FatherJustinsBlog

Three abbots and one hieromonk were recently visiting from Georgia. They were able to decipher a Georgian inscription on stone dated to the tenth century.

Here is the transcription line for line:

აჰა მთა
ღვთისა შემწყნარებელი მ
ონანულთაი ხარ          ცო
დვილი
ლოცვა ყა
ვთ

Here is the same text written with more natural word breaks:

აჰა, მთა ღვთისა შემწყნარებელი მონანულთა ხარ.
ცოდვილი…
ლოცვა ყავთ.

A translation: Behold the Mountain of God,
which receives those who repent.
— A sinner. Say a prayer.

Advancing shadows at the end of the day distinguish a ridge from the mountain behind it. On the other side of the ridge is the hesychasterion of Saints Galakteon and Episteme. A double barred metal cross is visible on the mountaintop in the distance.

When the Elder Paisios lived at the hermitage, at night he would climb to the top of the ridge, from where the monastery is visible far below. There he would pray for the monks and for the whole world.

Butterflies alight on the flowers of the Burning Bush.

A detail of the last photo above.

There is an ancient carob tree in the valley a short distance below the cave of Saint John Climacus. It has a gnarled and weathered trunk.

The carob tree, χαρουπιά (Ceratonia siliqua), produces pods. Both the pulp and the seeds are edible.

In the classical world, the seeds of the carob tree were considered very consistent in weight. They were used to weigh gold. A Roman pure gold solidus was equal in weight to 24 carob seeds.

The Greek word for a carob seed is κεράτιον, and the Arab word qīrāṭ, from which we have the English word ‘carat’. Even today, 24 carat gold is pure gold.

The icon of Saint John Climacus, created at the Sacred Monastery of Pantokratoros in Rafina, Greece, in 1974.

The saint is holding a scroll with a quotation from The Ladder of Divine Ascent,

Εἴ τις δάκρυον ψυχικὸν ἐκτήσατο, τούτῳ πᾶς τόπος εἰς πένθος ἀρμόδιος.

He who has obtained heartfelt tears will find any place convenient for mourning. (Step 7.12)