A Greek Christmas Retreat

I hope the video above speaks something of the peaceful presence pilgrims seek on the Holy Mountain.

Mount Athos has been a source of personal solace for well over a decade now. It’s a place where the over stimulation of this world is allowed to dissolve towards enosis, or union.

Most of us are bombarded with images, narratives and information on a daily basis. It becomes difficult to discern truth. But by tuning out the noise, we can more properly tune in. The writing and photography that follows, follows that course…

Gulls glide behind the boat to Athos, scavenging tit-bits from the pilgrims. Photo: M.Perry.

What’s behind the paywall ?

It would be wonderful if I could share everything for free, but ‘wot-to-do’ ? None of the stories I share on substack come without costs, so some things need to be kept close to my chest. The photographs and writings behind the paywall give a unique glimpse into the wintery world of Athos, with additional links to book offerings, audio recordings and longform stories such as On the Holy Mountain.

On The Holy Mountain

Everyone has some means to replenish their soul.

You don’t have to go to a mountain top.

Be of no illusion though, life on the mountain can be a battle.

Monks on Athos refer to the inner journey, the cleansing of the heart, as warfare, and it is as real as the day is long.

They have chosen to leave the world we know, to leave family and friends, in pursuit of Christ.

They come from all works of life and all nations, including the USA.

Wintery scenes from Mount Athos gathered over the years.

In early December 2024 I stopped by at a packed-to-the-gunnels Greek Orthodox Church in Chicago.

L-trains ran outside the church windows, shaking the ground during the service.

But my heart tuned into Athos instantly.

The Greek tradition has become a part of me.

Why ?

Therein lies a longer story [see Freedom at 4AM below],

But why not?

Everywhere I go I hear Christians critiquing the practices of other Christians.

And I mean EVERYWHERE.

Individuals in this group rebuking that group:

The Orthodox have pagan practices, they say, worshiping the dead in graveyards!

The Evangelicals have sold out spiritually, they say, worshiping money and rock music!

The Catholics are corrupt power questing abusers, they say, in league with the devil!

The whatever are this, the whatever are that…

Yawn!

Religion has always been a pathway, rather than a destination.

Religious groups, like ourselves, are fallen and corruptible.

Better to tune into the path set before ourselves.

Weed our own garden, and let others weed theirs.

Let go. Others are beyond our control anyways.

Trust Love, Trust GOD, Trust the way.

It is a magnet to the truth, and life.

How do we know the way?

We know it when we see it.

We’re all propelled towards truth.

In the end, it’s simply unavoidable.

****

Coda.

To dive into the story of Mount Athos more deeply I’ve created a trinity of tantalising links below:

One: Join me on an auditory journey climbing to the peak of Mount Athos in spring…

Two: Here’s an exclusive download called “On The Holy Mountain.” It’s an engaging long-form narrative based on previous adventures on Athos, with some delectable photos.

Three: For those who are wondering how I ended up on Mount Athos in the first place, Freedom at 4Am: Misadventures in Afghanistan, is a good fast-paced place to start.