What even more obligatory commandment is given to man than that which speaks of love for God with all one's heart, soul, mind, and strength (cf. Mk. 12:30)? This is the first and main lesson that our Elder taught us, tirelessly instructing us on the path to success. In this study, our co-worker and companion of our own free will was our most prudent brother, Father Ephraim.

More mature in years and experience, he was always distinguished by accuracy in the fulfillment of obedience, but not with fear and slavishness, but with love for the Elder Father who gave the order. Explaining the word of the Lord to the disciples, that he who hears you hears Me, and he who rejects you rejects Me (Luke 10:16), he constantly emphasized the importance of complete obedience to the elder, as to Christ Himself.

He explained to us the essence of obedience with clarity and in detail, using many examples, and taught it. In my poor opinion, he should have been called "Father Ephraim the Novice" and not Katunaksky, because he justified the name Novice in practice.

We and other fathers keep in mind many of his sayings about obedience. All of them correspond to Divine Revelation and the teaching of the Holy Fathers, for, according to both logic and natural laws, the practical act of recreating and saving the "fallen and corruptible" is a return to the original position of dependence and obedience, in accordance with the image of our Renewer and Saviour, Who, although in no way less than the greatness of the Father,21 was obedient even unto death, even the death of the cross (Phil. 2:11). 8), in order to convince us by our very deeds that without obedience to God there is no hope of salvation.

Father Procopius and St. Theodore

In their brotherhood was Father Prokopiy, in the world Panayot Bakas, who had been a novice all his life. He came to Athos a little later than Elder Nicephorus and never sinned in obedience, working hard at all the hard work. Father Procopius loved and listened to Father Ephraim very much, because he always supported him when their elder showed excessive strictness. Until old age, Father Procopius was ready for any kind of work. He revered obedience and showed zeal in the performance of his duties; for younger monks, Father Procopius was a role model.

In the past, a difficult obedience in the desert of Mount Athos was to carry a load on one's shoulders, moreover, on bad and steep roads. And in this, Father Procopius left a memory of himself as a true and hardworking ascetic, who remained so until his very old age. Thanks to the integrity of his character and good will in following the patristic tradition, which he had from the beginning, he soon felt grace and became a good example of the life of an Athonite desert monk.

For some time he was tormented by thoughts of leaving Elder Nicephorus, for he had a really difficult character, sometimes simply unbearable. Father Procopius went in the direction of the skete of St. Anna,22 but soon returned thanks to the admonition of his elder. Once, when the battle became very strong and thoughts of leaving the elder began to prevail, he told Father Ephraim about this, and he advised him to go to the New Skete23 and venerate the grave of Elder Joseph in order to receive an answer. Father Procopius listened to the advice. As soon as he bowed down and prayed, asking for Divine help, he immediately felt a fragrance and thoughts of leaving retreated forever.

From the great labors and because of the excessive weight of the loads that Father Procopius carried constantly, he developed a hernia, and a bilateral hernia. He tried in every way to find relief for himself, but he could not. Father Ephraim heated the bricks and tried to bring him comfort and consolation, but this did not solve the problem. One elder, having come to their cell,24 persuaded Father Procopius to agree to the operation, assured him that he would recover completely, saying that he himself had the same ailment, but after the operation he no longer experienced any pain.

With the blessing of the brotherhood, Father Procopius began to prepare for a trip to Piraeus,25 where he had relatives. Father Ephraim prayed incessantly for the elderly monk, because he had not left the Holy Mountain for about forty years and was completely incapable of traveling the world alone. Intensifying his prayer for the departing Procopius, Father Ephraim saw his entire trip as if on television: when he sailed from Daphne,26 when he arrived in Piraeus, when he was admitted to the hospital. On the day of the operation, he persuaded Father Nikephoros to perform the Anointing of the Sick on Father Procopius27, because he was in great pain. They wrote down the dates. When Father Procopius returned a month later, they were convinced that events had developed exactly as Father Ephraim had been informed about it.

"When I arrived in Piraeus," said Father Procopius, "I was confused. I look right and left and don't know where to go. Suddenly, two young men who looked alike appeared and, taking my things and telling me that their name was Theodora, escorted me. When they brought me to the house at the address I had given them, they showed me the door, put my things down, and said goodbye to me. I turned around to thank them, but they were gone, and I never saw them again. These were St. Theodore, whom Father Ephraim sent to me in his place by his prayer, so that they would accompany me.

Fr. Prokopy reposed in 1968 after a short illness in old age, leaving us an example of diligence and obedience.