Orthodox Bouquets - English Flowers of Orthodoxy 13

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Orthodox Smile

Orthodox Bouquets

English Flowers of Orthodoxy 13

ORTHODOX CHRISTIANITY – MULTILINGUAL ORTHODOXY – EASTERN ORTHODOX CHURCH – ΟΡΘΟΔΟΞΙΑ – ​SIMBAHANG ORTODOKSO NG SILANGAN – 东正教在中国 – ORTODOXIA – 日本正教会 – ORTODOSSIA – อีสเทิร์นออร์ทอดอกซ์ – ORTHODOXIE – 동방 정교회 – PRAWOSŁAWIE – ORTHODOXE KERK -​​ නැගෙනහිර ඕර්තඩොක්ස් සභාව​ – ​СРЦЕ ПРАВОСЛАВНО – BISERICA ORTODOXĂ –​ ​GEREJA ORTODOKS – ORTODOKSI – ПРАВОСЛАВИЕ – ORTODOKSE KIRKE – CHÍNH THỐNG GIÁO ĐÔNG PHƯƠNG​ – ​EAGLAIS CHEARTCHREIDMHEACH​ – ​ ՈՒՂՂԱՓԱՌ ԵԿԵՂԵՑԻՆ​​ / Abel-Tasos Gkiouzelis - https://orthodoxsmile.blogspot.com - Email: gkiouz.abel@gmail.com - Feel free to email me...!

♫•(¯`v´¯) ¸.•*¨*

◦.(¯`:☼:´¯)

..✿.(.^.)•.¸¸.•`•.¸¸✿

✩¸ ¸.•¨ ​

Before Sister Timothei became a nun she had met St. Porphyrios 8 years ago in Crete.

At that time she was studying as a kindergarten teacher in Chania because when she wanted to become a nun, the devil had stirred up so many temptations that had bent her and she was very upset. She also felt a burden that caused her such intense discomfort that one day she decided to walk to the Temple of Saint Nectarios. Then she had heard that he works great miracles. She wanted to tire herself and walked for a long time without taking the city bus.

When she arrived at the Temple, she prostrated and prayed fervently. She begged St. Nectarios for quite some time but the burden did not leave her. Sadly, as she began to leeave, she sees a small figure entering the Temple. It was an elder accaompanied by a group of priests and laity behind him. Because she was very timid, she was ashamed to speak and withdrew to the side. She made a bow and asked from a distance:

- "Your blessing, elder."

- "May you have the Lord's blessing!",

The elder shouted and at the same time he blessed her, raising his hand as high as he could and making the sign of the cross. At the same moment, she felt the weight lifted on top of her. She felt the bad energy leave her body. Under her feeet and towards the above she felt a power and an indescribable joy. In other words, some demonic energy left her that was tormenting her unimaginably in order to thwart her plans to become a nun. All this discomfort was some kind of demon and it never bothered her again.

In the midst of her joy, she asked some people outside:

- "Who is this elder?"

- "Father Porphyrios! He has been in Chania for days... Didn't you know?"

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This is a story about a man who was considered withdrawn and unsociable by his neighbors and relatives. He lived alone in his small apartment, didn’t really communicate with anyone, worked as a cook in a canteen. And so he died alone. But on the day of his funeral, hundreds of people came to his house - old people, sick people, young people. The crowd occupied the entire yard and stretched out along the street. Many of them were crying. Neighbors and relatives who knew this man inordinary life, of course, were surprised. And when they began to find out who these people were who came to see the lonely deceased off on his final journey, they were even more shocked. It turned out that this man spent all his free time working as a volunteer in hospices, nursing homes, and shelters. He visited the elderly, the sick, the homeless. He talked to the dying, brought bread to the hungry, clothed the homeless, consoled, as best he could, the dying and their relatives in the hospice. Many loved him. But no one knew about it.

The same story happened in the Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius several years ago. There was one brother there, Hierodeacon Alexy. He had an obedience - to deal with burial issues for the brethren when someone passed away. Every day he was also busy caring for people who are not always pleasant to most of us.

He fed the homeless. But not only fed them. He buried them. He took all the worries upon himself. And when he himself, as always, not having enough sleep, was rushing to his mother's name day in Diveyevo, fell asleep at the wheel and crashed, so many people came to his funeral that the Lavra was full.

These were mostly homeless people, people suffering from various vices. But they came to his funeral, and there were so many of them at the funeral of Hierodeacon Alexy, as not every venerable archimandrite had ever had.

In such people, living an everyday holy life, the words of the Savior are fulfilled: "Your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you openly" (Matthew 6:6).

Metropolitan Ambrose (Ermakov)

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Vision before death

The story of a deacon

For more than twenty years, Peter Ivanovich Belov served as deacon in our Petrovsky church. When he once again fell ill with a cold, he did not pay attention to it, but the disease itself did not go away, and soon he fell ill. His condition rapidly deteriorated and he fell into an unconscious state. He remained in this position for four hours. Then he suddenly woke up and asked:

– Where is the icon of the “Sign” of the Mother of God?

His wife, having crossed the patient, said:

- Pyotr Ivanovich, what is the matter with you?

After a pause, he replied:

“Listen to what I will tell you,” and, crossing himself, he began to say: “I am still alive!” Glory to Thee, Lord, that I am still alive! I saw how my sinful body was transferred in a coffin to our church and buried. Then they carried me from the church to the city cemetery. When they began to approach the grave, the deceased parents and our dead children came out to meet me. They shouted, “Daddy! We have been waiting for you here for a long time!” When they wanted to lower my coffin into the grave, a monk suddenly appeared and said: “Stop! He must die in ten days, on November 14, on the feast of Cosmas and Damian, at four o'clock in the afternoon." As soon as he finished his speech, I saw above me the icon of the Mother of God "The Sign" with outstretched arms over me. I wanted to kiss the image and suddenly came to life.

The patient's story amazed many, everyone wanted to know if the monk's words would come true. The next day, the sick man took communion. Five days later he took communion for the second time. The day before his death, his relatives, without asking the patient, wanted to invite a priest, but Pyotr Ivanovich begged him to postpone it until morning. So they did. After the early liturgy, on the day of his death, he was honored for the third time with communion of the Holy Mysteries, and the prayer of departure was also read over him. Then the sick man blessed the children, said goodbye to his relatives, and peacefully departed to the Lord at the hour foretold to him in the vision.

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"Pascha at Dachau"

On Easter Day, May 6, 1945, 18 Orthodox priests, one deacon, and several believers entered barrack No. 26, where British and American prisoners had a chapel in a small room. The sick Greek Archimandrite Meletios was brought on a stretcher, and the whole service he lay, unable to get up, praying and crossing himself along with everyone else. There was nothing in the chapel except a small table and a single icon of the Most Holy Theotokos "Czestochowa" hanging on the wall.

And Boris F., the chief interpreter of the committee of prisoners, came to the barracks to Gleb Aleksandrovich Rar. He said that, thanks to the help and participation of the Greek and Yugoslav committee of prisoners, everything was prepared to hold a real Pascha service! Even though there were no priestly vestments, the prisoners sewed stole from towels, sewing red hospital crosses on them. They did not have service books, icons, candles, prosphora and church wine. But there was faith and mercy of God, which appeared in this terrible place.

In the entire history of the Orthodox Church, there has never been such an Pascha service as on May 6, 1945 in Dachau - Memorial Day of the great Orthodox saint and warrior George the Victorious! Homemade robes of priests from towels with sewn on hospital crosses were worn directly on the striped prison uniforms. They served from memory. The Pascha canon, the Pascha stichera - everyone sang by heart. After the exclamation of the priest, the choir sang hymns in Greek, and then in Church Slavonic. The gospel was also read from memory. The young Athonite monk came out in front of the fathers, bowed, and in a voice trembling with excitement began to recite the Word on Pascha of St. John Chrysostom by heart. He spoke the Word and wept. And everyone around was crying too. From the very heart of death, from the depths of this earthly hell, the words "Christ is Risen!" And in response it was heard: “Truly Risen!”.

INS.

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Before Sister Timothei became a nun she had met St. Porphyrios 8 years ago in Crete.

At that time she was studying as a kindergarten teacher in Chania because when she wanted to become a nun, the devil had stirred up so many temptations that had bent her and she was very upset. She also felt a burden that caused her such intense discomfort that one day she decided to walk to the Temple of Saint Nectarios. Then she had heard that he works great miracles. She wanted to tire herself and walked for a long time without taking the city bus.

When she arrived at the Temple, she prostrated and prayed fervently. She begged St. Nectarios for quite some time but the burden did not leave her. Sadly, as she began to leeave, she sees a small figure entering the Temple. It was an elder accaompanied by a group of priests and laity behind him. Because she was very timid, she was ashamed to speak and withdrew to the side. She made a bow and asked from a distance:

- "Your blessing, elder."

- "May you have the Lord's blessing!",

The elder shouted and at the same time he blessed her, raising his hand as high as he could and making the sign of the cross. At the same moment, she felt the weight lifted on top of her. She felt the bad energy leave her body. Under her feeet and towards the above she felt a power and an indescribable joy. In other words, some demonic energy left her that was tormenting her unimaginably in order to thwart her plans to become a nun. All this discomfort was some kind of demon and it never bothered her again.

In the midst of her joy, she asked some people outside:

- "Who is this elder?"

- "Father Porphyrios! He has been in Chania for days... Didn't you know?".

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“Here [in the Transfiguration], in a shrouded manner, is revealed to us all of the greatness, all the significance, not only of man, but of the material world itself, of its indescribable potential, not only earthly and transitory, but also eternal and Divine...

And if we attentively and seriously accept what is revealed to us here, we must change as profoundly as we can our attitude toward everything visible, toward everything tangible; not only toward humanity, not only toward man, but toward his very flesh, and not only toward human flesh, but toward everything around him that is physically perceptible, tangible, and visible... Everything is called to become the place of indwelling of the Lord's grace; everything is called to be at some time, at the end of time, drawn into that glory and to shine forth with that glory.” 

- Metropolitan Anthony Bloom

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The priest and the demon!

The following happened to a newly ordained priest:

After his ordination was over, he went to his home. There he lay down on his bed to rest. In the afternoon when his relatives went to wake him up, they found that the priest did not want to get up. He even wrapped his head in the bedclothes and did not uncover himself with anything, despite the entreaties of his relatives.

This lasted that day and the next and the day after. No one could understand what was happening to their father.

The weekend was approaching and the priest did not leave his bed. His family kept everything that happened to the priest a secret from the village. However, the priest had to officiate on Sunday, and then what would they say to the world? Not even in the metropolis did they want the problem to be known.

They then thought of notifying Fr. Vissarion, who arrived the fastest and went directly to the priest's room.

"Get up my child, I am Fr. Vissarion. You have to get up, eat something, get stronger and talk," he told him.

The priest uncovered his head a little, greeted the elder and covered himself again.

It was Saturday. In the afternoon, the Elder begged him to get up, but to no avail. Then, he ordered the men of the house to pick him up by force, put him in the car and take him to the church. It was evening time.

There in front of the holy altar, the elder forced him to wear a petrachili and said to him in his hoarse voice: "Father say: "Blessed is our God...". He refused and the elder insisted more urgently.

At some point the priest, with a trembling voice, said "Blessed" and immediately a loud shout was heard throughout the church. The priest burst out and the priest was freed, came to his senses and celebrated vespers normally. The Elder stood beside him and advised him.

Everyone with tears in their eyes saw their priest officiating and their joy was very great. Father Vissarion stayed that night at their house. He confessed to the priest and his relatives and the next day, Sunday, they performed the divine service together, they shared the holy mysteries and everything went well and blessed. 

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Once, my Christians, a certain monk left the common life and blessed obedience and went to the desert to become a hesychast. His calculus demanded that he devote himself day and night to the study and theory of the name of Jesus Christ and indeed to the mystery of the Trinity of the Holy God.

Thus he believed that in the wilderness and in the peace of the quiet he could unite with God without worries and without interruptions.

But after two or three days, can no one endure more than that, as we speak, at some point in his sacred meditations, he felt the presence of someone close to him.

What was it? A little mouse.

He had climbed into his patched and holed slipper, and was smelling his big toe. Thus he was distracted, and it was impossible to keep his mind still, in the remembrance of God and in his prayer.

He saw it and said to himself, "I left everything to communicate carelessly and correctly with God and now a mouse has spoiled it for me. Well, that's it, he pulls the string, and says angrily to the mouse, loudly now:

-"Why are you interrupting my prayer, you b*st*rd?"

-"Because I'm hungry," replied the mouse.

And the hesychast retorted with indignation, not noticing that the mouse spoke with a human voice,

-"Get out of here, you wretched one, I am trying with a thousand efforts to see how I can unite with God, and you came to ask me to deal with your belly?" and frap, he shook his leg and flung the mouse into the opposite corner of his cave. And then the mouse turns and very calmly, after looking him in the eyes, answered him, in human language:

- "Learn this once and for all, father, if you can't with your fellow worshipers around and with old Abbakum, who is burning with fever and dying of hunger in a cave next to you, but also with each Abbakum, that is, your neighbor, who hurts and suffers, who hungers and thirsts and lies naked and wounded, and you do not sympathize with him, and do not stand with him, in his problems, then, never, never will you be able to unite with the God of love and mercy. » And the mouse disappeared.

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In 2019 I was diagnosed with a mass in my left breast, round with clear contours, about 10mm in size, presumably an adenoma. In September 2020, I went to the White Rose Charitable Foundation, which deals with women's health, for an examination. The adenoma was detected. I was scheduled a consultation with a mammologist oncologist. On the eve of the visit to the doctor, my son fell ill with coronovirus, the consultation had to be postponed. My sister in Christ Maya bought St. John's Maximovitch oil in Moscow and sent it to me by mail. For a month I prayed to St. John and anointed my breasts with the oil several times a day.

A month later, when I went to the doctor I had another ultrasound in the same place. There was no trace of the adenoma! Thank God!

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A monk from the Holy Mountain told the following story about Saint Paisios the Athonite.

In 1977 there was a great drought throughout Greece, but especially in Thessalonicki. The villagers were in complete despair: it had not rained for about a hundred days, and misfortune was inevitable. I went to my father Paisios, to open his thoughts to me and receive benefit. I did not even think about a possible disaster in the countryside from drought: I heard something about it, but did not pay attention.

Father Paisios seemed concerned, but completely calm in the depths. Out of compassion for the unfortunate farmers, at the end of our conversation he said:

“Father, have mercy. Keep a vigil tonight and ask the Lord and the Lady of the Mother of God to gather clouds and pour rain in Thessalonicki, because the sun and the heat burned the crops, and the people suffer and fall into despair. We must support them with our prayers. And I, too, will be awake with you, but each of us is in his own cell.

I said: “Bless, Father Paisios,” and went to the monastery of Koutloumous. The next day, the sky over Athos turned black, and rain poured down on us. Joy, God's mercy, blessing! I ran to the cell of Elder Paisios, and as soon as he saw me, he said to me:

“Blessed by God, I told you to pray that it would rain only in Thessalonicki, and not on the Holy Mountain. I will give you penance.

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Saint Nikolaos Planas used to go to Christian homes to bless with holy water or perform holy unctions. Once he was in Kolonaki (with Papadiamantis who was his cantor) the people of Kolonaki had learned that he was pious and called him.

When he came from a noble house, the beggars see him and they say among themselves: "Where is the priest going? He goes there. Let's go too."

He was walkiong and a beggar came who was more of a fool and goes limp and says to him, "Father, give it to me." And the Saint took out what he had in his pocket and gave it to him.

Papadiamantis was next to him and he says to him: "Father, pay attention, because I see him in the square."

- Yes, yes, yes, it's okay, it's okay.

The beggar goes around the block from the apartment building to the next and goes to the second alley, and limps again and goes again in front of saint.

And the priest pulls out from the other pocket again and gives what he has to him.

Papadiamantis got angry and said to him:

– Father!!

– Yes, yes, I have it in mind, I have it in mind .

The third time he does the same. There, Papadiamantis lost control and said to him:

- Can't you see well, father? Lift your head to see him. Since he is the same, he wears the same clothes, does the same pranks.

And he says:

- Be quiet, blessed one, it is Christ and he is testing us.

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The very famous Dr.

Dr. Mark, was a well-known specialist in the field of oncology. One day he was going to a very important conference in another city, where he was to be awarded a prize in medical research. He is veryhe was worried, because at this conference his many years of work were to be evaluated.

However, two hours after the plane took off, there was an emergency landing at the nearest airport due to some technical problem. The doctor was afraid not to be in time, so he rented a car and drove himself to the city where the conference was to be held.

However, soon after he left, the weather turned bad and a violent storm began. Due to heavy rain, he turned the wrong way and got lost.

After two hours of unsuccessful driving, he realized that he was done. He felt hungry and terribly tired, so he decided to look for a place to stay. After a while, he finally came across a small decrepit house. Desperate, he got out of the car and knocked on the door.

The door was opened by a beautiful woman. He explained himself and asked her to use the phone. However, the woman told him that she didn't have a phone, but that he could come in and wait until the weather improved.

Hungry, wet and tired, the doctor accepted her kind offer and entered. The lady gave him hot tea and something to eat. The lady said that he could join her in prayer. But, Dr. Mark smiled and said that he only believes in hard work and refused.

Sitting at the table and drinking tea, the doctor watched the woman in the dim candlelight as she prayed next to the crib. The doctor understood that the woman needed help, so when she finished praying, he asked her:

“What exactly do you want from God? Do you really think that God will ever hear your prayers?"

And then he asked about the little baby in the crib where she prayed. The lady smiled sadly and said,

“The baby in the crib is my son, who suffers from a rare type of cancer and there is only one doctor, his name is Mark, who can cure him, but I don’t have the money to afford him, besides, Doctor Mark lives in another city. God has not yet answered my prayer, but I know that He will help and nothing will break my faith.

Stunned and speechless, Dr. Mark simply burst into tears. He whispered,

“God is great…"

He remembered everything that had happened to him today: a malfunction in the plane, heavy rain, due to which he lost his way; and all this happened because God not only answered her prayer, but also gave him a chance to get out of the material world and help poor unfortunate people who have nothing but prayer.

FB

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Once, a villager met Fr. Joel Giannakopoulos and mentioned to him some serious reasons, in his opinion, that prevented him from reconciling with his brother. So he said to him

"I cannot, my father, speak first. My brother must speak to me first. It was his fault and not mine. And then, he is younger and I am older..."

"Then tell me", Fr. Yoiel asked: "Who is older? Us or God?'

"But what kind of question is this father? God of course!", replied the villager.

"And who blamed the other?" God to us or we to God?

"We blamed God," said the villager confidently.

"And who initiated the reconciliation? Did we go to God or did God come to us?", the wise elder asked again.

"God has come to us!" said the villager.

And then, as if enlightened, he said to Father Joel:

"Ahh! Well…, thank you. You are right! I will go to my brother!"!! 

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Once, a villager met Fr. Joel Giannakopoulos and mentioned to him some serious reasons, in his opinion, that prevented him from reconciling with his brother. So he said to him

"I cannot, my father, speak first. My brother must speak to me first. It was his fault and not mine. And then, he is younger and I am older..."

"Then tell me", Fr. Yoiel asked: "Who is older? Us or God?'

"But what kind of question is this father? God of course!", replied the villager.

"And who blamed the other?" God to us or we to God?

"We blamed God," said the villager confidently.

"And who initiated the reconciliation? Did we go to God or did God come to us?", the wise elder asked again.

"God has come to us!" said the villager.

And then, as if enlightened, he said to Father Joel:

"Ahh! Well…, thank you. You are right! I will go to my brother!"!! 

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In 1916-17, Elder Gabriel the Dionysian writes that he was in the Orphanage of Pangaios, responsible of a share of his Monastery. An army division was stationed in that area. A group of officers, initiated into spiritualism, used to assemble in the evenings around a table, and through the medium of a soldier-medium they called up the spirits of King George, Trikoupis, and other famous dead. When the little table was shaking (a sign that communication with the "spirit" had begun), they would ask various questions and the soldier-medium would answer on behalf of the "spirit".

It happened one night at such a gathering that Elder Gabriel was also present. He immediately understood that the whole effort was a summoning of demons. When they were all gone, he took the opportunity to stick two candles in the shape of a Cross under the table. When they went back and tried to repeat the invocation of the "spirits", they experienced a painful surprise. While they were calling for a long time, the little table did not move from its place and the "spirit" did not appear. They began to investigate, wondering if someone had nailed the table to the floor. And while investigating they discovered the wax cross under the table.

Then Elder Gabriel said to them:

"I did it so that you would be convinced that demonic energy is hidden in your act."

But they did not admit it. And they began to put forward various spiritualist theories, that the candle as a substance is a "good receiver" and that's why it gathers the current of communication, etc.

"Good," Elder Gabriel told them. "If the candle is to blame, remove it. But allow me to do something else…”.

And after lighting one candle, he formed with the smoke a Cross under the table. Then he told them to make their invocations. They started calling again, but the table again remained motionless and nothing happened...

They were then forced, from the facts, to admit that they were not dealing with the communication of spirits of dead people, but with the devil, who "like a roaring lion prowls about and devours" (1 Peter 5:8 -10), which, however, his power and his traps, literally crumble before the power of the Holy Cross!!

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Vladimir Mikhailovich Zobern. BRIGHT GUESTS. Stories of priests.

Service to the Fatherland

I was once invited to the consecration of an official's apartment. Having quickly dressed myself, I went out into the street, where this master's servant, a strong soldier, was waiting for me. As we walked, I asked him how long he had been in the service?

— Father, I have already been retired for two years.

— How many years have you served?

- Twenty-five.

I was surprised. He was so young that he couldn't be more than thirty years old.

- Rather, the service was easy, without much difficulty?

"I don't know what to say to that, father." Can a soldier have easy service? The soldier swears to work! For example, I served for twenty-five years - all in the Caucasus. How much I had to endure during this time! Yes, how much I walked, or rather crawled, in the mountains of the Caucasus! I've been to Dagestan and Chechnya, but you never know! He may not have been among the first Caucasian daredevils, but he was not far behind them.

- How did you manage to maintain your health so well? - I asked.

- This, father, is due to God's special mercy towards me. That's why I think I got military service.

- Do you really see military service as a special mercy of God to man? — I asked surprised.

- Of course, father!

- Why?

"But because of my military service I see the light of God and I am happy in my family life."

- How is this possible? - I asked.

"I was born in a village," he began. "My father was a farmer and I am the eldest of his three sons. In the sixteenth year of my life, the Lord was pleased to test me: I began to lose my sight. Since I was my father's assistant, my illness made him very sad. Despite his poverty, he gave his last penny from his labor for my treatment, but neither home remedies nor medicines helped.

We prayed to the Lord and to the Mother of God and to the saints, but here too we were not given mercy. After some time, my illness worsened and eventually I became completely blind. This happened exactly two years after the onset of my illness. Having completely lost my sight, I began to grope and often tripped. It was difficult for me then; before me was a continuous, endless night. It was not easier for my beloved parents.

One day, when I was alone at home, my father came in. Putting his hand on my shoulder, he sat next to me and thought. His silence lasted for a long time. Finally I couldn't take it anymore.

"Father," I said, "do you still mourn for me?" Why? I went blind because God wanted it that way. "So, father, did you want to tell me," I asked him, "tell me honestly!"

- Hey, Andriousa, how can I tell you something happy? I think you should go to the blind and learn from them to beg for Christ's sake. At least then you can help us with something and you won't go hungry!

And then I realized the seriousness of my situation and the extreme poverty because of which my father suffered. Instead of answering, I cried.

Father began to comfort me as best he could.

"You are not the first," he said, "and you are not the last, Andriaussa, my child!" Presumably, it is God's will that the blind feed on His name. And they ask in the name of God...

"It is true," I noted excitedly, "the blind beg for alms in the name of God, but how many of them live like Christians?" Father, I thought to myself, knowing your need, but I could not stop myself! I prefer to work day and night, move millstones and starve, but I will not walk through windows, I will not wander through bazaars and fairs!

After such a decisive refusal, my father no longer insisted or reminded me of alms.

At the beginning of October, the priest came from the road and, turning to his mother, said with a sigh:

"We will have many tears in the village."

- Why? - asked the mother.

- Yes, they announced recruitment in the army.

Then the priest suddenly asked me:

- What, Andryusha, if God gave you back your sight, would you become a soldier? Would you serve for your brothers?

- With the greatest pleasure! - I answered. "It is better to serve the sovereign and the Motherland than to go around with a bag and eat someone else's bread for nothing." If the Lord restored my sight, I would go at once!

"If the Lord were gracious in thy promise, I would gladly bless thee!"

"And I!" added the mother.

That was the end of the evening. In the morning I got up early, washed my face and, forgetting yesterday's conversation, began to pray. And, oh joy! Suddenly I began to see!

- Father mother! - I shouted. - Pray with me! Kneel before the Lord! Looks like he felt sorry for me!

Father and mother knelt before the images:

- Lord have mercy! Lord, save me!

A week later I was completely healthy, and at the beginning of November I already became a soldier. Twenty-five years have passed since my service, and my eyes never hurt. And where have I been, under what winds, in what damp places, what heat have I endured! Now I am married, retired and able to support my family with honest work.

After that, father, I see military service as God's mercy towards me! Obviously, father, serving the Orthodox sovereign is pleasing to the Lord!

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How the Olive Tree was blessed 

The night Christ was born was very cold. The cave was cold and the Virgin Mary did not know what to do.

Then Joseph thought of lighting a fire to warm up a little, but he could find no wood anywhere. He goes out of the cave, takes a walk, but nothing.

He goes back inside, takes some straw from the manger and lights a fire. As soon as she saw them, the Virgin Mary wept and said that they should always be golden.

But after a while the haystacks were extinguished. The cave froze again. Joseph came out again, and his feet became tangled in a dry branch. It was rosemary.

Joseph lit it and the Virgin Mary wished to smell and decorate the icons of the Saints. But the fire lasted a while and the frost grew stronger.

Then Joseph heard voices through his bag saying:

Go Joseph, to our mother the olive tree above the cave and tell her that Christ is in danger. She will be very sad that we knew about it and didn't tell her anything.

It was a handful of olives that he had stored along with some bread in time of need.

Joseph went to the olive tree and she began to break pieces of wood from her old trunk and push them towards the entrance of the cave. All night the fire burned and warmth spread around the newborn Christ.

In the morning the tree was nothing but a root stump. When the Virgin Mary saw it, she wept, bent down, stroked it and said:

My wish that you never dry out. May your oil nourish and illuminate people. In the evening, light the candle of Christ.

So it happened. By evening the olive tree became big again as it was before.

Since then, the olive tree does not age. It dries, but from its roots it sprouts again and feels again.

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Nativity story:

The fire crackled and red sparks filled the air as the old man fanned the coals and dropped the last log into the fireplace. Outside, the dusk was rapidly spreading its frosty haze, though the whiteness of the snow struggled to prolong the illusion that day still lasted.

Around the Christmas table, as is their tradition, the family hummed happily in the embrace of the festive warmth. And what a family! Thirty souls, from grandparents to great-grandchildren, gathered today to celebrate together.

The eighty-year-old old man, with his hair as white as snow, saw old and new sprouts around him and rejoiced. His gaze wandered to the smoldering candle in the corner, and every now and then his heart fluttered.

- "Glory to God in the highest...", he whispered like the angels. Your love is infinite, Lord!… Your mercies are rich!…

An eighteen-year-old lad, his grandson, prepared to bring wood for the fire from outside. Passing by, he stopped short, smiling, as he saw him moving his lips without speaking. He knew his grandfather well. He said to tease him.

– What are you talking about there alone, grandfather?

The old man looked at him cheerfully.

– I'm talking about His love. What else can I say.

– Then I would like you to ask Him something, continued the grandson teasingly. Since, as you say, He loves us so much, why does He punish us harshly if we stray a little from His law?

The old man instantly became serious.

- I heard someone say this, that God only knows how to punish. Do you think so too? Come on, finish your woodwork and come and let's talk later.

The young man wrapped himself up, pulled his fur cap down to his ears and went out. The cold was bitter, but it would not be long. He walked under the shed to the tall paddock where the wood was stored. He filled his cart three times and emptied it near their door. But as he put it in its place and turned to enter the house, he thought he heard something. Like a strangled sob, a noise mingled with the howling of the wind.

Surprised, he put his ear up to hear better. He cautiously brought his gaze round. A high enclosure protectively enclosed the huge estate. Their large family was accommodated there in the winter, when the terrible cold drove them from the high mountains. Tufts of gray smoke flew into the sky tirelessly from the chimneys. The icy wind stirred up every little cloud of snow in the great valley before him. Quiet everywhere.

He turned around, when again something like a strange groan reached his ears. At the same time in the nearest clump of trees a dark mass moved. He was wildly suspicious. And it didn't fall out. He dashed into the warehouse and grabbed a gun. Seeing that the wild beast was already starting to move away, he untied a horse from the stable and rushed after him. In the dull twilight he made out red spots in the snow. The beast was wounded. Sensing the danger, he growled more and more menacingly. He was in a hurry to get into the big forest.

The young man rushed after him without hesitation. It seemed an easy task to him. And a unique opportunity to show his worth.

In the great forest, which stretched across the valley and disappeared into the horizon above white hills, it was an inviolable rule that only the experienced men of the family should hunt. But they too always in groups and never at night.

The eighteen-year-old was not allowed to participate in these operations. He was not yet trained for such. He could only patrol with his peers in the open valley. The great forest was forbidden fruit to him. Their family community was based on laws. Unwritten rules, by tradition, but strict and absolute. Thanks to them the huge family survived from generation to generation safely and functioned without problems. And the elders taught the younger ones respect for tradition, since any transgression always entailed heavy consequences.

But now the excitement got the better of him. He didn't even think about rules and consequences. He spurred the horse into a run and lowered his body into the saddle. He wanted to catch the wild animal in the open space. But the light was constantly diminishing. His horse was sinking every little while in the thick snow and it was difficult to run. The wounded savage finally made it to the hills and disappeared into the dense forest.

The young man hesitated, but only for a moment. His blood was boiling. He wouldn't let his chance go to waste. It was what he was so jealous of and always longed for. He was taking a big risk, but he wanted to show that he was ready for something like that. Who wouldn't recognize its value after that? He would finally join the family's group of great hunters. He decided it was time to taste the forbidden fruit.

The forest, snowy and vast, seemed awesome. Night had fallen. The towering trees were desperately diminishing the minimal light. He moved forward cautiously guided by the grunts, which were becoming weaker and weaker. But time passed, without reaching his goal. His venture was getting complicated.

The horse made his way with difficulty in the inhospitable, icy, almost barren place. Things were not as simple as they seemed at first. He knew neither how far he had advanced, nor where he was. The forest was becoming so dense that there was no reference point for calculations. Little by little his initial confidence was leaving him. A growing fear began to rise in his heart.

He hesitated. Pull forward or back? He was now thinking of the consequences. How would he justify his action? He knew the family's religious adherence to its rules. There was great strictness in their observance. And he was sure now that a heavy punishment awaited him for his audacity.

But when he was struggling with what to choose, the growl was heard very close. And a shadow moved among the branches. That's it! Revive yourself. Only one step separated him from his goal. He was already touching his dream.

He raised his gun to aim, when unexpectedly another growl startled him from the right... and another behind him... and left and in front and around him... everywhere. And suddenly, a bunch of shadows sprung from the darkness, terrifying ghosts, hideous creatures of the night. The wounded savage trapped him well. Played him the worst game of his life. He threw him north into the hungry mouths of an entire pack.

It only took a moment for his senses to go from triumphant euphoria to utter despair. Everything happened in a flash. Maddened by terror, his horse jerked up on its hind legs. He dropped him suddenly on the snowy ground and, despondent, he started running blindly. His finger caught the trigger as it fell, and unconsciously, mechanically, in his surprise he pressed it. The weapon thundered deafeningly into the night, but as it fell it was out of his hands. The wild beast was startled by the heavy blast for a moment, which, however, was enough for him to grab hold of the nearest branch and quickly climb as high as he could. It was about time! The beasts immediately swarmed again and surrounded him with wild roars.

From now on time passed slowly and excruciatingly. The frost was melting everywhere and piercing him. The stillness numbed his body. He was in danger of falling. He could hardly imagine his frozen hands grasping the tree. But his guilt taught him more. How he regretted it, my God! What was he too? How did he act so casually? And now; What was waiting for him? Death; Very likely. But even if he was saved by hope, how would he justify his folly? He was no longer proud of himself at all.

A hunting conch far in the valley tore with its deep sound the deathly silence. His heart skipped a beat. They were looking for him! His hopes were restored. He reached into his belt for his own horn to answer. But he had no hunting equipment with him.

It took a long time for him to be found by the rescue team, which rushed to look for him as soon as his disappearance was noticed. Dogs and shots scattered the beasts. At the last limit of his endurance, the young man was finally back in the warm arms of the family.

With tears and shouts of joy, deeply shocked by the unexpected event, they all fell upon him when the sleigh that carried him stopped at their door. And when they lifted him up in their arms with moist and shining eyes, he felt that he was entering heaven, not his home.

The sweet warmth of the Christmas hearth and his loved ones, laughing again after the disturbance, slowly erased the memory of his terrible adventure like a bad dream...

– Will you ever be able to forgive me? he said as he felt better. How bad I feel for what I did! Whatever my punishment is, I am ready to accept it.

Grandpa looked at him kindly, as always.

– Who spoke of punishment?

- But don't the violation of our laws have serious consequences? Isn't that what you teach us?

– There are undoubtedly heavy consequences, but we do not impose them. Your punishment is what you already went through. Didn't get enough? What else are you asking for? You were almost touched by death from the beasts and the frost! But only because you wanted to leave the safety and warmth of our home. You condemned yourself! What you have imposed on yourself, the natural and only consequence of your action, this is your punishment. Not something we will impose after the fact.

– So, grandpa, ...you won't punish me?

– Of course not, my child! We have no concern to restore order legally to our own satisfaction, to punish the transgression in order to get our ashore. We only care that you are restored safe and sound to our family. You are not too much for us, let us be many. We love you no less than anyone else in here and you are too precious to us to lose you.

And with these words the good old man bent down and tenderly embraced the young sprout of his house, kissing it affectionately. A surge choked the boy's heart, hot tears filled his eyes before he could hold them back.

– Is this the answer to what I asked you before I left, grandpa? he asked in a voice that was breaking with emotion.

– Exactly, my dear child! You said, how can God love and punish at the same time? But God only loves, my son! Who says that all He knows is to punish? Whoever just ignores Him. The distorters of His image. Death, every punishment, is but the natural consequence of our estrangement from Him, the final outcome of our sin. Not a punishment imposed by God out of some sadistic and vengeful mood for his own satisfaction.

The conversations stopped, they all surrounded the bleached old man. He calmly continued.

– Do you see the sun? It shines for everyone and radiates. But if one hides from its light and freezes, is it the sun's fault? It is the same with God.

– Really grandpa?

– He is, my son, the only source of life. He radiates love, warmth and light for all. And whoever is with hHim, truly lives. But whoever, always freely, leaves His presence, is deprived of this life. Leaving the warmth, it freezes in the dark and eventually dies. Outside His shelter he is unprotected. Invulnerable to every danger, spiritual and physical. Anything can happen to him, but not because God is punishing him. But why does he choose of his own accord to stay away from His protection, exposed to any harm, since he enters the dangerous region ruled by death.

– Just like I did, grandpa!

– Exactly, my child! But not because we punished you. But why did you of your own free will move away from the protection and comfort of your home? It was next in the dark valley to be surrounded by frost, pain and near death.

– I understood well, grandpa! If one hides from the sunlight, one freezes through one's own fault, although the sun illuminates and radiates warmth.

– The same invariably happens with the sun of justice. He came for us! He was born among us today, to radiate the sweet rays of His love without exception to the whole earth. Isn't it a shame to condemn ourselves to the cold, stubbornly choosing the shade?

... said the grandfather and fell silent...

Crouching, small and large, they respectfully received his words. Silence reigned in the air...

But in everyone's hearts and eyes divine reflections shone.

Christmas 2011

Christmas Stories, no. 11

H. Temple of St. Vassiliou Preveza

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Entering the Elder's room, I found there the father of the girl, whose funeral had just taken place.

I hugged him, kissed him and we both started crying.

Then the Elder jumps up and tells us:

"Both of you should go out. I can't stand you."

We did, indeed, go out. After a while the Elder sent and they called me. I went and he said:

Excuse me for telling you to go out, but do you know what is happening to me today?

"What, Elder?"

And he began to say to me, crying:

-At the time of the funeral I saw a bright light over the Church. Throughout the funeral I saw this bright star.

When they lowered the coffin into the grave and filled it with soil, then I stopped seeing it.

"Stop, Elder, please because you too will suffer something and I will suffer from our excessive emotion!

-After so many years and to see you crying, Mr. Papazachos, recounting this shocking thing!

- I cannot, indeed, hold back my tears!

He once said to me:

"Death can be represented as follows: Suppose we are in one room where they open the door and immediately we are in the other room.

So are we: If we are here with Christ, we will also be with Him."

Anthology of Advice, St. Porphyrios, ed. I. Monastery of the Transfiguration, Milesi, p.201-202

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The Holy Monastery of St. Catherine in Aegina is located on the right side of the road that goes up to the Monastery of Holy Trinity, St. Nectarios. Tradition says that there was a small church of Saint Catherine there and miraculously her icon was found. It is said that this little church was owned by a very blasphemous person and that in 1908 it was bought by two nuns.

According to tradition, when that estate was bought, there was no water at all. So they dug 30 meters, but they could not find water. Then, a saintly monk prayed with the nuns and lowered the icon into the well and burned incense in the dry well.

In the evening during the prayer, a loud noise and strange banging was heard and the small monastery shook from its foundations. "The Saint got angry, they said, because we left her in the soil and she is destroying us". But in the morning when the monk went down to take out the image, he sees a Cross carved on the walls of the well. He then saw that the Cross was wet at the bottom. He then took the image out of the well and informed the nuns of the joyous event. The well was producing water! Since 1924, the water of the well has existed until today and adequately covers the needs of the Monastery of Saint Catherine. Saint Catherine has performed many miracles in the monastery which are recorded in a special book.

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A certain villager had a cow, which he took great care of. He was taking her to graze, where there was plenty of grass. And for water, he took her to a nearby spring with very cool and clean water. Nevertheless, he noticed that, day by day, the cow was getting thinner and thinner. He ate more, but every day he lost weight...

The man left wondering:

"How does my cow get so thin, with so much care?", he said over and over again.

And the answer did not take long to come. One day, completely coincidentally, he also wanted to drink water from the spring. But when he bent down to drink, he noticed with horror that the trough of the spring was full of leeches. So the cow, every time she drank water, also swallowed leeches, which of course, living in her guts, sucked her blood, resulting , getting weaker and weaker.

Something similar happens with the spiritual searches of contemporary man. He quenches his thirst at the wrong springs, drinking water full of sinful "leeches", which enter him and rob him of all spiritual dignity.

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A miracle story of St. Nectarios

The construction of the Church Stephen in Paliachora is placed in the 17th - 18th century, but after the abandonment of Paliachora, it ended up in ruins, like many other churches. In this state was the church at the time when Saint Nectarios erected the church of his monastery (1904-1908), the Holy Trinity. At that time, some workers had gone to the ruined churches of Paliachora to find ashlars, and among them was Agesilaos Hatzopoulos, a native of Kypseli, who found a massive ashlar, but, while trying to lift it, he became immobile and lost his voice. His colleagues, unable to do anything, informed the Saint, who went to the place, said a prayer for him and he immediately got well.

Saint Nectarios, examining the stone, recognized that it had "openings" and therefore it was a Holy Altar of a temple. Since everyone was unaware of the name of the Church, they called the old vicar of Vatheos Simeon Kalamara, who knew Paliachora well, who explained to them that it was the church of St. Stephen. Hatzopoulos, out of gratitude to the Saint for his miracle, repaired the dilapidated church and placed the "opening" in their place.

This incident is known in Aegina and he saves it in his book "Christian Aegina". Mr. S. Dimitrakopoulos.

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The Vision of the Epitrachelion

A hieromonk father from the Neamț Monastery, an eminent scholar, typographer, bibliographer, almost half a century ago, recounted to me a moment in his life.

He was alone and loved quiet, so he lived in a small house outside the monastery.  He made his monastic rule with holiness, all the canons plus akathist and the supplication of the Virgin Mary.

 When he was a regular in the service, he did not like society and the crowd of brothers very much.  The crowd bothered him, rarely stopping by a café for food.  His head hurt for talking so much.  But what only bothered him was the crowd of worshippers at Saint Maslu.  People from all the neighboring villages flocked to the Sacrament of Unction and pulled the epitrachelion from the heads of the priests.  During the reading of the Holy Gospels, as if in sign, the whole congregation of women crowded under his neck, pulling the poor father.  It even seemed to him that it was unworthy and obscene to get under his necklace.

The abbot saw him frowning and asked him. what was wrong.  The father said to him: "Elder, old man, I came to the monastery, not to be pulled,  to be pushed by all the women, to be crushed.

The abbot said: "I will pray for you."

The next night, the father dreamt of a great lake of fire, with terrible flames in which millions of people burned.  And he was carried by an angel over the lake of fire, full of devils.

 He was wearing his epitrachelion and dozens of people were holding it screaming in fear, yet it did not tear.

 And the angel said to him: "these are the people for whom you pray, whom you confess"

Do not remove them from your neck or they will fall into the sea of fire and be lost forever.  And not only do you hold them, but they also hold you, because without them you could fall.

Since then, in fear and trembling, the Father has not turned anyone away from the epitrachelion knowing that God's grace flows through it.

Father John Istratis.

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I remember an event that happened in Cyprus. When I first came to Cyprus from Mount Athos, in the early years, a teacher of transcendental meditation came to me.

A yoga teacher who was initiated into all these satanic delusions and sophistry. He worked in England, traveled around, was a student of great gurus and various other delusional people of that time.

After a meeting with the elder Sophronius in Essex, his entire situation was disturbed. He was Cypriot. He came to Cyprus with his wife and they came and confessed and laid the foundations of a spiritual life. But he had many demonic actions.

Satan was fighting him fiercely. With many calculations and with a hardness of heart. Because meditation - or as the old man Paisios jokingly called it, diabolism - is based on human egoism, arrogance, vanity. So he cultivated vanity in himself for years.

He was a teacher, he had his own school with hundreds of students who taught them meditation, esoteric philosophy and more. So there was a battle inside his logic, inside his calculations and his heart could not be crushed to repent. He was coming to the monastery, confessing but struggling.

As I was taking confessions, I had next to me an image of the Bridegroom Christ, this image is the modern one that is the Bridegroom Christ with the red chlamys and the reed in his hand.

I found the icon in the monastery, I lit a candle in front of the icon and people confessed near it. He looked at it and wondered: "What does this picture mean?"

In the evening after the confession was over he went home and went to pray. In a state of dizziness, confussion etc., he fell asleep a little. He saw a vision, he himself could not understand, he saw Christ as the Bridegroom wearing that chlamys and searching with the reed in garbage and in grasses and in meadows and on cliffs.

He says: “But this is the Christ! What is Christ looking for? "

He took courage and went to Him and said to Him: "Lord, what are you looking for?"

And Christ says to him: "I am looking for some monsters like you."

And He urned and looked at him sternly. And then his heart breaks and for years he cried. Because he understood that Christ had been looking for him for so many years and he, with all these demonic things he had done, had made his heart a demonic monster.

But Christ was looking for him!

Elder Athanasiou, Metropolitan of Limassol

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EXAM WITH THE GUARDIAN ANGEL.

I would like to tell a story of a young student. He was not particularly good at higher mathematics. And at the end of his second year, he just couldn’t pass the test. He failed exam after exam. When he was given the last chance - either he passes the exam or flies out of the institute - he took the ticket and realized that he would not be able to answer.

The teacher also understood this: “Okay, here’s a differential equation for you. If you solve it, so be it, I’ll give you a C.” The student looked at this equation and realized that he couldn’t solve it either. And so, here he prayed: “Lord, forgive me that I’m so stupid and a bad student. But, if it is Your holy will that I study at this institute, help me. After all, if I am kicked out, they will immediately draft me into the army, and these two years will go down the drain. Why then did You allow me to come here?”

And then he heard a voice in his head, not even a voice, but a persistent thought: “Write = equal. Well, why are you sitting, I’m telling you, write - R A V N O.” The young student was surprised and wrote the “=” sign. “Write further - two, then draw - a fraction, but not like that, longer, write above - dx, open a bracket below...”

The student was surprised to do everything that this “voice” told him, and only then looked at what what the teacher gave him, and was surprised to find out that, indeed, one is equal to the other. Developing this equation further was a matter of technique; the main thing was to take that first step.

Fortunately, that student was Orthodox and after the exam, shocked, he rushed to the nearest church. A priest he knew immediately served a prayer of thanks and then said: “It was your guardian angel who helped you.” Stories like this happen by the grace of God.

Priest A. Diaghilev

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A miracle in a village in the Tambov region!

An image of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker appeared on the door of a barn in the village of Tambov.

The family bought an abandoned house in the village for demolition. The building slowly began to dismantle, the old door was removed and hung on the shed. And it hung for almost a year.

"The other day my daughter went out into the yard after the rain and saw the icon on the door - says the owner of the house Alexandra Shibina - she rushed to the face and began to kiss him, and then came running and tells me: we have a miracle in the yard - St. Nicholas the Wonderworker appeared!".

The door was immediately removed and taken to the church in the village of Shekhman. The locals believe that the more people come to worship the shrine, the stronger the image appears. A second silhouette began to appear on the left. The face is not yet visible, but, according to experts, it is already clear that it is some kind of saint in the dignity of a metropolitan.

The restorer claims that it is a local saint, possibly St. Tikhon of Zadonsk. Parishioners from neighboring regions come to the place of the miracle.

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Once, a poor woman passed by a vineyard, which was full of delicious and ripe grapes. It was midsummer, so she stopped in front of the vineyard and as she was thirsty, she pondered:

"If only I had a bunch of these juicy grapes..."

At that moment, the owner of the vineyard appears on the street.

He greeted her and said:

"What are you looking at, my dear? Would you like a bunch of grapes?"

"Of course, I would!" she replied, "but I can't take."

"Don't worry," the landlord tells her. "I am the master of the vineyard and I will give you, wait for me."

He then enters the vineyard and gets lost in the tufted vines. She waited anxiously, but when she saw that the winegrower was late, she thought that he forgot about it and so she moved away from that place. After a while, the winegrower appears and finds that the woman was gone. But he saw her at the far end of the road, far away, and called for her to come back.

As soon as the woman returned, the winegrower told her:

"I'm sorry I'm late. But why did you leave? I was a little late because I wanted to choose the best bunches! Here, I brought you a full basket!"!

And he gave her the basket. The woman was ashamed, put her head down, took the basket, thanked the good winegrower and left!

This story hides a great lesson for everyone. Many times we ask in our prayer for something, but we do not get an immediate answer. Then, we believe that God does not care about us. Sometimes, after a while, and when, of course, it is for our good that we ask, the answer comes from the Lord and indeed rich and blessed, as much as we could not have expected it!

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One afternoon, hundreds of people had gone to the Monastery (Holy Monastery of the Transfiguration in Kymi) for a vigil and with the secret hope that there might be a chance to eat something, because hunger was ravaging the world in year 1943 because of the German occupation.

But in the Monastery, they only had a handful of chickpeas in one bag and a handful of oatmeal in another. The Elder Simon Arvanitis  then said to the cook, Moschoula:

"Listen to what you will do: You will put the two large cauldrons on fire and fill them up to the waist with water. As soon as you see the water boiling, put the chickpeas in one cauldron and the oatmeal in the other, so we can make food and the people can eat!"!!

Moschula had lively doubts about what he heard, but Father Simon checked him strictly and said to him:

“Obey, my child. Do what I tell you and stop thinking"!!

Moschula was afraid, seeing the Elder so stern and distressed, and said:

"Good Father Simon. I will do as you say."

As soon as the water boiled, Moschoula poured the ingredients into the two cauldrons...

After a while he went to see what happened to the food. And what did he see! He sees the two cauldrons filled with food and bubbling! Everyone ran to the caldrons, even bringing various containers which they filled with the overflowing food!

In the morning, after the vigil, everyone ate and was filled. And there were a lot of people! The fathers of the Monastery had rich and hearty food for several days!

Much later, after this miracle, Father Simon told the Monks that he was troubled by seeing all the miracles that were happening in the Monastery and, as he was walking in the garden, he said to the Lord:

“Sir, please:

I don't know who I am...?

Don't I know that I am a great sinner...?

These miracles are done only by Saints!

How come they happen to me too...?!

"At that moment, there was a living revelation," said the Elder.

"I heard the Voice of God loudly, mentioning my name, and I felt every word striking my forehead: "Simon, you say you are a sinner. Have this awareness! I have not ranked you among the Saints, but among the Righteous! When you beg Me day and night for the world to eat and show so much Love for My creatures, how can I not send you what you ask of Me? If you continue to have this Love until the end, I will bless you and you will lack nothing"!!!

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Sometimes miracles happen in my life. And then I see clearly: someone great and unknown put his hand on it. Maybe an angel? I don't know ... I want to share such a miracle with you.

It was in the winter, late at night, in a terrible snowstorm. After painting the painting and washing the brushes, I was returning home from the workshop. I was in a hurry, because the family was waiting for me at home. But the blizzard was so strong, that I could see nothing even three paces away—it was dark, and the thick snow was thickening, swirling, and raging...

And so, reversing, my car hit something in the middle of a street. My stomach exploded. I came out. That's how it happened — I hit someone else's car.

It was a small green jeep, parked in the middle of the yard, covered in snow, which means it had been here for a long time. And how badly parked, immediately abandoned. I scratched his bumper, not much, but it was visible. And I see, that my tail light was broken.

I was walking, honking from the car. No one... I walked, I shouted, I called, maybe they will hear me, maybe they will look out the window? The snow swirled blinding my eyes. I call, but I'm shaking all over. And I thought, “Come on, now. Go away. It's his fault — why does he leave his car anywhere?' I got into my car and drove off.

I'm driving, but I feel very uneasy. And this is getting worse and worse. I've already crossed the avenue, but I ache inside. No, you can't do that I thought to myself. So I turn around and come back. I placed a violation notice and my phone on the windshield of the jeep. I went home tired, but already calm.

The next day, the phone rang. It was an old lady who introduced herself as the mother of the owner of this jeep.

— Oh, he always does that to me: he leaves the car in the middle of the yard. The neighbors were already complaining. He is a zoologist, he went on an expedition. Young, in a hurry, you know…

We met with this lady. I gave her fifteen thousand rubles for repairs. Then we left.

And this story would have been forgotten, if not for a wonderful sequel.

I used to go to Moscow in the summer. Suddenly, a friend of mine calls me. She has a problem, she urgently needs money, fifteen thousand. She's asking for help. I park, try to transfer to her card — something isn't working right... I call her.

— I'm sorry, the transfer is not possible. I can not help you.

I went further. And then at the traffic light, while braking, someone hits my rear bumper and breaks my rear tail lights and bumper.

It turned out that the young man who was driving rented the car and couldn't control the brakes.

— I'm sorry, this car is unfamiliar to me, this is my first time renting from an office, — he worries, and gives me the money, — yes, fifteen thousand, take it. I'm late ... let's not call the police, okay?

I hear him, but still he babbles, the poor fellow:

— And what indeed, turned out to be? I am in a hurry to get to the airport, I have already parked my car at home, I have such a green jeep. And I'm going on a mission, I'm a zoologist…

I was standing there looking at him and I couldn't believe my ears. I subtly asked:

— And your car, where is it parked?

— Yes, close to home, in the Dynamo area. There are artist workshops there too, you know?

— Yes. I am aware…

I even felt dizzy at that moment.

"Listen," I told him, "Don't give me the money." You can transfer them to this number if possible. And I dictated my girlfriend's phone number.

He made the transfer.

- Thank you, thank you! - he said, and grabbed the steering wheel again. — Sorry, I'm in a hurry!

Nice guy. Very abstract, but good.

I didn't tell him anything about the miracle. He was in a hurry so I didn't tell him.

But, did you understand what happened?

I hit his jeep and I paid exactly fifteen thousand rubles. And now he gave them back to me. At the right time, when my friend needed exactly that fifteen thousand.

It can't be a coincidence. This is a real miracle. This is the hand of an angel.

“Why did this happen? Probably to help my friend. Apparently, she really needed help.

And why did it happen to me? Maybe the angel decided to reward me like this? For my return to the jeep I hit?

But I think the main point is this: I was gifted this incident for you. So that I can now convey to people the main miracle: for us always, they always care from above. And sometimes they help us carefully.

And they smile at us from there, behind the clouds.

Yes, I told you. I hope you are smiling now too.

Anastasia Kovalenkova

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A miracle of the life of St. Gabriel Urgebadze !

Once Father Gabriel sat quietly on a bench in the courtyard of the monastery. Suddenly he was approached by a beautiful woman with makeup and wearing tight pants. And she sat on Father Gabriel's knees, and kissed him, and said:

Father Gabriel, you are so beautiful. I'm a fan of yours ! I will come back to you again..... "

Stood stiff, didn't understand what was happening. Father Gabriel looked stoned. I thought someone sent this woman on purpose.

Father Gabriel listened to her for a long time, and did not interrupt her, then said:

"Come, Makwala, come again... "

When Makwala heard Fr Gabriel calling her by her name, Fr Gabriel suddenly stood up and ran towards the exit without looking back.

After that, Father Gabriel went into his cell and received no one all evening, and he prayed a lot in front of the icon of the Virgin Mary.

I thought if Makwala came back the next day, it would happen again. Makwala is back, but a miracle has happened:

She had nothing in common with the one that came yesterday:

She was wearing a long black skirt, she had a scarf on her head, and her eyes were crying. She stood at the door of Father Gabriel's cell and said with tears:

"Father Gabriel, I know you will not open the door for me. I know I'll never see you again, forgive me for my rudeness yesterday. Thank you for everything".

I'm blown away by this change. I couldn't understand everything right away, but now I see clearly that Father Gabriel performed an invisible miracle - he healed a perplexed woman.

The next day, I remembered, that yesterday, shortly before Makwala's arrival, Father Gabriel unexpectedly got up, entered his cell and closed the door. No doubt he predicted her arrival and didn't want to meet her.

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Once, in a village, there was a grandmother, who every morning went out into the forest and gathered wood for her fire, and herbs to eat. One day, as she was returning from the forest, loaded with wood on her shoulder and grass on her apron, on the way she met Charontas.

"Hello and welcome, Charontas," Grandma says, unperturbed, "where are you going?"

"I'm coming for you", Charontas replies. "Come on, get ready for me to pick you up."

"Let me go home first, unload and get ready for the trip. But, to have a good question, like how do you want me to get ready?"

"As you wish," Charontas replies.

Then the grandmother goes home, lights the fireplace and puts the greens to boil. Then, she began to leaven bread and made bagels for forgiveness. Then she set a table and waited for the bread and greens to be baked.

Then Charontas appears again and asks her:

"Hey, are you ready, auntie?"

"I am waiting for the greens to boil, bake the bread and eat. Don't you want to sit down and have a bite to eat with me?"

"But... Don't you have a grudge against me, auntie, that I will take your soul?"

"No, why should I hold a grudge against you? Is my soul yours? It is the Lord's!!"!!

"And your body, where will you leave it in the grave?" asks Charontas

"Well, that's my business!" the grandmother replies. "I will hand it over to God and He will keep it for me. Have you seen where we put a cross on the graves?"

Just in time, the greens were boiled, she smelled the bread in the oven and the grandmother put down the food and put on the table two plates of greens and several slices of bread and sat happy to eat!

Charontas, however, was sad and did not want to eat...

"I don't like taking people who don't cry," he tells the grandmother.

"Can you tell me why?" asks the grandmother in wonder.

She adds: "What does it matter to you, whether they cry or not?"

"When people cry and mourn, before I take them, they are mine and I take them to hell. But when they are quiet, prayerful and meek, God takes them and takes them straight to Paradise."

"That's why you have a bad name and they're afraid of you," the grandmother tells him. "Eat a little to warm your soul, make your Cross, lest you stop punishing the world"!

Then Charontas could not stand the words of the wise and pious grandmother, he ran away from his evil, so he threw himself up and left, saying:

"I have lost you anyway. What am I sitting and loitering with you..."

The grandmother, then, carefree, continued her meal, praising God!!

ANT.

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Nativity Message of St. John Maximovitch

1963 Christmas Message

By St. John Maximovitch

“Glory to God in the highest, and on the earth peace among those whom He is pleased” (Luke 2:14).

The angels sang in heaven when the Son of God was born in Bethlehem. “Glory to God in the highest” is heard in heaven to this day, in all ages it has not calmed down and never stopped for a moment. The angels are constantly praising Him. “Holy, Holy, Holy,” cry the six-winged seraphim and the many-eyed cherubim, countless hosts of angels worship Him. Soulless creation listens to Him: the sun shines, warming the earth with its rays, the moon dispels the darkness of the night, the stars shine, the material sky, imitating the spiritual Heaven, glorifies the Creator of the universe in its strength in the highest.

Is there peace on earth that the angels sang about on the night when the Infant Christ was born in a wretched cave?

After all, when the angelic singing heard by the shepherds had not yet ceased, Herod’s warriors were already sharpening their swords for slaughtering innocent babies. Then the Jewish elders and high priests viciously persecuted the Newborn, finally achieving the crucifixion and death of the Source of life. And soon after His Ascension, the blood of His disciples poured into heaven, beginning with Archdeacon Stephen, whose memory has long been associated with the feast of the Nativity of Christ. The blood of those who believe in Christ is still shed today, and divisions constantly arise between them, often turning into enmity. Where is the peace that the angels sang about on the night of the Nativity of Christ?

But, although it seems that there was not and is not peace on earth, now indeed the King of the world was born in Bethlehem, He gave peace to mankind. He proclaimed peace to people and was the bearer of true peace.

“Peace be with you,” He constantly told His disciples. He also had peace towards His enemies, and prayed for those who crucified Him. That peace He bequeathed and left to those who followed Him and loved Him. This is that inner peace given from above, for which we daily pray during divine services, saying: “For peace from above and the salvation of our souls, let us entreat the Lord.” That is a deep inner peace, a feeling of closeness to God and the purity of one's conscience before Him. That peace does not depend on external conditions, but is given by the purification of one's heart.

This peace belonged to the martyrs during their sufferings, the saints who fled from the world, but whom the world followed. “Acquire inner peace and thousands around you will be saved,” said St. Seraphim of Sarov. That peace Christ brought to earth, which He gave and gives to those who seek Him. He gives to those who aspire to it and in their hearts prepare a dwelling place for Him, driving out all that is filthy from it - to those who have good will, i.e. the will to do the commandments of God and do good to others. Whoever not only wants it, but directs and forces himself to it, the Lord rewards him with a grace-filled peace. Blessed is the soul that feels it, then nothing is terrible! She experiences joyful blessedness, and sows peace all around.

Lord God, give us Your peace! Let's break away from earthly attachments. Woe to our hearts! May the light of the Star of Bethlehem shine upon them, and with joy let us cry:

Glory to God in the highest, and on the earth peace among those whom He is pleased!

Christ is born!

https://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2023/01/1963-nativity-message-of-st-john.html

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A miracle of St. Xenia of St. Petersburg: "You know where to go!"

  

About fifteen years ago, I heard this story about an event that took place in Northern California—an unusual story, about a miracle of St. Xenia of Petersburg. Nun Nina, now Abbess Nina of St. Nilus Skete in Alaska, had heard it from Fr. Weldon Hardenbrook, who at the time was the rector of a church in Santa Cruz County. I wrote it down immediately, but unfortunately the notebook I wrote it in is located somewhere far away from me now, and I am writing it again from memory—so that people might know that Blessed Xenia the fool-for-Christ of St. Petersburg helps people everywhere, even people who previously knew nothing about her. She helps not only those who have prayed to her, but even those who will pray to her.

  

This priest, Fr. Weldon, served in a parish that consisted of former Evangelical Christians who had embraced Orthodox Christianity. There was a time when their flourishing community was not Orthodox, and all kinds of people came to them to hear their Christian message. One day, a young man rode up to the church on his Harley Davidson. His appearance betrayed the life of a prodigal, but he was sincerely interested in hearing about Jesus. A relationship formed with the Fr Weldon, now an Orthodox priest (who told this story), and the young man began to gradually change his ways. He had given up one vice after another when the pastor told him that his “biking” would have to go if he wanted to truly follow Christ. This was too much for the newly-born Evangelical to bear, and he left the community and his pastor’s care, never intending to return.

  

Our biker rode off on his Harley Davidson, and soon had a terrible accident, which cost him his legs. Eventually he landed back in the company of his old “friends”, in a run-down apartment in a low-rent neighborhood in the bad part of a crime-ridden city. One evening, as he and his companions were abusing drugs and alcohol in a particularly vigorous way, he slipped over the edge and lost consciousness. The others were also far from sober and took him for dead. Not understanding clearly what they should do, and as usual avoiding all contact with the police, they simply dragged his limp, legless body to the street and threw him into the nearest garbage dumpster. In there, the next morning, he came to his senses. It was a rude awaking indeed to find himself in a dumpster, wallowing in refuse. Climbing dazedly out of that would-be coffin, he sat down on the curb, thinking the darkest thoughts. “So, this is what I have come to. Useless, human trash. Thrown away like garbage.”

  

Sunk in these pessimistic thoughts, he was suddenly stirred by the presence of an old lady in tattered clothes—what people call a “bag lady”. She was coming closer to him with a fierce, accusatory expression. “You know where to go,” she said, pointing at him. “So, go there!” At that moment the man remembered his former pastor, and the church where he had almost reformed. Determined to find it again, he made his way back to the town where it is located.

  

When he returned to that church it was different. There were gold domes with crosses on the roof, and the interior was completely changed. No pews; and there was a sort of screen at the front, with strange images of holy people. He looked around in wonder, when his gaze caught the image of a woman—the very “bag lady” who had told him where to go in that hour of dire depression. It was Holy Blessed Xenia, the fool-for-Christ of Petersburg.

  

He met his old friend, now an Orthodox priest in a cassock, wearing a cross. He received holy Baptism himself, and began to live the life of a dedicated parishioner, this time truly transformed.

I do not know what has come of this man since. I have no reason to believe that he is anywhere other than at that parish, but as I have said, this story was related to me fifteen years ago. However, the fact remains that this miracle of St. Xenia happened to person who knew nothing of her, who lived in a place very far from Russia, and when he needed it the most.

https://full-of-grace-and-truth.blogspot.com/2017/01/a-miracle-of-st-xenia-of-st-petersburg.html

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ELDER PAISIOS AND ST. ISAAC THE SYRIAN, WHO WERE TREATED SO UNFAIRLY

Hieromonk Isaac

In light of the recent commemoration of St. Isaac the Syrian the Bishop of Nineveh, we offer a small episode from the life of Elder Paisios, who particularly revered this saint and was very upset with the fact that modern-day theologians identified him as a follower of Nestorian heresy.

One day, the Elder, sitting on a stone ledge near the monastery of Stavronikita, had a conversation with some pilgrims. One of them, a graduate of the school of theology, claimed that Abba Isaac the Syrian was a Nestorian, and he kept repeating his view that was so commonly accepted in the West.

The Elder Paisios tried to convince the theologian that Abba Isaac the Syrian was not only Orthodox, but also a saint, and his ascetic words were filled with great grace and power. But the elder’s attempts turned out to be futile—the “theologian” stubbornly stood his ground. The elder retreated to his cell in distress and immersed himself in prayer.

When he had walked just a little distance from the monastery and reached a large sycamore tree, in his own words, he “experienced an event”, which he declined to describe in greater detail. According to one testimony, the elder had a vision: he saw the venerable monastic fathers passing in front of him. One of the venerable saints stopped in front of the Elder and said, “I am Isaac the Syrian. I am really and truly Orthodox. Indeed, the area where I served as bishop fell into the Nestorian heresy, but I fought against it.” We are unable to confirm the truthfulness of this vision or to reject it. At any rate, beyond a doubt, the event the Elder had witnessed was of supernatural origin. This event clearly and precisely informed the Elder of the Orthodoxy and holiness of Abba Isaac.

The book by St. Isaac lay at the head of the Elder’s bed. He would read this book all the time, and for six years, it would be his only spiritual reading. He used to read a single phrase from the book only to repeat it in his mind throughout the day, “working” at it actively and in depth, in his own words, just like “the cattle that chews their cud.” The Elder would hand out excerpts from St. Isaac’s writing as a blessing to his visitors in his desire to encourage people to read his works. The Elder believed that the study of the ascetic writings by Abba Isaac is “greatly beneficial since it allows us to grasp the most profound meaning of life. And if a person who believes in God, has complexes of any kind, either large or small, it will help him be rid of them. Abba Isaac’s book contains a great number of spiritual ‘vitamins’, and owing to them, it transforms the soul.”1

The elder also advised the laity to read Abba Isaac, but in small bites in order to digest what they have just read. The elder said that Abba Isaac’s book is identical in value to the entire library of the Holy Fathers.

Elder Paisios wrote in his book by Abba Isaac under the icon of the saint that shows him holding a pen: “Abba, give me your pen so that I can underline every single word in your book!” With this, the elder meant to say that this book is of such great value that every word in it is worth underlining.

The Elder not only read the sayings of Abba Isaac, but he also held him in great awe and revered him as a saint. The icon of St. Isaac the Syrian was one of the very few icons placed on the tiny altar table in his Panaguda cell. Because of his love and reverence for the saint, the Elder gave his name to one of the monks when he tonsured him into the Great Schema. The Elder celebrated the memory of St. Isaac on September 28. He saw to it that all the fathers from his inner circle celebrated a general All-Night Vigil on this day. During one of these vigils, the Elder was seen surrounded by the Light of Tabor, exalted and in a transformed state.

Before the Fathers began to commemorate the memory of the saint on September 28, the Elder had signed the following in his Menaion on January 28 (on this day the memory of St. Isaac the Syrian is commemorated, together with that of St. Ephraim the Syrian): “The 28th day of this month is the commemoration day of our Venerable Father Ephraim the Syrian, as well as Isaac the Great Hesychast, who were treated so unfairly.”

From: Hieromonk Isaac. Life of the Elder Paisios of the Holy Mountain (Moscow: Holy Mountain, 2006), 243–245.

https://orthochristian.com/158669.html

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Saint Eumenios Saridakis of Athens, Greece (+1999)

May 23

Saint Eumenios was born in 1931 in Ethia of Monophatsion in the province of Heraklion of Crete, the eighth child of a poor family of faithful Christians. He became a monk at the age of 17; he struggled to cultivate his soul with love and prayer and was tested very harshly by leprosy; but later also, while a priest, by a demonic influence which tormented him in body and soul, but was freed of it after many prayers, vigils and exorcisms in monasteries of Crete, such as the monasteries of Koudoumás and Panagía Kalyvianí. 

Leprosy brought him to the Hospital for Infectious Diseases in the St.Barbara suburb of Athens. He was healed there, but, having seen human suffering, he decided to remain at the Hospital as a priest, in order to help comfort his fellow-men as much as he could! That was where “he was to begin his pastoral work, in the presence of which, those with theological degrees and ecclesiastic offices ought to kneel”.

His love and his ascetic labours brought God’s grace upon him; this humble priest (who officiated in the chapel of the Holy Unmercenaries and Physicians, Saints Cosmas and Damianos, situated inside the Hospital for Infectious Diseases) reached a high degree of sanctity – which he kept secret as much as he could – and became endowed with the gift of foresight, lofty spiritual experiences and visions and helped countless people of every social class and level of education – not only with his advice and his prayers, but also with his sanctified presence.

The Elder loved everyone, every individual personally, and he was particularly a laughing saint – his booming laugh was one of his distinctive features – likewise, he would often exit the Inner Sanctum during the course of a Liturgy, with his beard soaked by his tears, since he used to pray for all of our suffering and unfortunate fellow-men, obviously because he also had the gift of tears.

At the Hospital for Infectious Diseases, he was blessed to meet the leprosied holy monk Nicephorus [St. Nikephoros the Leper] who, even though blinded by the illness, had nevertheless become a great spiritual father of many Christians and a teacher to Elder Evmenios.

He spent the last two years of his life at the “Annunciation” Hospital and on May 23, 1999 he gave up his spirit in the Lord and was buried at his birth place (in Ethia), in accordance with his wishes. (cf. Monk Simon, Fr. Evmenios – The hidden saint of our time, Athens 2010, ed. 2, pp. 137-146). 

http://o-nekros.blogspot.gr/2011/02/elder-evmenios-saridakis-holy-friend-of.html

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Quote from Saint Elder Ephraim of Arizona (+2019) on Holy Pascha

Today is the Resurrection of Christ.

"Come, receive the light, from the never-setting light..."

O, never-setting, perfect light that never sets, surpassingly bright and surpassingly white, O how you magnetize my nous, my soul, my heart! I desire you endlessly, with love and eros unending. When will I be made worthy of the gift of the compassion of my Most-Holy God the Father, to partake of You unto the ages of ages!

My unworthiness troubles me, that I am not worthy of such a place among the saved, but I am worthy of hell and of eternal punishment.

The Resurrection, the eternal Pascha, attracts me terribly. It draws me above the state of things. Above heaven. Above to the sure desire, which I greatly desire to find. But, when will this occur?

O Pascha, together with the Angels, with the Saints, dressed in white, who so greatly desire me and attract me! New songs and unspeakable words are chanted and praised to God, with an awesome, but also unspeakable peace and serenity.

O Pascha, without end, and transformation of the unspeakable joy and Festival! My Father and my God, preserve me from every evil that I myself might be made worthy, I the refuse, one day to be found at that Pascha which cannot be described in human words, nor expressed and spoken of.

Rejoice and exalt, you to as well, O my Lady Theotokos, at the arising of Your Son and God. In the divine beauty of your Son and God, remember me, the wretched one, that I might be found together with you in the eternal Pascha!

...It is the day of Resurrection, let us brilliantly shine forth, O people, Pascha, the Lord's Pascha.

I greet you this year, my Pascha.

https://full-of-grace-and-truth.blogspot.com/2021/05/quote-from-elder-ephraim-of-arizona-on.html

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St. Basil the Great: On Giving Thanks to the Creator

Giving ThanksAs thou takest thy seat at table, pray. As thou liftest the loaf, offer thanks to the Giver. When thou sustainest thy bodily weakness with wine, remember Him Who supplies thee with this gift, to make thy heart glad and to comfort thy infirmity. Has thy need for taking food passed away? Let not the thought of thy Benefactor pass away too. As thou art putting on thy tunic, thank the Giver of it. As thou wrappest thy cloak about thee, feel yet greater love to God, Who alike in summer and in winter has given us coverings convenient for us, at once to preserve our life, and to cover what is unseemly. Is the day done? Give thanks to Him Who has given us the sun for our daily work, and has provided for us a fire to light up the night, and to serve the rest of the needs of life. Let night give the other occasion of prayer. When thou lookest up to heaven and gazest at the beauty of the stars, pray to the Lord of the visible world; pray to God the Arch-artificer of the universe, Who in wisdom hath made them all. When thou seest all nature sunk in sleep, then again worship Him Who gives us even against our wills release from the continuous strain of toil, and by a short refreshment restores us once again to the vigour of our strength. Let not night herself be all, as it were, the special and peculiar property of sleep. Let not half thy life be useless through the senselessness of slumber. Divide the time of night between sleep and prayer. Nay, let thy slumbers be themselves experiences in piety; for it is only natural that our sleeping dreams should be for the most part echoes of the anxieties of the day. As have been our conduct and pursuits, so will inevitably be our dreams. Thus wilt thought pray without ceasing; if thought prayest not only in words, but unitest thyself to God through all the course of life and so thy life be made one ceaseless and uninterrupted prayer.”

+ St. Basil the Great, from Homily V. In martyrem Julittam, quoted in the Prolegomena in Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers Series II Volume 8

https://orthodoxchurchquotes.wordpress.com/2015/11/11/st-basil-the-great-on-giving-thanks-to-the-creator/

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St. Gennadius: Always have the fear of God . . .

St. Gennadios Scholarios“Always have the fear of God in your heart, and remember that God is always with you, everywhere, whether you are walking or sitting.”

+ St. Gennadius of Constantinople, The Golden Chain, 14

https://orthodoxchurchquotes.wordpress.com/2015/10/31/st-gennadius-always-have-the-fear-of-god/

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St. Ephraim of Katounakia on the Humble Simplicity of the Cave of Bethlehem

Christ's Nativity in the humble Cave of Bethlehem (source)

"I remember," said St. Ephraim of Katounakia, "that I was astonished by everywhere in the Holy Lands, but when I went to the Cave of Bethlehem, there, my heart was broken! It was torn into a thousand pieces! And I said, 'how was God born in this place, in this cave, without any consolation, like one thrown out of the city? This God Who could make anything for Himself, but, without complaint, far from every worldly comfort, during the night (and the coldest night of the year), the longest night of the year, in a totally abandoned place, He Who created everything--Heaven and Earth--He was born in this place!

"And when I returned [to his cell on Mount Athos], I entered in and saw my blankets (what blankets did He have?), and I saw what I had, and I was ashamed, and said: 'If God was born in that cave, how could I need all of these things?' I saw pots and pans..."

Metropolitan Athanasios of Lemesou, who was relating the story, comments that: "If I were to describe his pots...not even our dogs would eat from them! And if I could describe his bed...not even our pigs would we put in them!

"But, he perceived his place to be a luxury, over the top. And from then on, when they would tell him: "Elder, your cell is small." He would reply: "God was born in a cave. If I thought of God's cave, well then, what could I say regarding my own?"

http://apantaortodoxias.blogspot.com/2020/12/blog-post_380.html

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St. Neilos the Ascetic: . . .Rivalry over material possessions has made us forget . . .

BiltmoreSo we no longer pursue plainness and simplicity of life. We no longer value stillness, which helps to free us from past defilement, but prefer a whole host of things which distract us uselessly from our true goal. Rivalry over material possessions has made us forget the counsel of the Lord, who urged us to take no thought for earthly things, but to seek only the kingdom of heaven (cf. Matt. 6:33). Deliberately doing the opposite, we have disregarded the Lord’s commandment, trusting in ourselves and not in His protection. For He says: ‘Behold the fowls of the air: for they do not sow or reap or gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them’ (Matt. 6:26); and again: ‘Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they do not toil or spin’ (Matt. 6:28). When He sent the apostles out to declare the good news to their fellow men. He even forbade them to carry wallet, purse or staff, and told them to be content with His promise: ‘The workman is worthy of his food’ (Matt. 10:10). This promise is to be trusted far more than our own resources.

Despite all this we go on accumulating as much land as we can, and we buy up flocks of sheep, fine oxen and fat donkeys – the sheep to supply us with wool, the oxen to plough and provide food for us and fodder for themselves and for the other animals, the donkeys to transport from foreign lands the goods and luxuries which our own country lacks. We also select the crafts which give the highest return, even though they absorb all our attention and leave no time for the remembrance of God. It is as if we accused God of being incapable of providing for us, or ourselves of being unable to fulfill the commitments of our calling. Even if we do not admit this. openly, our actions condemn us; for we show approval of the ways of worldly men by engaging in the same pursuits, and perhaps working at them even harder than they do.

+ St. Neilos the Ascetic

https://orthodoxchurchquotes.wordpress.com/2015/09/18/st-neilos-the-ascetic-rivalry-over-material-possessions-has-made-us-forget/

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St. Paisios the Athonite on Prayer and Lighting Candles

Elder, when we light a candle, do we say that it is for some purpose?

-You are lighting it, but where do you send it? Aren't you sending it somewhere?

With a candle, we are seeking something from God. When you light it, you should say: "For those who are suffering in body and soul", "for those who have the greatest need", and among them is also the living and the reposed.

Do you know how much rest the departed sense when we light a candle for them? Thus, one has spiritual communication with the living and with the reposed.

The candle, in a few words, is an antenna*** that brings us into communication with God, with the sick, with the departed, etc.

***Note: St. Paisios is cleverly showing the resemblance of the words "κεράκι" and "κεραία" ("Candle" and "antenna") in Greek.

https://www.vimaorthodoxias.gr/gerontas-paisios/to-keraki-poy-anavoyme-einai-mia-keraia-poy-mas-fernei-konta-ston-theo/

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Elder Thaddeus: We think we know a lot . . .

Scholar Education KnowledgeWe think we know a lot, but what we know is very little. Even all those who have striven all their life to bring progress to mankind — learned scientists and highly educated people — all realize in the end that all their knowledge is but a grain of sand on the seashore. All our achievements are insufficient.

+ Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica, Our Thoughts Determine Our Lives

https://orthodoxchurchquotes.wordpress.com/2015/10/25/elder-thaddeus-we-think-we-know-a-lot/

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When was such a wonder of wonders ever seen by men? How does the Queen of all lie breathless? How has the Mother of Jesus reposed? Thou, O Virgin, wast the preaching of the prophets; thou art heralded by us. All the people venerate thee; the angels glorify thee. Rejoice, thou who art full of grace, the Lord is with thee, and through thee, with us. With Gabriel we hymn thee, with the angels we glorify thee; and with the prophets we praise thee, for they announced thee.

  

Habakkum beheld thee as an overshadowed mountain, for thou art covered with the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Daniel beheld thee as a mountain from whom, seedlessly, the solid and strong King, the Christ, issued forth. Jacob saw thee as a ladder upon Whom Christ came down to eat and drink with us. And although we, His slaves, contemplate ascending into the heavens, yet thou hast ascended before all. Rejoice, O Virgin, for Gideon beheld thee as a fleece. David saw thee as the virgin daughter of the King. Isaias called thee Mother of God and Ezekiel a gate. All the prophets prophesied thee!

  

What shall we call thee, O Virgin? Paradise. It is meet, for thou hast blossomed forth the flower of incorruption, Christ, Who is the sweet-smelling fragrance for the souls of men. Virgin? Verily, a virgin thou art, for without the seed of man thou gavest birth to our Lord Jesus Christ. Thou wast a virgin before birth and virgin at birth and still a virgin after. Shall we call thee Mother? This is meet too; for as a Mother thou gavest birth to Christ the King of all. Shall we name thee Heaven? This thou art also for upon thee rose the Sun of righteousness. Wherefore, rejoice O Virgin, and hasten to thy Son’s rest and dwell in the tents of His beloved. Hasten there and make ready a palace and remember us and all thy people also, too. O Lady Mother of God, for both we and thyself are of the race of Adam. On account of this, intercede on our behalf; for this supplicate thy Son Whom thou hast held in thine embrace, and help us in our preaching and then afterwards that we may find rest in our hopes. Go forward, O Virgin from earth to heaven, from corruption to incorruption, from the sorrow of this world to the joy of the Kingdom of the heavens, from this perishable earth to the everlasting Heaven. Hasten, O Virgin to the heavenly light, to the hymns of the angels, to the glory of the saints from all the ages. Hasten, O Virgin, to the place of thy Son, to His Kingdom, to His power, where the angels chant, the prophets glorify and the Archangels hymn the Mother of the King, who is the lit lampstand, wider than the heavens, the firmament above, the protection of Christians, and the mediatress of our race.”

-St. Ierothos

https://full-of-grace-and-truth.blogspot.com/2020/08/when-was-such-wonder-of-wonders-ever.html

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A Miracle of St. Iakovos of Evia in India  

When we celebrated the forty-day memorial of Papou [St. Iakovos of Evia], they whole area was covered in snow.

At one point in the evening, a rural villager came close. I heard Fr. Seraphim tell the sailor: "Go ahead, Niko, they're waiting for you behind the Altar."

When I went for a walk again in the Monastery, I passed by [the Saint's] grave, and I see the sailor crying, and after a short time, he related to us:

"We were stopped in India, because our boat had suffered damage, and we didn't know what was wrong. On Thursday evening I saw [the Saint] and he told me:

'Niko, it's there. That's where the damage is. Change out that part and you will leave.'

And that is how it occurred."

And when he returned to his home, his loved ones hadn't told him anything.

At the lunch table in his home, his little daughter told him:

"Daddy, that Papouli*** flew"

"What Papouli?"

They told him what had occurred [i.e. the repose of St. Iakovos] and he immediately came up to the Monastery. Of course at that hour, Fr. Seraphim and other pilgrims were there saying:

"He was a holy man."

And Fr. Seraphim [joked] "What kind of holy man? He was lying. He said that he hadn't gone anywhere, but he himself had gone to India."

-Quote of Metropolitan Pavlos of Siatista, of Blessed Memory, from a talk on St. Iakovos of Evia in the Holy Church of St. George, Panoramatos 11/21/2016  

***Note: "Papouli" here is being used as a term of endearment for a priest.

https://full-of-grace-and-truth.blogspot.com/2020/08/a-miracle-of-st-iakovos-of-evia-in-india.html

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