that was it. He gave up his soul to Him Whom he longed and worked for since his youth. His death was truly holy. To us, it brought a feeling of resurrection. In front of us we had a dead person, and mourning was appropriate, yet within us we were living the resurrection. This feeling has never left me. It is this feeling that always accompanies my memory of my ever-memorable holy Elder.

__ Archimandrite Ephraim