Episodes are linked to each episode number.
Saint Paisios - From Farasa to the Heavens - episode 1
Historical foundation of St. Paisios life;
His birth in Farassa, Asia Minor on July 25, 1924; Baptized as “Arsenios”
(he is named Paisios when he is tonsured as a monk)
The uprooting of his family and the entire village to Greece as refugees;
The introduction to St. Arsenios, the village priest and spiritual father to St. Paisios;
The deep spiritual devotion interwoven in the villagers lives and hearts.
Saint Paisios - From Farasa to the Heavens - episode 2
Hardships of refugee life
The people of Asia Minor’s disappointment expecting to be embraced as Greeks but were not
Further develops the holy gifts of St. Arsenios’ (the village priest and spiritual father to St. Paisios)
The spiritual wisdom of Asia Minor faithful
Saint Paisios - From Farasa to the Heavens - episode 3
Refugees move to Corfu
St. Arsenios words to baby Paisios- here you will leave me here you will come to get me
Wise words from St. Paisios grandmother
Appearance of Panagia to St. Arsenios (the village priest and spiritual father to St. Paisios)
Falling asleep of St. Arsenios (the village priest and spiritual father to St. Paisios)
Frustration deepens amongst refugees
Saint Paisios - From Farasa to the Heavens - episode 4
Frustration continues with refugees stagnant situation
The villagers separate, go to different destinations
St. Paisios’ family and others finally reach and settle in Konitsa, the village that becomes home in Greece
Saint Paisios - From Farasa to the Heavens - episode 5
Arsenios (St. Paisios) depicted initially as three (3) grows to nine (9) years old in this episode.
The family is settled in Konitsa – village near Ioanina, Greece- living everyday life.
Portrays grandmother’s and mother’s spiritual wisdom.
Arsenios (St. Paisios) loves chanting, reading and sharing the lives of the saints with the local children.
Saint Paisios - From Farasa to the Heavens - episode 6
Arsenios (St. Paisios) grows from nine (9) to (15) years old in this episode.
He demonstrates his propensity towards spiritual life; chanting, praying, doing prostrations, love reading of the saints’ lives. He decides not to go to high school but rather become a carpenter like Christ. His close relationship with the chanter (Prodromos) is highlighted.
When a village acquaintance who is studying at the university challenges Arsenios’ (St. Paisios) beliefs in Christ, Arsenios (St. Paisios) is rattled.
A great miracle occurs to Arsenios (St. Paisios).
Saint Paisios - From Farasa to the Heavens - episode 7
Village people are thinking Arsenios (St. Paisios) is not mentally stable, including his family.
He formally announces to his family that he wants to pursue the life of a monk.
War breaks out- Italy invades Greece; Germany invades Greece. Great famine.
Arsenios (St. Paisios) is drafted. His request from Panagia is to not be in a position to kill anyone.
He is assigned as a radio dispatcher. Soldiers think he is mentally not well.
Saint Paisios - From Farasa to the Heavens - episode 8
Arsenios (St. Paisios) faith is constant and deep.
Three depicted miracles occur to Arsenios (St. Paisios) during war days, age 24.
When he demonstrates great bravery, his lieutenant asks what Arsenios (St. Paisios) would like in return, and he says ask the other soldiers not to curse using God/Saints names.
He is discharged and goes to Mount Athos, aka Panagia’s Garden, aka the Holy Mountain to become monk.
Arsenios (St. Paisios) encounters spiritual demons. He meets a wise spiritual father who guides him and explains reason for them. Also, he meets a monk who knows Arsenios (St. Paisios) situation without meeting previously him.
This episode depicts Arsenios (St. Paisios) human weaknesses and his struggle.
This episode highlights the internal (personal) and external (environmental) struggles Arsenios (St. Paisios) encounters.
Arsenios (St. Paisios) returns home again from Mt. Athos to help his family. He works on the farm, collects dowry for his sister, Christina.
He shares with Prodromos (chanter) some of His experiences at Mt. Athos (meeting one of the seven invisible holy men who tells to focus on his inner sun; the monk who told him he should work on his inner dowry and not his sister’s)
After he accomplishes his family goals, He leaves for Mt. Athos without saying goodbye to his mother.
Prodromos later explains to his mother why St. Paisios did this.
Now, at Mt. Athos, he progresses through stages of monasticism, being given different names, From Arsenios to Averkios and then finally Paisios. He sends a letter to his family.
Two years pass at Mt. Athos. He faces and overcomes great internal/external challenges/demons, depicted in a particularly frightening scene which subsides into light.
Tensions depicted within St. Paisios family. Father wants to marry Chrsitina who doesn’t want to marry. All family members greatly miss St. Paisios.
At Mt Athos, St. Paisios encounters even greater internal/external challenges/demons. He has great desire to be an ascetic and live in a cave at Katounakia (a part of Mt. Athos) but he experiences obstacles. One evening, he is visited by Our Theotokos who shows him in a vision the Katounakia caves but then also shows him the Panagia Monastery (Stomio) located near his village, Konitsa. Panagia tells him that he must go back and rebuild the Panagia Monastery that the Germans burned and tells him to go find the mayor’s mother who will help him in his endeavors.
St. Paisios returns to Konitsa and although he sees his family members, he does not greet them, but rather goes directly to the Panagia Monastery (Stomio) to begin his work.
St. Paisios begins working to rebuild the Panagia Monastery. His family members, particularly his mother, have a very difficult time accepting him as a monk.
St. Paisios finds Mrs. Eleni whom Panagia told him to find. She is humbled and graciously offers to help St. Paisios in any way. Others in the village are reluctant to help, slow, not willing.
Villagers wish to celebrate September 8th by partying at the Panagia Monastery (Stomio), which was their custom. St. Paisios furious that no reverence is shown by some villagers to the Panagia. St. Paisios questions how/why people are turning from God and would rather party instead of praying to God to bring back people to church again. He speaks with Eleni and her son, the mayor. They explain people are hungry and they have left church because no one is addressing or meeting their physical needs. They all realize that something must be done by the church to help the poor.
He encounters Prodromos who tells him that Hatzifenti (St. Arsenios) would say, “When people aren’t listening, stop talking to people and start talking to God.”
St. Paisios does just that. He is praying to Panagia when a villager walks in and overhears his prayer to Panagia. St. Paisios’ prayer changes villager’s heart.
Villagers unite and help St. Paisios in his endeavors to rebuild Panagia Monastery (Stomio). Miracle happens with the shortage of cement when St. Paisios asks Despina (Theotokos) for help to have enough cement.
St. Paisios explains miracles happen when you stop thinking with your head and begin thinking with your heart; 1+1 does not equal 2.
Town fool learns a lesson in not lying with a bear and St. Paisios divine grace in speaking to bears.
St. Paisios distributes provisions to poor families in the village.
We hear over and over again from the family, pray for God’s will not our will.
St. Paisios determined to find Hatzifenti (St. Arsenios) grave back in Corfu (Kerkera), bless and unearth His bones, to always keep with him as was customary.
His mother remembers Haztifenti (St. Arsenios) foreshadowing words to baby Arsenios (St. Paisios) when they arrive in Corfu (Kerkera) as refugees, “This is where you will leave me and where you will find me.”
In Corfu (Kerkera) he stays with the soldier he saved in gunfire. St. Paisios does not want to hear his accolades. Typical of St. Paisios, he glances down does not look directly at people.
St. Paisios has no idea where Hatzifenti (St. Arsenios) is buried. He prays for guidance. Finds basil and remembers his grandmother’s words.
When bones are unearthed, myrrh scent fills the atmosphere- Hatzifenti (St. Arsenios) is present.
St. Paisios brings bones back to village where family and close friends pay tribute.