O all-holy Theotokos, throughout my lifetime forsake
me not
to human protection entrust me not,
but do thou thyself defend and have mercy on me.
These words, taken from our funeral services, constitute the best description of the human aspirations, and hope, as well as the spiritual consequences of the martyric death of Joseph Munoz-Cortes.
It is impossible to comprehend the cross of obedience to the Mother of God that he bore. How many people in endless streams and from everywhere came to him with the most diverse requests, prayers, demands… The author of an inspired obituary published by the Icon’s House put it best:
“Whoever saw the faces of the people, Orthodox and heterodox alike, in the many parish churches and monasteries to which Brother Joseph brought the grace-filled myrrh-streaming Icon entrusted to him, the Icon of the Keeper of the Portal which opened the gates of heaven to the faithful, could not but comprehend, to the extent possible for him, how awesome and difficult to bear was the obedience given to this man, and how intolerable it must be for the ancient serpent, the enemy of the Church of Christ.”
The curator of the Myrrh-streaming Icon of the Keeper of the Portal was buried 13 days after he was cruelly murdered in Athens. They wanted to have the funeral service before a closed casket, with Brother Joseph’s remains in a sealed plastic body bag. However, God determined otherwise. The coffin was opened, the body bag torn asunder, and everyone could see the many signs of torture which he endured on that fateful night in Athens, alone, bringing to a close his service on earth to the Mother of God.
When the coffin was opened, there was no stench or evidence of corruption. Peter Stepanovitch Murianka, who is the father of Archimandrite Luke of Jordanville, and who is a professional funeral director, confirmed this fact when, by God’s providence and with the blessing of Archbishop Laurus, he opened the coffin and revealed Joseph’s body.
Is this not a miracle? Is it not a continuation of those visible signs of God’s grace which appeared to the world through the passion-bearer Joseph?
Despite the “senselessness” of Brother Joseph’s murder, the meaning behind this cruel satanic act will, in time, be revealed. One should remember Joseph’s own words recorded in Russian Pastor. Specifically sensing his coming death, Joseph said:
“...Believers must be ready to die for the truth, and not to forget that in acquiring enemies here, we acquire the Heavenly Kingdom. One who is faithful in little things, will be faithful as well in great things, when that is required of him. Given the opportunity to become confessors, we should not lose that opportunity. In losing earthly life, we acquire the heavenly one. We should not fear death for the sake of Christ..”
In the Summer of 1996, Joseph travelled to Mt. Athos, in order to say good-bye to the dying schema-abbot Clement, who in 1982 had entrusted the Miraculous Icon to him. It was then that Fr. Clement predicted to Joseph that 1997 would be a fateful year for the curator of the Icon, that awful events would take place, and that “you will be the subject of terrible slander.”
Literally on the eve of his martyric death, Joseph and Fr. Alexander Iwascewicz (a priest from Argentina) visited an ancient monastery on the Greek island of Andros, so that they might venerate its holy treasures. Upon opening the doors of the main church to them, a monk was quite amazed to see that an ancient wall fresco of the Mother of God had begun to copiously weep. Archimandrite Dorotheus, abbot of the monastery, explained that the Icon weeps only when awful events are to happen, or during such events. Those who witnessed this sign, including Joseph, took it as having some significance to our Church Abroad. This sing from the Mother of God made such a profound impression upon Joseph, that he repeatedly told Fr. Alexander: “Father, I sense that very soon something awful will happen. I do not know what exactly, but I feel something.” On the very day of his death, during breakfast, Joseph again shared with Fr. Alexander his feeling that something terrible was about to happen.
Brother Joseph’s martyric death has a universal significance. For the Icon which, through God’s mercy, was given into his keeping, was sent to everyone who venerated the Theotokos. He took the marvelous Icon all over the world, everywhere shared his joy in the protection of the Mother of God, and everywhere left pieces of cotton soaked in the Divine Myrrh. Now, in return for his faithful sevice, The Lord made the chosen one of His Most Pure Mother to attain a martyr’s crown.
The Orthodox world lost a person who presented for us an example of Christian piety and self-denial. Joseph above all loved the Lord and the Theotokos, whom he served in such a selfless manner. He showed remarkable sympathy and love for people and patiently heard them out, comforted them, accorded them attention, and took extremely seriously their requests for him to pray for people before the Miraculous Icon. They say that he had 58 God-children. Each day, he prayed for them, and not just for them. His Book of Commemoration resembled the synodicon of a monastery.
Joseph was not a wealthy man. Sixteen years ago, when the Iveron Icon was entrusted to him on Mt. Athos, he made a vow that the Image would never become a source of his enrichment. He kept this vow until his martyric death. I have on good authority that he did not have enough money to pay for medicines and other essentials. Often he gave whatever money he had to the needy. The Icon’s House Society was founded by concerned women, in order to help Joseph with his daily expenses.
Today the Holy Icon is gone. Her curator has been murdered and slandered. Now our faith in God’s kind providence will be sorely tested.
Remembering Joseph’s final days, Fr. Alexander Iwascewicz expressed the following woeful thought: “We have come apart. We are united by some kind of hatred, perhaps a hatred for the evil or the incorrect, but ultimately it is evil and not love in Christ that unites us.” How true, and how sad….