St. Akakios the Righteous (the Younger) of Kavsokalyvia

Christ is risen! Truly He is risen!

St. Akakios the Righteous (the Younger) of Kavsokalyvia - Commemorated on April 12 (Note that he is commemorated on Bright Thrusday in the Saint's home village of Goltza, Agrapha, while he is commemorated on the Sunday of the Myrrhbearers in Kavsokalyvia, because that was the day of his dormition. He is also commemorated on the First Sunday in October as one of the seven Righteous Saints of Kavsokalyvia) (http://ocafs.oca.org/FeastSaintsViewer.asp?SID=4&ID=1&FSID=101069, http://www.agion-oros.gr/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=92&Itemid=48&lang=gr)

"Saint Acacius the New was a monk at the Holy Trinity monastery of St Dionysius of Olympus (January 24) at Zagora. After visiting several monasteries on Mount Athos, the saint on the advice of his father-confessor, Father Galacteon, settled in the skete monastery of St Maximus the Hut-Burner ("Kavsokalyvites", January 13), who repeatedly appeared to the ascetic.

The exploits of St Acacius were extremely severe: in place of bread he ate dry grass, which he crushed with a piece of marble. When asked how much a monk ought to sleep, he said that for a true monk half an hour even was sufficient. He said, "In order to conquer the flesh, a monk must practice two virtues: fasting and vigil." In spite of his age and illness, he was an example of this.

Once, when St Acacius had come on a Sunday to the skete church, the igumen Neophytus handed him his own staff and said, "Father, take the staff, and be the Superior for all these brethren until your last breath." St Acacius kissed the hand of the igumen, and accepted the staff with all humility. Although previously he had walked with a staff because of his age, from that time forward the righteous one no longer held a staff in his hand.

[St. Akakios was a spiritual guide to no less than three New Martyrs: St. Romanos (January 5th, see: http://full-of-grace-and-truth.blogspot.com/2010/01/st-romanos-new-righteous-martyr-1694.html), St. Pachomios (May 7th or 21st, see: http://ancientfaith.com/podcasts/saintoftheday/may_21_-_holy_new_martyr_pachomius) and St. Nikodemos (July 11th)]

For his exalted exploits St Acacius was granted the gifts of unceasing mental prayer and divine revelations. He fell asleep in the Lord on April 12, 1730, being nearly a hundred years old."
(http://ocafs.oca.org/FeastSaintsViewer.asp?SID=4&ID=1&FSID=101069)

The Cave of St. Akakios, Kavsokalyvia, Mount Athos. The wooden sticks lying horizontally were his bed, while the stick leaning against the rear of the cave is an ascetic tool to keep vigil at night (http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/19815390.jpg)

The Holy Water of St. Akakios (amateur translation/summary)
The Skete of the Holy Trinity, Kavsokalyvia, is located in a very remote location of the Holy Mountain. The Fathers there had long depended on collecting rain water for use within the Skete. However, at the prayers of St. Akakios, a better solution was found.

A man who was adept at digging wells left for the Skete to become a monk. After prayer to the Most-Holy Trinity, St. Akakios told this man to dig at a certain spot so that they would find water. This man tried three or four times to perform this excavation, but each time it would collapse (due to the work of the demons, according to St. Akakios). But the Saint prayed, and it finally began to hold. Soon, they uncovered an incredibly clean spring of water to satisfy their uses. This spring is since known in Kavsokalyvia as the "Holy Water of St. Akakios"

Icon from the Phiale of Gregoriou Monastery, showing St. Akakios praying, and the miraculous spring of water (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2NSATyizRRsAn4oGxsWGcLVUcEOcoeg6npwYxNaN5msSSGwJKF-ZycLdJRY4R86jLFIk0dr1-0I13fubS8y1MlHWDvnlWAj838SvXVm5w2nwYlvAgW6htu8dNo-zddeOC69SoFOiRba5t/s1600/11.+St.+Aniketos,+St.+Akakios+of+Kavsokalyvia,+St.+Sampson.jpg)

The Fathers of the Skete, in gratitude to the Most-Holy Trinity for granting them water, named their Katholikon, or main church after the Holy Trinity.
(taken from the full life of the Saint in Greek here: http://users.uoa.gr/~nektar/orthodoxy/agiologion/osios_akakios_kaysokalybiths.htm)
 
For a wonderful video of Fr. Patapios of Kavsokalyvia discussing the life of St. Akakios and giving a tour of his Kalyve (in Greek), see here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gztadrFqz3U.
 

St. Akakios the Righteous of Kavsokalyvia (http://vatopaidi.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/saint-acacius-of-kavsokalyvia.jpg)

Ἀπολυτίκιον. Ἦχος πλ. α’. Τὸν συνάναρχον Λόγον.

Ἀκακίᾳ ἐμπρέπων Πάτερ Ἀκάκιε, καὶ λαμπρότητι βίου ἀστὴρ ὡς πάμφωτος, τῶν Ὁσίων μιμητὴς τῶν πάλαι γέγονας, καὶ χαρισμάτων θεϊκῶν, δαψιλῶς ἀξιωθείς, μὴ παύσῃ καθικετεύων, τὴν Παναγίαν Τριάδα, διδόναι πᾶσι τὸ θεῖον ἔλεος.

Apolytikion in the Plagal of the First Tone (amateur translation)
O Father Akakios, you were majestically good***, and shone in your life as an all-bright star, for you become an imitator of the former Righteous ones, and were made worthy to profusely receive divine gifts, do not cease to entreat the All-Holy Trinity, to grant to all the divine mercy.

Κοντάκιον. Ἦχος δ’. Ἐπεφάνης σήμερον.

Ἐπεφάνης Ὅσιε τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ, ὡς ἀστὴρ νεόφωτος, καταλαμπρύνων τηλαυγῶς, τῶν Ὀρθοδόξων τὸ πλήρωμα, τοῖς σοῖς ἀγῶσι, παμμάκαρ Ἀκάκιε.

Kontakion in the Fourth Tone (amateur translation)
You have appeared, O Righteous one, to the Church as a newly-radiant star, clearly illumining the fullness of the Orthodox, with your struggles, O all-blessed Akakios.

Μεγαλυνάριον.

Χαίροις τῶν Ὁσίων ὁ κοινωνός, καὶ τῶν Μοναζόντων, ἀπλανέστατος ὁδηγός· χαίροις ἀκακίας, κατάκαρπος ἐλαία, Ἀκάκιε παμμάκαρ, Ἄθωνος καύχημα.

(http://synaxarion.gr/gr/sid/2637/sxsaintinfo.aspx)

Megalynarion (amateur translation)
Hail O companion of the Righteous, and the most unerring guide of Monastics, hail O most-fruitful olive tree of goodness***, O all-blessed Akakios, the boast of Athos.
  
***The name "Akakios" means without any evil, innocent, good.
  

Icon depicting the Synaxis of All Saints of Kavsokalyvia (source)

  

Christ is risen from the dead, by death, trampling down upon death, and to those in the tombs, bestowing life!

Truly the Lord is risen!