“Despite the austerity of the regime which the Elder adapted to our surroundings he maintained undiminished sympathy and love for his neighbor and showed it in practice towards the infirm and poor be they fathers or lay people. I recall that there were some infirm elders… whom he looked after more or less permanently often sending them what they needed and in particular food already prepared. Compassion is a first fruit of a soul that loves God and faith as a sure stronghold, were the reasons why he left nothing in our modest huts to the point where it was hard for us to endure, inexperienced as we were in the operation of faith. He gave whatever we had to those who asked and left us with hopes as the saying goes. And yet in this way he helped us to enter quickly into the providence of faith which gave us so much support in our later life.”
Elder Joseph of Vatopedi on Elder Joseph
~Elder Joseph the Hesychast