Saint Joseph, Saint Daniel & Saint Ephraim – Sandblasted – Mount Athos

Description

Sandblasted Icon Featuring Saint Joseph the Hesychast, Saint Daniel of Katounakia, and Saint Ephraim of Katounakia

Saint Joseph the Hesychast was born Francis Kottis on the island of Paros on February 12, 1897. One day, he had a vision of two angels standing guard at a palace, leading him to the King. After this vision, he was filled with joyful sorrow and began to detach himself from worldly concerns. He started reading the lives of the saints—especially the desert fathers—and a strong desire for monastic life was kindled in him.
In 1921, after two years of ascetic struggle in the world, he arrived at Mount Athos, seeking a spiritual guide to teach him noetic prayer. Despite searching among cliffs, caves, and hermitages, he found no one. Eventually, he joined the brotherhood of Saint Daniel of Katounakia, a discerning elder with deep spiritual gifts who had established a moderate ascetic rule for his disciples.
At one point, Elder Daniel sent him Father Arsenios, who became Joseph’s faithful co-struggler. They remained inseparable until Elder Joseph’s repose.

Saint Daniel of Katounakia was born in Smyrna in 1844 into a devout, large family, being the youngest son named Dimitrios. He graduated with honors from the Evangelical School of Smyrna. From the age of 19, he had a deep desire to dedicate himself to monastic life. Following the advice of his spiritual father—a monk of the Holy Sepulchre—he visited various monasteries in the Peloponnese and the Greek islands such as Hydra, Tinos, Paros, and Ikaria, where he encountered renowned holy elders.

Saint Ephraim of Katounakia was born in 1912 in Ambelochori, Thebes. His father was Ioannis Papanikitas and his mother was Victoria. His secular name was Evangelos. Although he finished high school, by divine providence he was not led to a worldly career. He was blessed to meet the great hesychast and visionary elder Saint Joseph the Hesychast and became spiritually connected to him with the blessing of his own elder, Nikephoros.
Elder Joseph had been taught the unerring spiritual life by the famous hesychast monks Callinicus and Hieromonk Daniel. Thus, Saint Ephraim teaches us the importance of persistent searching for true spiritual life and for an infallible spiritual guide—one who is a “precise expression of the Orthodox faith.” Such a spiritual father sees the snares of the demons and, with the proper spiritual remedies, leads his children toward Paradise.

Dimensions: 20 x 15 cm
Origin: Mount Athos