MIRACULOUS OCCURENCES

AND COUNSELS

OF ELDER PORPHYRIOS

As they were heard

as they were seen and lived

by some of his spiritual children

PUBLICATIONS

THE TRANSFIGURATION OF THE SAVIOR

MILESSI 2013

Copyright 2013: THE HOLY CONVENT OF THE TRANSFIGURATION OF THE SAVIOR

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Translation: +Fr. Constantine (Charles) J. Simones

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CONTENTS

PROLOGUE

A NOTEBOOK FROM MY ENCOUNTERS

WITH ELDER PORPHYRIOS

These are the notes

of Markiani Notarias

BIOGRAPHY

How he went to Mount Athos

The First Year

The Handiwork

Communicating With Prayer

Why He Left Mount Athos

How He Became A Spiritual Father

The Secret of Confession

How He Stopped a Bad Habit

It snowed on mt. Athos. The Elder feels cold in Athens

You are where your spirit is.

DIALOGUES WITH HIM

When your Enemy Swears at You

You must be obedient

About the Prayer

I Release You from Your Obedience

I Will Listen To You

Divine Grace and Joy

Remembrance of forgotten thoughts

He explains things to us so that others will listen

A spiritual father is a doctor filled with love

You should love mystical things. Do not display a sense of uneasiness before your children

The Issue of Identity Cards

We should also pray for evil people

You can acquire holiness in Omonia Square

My Joy Was to Visit the Elder

About death

Mystical Communication

The Holy Trinity Loves You

The Soul is the place where the battle of good and evil takes place

PASTORAL

How He Brought Together a Divided Family

A Visit of Hindus

Avoid Para Psychological Experiments

A Meeting with a Murderer

The Shepherd who took his blankets

DISCERNMENT

He tested the water below the surface of the ground

The healing of a cancer stricken person

Telepathic Diagnosis

He sees from a distance the blossoming thyme

A Spiritual Presence

MIRACLES

A miracle

The Immediate Healing of a Hand

The Miracle of Prayer

MIRACLES AFTER HIS FALLING ASLEEP

An Invocation and an Immediate Healing

THE VISIT OF MRS. E.

The return of a soul

The Visitation of the Holy Spirit

About Egotism

About the Fragrance

NARRATIONS FROM A RELATIVE OF MINE

If you have a problem, phone me

You will become a mother

Come dear one, it is a cyst

The unfortunate little girl

Bad circulation

Where are you Elder?

Christ today is in your home

His sudden appearance after his falling asleep

Deliverance from a dangerous friend

His services

MEMORIES OF A NUN

ABOUT ELDER PORPHYRIOS

MIRACULOUS EXPERIENCES

OF THE SPOUSES TH. AND V.

This is a recording between S. (speaker), Th. (a female teacher)

and V (her husband who is a doctor)

RECORDED CONVERSATION

My Acquaintance with Elder Porphyrios

His Great Love

Preparation for the Wedding

The Healing

The Causes of Sickness

The Straightening of the Nose

Assistance in the Pregnancy

How I was freed from the tumor

The Child is straightened out

Recommendations for Prayer

Healing the Child of a Urinary Tract Infection

How the Child Spoke

Healing of Urticaria

The Second Child is born

Pedagogical Advice

Personal Discussions and Change

How I came to know Elder Porphyrios

He teaches without many words

Did you get married?

With Father Paisios

Did We Win?

Spiritually present at the Wedding

Advice for the Married State

After his Falling Asleep

About Anonymity

THE NARRATION OF A MIRACLE

MIRACULOUS MEMORIES

FROM ELDER PORPHYRIOS

From the couple

G.G and O.G.

AN AUDIO RECORDING OF A CONVERSATION

The Search for the Elder

The First Encounter

Spontaneous Confession

The Diagnosis of a Sickness

Caesarean Section and the Removal of a Tumor

Quickly to the Elder for Help

After Leaving the Hospital

The Complaint and the Explanation

Miraculous Interventions

The Rejection of the Stone from the Kidney

He sees the Property

The Healing of M.

He confesses that it is a miracle

Registering Memories

Pappouli, a Joyous Child

A Place of Divine Power and Prayer

A Suggestion of a Priest, “we should say things that are beneficial.”

He sees Ancient Things; He sees them with his soul.

Why does the person who is helped want to hurt the person who helped them?

Choose a job through which you will help people

Pappouli is close to us even now

A FEW OTHER THINGS OF ALL THAT I REMEMBER

Daily Experiences of the Gifts of Elder Porphyrios

Visiting the Drillings of Kalamo

A Meeting at the International Exhibition in Thessaloniki

His interest in aromatic fragrances

Therapy through fragrances

About Astrology

There is Pulsating Life Around us that we do not see

The Fear of Night

Race Car People are mixed up

Advice which applies to each person differently

REMEMBRANCES

OF A MOTHER

MIRACULOUS CURES

LETTERS

FOR ELDER PORPHYRIOS

SUPPLEMENT: DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES

JUSTIFY DIFFERENT ADVICE

PROLOGUE

Fulfilling the promise that we made in the Prologue of the book “The Divine Flame which Elder Porphyrios lit in my heart,” we now publish the footnotes and the memories which were given to us many years ago by the brothers and sisters who are mentioned in this book.

We embellished the book profusely offering picturesque tables of Dr. G. P. He offers his personal understandings of the scenes from the life of Elder Porphyrios or descriptive images from his teachings.

Instead of an introduction, we offer some very basic information for those people who, for the first time, will read something about Elder Porphyrios written by our collaborator G.P.A. A synopsis of this text was published in the periodical PEMPTOUSIA, in the March issue, 2000, pages 135-139. This text points out the most basic elements of Elder Porphyrios’ personality. It does not point out the most unusual aspects of the Elder like the gift of discernment, the miracles, and his foresight. It rather speaks about his spiritual condition which focuses on these things; humbleness, love, his life in Church, his joy in Christ which is the resurrection. It also means that Christian knowledge is not theoretical or intellectual but it is experiential. In other words, we don’t get to know Christ or the Holy Spirit if we simply read a lot about them. We know Christ when He comes to live in us, in our souls. The same happens with the Holy Spirit. It is because of these reasons that this text is useful for beginners in spiritual life.

Whatever you desire to learn about Elder Porphyrios can be found in the books that have been published about him. Those books are:

Kl. Ioannides, Elder Porphyrios, testimonies and experiences, 315 pages, the 9th edition (it is written in English, French, Romanian).

Konstantine Giannitisiotes, Close to Elder Porphyrios, one of his spiritual children remembers him. 498 pages, the fifth edition (it is written in English, Italian, Russian, Romanian).

An. Tzavara, Remembrances of Elder Porphyrios, 190 pages, 11th edition (it is translated into Romanian.)

Anarg. Kalliatsou, Father Porphyrios, 220 pages, the 6th edition, (it is written in Russian, Romanian, and English.)

Agapiou, the Monk, The Divine Flame that Elder Porphyrios Lit in My Heart, 112 pages, 4th edition (written in English, Italian, Romanian, Russian, Bulgarian, Swedish and French).

Elder Porphyrios, the Holy Monk, An Anthology of Counsels, 4th edition, 456 pages.

Elder Porphyrios of Kavsokalyvia Biography and Words. A publication of the Holy Monastery Chrysopigi, Hania, Crete, 2005, the 6th edition, 590 pages.

George Kroustallaki. Elder Porphyrios, the spiritual father and teacher, 170 pages.

Stephanos Tsiartas, My testimony about a miracle by Elder Porphyrios, Athens, 2005, 262 pages.

Evangelos Karadimou, A melodic service for our Holy and God bearing Father Porphyrios of Kavsokalyvia, the clairvoyant and miracle worker, Athens, 1998, 133 pages.

Ad. Piperaki- Kavagia, Biography and a Melodious Service of our Holy Father Porphyrios of Kavsoalyvia, 116 pages, Athens, 2003

Char. Mpousias, A service for the illuminating spirit filled Father Porphyrios. 80 pages, Athens, 2003.

We humbly pray that the Elder will inspire the readers of these books so that they will understand more profoundly what has been written. We pray that they will immerse themselves so that they will love and approach Jesus, Who, along with the Holy Spirit, will direct them to His Uncreated Church. Please pray that we too will be led to this same Church.

Pentecost 2005

The Holy Convent of the Transfiguration of the Savior

INSTEAD OF AN INTRODUCTION:

ELDER PORPHYRIOS OF KAVSOKALIVIA

My first introduction to him

Once I visited Elder Paisios at his retreat house of the Holy Cross in Kapsala, Mt. Athos. It was located in the region near the Monastery of Stavronikita. I had a very interesting and revealing conversation with him. This was the first time that I witnessed living spiritual life. Up until that time, I knew that Christian life was a life of virtue, a life of struggle in order to acquire ethical perfection. In other words, it was an anthropocentric life. I knew that Christian knowledge is acquired through reading many books. It was a cerebral endeavor. Now, before me, another world was opening up. It was a world which is the result of spiritual experience. It was something that came from outside of man and his understandings. In other words, it was a life that had as its experience the Grace of God which could be measured in juxtaposition with the experiences of those so-called enlightened ones, the yogis, the occult, the spiritualists and others.

I visited the monk Paisios at his humble monastic cell and he gave me two things: I was startled to see before me an open transparent type of Christian life which was offering me the opportunity to meet Fr. Porphyrios. At that time, I lived in a provincial town. During my first visit to Athens, I sought him out at the Polyclinic on Socrates Street near Omonoia Square. It was probably around 1973. We sat on a wooden bench a short distance from St. Gerasimos, the chapel of the Polyclinic, and we had a good conversation. I do not remember what exactly we talked about but I do remember very well that which made a big impression upon me. It was something that pierced my soul: He said, “My son Divine Grace is very perceptible.” It was in this way that I found myself before a man who spoke from experience, a man who had a perceptible experience of the Holy Spirit in his life. And I was an intellectual who thought highly of cerebral knowledge and intellectual understanding of the truth.

About twenty five years ago, when I accompanied Elder Porphyrios on a trip to Mt. Athos, a young abbot, whose monastery we visited together, said to me personally about the Elder, “He has gone beyond being a monastic.” And from that time I have been trying to figure out what he meant by those words; what was that which the abbot, who was educated, well traveled, a linguist, an introspective, knowing the Christian and monastic life, saw so different about the Elder, who was simple and humble ,but a wise priest -monk of modest education who began in the wilderness of Mt. Athos and then spent thirty-three fruitful years of his life in the wilderness of Omonia Square, as he used to say, as the pastor of the Polyclinic of Athens? Was he the one who never forgot for one moment his longing for Mt. Athos and his monastic calling? He was the monk who went beyond being a monk.

Photo of Elder Porphyrios

From that time, I tried to be in constant contact with Fr. Porphyrios. As a result of this, I slowly found myself on the periphery of the inner part of his life. But I never got into the inner circle. This happened in spite of the fact that he tried to initiate me into the first steps of spiritual life. It seems that the spiritual distortion of my intellect and desire, which were the expression of my ego, was such that it would not allow my heart to be open so that the other world of Fr. Porphyrios could enter.

But gradually, the scales of leprosy would fall from my eyes, crevices would open in my heart and I saw and felt things becoming clearer. It showed me that Christian life is something completely different from that which I had known until then. He who guided me to this revelation was Elder Porphyrios.

The most basic elements of the new world he was guiding me to were the Church, love, humbleness, joy and immortality.

Biography

Elder Porphyrios was born in 1906 in St. John Karystias Evia. He was baptised and given the name Evangelos. He attended school for only two years. His teacher’s sickness and his family’s poverty forced him to work as a shepherd for a few years. A little later, at approximately nine years old, he worked at the local charcoal factory. After this he worked for a family friend’s grocery store in Piraeus. His father had gone to America to work on the Panama Canal.

A book somehow found its way into the hands of this eight year old shepherd boy. It was the life of St. John of the Hut. He read the book by using syllables since he did not know how to read. This is the Saint, who when he became a monk at a young age, changed his mind and returned to his rich family home. On returning home he did not reveal himself as their son and lived in a hut on the family property. His parents found out who he was a little before he fell asleep in the Lord. Since he realized that he was going to die, he returned the book of the Gospels, which his mother had given him when he was a child, to his mother. The feast day of this Saint is January 15. This life story touched the heart of young Porphyrios and he decided to follow his example. He was working at the grocery store where wine was also served to customers. Once, an older man, who was drinking wine, was talking about the time that he worked on Mt. Athos and was taken with the wonderful wine that was produced there. The wine was called monoxilitiko. He was also impressed by the monks that lived there. This story fired up the desire of young Porphyrios to travel to Mt. Athos so that he could become a monk. At about the age of twelve or fourteen, he set off by himself for Mt. Athos. On the ferry boat, on the way to the Holy Mountain, he met Fr. Panteleimon who lived in the cell of St. George at the Monastery of Kavsokalivia.

The young man became the spiritual son of Elder Panteleimon and his brother monk Ionnikios. He was obedient with pleasure to his Elders and after a few years he was tonsured a monk and therefore learned through practice the mysteries of monastic life, even though he could not in theory explain all this.

At this point, we would like to clarify the meaning of obedience. Some people look upon this as the absence of freedom. But in monastic life, we must understand obedience as a spontaneous expression of love and learning. Just like the person who wishes to learn something, he mimics his teacher naturally with love without feeling obligated. This is the way a monk is obedient because he wishes to learn and it is through this learning that he excels in monastic life. It would be very thoughtless of him to become a monk superficially and not want to learn the mysteries of monastic progress because he does not want to be obedient and learn.

The result of his great love for Christ and his elders, his obedience and his ascetic struggles was that he was visited by the Grace of God and was given the gift of discernment at a young age. This gift allowed him to see, whenever the Grace of God was present, invisible things, spiritual events of the past, the present and many times of the future.

Many people confuse the gift of discernment that is given by the Holy Spirit with similar human or satanic abilities which people say they have naturally or with the help of evil spirits. It requires a great deal of development for a person to understand the difference between discernment given by God and something else that appears like God-given discernment. I will not delve into this subject here because I do not have enough experience about the issue. On the other hand, I feel the need to repeat that which the Elder often used to repeat, not systematically though, many times. He would say: a) Divine Grace is neither science nor a technique, it is Grace. b) Divine Grace never makes a mistake c) When Divine Grace acts in a human being he is filled with joy. But we must discern whether this joy is true or false. If it is false, we will bring evil into our lives. d) The person who has acquired true Divine Grace will never use it for whatever way he desires to use it. It functions whatever way Divine Grace wishes to be used. e) In order for Divine Grace to act within a person that person must be very humble. We say this because there is also such a thing as distorted humbleness. One must function at a proper spiritual level. The initiative always lies with Divine Grace. Divine Grace is discovered by a Christian through prayer. This prayer is not imposed. It is rather a life-long love for Christ.

The Elder never made the above arrangements for he never taught the theology of Divine Grace. He would speak of one or the other in order to enlighten the person with whom he was talking and to keep that person from falling into heresy. In formulating this order, to acquire Divine Grace, one would think that he had learned the five steps, he had learned whatever is necessary about Divine Grace. But in truth, Divine Grace cannot be understood through study, but only Its presence in the life of a person. God makes a person worthy of this great gift.

However, we have digressed on this issue and we must return to the biographical facts of Elder Porphyrios.

The Elder got sick on Mt. Athos with pleurisy when he was about eighteen years old and his elders sent him to a Monastery in Evia. Archbishop Porphyrios of Sinai met the Elder there. After determining that Divine Grace was upon him, he ordained him to priesthood at the age of twenty one. A short time later, the Metropolitan of the area assigned him as a father confessor. It was in this way that the Elder was able to use his gift of discernment which God had given him. Through this Grace the young priest-monk and spiritual Fr. Porphyrios was able to help the faithful save themselves from the snares of the evil one and understand what was happening in their souls. He taught them not to believe in the falsehood of soothsayers who claimed that they could undo curses and in that way they drained people’s savings, to heal their physical ailments and know where the ailments came from. In general to see and understand things that would be helpful in their lives.

When Elder Porphyrios was on Mt. Athos, he asked God to send him to be close to sick people so that he could attend their needs. It was in 1940, at the beginning of the Greek/Italian war that he requested and was assigned to be the priest of the Polyclinic of Athens on Socrates Street. This clinic housed the chapel of St. Gerasimos. He remained in this position for thirty-three years (three of those years were after his pension). He would hear the confessions of the sick and others. He would pray for them and quite often he would heal them with the grace of God and his prayers. In spite of the fact that he would keep hidden the gifts he possessed, it slowly became known to the people that he had these extraordinary powers. As the priest of the Polyclinic, the salary was not enough to support himself, his parents, his sisters and other members of his family. He therefore developed a bird hatchery, unique for its time, later a knit-work works again unique for its time. He also mastered the manufacture of aromatic essences for the making of incense. He did not do this for pay but out of his reverence for the Church.

In 1950, he rented an abandoned Monastery of St. Nicholas at Kallisia[1] in Penteli. He cultivated the land there until 1978. In 1978 he suffered a blockage in his heart and was hospitalized for a while in Athens. After he made a recovery, in 1979 he took up residence in Milesi, Attica which is close to Oropos. He acquired the legal documents to build the Monastery of the Holy Transfiguration. In 1990, he poured the foundation for the Church of the Holy Transfiguration. At this hermitage, he would receive visitors and telephone calls from all parts of the world addressing various problems. He gave counsel and heard confessions.

He read prayers for people and he would heal many souls and bodies.

In 1984, he began to lose the sight in one eye after an unsuccessful operation. He then had a terrible time with gastroenteritis. This problem was caused by the use of cortisone. The use of cortisone finally caused him to become totally blind. In 1991, he felt his imminent death and went to his Monastery in Kavsokalivia. He stayed in the cell of St. George. It was in this same cell that he was tonsured a monk seventy years ago. He died on December 2, 1991at 4.31 a.m. in the morning. He was buried there in a plain monastic grave known only to his fellow monks. He had ordered that his death was not to be revealed until after his burial. That grave now has the remains of another monk because the relics of Elder Porphyrios have been removed and placed in a secret location.

The Main Characteristics of Him

The personal traits of Elder Porphyrios throughout his life were his humbleness, his complete love for Jesus Christ and for his fellow man. He felt that he belonged to the Church. He was completely obedient to the Church through Christ. He felt a total unity with everyone and he lived immortality. He lived a life free of fear and of damnation. To these traits we must add his complete obedience, his ungrudging patience in the face of great pain, his wise discernment, his mysterious spiritual gifts, his profound love for learning, his astonishing breadth of knowledge which were the fruit of Divine Grace, a gift of God. These virtues were not a result of study, of effort and his industriousness. He was always humble and because of his constant sense of humbleness, he had a fruitful prayer life which was purely Orthodox. He did not have a mind set of religious fanaticism. He gave wise counsel and comprehensive teachings. He was profoundly pious. His services were done with piety. He put forth a great deal of effort to keep hidden his spiritual gifts. For every one of these characteristics of the Elder, I should give an example. But since our space is limited, I will list only a few.

Humbleness. Near the end of his life he would say to his spiritual children that they should find another spiritual father. One of these people went to another spiritual father and when he went back to Elder Porphyrios he told him sadly that the new spiritual father reacted negatively when he revealed that he had Elder Porphyrios as his spiritual father. This new spiritual father said in a very condescending way that Porphyrios was manure. Humble Elder Porphyrios responded spontaneously and calmly, “He is right.”

Love: Once he told the person writing this book, “I pray that God will put all people in heaven and me in hell. Is this thought very sinful?”

Patience: Someone asked him if he was in pain when he was suffering from eczema. He answered in a very peaceful way, “it feels like my cheek is in a frying pan and it is being fried.”

His God-given discernment that is never wrong: someone visited him who had recently had an axial tomography and it indicated that he had a tumor on the right side of his brain. Elder Porphyrios told him that the tumor was on the left side of his brain. When he returned to his room he was informed that the x-ray machine had a problem and he would have to have another tomography. They took another x-ray and it showed that the tumor was on the left side as the Elder had said.

About a situation that one cannot define: He told someone that he had tasted the water at some depth before the drilling took place. The Elder said the water tasted salty. They did not believe him and they proceeded to drill. The water was found to be salty.

This is about having knowledge about many subjects: When he was living in a Monastery on the island of Evia, he built a small water generator to produce electricity. This device lit up many small light bulbs. The villagers said, “quickly go and see the priest who was able to get fire out of water.” When he was living at Kallisia he made a radio that worked without electric power or a battery.

This is about his mysterious ways of acting upon life: Once the papers said about a village where rocks and other objects were being thrown at a particular house. An archimandrite took the Elder in his car and they traveled to that village without letting anyone know about his arrival. Once they arrived there, they spoke with a boy from that house. They prayed and the phenomenon stopped. This all happened without the people in the village knowing who was responsible for the phenomenon to stop.[2]

Discernment. A certain mother asked his opinion about one of her sons. The boy had a particular problem. The Elder said that the other child had the real problem. The mother who heard this advice from the Elder said that the Elder did not know what he was talking about. Sometime later she returned asking to be forgiven because in fact the boy Elder Porphyrios had mentioned was the one to show some pretty bad behavior.

Healings: A lady, who had a cancerous growth on her leg, once visited the Elder. When she left the Elder’s cell the tumor had completely disappeared.

All of these different instances and other things that appear in this book are issues that have been verified by responsible people who have been eyewitnesses to these miracles. These were verified by disbelieving doctors. In spite of the fact that these things make an impression and attract a great deal of attention of the people, they are not, in my humble opinion, the main characteristic of Elder Porphyrios.

The Most Basic

In our attempt to delve deeply into the basic elements that make up the personality of Elder Porphyrios, we have come to the conclusion that first of all his being in church was substantial and not in any way superficial. Secondly, his love for Christ was limitless and he expressed this love through Christ to his fellow man. This limitless love was accompanied by his holy humbleness. Thirdly, his life in Christ was lived as mystical joy. Fourthly, his way of life was living the immortality of Christ.

We must explain in a few words how we have come to this conclusion and what we mean by what we have written. First of all, our focusing on the miracle, that many people pay great attention to, can lead to heresy. It is always true that the evil one pretends to show us miracles so that he can lead us astray, even the chosen ones. When Moses threw his staff before Pharaoh it turned into a snake. The soothsayers of Pharaoh also threw their staffs on the floor and they also became snakes. Because of this the miracle did not impress Pharaoh for the evil one had demonstrated before him a phony miracle. This was in spite of the fact that the snake that came from Moses ate up the snakes that came from the staffs of the soothsayers. And when the Judeans requested a sign from Jesus, that is a miracle, He answered them that there would not be another sign given to them other than His resurrection. This miracle did not happen in a dramatic way before many people so that the reality of it would remain with them. In other words, Jesus did not use the miracle as a means to attract people to the faith, even though He reproached them, for in spite of all the miracles they witnessed, they did not believe. All of the miracles of Christ were performed out of compassion and as a reward for faith. These were not performed to elicit faith even though they did bring out expressions of faith from good-intentioned people. However, if we carefully study these issues we will see that the whole of our universe, all of life, the functioning of all natural and spiritual laws of creation are more miraculous than the cure of cancer or some supernatural ability.

And now let us look with care and humbleness at each one of these issues which are important

a) Our being members of the Church. When we say Church, most of us think of the Church as a building or the hierarchy or the clergy. Naturally these things are part of the Church but they are not the Church. The Orthodox Church has never given a definition of itself. The only thing that has been said is that it is the Body of Christ. It directs its members to live the Church as a reality and immerse themselves in the Body of Christ so that they will realize in practice and empirically what it is. This is so because the Church believes that definitions that satisfy our intellect give people who memorize these definitions the false impression that they know what this definition means. But in reality, when our intellect understands the definition of the Church, it is an icon of reality and not reality itself. Consequently, according to the intention of the Orthodox Church, a believer should know what the Church is empirically and not as a result of intellectual study.

In spite of this, we at this very moment are using the God-given written word to communicate with you and innumerate propositions of what the Church is and what it is all about. We say this in spite of the fact that these propositions are like someone looking into a mirror enigmatically.

We do this because in this way it attracts one’s attention to know in an empirical way, what the image has presented as being good. Moreover, this is the ancient method used to attract us to good or bad. The message comes first through the word or the image or some other feeling or with both of them that what we see is enticing for us to look upon and good to eat. Next in the process comes the participation in that which we like and acquirement of real knowledge. A person cannot know the sea unless he enters it completely, swims in it and reads a lot about it. Yet on the other hand, one cannot empirically know the sea if one does not hear about it.

This is why Elder Porphyrios wrote in his spiritual will that he prays so that his spiritual children will love God Who is everything. “May He make us worthy to enter His earthly Uncreated Church because it is from here that we begin our journey.” In spite of the fact, therefore, that we must enter the earthly Uncreated Church so that we can know it, it is beneficial for us to emphasize a few things that the Elder emphasized. We do this so that we can be helped on our journey to it and in our decision to follow all the things he points out to us.

Elder Porphyrios used to say as all the Saints did that a believer should be in the Church. This means a believer should be united with Christ and all the followers of Christ and especially with the bishop who is the personification of Christ in the world. But for one to be in the Church is not like being a member of a social club or fulfilling certain liturgical acts such as baptism. It is not enough for someone to enter the Church one time through baptism; he must enter the Church continuously. This is important because one is constantly in danger also of being out of the Church in spite of the fact that he has received the ticket to enter through baptism. This, in other words, is what the Elder means in his will in which he prays that we will enter the earthly Uncreated Church of God. This is because we think that we are in the Church superficially by virtue of our baptism.

Truly we are in the Church but only as much as a visitor is traveling in Greece after passing the border by only a few feet. While traveling in Greece, he is allowed to visit any place that he desires in the country. He can come to know all the various places of Greece but in reality he does not know the country since he is only a few feet inside of Greece and yet he knows nothing about Greece. This is like the Christian who has passed only once through the door of the Church but in essence has not entered it until he enters therein continuously while intensifying his understanding of it until he reaches the throne of Christ. Christ is its head and heart. Christ is uncreated and is without beginning giving His earthly Uncreated Church the uniqueness of being Uncreated.

Elder Porphyrios had fallen deeply in love with Christ and for this reason it is evident that God found him worthy to enter His earthly Uncreated Church here in this world. This is the prayer that the Elder has for all of us as expressed in his spiritual will. In other words, our entrance into the Church is not something we succeeded in doing but it is a gift from God to those who love Him and show Him truthfully their love by living by His commandments.

The Elder, living profoundly in the depths of the Church, saw in action that the Grace of God functions inside the Church. He showed us that the faithful must be united in one body, in the Body of Christ. He taught us that no one can be saved if that person seeks only his personal salvation. He indicated to us that unity is like a request, a desire and way of life of the believer. It is a basic element of the Church. It is a presupposition to salvation and that love urges on the soul to unity. It is imperative for someone to encounter the community of the faithful which promotes the earthly Uncreated Church in order to be saved therein. This differentiates him from absolute isolation and death from those who consider other people hell.

For a person to feel he is in the earthly Uncreated Church this also means many other things. It means that he is united with Christ, with the Saints, with all the Christians, with all the sinners, not with their sins, with all the disbelievers, not with their disbelief, but with the entire world that Christ wishes to save, not only with a chosen few. It means that he understands that all things are brought together in Christ. Christ is everything not simply an empty word. He is the source of life, of joy and of everything. It means that there is no turning back or antipathy for anyone. He feels and lives the reality that the Church is “Catholic”, in other words, the Church was designed to take in all people and all things.

b) Love. An integral part of being and of joy is indispensable in creation for they dispense life and the joy of life is love. He who thinks that a young man will deprive himself of some of his comfort and joy does not think like God Who created human beings. He created us in spite of the fact that we embittered Him, speaking in human terms. Therefore, the only disposition that suits humans that are created in the likeness and image of God is love. This means the opening of the heart to others, to God and to humans.

There are many methods the Church uses to influence people to travel on the right path. For those who are stiff-necked, it is the fear of eternal damnation and suffering in the present life. For those who are self-centered, there is the promise of heaven and success in life. But the royal road of a compassionate, poetic and courteous soul pointed out to us by Elder Porphyrios is the road of love. It is spiritual love toward God, to Jesus Christ and being indifferent to whether or not this love is acquired through joy or pain. It is a road of nobility and esteem without misery, limits and fears. It is a road of bravery and worthiness of divine greatness and of complete faith in the friendly disposition of Christ who loves us. This attitude is an expression of faith. In other words, it is complete trust in the truth of the love of Christ for us. It is complete trust in the fact that He did everything for us and consequently there is no reason for us to measure what will hurt or benefit us if we conform to His directions in life. This nobility of love is the perfect relationship which Elder Porphyrios directs us to have.

This entails also a beautiful planning of the struggle of a Christian which often was fully developed by the Elder with many examples. Let us remember a few of them:

When you are in a very dark room don’t fight the darkness in order to banish it. Open the windows to the light, in other words, give it over to the love of Christ and then without any effort the darkness leaves.[3]

When an evil thought comes to mind, or a sad thought, fear or temptation overwhelms you, do not attempt to fight it in an attempt to banish it. Open your hands to the love of Christ and He will take you in His embrace and all these things will vanish of their own accord.[4]

When the garden of your soul is filled with thorns (passions) do not attempt to uproot them. By doing this it will keep you constantly traumatized and contaminated by your dealing with them. Give all your power over to the flowers of your soul, water them, and then the thorns will wilt away on their own. And the best flower is your love for Christ. If you water and cultivate it, the thorns will wilt away.

Your love for Christ means that you love all those that He loves. It is inconceivable for you to say that you love Christ and at the same time turn out of your heart those that He loves. It is possible that your weaknesses and the circumstances of life do not allow you to sacrifice for them as Christ does. Your weaknesses and circumstances of life may not allow you to sacrifice yourself for them as Christ does but there is no circumstance to impose removing them from your love and from your prayer or weakness to forgive you. This does not forgive you from not wanting these people to repent before Christ. At one time some people said to Elder Porphyrios that he should pray for Stalin to die in order to save the world from his evil. He answered them by saying what they ask is not allowed and we must pray that he will repent.

c. Humbleness. When the Elder spoke of humbleness, he always said holy humbleness in order to distinguish it from sick humbleness. Many things have been written about holy humbleness but all that one reads about it, one cannot understand its true essence if this is not granted to him by God. This is so because holy humbleness is a gift of God. Naturally, it is praiseworthy to study what the fathers write about humbleness in order for us to humble ourselves. But he who possesses holy humbleness is truly humble deep in his heart without difficulty or effort.

d. Joy. Elder Porphyrios loved everyone with the love of Christ which is unique for each one of us. The Parable of the Lost Sheep tells us about a shepherd who leaves His ninety-nine sheep in order to look for the lost one and He feels great joy when He finds the lost one. He feels happier for the one than for the ninety-nine that are not lost. This shows us the joy of Christ and the Elder every time he met a fellow human being who was a lost sheep of Christ. This is why that every visitor of the Elder verified to all the others that of all the people he loved, he loved this particular person more than all the others. The uniqueness of each human being impels him to love with the uniqueness of love. But the magnanimous heart of Christ and all those like Him can love in a unique way every human being who is an icon (likeness) of the beloved Christ. And this type of love attracts Divine Grace which cascades upon one who loves with unending great joy. He who loves is joyful because love is giving and giving leads us to blessedness. This is as Jesus said; (“it is more blessed to give than to receive.”) He who hates is unfortunate and is tortured by the flames of hatred which burn his heart. This is the way the Elder lived. He lived joyfully and neither pain nor sorrow could diminish this joy in him who is given over to the love of Christ.

The Apostle Paul who lived in the love of Christ says with great conviction that nothing can separate us from this. (Romans 8:35-39). And of course neither can fear or another kind of love. This is why human attractions to other individuals that are called love are not real love because when people remove themselves from the love of Christ it is false love. This fact is pointed out readily when human love turns into profound hatred. In Christ all threats are defeated and are transformed into another type of love, the love of Christ. This brings about peace which surpasses all human understanding. This is found in the certainty of the final victory of Christ over all His enemies and death itself. (1 Cor. 15:25-26).

Elder Porphyrios who lived in the love of Christ had determined in an empirical way that which Saint John the Evangelist writes: “perfect love casts out fear “(1 John 4:18) and this is why he says with emphasis filled with meekness and certainty in one of his audio recorded dialogues, “The friend, the brother (Christ)…! But how do I say that…? And how, what profound truth is hidden in that…! Much depth! In other words it is courage, Christ does not want fear. He does not want fear.”

St. John the Evangelist said something similar, “but he who fears has not been made perfect in love.” (1John: 4:18) Therefore, trust, courage and boldness are fruits of love. But he who is not afraid is filled with joy because fear is the basis of agitation and restlessness. Elder Porphyrios, with the love he had for Christ and his love for human beings, entered the realm of joy, the earthly Uncreated Church and he invites us to love Christ so that we will be made worthy to enter it here in this life. It is from here that we begin the blessedness of eternal life which is found in the sweetness of the love of Christ. It is from here that we enter eternal damnation in the bitterness of the denial of the love that is offered to us.

e. Eternal life. The victory over death, the feeling and the certainty of eternal life is a way of life which is common to all Saints and to Elder Porphyrios. He says in the previously mentioned recorded audio dialogue: “A follower of Christ must love Christ and when he loves Christ, he is freed from the devil, from hell and from death.” These are not words that were spoken by a person who received this truth with his own thought processes. These are words taken from a sincere personal way of life and this is why they have the merit of an eye witness. This reality does not change by acknowledging the fact that Porphyrios, because of his humbleness and profound feeling of human frailty, tells us that he has not yet reached that state. On the other hand, his credibility is bolstered because he is no longer a person who thinks he has reached a certain point. “I have not reached that which I desire, that which I want. And in my silence I always try to live this way. I do not live it, I attempt to live it. In other words, how can I say it, how can I tell you? I have not been to a certain place, although I went there one time, I saw it, I am not there now but I remember it, I yearn for it, I want it. I want it here now, at this very moment, tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, at every moment. I want to go there, I desire after it. But I am not there. Yes, but I live in that effort...”.

Saint Gregory verifies that he who finds God lives constantly desiring Him. There does not exist a better and more authentic proof that Elder Porphyrios found God and that the road of love which he points out to us is the quickest, surest and best way for God to find us. He gathers us up like lost sheep with joy and love. He puts us here in this life in His earthly Uncreated Church which is the land of joy, peace and immortal life.

So be it Lord through the prayers of Your servant Porphyrios. Amen.

Epilogue

After the falling asleep of Elder Porphyrios there were many radio programs about him on a number of radio stations. And following this, books have been written and are being written which are translated into various languages. Innumerable references are made about his words, his acts in his many talks, sermons, articles, studies and generally in publications and personal conversations. As much as he avoided honors and hid himself away from fanfare, God has honored him ever more and reveals what he is in death.

G. P. A.

“You are my friends if you do whatever I command you.”

John 15:14.

1 From the many documents that we read, we like the name Kallesia. It is written this way in the Patriarchal document of 1614. This can be seen in the works of George Ladas, The History of the Monastery of St. Nicholas. This Monastery is found on Mt. Penteli and it is known as Kallesia. This information is from the magazine ”Syllektis”, 1952-1958, volume 2, 2nd issue) 1958 pages 93-109, 106 reissued...

2 This event is also referred to in the book: “The miracle of faith” by Archimandrite Daniel (Gouvali), 1985 Edition, page 131-133, in which Elder Porphyrios is referred to as the (aged priest-monk who is living an ascetic life in the area of Attica). This was so because Elder Porphyrios was still alive and it was not allowed for his name to be revealed.

3 See what is written on page 47 of this book.

4 See the text which is contained in the second section of the notebook (with an audio cassette of Elder Porphyrios) with the title “The Orthodox Spirit is the truth”.

INTRODUCTION

It is difficult and arrogant for me to talk about the Holy Elder Porphyrios. But I must do it so that others can learn as much as possible. They must learn how the Divine Grace of Christ transfigures, just as the Elder himself said, a man that He loves, let me attempt to say, in a miniature of Him, a likeness of Him. This is because the Elder gave you the impression that this was coming from another person, someone completely different than himself. It was love that is like that of Christ, a love that is given equally to all people, in spite of the fact that you thought this love of his was specifically for you.

He preferred an approach of transformation for the old person to the new one without using egotistical human effort. It was direct contact with Christ. It was an opening to Christ, to the Light, with a flash as he would characteristically say. It was the sound of Grace that would turn on the switch of Grace. He repeated the example of the dark room which is lit up only when you open the window to allow the light to enter, to allow Christ to enter. When this happens there is nothing dark, ugly or sinful that remains. He would say, do not push against the darkness, open up the window to Christ.

In reference to unsolvable problems he would say wake up at night, in the dark of night and lift up your hands to heaven. Not even one Lord have mercy, “Kyrie Eleison”, is wasted. This is so because that which is impossible for men is possible for God.

He never denied the need for spiritual exercise because he himself was a great spiritual ascetic from the time of his youth. He instead emphasized the love we should have toward Christ as the quickest and safest road to take.

Later on I list a summary of whatever is most important of what I remember from my association with Elder Porphyrios.

Relative to this, I cite a portion from a letter from the monk Theoclitos of Dionysiou Monastery of blessed memory. He directs himself to me and to my wife and relates this to Elder Porphyrios. He writes:

The Holy Monastery of Saint Dionysios

January 10/23, 1994 (according to the Old Calendar)

My Beloved in Christ Jesus,

I received your letter of December 3rd after a period of 25 days. It is needless for me to say to you how joyful I was, not because we are pursuing the well- known subject, but because of your Orthodox Spiritual ethos. You have been nurturing this for many years and you have perfected it under the influence of Elder Porphyrios. Yes, the Saintly one, in spite of the fact that only yesterday a monastic brother of his told me how he was at a loss that even though I am reluctant to declare people living Saints, I write that Elder Porphyrios was holy. Indeed, I have no doubt, we had mutual love and I breathed in his holiness. Therefore you are on the road of the Holy Fathers.

A photograph of Elder Porphyrios at a younger age

OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM

The First Visit to Elder Porphyrios

I first met the Elder around the beginning of the 70’s. I met him through my spiritual guide Fr. Eleftherios who comes from my neck of the woods who was looking for a spiritual father after the falling asleep of his spiritual guide Fr. Amphilochios from the island of Patmos. He had been searching for many years to find an Elder who was spiritually enlightened. When he heard about Elder Porphyrios from a mutual friend, he set out to see him. It was summer. We picked him up and we went to a Monastery on Parnassos. The Elder happened to be living there at the time. Fr. Eleftherios went in first to meet the Elder. When he came out he said with joy, “I found an Elder.”

When I myself saw the Elder, he, not knowing anything about me, that I was married and my wife was pregnant, said to me, “Why, my friend, do you worry your wife who is pregnant and that affects the fetus?” He also told me many other things about my life. From that time, he became my Spiritual Elder.

It was in this way that we all were convinced that we were dealing with an Elder with the gift of discernment. It was as if he had come out of a book of Eldership. From that time, the summer of 1969, and a little later from 1971, we began visiting the Church at St. Nicholas at Kallisia every Sunday.

He Visited Us

The Elder many times would attend the gatherings that we held at our homes. He would bless our food, eat with us, and he would teach us. He would tell many stories about his life. He would reveal to us in a very simple way that he possessed the gift of discernment. He would add that God gave this to him so that he could become a good person since he was completely unworthy of this gift.

INCIDENCES FROM HIS LIFE

Indifference in the face of insults

Many years ago I was walking through Omonia Square when I ran into the Elder. He had the habit of going into the stores here and there while he was walking. Every time I saw him, (I ran into him by chance once or twice), I would run to catch up with him so that we could walk together and also so that I would be close to him…He took me along with him talking to me as we walked to the Polyclinic. He did something in the building and when he came out of the main entrance of the Polyclinic, an unknown man or woman was standing nearby. I do not remember if it was a man or a woman. This person began to rudely swear at the Elder. He was directing vile swear words at him and blaspheming him.

I became very upset and I proceeded to go up to the Elder and ask him what we should do, how we should answer him and why he was swearing at us. The Elder was undaunted, as if he had not seen anything. He was calm and he went out through the entrance of the building and left. When I asked him what had happened, why he hadn’t answered that person, he did not answer me. This incident reminded me of the time that Christ was passing through a crowd of people in Nazareth. They wanted to push Him off a cliff. He passed through them that were His enemies and He approached them with that same serenity that the Elder displayed earlier.

The blessing of the house of ill repute

The Elder once told me a story about what happened in Omonia Square when he was the priest at the chapel of St. Gerasimos at the Polyclinic Hospital. A woman requested that he come with her to do a house blessing.

This woman was a woman of the street and of course the Elder knew this. In spite of this the Elder went with her and she directed him to a house of prostitution. This woman was troubled and had a great deal of fear because there was an incident of knifings. As they entered, one of her fellow prostitutes fainted. Other doors opened and many other women were equally overwhelmed for they were astonished to see the Elder. At that moment the Elder became contrite, opened his inner being and saw their souls and said to them, “Kneel my children, all of you kneel and we will all pray together so that I can read a prayer for you.” The Elder put on his stole, he performed the holy water blessing and the prostitutes knelt and he read a prayer over them.

About his so-called error

Once I had gone to Mt. Athos and a monk, ( I do not know why, I had seen this done by other people a few other times), said to me, “Do you still go to see Fr. Porphyrios?” “I certainly do go” I said to him, “he is my Spiritual Father.” He said to me, “he leads people astray.” He began to say terrible things about the so-called errors of Fr. Porphyrios.

I felt terrible and I returned to Athens very upset. I did not tell this to Fr. Porphyrios, I told it to Fr. Epiphanios Theodoropoulos. I saw Fr. Epiphanios stand up from where he was sitting in a panic lifting up his hands and yelling, “If Fr. Porphyrios is in error then the Church is in error.” When I brought this up to Elder Porphyrios, without his saying anything, he smiled sweetly. And later when we spoke about Fr. Epiphanios, he said, “He, my child, is wise, you should listen to him.”

St. Nicholas lights up the path

Once while returning to Kallisia with his niece, who is now Abbess Fevronia at the Monastery of the Holy Transfiguration, it was night and dark. He could not see very well. In spite of this, it was as if they had a light that was leading the way as far as the chapel. His niece asked him, “Elder where did you have the flashlight?” “I did’ t have a flashlight,” he said. “Then how come Elder there was a light in front of us showing us the way?” “Come now, my child! St. Nicholas enlightened the road to show us the way.”

His councels are like a painting

When the Elder said something to me he inspired me so much that many times I would paint it. I would paint his ideas on plain boards. I would take them and he would see them and he would laugh a lot. I also painted his portrait and other things in relation to things he said to me or described to me.

When he saw his portrait he looked at me without saying anything. He only smiled sweetly as if he knew what I was thinking about the future. I was thinking about the things that would happen in reference to the honor and love of the world toward his venerable self.

For his library

Recently the Elder had placed in his monastic cell near him a bookcase with the writings of the Fathers of the Church. They were covered with a cherry colored curtain. I said to him, “Elder you also have a bookcase. How wonderful it is.” Actually the Elder was then blind. He said to me, “Do you know what is happening? Friends from Mt. Athos call me and we talk and we talk about spiritual things and they tell me about these things. I answer them and they say to me, “My God, where do you read about these things, in the writings of the Holy Fathers?”

“I then understood that all those wonderful things are in the books of the Holy Fathers. I, of course, cannot see, but some people come here and I ask them to read a little for me. I bought all the books of the Holy Fathers and I put them there near me so that the knowledge in them will be transferred to my inner being.” This in reality is what was happening because now when I read books about ascetics I note with surprise in the margin of the books that is exactly what the Elder said or that he did that in his life.

His praying together with the monks of Essex in England

The Elder loved the Monastery in Essex, England very much. He told me once that it is very beautiful there and he outlined for me exactly the small Church that is situated in the old building. He said to me, “It is dark and quite spiritual. I enjoy very much going there at the time they have a service in the morning and night and I pray with them. It is very beautiful.” It should be noted that the Elder had never been to England. In reality, as they have told me in Essex, Elder Porphyrios and Elder Sophronios had great spiritual ties.

The intervention of Elder Sophronios in the healing of Elder Porphyrios

When the Elder was gravely ill with gastritis and he was in very bad shape, the doctors were talking about taking him to a hospital in Athens. In fact, I remember that a certain professor said that it was not good to attend to the sick on a mountain, it was imperative that the Elder came down from the mountain for otherwise we would surely kill the Elder. This was why we were all in deep thoughts.

Elder Porphyrios said that they should not take him to Athens because he would die from the smog and the psychological trauma of living in the hospital. He pleaded with me and said, “L. I beg you don’t allow them to take me down there.” I began to give in and I thought that we should not and I said this to my friend and his spiritual son Dr. Papazahos in Athens. I then received a call from Essex on behalf of Elder Sophronios who said, “under no circumstances are you to do anything that Elder Porphyrios does not want to.” These are his exact words about Elder Porphyrios, “He is a bag of skin full of the Holy Spirit and whatever he tells you, that is what you should do.”

Joyfully I hurried to Oropos and told the other doctors that the Elder wasn’t to be taken to Athens and slowly but surely he became well by following the directives he was giving us for his healing.

Amusing incindences and medical counsels

In reference to his gastritis, they brought us in for a “Mayer” examination of the Elder. His condition was verified. We immediately got a centrifugal machine and we installed it in the Elder’s cell with all the attendant parts and we recorded in a special note book the Elder’s health progress. This continued until the falling asleep of the Elder.

Once when I asked him if we should take the machines back, he appeared very saddened by that and I said to him, “Very well Elder, they will remain here.”

The medical history, the progress of his healing, the lab tests that took place in that temporary laboratory that we installed, the instruments, etc are found in the archives of the monastery. When that centrifugal machine was working the Elder would joke saying, “Quick, my child before it breaks down! Listen to how it is acting: it is the base note of the second tone.” And he would chant something with the base note of the second tone that came from the centrifugal machine.

Many times he would teach me complicated medical lessons. I would learn things that I would never have thought of. He would like to tell me about trace elements and about the relationship of the autonomous nervous system with the spiritual functions.

He would often make comments and correct me about my practical medical efforts which I still apply today. And he would reward me by slapping me or by squeezing my head and I felt as if all of paradise would enter me.[1]

I would feel it when the Elder called me

Every time he wanted me to check him, I would feel it. I would take some small bottles and he would say, “Are you here?” “I was calling you.” Once, although I felt uneasy and felt he was calling me, I delayed my going because I was busy. When I arrived, he said to me, “Where were you, I was calling you, I was calling you but you would not come.”

He would respond to a doubt of mine without my asking him

On a particular day, I was trying to understand a spiritual issue. I was thinking, “Is it this way or that?” The Elder phoned me very early in the morning and he said to me, “L. that issue is like this and this” and he gave the right interpretation.

He woud observe what I was reading before I fell asleep

One morning in my office, I was reading the Philokalia of Abba Cassius. The Elder phoned me and said to me, “What does Abba Cassius say there where you are reading?” And he would repeat in translation that which I had just read.

1 The squeezing of the head in the palm of the hand is that which the writer calls a slap it is similar with placing the hands of the Apostles upon the sick. They directed Divine Grace to heal. (Acts 8:17, 9:17, 9:41, 28;8 e. c. t.)

HIS PASTORAL WORK

The return of a disbeliever

There was a lady, Mrs. E.G. that he met in non-priestly circumstances. I thought she was an atheist because she had a leading position amongst the communists. She had a prominent position and from what I remember, that which she was teaching was blatant atheism. I, of course, was not talking to her about God in spite of the fact that she was giving me lessons in the Russian language. One day when she was serving us some cakes on a fast day, I said, “You should know that I cannot eat that because I am fasting.” This made a big impression on her and she took out some papers and said, “and when I was in the Soviet Union, I wanted to study icons,” and she continued saying, “And when I was young in Thessalia, my mother took me to vigil services to stand before icons and venerate them. I remember those things.” Following this she dropped this discussion.

A short time later I gave her a Russian book by Fr. Schmemman to read. This book spoke about saints and such things, ostensibly to check and tell me whether I could read it and if the language was proper. When she returned the book to me she said, “Dear me, what a beautiful thing that was! That was dynamite! Do such things exist in our age? Do saints exist?” I said, “Certainly they exist. Saints exist in our time. In fact, I know of one who is in England. I know another one who is on Mt. Athos. These are people who I have met. There is another one on Patmos. I had met Elder Amphilohios and there is another one nearby, a person who is very holy and I know him very well.”

“I would like for you to take me to him. I want to meet him.” I forgot about it. During another lesson, she remembered it. She said to me, “You told me that you would take me to him. When will you take me to that holy person?”

Finally, I took her to him one day. We entered his room. When she opened the door and saw the Elder sitting on his bed, she ran to him—she was an old woman, sixty or sixty-five years old. She knelt in front of him; she grabbed his knees, even though she was a very proper and dignified lady. She embraced him and caressed him. And the Elder caressed her on the head and said to her, “You are not from there, you are from here.” And he showed her the way with his hand, “You are not meant for that place, you are meant for here, my daughter”.

She told us later that she could not understand her boldness in caressing him since she was a mature and dignified lady. “And he caressed me and told me various Christian words.” He told her about her life. Later when we went a second time she confessed her sins from a notebook she had written. The Elder did not read it. He simply took it in his hands and understood everything that was in it. And from that encounter, this woman never again missed Church. He told her to receive Holy Communion every Sunday.

The Elder said to me, “what a holy person you brought me!” And on that particular day she smelled fragrant incense in the room. During the whole time of the description of what had happened to her in his room, three people phoned him. He blessed them, he wished them well and he continued the conversation at the point where he had left off. The children, my wife and I were seated in chairs. Mrs. E. was kneeling and holding his knees. The fragrance enveloped me.

Then we left Mrs. E. to speak privately with him. She told him about her problems and he spoke to her about her children in a very natural way without having first known them. He told her that she was meant for this side, on the side of the Christians, the Church. He said both of them are very much alike and that she should go to confession after having written down all her life on a piece of paper. During the course of the whole conversation he was holding her hands.

During this encounter, the Elder told us some spiritual things, some things that had happened to him that were very spiritual. It was as if she had spiritual experiences and she understood everything. He said those things to her because he understood her soul, that she was a good person.[2]

Love for the person with AIDS

At one time, I took a sick person to him who was diagnosed with AIDS. Some of my friends who knew that I was friendly with the Elder asked me to help this sick person who was extremely depressed. The AIDS victim was in really bad shape and he wanted to commit suicide. When I heard that he wanted to commit suicide, I sent him to another priest who was also a doctor. His name is Fr. Stamatis. The sick person went to this priest but the priest advised him to go and see Elder Porphyrios.

I took him to the Elder. He was a person who did not appear to look like a Christian. He had a very worldly look about him. I left him in the cell with the Elder. The Elder kept him there for a long time. When he finished, he came out of the cell crying but he was very serene with a prayer rope in his hand that the Elder had given him. He was crying but not in a way that made him appear helpless. His eyes were filled with light. The Elder called me into his cell. “Come in here so that I can speak to you. What was that soul that you brought to me? What a marvelous soul that was!”

The person from that encounter repented and he truly lives in a spirit of penance. I have seen him many times since then as a doctor. I see that he has been reborn. He visits monasteries. He goes to confession. He receives Holy Communion and he thanks Christ for AIDS because this has become for him the reason for his true salvation.

With father Epiphanios

The Elder had a spiritual relationship with the blessed Fr. Epiphanios Theodoropoulos. Even though they did not see one another very often, they communicated by telephone and they had a close spiritual relationship. When Fr. Epiphanios recently got deathly sick and during the course of this cursed sickness for eight years, the Elder did not allow me to tell anyone about it. He also didn’t allow anyone else through me to tell him what he had. This happened in spite of the fact that it was very evident that such a spiritual Elder, as Fr. Epiphanios should not have been afraid of death. And when I asked Elder Porphyrios why we were not allowed to tell Fr. Epiphanios about his sickness, he told me, “Do you know why? Fr. Epiphanios is holy and it is not possible for him to imagine that there is such a thing as death. In his inner being, all thought of death has been extinguished. It is for this reason that we should not interfere with him now about this issue. We must allow him to live so that he can continue to hear confessions, so that he can liturgize, so that he can teach, write and save souls.

When the end of his life was near, two or three days before he fell asleep, a telephone call was made on an hourly basis after midnight by Fr. Porphyrios. I am not sure if anyone heard this conversation and what was said but they spoke about serious spiritual issues. The next day, Fr. Epiphanios, being completely calm, began to give orders and made arrangements for the funeral. He arranged the details of the funeral with a great sense of calmness and serenity and sometimes with a great deal of humor that was typical of him.

I remember that many times when I confessed to Fr. Epiphanios and when there was an issue that had to be dealt with thoroughly, Fr. Epiphanios would send me to Elder Porphyrios. He would say that I should go to him to get an opinion. I would say to Fr. Porphyrios, “Fr. Epiphanios asks for your opinion.” “He is wise and holy; you should go back to him.” I would return and Fr. Epiphanios would say, “I kiss his slippers. He is holy.” This is the type of relationship that existed between those two men down here on earth. Now naturally, they are rejoicing in heaven praying for all of their children.

He tells us whatever we can endure

The Elder would only tell us those things we could endure. One time he was talking about his death and he said what he would say when he appeared before God. It is about the same as he wrote in his will. My wife began to cry, “Pappouli are you about to die? Pappouli what is going to happen to us? Listen to what he is saying, he is going to die.” “Oh you, I am not going to die, keep quiet. I am not going to die. I will care for you in old age.” Truly, the expression I will care for you in old age was understood by me to mean that the Elder would care for us from heaven. This has been shown to have happened to all of his many spiritual children which now live in Greece, in fact, in the entire world. He would tell us things up to a point that we could endure.

An objective opinion

The many bad things that people would say about people, the Elder would have the exact opposite opinion of these same people. I remember the Elder talking about an ecclesiastical issue, “He is the Bishop and you should respect him and you should pray that he will become better.” At another time, he said, “That Abbot is a holy man.” And we understood that is the way things should be and we should see these people from a different point of view which others would criticize and truly we would be spiritually benefited very much. This is so because aside from our criticizing others it would help us to understand our own sins. We would be humbled and would not only see the possible sins of others but we would see our own.

He legalizes a relationship

There was a girl who was vivacious and very nice but did not have a pious appearance. A person would say that she appeared to be provocative and she had a relationship with a doctor. The doctor did not want to commit himself to her and the girl went to Pappouli. She said this to Pappouli and Pappouli early one bright day went to the girl’s house and took her with him to visit the doctor. He took hold of the doctor’s hands and said to him, “These hands, if they take this girl in marriage will be filled with money and you will be very happy. If you don’t marry her, I do not know what will happen.”

The young doctor obeyed him, married the girl and they have had a very happy family. From that time on this woman went regularly to see Pappouli and brought gifts to him. She still speaks to him even after his falling asleep. She speaks to him with great certainty of faith that he hears her. She is so bold with him one would think they are of the same level. Her soul is very simple and this is why Pappouli always responds to her requests. He has saved her many times from various dangers.

The revelation of a disguise and a prayer which is realized

One day a couple was driving by Milesi on the interstate highway on the way to the city in which they lived. The woman was wearing slacks and was thinking “should I visit Pappouli or not?” Because of these thoughts and since she had a great desire to see Pappouli, she rolled up her slacks, put on a coat and she attempted to put one over on Pappouli. When she arrived at his cell, he said to her, “Take off your coat.” She became embarrassed but she undid her coat buttons up and she appeared to him in the outlandish way she was dressed. He placed his hands on her stomach and said, “Give her good children, pleasant children, and other words that are found in the prayer, and may she give birth to a son.” And in truth, after a short time, she gave birth to a son. Elder Porphyrios never gave much attention to appearances. He was concerned with the depth of reality which they hid by whatever concealed them.

The refusal of a gift

Pappouli was able to discern in the soul of a person his true intentions. At one time, a friend of mine, a well known Athenian, asked me to take him to meet Pappouli. When we went there, we spoke together for a while and on the way out he asked me to tell Pappouli that he would give a certain amount of money for the needs of the convent. I told this to Pappouli later when we were alone and he said to me, “Yes, it is good for him to give. There is a Church here and elsewhere. He can give it to his own Church. There is no need for him to give it here. ” He did not accept the money. It is important to note that he who wanted to give the money was a Mason. Pappouli did not know this before but he saw it and therefore refused the gift.

Russian visitors

Sometimes he used me as an interpreter when foreigners visited Pappouli. They were usually French speaking or Russian. When I interpreted Pappouli would scold me and say, “you did not learn it well. You must study harder!”

One time Maria Memlegieva visited him. She was a female writer from the Russian immigrant community of Paris. She had brought with her Tatiana Goritseva.[3] She expressed amongst other things her fears about Russia. She said Russia would be destroyed because the Americans and others want to destroy the country with atomic bombs and she was very frightened. She had fears about that. Pappouli raised his eyes and said to me, “Tell her that Russia will now become big, very big and I do not mean big like a nation but big spiritually.” It was just a few years later that Russia got rid of Communism and the Church began to triumph and the martyrs who suffered great afflictions were revealed during the time of atheism. Russia was revealed in all its Christian glory.

Tatiana Goritseva was one of the frequent visitors of Pappouli. She had come many times specifically to see Pappouli. In addition to her, another person, a Georgian, who was the wife of the famous composer Arvo Part, would come. She had come with her sick son from Germany where she had settled. She wanted Pappouli to bless him so that he would become well.

Two Russian brothers who were immigrants from St. Petersburg had come to see Pappouli. They had come many times. They desired to become monks. Pappouli had told them many things for they had many problems with the Soviet government because they were fugitives and they were being sought after. As soon as they went to Mt. Athos, they were forced to leave again. Pappouli gave them a plan, how they were to go, where they were to hide and how they would end up at the Holy Monastery of St. Panteleimon. Pappouli wanted very much to restore that Monastery and to help so that the Russians could stay there and not at any other Monastery. He liked the Russians very much because he had been taught spiritual lessons by a Russian when he was at the Skete at Kavsokalivia. In fact, he said that when that Russian saw Pappouli as a young monk he would call him outsenik, outsenik. He would say characteristically to Pappouli “outsenik, outsenik” which means, pupil, a young pupil, a young monk.

Then these two Russians girded with the advice of Pappouli, after suffering through some difficult times such as: going and coming back again, being deported and other obstacles, finally ended up at the Monastery of St. Panteleimon on Mt. Athos. One of them is named Fr.…..His brother fell asleep recently as Fr…..

The punks

Pappouli told us about those who would visit him out of curiosity. A group of punks came to see him. These are young men who were dressed strangely with their spiked colored hair. They all entered the Elder’s cell. Pappouli at this time was blind. They all stood at the head of his bed and they were looking at him. Pappouli was saying a prayer, as he told us, for each one of them. And then, suddenly, one of them left the group, fell forward and embraced the feet of Pappouli. He did this as Pappouli was lying on his bed and he began to kiss his feet. “I have become a friend of his, here, here, do you want to see? I have his telephone number here.” He phoned him and spoke to him as a friend, with joy, just as we speak with people that we love. Pappouli never discriminated against people by their appearance or by their external show of piety. He would deal with them on the basis of the condition of their souls.

2 A detailed narration of this lady is found on page 315.

3 Tatiana Goritseva is a Russian Orthodox Christian writer. Many of her books have been translated into Greek. In one of those books with the title: “The Invisible Side of Russia., (published by Akritas, page 112) she mentions her encounter with Elder Porphyrios.

HIS COUNSELS

The Gentle Struggle

The Elder taught us how to combat the passions without being nervous or combative about them. He would say we should approach them with gentleness, opening up the window of our souls and allowing the Sun to enter, that is the Light of Christ. This scatters the darkness for it has no place to hide. He would say that the passions establish themselves in our heart which is the epicenter of our souls. He would say, “Truthfully our souls reside in all the cells of our bodies. It is everywhere within us. It saturates every one of our cells while it has its epicenter in the heart.[4] Isn’t this true the way I am saying it?” he would ask us. And in truth, this is the way the Fathers of the Church explain it.

When someone combated the passions with the Jesus Prayer, he would repel them. The passions would gather in a corner of the heart and wait there preparing to attack us again if we were not careful and gain again the turf they had lost.

As much as you push against them, as much as you drive away the passions depending only on your own strength, you will never be able to accomplish anything. When, on the other hand, you attempt to open the window with the Jesus Prayer so that Christ can enter, then the passions are gathered up, become weak, become atrophied and retreat into a corner.

He was talking about those passions at one time to a person who was tormented by a heavy cross during his whole life. He complained how this was very tiring for him. “God performs miracles: those things that are impossible for man are possible for God, and you should know that your cross will be taken from you by Panagia. She will send angels and they will lift it from you. You should not expect to accomplish anything with your own strength.”

From what I learned, that cross was lifted from him only in the way it was told to him. A person should make the effort to love Christ very much so that he will be filled with a passionate love for Him, so that nothing else will be able to enter him.

The Blessing Is For Everyone

Many people offered a lot of help to Pappouli because they considered it a blessing. It was in this way that a lady took care of Pappouli on a professional basis so that she would also get a blessing. But she thought that she was the only one that Pappouli was using to help him do his chores, thinking that only she would receive his blessing. To her surprise, she discovered that another lady with the same profession as hers also helped Pappouli, in fact Pappouli recommended her to others. (This of course was done to help her both morally and spiritually so that she could straighten out her life).

The other lady complained to the Elder. “Pappouli did I ever ask you for money or did I ever distress you? Why don’t you allow me to do those chores for you and you ask others to do so?” Pappouli did not answer her. She said, “I help you in order to receive your blessing.” It was then that Pappouli answered her. “Do you have the impression that you are the only one that receives my blessing? Don’t you think that someone else should be blessed? Don’t you think that someone else should receive the blessing?” It was in this way that Pappouli showed her that he loved all people exactly the same. On the other hand, those who were close to him thought that he loved them more. Pappouli, like God, equally loved the whole world.

Restricting incrementally one’s bad habits

When Pappouli wanted us to stop a certain bad habit of ours he would tell the story of the three Saturdays. Once, when he was a young boy, he would say a bad word and he consciously attempted to stop doing it. It was very difficult for him to do this. But he said to himself, “for three Saturdays I will not say that word.” He then attempted it and for three Saturdays he lived up to his promise. He then told himself I will not say it for another three Saturdays and another three Saturdays and in this way he gradually, through this effort, was able to stop the bad habit. It was in this way that he counseled us, not abruptly and not with force but slowly—slowly and with a specific method we are to cut off these bad habits.

It was the same way, he explained, that we should deal with coffee. Once when he got on a bus, the ticket collector was having a disagreement with a passenger and the passenger said to the ticket collector, “My God, what is it with you early, early in the morning? Is it because you haven’t had your coffee and you are nervous?” At this point, Pappouli, as he told it to us, realized how true it is that some things are tied to drinking coffee. The absence of coffee in the morning can make a person nervous and act in this way. It was from that time that he stopped drinking coffee.

A Lesson of Humbleness

He once told me, “Oh, are you humble?” I said to him, “Pappouli” “I do not know if I am humble.” He said to me, “You are not.” “What will you do if someone comes to your office and asks you to do a certain test? You will do it very well, thoroughly and properly. And when he comes to receive the answer and says to you: You made a mistake, you are a liar, you do not speak the truth, What will you do?” I said “Pappouli, I will tell him that I did not make a mistake.” He said to me, “no, you should tell him it is possible that you made a mistake and you would do the test again.” That was a lesson of humbleness from Pappouli.

We Should Love Those Who Do Not Love Us

Many times he would put us on a new spiritual plain. I remember once when a very serious family issue came up and we found ourselves in a big argument with close relatives about issues of inheritance. Pappouli had said that the demon had bothered them. He said it was an issue of greed. “Now L. we must turn the page. We must now start to love our enemies, those who do not love us. We are entering a new chapter. Pray for them.”

I prayed for them. All of us at home prayed for them and the problems were resolved and now we are reconciled. Our relatives now have a positive relationship with the Church.

About Prayer

As others have said who have written a book, Pappouli spoke about the issue of prayer many times and he taught us how we should pray, “Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me” He would say to us that we should say “have mercy on me” and not “have mercy on us” and even if we are praying for others since all people are “one” and they are included in the word “me.” That was something that was difficult for me to learn but finally I got used to it.

When we pray for other people saying the word “me” we should focus our brain on the heart of the other person without fantasies or images or in your own heart, he said. He would tell me about the external environment when praying. “We should have a small dark room when we build the monastery here. It should be closed in on all sides. We will not hear sounds; there will be no light in there. There will be prayer.” He also told me how a person could have genuine prayer and acquire a connection with the divine. He said there was something like a tsak, (a point of contact) if you are able to acquire it, then you will connect with God.

You can repeatedly say, “Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me, Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me and yet you could go directly to sin, to do something that is evil. On the other hand, if you can focus your mind on the words you are saying you will acquire tsak (he could not say it in words). Do you understand?” I said “I understand Pappouli.” He would say to me, “ you did not understand”. But from experience I understood that he saw there was a point of contact that if you managed to reach that point you would enter into prayer.

Resurrectional Joy

I remember one time when it was Pascha (Easter). We went to Kallisia in order to celebrate Pascha (Easter). Pappouli was wearing the monastic hat and holding a cross. The Abbess was with him. Pappouli said loudly and with great joy, “all of you sing, sing Harikleia, all of you sing, there is great joy!”

My Deliverance from the Fear of Earthquakes

When the big earthquakes took place in Athens, I happened to be seriously ill and I could not move about. They would force me into the car with great difficulty and then they would bring me back to the house. The earth tremors continued. I was so frightened that I would die and leave my young children behind because I could not move about. Elder Porphyrios arrived at my house without being invited along with another priest. They came ostensibly in order for Dr. Papazahos to give him a cardiogram. It really happened to be that Dr. Papazahos would come to my house so that I could be examined in the presence of Pappouli in order to give me encouragement.

He gave me a great deal of encouragement and when I told him about my children and that I would leave them orphaned if something happened to me he said: “The children are firstly children of God and secondly they are your children. Do you love your children more than God loves them?” At that point I completely calmed down. The next tremor found us sitting around the table and not at all fearful but we simply made the sign of the cross.

About Modern Music

Pappouli spoke about modern rock music. He said it was wild and very barbaric. He said in reference to this that mankind started to become wild after committing the original sin. Mankind now has very wild music with a lot of noise. As mankind became tame after the advent of Christ, so did his music become harmonious and more classical. Mankind again today is becoming wild and is going further away from Christ. The music again is becoming barbaric and it reflects the sentiments of the musicians.

He said that all musicians, even the classical ones, with their music express their inner feelings which come from their hearts. If their feelings are filled with hate, passions, etc. then also their music, even if it is classical, expresses this. If their music is good, it reflects their inner good feelings. This good music creates such feelings and such an inner state that it affects him who hears it. The poems of ecclesiastical poetry, of Byzantine Music, but generally ecclesiastical music reflect beautiful feelings and are good for the soul.

4 The publisher’s note: Obviously the heart here does not mean the fleshly part of our body with which the cardiologists concern themselves. It means the spiritual center of man which is essential for one’s spiritual life just as much as the heart is important for the body.

HIS INFLUENCE

Blessings

The Elder’s material repayment for my services to him was not of little consequence. In other words early in the morning before six o’clock, the telephone would ring. “L. Are you coming? Don’t you have any work to do?” “Elder, on your word, I will unfurl the net.” Following every physical for the Elder, my office would fill up with patients. In addition to this, I had the good fortune and the holy gift of receiving his blessing on the spot. He would also do this for my car and my home. This is the same as the Lord did for the home of Matthew and for Zacchaeus.

Once when he was in the shed in Milesi, we had to change our car because the previous one had been wrecked in an accident on the interstate highway. Fortunately there were no injuries. We bought another car that was red in color. My wife went into his cell and said to him amongst other things that he should bless our car from his bed because he was bed-ridden. He gave me his blessing cross to bless my car. In the meantime, he said to my wife, “My child how beautiful the car is and it is also bright red.”

A Nocturnal Visit

There were many times when I strongly felt his presence near me. It was such on a particular night when I saw him in my sleep but as if very much alive and he was anointing me with oil. This anointing felt so good from a spiritual point of view that I could remember it completely when I woke up. After a few days, when I went to visit Pappouli I told him, “Pappouli was it you I saw or was it something evil?” “Be real my friend L., I love you and I think about you and I bless you. When you saw me I was blessing you.”

An Ineffable Fragrance

At least two other times I found myself in another miraculous situation while in the cell of Pappouli. When something spiritually significant was going to happen, I smelled an ineffable fragrance, something that was like incense.

Once a complete change had taken place in the life of a woman who had been living for many years very far from Christ. She had been led to Pappouli by us. I will explain this story later on. My wife and I looked at one another (the children were also there and we all looked at one another). We tried to figure out where the fragrance came from. We looked to find out if Pappouli’ s niece had lit up the censor. There was nothing. We went outside and asked his niece, “M. is it possible that there is some incense someplace? Is it possible that you are burning some?” “No,” she said. “Sometimes this is how Pappouli smells.” This happened to me twice.

Medical Counseling and Intervention

There were many times that I would ask the Elder for help in making diagnoses. But also in the healing of diseases that occurred in my family, I would again ask for help from the Elder. And I did this because I would often see miraculous results through his intervention.

One time I suffered pain in my heart for some time. I suffered from tachyarrhythmia. These were pains that the Elder characterized as pains of the soul. These episodes would terrorize me for they would frighten my wife. I would hurt very much. This is when the Elder phoned me and said, “Does your heart hurt you? Does it hurt in that spot? He would describe how it was exactly. “Yes Elder,” I said, “it is exactly like that.” And then I said, “Elder it has stopped hurting me.” The Elder at that moment laughed and said, “My dear child, I am blessing you.”

THERAPIES

The healing of my seriously ill son

This is another miracle that Pappouli did for me. My eldest son had become seriously ill. He had a very serious operation. It was on a very dangerous part of his body. Having thought that the operation was a success, two or three days later complications set in. There were abscesses in the abdominal cavity under the liver. It was in a place that they could not clean out for they could not see it. This resulted in my son having a fever again. He looked like a corpse and he was jaundiced. He would die within a few hours.

Many friends and also many good scientists and professors from the university came to see him. It was a Sunday. They did this to take me away from there so that they could sit with him for a while. They did not want me to see my son dying. They took my wife and me away so that we could get some rest. One of my friends stayed with him. He was a professor. He was Mr. M. He stayed to take care of the boy because they expected that he would die that very same hour.

We, of course, had informed Pappouli and others were told so that they could pray. That night, at three o’clock, we had returned to the hospital and Pappouli phoned home where my mother-in-law was and said, “My child, with tears in my eyes I am praying. We must save the child! Do you hear me? We must save him.” My mother-in-law was crying, Pappouli hung up the phone. In fact, the next day, my son recovered and now he is very well and he glorified God and Elder Pappouli who was responsible for this through his prayers so that he could recover. And for me, as a doctor, it is considered a resurrection.

The healing of my terminally ill mother

I will now talk about a miracle that happened to my mother through the Grace of God by the intercessions of Pappouli. My mother had become seriously ill. She had a very serious operation and suffered oxygen deprivation of the brain because of a treatment failure. She was comatose. They took her to the Intensive Care Unit of the Red Cross. They excised her neck and they inserted a machine and it was uncertain whether or not she would live one or two days in a vegetative state. We all expected her to die. In fact Mr. D., the professor said, “Mrs. E. is finished. Make the arrangements for the funeral for she will not live long. It is a question of hours.” At that point, my wife left with great faith and hastened to Kallisia where Pappouli was. She wanted to find him and tell him that mother was dying.

Pappouli was not at Kallisia. Returning on the path from Kallisia, she was asking within herself, “Pappouli where are you? Don’t you see? Mother is dying. Pappouli please come, mother is dying.” It should be noted that my mother was still young. A few hours intervened after my wife returned to the hospital and about noontime Pappouli arrived unexpectedly. He appeared in the corridor where we were all standing outside waiting for my mother to die. We began kissing his hands and so forth. It startled us that he came without us calling him. He said, “Open the door a little for me.” No one was allowed to enter. “Open it a crack.” He looked at my mother while holding a wooden cross. He prayed for a long time and suddenly he left. The only thing he said was, “God shall provide.” And then he added, “Tonight at ten to ten fifteen you will gather as many people as you can, you will pray for the servant of God and God will provide.”

Many people were gathered together. All the friends and all the spiritual brothers and sisters prayed together that evening. Of course, as far as I was concerned, it was a useless effort to keep my mother alive, at least medically. And yet, oh, the miracle, the next day my wife entered the room to see how my mother was doing. She took her by the hand. My mother squeezed her hand and two tears came from her eyes. She knew my wife was present. She moved her eyes and without my saying too much, a little while later she woke up. She began to feel her surroundings. She got up, she walked and she lived for another eleven years. She lived but was not able to speak because there was a problem with her throat that could not be fixed.

But she lived many years in true repentance and she died peacefully. She often communicated with me through signs or writing messages to me on paper, “Pappouli comes at night and says to me: “Hey, he would say her name. You are no longer a soldier, you are now being promoted to an officer.” “I love Pappouli very much, he comforts me at night. Do you know this? He comforts me.” In truth this was happening even though Pappouli was living in Athens and my mother was living in another city far away. It was only possible to get to Athens by ferry boat or by airplane for the Elder to go back and forth.[5]

There is resurrection

I forgot to tell you before when I was talking about my mother in connection with Pappouli, that when my mother was raised from the dead, we would talk to her about what happened. He said to me, that night when we were all praying from ten to ten fifteen for my mother that he could see her bed in the room of the hospital. He would see her in the intensive care unit bathed with a light which certainly was caused by the prayers of all of us. At one time, after many years when we were talking about the resurrection, Pappouli said to me, “Don’t you believe L. in resurrection? Wasn’t your mother resurrected?”

5 The miracle is being told by the wife of the doctor. We skipped her narration fearing it would be repeated.

DISCERNMENT

The Elder sees Ochrid and as far as Lapland

We had gone on a trip to Serbia and we visited monasteries and religious shrines. We had received the blessing of Pappouli and the guidance of a Serbian priest-monk and the current Metropolitan E.M., a spiritual child of Pappouli as were all the others in our company. At the end of the trip, we passed Ochrid and took a boat ride on a lake. Even though the lake was deep, we could see to our surprise that the weeds were very high and in many places they would break the surface of the lake.

On our return trip, we passed by Milesi in Oropos, as we usually did, so that we could get the blessing of Elder Porphyrios. We also wanted to pick up our parrots that we had left with the Elder’s birds. As soon as the Elder saw us he said, “Please come back another day so that you can tell me about it, so that I may see it because now I am tired. My children, what kind of grass was that in the lake! How abundant it was!”

We were amazed that he was able to see it, and he said the following, “Ten days ago a friend of mine went on a trip to Lapland and five days ago I could see where he was going. In fact, I saw more than he could see. In addition to this, I could see inside of him, the way he was seeing things around him. You should go to Lapland to see the midnight sun. How did I see these things my children?” “Come on, Elder”, we said, “you see things with the Grace of God, with discernment”. “Pay attention now, I did not communicate with his thoughts,” Pappouli continued, “I could see whatever he saw and even more.” “Elder, was it cold?” I asked. “My child, I do not know. He was wearing a coat.”

He sees my wife’s village

My wife’s village was part of an ancient city and they all say that there are hidden or buried ancient artifacts and treasure in the ground. Pappouli did not know that, neither had he ever been to my wife’s village. In spite of this, he described in detail where the monastery was, where the Church was and were all the other things were. And he said to her that there is a great deal of gold there. There are treasures there that the villagers do not know about.

He can see subsurface water deposits

There are many stories about water deposits that Pappouli would see below the surface of the ground. Once I was on Mt. Athos. We had purchased a lot near the town of Stamata. I had met Pappouli on Mt. Athos once and he said to me, “Look at the lot that you purchased, there is a big reservoir of water nearby.” When I returned to Athens after a few months, it was revealed that there is a very large underground cavity which collects water. That is the aqueduct for the whole district there.

He observes the trip

Some of his friends went on a long journey. It was an overseas journey to another country. Pappouli loved them very much and he prayed for them. When they returned from their trip, he asked them to tell him certain things about the trip. But before they could answer him, he began to tell them all the things they had done. At one point Pappouli stopped and said, “Truly I do not know what happened further on because I lost contact with you. You committed a sin and in order for me not to worry about you, God did not reveal to me what you were doing.”

The forgotten sin

Once my wife went to confession but she forgot to reveal a sin. Pappouli did not say anything and as she was confessing he asked, “What else? What else?” She could not remember the sin. And he himself told her the sin. And he told her about it in a roundabout way. She understood at that point that Pappouli was able to see inside of her and he could see that which she did not remember.

A response to a question

One day I woke up very early, before sunrise and I was praying and later I was reading something from the Fathers of the Church. I had a spiritual question about what I was reading. A short time later the telephone rang even though it was still very early. It was before six and it was Pappouli. “My child, it is not the way you are thinking about it, it is like this.” He proceeded to explain to me in detail the spiritual question that I had about the Fathers of the Church.

The revelation of a need

I was on Mt. Athos once and Pappouli was also there at Kerasia. It was the month in which my third child would be born by cesarean section. My wife and I had not determined the exact day of the birth. We thought that there was more time left and I had gone to Mt. Athos. When I met up with Pappouli in Kerasia, he called me in and he handed me a big pear. He called me closer to him and we looked for and found wooden boxes so that we could make baptism favors. He later performed the baptism. He said, “Leave immediately. Go by the Monastery of St. Ann. Stay overnight at Nea Skete and then in the morning you can leave immediately for Athens. It is very important.” I actually did leave and reached the entrance of the Abramites at Nea Skete. It immediately started to rain heavily. In fact it was a torrential rain. In the morning, I quickly left for Athens for my wife was about to give birth the next day. If she did not give birth then her life and the baby’s life would be in danger.

About my icons

I once painted an icon of St. Luke and I took it to show it to him. He reverenced it and lifted it up high and said, “I pray that this icon will perform miracles.” Another time Pappouli said to me, “You have a beautiful icon of the Holy Mother. It is a very beautiful icon!” “Pappouli, I have many icons of the Holy Mother. Some are mine and some have been done by others.” “No, there is only one.” I then began to point them out to him. “Is it that one there, is it that one over there?” “No, no someplace else, someplace else.” We slowly searched and finally ended up that it was the icon done by Lepouras. It is truly very beautiful and it is one of the last icons of Vasilis Lepouras. Pappouli had admired this particular icon from afar without ever having seen it.

The opening of a pharmacy

At one time I had introduced to him a pharmacist friend of mine who had many problems. He wanted to open up a pharmacy and he had difficulty getting the finances together. He went to see Pappouli many times and Pappouli said to him, “Be calm, do not get upset my child. You will open a pharmacy on a large thoroughfare, in a central location.” And in truth, after a few months, the pharmacist opened a large pharmacy in a central location in Piraeus. He thanks Pappouli for his material help and especially for his spiritual gift.

The feeling of my father’s soul

Once I was examining the Elder and I was helping him up from his bed so that he could sit up. I embraced him and as I was lifting him up he said to me, “My dear child, at this very moment I perceived your father’s soul!”

About father Eleftherios

Fr. Porphyrios had a very close relationship with the blessed Father E. K. who was a spiritual father on an island. He was known for his holiness and through him many others and I got to know Elder Porphyrios.

Father E. died very young at 57 years of age. He died from diabetes. He suffered from an obstruction and fell asleep at that age. Many of his spiritual children attended his funeral. One of those children was the University Professor K. S. He was not able to attend the funeral for various reasons. At the time of the funeral he was sitting with the Elder at Milesi. The Elder described the funeral to him. He was very emotional and was crying because he could see in detail the funeral from afar. And when the funeral was over he said, “Now we can say, Holy E. intercede for us.”

Telephone calls from Kavsokalyvia

Shortly before the Elder fell asleep at Kavsokalyvia he phoned me two times. The first time was near the end of the summer of 1991. He phoned me and spoke to me about his illness and how he felt about it. From what I could understand, he was suffering with his kidneys. He asked me if my daughter, the doctor, could send him a book on the physiology of kidneys that could explain how kidney stones are formed.

Pappouli, of course could not read and especially foreign medical books because of his blindness. Others would read for him. So I quickly, knowing that whatever Pappouli wants he must get, found a book on physiology from my daughter. We had it delivered by someone who was visiting Mt. Athos. This book on physiology of kidneys is now at Kavsokalyvia along with the body of Pappouli. And his last phone call was, “I pray for your joy, health, love and peace.” It was the last time that I heard his precious voice.

You will become a bishop

I will tell you quickly two instances that reflect the grace of discernment and prophecy that the Elder possessed. The first instance happened on a trip by the Elder near the Holy Lands. A service was taking place. I believe it was the Divine Liturgy in the main Church of the monastery. When the service finished and they went to the guest’s quarters the Elder said to a priest-monk, “You must prepare yourself to become a Bishop.” The priest-monk certainly was not thinking about that nor did he pursue such a desire. He did not take the words of the Elder seriously neither did he continue to think about this in spite of the fact that he respected the Elder very much. He often communicated with the Elder as well as with Elder Paisios.

It was not long after this when the Archbishop suddenly died and the priest-monk was voted in as the new Archbishop. The meeting of Elder Porphyrios and his spiritual son who was now the local Archbishop on a particular night in Tourkovounia reminded me of the stories found in eldership annals. I had the joy to see up close the meeting of the Bishop with the Elder out on the road in front of his earthen house. Down below, the lights of Athens shone brightly and in the meeting of the two men reflected the Grace of God.

The second instance is in reference to a Metropolitan of an Arabic capital that has a large number of Orthodox faithful. The young priest-monk at the time was pursuing postgraduate studies in Athens. He often concelebrated with the Elder and a Serbian priest-monk. He is now a Bishop. There was also a Serbian deacon who is now a Bishop. These were spiritual children of Father Justin Popovich.

The Arab, having finished his studies, was getting ready to go to the USA to continue his studies. He went home to say goodbye to his relatives. In doing this, he went by to get the blessings of Elder Porphyrios. Smiling, “you will not go to America father,” the Elder told him. “But I am leaving immediately Elder right after I visit with my parents.” The Elder did not say anything else. In fact, after arriving in his country, the priest-monk participated in the funeral of the Metropolitan. The Patriarch and his holy synod in a few days had selected him to take his place. It should be known that the Arabs of that area respect Elder Porphyrios as a Saint because he has performed many miracles for them. In fact, they have built a small Church of Saints Anthony the Great and Porphyrios the New!

His relics

Three years after the falling asleep of the Elder, his relics were gathered up secretly without public knowledge by one of his disciples. It is reported they were placed in a box and deposited in a remote area of Mt. Athos. He wanted this done so that people would not give him special honors. This was a final expression of humbleness that Elder Porphyrios desired.

Archbishop Seraphim of blessed memory respected the Elder very much and had met him before his falling asleep. He spoke about him in his usual way. In one of our meetings with him he revealed the following to me. I told him first that Elder Porphyrios loved him very much and he regarded him as a worthy hierarch. “What are you telling me, my child? He was a saint, we are not worth anything.”

A NOTEBOOK FROM MY ENCOUNTERS

WITH ELDER PORPHYRIOS

These are the notes

of Markiani Notarias

This is an effort to portray the physical appearance of Elder Porphyrios. It is very difficult to paint exactly the physical appearance and it is even more difficult to portray his spirit.

BIOGRAPHY

How he went to Mount Athos[1]

In 1918, I left for Mount Athos in order to work (he was born in 1906 that is he was then twelve years old ). It was Wednesday night. On the boat that was taking me to Mount Athos there was a venerable Elder. He said to me, “Where are you going?” I answered, “I am going to Mount Athos to work.” He looked at my hands to see if I could handle the work and he said to me that young boys like me were not allowed on Mount Athos but he took me with him anyway. On the following day in the morning between eight and ten o’clock, we arrived on Mount Athos. A boat came and took aboard monks who had been shopping. Once we stepped on shore with my Elder, he took some bags that we had to carry about twenty five meters in order to board another boat. At that point, a man dressed in a kilt and wearing a fess grabbed me and threw me into the boat in order to send me back. My Elder became aware of this and he said to him, “leave him alone he is my nephew.”

“We got into the other boat. A monk came by to drink some water and made the sign of the cross. Another one yawned and made the sign of the cross over his mouth. Whatever I saw made an impression on me and I marveled at it. The next day was the feast day of St. Constantine and we saw a beautifully painted boat with monks who said to us, ” “Your blessings fathers.” “My elders, the one who took me under his wing and another one who was his brother, they were living together as monastics, asked, “Where are you going?” “We will send a telegram to the King”, they answered. “God willed it and I found my elder and I was able to enter Mount Athos otherwise I would not have been able to enter. It was through the Grace of God that Elder Panteleimon found me and we went to Kavsokalyvia. In Karyes everyone would kiss his hand and say to him, “Holy Spiritual Father, Holy Spiritual Father. And I was happy to have fallen into such good hands.”

The First Year

“I was a shut-in for I did not have much of a beard and the others were not supposed to see me. The others went to the celebrations and I would stay back in the hut. I would do my chores and then I would run to the Church and say the Canon of Jesus. ( He chanted so beautifully! ). “Sweet Jesus you are the joy of my soul” and I would cry.[2] I had a sparse beard because I had been shaving since I was nine years old with a knife[3] which my father had brought back from America. Exactly one year later I grew a good beard and I wore a skull cap. I had a lot of long hair and I would stuff it into my robe. Later on when I went to the village they marveled at all my hair. I took out a pot of water, boiled it and put my hair in it and this split my hairs.”

The Handiwork

“I did woodcarving on Mount Athos because my elders did that kind of work. One day I saw some birds on the grape vines. The elders were absent. When I finished with my chores I sat down and made wood carvings of the birds. I did a very good job and when the elders came back I showed them my work with great pride. Then my elder said to me, “What is that? Who told you to make them?” He broke them. I became obedient. I did a genuflection. I learned very well the monastic way.”

Communicating With Prayer

Later when I became fifteen or sixteen and my elders were absent I “took” the road, (here he means he took the road acquiring the gift of discernment) and I could “see” them on the road returning from a journey (here again he is referring to his power of discernment).

An Elder from a cell in Kerasia was missing. He had two disciples. He was caught in a snow storm and one of them heard the Elder calling them to go to Saint Athanasios in order to save him. He said this to the other one and in a short time they put on their shoes, navigated the snow and found him stuck in it and brought him back. The disciple heard the voice of his Elder. This happened because the Elder was praying.[4]

Why He Left Mount Athos

One day I was out gathering snails. I would put them in a sack which was slung on my back. Suddenly it began to rain and I got soaked. I had the soaked snails on my back and I became sick. My Elders told me to go home to my parents so that they could take care of me because I would die if I remained there. ( This is my commentary. This whole journey reveals the desire of God for His world. He sent him back to the world for our sake. The Elder remained a member of the monastic brotherhood of Mount Athos his whole life and he said: “I loved the holy Elders of Mount Athos very much and I wanted very much to be like them and to imitate their way of life”).

How He Became A Spiritual Father

“When I was twenty-two years old I was attending a celebration in the village where the Bishop was also present. When we were standing on a small elevation, I said something to him with my discernment. The next day during the Divine Liturgy, the Bishop was on his throne and I was in the altar. Two priests pounced on me and they pulled me through the Royal Entrance exiting the altar area. They directed me to stand before the Bishop. He said something from a prophet and he continued: “Up until now you did not have a spiritual father, from now on you will have Fr. Porphyrios.” And Pappouli continues: “And he elevated me to be a spiritual father at twenty-two years of age in front of all those people in the Church.”[5]

The Secret of Confession

(This is according to his explanation and my recent notes)

“When I became a priest a lot of people came for confession.[6] On the feast day celebration of St. Haralampos, many priests were present, archimandrites and the Bishop. An ordination was scheduled to take place. An archimandrite said to me: “Tasos, I don’t remember his name, is he the right person to become a priest?” I said, “I don’t know.” “He has gone to confession to you,” he said. “I don’t know him,” I replied. The Bishop heard the conversation and said: “He rightfully said that he does not know him. He (Tasos) confesses to Christ, not to him (to Fr. Porphyrios). You are wrong.”[7] The next day the Bishop during his talk, said to him: “White hair indicates a prudent man and old age means a spotless life” and he spoke beautifully about me: living in the wilderness at thirteen years of age….[8]”

How He Stopped a Bad Habit

According to his narration based on recent notes: “When I was seven years old I would say: “Go to hell.” An uncle of mine, Gregory, heard me and said to me: “You are sinning very much, Evangele. It is a very big sin to send the creations of God to hell.” I said: “What can I do? It has become a habit and I cannot stop it.” “Do this”, he said: “Be sure that for three Saturdays you say “come on now” with a blessing. When the three Saturdays have gone by you will not be able to express the bad habit and you will also be very careful.”

Pappouli continued: “By staying away from something for 21 days helps. I would remember it every morning. I would say” “I, my God, cannot help it, I will say it, and for this reason You must help me. And every night I would thank God who would help me and it became a habit. You should see now how I have inspired people and they stop smoking with the three Saturdays and many others keep coming for help.

Come now, I am glad to have heard you.”

It snowed on mt. Athos. The Elder feels cold in Athens

“Let me tell you about a particular situation”, he said. One day at Kallisia, I decided to do the compline with someone. We went outside to go to the rock. It was September. Suddenly an idea came to me. I said to the other person: “let us go spiritually to the hermitage of St. Gregory Palamas”. He said: “may it be blessed”. He said the opening blessing. We sat at some distance and we started saying: “Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me.” I said to him (and may God forgive me for my egoism, I do this out of love): “I felt the fragrance of Mt. Athos. I see snow and I ’ve begun to feel cold”. He answered me: “that is your imagination”. I said to him: “I am cold”. Truthfully in three days we received a letter from a monk who wrote to us that three days ago Athos’ beard became white.[9]

You are where your spirit is.

“Let me tell you”, he said, “about a related event. When I was on the Mountain, I did not want to leave. I got sick because one day I got very wet. I was carrying a sack of snails on my back and I was stricken with Plevritis. My spiritual fathers told me to leave because they did not have the proper food for me. When I came to Athens, I would wake up every morning for services and I would find myself spiritually with my spiritual fathers at St. George Church.[10] I could see each of the icons and I could smell the fragrance of Mt. Athos and feel the presence of the monks. When I was saying the prayer I was sitting on a rock noetically from where I could see the Aegean Sea. My body was here and my soul was on Mt. Athos. That is the way it is. You are where your spirit is. If you are in Church and your mind is at the office along with the business of the office”, he said, “you are in your office.”

1 A note from the writer: This is a narration of the Elder from notes taken. There are gaps in the narration because I did not have the time to take complete notes.

2 A note from the publisher. Whoever wishes can hear Elder Porphyrios chant this hymn and some others on the cassette “Sweet Jesus.”

3 An old razor blade that folds like a pocket knife.

4 A note from the publisher of this book. In other words, he did not hear his voice with his ears but with his soul.

5 A note from the publisher. A service that is anticipated in the service book “when the Bishop ordains a father confessor” and then Panteleimon Karystias, who is a great speaker, added a proper quote from the Wisdom of Solomon. “For old age is not honored for its length of existence, nor measured by its number of years; but discernment is gray hair for mankind, and a spotless life is the maturity of old age. (Wisdom of Solomon 4:8-9). In other words: Old age is not honored by length of years because as an honorable white-haired man is considered by the people a person who is prudent, a person with a spotless life.

With these words the Bishop wanted to say: You should not look upon your new spiritual father young in years of age. He is young but prudent and spotless and these make him of equal value with an aged person.

6 Before he became a father confessor. Counseling.

7 A note from the publisher: This conversation was most likely according to the Bishop’s opinion, some type of test of the young Confessor Father Porphyrios’ secrecy.

8 A note from the writer: It is possible that I do not remember very well because the previous narration and this one also took place at a different time. It took place on the day that the Bishop made him a Father Confessor. This is the saying he used in his talk.

9 This is an expression of the Mount Athos monks when it snows on Mount Athos

10 The chapel of the cell at Kavsokalivia.

DIALOGUES WITH HIM

When your Enemy Swears at You

I love you very much my daughter. When I see you troubled I pray a lot for you”. I said, “I am troubled very often”. He said, “When someone swears at you, when someone blasphemes you, you should look at their souls and you should embrace them with your prayer and with your love. When your daughter is misbehaving do not look at her angrily, act as if you are not paying attention and caress her soul with love and prayer and you will see how she calms down. Your good feelings have a good influence on others and your evil elicits evil”. I responded, “I know this. I see that when I do not feel good about someone he feels evil towards me and when I feel good he also feels good towards me. He said, “oh, what shall I do with you? He grabs your soul and he tortures you and darkens your life”.

You must be obedient

He said, “You should be obedient”. I said, “I have never been obedient”. He asked, “Don’t you like it? Oh, I see that you are very egotistical. And now I have uncovered your obstinacy. “Be obedient”. Fr. Paisios also said it. I said, “I know that”. He responded, “He is a fighter, an ascetic, who has the grace of discernment”. He added, “When people tell me that I am something special, I laugh. One eyed people rule it over the blind. Fr. Paisios said it and I feel it. He (he brought up someone) is mixed up. Someone who has met him and that is S, told me so. “Oh no”, I objected, “I don’t have any trust in his opinion. He judges based on criteria that is subjective”. He said, “You are justified” (maybe he said this to calm me down). I said to him, “Unless you say so, you know”. He answered, “I know. I say it”. I agreed.[11]

About the Prayer

He said, “And now, between 10 and 10:15 you can say the prayer. First, before 10, pray for your children and say “through the intercessions” and then you can begin: “Lord, Jesus Christ, have mercy on me”, mentally, and if different thoughts come to you say the prayer louder so that you can hear it better: “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me” and you will see that the enemy will leave. You should do like a choir does, for when it sings and we hear spurious noise, we sing louder and we can hear it better. Do not push away the enemy, do not repulse him but gather your thoughts together and intensify your mental prayer and he will leave on his own.[12] Oh, what shall I do with you, what shall I do with you, I love you very much.”

I Release You from Your Obedience

It was the time of year for the elections. I was influenced by various external and internal factors and I was thinking of voting for a specific party. I was obsessed by this party. I defended it everywhere and I complained about the opposition party. I gave a great deal of attention to the voting taking place. I can now say that one part of my soul was turned off by all this that was totally unspiritual. Pappouli asked me, “Hey, M. how are you going to vote?” I said with firmness, “Naturally for this particular party.” “I am telling you to vote for the other party, the opposition party”. “No Pappouli, I would do everything but that.”

Pappouli did not say anything else. That night was a torture for me. I loved the Elder very much but I could not deny the worldly part of myself. But he asked me for a favor, I was thinking, and me not to do it? What kind of love is that? And beyond this why is the Elder asking this of me? Is it because he is trying to overcome a vanity that does not allow me to fly spiritually? After all, does the Elder benefit anything from the political parties?

Very early in the morning my telephone rang in my office. It was Pappouli. “I burdened you last night. You were pressured a lot and you worried. I release you from your obedience to me. You may do whatever you like, whatever God enlightens you to do. Embrace your children and pray. What a wonderful thing! “I am here with the children which God has given to me”. Do not worry, do whatever you desire. You should keep the good things I give you but not all things. I told those things to you last night because I received a revelation. I did not want it that way but suddenly it occurred to me that I should tell you what I felt.Fr. Paisios said it because he knows and I feel the same way, don’t you believe me? He asked. I said, “But in the name of God, I believe you and I will be obedient” and I read something to him which I had written in reference to the issue that we were discussing the night I was struggling with my thoughts.

“I said those things to you because I love you,” he said. I love you my daughter. Don’t do it, do whatever you desire. I release you from your obedience to me.” He said, “May you have the blessing of Christ.” I eventually voted with a great deal of difficulty. My desires were battling with my obedience that I had for my Elder. At the moment that the ballot for this particular party that I did not want was inserted into the ballot box, an unbearable weight was lifted off me. I was freed. From then on, I did not get involved in anything political. The lesson of Pappouli showed me the relative value of earthly things.[13]

I Will Listen To You

He said to us one day, “When you want something and you can’t find it call me, tell me what you want and I will listen to you.” Another time he said, “When I leave this world and you will need my help, call on me and I will be next to you, exactly right here”( and he showed me with his hand where he would stand).

Divine Grace and Joy

It was Pentecost 19….All of my family had left Athens. I woke up at 5 in the morning and I decided not to fall back asleep but that I would go to Kallisia in an attempt to go to confession. I arrived there at 6:30 in the morning. I found Pappouli walking out to the spring with his towel. When he finished, he said to me, “Come and confess”. (I was rather shy to ask him so I avoided it) We sat on a rock, he looked around the mountains and asked me: “Do you feel that?” I did not answer or rather I was in the middle of my question. “Which Elder?” At that moment a fragrance enveloped me. It was an unknown fragrance, a powerful one, without chocking me. It was the type of fragrance that I had felt in the presence of the Holy Relics of Saint Sergius of Radonez in Zadonsk. “Yes Pappouli, Yes Pappouli”, I was able to say through the joy that filled me and through the fragrance that overwhelmed me. “That is a good fragrance,” he said. “It comes from far away.”

“What is this that comes from far away?” I knew that it was the fragrance of the Holy Spirit on this day of Pentecost. My eyes became like a faucet that were freely running throughout the Divine Liturgy. My soul was filled with joy and love for all people and my face was flushed.[14] I realized that from a question that was asked by a friend who said, “My God, what is wrong with you today, why is it that your face is red and bright?” It was the visitation of the Holy Spirit through the Elder and a gift from him so that I could feel Pentecost. May God be blessed through His Holy Saints.

Remembrance of forgotten thoughts

Once an evil thought came to my mind. A few times when I was conversing with it and at a certain point, I realized that it was an evil thought and I fought against it. It left and was forgotten. I had not confessed this to the Elder. Every time after a confession he would ask me, “What else do you wish to tell me?” My answer was, “Elder I do not remember anything else. Do you Pappouli see something that you should tell me?” A long time had passed and after a similar answer, he said to me, “You know, it is possible that this can happen too (and he described thoroughly to me my thoughts looking away indifferently) and then he asked me, “What do you have to say?” And his eyes were riveted on my soul.

He explains things to us so that others will listen

Many people would go to him to ask him questions like they do when they go to a fortune teller who reads the coffee grinds. He would not answer their questions. One time I became a witness to the following incident: Together with many other people we were waiting for him to come back from the woods where he had gone for a walk. As soon as he came back he said, “Come here to tell you something: There was a crazy person who had a pail of water and a brush and he was “painting” a wall. Two friends walked by and asked him what he was doing there. “I am painting the wall” answered the fool. “Don’t look at me. I have hidden many gold pieces under that tree”. And he continued to paint. The next day in the morning he continued to paint the same wall. The two friends came by again and said to him, “You are a fool, unfortunate one. We have been digging all night under the tree and we did not find gold coins”. “Oh”, the fool answered, “so you dug all night and did not find the gold coins. Come now so that you also may paint the wall”. At that moment a gentleman in a group of four people lit a cigarette and moved away from them and another one said to the Elder, “Did you say that for my sake Elder? I came by to ask you where the fortune of money is buried…”[15]

A spiritual father is a doctor filled with love

One day I desired to go to confession and I called him, “Elder I wish to confess.” He answered, “Then talk to me.” “My first sin: I do not want to go to confession to you because I am embarrassed.” “Then go to someone else but you should know that he will confuse you. Why are you embarrassed?” “Because I do the same things again and again and I don’t correct myself”. “Well then, unfortunate one, what is a spiritual father? He is a doctor. If you break your leg and you go to an orthopedic doctor, will he say to you, “oh you blind one, where were you looking when you broke your leg? Get out of here!” or will he take care of the broken leg with care and love? He will hold it tenderly so that you will not hurt much. He will put it back in its place. He will put it in a cast. He will give you medication for your pain. It is the same thing with the spiritual father. He is a doctor who with love bends over the suffering soul so that he can make it well.”[16]

You should love mystical things. Do not display a sense of uneasiness before your children

Long before animosity broke out amongst a couple towards all the members of our family, even though we loved with simplicity all the members of their family, the Elder suddenly told me one day, “You should know that many people cannot accept the love that is shown to them by others. They ask themselves why they love them. They become all tied up in knots. They feel that the love they show them binds them up and they react badly. They tie themselves up and isolate themselves. This action wounds the people they love. This wounds those that they love. It is for this reason that we should not show our love. Even parents should not show too much love to the children and this is especially true for the mother. She should not show her uneasiness. A few days ago a mother came to me with her child. She was talking to me while she walked and the child was climbing up on a mound of dirt and was yelling “mother”, and he was moving to the edge as if to fall off the mound. The mother became upset. She was ready to run and catch her child. I told her that she should act as if she had not seen him. “Do not answer him. Do not look at him. Act as if you do not hear him and say the prayer inside of you”. The child called out again and again and then he climbed down very slowly. If the mother had gone to catch the child or if she pleaded with him to come down he would have fallen in reaction to his mother’s love. You should love from within with the love of the heart. You should embrace the soul of the other person and your children with your heart and you should pray: “Lord Jesus Christ forgive me.” You should have the eyes of your soul focused here on the chest, on the heart of the other person and say the prayer. Don’t say forgive your servant so and so but forgive me. We should not change the prayer. For in reality the other person is in us. Yes, yes, I told him, this is the unity of human nature.”Not even a month went by and a difficult situation broke out in our family. It was animosity from people whom we loved without any ulterior motives. It is fortunate that the Elder had informed me. He had prepared me and especially he had explained to me the reason and the cause of their behavior.

The Issue of Identity Cards

I once asked the Elder, “Should we accept the identity cards with the 666 number on them?” The Elder asked me, “Please tell me something, when you go to St. Peter, will you show your identity card that says that you are a Christian, an Orthodox, and then will he say enter heaven? What is significant, what is written on your identity card or who you are? If you are marked against your will without your wanting this and your heart belongs to Christ, the mark does not have any value. As much as your identity card says that you are an Orthodox Christian, if your heart does not belong to Christ there is no value in having your identity card stating you are an Orthodox Christian.”

We should also pray for evil people

In a certain Church one Sunday, before the consecration of the Holy Gifts, someone brought the news that a politician was taken to the hospital and he was in danger of dying. This person made the comment: “the dirty dog is dying.” During the consecration, my husband prayed fervently: “My God allow him the time to repent. He is a human being; he is created in Your image.” The following Saturday, when we visited the Elder, he said to my husband as soon as we entered his cell. “Yes, yes George, may God give him the time to repent because he did many bad things to Greece.”

You can acquire holiness in Omonia Square

I was walking one day in Omonia Square and I was thinking: Here in Omonia Square Pappouli found holiness. I felt contrition in my heart, I bent my head and began saying the Jesus Prayer “Lord, Jesus Christ, have mercy on me.” On Saturday when we went to see the Elder he said to me as soon as he saw me, “Yes, it is true, even in Omonia Square you can become holy and you can pray.” I felt that he was following every move of my soul.

My Joy Was to Visit the Elder

Whenever we ventured forth to visit the Elder, our souls were filled with joy and fullness. I said to him at one time, “Elder, when I start off to visit you here I feel holiness.” He laughed loudly while giving me a slap on the face. I, of course, meant that when you are with a holy person you are holy and when you are with a perverted person you are perverted. This is something that the Elder saw in my heart.

Once I had the great blessing the Elder to ask me to take him to a doctor in Athens. While on my way to the Monastery, I was chanting with great joy. When I entered the Elder’s cell, he began to chant whatever I was chanting on my way there. We arrived in Athens, we went to the doctor and on the way back to the monastery he sighed: “Oh, Oh, Lord save the king.”[17] We arrived late at the Monastery and I did not want to leave the cell. At that point the Abbess Porphyria said, “Let her go, Elder it is late and she is all by herself.” Although I am frightened when driving at night, and especially on the interstate highway, I said, “The Elder will bless me and I will return safely to Athens.” And, in fact, from Malakasa all the way to Varimpompi bridge, I did not encounter one other car. I did not see a single car neither on the way to Lamia nor to Athens. It was not very late, it was between 9 and 9:30.

About death

It was Friday before Cheese Fare Sunday and the Elder was leaving for Hania. I had the great joy of taking him to the airport. On King Constantine Road, right after the Hilton Hotel, I was behind a car in which were two young girls. In front of them was a hearse carrying a body. The young driver tried desperately to change lanes so that she would not be behind the hearse. This effort was in vain for there was a lot of traffic. I laughed and said, “Elder, the young girl is afraid and she wants to change lanes.” Pappouli said, “You understood this, yet on the other hand, there is no death. It is nothing more than being born into the other life.” At that moment it came to me what St. Maximos the Confessor said about death: “Just as a fetus must reach maturity in the womb so that its organs can fully develop so must a person in order to live in the other life when he is born into it through death, all his spiritual organs must be developed, otherwise he will die and that is spiritual death.”

Mystical Communication

My husband asked the Elder, “Elder, in the other life how are we going to communicate with one another?” The Elder answered in a mystical way, “It is just the way it is said in the hymn; Just the way God mystically ordered the Archangel and the Archangel Gabriel understood and acted upon whatever he was ordered to do.”

The Holy Trinity Loves You

For some time I had a feeling of bitterness in my heart. I wanted to go to confession and I didn’t know what to say. I had a feeling of spiritual emptiness. It was at a time when a friend of mine had a need to go and see the Elder. After she saw him I also went to see him and told him how I felt. “I am not repentant. I do not have an understanding of my sins, I do not understand anything.” The Elder said to me, “Bow.” I bowed down. He put his stole on my head and he said to me, “I do not know what you say. I see that the Holy Spirit loves you very much.” Even if at that moment an earthquake had taken place at 7 on the Richter scale, my body could not have been shaken as much as my soul was shaken with this revelation of the Elder to me. The Elder continued:

“Do you have an icon of the Holy Trinity?” And immediately he said, “No, no, it is not the icon it is the fact that you have a true understanding of the dogma of the Holy Trinity.” My heart lit up. My face turned red. I started to cry uncontrollably. I did not even realize how I arrived in Athens from Milesi completely changed. “That is the change one finds at the right hand of the Righteous One”. That change remained with me for six months. And now, every time I remember that message of Love of the Trinitarian God, I am shaken.

The Soul is the place where the battle of good and evil takes place

Once when the Elder was teaching us, he said, “The soul is neither good nor bad. It is neutral. If you plug in the socket on the left side, on the evil side, he meant will power, it is the place where the evil angels enter your soul, the angels of darkness, they overcome the soul. The soul is filled with darkness and that is when a person does evil things. But if you plug the socket in on the right side, the good side, the angels of darkness retreat. They hide in the caves. The angels of God come and the soul fills with light. Christ arrives and then He and His angels do what is good and you are unable to do anything evil. Do not misunderstand what I say: You are not free to do evil because Christ works that which is good. Now if love is frozen and the angels and Christ retreat, evil then returns to fill the void. The soul is the theater where the struggle takes place between good and evil.”

I remembered the words of the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Romans (7:15-25). “For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. If then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. For I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.”

“I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God—the captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.”

Translation:

15. In other words, I do not know fundamentally what I do, I do not do that which I wanted to but on the contrary, whatever I wanted to do I avoided. 16. But doing that which I fundamentally do not want to do, I know. I know in reality that the commandments of the law are correct. 17. In this way I arrive at the point where I myself do not do that which is evil but it is the evil that has taken up residence in me. 18. And this is witnessed by my own conscience: the good does not dwell within me, in other words, in my being. Evidence of this is as follows; I wish to do that which is good, but I do not find the strength to translate this into action. 19. In this way, I do not do that which I want but I serve that which is evil, which I do not desire. 20. If, on the other hand, I do that which I do not want, then my act is not determined by me but by sin which has been enthroned within me.

21. Consequently, experience shows that while I want to do good, my actions show that I do evil. 22. Inwardly I agree and I am glad with whatever the law of God says. 23. But I have realized that my action follows another law which is in opposition to the law which my conscience agrees: it is the law of sin which governs my being and makes me its prisoner. 24. Truly, what an unfortunate person I am.

Who can save me from this act which has given in to death? 25. Let us thank God which has done this through the saving work of our Lord Jesus Christ. In other words, although I myself agree theoretically with the law of God, in reality I am submissive to the law of sin.

11 The reason for which this discussion took place is not for publication.

12 As I remember now, he said to us: “I will describe that with an example: There is group of people and they are discussing spiritual things: The subject is jealousy and it wants to steer the group away from the spiritual subject. A crocodile is created, let us say, and before each and every one of them it opens and closes its jaws (and it created with the palms of its hands like the jaws are opening and closing.) If he sees that no one is paying attention because all have their minds on spiritual things, he will withdraw slowly opening and closing his jaws in vain.

13 Do not trust in rulers and in the sons of men, in whom there is no salvation.” (Psalm 145:3). Do not depend on the political parties. Vote according to your conscience but without a feeling of fanaticism or in the hope that the A or the B party will save you.”

14 Red like a fire.

15 A note from the publisher. There is a more detailed description of the incident in the book of Klitos Ioannides, Elder Porphyrios, Testimonies and Remembrances, 9th edition, pages 150-151

16 A note from the editor of this edition. From these words of the Elder it shows how wrong the impression is of some people that the spiritual father is a judge and that the penances that he recommends are punishments. They are not punishments, they are medicines.

17 It is an expression from the 19th Psalm which is read at the matins service.

PASTORAL

How He Brought Together a Divided Family[18]

The Elder told me, “It was the Eve of Epiphany. I had finished with the blessing of the water. At twelve minutes before four, I took a taxi to go to my home in Turkovounia. A little further on, a woman hailed our taxi and it picked her up. The lady was going to Massalias Street. We left her off there. The taxi driver was murmuring—singing—rembetika songs. I said to him, “If you only knew how to chant!” He responded to me firmly. “I chant? When I was married I went to Church and when I die they will take me there again. That is why a person should become Christian, only if he so desires.” How many children do you have, I asked him and I answered him myself. “You have two, Vasiliki and Panagioti. Panagioti is a so-so child” and I proceeded to describe the child. “Panagioti cries. He is always crying.” After this I told him about Vasiliki because I saw (I meant that I saw by discernment) her body and soul. After this I described his wife to him. Hearing this, he was unable to talk, he became speechless.

“My blessed Kosta (by discernment, I said his name) your children do not look upon you as their father. Oh my, Kosta, you have another woman in your home.” At this point Kosta started to cry.

“Did God send you here to tell me these things?”, he said. I could see that he was living with another woman and he had his children with him who were always crying. Their mother had left and gone back to her village near Pyrgos of Elias in the Peloponnesus.

“What will happen now Kosta? Your children will become bad children. I will go and fetch your wife.” “But she does not want to return,” Kostas said. “I will go get her for you. You will send away that woman that you now have living with you. You will take me to your wife’s village and I will beg her, I will act as if I am asking for charity from the houses in her neighborhood and then I will go to her house. I will bring you together. But first you must become a Christian. If you do not become a Christian the same thing will happen to you again. Can you now see this? Today the heavens have opened up and your taxi has become the place in which the Holy Spirit and the Love of our Christ has revealed itself.” “How do I know these things? God revealed them to me so that you could be saved.”

When we reached my house, I took out money to pay him. He did not want to take the money. “No, Kosta, I said to him, you have children to raise. You should take the money, and he took it.”

“One day he took me and we went to Peloponnesus. We went to the village. He left me off at the entrance to the village. I proceeded ahead to act as if I were soliciting funds. I arrived at his wife’s house. I found her there and I entered. I spoke to her. I told her to return to her home and she refused. I then spoke to her with discernment. I told her things about her personal life which nobody knew about. I assured her that Kosta had changed and I convinced her and she agreed to come with us.”

“Kosta now is my friend. In fact, he is waiting for a telephone call from me. He dialed Kosta’ s and one of the children answered. He asked who was calling and the Elder answered: “I am one of his friends.”[19]

A Visit of Hindus

Saturday 11/16/85

It was 10 o’clock in the morning when we arrived at the Elder’s. We received his blessing and he said to us, “The punks arrived today, did I tell you that?” “No Elder”, I said,” tell us what happened.” “Look at the telephone book and find the following word (he brought up something). A month ago there were a lot of people outside at this time. I had seen many of them and I became tired. A 28 year old boy entered and said to me, “I have come for I have a great desire to hear you, for you to give me advice.” “I am not a theologian, what can I say to you? What do you do?” “I bring merchandise from Germany.” “Well, then, I need you.” The young man became perplexed. “How do you know me?” he said. “When I arrived, I stayed outside and I did not speak to anyone. Nobody knows me. I pushed people aside and I entered. People thought that I knew you and they stepped aside. How do you know me?” “I do not know you but Christ knows you,” I said. “Very well, Christ knows me.” He asked, “How do you know me?” He did not tell us if he explained to him how he knew him but he said to us, “When he left, he bent over and he kissed me here (he pointed to his forehead) and the feet which were on top of the bed coverings. A few days later many girls and boys arrived dressed in baggy pants. When I touched their hair it was hard and had not been washed for a long time.”

“Somebody sent us to you,” they said. They stood before him one next to the other. I kept looking straight ahead but mentally I was checking out each one of them and I was saying “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God have mercy on me” for each one of them: one time like this and another time another way (he was pointing his finger at each one of them going from right to the left and from left to right).This went on for fifteen minutes. I was praying mentally with great intensity.

I felt that all the young people were speaking in one voice. I do not know what they were saying, I do not know, they were not saying “Lord Jesus Christ”, but they were shouting all together.[20] As they were leaving they kissed my feet that were covered with the bed coverings. It seems that someone had been teaching them and they asked me, “Can we come back again Elder?” “Whenever you desire, my children,” I said to them.

Two siblings also came, a brother and a sister, the children of a rich man. I had spoken to their father and I said to myself let me call him. Ten days later I called him around 10 o’clock at night. The mother answered the phone who said to me: “I came by and greeted you but I did not say anything to you. We are leaving tomorrow for a trip to India to Sai-Baba[21] and after that we will come to see you.” It appears that the parents are also influenced by him.

Avoid Para Psychological Experiments

A young girl spoke about the experiment of parapsychology which was practiced by her fellow students at her school and he told her, “Avoid it, avoid it, because it is terrible. Many years ago they brought me a 16 year old boy that wanted me to read prayers over him. They had hypnotized him and then they could not bring him out of it. He walks but he is “asleep”. When I read prayers over him, he took deep breaths as follows: he then mimicked taking quick deep breathes. These things are truly dangerous. Satan is functioning in them and he takes over the person.”

A Meeting with a Murderer

At another time the Elder told me, “When I was living in Evia, I had climbed a mountain and I had built my hut near a blossoming grapevine. I was in the village all day long and at night I would go to the mountain. One night I was sitting below the shed and was reciting mentally the after supper prayers. When I said the prayer of the Panagia, I saw Panagia with all the heavenly hosts. I was overwhelmed with compunction and I knelt. A flash came from the throne of Panagia and I began saying loudly: “O spotless, undefiled, incorrupt, immaculate, pure Virgin, Lady, and Bride of God….” I was speaking loudly in the forest like a nightingale. There was a mastic tree and suddenly I saw a human head that was moving inside the mastic tree. I stopped and a person asked me, are you a man or the devil. “I am a man,” I said to him. He came out of the mastic tree and he said to me “Father, I killed my wife. I have come from America and I killed her and I want to leave. Go and bring me some bread.” “I went to the Church in the village and brought him a bag of altar bread.” He said to me, “As soon as I saw you I said who brought this devil here? But you are a man of God. Do not say anything to anyone.” He kissed my hand and left. Two days later the police arrived searching for him. I did not want to lie to them so I hid in a trench that I had. There were shepherds nearby. I heard the policemen asking the shepherds if they had seen a person who might be hiding. They answered that they had not seen anyone. They then asked where I was and the shepherds said to them “Leave the priest alone he is in prayer.” I, in this way, did not tell on the man neither did I lie.[22]

The Shepherd who took his blankets

[This story was written by me while it was being told to me on the telephone.]

“After confession, I would go to the mountain and pray with a clear mind and then sleep on the mountain. I had taken with me some bed coverings and I had found a trench in which I slept. Its measurements were 1.50 x 2. A shepherd would pass by that way, he watched his sheep. One night, he walked by at twelve o’clock midnight and he noticed that I was not there. He took my bed coverings and went about 200 meters further down from where I was and slept under a wild pear tree. I went back to the trench where I had planned to sleep that night and found my coverings gone. I curled up like a cat and recited the psalms. I thought of going to the wild pear tree but I found nothing there. I went 100 meters further down where there was a pool of water. I stood still and said, “How long, O Lord? Will You forget me to the end having grief daily in my heart?”[23] and I heard a voice, “Elder forgive me, I took your blankets. I first went under the wild pear tree but later I got up and came here.” I said to him: “Give me half of the blankets so that I can also sleep tonight and you can keep the other half.”

18 This incident had inspired the author P. V. Pascho to write the story: Elder Porphyrios, see the book of the same name, 3rd edition, published by Akritas, page 9-27.

19 This story of Father Porphyrios was told on the feast day of Epiphany in the home of a friend.

20 Most likely they were saying a Hindu prayer.

21 It concerns someone who presents himself as a god-man and misguides people. He has become famous throughout the world. An objective presentation of him was written in the magazine The Mailman, (Jan. 13, 2001, p. 63-69.)

22 This is a tape recorded message of this incident by Elder Porphyrios. It is contained in a book that is being published by the Monastery entitled: “Elder Porphyrios, an Autobiography.

23 Psalm 12:2-3.

DISCERNMENT

He tested the water below the surface of the ground

Elder Porphyrios narrated the following story: “A friend of mine spoke about me to a friend of his who desired to buy a large parcel of land. His problem was that he did not know whether or not the land had water. Someone who knew a lot about water said to him that it had water and, in fact a lot. They picked me up one day and took me to the parcel of land. It was located on the side of a hill. Below that, at quite a distance away, was the sea. He walked about the parcel of land and he saw a lot of water. There was a great deal of water. “I went down and tasted the water” and I made a face. The water was salty. I said there was a lot of water but it was salty. The friend of the person who knew me laughed.“What is behind the hill?” I asked and without waiting for an answer, I climbed the hill. I “saw” the sea and observed that the sea water was entering the hill and it was flowing under the parcel of land at a great depth. It was entering the hill and spilling out into the sea at a depth of 25-30 meters away from the shore. I told him but he did not believe me. He drilled in the area at a great depth and he found water that was really salty. It was the sea”.

The healing of a cancer stricken person

I heard that a certain friend of mine, a philologist, twenty-two years of age, was sick with cancer in her uterus and she had only a few more months to live. I went to see her on New Years of 1972. At one point when we were alone she said to me, “I have cancer, I am soon dying. Glory be to God. What is the difference whether now or later.” I was surprised to hear this because I did not know that she knew. Once I composed myself, I said, “Don’t say it, dear. As soon as you leave here we will go to Elder Porphyrios so that he may bless you and you will get well.” I told her just two things about Pappouli. “If you desire, you can go alone.”

Sure enough, when she was released from the hospital she went to the Elder on her own. She herself told me that he told her, “Come Demetra, show me where you had the operation so that I can make the sign of the cross. I will read a prayer for you and you will never again have cancer.” My friend lives and works and is still very well to this day after all these years.

Telepathic Diagnosis

A certain friend of mine told him that her sister’s child is retarded. He is four or five years old and he does not understand many things. Neither does he talk well. The child was in Patra and the Elder was in Athens. He then said to her. “How is it possible for him not to be retarded since he is hard of hearing? he cannot hear, he does not speak well and he does not understand. The child is very smart.” The next day they went to the doctor to verify the fact that he cannot hear. They fitted him with hearing aids and he is now a first class student.

The same child was brought by his mother to Athens eight years later and they went to the Elder to receive his blessing. His mother told me that she wanted to ask the Elder about a problem that the child had. We entered the room, we received the blessing and the Elder said: “The child’s mother is to stay with me without the child.” We all went outside and the Elder spoke a little with the mother. When she came out, I entered to confess my sins and the Elder said to me, “Tell your friend not to take the child to the doctors for they will destroy the child. As soon as I saw the child I understood that he had a small penis. His parents are thinking of taking him to the doctors. If they do that tell them they will kill the child just as they killed a young man of nineteen who had the same problem.”

He sees from a distance the blossoming thyme

[He himself narrates this and notes are being taken at the same time].

“I banged up my foot once and it was placed in a plaster cast. As soon as I removed the plaster cast I went to Kallisia. As we were traveling along with Mrs. Maria, I said, “the thyme must now be in blossom.” “No, they have not yet blossomed,” she said to me. As soon as we arrived I saw that the thyme had blossomed. I had seen them.”

A Spiritual Presence

It was Christmas 1979. The Elder was sick and he remained in Holargos. We had attended Church at St. Nicholas in Kallisia. In the morning when the Liturgy had finished we walked along the pathway holding onto my young son R., I was holding him with one hand and his father was holding the other one. Two or three hundred meters before we reached the automobile R. said: “The Elder!” I immediately understood what the child said and I nudged my husband. I asked R.: “Where is the Elder?” “There, up front, he is going to the automobiles.” My husband asked me, “Which Elder, Father Eirineos?”[24] “No,” R. said. “It is the Elder, Pappouli, Porphyrios.” “ Where was Elder Porphyrios?,” asked his father. “He was in Church and now he is here” answered R. As soon as we entered the house after a half hour, the telephone rang. It was the Elder. “Pappouli,” my husband said, “R. saw you in Kallisia.” “Yes, my blessed one,” answered the Elder. “I was there. The child is innocent and he saw me.[25]

24 This is reference to Father Eirineos Boulovic, who usually liturgized at Kallisia and now is the Bishop of Batskas and Novisant in Serbia.

25 A note from the manager of this edition. Elder Porphyrios had physically remained in Holargos.

MIRACLES

A miracle

I was waiting outside of the entrance to the Elder’s cell and I heard a man who was about 60-65 years of age, unknown to me, asking the Elder’s niece, “What should I bring to the Elder? I want to bring something to him that will make him happy. She answered: “The Elder does not want anything. He does not accept anything.” “Yes,” insisted the man, “I want to bring something to him. I had cancer of the stomach, he blessed me with the cross and I became completely healed. I want to bring something to him.” “Well,” Helen said to him, “you can give whatever you like to someone in need. The Elder has very few needs.”

The Immediate Healing of a Hand

His niece Helen told me one day that a couple had arrived from Xanthi. The Elder was tired but when they told him that they had come from Xanthi, he said, “Good, I will see you for a short time.” The Elder lay down on his bed and covered himself over. The woman sat in a chair near him. The Elder told them different stories with which he answered the questions that they wanted to ask him. At the end, he focused his eyes on the right hand of the woman. He held her hand with kindness and then he asked her, “What is wrong with your hand?” The woman, who was holding the Elder’s feet at that time, replied with emotion, “My hand, my hand,” because her hand had been hurting for a long time and she was getting therapy. She had not told this to the Elder. And then she added, “So you knew about this as well, Elder?” We had also heard this and we entered the room. From that very moment, her hand was healed and the pain ceased. The women who had entered the Elder’s room heard the woman’s husband, who was a doctor, explain that his wife’s hand had hurt her for about a year and with the elder’s prayer the pain was gone from that very moment. A month later a bus full of people from Xanthi had come to see the Elder and receive his blessing.[26]

The Miracle of Prayer

My son got sick. He would not eat. He would throw up. He had diarrhea. As it is often the case, we did not pay much attention to this. We did not take the boy to a doctor but a doctor told us over the telephone what we should feed him. In spite of this the boy would not eat. It was Saturday night and as I was holding the child in my hands, I saw that he closed his eyes and he was turning purple. I was afraid that he was going to die in my lap. I put him in the baby seat and called the Elder. I said,” Pappouli, R. is dying.” Pappouli answered. “It is intestinal. Take the child and place him before the icons. Make genuflections and repeat for fifteen minutes: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God have mercy on R. Do this immediately. And I will be with the child. Don’t you believe that I will be with the child?” “I believe Pappouli that there are no distances for God, I said, and I will pray.

I took the baby seat and while crying entreated God to have mercy on R. Before fifteen minutes were up, R. opened up his eyes. He looked at me and said “mama, food” I said to him, “wait for the fifteen minutes to go”. From that very moment, he livened up, he ate and in two days he was himself.”[27]

26 Concerning this incident, see the letter of A.T. on page 320 in the present book. The explanation of the doctor about this incident is found in the book by Kl. Ioannides, “ Elder Porphyrios, Testimonies and Experiences, page 126.

27 The miracle is verified by the child’s father who is a doctor. We omitted the narration of the story because of space limitations.

MIRACLES AFTER HIS FALLING ASLEEP

An Invocation and an Immediate Healing

During the first week of Lent in 1992, two or three months after the repose of the Elder, I became sick with a very bad cold. I did not pay much attention to it and I got much worse. I was bringing up mucous. My eyes and my nose were running constantly. The headache was unbearable and I could not touch my nose. It was the Second Sunday of Lent, the Feast Day of St. Gregory Palamas. I was at the Church of Saint Demetrios in Ampelokipos. I thought for a moment that I was going to pass out. At this point, I let out a strong internal scream, “Elder, don’t you see that I am going crazy from pain? I beg you; bless me with the cross so that I get well.” I was just about ready to finish with my inner plea when my headache, my head cold, my tears and my sensitive nose ceased to bother me. It was like a knife. The sickness along with the symptoms on the one hand, and the complete healing on the other hand happened without the slightest problem. There were no after effects of the sickness which had plagued me earlier. At this point, I cried from a sense of awe, joy and thanksgiving to God and to His saint and I whispered to him, “I thank you Pappouli, I thank you very much.”

•

During the spring of 1992 my mother got sick with a constriction of the intestines. She went to a hospital in a provincial city. Her constriction became worse and the doctors decided to operate. She became frightened because on a previous occasion when she was operated on at the same hospital she almost lost her life. I was here in Athens and having her transferred to Athens was impossible. At this point, I lifted my eyes to the Elder. I did this toward the photograph of him that is next to the icon of our Holy Mother and I said to him, “Pappouli, untangle the constriction. If they open her they will kill her.” Not even five minutes elapsed and the hospital phoned me to tell me that in spite of all hope of her getting well, the constriction was healed.” Pappouli once again placed his miraculous hand on us and shored up our wretched souls.

•

My son applied and received a Federal scholarship to prepare a dissertation at T.I.T. E.K. at one of the biggest Polytechnic schools in the world from a large foreign government that was very far away. The following year, our other son went to visit him. The professor at T.I.T. E.K. and the general director of M.M.E. of that country Mr. N. proposed to him to write a dissertation on a subject which he had for M.M.E. The boy had not yet received his degree. He therefore told him that he would come to Greece to tie up loose ends and he would answer him. He wanted to have a little time because he had never thought that he would pursue a doctorate in a country so far away. He suddenly realized that he liked this proposal but when he answered Mr. N. it was already too late. The subject had been taken by someone else. The boy was grieved about this. I then proceeded to do something about it. He submitted a request from here through that country’s consulate. He ran into problems on the application because his brother was at the same Polytechnic School and it is not allowed to have two brothers at the same institution receiving the large scholarship MOBASSI. We decided to submit the request through our consulate there. I had only ten days to gather the documents, to translate them and to submit them by March 31, 1999. The break for the national holiday of March 25th intervened. As It turned out, I ran into a lot of trouble and then I called upon the help of Elder Porphyrios, “Pappouli, you baptized him. I request that you help me gather together the necessary documents so that I can submit them in plenty of time.” The documents were submitted on March 30th with the provision that if they do not give him the scholarship they will accept him at his own expense.

They were to answer us within one month and I, during that whole month, was asking the Elder to perform a miracle that they would accept my son. I did not dare ask him that he would also be given the scholarship. I was embarrassed to ask him for such a favor. I thought it was like asking him for money. On the other hand, the important thing was for them to accept him. In one month, Mr. N. told my first son that he also accepts my other son for the doctorate program. They would answer him in one month’s time if they would give him the scholarship or not. My joy over his also being accepted for the T.I.T.E.K. was great. I did not now dare to ask the Elder or God to give him the scholarship. I only thanked them and my heart was filled with thanksgiving.

Faithful in his promise, Mr. N., the professor, answered in one month that the request for the scholarship was denied. The second son would attend T.I.T.E.K. at his own expense—approximately one million per month. I said “Glory be to God” that they accepted him. About a month had elapsed and I was visiting the monastery of the Holy Transfiguration at Milesi. I entered the magnificent Church of the Transfiguration of our Savior and I was overwhelmed by its beauty. The architect of the Church told me that the Elder said that the Church should not be overly embellished with many icons. They should execute the Pantocrator, the Evangelists, the Platytera and so forth in mosaics and that the marble work should be executed with sketches.

A hint of jealousy enveloped my heart. When I went to reverence the cell of Pappouli, kneeling before his bed on the exact spot where I had knelt so many times in confession and received absolution, I said to him, “My dearest Pappouli, I am not asking for money from you. But just now I felt selfish. With all the money that we have to send abroad for our son, I will not even have saliva left and I wanted to donate a mosaic.” I spoke, I sweated, I was embarrassed and I was jealous.

Not even three days had elapsed and my first son phoned us perplexed, startled and very happy saying, “Mother, my brother has received the big scholarship. Mr. N. ran into me and he told me, “Your brother received the scholarship MOBASSI.” “Tell me mother, what happened? Never until this day had two brothers in the same field received a scholarship. Tell me, what happened?”

My eyes started shedding torrents of tears. I was sobbing so much that I could not speak. When I recovered, I said to my son what I had said to the Elder and my son answered “This explains it. The Elder intervened.” Think for a moment: On an issue that had already been decided, the conclusion has been changed. The people here are positive, responsible, precise, just, decent, and honorable. It is impossible for me to describe their industriousness, their persistence, their order, their patience and their effectiveness. They do not rehash things. In this instance divine power intervened. In this instance the good embroidery of my Elder condescended in response to my innocent jealousy. He saw how embarrassed I was telling him these things and he condescended to my weakness. And he did something according to the desire of my heart which I did not dare to ask of him.

May God be blessed in His Holy Saints.

THE VISIT OF MRS. E.

The return of a soul

Saturday, November 23, 1985

Last Saturday we asked the Elder if we could bring Mrs. E. to visit him, the Russian teacher of G. and our daughter. He said to us, “Sure, bring her, but I will not speak to her words of theology.” We said to him, “she will only ask for your blessing Elder.”

So we started off at 8 a.m. for the monastery. Mrs. E. had been anxious all night long. She had not slept much thinking maybe she would be late for the appointed time. During the trip she confessed to me that up until she was twenty-two years old she attended Church and she taught catechism. After that she got mixed up with the opposition party. She became the leader of EPON in her country. She broke the law and after the war she found herself in the Soviet Union. While there she did not dare to attend Church. She believed and she worried when she heard bad things about God and the Church. In 1965 she returned to Greece with her husband and her two children. She had a memorial service for her parents and she received Holy Communion without going to confession. During her twenty years here in this country, she received Holy Communion one other time. Her receiving Holy Communion made an impression on her village. She always had faith in God because that is the way she grew up. We arrived at the monastery and the Elder did not delay in receiving us. We were six in number. It was our whole family and Mrs. E.

As soon as we entered, a strange fragrance enveloped us. It was not the fragrance of incense. Neither was it the fragrance of flowers or perfume. It was the fragrance from the relic of a Saint, of Saint Sergius which I encountered in Zagorsk[28]. It was the fragrance of that Pentecost.[29] I looked around: I saw a small hose with some moisture on it that was visible on the stove. I smelled it. It had no smell. It was only oil. I looked at my husband and I said to him “it is very fragrant do you smell it?” He looked at me inquisitively and said, “It is very fragrant.” It was so strong that my eyes filled with tears. I was certain that the fragrance was not the fragrance from a censor. We all received a blessing. Mrs. E. knelt, kissed and kissed again the hand and the knees of the Elder saying, “My Pappouli, my Pappouli.” The Elder caressed her whole head. “Come and sit down, he said to us. Mrs. E. tried to stand up. The Elder grabbed her by the shoulders asking her to sit. She remained kneeling in front of him holding his hand.

The Visitation of the Holy Spirit

And the Elder said with great joy, “On Mount Athos there was a Russian who was ninety years old. Fr. Zosimas[30] lived in a cave at Karoulia. He was tall with a long beard. They said he was a compassionate general of the Russian army. During the feast day celebrations he would eat anything you gave him. I do not know what he ate in the cave. One day I went up to that cave and as soon as he saw me he said “outsinik? What does outsinik mean?” He asked Mrs. E. She answered “student.” “It means monk, attendant,” the Elder said. “Well now I will tell you,” he said, “sit nearby, come closer so that I will not have to speak loud,” he said.

I immediately understood what he was going to tell us. I looked for some paper so that I could write down the narration.

“What are you holding there?” he asked me, “Leave that alone, come closer. Well, one day (it was spring time between the years 1919, 1920 or 1921, this was so because he said he was fourteen, fifteen or sixteen years old-he was born in 1906) my two Elders had gone to the festival in Kerasia. They had told me to do my chores, my private prayer and then go to the Liturgy in the main Church. At Kafsokalivia we had a hut. So I got up and did whatever the Elders had told me to do and I went to the main Church. There was a full moon. The Church had not yet opened. I entered the Narthex. The light of the moon entered through two windows and lit up the Narthex. I was standing in the shadows and began saying the noetic prayer “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God have mercy on me.” At some point I saw the Russian Fr. Zosimas enter the building. He looked around. He did not see anyone and he began doing full prostrations while saying “Most Holy Theotokos, save me.” “How is that said in Russian” he asked Mrs. E. She answered with a Russian phrase. The Elder said “no”[31] and he continued. Later Fr.Zosimas turned and said “Gkaspanti Isous Christe sinie mpozi pamiloui mia.” He constantly remained kneeling. He would open his hands up high and it appeared that he was entering a state of ecstasy. He would emit a little cry of spiritual joy spontaneously. He again would get up and then again he would kneel. He made many genuflections for forty-five minutes. I had curled up in the shadows. I felt a great deal of joy. And I was also saying the Jesus Prayer noetically and my heart became enflamed.

At this point, the Ecclesiarch arrived. Fr. Zosimas entered the shadows on the other side. The Ecclesiarch did not see us. He opened the Church and he went in to ring the bells. Fr. Zosimas came out of the shadows and entered the Church and sat in his assigned place. I allowed a minute to pass and then I entered the Church. I did this so that he would not know that I had seen him. Then the Liturgy took place. I felt that particular Liturgy in a unique way. I became another person. I was praying profoundly and I felt it in a way that I have never known before. My soul was full of joy. As soon as I received Holy Communion, I felt even greater joy and warmth in my soul. I began walking towards our hut in the forest. The sun was rising. The nightingales were singing and they filled the air with their singing. I was saying the prayers of thanksgiving on the road.

I was at that particular point in the prayer when I said: “All-Holy Bride, Theotokos, the light of my darkened soul, my hope, my refuge, my solace, my joy…”and I felt great joy, exultation and the Grace of God entering me. It was exactly at that point that I received the Grace of discernment. When I reached my hut, I could see my Elders entering the forest. One could not see them through the thick underbrush but I could see them through my gift of discernment. And this Grace was getting ever more powerful. Fr. Zosimas was the reason for this happening to me and I respect him very much.”

During the course of this narration three people phoned him. He would bless them, he would pray for them and then he would continue his story from the point where he had left off. The children, my husband and I were seated in chairs. Mrs. E. was kneeling and was holding the Elder’s knees. The fragrance enveloped us.

After this, we allowed Mrs. E. to speak privately with the Elder. She told him about her problems and he spoke to her about her children. He did this not ever having met the children. He told her that she was for this side (of the Christians and the Church). They are alike and she should go to confession having first written down all her sins on a piece of paper. During the whole conversation they had, he was holding her hands.

About Egotism

After Mrs. E., I went into the room. I knelt and while crying I said to him, “Pappouli from the moment we entered the room a fragrance overwhelmed us”. “Well, this is what happened,” he answered. “Now I have told you this, don’t tell anyone. They will not understand and they will say why does he say these things because he is an egotist? What is egotism? You could be dressed in rags and be an egotist. You can be brilliantly clothed and still be humble.” He held my head and made the sign of the cross on my forehead three times. A pressure like an iron hand was lifted from my chest. My eyes became like little streams from which many tears flowed.

About the Fragrance

When I left, I said to his niece Helen, “Helen a fragrance was in the room when we entered it.” “Many times it is there” she answered me. “In fact the fragrance is inside and outside in the corridor, it is very fragrant.” I asked my little son R. “Did you smell R. the presence of fragrance inside the room with the Elder?” “Yes,” the child answered me. “The Elder is always fragrant like that. I did not tell you because I thought it was incense.”

It is true that we all felt that fragrance and I know well it was the fragrance of the Divine Grace.

It was certain that there was a reception of that soul which returned to the Body of Christ. It was certain that there was the presence of the Holy Spirit in the form of fragrance. At one point the Elder spoke about the miracle of Pentecost. He said that the Apostles spoke the native languages of all the people in attendance and the audience heard the message in the native language of each person. Let us say he said, the word “student”, reached the ears of the Russian as “outsenik.”[32]

28 It is a famous monastery and a shrine in Russia which was given that name at that time. Today it is known as Serge pasat.

29 This is referred to in something that is written on page 112 of this book.

30 In another narration he is referred to as Dimas.

31 The right way to say it is: Presfiatagia Mpogkorotitsa spasi nas.

32 There is more about the miracle of Pentecost in the book of Constantine Giannitsiotis, Close to Elder Porphyrios , page 148.

NARRATIONS FROM A RELATIVE OF MINE

If you have a problem, phone me

I had many problems and I was very worried. The telephone rang. It was the Elder and he asked me “Is there something happening in your life?” I lied to him that nothing had happened and then he said to me, “If you have a problem phone me.”

You will become a mother

I had an affair with a young person and I became pregnant. I did not tell him. But the Elder grabbed me by the hand, he kissed it and he said to me, “you will become a mother, do not destroy the child. You will marry that young person.” “And in fact, I did marry the father of the child.”

Come dear one, it is a cyst

I had given birth eighteen days ago. The doctor told me that I had cancer in my thyroid. The Elder said:, “Come, my dear one, it is a cyst.” I do not know whether or not it was a cyst or it was God through the prayers of the Elder that changed it into a cyst.

The unfortunate little girl

The doctors at the Children’s Hospital told me that my daughter had sarcoma in her neck. The Elder had a different opinion. The child has glandular problems. “That which your child has we call that in the village “turtle.” The child became well as soon as the Elder blessed her with the sign of the cross. When I was pregnant, the Elder had seen this daughter of mine in my womb. The pregnancy was prolonged for fifteen days and he said, “the poor girl, how good she is.” At that time, they did not have echograms to determine the sex of the child.

Bad circulation

He told my husband who is a doctor that my family has a bad circulatory system. He laughed with a little irony. Very soon after that his father suffered successive cerebral attacks and my own husband had blockages.

When the boy arrives then the finances with also come

It was the feast of the Annunciation in 1985. We went to receive the Elder’s blessing. He said to me, “Make a genuflection to the Holy Mother.” I did not know how to make a genuflection. He laughed and he sent me to the Abbess of the monastery so that she could show me how to do genuflections. When I returned he asked me to do a genuflection to the Holy Mother and he said to me, “Unbutton your coat.” I unbuttoned it. He made the sign of the cross on my stomach and said, “Lord Jesus Christ, give her a child.” I objected immediately saying to him, “Elder I will die if I become pregnant.” She had been pregnant before and the embryo had died and she had suffered a great deal. But the Elder answered her “come now, you will give birth to a healthy son and his sisters will have a brother.” At that point, my husband objected, “Elder I cannot make it financially. The money that I make is not enough to support so many people” and Pappouli said, “When the son arrives then the finances will come also.” Sure enough that is the way it happened. In fact, a very healthy boy was born and God sent His abundant blessings.

Where are you Elder?

One night I was crying because we had many troubles and I was saying, “Where are you Elder, where are you Elder?” At that moment the phone rang. It was the Elder who said to me, “will you let me sleep tonight?” Through his blessings the problems became less and were worked through.

Christ today is in your home

I was pregnant and the time to give birth to my son had come. I came to Athens for this and my parents were at my home. It was the Friday before the Saturday of Lazarus 1986. My father got up and suddenly I heard him say, “Holy Mother what is this dizziness that I feel.” I immediately phoned the Elder. He picked up the phone after the first ring and he said to me, “Christ has granted you a great honor today. He is in your home. Do not be frightened,” he laughed. I told my father what the Elder had said to me. My father had graduated from an ecclesiastical school and he was a faithful person. He understood that which I did not understand. He lay down on the bed. He crossed his hands and said “my God, my God.” He fell asleep in a few minutes with “my God” on his lips.

His sudden appearance after his falling asleep

I fell on the steps of my home. I fell down a whole flight of interior, narrow steps. I ended up, God only knows how, in my bedroom. I hit my head on the corner of the bed. My ear was cut, my head had swollen and my tongue was sticking out of my mouth as if I was paralyzed. I attempted to say “Holy Mother” and I could not. The floor was filled with blood and I became frightened. At that moment, I saw four feet, two pairs of monastic shoes and the robes of two monks on the right side of my bed. I did not see faces. I could not raise my eyes any more. Something was holding them shut. There were two monks who were standing there next to me looking at me. Immediately “I understood” that they were Porphyrios, Pappouli and Elder Paisios. The two of them came to protect me because a little before I fell, I had the photographs of both of them and I was talking to them. I was requesting things of them and kissing them.

Deliverance from a dangerous friend

I was friends with a girl in the provincial city where I lived. One night I saw the Elder in my sleep, he had fallen asleep in the Lord, and he said to me with firmness, “What do you have to do with that girl?” I said to him “She is very nice Elder. She has a good soul. What is it, should I not be friends with her?” It was then he started hitting his head with his clinched fist and he was saying to me, “You do not understand, you do not understand.”

Finally many evil things were revealed. She was targeting my husband and my child. She was demeaning my daughters and me. She was trying to bring financial ruin upon me. May God have mercy on her and on us.

His services

In the consciousness of the members of the Church, the Elder is a saint. This is so, for in the twelve years since his falling asleep, three services have been written for him. The late monastic Theoklitos of St. Dionysius Monastery told me in these words, “Elder Porphyrios is a saint as well as Sofronios is a Father of the Church.”

MEMORIES OF A NUN

ABOUT ELDER PORPHYRIOS

The lens of the photographer captures this bodily image and movement of Elder Porphyrios.

Can we understand his spirit?

A JOURNEY TO THE HOLY LAND

Introduction

I thank God for allowing me to know Elder Porphyrios and to have him as my spiritual father for fifteen years.

Ten years before I came to know him I had reached the portals of death because of a very serious illness. I survived due to the prayers of my faith partners and through an obvious miracle that Saint Nektarios performed for me. There is no one who can survive without a miracle from cancer of the stomach which had already infected all of the lymph nodes. After 1965 when I was operated on for an extensive gastric operation, I thanked God for every day that He granted me. But, on the other hand, seeing that I could not improve in any way, I became depressed. Then God sent me another benefactor of His, my introduction to Elder Porphyrios, who enlightened me and made an impression on my life.

Whole books could be written by every spiritual child of Elder Porphyrios since every one of his words was that of the Holy Spirit. Every encounter with the Elder opened up new spiritual horizons. Since, on the other hand, many people have written many things, I will confine myself only to our pilgrimage to the Holy Land with the blessing of the Elder during Pascha of 1986.

Our hesitation and Elder Porphyrios

I was on my first year of retirement. My father, being very old, eighty six, brought me, as he did every year, the various travel brochures of the travel agencies. “This year we must go”, I thought. “We have no other excuses.” There are four of us in the family, my parents, my sister and myself. Seven friends were added and we made up a group of eleven people. We picked a travel agency. I went to the agency and made a down payment. If I remember correctly, it was 110,000 drachmas. The situation in Israel was unstable; in fact, it was in great turmoil. Immediately after making the down payment terrorist attacks took place against the airplanes of EL AL. A particular airplane was blown up in the air by a time bomb. It was not, of course, a flight to the Holy Land but who could tell where the evil would end up? The newspapers wrote that when the plane blew up in flight, it was literally planting human victims on the ground. Our agency used the planes of EL AL. Those coming with us became frightened. “We are not going anywhere” they said to me. “Take back your deposit or let us lose it.” I was also afraid to take the responsibility for my parents. They were also frightened. They no longer wanted to go. But I wanted to go very much and I proposed to the agency that I alone would go using the down payment. One of our party, who also had a strong desire to go, but was afraid asked me to ask my Elder to give a blessing to everyone. In fact I had planned right from the beginning to go and receive the blessing from the Elder before we departed but I hadn’t been able to do so until then. Since I was not able to go immediately in person, I called at about 9 a.m. in the morning and told the Elder that a party of eleven people had decided to go on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land at Pascha.

He said, “You all gave a down payment before I was able to say anything. Is it now the right time to go? Now the times are difficult, there are dangers.” “I know Elder.” “This is why I thought that I would go alone and use the down payment.” “What you have thought of is good but call me tonight and I will tell you.” That night at 9 I called him and I immediately received an answer, “You are to go with my blessings and you are to pray there for me where you are going.” “I jumped for joy.” I asked again, “Should our whole group go together Elder?” “Yes, all of you should go with my blessings,” he said again. “I thank you very much Elder.” “I will come before we depart so that you will give me your blessing in person.”

When I mentioned this to the others, they were very happy. But the climate of fear during those days affected them so much that they were all hesitant. “Did he tell you about me, too?” a person in our group asked me. The fear that overwhelmed her showed in her eyes. “Yes, about you too, since he emphasized “the whole group.” “Yet if there is anyone who does not want to go they can back out. I, on the other hand, am going without any more fear.” All were hesitant but in the end they all went.

Before we left, I managed to go and see the Elder. I told him about my misgivings which were no longer fear but a sense of conscious responsibility. It was a sense of responsibility for the difficulties and the physical effort that would be required by our aged parents during the pilgrimage. This is the reason that we picked a travel agency that would secure for us basic accommodations. “No one goes to the Holy Land to be comfortable or to be a tourist,” he answered me with an air of sweet sternness which he would use at times to scold us.

“One goes to the Holy Land to get tired and in fact to get very tired but this is a great blessing. But watch out, there is a great deal of jostling there when the Holy Light appears. There is a great deal of jostling from a large crowd of people. Some people go there and die from the crush of the crowd. That is what happened to an elder priest from Crete, Father …..he said his name but I no longer remember it and they had warned him that he could die. He made a decision, he went and he died there. But all of you go with my blessing.”

We said other things. He emphasized to me not to forget to go to Saint Gerasimos the Jordanite and to a few other sites. Coincidentally the travel agency with which we were traveling had plans to take the pilgrims to all the places which the Elder brought up. He was joyful and in good spirits saying these things. He spoke with joy and enthusiasm just as if he himself were going. The prayers that he said for us where heard by God. He was sending us to the Holy Land with a sense of certainty, firmness and joy.

When he left, I asked myself why the Elder had told me all these things. Every word of the Elder had a meaning which at the moment was not evident. I remembered again his scolding at the beginning “a person goes to the Holy Land in order to get tired and in fact very tired, not to be a tourist.” Through the Grace of God, I had already understood how much the Elder wanted his spiritual children to endure physical effort. He wanted work, effort, not so much sitting and doing work with the hands but sweat, fasting, vigil, prayer and all of the Orthodox ascetic effort. Certainly he wanted all these things for the purpose of acquiring love towards God. Certainly we should do all these things with discretion, with the discretion of the love of God. It was this love of God that the Elder was always enveloped by, a love for every person that approached him. He wanted bodily effort even during the time of prayer. He loved genuflections. He wanted the body and prayer to work together. “George genuflections go with prayer. It is spiritual exercise and gymnastics” he said to a nineteen year old student who visited him. He recommended athletic events, exercise and nature trips but also genuflections. He brought to life in all of us the Orthodox tradition in a way that did not create any sense of doubt or objections. Theory is based upon implementation in a way that is not forced. It is done in a loving way. This is what the Elder wanted for us on our pilgrimage to the Holy Land.

After this my mind went to the other thing that the Elder said which is that some people who go there and die from the crush of people. Why would he say this? My father had a very serious tremor (Parkinson’ Disease). In spite of this the Elder gave a blessing for everyone. Then all of us will go I said to myself and all of my uneasiness left me.

We all went. We reached our destination after a very fine flight. That same afternoon, we went to the Church of the Resurrection and made our first visit to the frightful Golgotha and the Tomb of Christ. During the days that followed we felt that the hand of God was with us. The obstacles that we encountered did seem insurmountable but they were finally all overcome. Two times during the course of our pilgrimage, I strongly felt the protective presence of the prayer of our Elder.

On the summit of Mount Sinai

The first time that I felt strongly the presence of our Elder Porphyrios and felt that his prayer was protecting us was our pilgrimage to Saint Katherine’s on Mt. Sinai and especially our climbing up to the summit. We reached Saint Katherine’s on Holy Monday during the vespers service. We inquired about a novice monk, Brother Spiro, who later became Father Silouan. My aunt had asked us to inquire about him. He told us that he was sorry that he could not become our guide and helper during the night of our ascent to the summit of Mt. Sinai because he had another obligation. But he told us it is easy to find a Bedouin guide. He also told us that we should give him something for guiding us. During the night, before we started, Brother Spiro came and found us. He was very happy to inform us, “I will come with you. Some fathers arrived late last night, a bishop and a priest, and they assigned me to be their guide to the summit of the Holy Mountain. We will all go together then.” Some people in our company knowing that I had health problems and I had difficulty with steep inclines advised me not to climb up the Holy Mountain. For a moment, I became timid that maybe I would create problems to my companions. But on the other hand, the thought prevailed “we did not come here to rest but in order to get very tired.” We began our ascent joyfully on a very cold night. This is the way nights are in the desert. We wore coats. We left the more elderly at the guest quarters and we departed. Fortunately, we picked the path for our ascent which is a wide circulatory path that would take us to the Holy Mountain. It was at the end of our climb that we would climb a steep stairway of three hundred steps. There was also a more direct pathway with about three thousand and five hundred large steps but the route that we took was passable even though it was always uphill.

As long as there was no sun, we climbed quite easily. But the sun came out about half way up the path. We took off our coats and proceeded with effort. Brother Spiro with the reverend fathers was in front of us. At one point, I felt that my strength was weakening. My sister realized this and she wanted to take my coat but I would not give it to her. Then Brother Spiro approached us and took the coat from me and put it in his bag that he had on his shoulder. I was able to proceed with greater ease but I was still tired. “My God, give me strength that I might complete the climb.” Everyone was passing me. I was last in line at some distance from the others. My sister would stop every so often and wait for me. The road was always uphill. “My God, I cannot proceed any more. I should have taken my father’s walking stick but I did not remember to take it.” At that very moment, in the middle of the desert, in front of my feet, I saw a discarded bamboo cane, a big thick cane, “Oh, my God, this is a walking stick.” I grabbed it immediately. It was a very strong, and good walking stick. It probably was discarded during someone’s descent. With its help I climbed up. I managed to catch up with the others. The others asked “where did you find the walking stick? If only we had one!” “What can I say, it was in front of you, you passed it by and you did not see it.” “It doesn’t matter. If appears that you needed it the most.”

We reached the summit of the Holy Mountain at the place where Moses received the tablets with the Ten Commandments. What a fearful place! There is the cave where Moses hid fearing the presence of God. Immediately above it is a small Church dedicated to the Holy Trinity. We venerated the place and prayed there.

Brother Spiro told us that if we wanted to return by the pathway near the ravine with the many steps, we would have the opportunity to venerate during our descent at a remote chapel dedicated to the Prophet Elijah. This is in memory of a divine vision he had at that spot. That veneration for us was a very moving experience. Yet, on the other hand, our descent started to become very tiring. The steps were many and very steep. Most of them were very high. The sun was burning. The heat was unbearable because there in the depth of the ravine there was no breeze. I had the feeling that I would not be able to reach the end of the journey. Suddenly a cloud appeared in the sky and covered the sun for a long time. We thanked God. We reached Saint Katherine’s in late afternoon immeasurably tired but very thankful.

It was very evident that the prayers of the Elder were following us during that whole difficult trip. The following day we asked them to open up the reliquary for us so that we could venerate the relics of the ascetics of Sinai which were kept there. They would not readily open it for everyone. Astonishment and emotion overwhelmed us when we saw Saint Stephen, one of the ascetics whose body was incorrupt and unscathed by the passing centuries. He was in a sitting position and holding a prayer rope in his hand. The next day, Holy Wednesday, we returned to Jerusalem so that we could continue our pilgrimage.

The Holy Light

That which all of us looked forward to with genuine anxiety, emotion and hidden agony was the service of the Holy Light. It was exactly then when for a second time I profoundly felt the protection of the prayers of the Elder. In order for a person to find oneself in the Church of the Resurrection during the time of the Holy Light at noon on Holy Saturday, one had to wait there inside from Holy Friday afternoon. This is before they close the big door of the entrance to the Church. On Holy Saturday morning, when the door is opened again, there would be such a crowd of people, so much pushing and shoving that for the weak and aged people it would be impossible to enter. We had managed to get two invitations from the Patriarch which allowed us a place along with some chairs in front of the Holy Sepulcher. How would we get to that place? My mother along with my sister spent the night inside the Church. My father and I stayed at the hotel. We had the invitations from the Patriarch with us. The next day, before sunrise, we arrived at the courtyard of the Church. We encountered that which we had expected. There was a huge crowd of people in front of the entrance of the Church. People were already pushing one another in order to enter once the door was opened. The Israeli police futilely attempted to keep a sense of order. We went to a policeman and we showed him our two invitations. He responded by telling us that we could enter to take our places if we could first manage to enter. He could not help us accomplish this task. I had expected that. But my disappointment lasted only a few seconds. Our request to the policeman was heard by a young lady next to us. She requested to see our invitations.

“Come with me. We will go into the Church. I am the social worker and I know all the places here.” I gave her the invitations and we followed her. We entered through a small door which was located in another area of the Holy Courtyard which did not go directly into the Church. We went up some stairs and then we went down another set of stairs. We went through hallways and we went down stairs again. Every now and then someone would run into us and ask us where we were going. It was then that our companion showed them our invitations and allowed us to proceed. Finally, as if by a miracle, we arrived at the area of Golgotha. Following this, we easily reached the area in front of the Holy Sepulcher where some empty chairs were still awaiting us. The girl gave us the two invitations and we did not see her again. We just about had time to thank her. In a short while they opened the door of the Church. The crowd was unbelievable. As the time approached, the shoving and emotion increased. Many voices could be heard singing hymns in Greek and Arabic from everywhere. They translated them for me. The Arabs were saying “God is Great, God is true, He is our God.” The hymns filled the Church. The people were enthusiastic; the hymns were lifted up to Heaven. It was a time filled with emotion and anxiety. I felt the pushing around me intensified. I saw my trembling father next to me being jostled. He lost a little of his coloring. I remembered the Elder saying “some people go there and die from the great press of the crowd.” I yelled out: “Please be careful of this elderly person, he is being crushed.” Someone said “Why did you bring such an elderly man here? He should not have come”, someone else answered loudly. “And now that he is here, must he die?” I yelled out again. “I beg you to help me.”

And then something unprecedented happened. A well-built Arab, a young Greek nun, a young Greek boy and I joined hands to make a circle around my father. Everyone respected this. No one complained again. On the contrary, everyone did whatever they could to protect my father. In a short while one would think that heaven opened up and poured its Light on the earth. Moments of quiet and mystical prayer were followed with, “Come Receive the Light.” The whole Church lit up. Bursts of light came forth from the Holy Sepulcher and lit up the whole Church and us. The whole Holy Sepulcher had been enveloped in a sweet Light; tender, bluish Light, moving cyclically in all directions. It ascended up high. It even went outside of the Church through the windows of the Church which were very high on top of the Holy Sepulcher. The oil lamps spontaneously lit up. The whole Church was awash with Light as if by repeated lightening strikes. I turned and saw my father. His face was illuminated even in the corners of his eyes under his glasses.

“Do you see the Holy Light?” I said to him. “Yes, I see it.” “Must I do something?” “Only glorify God.” The enthusiastic doxologies of all people certainly reached Heaven. We lived a once in a lifetime experience. Tears of contrition and thanksgiving filled our eyes. This all lasted about ten minutes. We were told it was one of the few times that it lasted so long by people who had been frequent pilgrims for many years. We all lit our candles from the Light that was given by the hand of the Patriarch. The service of the Holy Light had finished. It was a fearful, unique and indescribable experience. We glorified God. We went out to the courtyard. We found people from our group who had not been able to get inside. They were very happy. One of those, Theodore, said to us, “We also saw the Holy Light. It was a blue light which came out of the windows of the Church which are up there very high.” “Yes,” we said to them with enthusiasm, “we also saw, how it went through the windows and then outside. Only one person, even though he was in the Church, complained that he had not seen anything. Why do you suppose this happened to him? Who knows what road God chooses in order to save us? “He wants all people to be saved.”

After Our Return

The day of our return had arrived. When we set our feet on the ground at the Hellinikon Airport with our parents safe and sound, we glorified God. We spiritually thanked the Elder for his blessing. As soon as I was able, I went to Malakasa, to the Elder. He was in his bed as usual. As soon as I told him who I was, he said to me, “Welcome, come and tell me everything. Sit here and talk to me.” I offered him a few wooden crosses which I had placed for a blessing on the Tomb of Christ. He held them in his hands with love and enthusiasm. “Thank you. Sit now and talk to me. You will tell me everything.” “Where can I start Elder?” I started to tell him. I avoided the details so that I would not tire him. I did not say everything. I tried to be brief. But the Elder did not appear to be in a rush. I first told him about that shocking experience of the Holy Light.

“Yes, the Holy Light overshadowed you.” During the whole narration of our trip he would fill in the details that I left out. He made me shiver with emotion. Near the end, I brought up the pilgrimage to Sinai. “You also worshipped at Saint Stephanos who holds the prayer rope,” he said. “Yes, Elder.” “You climbed up the Holy Mount on the road and you returned on the path with the many steps.” “Yes, Elder but you know all about the details. It is not necessary for me to tell you.” I noticed his face. His eyes were shedding tears. At that moment, he went to wipe his eyes with his other hand. “My blessed one,” he said with obvious emotion, “you were the reason for my also going with you and venerate. Now leave with my best wishes.”

I reverenced him and left with emotion. What do you suppose that he meant? When did he come with us? When we were there? Quite clearly his prayer accompanied us. But when did he venerate? When he was with us? Or was it that as I narrated the trip to him, he filled in the details? My question remained and it remains for me unanswered. I thought, “Those things are known only by the Elder and God. I, my God, thank you for everything.[1]

1 Note from the publisher: As it happens with many narrations Elder Porphyrios traveled spiritually with another body which penetrated “closed doors” where he wanted to follow things that were happening there. This happened while his fleshly body remained in his room in Milesi. (see pages 101-102).

This ability is witnessed in the lives of the saints such as Saint George of Sinai (March 11) which Elder Porphyrios brought up many times. Saint Nikodemos the Agiorite explained the incident. Saint George the Sinaite was seen in the Holy Church of the Resurrection in Jerusalem without having moved bodily from Sinai. This is written in the Book of Saints of March 11. This is a publication of Th. Nikolaidis Philadelphia pages 28-29. “The Saint here is not lying by saying that he did not leave Sinai and did not enter Palestine. This did not happen through any physical effort or the voluntary movement of his feet. He traveled there and entered Palestine by means of the strange, supernatural and ineffable power of the Holy Spirit and he continues:

“From the Book of Saints we are convinced that the Saints in this life, carrying this heavy and thick body, through the all-powerful and life-giving grace and power of the Holy Spirit are empowered, imbued and transformed by putting off the thickness and weight of the body. They become emptied like eagles according to Prophecy. They are caught up by the Holy Spirit in a flash. They are transported over great distances circumventing wide rivers like Saint Mary of Egypt and other Saints did. They fly in the air, like St Maximus of Kafsokalyvia who flew down from Mount Athos. This is what we will receive in the future after the Resurrection, the incorrupt bodies of the just. They will be lifted up by clouds. Some of the Saints achieved this. They received this from here as an engagement and an announcement of this achievement.” This note of Saint Nikodemos is repeated in the Book of Saints of the Orthodox Church, Third volume, month of March, under the life of Saint George the Sinaite.

VARIOUS CONVERSATIONS

WITH THE ELDER

My Acquaintance with Elder Porphyrios

We were a group of five or six friends all of which had the same outstanding spiritual father. After a brief but painful illness, he fell asleep. For a certain period of time we were going to other spiritual fathers when one of our friends told us that she had discovered an Elder who hears confessions in Kallisia and he has the grace of discernment. We laughed. “What are you telling us? But what have we to lose? Let us try.”

We went to an all-night vigil at Kallisia to meet him for the first time. The Elder was there. A Serbian priest who was liturgizing that night, Fr. Irineos Boulovitz, and the Elder were in the altar. There were a lot of people there. It was cold outside. We were very packed in together in the Church of St. Nicholas. Since I had a breathing problem, I stood up in front of all the people. It was a short distance from the left door of the altar. My soul on that particular day was very sorrowful because of a worry that manifested itself in my brother’s family. I was crying and every now and then I saw Elder Porphyrios who would appear at the left door of the altar as he looked at the congregation. I felt his sweet gaze which dwelt intently upon me for a few moments in an inquisitive way. “If Pappouli has the grace of discernment”, I thought,“ he will see the sorrow of my soul.”

The vigil ended late. At dawn, we left to go to our home and the Elder went off to rest without seeing anyone that day. Quite a few days went by. One of the friends of our group, who lived together with other people, invited me to their home to which the Elder had gone to hear confessions. I hurried there immediately. In the meantime, the worry about the problem of my brother’s family had somewhat gone away and I had quietened down. For this reason, I did not refer to it in my confession. The Elder asked if I had finished. I said, “Yes, I have finished” and I heard him say:

He is concerned about my brother’s problem

“But you have a brother.” He continued to describe in detail all the members of my family; their characteristics, their associations, their children and the serious family problem they were encountering. I was astonished. Nobody knew all of those things. I remembered the vigil service. “Oh, my God, in other words, he had seen everything.” I felt as if I found myself before a holy person. Yet on the other hand, I did not seek to find a place to hide. He told me all those things so simply, so humbly, just as if it was a natural occurrence. He knew, he saw the depth without anyone having told him anything. He continued to counsel me with compassion. He said that I should give my brother on his behalf a few suggestions and directives.

I said spontaneously, “you tell him Elder.” “It is not easy for you to find me,” he answered. “You tell him now and he will listen.” And that is how it happened. I believed that I was delivering to my brother “a special word of God” for him and that is how it was. I delivered it to him and he listened with humbleness and he believed truly that God involved Himself with him and he understood and tried to fulfill the advice.

And what are you doing about fasting?

The second time that I saw the Elder he spent most of his time with me and my personal problems. I waited to confess in a room which was some distance from the area in which he confessed people. There were many doors in between. I was thinking what I had to say and was making notes. Amongst other things, I had an issue in reference with fasting. With the permission which I had asked and was given to me from my previous confessor, I fasted quite strictly in spite of the fact that I had problems with my health. My confessor was very ascetic. I thought that I should ask the Elder, but finally I decided not to ask him because I thought that was good enough for me. I was afraid that he would forbid me although I thought that fasting was helping me in my struggle and because of this I felt better. At the same time, I felt that my bodily strength had somewhat diminished and I was always having difficulty doing my work and my daily responsibilities. But in spite of this, I did not pay much attention to it; neither did I relate one with the other. I certainly knew that the Elder loved fasting. I said to myself, “but for better or for worse, do not bring up these issues” as I understood them.

When I entered the room and finished my confession, he said to me again, “have you finished?” “Yes Elder.” “And what are you doing about fasting? Do you wish to imitate the great ascetics?” I was astonished again! “Yes, Yes, I know… Father……allowed you to fast, but I will not allow you.” “Oh, my God, he knows everything!” I thought. “No, I do not imitate the great ascetics but I simply feel better in my struggle” I dared to say. “Yes, Yes, I know. But yet I will not allow you to fast. You have removed part of your stomach (I had not told him about this either). You must start now to drink milk little by little.” I felt bad and he saw that. His attitude then softened toward me.

“You will ask, what kind of milk should I drink? That type which is on the market?” “If you lived near me and we had a goat, I would teach you slowly—slowly, little by little to drink it. You need it. You need it to gain strength so that you can do your chores. He had also seen that. Yet on the other hand, you will attempt by yourself a little at a time to drink, he continued. And be careful; do not rush to drink water as soon as you finish eating. Be patient, allow time to elapse because you do not have gastric fluids and you diminish them by doing that. It is like you having to wash a lot of clothes with a lot of soap and if you add water they cannot be washed. Do you understand?”

I understood but unfortunately I was not obedient to his directives. This was especially true with milk, and I paid a high price for it. After a little while I felt terrible pains in all of my bones. The doctors finally diagnosed it as a severe form of osteomyelitis. My whole skeletal frame had lost bone structure. I had suffered a mild form of scoliosis of the spine in the area of the stomach. There was fear that it would get worse and they were concerned that fractures would happen everywhere. My ribs hurt terribly. Getting out of bed was problematic. I acquired a cane for myself. The reason this happened is because of the extensive stomach operation and my avoiding all milk and milk products for many years. I avoided them because they created a problem after my stomach operation. I submitted myself to intensive therapy with calcium and vitamin D which had questionable results.

My renewed skeletal structure

I went to the Elder. He forgave me for my disobedience. I asked his blessing for a healing. “I humbly wish,” he said, and he made the sign of the cross over me. “Besides this you are also going to drink milk. You are going to do whatever the doctors tell you to do. But you will also attempt to get well through natural means.” I listened to him this time. I attempted this little by little. Thus a second miracle of God happened to me through the prayers of my Elder Porphyrios. The whole skeletal frame was renewed. I was strengthened. I became stable on my feet. My pains ceased and I recovered my previous freedom of movement.

The Elder continued to confess people as long as he remained in Athens. He did this in the home where all the friends lived together. They continuously informed me that I should also go. I would always go with a great deal of joy not only to be confessed but also because I had the opportunity to accompany the Elder to his house somewhere in Turkovounia.

Conversations in the taxi

We would find a taxi to take him home and then in the same taxi I would go to my home. That was a special blessing for me which lasted until the time the Elder moved to Milesi in Malakasa. He would always sit in the front next to the taxi driver and I in the back. During those trips many conversations took place. The Elder would ask me something which always had a deeper meaning that would not be evident to a third party who would be listening. And he would continue to answer a question of mine or he would solve a particular problem of mine. At times I would ask him something. At other times he would start a conversation with the driver and he would discuss with him things which I did not always understand. But the driver was impressed. One time, as soon as the Elder got out and I continued my journey, the taxi driver turned to me and said, “Dear lady, what is that man?” And he immediately continued, “What can I say, he is something else. I have seen many priests but he is something else. He revealed personal issues of mine that nobody knows about. Maybe, just maybe, could he be a saint?”

“He is exactly that which you say he is.” He asked me for more information with which he could find him and I gave him as much information as I knew. I do not know exactly what happened but that man who was impressed brought to mind something which the Elder said about himself, “I, a sinner, have a gift that allows some souls to return to God.”

The Death of D.H

During one of the trips to the Elder’ s home, I was very sad because I had heard that the excellent doctor of tuberculosis D. H. had died. He was an exceptional human being and he died after a painful disease. We knew him because our student dorm was close to the house where he lived and in which he had his office. Every problem that we had with our health, we would go to him and he would always receive us with love. We also loved him. When we heard about his death, my mother said to me, “How is it possible for some people like him to die? No, it is not possible; the place becomes terribly empty and desolate.”

His home and our dorm room were somewhere in the desert of Omonia Square. And as someone typically said, it was the place where Elder Porphyrios had been sanctified. Thus, in addition to his office, we would meet Dr. D. H. often in Church. He attended the Church of Saint Gerasimos in the Polyclinic very frequently. It is where we attended as students, my sister and I. Dr. D. H. would enter the altar and he would come out only to receive Holy Communion. The priest was the Elder. We, at the time, did not know him very well. That which made an impression upon us was that when the Elder read the Gospel one thought that he was not walking on ground. It appeared that he was in a different world, completely absorbed by the words that he was reading. And this impression would become more pronounced when he would say the words of the Divine Liturgy: “Let us lift up our hearts” and he would lift up his gaze to Heaven and the congregation would be exalted. But let me return to my narration about my sadness because of the death of D. H. I had not heard about it in time for me to at least go to his funeral. I brought his death to the attention of the Elder which he already knew.

“Yes” he said to me. “He often came to Saint Gerasimos and entered the altar. But also, he was often absent many days when he was at scientific meetings. Once when he was absent for a long time, he told us when he would return. But on a particular Sunday, before the date he had said he would return, I said to the cantor not to hurry with the service. We should delay the service a little before we took out the Holy Gifts so that Demetrius could get here on time.” “But he said that he would return the following Sunday”, said the cantor. “That doesn’t matter even though he said it. Let us delay a little, maybe he will come.” He obeyed me and we were proceeding slowly. At the moment that I was taking out the Holy Gifts I said, “and your servant Demetrius” he appeared at the entrance of the Church happy that he arrived on time. He said these things and I was happy.” The Elder knew how to console people and he consoled me completely. Now he has entered holiness, yes, holiness. He has gone to God.

What Are We Going To Do With The Youth, Elder?

At one time, after confession, we were taking the Elder to his home with I. H. My sister was driving. During this time my sister was having a problem with her children. At one point she asked him, “Elder what are we going to do with the youth?” “You should talk to God about it. If you have the love of God, not the love of the world, the love of God, the children might think differently. They can change within and say “maybe that person is correct; maybe she is good, etc.” Well, how can I tell you: Once at the Law School (we were passing by) a group of students had taken over the school and they had climbed up on the roof of the building and they were boisterous. A small contingent of police arrived with a water cannon and they attempted to drench them but the cannon did not have the power to reach them and the students continued their demonstration. Bigger water cannons were then brought in. The water from this cannon went beyond the first one and reached the students. This is somewhat like when the Grace of God falls upon the soul. When someone prays with the power of the love of God it blows away all other things. The Grace of God reigns at that moment.

My sister asked, “Elder, when someone does not have the love of God, what happens then?” “Can the natural love of the parent do anything?” And the Elder said quite hesitatingly, “Well, yes, it can do something but you know that emotional love can be transformed into hate, while the love of God is something else.” The discussion ended at this point for we had reached our destination with the Elder. He blessed us and we left.

On another occasion, on the same subject, the Elder said, “Don’t talk to your children. It is your job for you to pray for them. Whatever you have to say to your children speak to God about them first. The parents must become good. They must become sanctified so that their children become sanctified too.”

Our Dress and the Soul

Once I ran into the Elder at Vathis Square. I was on my way home back from work. It was summer and it was very warm. The Elder was covered with dust. He was sweaty and it was evident that he was tired. I was very happy that I ran into him and I reverenced him with great joy. He told me that he was going home. I suggested that we take a taxi together and he accepted my offer. He said that he was returning from someplace quite distant and attempted to hail a taxi but nobody would stop and he became very tired. Then a car came by with scantily dressed people in bathing suits. He did not hail that car, but they stopped further on this isolated road where the Elder was waiting and gave him a ride. “Christian souls”, he ended up saying, teaching me at the same time that I should not give special attention to one’s external appearance. I should not use this to judge the true measure of a Christian soul.”

He is Concerned about Being Overweight

In the meantime a taxi was found and we took it. We changed the subject in the taxi and he asked me how the sisters were doing. He was referring to the company of my friends who lived together and to whom he would go to give confession. I said “they are well.” He then gave me some suggestions for them and especially for one of them who was obese. It was about the diet she was on. It was not the right one and she needed something else. He brought up some details of what she did and what she had to do. “Remember to tell them these things,” he said. In the meantime, we arrived at the house where he lived in Turkovounia. I left him there and continued with the same taxi heading for my home. When I conveyed his suggestions for the sister’s diet everyone was amazed.

How did he know all those details? And with what concern and love he offered these changes for better results! Naturally all those things were revealed to him by his grace of discernment. “My dear God, how compassionate your love is for us. You told us that even the hairs of our heads are all numbered and that is the way it is.”

The Triodion and Genuflections

The great concern of the Elder about the obesity of the sister I believe was to allow her to be able to move about freely. It was meant so that she could do genuflections which she desired to do very much but she could not do them because of her obesity. On a previous occasion, when we were all together and the Great Lent had already started, the Elder told us a few words about the contrite prayers of the Triodion. It is good that these prayers be accompanied by genuflections. At that moment, I was looking at my sister next to me and I thought that she unfortunately could not do genuflections. The Elder turned and said to her, “you cannot do genuflections, unfortunately you cannot do them.” This is why the Elder offered the previously mentioned directions in reference to the sister’s diet. He connected it with the previous situation.

He Personally Called a Suffering Soul

An old friend had gone abroad many years ago to work as a baby sitter for a rich Greek. All those years she had been away, neither her other friends nor myself had communicated with her. Each person was busy with their own responsibilities. Unexpectedly, the news circulated amongst us that she had returned to Greece with a child in her arms, divorced and very unhappy. She had been married to an English Protestant and just after having a baby they divorced. Nobody knew the details of her dilemma. She spoke to no one about the problem neither did anyone ask her about it. It was obvious that she was very sad. Suddenly there circulated amongst us some sad information. Our friend had been immersed in Eastern Religions. She said that she was comforted in the Yogi Prayer services that she attended frequently. We tried to make her understand that she had taken the wrong path and that the proper road is in Orthodoxy. She had many reservations about those who represented Orthodoxy, especially the priests. We told her that she had not been lucky enough to meet people who had found God but only those who were on the road to God.

“Show me one of them”, she said. “There are certainly many. But we must talk to you specifically about Elder Porphyrios who is in Malakasa.” We told her a few things of all that we could tell her about the Elder and we left it at that. “Go meet him and you yourself will be convinced.

It appears though that she was told the same things at work. Having returned from a foreign country, she immediately found a good job in a big company. Two or three of her friends and fellow workers competed with one another to be the first to convince her to go and personally meet the Elder. While she was hesitant to do so, suddenly the Elder phoned her at home. He told her who he was. He revealed to her many things about her life and especially about her marital drama which none of us knew about because she had not told anyone. Surprise and contrition filled her heart with good will. That was it. She did not remain home for a minute. She herself went to the Elder who was at that time in Malakasa. She saw him personally. She followed the directives he gave her about the sacramental life of the Church. She abandoned Yoga forever. She found a good spiritual father, a Good Samaritan of the Orthodox Church, and with his help she is going toward Him Who is the Resurrection and the Life.

Even Though He is blind, He Sees

Our friend led her sisters and her friends to the Elder. Once when they all went together, she entered first. The Elder was anxious to dismiss her because he was tired and he could not see many people. He asked her to send in only her sister and he would see the others at another time. Her sister had many serious psychological problems but our friend had not spoken to the Elder about her sister, about her problems and that she was waiting outside his cell.

Once we had gone to the Elder in the company of a nun and she was the first to go into his cell. While waiting for her to come out, I was standing outside in the hallway near the window. I could see that other cars were arriving. A nun arrived in one of them. When the nun who was with me finished with the Elder,I entered the Elder’s cell. When I finished and was leaving the Elder called Sister Helen. She is now called Fevronia. He asked her to send in the nun. Sister Helen called the nun who was in my company to enter again.

“I entered” she said with a sense of hesitation. “Yes, but it seems that the Elder wants something from you”. She entered and came out immediately and she said that the Elder did not want her but the other nun who had just arrived. Sister Helen was quite skeptical. At that point, I remembered the nun who had just arrived in the other car. I told her and she went and called her to come in. She came up being helped by two people. It appears that she had some serious issues with her health. The Elder had seen her through the walls of his cell without his being able to see since he had already lost his eyesight.

At another time, my sister and I brought to his attention a certain incident which came to our attention and that probably we should initiate some action. “Go and tell Mr. so and so what you are telling me”, the Elder said. “Fine, we will” we answered and we wanted to proceed to another subject. “Go immediately, for he is leaving. Run so that you can catch him.” We ran and caught up with him at the moment that he was opening the car door.

Disobedience Because of Zeal and Pain

The Elder wanted very much for his spiritual children to exercise. But he also tried very hard to teach some egotists to be obedient. One day there were many people at Malakasa and we were waiting outside of his shabby shack where he lived at first to see him. We observed that the majority of the people were young and most were men. The monastery was being built and the foundations had just been poured and some of the cement columns and slabs had been erected. Between the building and the Elder’s shack was a big pile of bricks. At one point, the Elder came out and said, “All of you will pick up seven bricks”, I do not remember well the number, “and take them to the slab of the first floor.” At that moment, I found myself standing next to the Elder. He turned to me and said, “not you, you will not take them” and he moved away. All the people that were there, young and old, men and women, educated and uneducated; all hastened to fulfill with joy the Elder’s request. I felt bad. “Am I so worthless? Was I not to join in the “celebration”? Very well Elder, I know that you function with discernment. But can’t I move seven or three bricks? I wash many things at home in the sink. No, I will take three bricks.” I took them, “oh, my God, they are so heavy, so hard to move.” Suddenly, as I moved along, I felt a severe pain on my right side, somewhere where my liver or my gall bladder is located. I am not exactly sure. What can I do now, leave them in the middle of the road? I didn’t want to do that in case they got misplaced. This would be wrong for me to do. Painfully, I reached the cement slab of the first floor. My pain was getting more intense. The bricks were getting heavier. As soon as I put them down and said “Glory be to God” the Elder again appeared next to me. “Do you see?” he said to me “you are disobedient, you don’t listen and now you hurt. Now I am leaving because people are arriving and they will say I am talking to you, while others are before you.” In fact, many people arrived and the Elder left in order to see each one of them separately. The pain immediately left me without my realizing how it came and how it left.

Miraculous Humbleness

However, in spite of all that foresight and discernment of the Elder, he retained a semblance of humbleness, a wonderful humbleness. Once when he was very tired and evidently in pain, he received the faithful only to give a blessing. I entered because I had a very serious problem. I needed some kind of direction. He allowed me to say my problem and he answered me, “Listen, I am very tired. I do not have any discerning information at this moment. And I cannot even help you with my logic. Say your prayer and whatever God enlightens you to do, do it.” I marveled at his humbleness but also at his love. Continuing on this issue, the Elder’s prayer, not mine, gave a solution to my problem.

The Unbelieving Friend

In the midst of the many circumstances that I experienced in reference to the gift of discernment of the Elder, there is one, which brings great pain to my soul whenever I remember it. But I wish to narrate it as an example for us to avoid. A friend, Ms H.H., desired my company very much but I did not have time to keep her company. In addition to this, we did not agree at all with her ideas, especially in reference to religion. Many times I tried to speak to her about life in the Church, about the sacraments and especially about confession to which she had never been. “I have never bothered anyone and I have nothing to say” she answered me. Once, in order to make me happy, she came with me to visit a good father confessor to whom I had been before meeting the Elder. It was Holy Week. The father confessor had many people waiting to see him. She entered and she came out immediately. I asked her anxiously what had happened.

“Nothing,” she said to me laughing. “What did you expect to happen?” “Will you receive Holy Communion,” I asked? “Yes, but on the night of the Resurrection when everyone receives Communion. Yet I do not know whether or not I can go.” I was troubled by the whole incident. I did not force her to come. She decided on her own. I do not know why since, as I understand, she hindered family members when they wanted to go to confession. Finally, she did not go to communion. She had serious complaints about God because He did not save her from the many troubles she had. She was divorced and she blamed everything on her husband. She had a child for whom she sacrificed many things. But he was more attached to his father and he blamed many unjust things on his mother. She eventually exhibited psychological turmoil. She had persistent thoughts of being pursued. She had phobias and finally she attempted suicide by taking many psychotic drugs. Fortunately, they succeeded in pumping out her stomach. In the meantime, she met the Elder. She had known that I had him as my spiritual father. I asked him about her on the telephone. I told him about her attempt at suicide. He told me immediately “that is a demon.” “Elder what should I do? She is always asking for my company but I do not have the time. She calls me frequently and she always wants to talk. What can I do?” He answered, “Tell her whatever you can on the telephone.” In the meantime she became sick with a very serious sickness. She always asked me to help her with some tests or to accompany her to the hospital. Finally, it was determined that she had a tumor in her head. The Sisters at the hospital advised her to go to confession and to receive Holy Communion. Another one of her friends and I advised her to do the same. She always refused. She said foul things to her other friend. Once she said foul things along with holy things. Her end was approaching without repentance.

The priest of the hospital went to visit her and she chased him out. I became very sorry for her. I again asked the Elder. He answered me on the phone, “Somebody must be telling her these things. It is someone she knew from before or someone she thinks is religious. Keep trying.”

I understood that we two friends had to try more and not those Sisters of the hospital who are unknown to her. We told her again. She always gave the same negative response. The end was approaching. Her siblings were telling us strange things that she was revealing. She could hear what they were saying from a long distance. She could hear what they were saying in the elevator from her room. It was about 15-20 meters away if not more from her room. They had become seriously alarmed.

I visited her frequently. I also went on a Saturday night. It was the first time that she treated me very bad. In a raspy changed voice, like it was not her own, she told me to leave and I was not to step foot there again because she was a better Christian than me. I told her that I saw her as being very tired and that I would leave and that I would return the next day on Sunday morning when she was more rested. In addition to this, I was thinking that I would receive communion on Sunday and I would feel spiritually and physically stronger. She attacked me wildly. “No, do not come tomorrow morning. Do not step your foot here, do not step foot here again. I do not want you, do you understand? Do not attempt, etc….”

I left with a heavy heart. But the next day I went again. Her behavior was the same but a little more controlled. She looked at me with a glassy look in her eyes, without expression or rather she avoided looking at me. I did not say anything again to her about Holy Communion. It seemed to me to be in vain and unproductive. I left hurriedly. In two days she died. I contacted the Elder to tell him about it. He knew everything. I wonder how much praying he did.

He told me, “Unfortunately Satan afflicted her for a whole lifetime subjecting her to believe that God is not good since she had so many problems. She accepted that subjugation and she always complained. At the end of her life, unfortunately, Satan controlled her completely.”

I was very sorry even though I understood it. Another personality filled with hatred, evil, spitefulness, aggressiveness; a desire to murder had replaced the human personality of my friend. It had bound her up. My God, that was a fearful experience. Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on us.

Avoid Attending Exorcisms

At this point, I would like to emphasize something familiar. There was a specific recommendation that the Elder gave me, the weak one. Once a friend of mine urged me to go to a Church where a priest was exorcizing demon possessed people. Their relatives had taken them there. During the course of the Liturgy, the demon-possessed swear at the priest. It is something fearful. My friend told me that you see the existence of Satan visibly before you. I hesitated to go because I had a painful experience about that during my childhood years when I went with my parents to Saint Gerasimos on the Island of Cephalonia. But my friend was pressuring me. I asked the Elder. Before finishing my question he answered me. “Why do you now want to go there? Some other person went there and she could not sleep. It is not necessary for you to be convinced about the existence of Satan. You have already been convinced. Everyone who comes into contact with evil does not bring about anything good. You should avoid going there. I have never desired to come close to him. I always avoided it.”

“But at the shrine of Saint Gerasimos many people go there and they bring many demon-possessed people.” “It is something else there. There the Saint protects the people and banishes the demons. The Saint is there.”

I did not have another question. I did as he said without any further discussion. Later the nuns at the Hermitage told me that when a demon-possessed person went there, and that wasn’t infrequently, the Elder would tell all the nuns to leave and asked only one to stay with him. But the Elder healed many demon-possessed people. He made them well through his prayer.

The Way Evil Thoughts are banished

I once visited the Elder with a female student. I requested that he saw her because she had various problems. Among other things, I asked him about unclean thoughts and how it was possible for us to get rid of them. “When you are a child in a dark room and you fight to banish the darkness it does not leave. But if you open a window and light enters, then the darkness is banished. In the same way, you may open the Holy Bible and the Church Fathers and by reading them other thoughts will enter your mind. Then light will enter and the unclean thoughts will leave.” I know those things the girl told me but when the Elder says them they take on another meaning. You even think that he gives you the strength to implement them.

How he helped a Cancer Stricken Friend

Another friend who used to frequently visit the Elder got sick with a very serious illness, cancer of the bones. She had entered the Hospital of St. Savas for some type of therapy. The doctors had said that there was not one bone that had not been affected by the disease. In fact, the cranial bone had been attacked. The prognosis was that she would never get up again. She would continuously get worse and then die. I would frequently go to St. Savas Hospital and see her and every time she had a message for me to take to the Elder that he should pray for her. The Elder ordered her through me “to be closer to Christ during that time and that she should not be afraid of anything.” One particular day, when she was still at the St. Savas Hospital, someone told her that the Elder had performed a miracle. A nine year old girl had cancer in her lower jawbone and he went to her and made the sign of the cross on her. They had planned to take her to England for an operation to remove the lower jaw. The Elder felt great pain for the girl and he requested that others also pray. The Elder would frequently recommend group prayer for a particular problem. He had phoned the Monastery of St. John the Distant One and requested the monks to pray for the girl and the miracle happened. When the child went to England, the English doctors determined that it was a simple inflammation and they cured her with antibiotics. My sick friend said to me, “See, the Elder’s prayer made the girl well and not the antibiotics. But I thought, with so many incidents that the Elder has every day, will he remember me? I beg you; tell him not to forget me.”

I assured her that he would not forget her. “But tell him, I beg you, not to forget me.” I was certain that the Elder would not forget her. He would make the sign of the cross every time I mentioned her name from a distance and he would whisper his blessings. It was for this reason, that I was embarrassed to tell him that she requests that he should not forget her. But he himself said to me “yes, and tell her that I do not forget her and I pray for her.” I again shivered with disbelief. His gift of discernment had communicated our conversation at the hospital about her. The Elder continued, “Tell her so that she can be comforted, that I also have the same sickness that she has.” I was astonished. I heard that for the first time. “Is it true Elder? Where do you have it?” “I have it in the head. I suffer much and I am in pain. I also suffer from other sicknesses. Yet I glorify God for my pain but you should not pray that He will take them from me. Once, when I first became a monk, I asked God to give me cancer but at that time He did not give it to me. He gave it to me now when I did not ask Him for it.” I brought all this information to my friend and it made an impression on her. After this, she got up the following summer in spite of the medical prognosis. She went on vacation and went swimming in the sea. Someone who saw her was startled, She said, “didn’t she die?”

After some time when she was in remission the sickness came back again. The new outbreak of cancer started when the Elder had permanently left for Mount Athos. We sent him a message that she was again very sick. His last words for her were, “tell her that I do not forget her and I am praying and that I love her very, very much.” After the repose of the Elder, about one and a half years later, her life on earth ended. She had exhibited a great deal of patience and humbleness during the whole time of her suffering.

How he banished the Agony of a Friend

Another friend was suddenly overwhelmed with unbearable anxiety. “Tell your Elder to pray because I am suffering very much. It is unimaginable suffering.” I told him. “Yes,” he said, “she suffers that much because she does not entrust herself to Christ. She places her trust someplace else,in money, let us say.” She was a Church person. She accepted what the Elder said but she didn’t have the strength, as she said, to do anything differently. “All of you pray that God will help me.” Yet the anxiety continued and increased. It was literally chocking her. She could not find peace anywhere and she cried continuously. In September of 1991, the Elder came to Malakasa for the last time from the Holy Mountain. Unfortunately, I did not go to see him because my father was very sick and I could not go. Nobody knew that it was for the last time. But she was informed that the Elder had come and she hastened to go there with another person. The Elder told her that he was very happy to see her. He counseled her to love Christ, to place her welfare in Him and everything would be resolved. He took her head into his holy hands and he blessed it with the sign of the cross: “Here then Christ should enter” he said. And the miracle happened. My friend found peace. The fearful anxiety left. May the blessing of the Elder uphold her until the end of her life.

And after his repose he is close to us

May his blessing become a reality for all of us. May Christ enter our minds and our hearts. May light be banished from the dark rooms of our lives. May the people-killing powers of the alien flee in disorganized retreat and may he protect us from every dark influence of the evil one.

Once, as usual, I had gone very early to see him. My thoughts were concerned that the Elder had declined physically. I saw also the works he had founded there and the huge Church that was being built. I saw also how the people worked there, many of them voluntarily and the question came to me suddenly “Would the Elder see his work come to fruition? Would he be able to liturgize in the Church?” When I entered, I did not say anything to him about those thoughts. Once I finished with my concerns, he on his own said to me,

“Do not be afraid, I, in this Church which is being built, will liturgize.” I again answered him many times through my thoughts without verbalizing them to him. It almost became a natural thing for me. I was happy with what he said to me thinking that he would live many more years and that I would have him close to me. After his repose, what did he really mean? Certainly the Saints do not leave us. They do not leave the militant Church. They are with us. They always help us. They liturgize in our Churches. They are found in the altar with the angels. “Lord Jesus Christ, through the intercessions of the Holy Fathers and the Holy Elder Porphyrios, have mercy on us.”

MIRACULOUS EXPERIENCES

OF THE SPOUSES TH. AND V.

This is a recording between S. (speaker), Th. (a female teacher)

and V (her husband who is a doctor)

This is one more attempt to paint the bodily features of Elder Porphyrios. All the artists who have attempted this I believe have more or less succeeded. Are they justified? But “now the Lord is spirit.” (2 Cor. 3:17) and therefore “Elder Porphyrios is spirit” (and not his body). How do we comprehend the icon of his spirit so that we can be transformed by it? (2 Cor.3:18).

RECORDED CONVERSATION

My Acquaintance with Elder Porphyrios

S. Tell me Th. How did you meet the Elder? What did he say, etc?

Th. A friend of mine, F., who had met him a month before, spoke to me with great enthusiasm about the Elder because he had solved a very serious problem that concerned her. Knowing therefore that I also had many unresolved family and personal problems, she told me emphatically “I will take you to the Elder.” It was in this way that we came here one morning in 1981. I believe it was May. On that particular day there were not many people there. We met only one of his old spiritual children, a person from the air force.[1]

When I first entered the Elder’s cell and I first looked upon him, I was startled. I felt as if my spiritual life began at that moment. The previous fifteen years of my spiritual struggle suddenly disappeared. Thus suddenly, I confessed again all the sins of my life in three minutes.

And though the Elder was lying down he got up, he called my friend to enter and maybe Tzavara as well and he began to speak to us. He was very happy. He told us about the water deposits that he could see deep underground and many times he was called to locate water sources. This made a great impression upon me. I was certainly more impressed by the fact that I was looking upon a spiritual person, an Elder who was speaking joyously, like a little child. I had become used to spiritual fathers being very serious. I even remember that day. It was the most beautiful day of my life. I felt that I had just been born. The other times that I communicated with him felt the same way. The Elder at that time was in somewhat good health. He saw that I was in great need and he always spoke to me.

On the way back to Athens with Mr. Tzavara we talked about the Elder. Of all the amazing things that he explained to us, I was impressed the most by the Elder discovering the ailment of his sigmoid. This story that Mr. Tzavaras writes about in his book I heard for the first time from him personally. From that time on I would visit him about once a week. The Elder always found something to tell me. Thus, slowly, very slowly I changed. He transformed me. Every time I met him I thought I was the only one he loved so much. There was so much love that flowed from him.

S. It was the general impression that each person was unique.

His Great Love

Th. The great love that he gave me relieved me and nourished me. I believed that for this special Elder to love me meant that I was worthy of this. His love was therapeutic beyond any human logic. With time, I understood that the Holy Spirit was being sent through the Elder. This was understood from the basic practical lessons that we took from him. We should know that true love, as referred to by the Apostle Paul, should be distinguished from human love which most of the time afflicts us instead of giving us rest. I do not certainly dare to say that we learned to love that way. That can be acquired only with the Grace of God.

During our visits, he said many things about me, my parents, my siblings, exactly the way they were affecting me and what I had to do about them. He dissected me and gave me direction. I remember about a family problem that had developed in our home. The center of the problem was my brother and our bad behavior towards him. He said to me, “Don’t speak. You are to love him and take care of him. Thus he will also be healed.” This was a method completely different from that which the other spiritual father gave us. The other spiritual father said, “He should leave the house, we have to be concerned about others” and in the others he meant strangers. Basically our house was literally burning and we were pouring water someplace else. He told me to keep quiet because apparently my words were oppressive. He recommended to me that I should love him because he saw that I did not love him the way I should and that I should accept him the way he was. Following the recommendations of the Elder, I understood that I was belittling my brother because he didn’t attend Church and lived like a secular person. I believed that I was saved because I attended Church and received communion. That is the way I had been taught. Certainly hell is filled with that type of saved people, haughty and arrogant. I did not understand the lack of love that I was showing toward my brother. Fortunately, with the blessing of the Elder, everything went well.

Preparation for the Wedding

Th. In reference to a wedding the Elder was telling me about, he said that I should go out; in other words, I should go to weddings, to festivals and other functions so that I can meet people.

S. “Do not hide yourself Th. Yes.” Up until that time my idiosyncrasy was different and it was developed at home by my previous spiritual father who said to us, “If you want to get married, he will find you wherever you are and even closed up in your home” and he would give examples so that we would be convinced of this. Because of this, I had a fear of people and a tendency to isolate myself. I continued with the advice of the Elder. In an effort to socialize, I went to a school to learn Byzantine and secular music, dancing, etc. The Elder liked that. When he saw me become discouraged he always encouraged me with some advice. One day when we were walking in the forest, he said to me, “You will be happy at your wedding.” I did not understand what he meant and I thought he was referring to the day of the wedding and I asked him, “And then?” Since the Elder saw that I had not understood, he stopped, he did not say anything else. What he said remained with me. He consoled me and encouraged me every time that I became faint - hearted. Thus I never became discouraged.

On the well-known question of monasticism or marriage, the Elder answered me clearly that I was not cut out to become a nun. And I also understood that but now it became clear to me. He insisted that I should socialize. Truly I was helped by going out. I remember that my mother scolded me for coming home late. V. would escort me home after the music lesson. My mother would say to me, “The neighbors see you. Aren’t you ashamed?” I, on the other hand, having the permission of the Elder to go out did not mind her comments and I would answer her by saying, “I do not care, you who speak to them and communicate with them, find some excuse to give them.”

The Elder helped us very much to come to a definite decision about marriage. It was a miracle that I got married to V. There were internal problems which he helped us overcome. That made me feel the great love that he had for me and I believed that he loved only me. It is not really true but that is what I thought. He hugged me and he cared for me.

S. And you probably loved him.

Th. Yes, and I loved him but his love was special.

S. When love is one-sided it works but not as much as when it is mutual.

Th. Yes, without doubt.

The Healing

Th. The Elder’s prayer had great power. It was heard by God. His prayer had therapeutic results and I confirmed this many times. I remember one time when I wanted to go to the Elder for I was having a stressful time at home with my mother. Generally speaking, we did not communicate well. Therefore we had an intense argument and before I left once, she said to me, “Come, let us move the couch.” The two of us picked it up together but because of the tension that was around she dropped it abruptly. My back gave out so badly that I was required to lay flat for three days without any relief. I decided to bring this to the Elder’s attention and through my friend F. I asked him to pray for me. After that, I began to recover. Then I decided to visit him. I took the bus and with a great deal of effort and pain I arrived at the bus stop Agrafa and disembarked. I climbed the hill up to his hermitage.

S. You were in pain.

Th. I was in pain. I had a great deal of difficulty for I was bent over while sitting on the bus. I got off the bus and I continued to have pain. I felt horrible. I was climbing the dirt road while thinking of the Elder and praying. Slowly but slowly, as I was climbing up the road, I was feeling better. I entered his cell and I told him what had happened to me. He said to me, “Go to the doctor.” I said to him, “Elder, as I was climbing up the dirt road, I was feeling better. Please bless me with the sign of the Cross.” He blessed me with the sign of the Cross and when I left the hermitage I was practically well again. In one or two days, I was completely healed. The difference was dramatic. The Elder always said that those things were psychological. I understood that very well for I suffered this from the stress we had in my home. When the soul is in turmoil the body losses its strength which comes from the soul and it becomes weak.

The Causes of Sickness

V. A troubled soul is the reason for the manifestation of every sickness. There is a reason that sickness exists but worry is the reason for it to manifest itself. I once asked the Elder what causes cancer. He answered me, “it is caused by much worry. People, who turn in on themselves, constrain themselves, become super sensitive, are prone to cancer.” Then I asked him again, “why is it that cancer manifests itself in a different organ in each person?” He answered me that it appears in the organ of which the cells have suffered some damage from various things. That, of course, is generally the beginning in which all sicknesses are explained. Cell damage caused by external reasons such as smoking, bad diet, bad lifestyle, etc is manifested as sickness. It is caused by an accumulation of psychic upheaval which like a volcano searches for an escape route and it finds it in the most sensitive organs. This is the way sickness is manifested.

The Straightening of the Nose

Th. There is another incident that I remember in reference to my nose. I would always see my nose in the mirror as being crooked but I did not understand how this happened and became crooked. This did not bother me consciously. But once when I caught a cold and I was sick for a long time, this happened to me often, I went to an eye, ear, nose and throat specialist. He told me that I had scoliosis of the nose and the only therapy was an operation. He told me that it is a very simple procedure and it would not take long. In order to convince me to have the operation soon, he removed two molds from my neck which bothered me every time I had a haircut. I came to tell all these things to the Elder and he said to me, “Oh, my child, he removed your molds and now you will get them all over your body.” I said, “Elder what can I do now so that I will not be covered with these molds?” He made the sign of the Cross on me and blessed me. Five years later, under stress, a few small ones came back, 4 or 5 of them around the area where the others were. It appears that his blessing impeded them. Now about the nose, he did not tell me what to do. But I, at that point thought, “Since his blessing made my back well, why can’t he do the same for my nose?” I then said to him, “Elder I want you to grab me here and I grabbed my nose with my hand so that I will become well.” I remember that when I was saying these things I was at the entrance of the cottage.

S. At the cottage down below with the elenit?

Th. Yes and the Elder was lying down. He then said to me, “It is not necessary; put your hand there.” And I put my hand were he requested and the Elder prayed. I left. At some point about a month later I touched the bridge of my nose and was startled at the fact that it was straight. From that time on, I did not catch colds as I did before. I had become well.

Assistance in the Pregnancy

Th. His presence and his assistance were very important during the course of my pregnancy, my first pregnancy. I will explain it to you in the order of the many events which were revealed during the course of the pregnancy, his foresight and the miraculous power of his prayer. When I got married to V. he advised us to have a child right away. The marriage took place on January 25, 1986. About twenty days after the middle of March, the Elder telephoned us at six in the morning and informed Mr. V. that I was pregnant. We knew nothing about it, we only suspected it because I was only two days late.

V. The miraculous thing about it is that for the two children she became pregnant with, they happened without medical help.

Th. And that is miraculous, because we found out later there was a problem with the womb.

V. It was the first or second of April at 6 o’clock in the morning. It was a rainy day. I had to go to a meeting and on that day I was preparing my talk during breakfast. The telephone rang and I was startled by it at that time of the day. I answered the phone and I heard the Elder’s voice saying to me, “Hey, do you know that you have a child?” The truth is that I felt it but the Elder verified it for me. “Do you know how I know it?” he said to me, “Well, I know Elder,” I said to him, “the Holy Spirit.” “Yes,” he said to me, He told me that the Holy Spirit informed him. May it be blessed.”

Th. That first pregnancy with the first child went very well. I did not have any problem in spite of the fact that I was thirty four years old. It was my first pregnancy and I was anemic having a blood count of 28. I, of course, began therapy by taking iron but I had not yet recovered. During the whole course of my pregnancy I worked regularly. I pushed myself without feeling tired. I walked much. The pregnancy made me a different person.

V. That summer we had rented a house in Malakasa. We visited the Elder frequently and he would make the sign of the Cross on her stomach.

Th. Yes, he would make the sign of the Cross frequently. In fact, I remember one time near the end of my pregnancy; he grabbed my stomach with both of his hands and prayed. During the seventh month, we went to have an echogram to see if the child had turned. In the room where the echogram machine was, V. with his colleagues rejoiced. In that moment, the director of the test saw that everything was in order. In spite of the fact that he is one of the best diagnosticians, he did not see a big fibromyoma in the womb. We learned about that later. It is my belief it was the hand of God that he did not see it and because of this I was psychologically well until I gave birth. In the meantime the child had not turned around. I thought that the child would turn by my walking and exercising, etc. I then took long walks. Now that I am thinking about it, it is a miracle that I did not suffer a hemorrhage. Finally, I was almost ready to give birth. My due date had arrived and the child had not turned. It was decided to take the baby by Caesarean section. I did not want this and I started to get different opinions. I was looking for doctors who would agree to have me give birth naturally. Fortunately, no one accepted to take my case without diagnosing the problem that existed. At least they did not tell us. I then gave birth through Caesarean section on the appointed day by the doctor who had been following my case.

V. We were determined to have our way. We were praying to God that He would turn the child around. We did prayer services, genuflections, and we were killing ourselves in prayer. My God, turn the child around.

S. The child did not turn around properly.

V. We understood later why this happened and we were humbled.

Th. The day before the birth, we went to the Elder to receive his blessing.

V. Wanted to video tape the procedure. We told this to the Elder and he said to him, “Good, you can be inside for the procedure but you will not express your opinion.”

V. He said to me, “you will not talk” and I did not ask him why. I simply was faithful to his admonition.

Th. We understood later that he knew the problem and he wanted to avoid any panic or frivolous decisions. With his prayer and his presence at the procedure, he wanted to direct the hands of the doctors with the Grace of God. That I believe without question. Well then the Caesarean section took place.

V. At that moment, you were asleep from the anesthesia. Allow me to say what I saw. As it was, the surgeons were M. S. and D. H. I was there video- taping the procedure. At one point, I saw that they were upset. The one doctor put his hand into the uterus and was startled. “My, my,” he said, “what do we have here?” “Let me see,” said the other. He said: “my, my V. she has a huge tumor. The child is wedged between the wall of the uterus and the tumor.” At that moment, with careful movements and with a great deal of difficulty, the child was freed and the hemorrhaging started. They then told me, “Your wife has a serious problem. The uterus must be removed. What should I do, should I remove it?” The hemorrhaging had started and a quick decision had to be made. They again said to me, “What should I do, should I remove it?” I did not answer.

S. You remembered the Elder’s advice.

V. I remembered the advice. I did not speak and when he asked me again I said to him “I do not know, do whatever God inspires you to do.” From then on I was observing their movements. One of them was trying to determine with his hands the situation for a possible hysterectomy and the other was hindering him. That is what I saw. Finally, the uterus was not removed. They sewed her up and said, “We will leave her as she is and we will observe her.” The child was born lively and handsome. When they finished, they took Th. to her room. All of these things took place in short order. They started the hysterectomy at 8 a.m. and they finished at 8:30 a.m.

S. Can a hysterectomy take place in half an hour?

V. Quicker. They cannot administer anesthesia for a long time so that it will not affect the child. The procedure must take place quickly. But because these problems manifested themselves, the time of the hysterectomy took longer than usual.

Th. I did not know about the seriousness of the situation.

V. Neither did we tell her anything.

Th. I, of course, saw the hemorrhaging. Physically I felt well. That night I took the baby and I nursed it. I was looking at it and felt joyful.

V. That same night hemorrhaging started again. The problem was very serious. The operating rooms in the hospitals were always ready for every eventuality after a hysterectomy. They gave me a total of seven pints of blood. Two days later the hemorrhaging stopped. The nursing proceeded normally. I was next to her night and day because of the seriousness of the situation.

Th. Fortunately V. was with me. Everyone was saying, “It is unusual, what is your husband doing here, usually a mother comes to care of the new mother.” In spite of all the things that happened, I felt well emotionally. At a certain point, I said to V. tell the Elder to pray for me. There was never a moment when I was anxious. I was not conscious of the seriousness of my situation. I thought that somehow this is the way births take place.

V. In this whole situation, we never doubted that the birth was a miracle. The only thing that we understood was that the tumor hindered the turning of the child and that we should never ask that our will be done but we should always say “may your will be done.” It was December 16, 1986. Since then and up until March there was no problem.

How I was freed from the tumor

Th. In fact, I was nursing normally. I was joyful and felt blessed. We had just about forgotten about the tumor.

S. Were you informed about the tumor?

Th. Yes, from the beginning I knew that they left a tumor inside of me but it did not bother me. I knew that at some point I would get well. For about three months, I was nursing the child without any problem when at one point my uterus started hurting me very much. During the next nursing session, the same thing happened. I informed the doctor about this and he told me to stop nursing. Every time I nursed I hurt a lot.

V. I phoned the Elder, “Elder, may I have your blessing. Th. is having a hard time.” The Elder said to me like I am hearing his voice at this moment: “Do not stop nursing. I am praying, I am praying.” At that point Th. had reached an impasse.

Th. I continued nursing for fifteen days and I was hurting. I did not want to take medicines. My doctor, seeing that I was not following his directives, told me not to call him again if I did not stop nursing.

S. Do not bother him needlessly. Since you do not listen to him why do you ask him?

Th. Yes, in the meantime, the Elder said that I should continue to nurse anyway.

V. Yes, he said the spasms of the uterus would do her good. But he did not tell us in what way it would do good.

Th. On the fifteenth day, I could not endure any more pain and I stopped nursing.

S. What did you feel?

Th. I felt as if I were giving birth. They were pains of a natural birth. I was giving birth to the tumor during all that time without my realizing it. Little by little it was being broken off from the stem and at the end it broke off when it wasn’t receiving enough blood, I felt nauseas. In reality, it was rotting.

V. We then went to the hospital and there the doctor examined her and saw that the tumor appeared at the neck. The pain that I was suffering all that time was the dilation of the neck. It was the pain of giving birth. The decision was made to try to have the tumor come out from below otherwise they would have to do a hysterectomy. In fact, Dr. M. S., effectively removed the tumor. The incidences of giving birth to tumors are very rare. The tumor was big. Three months after the birth, when physiologically it began to shrivel up, it was still big. It was 8 by 12 centimeters. From that point on, the problem resolved itself. Therefore the uterus was miraculously saved two times, once from a hysterectomy and another time with the birth of the tumor.

Th. With the nursing.

S. That is contrary to medical advice.

V. It certainly was contrary but it has a medical basis. Nursing promotes the secretion of a hormone that initiates the contractions of the uterus and the pushing of the tumor. The Elder saw that the tumor would be expelled and this is why he advised Th. to continue nursing. In retrospect, thinking about these events, we came to the conclusion that the miraculous occurrences that took place were many. First of all, I think about how the conception took place. How was it possible for the fetus to attach itself to the uterus, amongst so many tumors because there were also other smaller ones? It was most likely that it would be miscarried.

Th. And since it attached itself, the other miraculous thing is that the child took the right position and did not turn. If it had turned it would be kicking the tumor with its feet which was in the upper part at the base of the uterus. It would thus detach the tumor. I would then hemorrhage and both the baby and I would die. Its head was squeezed between the tumor and the wall of the uterus. In other words, how did it enter like a fish which squeezed into the hole of a boat as it is referred to in the miracle wrought by the Holy Mother? It was something like that. It took up the right position so that I would not hemorrhage and I would carry the pregnancy full term.

The Child is straightened out

V. From here on, we now begin the other miraculous things attributed to the healing powers of the prayers of the Elder. The position that the fetus took up in the uterus created a twisted cranium. Following her birth she was helped very much by the Elder. The twisted cranium was very visible. This occupied our attention very much. But the Elder took hold of the sternum armpits and the problem was resolved.

S. How did that happen?

V. The twisted cranium, as we said, was very visible. The orthopedic doctors that we visited said that we should not be concerned about it. If it does not straighten itself out by the time she is five years old it can be operated upon and it will not leave any mark. We would go to the Elder and ask him to pray. He once showed more interest than usual in the problem and he requested to see her. He grabbed her by the right sternum muscle and said, “Let me see, let me see” as he would say when he wanted to intervene. “Let me see, let me see how it is.” And he grabbed her and pressed quite hard on the end of the muscle. He said, “Ah, it is hard; it is hard, you also grab it. Do you feel it?” He made the sign of the Cross and it was restored. After six months the orthopedic doctor saw her and said to us that the child is fine, it does not have any problem and it will not need an operation for the restoration. At that time, the child was sixteen or eighteen months old.

Th. Yes, now there is not even a mark there. He said to us that it would continue straightening out until her eighteenth year. That whole situation with the child reminds us of the Elder and his good deeds.

Recommendations for Prayer

V. He told us many times that prayer greatly benefits children. All those years and from the time when it was in the womb of the mother, we prayed a lot and especially the Jesus Prayer. When on a particular day, when we went to the Elder, we asked him what he thought of the baby. He told us, “She is very good, very good.” Elder does she love God?” “Oh much. Your prayers have influenced her and she has meekness.” I remember when we did the Jesus Prayer loudly the child would get up on its hands even though she was three or four months old, lying down in the cradle or in the baby carrier, laughing and happy. When she cried and we said the Jesus Prayer, she would become quiet. May God give us the wisdom not to spoil the children too much.

S. May his prayer protect her.

Healing the Child of a Urinary Tract Infection

Th. I remember another incident in reference to our older daughter. She suffered from a urinary tract infection. We took her to the Elder and he said that we should take her to Saint John the Russian.

V. The child suddenly started to cry and could not urinate. She was diagnosed with a urinary tract infection and she started taking antibiotics. The pediatric doctor requested that we take a photographic image of the bladder. It is a test where they insert an imaging device through the urethra into the bladder. This tests whether or not there is a blockage of the urinal tract from the bladder to the urethra. Very often urinary infections of children between the ages of one and a half and two years old are caused by a bladder blockage. We then did the test and it was found that she had a moderate bladder blockage. It was found to be on the right side. The levels of severity of this condition are three. The children who have that problem are prone to frequent bladder infections. If these are not treated properly then later serious problems will develop with the kidneys. According to the pediatric doctors she needs to take antibiotics daily for about two years. There was no other solution. We started the antibiotics in order to combat the acute phase of the infection. But I did not want her to take antibiotics for too many years.

I felt this way in spite of the fact, as a doctor, I know that this is the proper therapeutic approach for this condition. In the event that the blockage could not be dealt with after taking this long term therapy, it would be resolved through an operation. Having therefore decided on alternatives, I went to the Elder and said to him, “Elder, this is what the doctors said to me. I do not want to poison my child with antibiotics. I will now go to more well known doctors.” Two or three days before, we had visited St. Ephraim of Nea Makri. We also wanted to visit St. John the Russian. As soon as I told this to the Elder, he was happy. He prayerfully lifted up his hands; he blessed us and said to me, “Yes, yes, go to Saint John and pray to Saint Nektarios. You are to go and listen to what you must do. As soon as you arrive there you are to light the smallest candle and you are to say: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, through the intercessions of Saint John the Russian, forgive your servant Porphyrios.” I objected. I did not get it at first, as they say. He understood and said to me, “Did you understand?” And he said to me again, “Go then, that is the way you will do it. And you will also do a service of supplication.” After that, we left immediately to visit the Saint. We did a service of supplication for the health of our daughter. The priest was very devout and contrite. That which impressed us is that during the supplicatory service the child on her own, was doing genuflections all the way to the ground. She was sixteen or seventeen months old and she was spontaneously doing genuflections to the Saint. From that day, I stopped giving her antibiotics. For a whole year no problem arose. Later on she suffered another urinary tract infection. We went to the Elder to have him bless her with the sign of the Cross. Some thoughts of misgiving were going through my mind and I asked, “Elder, didn’t she get well?” He answered me, “well, for so long now she hasn’t been taking antibiotics, give her a little now.” She took the antibiotics for about two or three days and that was the last time. We had tests taken and she is completely well. Since 1988 when these things happened she has never been afflicted again with this condition.

How the Child Spoke

Th. Before the repose of the Elder, he performed the last miracle for us. Our second daughter was very slow in talking. It appeared that she did not want to. This concerned us and we told it to the Elder in the summer of 1991, a little before he left permanently for Mt. Athos.

V. I was holding her and I handed her to him for him to bless her. I told him the problem. He said to me, “What is the problem, what causes this?” I explained to him and said, “When she was very young, I was abrupt with her.” The Elder grabbed her by the head, he blessed her with the sign of the Cross and he said to me, “You are not to act like that again. You should be kind and love her for this can happen again.” After this meeting and a short time later, the child began to speak naturally. That became apparent also to the nuns who cared for the Elder and they told us that had he performed the last miracle for us.

Healing of Urticaria

Th. Six months after the falling asleep of the Elder another miracle happened to our eldest daughter. It was the beginning of June 1992. D. suffered from an allergy which is called urticaria. This was told to us by a very good pediatric doctor who saw her and had been her doctor since she was young. She then was six years old.

V. This allergy is very painful and is characterized by joint pain, pain in the body which is swollen because of the accumulation of fluid under the skin. It is the swelling of the skin and there is fatigue. Every time a new blister appears one suffers unbearable pain. There is no cure. A tranquilizer is administered. “The pediatric doctor told us there is no cure and his children went through the same thing. Twenty days must pass and then it leaves on its own. You must be patient and this situation could repeat itself many times.”

Th. D. cried all day. Her joints hurt. She couldn’t even get out of bed. I had to get her up for everything. I applied wet towels with chamomile and she temporarily was relieved. Suddenly, I thought that I should ask for the Elder’s help. In spite of the fact that he had died, I was certain that he would help me.

V. We prayed much and we said to the child that she should ask for help from the Elder. She knew him, she loved him and it was easy for her to do this.

Th. I then said to D: “D., shall we go to the Elder in order for you to get well?” She answered me with great joy. “Yes, mother let us go.” But I immediately had a change of mind because it was a very hot summer day. The automobile had vinyl seats. They were hot and the child could not lie down. She insisted. She did not hesitate for one moment. She repeated many times “no mother, let us go.” I gave in and we started off. During the whole trip she did not complain at all in spite of the fact that she was lying on the hot seats in the hot automobile.

S. She was patient.

Th. She was patient and we arrived at our destination. We took her up to his cell and we prayed. “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God through the intercessions of Fr. Porphyrios have mercy on me.” The Elder had fallen asleep as I told you six months ago. I made the sign of the Cross on her with olive oil from his vigil lamp and she took the oil from me firmly and crossed herself. I left her in the cell and I went to visit the Abbess. In a short while the child walked very slowly to the kitchen to drink some water and there she lay down on a couch and she waited for me. After a little while, when we departed and during the trip home she fell asleep. From that time and while she was awake, she would cross herself with the olive oil. She did not want anyone to apply chamomile.

V. She did not even want medicine. She didn’t even want a mild sedative that the pediatric doctor had given her. She only wanted the oil. She kept it next to her and would cross herself.

Th. She would apply the oil everywhere. One morning she woke up and she appeared to be fine. Her skin was no longer red but rose colored. The difference was very visible. Desiring therefore to see if she understood this, I said to her, “I see that you are better,” “Yes mother.” “How did you become well, yesterday you were terrible, you hurt, you were red, what happened?” She then said to me very simply, “Well, we went to the Elder’s cell. We asked for his help. You went to the Abbess and I went down to the kitchen. Georgia took care of me and later I slept and when I woke up I was well.” She said it quickly without thinking about it but she was certain that after the visit she became well. The way in which she spoke was very convincing. She was self-assured.

V. Didn’t she tell you that she sat on a stool[2] and she asked for his help?

Th. Yes, she told me “I sat on the Elder’s stool there where he placed his feet and I asked for his help. Then I went down stairs and Georgia took care of me and we departed. When I woke up I was well.” God has helped her many times because the child has great faith and we pray that the Elder’s blessing will accompany her throughout her life.

The Second Child is born

V. In January of 1988 we decided that we wanted a second child. Mrs Th. became pregnant immediately. Her pregnancy progressed normally in spite of the fact that her uterus was distressed. The second child was born just fine without any problem.

Pedagogical Advice

Th. Whenever we visited the Elder, he gave us advice. Some of this advice which now comes to mind is, “Never allow your children to see you nervous or excitable. You should always be calm. Do not put pressure on the children. Whatever you want, you should tell them once and don’t be insistent.” I remember an incident which made a big impression on me. One of the many times that I went to the Elder before I got married, I was waiting outside of his cell when a very worried woman came out of the Elder’s cell. I asked her why she was worried and she told me that without her knowing it, she was responsible for her son abandoning his studies. He was psychologically sick. He did not want to do anything. He was indifferent toward everything and he was completely disorganized.

I asked her how this was possible for something like this to happen to her, a Christian woman. She answered me saying that she was always in Church but she did not have the right attitude. “I”, she said to me, “took my child to Church and I expected him to be attentive, I did this egotistically.” “I said to him: you sit here”. “Through the Grace that the Elder possessed, he saw that this is the reason for the condition of my son.” And I see now that in spite of all the things he told us, we apply a great deal of pressure on our children and I now tremble at this. We are conscious of this and we try to calm the circumstances. We pray to God to transform the traumas that we unconsciously inflict upon our children.

S. Pressure results in reaction.

Personal Discussions and Change

I used to go to Church every Sunday with my family. Faith was not a deeply conscious thing as I understand it now. Attending was mainly a responsibility and tradition instead of a need for prayer. It was simply the participation in the Divine Liturgy twice a year. The wealth of the Orthodox Faith was unknown to me. For me Christianity was about negativities without logic. The true purpose was unknown. It was a little catechism without it being able to pass on to me something that would hold my attention. I had philosophical questions and I understood that they could not be resolved there. They were theological concerns of a young person. When I therefore was about 18 years of age, I was open to other religions. I studied the book of Clasenapp “The five great Religions.” I was impressed with Buddhism and Hinduism, nothing else. After this, came a seven year period. Then I reacted to Communism. I espoused its theory and I thought that surely it could resolve all the social and personal problems of the world. The years went by. I listened and I saw that there was no solution even there. There was a period of time of emptiness that went by. I lived a completely worldly life. Later on, I followed Hinduism more deeply. I had read many books about karma, reincarnation and the evolution of souls in it. I found them logical and I accepted them. One day, while reading Ouspanisant or Bankavat Gita, I no longer remember which, neither do I believe that it has any meaning at this point, it impressed me that it said that a person can reach God, besides all other ways, with the constant recitation of His name. That was a small side note because they emphasized other more complicated ways. I retained that thought and reasoned that since we have the prayer “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me” and a positive communication with Him through love, why do I need all these detailed things of Yoga? I then began slowly navigating in a different direction. There at the center where I was going, while I was practicing self-centeredness and reflection internally, I was saying the “prayer”. I must say that at that time, I read the book of the now blessed Archimandrite Sophronios of Essex “Elder Silouan” – that is the way that book was entitled because Elder Silouan had not yet been declared a Saint. Then Saint Silouan, with his admonitions, influenced me very much and I began to finally turn toward Orthodoxy. All the ascetic I read in those books I found this book. That particular Easter was 1983. I visited Mt. Athos with the purpose of speaking to a Peruvian monk, Fr…

S. Was that Fr. Symeon?

V. Yes, Fr. Symeon. At that time he was at Saint Gregory Monastery and I wanted to see him because I had heard that he had been to India and he at one time had similar quests. To make my story short, he rejected Hinduistic viewpoints with arguments. There on the Mountain, I went to confession consciously for the first time in my life.

I returned and I had already changed. Repeated reincarnations of the soul are not necessary for the soul to be perfected. In this life, all things are possible. Every time that we confess and receive the Holy Sacraments, we are reborn and we continue on to perfection. For me, therefore, reincarnation is frequent repentance, confession and Holy Communion. And as often as these are practiced we approach the Lord sooner and with conviction, while the Hindus await many reincarnations to seek perfection. There is one other thing that I understood at that time; it was that in our faith theosis can happen now. It is only necessary for us to really want it while in Hinduism another power directs them and not our own free will.

How I came to know Elder Porphyrios

I had heard about the Elder as far back as 1981. I had a desire to meet him without ever being able to do so and imagine that I would frequently go on trips to Oropos. From 1981 to 1986, I was taking Byzantine Music lessons. It was there that I met my wife Th. and her friend F. In 1983, in a conversation that the three of us were having, I told them how Hinduism looks upon the issue of marriage and how spouses, before they come together should pray. They should look upon one another as the image of God, that there should be mutual respect, etc. I then said to our friend F. that there is an Elder with spiritual gifts and I wanted to meet him. To my great surprise and amazement, they told me that they knew him and that they would make an effort for me to meet him. Much later, our friend F. told me that the Elder told her for me to go and visit him.

I was standing in front of the Elder with fear of God, for I did not look upon him as an ordinary man but as the image of the Holy Spirit and I was humbled and prepared to accept whatever he told me. I had the disposition to be obedient to him. There, I remember that the Elder asked me what man was and I answered that man was made up of three hypostases. That is the way the books of the eastern religions say it. He did not answer me. He then asked me if I was married.

He teaches without many words

V. The Elder did not teach me with many words. Well I cannot explain it to you in detail. That which I can tell you is that though I did not spend much time with him like others did, he changed me. But I tell you with certainty that his message penetrated me and I can feel it. I cannot explain it in words that which the Elder wanted from people in reference to their behavior, upbringing and various theological issues. All of these things penetrated through me mystically and effectively. Even his silence spoke.

S. That is important and it indicates something that the Elder said many times: It is not the words that influence but something else. He said the same words can be said to you by someone and you may not understand anything and they can be said to you by someone else and then you understand everything. This is because something accompanies the words, his soul, let us say, the Spirit of God.

V. Yes. I remember well that he liked it very much that I went to Byzantine music lessons. He did not tell me that but whenever he saw me with the book of hymns he was very happy.

I once asked him about the pain in my back. He said to me, “Yes, it is the fourth and fifth vertebrae in your waist. You have a problem there but also further up. You also have the eighth, ninth and tenth thoracic vertebrae. I can see them all. How do you think my ability functions?” I said to him that it happens with the Grace of the Holy Spirit. My introduction to the eastern religions made me familiar with the supernatural, but they certainly were theoretical and confusing. Here I had before me the application and the evidence. At that time, I did not have trouble with the thoracic vertebrae which he mentioned. The problem revealed itself a year later.

Amongst all of my activities and my studies, I also became familiar with a well-known secret and mystical organization. But I did not remain there. The hand of God was pulling me away, as it also happened with yoga. Well, I went through that over there but I saw and I left as they say. I understood it was not that which I desired.

S. There was nothing of merit…rather it brought confusion.

V. They were mixed up things. It was darkness. The amazing thing is that in spite of my having confessed to him, before I got married, he phoned me and said to me, “You were there and you did not tell me.” I said, “Elder, I had told you.” “You did not tell me.” “Very well, Elder, I was there. He phoned me to tell me this while I had already confessed it. I could not understand that.”

S. Maybe there was a feeling that you did not understand the severity of the issue.[3]

Did you get married?

V. The Elder then, after a few visits and while I was seeking mystical knowledge and experiences, said to me, “Did you get married?” And he zeroed in a great deal on that subject. He said to me again, “If you don’t get married now you will become fifty-five and you will marry whoever is available and you will not get along well. Who do you have in mind?” And I began saying to him, “I told him about this one, that one, and the other one.” But my mind and my heart are set on Th.” However, with the idealism that we focus on, we see little of the person and more of other things around. Those things around did not allow me to make a decision. At that point, the Elder reacted aggressively. He did not tell me “Th” but “this one appears to be good, she will help you.” And then he left me alone. He did not say anything else to me.

After this discussion, whenever I went to see him he did not answer my questions but he only said, “Have you married?” It was like he was saying to me this is the first thing that you must do and forget the other things.

I confessed everything and I purged myself. He taught me how to make the sign of the Cross because I was doing it like I was playing a bouzouki. He also had me do genuflections. I went down like a sack and he said to me, “Go to Th. for her to teach you.” At that time, I was more familiar with our friend F. I am going to F.” “No, you are going to Th.” In any case, he taught me that also and he showed me the Christian lifestyle. He told me to go to talks at the Church and read many Orthodox books.

I had a great deal of trouble deciding to get married. In fact, at one point, there was a period of a few months that I did not even think about a specific person. I was at an impasse and in my prayer I said, “My God! I am a coward and indecisive, you show me who the right one is for me, the one who will help me spiritually, bring her to me. In fact I returned from Mount Athos in October of 1985 and a few days later I was bedridden because of my back. The phone calls began with Th. and I proposed to her on the phone. My difficulty in making a decision was so great that I immediately left her with doubt by saying; “But we shall see.”

With Father Paisios

I went to the Mountain to pray and make a decision about what I should do. Should I marry and who should I marry or should I become a monk? At this point, I will refer to something else from the great and discerning Elder, Fr. Paisios. Before I visited him and during my journey to his monastic cell with a friend, who at that time was a layman and is now a monk, I was thinking, “just think if he tells me to become his attendant, well, then I will abandon everything and remain here.” We arrived, we saw him and we spoke. I had completely forgotten my thoughts and we were preparing to leave when he said to my friend, “You leave, (that is me) leave him, I will keep him here with me.”[4] I was very surprised by this. My thoughts became apparent and I found myself facing my responsibilities. I did not say anything. I swallowed my tongue and we left. In other words, the answer to my one question was given to me. The thought about monasticism was finished. Quickly I was given the answer to my other question. I had been scheduled to stay on the Mountain for ten days but my mind was continuously near Th. Then in less than one week, I returned and continued my proposal for marriage as I had said before. It was the 25th or 26th of October in 1985.

Did We Win?

We had rings made and on the 8th of December we went to the Elder to have him bless them and put them on us. At that moment, I felt confident and filled with pride. I said to the Elder, “Elder we defeated it.” He said to me, “Whom?” I said, “The issue at hand.” And he said, “Be quiet blessed one.” That night I understood what he meant when I received his admonition. It was another lesson. The issue is present, real and God help us if we are prideful. The Elder saw it all.

In order for me to overcome the difficulty I had in announcing this event to my parents, he told me to tell them without adding other words. I then prayed. I received Holy Communion and then I told them, “I have become engaged and in one month I am getting married.”

The love that we feel coming from the Elder was that which saved us because we surrendered ourselves to his judgment and his saving counsels. He helped me overcome the trouble I had with the wedding. It was not without pain but we succeeded. I was completely obedient to him. The decision had to be made quickly. The usual delays caused by first getting a home, the furniture, etc made me realize that these things agitate the tranquility of newlyweds. They could be hurt by this and their relationship wounded even before the wedding takes place. And even when we had set the date for the wedding, he did not allow us to go out together frequently. I remember a particular night when he phoned me and he told me about the Myths of Aesop, the story of the sick lion and the fox. It is important for me to repeat for you the way the Elder, with his sweet voice, told the story to me on the phone. “An old lion who could no longer hunt decided to enter a cave and act as if he was sick. When an animal approached, he would catch it and eat it. The cunning fox also came. He stood in front of the cave but he did not go in. When the lion called the fox to visit him, it said, “I would come, my dear lion, but I see from the footprints that the animals that went into the cave never came out.” I understood the meaning of the myth and without further discussion I did not meet Th. again.

Spiritually present at the Wedding

During the sacrament of the wedding that took place on the 25th of January, his presence was very palpable. We were constantly emotional. For the most part, we were teary eyed but my parents thought that I was worried and that is why I was crying. But I felt fortunate and I felt the presence of the Elder who proved to be present. During the time of the wedding, at the monastery, he was giving a description of the sacrament to the people there. Following our wedding, we visited him at the monastery and he said to us, “I was watching you, I was watching you and I felt you so close to me as I have not felt with others. Only at the wedding of F. did I feel the same.” Later on, we learned while speaking with the priest, who was performing the sacrament, he made comments about some old prayers which were added and were read during the sacrament.

Advice for the Married State

V. The advice that he gave us after our wedding was the following: “Do not oppress her. Do not attempt to take advantage of her. Help her. Receive Holy Communion every second Sunday. When one has a desire for the other person he/she should not deny the other but he/she should accept the desire willingly because your bodies belong to the other person. If you are going to receive Holy Communion on Sunday you can be intimate up until Thursday. You should say the Jesus Prayer and when you say “Lord Jesus Christ Forgive me” you should be thinking of the other person. In that way you will reach the point where you will feel intimately the presence of the other person next to you no matter how far away that person is from you. When you are intimate and bring your union to a climax, dedicate the act to God with the Jesus Prayer.

S. All that you say is of great interest and I hope that you will remember other things.

After his Falling Asleep

V. I would like to say something that happened when he fell asleep. The news of his death fell upon us like a lightning bolt. It felt like we lost the ground out from under our feet. We temporarily became disillusioned. While crying, we embraced saying, “Elder! Elder don’t abandon us. If you hear us do not abandon us Elder.” Then, at exactly that same moment, without a second’s delay and while we were embracing, the sorrow and despair started to leave us. We felt relief and a sense of joy in our hearts, inexpressible joy. That situation lasted for three days. We were tender, calm, joyful and patient with the children. I remember saying during that three day period, “Is it possible for us to have been like that?” His presence was explicitly near us as I believe he was with those who called upon him. After his death, when we visited his cell, it was filled with a sweet smelling fragrance. During the forty day memorial service the fragrance circulated outside of his cell. Many people smelled it.

About Anonymity

V. This is what we had to say. We want to make known that we kept our anonymity for the following reasons: Firstly, because things were brought up about our children since now they are young; we did not want them to know certain things. Secondly, we did not want to feel prideful that we knew the Elder. That relationship rather should give us a sense of responsibility. Thirdly, because those things that we brought up it does not matter to whom they happened, but that they happened. Similar things may have happened to others. To those who know those events and understand from our narrative who we are, we say that in spite of the fact that this discussion took on the semblance of a public confession, this does not bother us. Everyone knows that during the early times of Christianity, confession took place publicly. If something of which we said was troubling, it has been swallowed up in the fire of confession and repentance and no longer belongs to us. Maybe others will be helped by our words but those who read the advice that the Elder gave us should know it was meant specifically for us. May we all have his blessing and may he intercede for us to the Lord.

1 This is the late An. Tzavara, the author of the book, “Memories about Elder Porphyrios.”

2 A note from the publisher. This is a wooden fruit box that we placed temporarily in front of the bed. It is still there.

3 Note of the publisher: To say something to a Spiritual Father does not necessarily mean that you confessed with the true meaning of confession. Confession is profound and painful penance. When therefore, you refer to something painful or with a sense of pride without profound penance without the feeling that it is a sin before God, you do not confess it. See the reference which The Ladder of Divine Ascent brings up in the 4th Word, paragraph 14-15.

4 A note from the editor of this edition. It is evident that Fr. Paisios spoke as he usually did with Divine Grace.

THE NARRATION OF A MIRACLE

To the glory of the Holy, Consubstantial and Undivided Trinity, the narration of a miracle that took place through the blessings of the Elder Fr. Porphyrios.

From Mrs. Th.

Childhood development brought about the usual infections. Deep scars developed on my face. This had created for me psychological and physical distress for many years up until Elder Porphyrios completely healed me.

During my adolescent years it reached its peak with terrible results.[5] The result of this was that I attempted to remove the pimples with my finger nails as young people usually do. The result of this was that I became infected with staphylococcus. When I came to Athens during my student days, I became concerned about being healed first by visiting a cosmetologist in order to clear up my face. This brought no results. Later I went to dermatologists. I followed their pharmaceutical regimen routinely but again without affecting a cure.

The failure to affect a cure for my facial erosions and eruptions severely affected me psychologically. These erosions and eruptions happened when I became pressured or was worried. This was especially true at the age of 27 when this was happening to me. The situation continued even after my appointment in 1978 as a teacher of chemistry in High school.

In the summer of 1979 the pimples got worse. Small scars appeared and my cheeks and neck were covered with blisters. I continued taking the medicines from the dermatologist. After three months, the blisters disappeared but deep scars were left in their place. The physical aftermath of this on my face was very unpleasant.

I met the Elder in May of 1980 and since that time, I visited him once a week. I did this, acting like a thirsting person who is looking for a well to drink from. But during these visits, I never thought of bringing up the problem of the scars on my face. I blocked out and suppressed the problem. And so during one of my visits, it was February of 1981, amongst other things, the Elder said to me, “Well, my dear, you are strong!” I quietly objected to his words in such a way that the Elder said, “Dear me, you are terribly wounded!” “Yes, Elder”, I said as if from a person who is lost and at that moment realized for the first time her terrible psychological condition. What should I do, I beg you to help me to get over this.” It did not even dawn on me that he could heal me. “Do you know what we are going to do?” he said to me. “We will ask Christ together. Every night at ten o’clock and for half an hour you will say the prayer Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me.”

I left very happy. I had already felt a sweet sense of warmth in my soul which invigorated me and was reflected on my face. Immediately after leaving the Elder, I visited a friend of mine F. As soon as she saw me after opening the door, she was startled, she took a step back and she looked at me intently as if she was seeing something different on my face. She didn’t say anything to me. At that point, I did not understand her reaction but it made an impression on me and I understood it later.

On that same night and every night, alone in my room, I said the Jesus Prayer just as the Elder had told me. A few days later, during the time I was saying the Jesus Prayer, I suddenly felt an intense warmth which was sweet but of brief duration. It appeared to be coming from the outside and it entered me on the left cheek where the most visible marks were. When I visited the Elder the following week, he asked me in a way that indicated he knew what had happened to me. “Well, what happened?” I answered him, “Elder, at the moment I was saying the Jesus Prayer something like heavenly power came from the outside, like fire, right here, on my left cheek and I felt I was being invigorated.” Then the Elder corrected me saying, “Don’t say it like that, my child, it was the Holy Spirit.”

Following this miraculous act, all who saw me asked me if I had lifting done to me. I must say that the scars were so deep that the surgical procedure or whatever plastic surgery that is applied would not be able to offer favorable results. But that which must be emphasized is that at the same time of the healing of the flesh, a profound spiritual healing took place. Since both of these things appeared at the same time, one feeding the other, both began to disappear. The healing was in two stages. The first was when it was physically evident and the second was when the miraculous healing was continuing. And I believe it is still continuing because the skin of my face is continuously improving. From that moment, I did not care at all about my problem. I felt that this whole story was about someone else and not me.

During my subsequent visits to him at certain times, he explained to me how the natural flora of the skin on my face had been destroyed by the liquid antiseptics which I was using. They worsened my condition and he recommended not to use facial creams, not even the most basic ones because of their greasiness. They would hinder my recovery. And also he told me not to examine closely my face in the mirror.

I consider the day that I met the Elder the day of my rebirth. It was the most beautiful day of my life. I also believe and I know that all who have met him feel the same way. May we have his blessing through his intercessions.

5 In other words ugly.

MIRACULOUS MEMORIES

FROM ELDER PORPHYRIOS

From the couple

G.G and O.G.

This is an effort to portray the physical features of Elder Porphyrios. If the exact portrayal of his body is so difficult, how much more difficult is it to portray his spirituality?

AN AUDIO RECORDING OF A CONVERSATION

(April 3, 1993)

Between the couple G.O. and the person with whom they are conversing S.

The Search for the Elder

O. We had heard, I do not know from whom or when, that there is an Elder. They told us he was somewhere around Kalyvia instead of Kallisia which generally speaking is a very good place. They told us nothing more, nothing less. And we started off one afternoon after work. We had also taken Panagioti with us who was at that time just a baby. We took him with us in the car because we had nowhere else to leave him and we started looking for Kalyvia at Penteli. We searched the upper and lower part of Penteli. We searched all the Penteli areas. We went to places that I am not familiar with. The child became very upset in the car and then we took the road that goes to Kallisia.

G. My wife was pregnant at that time.

O. We took a little side road so that we could stop and allow the child to walk since he was very upset and me to limber up a little. There where the child was playing with the sand, we saw two women coming out of nowhere from the mountain. We were very surprised to see someone at that hour because it was already late in the afternoon. We did not expect to see anyone in the wilderness. We approached them and asked, “My goodness what are you doing here?” It is certainly unusual for us to ask this of two unknown women. They told us, “Oh, we had been to see Elder Porphyrios.” We said, “To see Elder Porphyrios the Elder who is in Kalyvia?” “Not Kalyvia” she said “but Kallisia.”

George said to them, “Please, if you take me and show me how to get there, I will later take you home in the car so that you will not be late.” “With pleasure, we will show you but we will go home by bus.” We got into the car again and they showed us the grove where we leave the car in order for us to go to the Monastery at Kallisia. They showed us the way and we returned and took the women to their homes in order to thank them for what they did for us. After the lapse of some time, because I was four months pregnant, we started off to go there again.

G. A parenthesis: You should note that on that day we had been searching for about three or four hours. We had traveled over all the dirt roads and it did not dawn on us to ask anyone about Kalyvia which does not exist but it is Kallisia. Anyone would have told us that Kalyvia does not exist. I wish to say that we used up a great deal of time searching and those two women appeared literally out of nowhere.

The First Encounter

O. Many months later George, his cousin M., her brother M., and our other cousin H. and myself started off one morning to visit the Elder, since we knew where he was. We did not know anything about him though.

We parked the car, we walked the well-known path and we arrived at our destination. It was a very cold day and the wind was blowing very hard. We were not able to stand outside and in order to protect ourselves we entered the little chapel of St. Nicholas. Then Mrs. Harikleia, his sister, arrived and spoke to us firmly. “You cannot see the Elder because he is very tired.”

We, of course, did not know what it meant to see the Elder and we said, “We do not want to see him, we want to kiss his hand, and we do not need to see anything.” Finally she said, “Wait, I will tell him. He will give you a blessing.” We entered the chapel in order to protect ourselves from the wind.

S. Was the wood burning stove lit?

O. No, it was not burning. It was a cold spring day. The sun was out but it was fearfully windy. We entered and we waited. After a little while, Pappouli entered looking very white. My first impression was that he appeared to me like a saint but stern. We all kissed his hand and he stopped before me and said to me, “You come in for confession.” It felt like the ground crumbled out from under me, as you can imagine. I do not know whether or not I had ever confessed in my life, except as a student. They used to take us as a class. I was very upset. I made a move and said I was not going in.

S. Yes?

O. He reached the door and he turned and said to me “I am waiting for you. Why aren’t you coming?” I got very troubled. Everyone said to me, “My, why are you acting like that? It is not necessary for you to go if you feel that way. Relax, something might happen to you and you could lose the baby”, because as I told you, I was four months pregnant.

In order for me to calm down, I sat down and thought to myself and said, “What are you afraid of? You have not murdered, stolen, nor hurt anyone” I sat, I thought about it and I said to myself, “Very well, I am a good person in general” and at that moment Sister Harikleia arrived and said to me, “The Elder is waiting for you.” I became confident; I reassessed the situation saying, “very well, I am fine…”

S. “… I do not have anything terrible to say!”

O. Yes, I determined and thought that I was a very good person.

Spontaneous Confession

I entered and he said to me, “sit down” I sat at his feet and he said to me, “You are making a big mistake, you are not at all a good person and in fact you are very bad.”

S. You immediately received the answer!

O. With tears in my eyes, I began to tell him things that I did not know neither had I ever thought that they existed in my mind. I confessed in fact not even knowing what confession meant and what I should say. I was thinking later on during the trip back that I did not have anything important to say. Finally, I confessed. He placed the stole on my head and read a prayer over me and he called in my husband. George came in. He read a prayer over us both and he said to me, “you go out and leave me your husband.”

The Diagnosis of a Sickness

O. He said to him that your wife is seriously sick. George said, “No Pappouli, she is pregnant and in fact yesterday we were at the gynecologist and he said everything was fine.” It was the second child and we knew the situation. So George said to Pappouli, “No, no, she is very well. Of course she is a little tired. She has a little anemia but she is well.” He said to him, “No, your wife is very sick.” None of us paid any attention to this. He found a girl friend of ours and said to her, “Tell that couple who came here that the woman is very sick.” She told us but since the doctor said that everything was all right, no one paid any attention to what the Elder said and some time elapsed when the time to give birth arrived.

G. A parenthesis here: During the course of her pregnancy, my wife suffered from fearful intermittent colitis. It was a type of colitis that caused such severe pain that we had reached the point where we thought it was a premature birth. We would go to the hospital and they would say to us, “No, it is not a premature birth. It is most likely that you have a kidney stone or something like that but we cannot look for it now. You must give birth first and then we will look after that.” At that time there was no such thing as ultrasound.

Caesarean Section and the Removal of a Tumor

O. At any rate, the time came for me to give birth and they found a very big tumor. It was bigger than the head of the baby. It was tangled up in the intestines. And it was in front of the baby. And not even the child could come out because it was pulling on the whole intestinal tract. Finally, they realized this at the last moment because earlier they had not seen it. They said, “An operation is necessary if we are in time.” I entered the operating room and when they removed the baby they then removed the tumor.

S. They first did a Caesarean Section and removed the baby.

O. They removed the baby and proceeded to remove the tumor. It was a painful and difficult operation. The doctor came out holding a …..

G. The doctor came out holding a black tumor. It was round and large. Imagine the size of a small watermelon. In other words, about that size….

O. It was like a melon.

G. No, it was round, with a diameter, I believe, of fifteen or twenty points. I cannot say at this moment. Holding it in his hand he said to me, “Look at this thing your wife had inside of her while the baby was growing. The baby was pressing on the tumor. The tumor in turn was pressing upon the intestines. This is why she had those fearful pains of colitis.

O. The fallopian tube had rotted. Different things had happened.

G. One of the fallopian tubes was removed because it had rotted and he said to me, “Take note, that visually at least, microscopically that is, it looks like it is cancerous and of course I am sorry. We will send it for a biopsy but I am telling you now so that you will know that it is most likely cancer.”

Quickly to the Elder for Help

O. Because of this, George left very upset and he went to Kallisia to find the Elder because he remembered all the warnings he gave us when we last went there.

G. I arrived at Kallisia. There were a lot of people and either the Elder was not there or he did not want to see anyone because he was tired. I was not familiar with him at that time. But I got to know Mrs. Harikleia, Miss Helen and the others. Harikleia said to me, “Write a note for him.” I wrote him a note that said, “my dear Pappouli, such and such a thing happened to my wife today. They operated on her. Do you remember that you told her such and such a thing some time ago? I request that you communicate with me because I find myself in a stressful state of mind.”

I left my name and my telephone number on the note and Pappouli never phoned me. In fact, neither did he ever communicate with us for a long time. Eight days later, the results of the biopsy came back. The tumor was not cancerous.

O. No, it was a cyst, a hardened cyst. It was determined to be a cyst.

G. A hardened cyst.

After Leaving the Hospital

O. Time went by. I got out of the hospital and from that moment on a very close relationship began with Pappouli. He gave us the name of Irene for the baby because the two grandmothers were insisting their name be given to the child. Each wanted her name to be used.

S. And he found the proper name, Irene! (Irene in Greek means peace)

O. At the moment we were leaving, he said, “I will tell you the name but first I want to pray.” The next day when we went to see him he said to us, “At the moment you were leaving a voice came to me. Irene, Irene. But I said: I do not know where that voice is coming from and I first want to pray. Then I prayed and the voice continued to tell me: Irene, Irene, so you are to name the baby Irene.”

We gave her that name. Many wonderful years intervened being close to him because at that time George did not have a job and we could go just about every day in the morning. We would pick him up and take him for rides. We would leave through the back door so that he would avoid the people. We would either walk on the mountain or George would take him for a ride.

The Complaint and the Explanation

O. Then during one of our trips, George said to him, “Pappouli, yes, I have a complaint about you.” “George, come on now, you have a complaint?” “Yes, yes,” he said. “Because at the time that Olga and I needed to see you, you did not respond to me.” He answered, “what did you want? I cured your wife. Was it also necessary for you to see me?” I later spoke to George privately. I heard these things up to that point.

G. “Yes” he said to me, “I did what was necessary and you saw that the result surely justified me. But you needed to endure that trial and for that reason it was not allowed for me to console you. It was necessary for me to let you endure that whole trial. That was the reason I did not call you as soon as I received the note. He said, “forget the fact that I knew, even the note was not necessary. But in spite of all this, I did not call you to tell you not to worry, there is nothing wrong, etc. because it was necessary for you to endure that trial.”

I will always remember that he allowed me to squirm for eight whole days up until the time the results of the biopsy came back without telling me anything. And he revealed that to me years later. What I am telling you now, this conversation, must have taken place at least three or four years later. That was an experience.

O. It was significant because he rarely said that he performed a miracle. He said, “you wanted your wife healed and I gave it to you.”

Miraculous Interventions

O. From then on, he intervened miraculously thousands of times. Immediately after that, I could not recover. One day we had come to see him, in fact it was a very cold morning, I was wearing long pants, a leather coat and I was curled up near his feet. “Let me see you, my child.” I did not understand what that meant. “Everything is clean inside, the fallopian tubes, the ovaries, what is that you are afraid of?” He said to me, “Go with the blessing of God.” And as soon as I reached the car, the problem was resolved even though up until that time my monthly period would not start which meant I had a problem.

The Rejection of the Stone from the Kidney

Once George suffered from colitis and he was scheduled to be operated on because some stones had moved inside of him. I began to call up people in order to find the right doctor. I then received a call unexpectedly that night from the Elder; it was about nine o’clock. “I just felt like speaking to you and that is why I called you. How are you, how are you doing? Do not be afraid, it is nothing. I know you are in pain, it will pass.” By the time we hung up the phone George immediately urinated four stones.

He sees the Property

When he was looking to find property for the new hermitage, we were looking for a vacation home. We found a piece of property. He called me two days later. He said, “I heard that you found something.” “How did you find out about it?” “Ah, I know it; I know it,” he said to me, “let us take a look at it.”

“Ah”, he said, “there is an olive tree on the right. On the left there is a big fig tree.” “No, no,” I said to him, “you have made a mistake. The olive tree is on the right and the fig tree is on the left”. “Oh you, Olga,” he said “I see it from the lower perspective. Come down here to the lower level.” He was telling me this on the phone. “Let us see from down below.” And then he began to tell me where the olive tree was, where the fig tree was in a place that he had not been before. He was telling us where ancient ruins were located, where a church was. He said that that Church truly existed, and that it was built on top of an ancient temple, but we did not know about it. In other words, he said it was not a Byzantine Church. The foundations were of an ancient temple.

And we have many other things to remember.

The Healing of M.

He called Mary M. She had disc problems and she was preparing to leave for England to be operated on. The chances for the success of the operation gave her a fifty-fifty chance of walking again. She had been in bed for months with one of her legs paralyzed. She was preparing to go to England in order for her to have a very difficult procedure on her spinal column. They had already told her from the beginning that the possibilities of a cure were fifty-fifty. Either the problem would be resolved and she would become well or she would be paralyzed for the rest of her life. This young lady who had some financial resources, etc was ready to leave for England. They had prepared all the paper work.

A few days before her departure, we called the Elder and we said to him, “Pappouli, Mary M. is leaving for England. She wants you to call her simply to give her courage.” He called her, “Health to you my child, how are you?” and so forth. She said, “Pappouli, should I go to England?” “Ah, wait a minute to allow us to look at the problem. Which disc?” And he began to tell her which disc was the problem and what exactly was wrong with it. “Yes,” she says, “yes, Elder, but should I go and have it done?” “Why don’ t you go to see this certain doctor?” “Elder,” she says to him, “I cannot walk, I have been paralyzed for six months now and I am ready to…” “Well, go and visit this certain doctor”. “I have been and seen the best doctors.” Very well, I am leaving you now. Tomorrow go and see this particular doctor.” The following day she got up and walked and she went and found the doctor she was told to see. And, of course, Mary M. never had the operation because she got up and walked and everything was resolved.

He confesses that it is a miracle

Her father who was involved in translations of books on Hinduism and all those things had also an air of haughtiness toward Christianity. He was an honorable man though...

G. Truly he was a good man.

O. One day when Pappouli called Mary, he answered the phone and he began to talk to Pappouli with an attitude about different things that people say and do. After listening, Pappouli said to him, “Oh unfortunate one, don’t you understand that a miracle happened to your daughter?” He was astonished. He could not imagine that he would speak to him so directly because the Elder never spoke of it so directly.

S. Maybe someone could have understood it to mean that it was, let us say, natural that she got up and walked. But he made it clear, that it was not a natural occurrence.

O. No, it was not something natural.

S. The Elder reveals here that a miracle had happened.

O. That in fact is why I brought it up .Although he did not say that often, he got angry with Mary’s father.

S. In a matter of speaking.

O. Certainly, in a matter of speaking.

S. He was forced, in order to help him understand the Grace of God, to tell him that…

O. A miracle had happened to his daughter, it was not accidental.

George wishes to write things down because we have many things to write about.

Registering Memories

G. I would really prefer to write things in my own good time because you know they are supported by scientific evidence since I am a positive scientist and I look at things in their true perspective.

S. Seeing their exact formulation.

G. Yes, and we certainly had differences very often with Pappouli, quite often.

S. If you don’t mind my asking you, what is your specialty?

G. I am a chemist and guess what; we certainly had conversations about metaphysical issues. Those things always occupied me, one thing or the other and in that way I have some wonderful stories about Pappouli. It is better this way rather than verbally because they touched upon some unusual issues.

S. Yes, yes, it is of great interest to bring them to mind and to register them so that they may be preserved. You will see that in that book the things a man lived, now indirectly everyone is living them because they are being made known. Previously the Elder having given an order “don’t speak, don’t speak, and don’t speak” made yours known only to you and mine only to me . But with them being published everyone’s experiences now become a common possession.

Pappouli, a Joyous Child

O. There was also another side of Pappouli that we lived, that of a joyous child.

S. Yes.

O. During one of the trips we had taken in order to find property, we also remember the love he had for plants, their essences and fragrances. And because I had such a sensitive nose and I liked all those things, we would stop on the road in order to harvest some flowers or plants. He would give them to me, we smelled them and he would say to me, “Tell me what you smell.” Once while walking on the mountain we arrived at a place that was fenced in with barbed wire. We had to go through that area in order to get to the other side where Pappouli wanted to go. It was at that place. What is the name of that village which is here on the interstate on the left side of the tolls? It is now called Afithnes.

S. Kiourka.

O. Yes, at Kiourka. George said, “I am going to walk around to find an opening so that we can get inside because Pappouli had said: “We must get on the other side, I wish to see something specifically.”” I said, “Pappouli let us find a hole that we can go through the fence to the other side.” “If we go round, as George wants, it will take us long, won’t it?”

But George left. We proceeded ahead. We saw an area of the fence which was low. “Should the two of us jump,” he said to me? “Leave George” “What could I have done? I climbed, I jumped and said to him, “Shall I help you Pappouli.” “How can you help me, blessed one”, he said, “we will both fall down if you catch me.”

He rolled up his robe and climbed over while the two of us burst into laughter. We behaved like two children who had done something wrong. We went over and George, after sometime came along and found us walking. I remember all the laughs we had with this incident. Pappouli had a joyous child-like manner.

A Place of Divine Power and Prayer

O. Just as he had said to George, “You should bring Olga with you to walk from the road where we leave the car in Kallisia to where the chapel is. She needs it. It is good for her.” George said, “It is good for everyone when they walk in the country.” “No, Pappouli said, “it is not good for everyone. Olga is in greater need of it.” He turned and he added, “on the other hand, this is a place of power.” He certainly said that for the benefit of George. But for all of us it was a good walk. “Even if I am not here, you should come here to walk. It is a place of divine power. Divine power is generated from here.”

S. It is because this place has been sanctified by the prayers of people who lived here and by the Elder and those who lived here previously. There are centuries of prayers here.

G. He told me about the place here where the Church was built, here at the Hermitage, where the foundation was and the construction started. I have not been here for a long time and I have not been in the Church to see how it is now, I do not know, but back then it was simply a foundation and you walked down into an excavated area.

S. It was eleven meters deep.

G. Yes, it was a very deep hole. And I said to him, “My, what are those things that you are building Pappouli, a hideout? Are you building an atomic bomb shelter here eleven meters deep?” I would usually joke with him like that. And he turned and said to me, “Don’t you understand? This place wasn’t chosen arbitrarily. This area was chosen after a great deal of searching. And you should know that here, when the Church is built you will climb down to pray. This is because there will be an ascetic effort in the prayer of the heart.”

S. He said others will come and it will be a place of ascetic effort and prayer.

G. I don’t remember it.

O. George must remember exactly how he said it.

G. The meaning is, in either case, that here on this spot, prayer will take place with much greater results and much greater intensity than in any other place. That was the meaning of this construction but without him explaining to me why, how and for what reason.

S. From what he has said to many people, the conclusion is that teaching and practice of the prayer of the heart will take place and the place will be properly laid out for that purpose.

G. Yes.

S. In other words, it will be acoustically and visually isolated so that there will not be any external distractions. There will be a combination of the sanctity of the place and the properly arranged surrounding to help praying without external distractions, because it will be at such a depth that nothing will be heard from above, neither from the left nor from the right. There will be no disturbing sound. The Church will have three cellars.

G. He has told me that prayer will take place in the basement. I have been there. I have climbed down there. “Three cellars” he said.

A Suggestion of a Priest, “we should say things that are beneficial.”

S. Then whatever else you can remember either write it down on a piece of paper or record it on a cassette.

O. We once met a priest here when we were leaving. He was a young priest, a rather serious person, who asked us to take him with us to Athens. We, of course, had room, there were only two of us and during the ride we did not have anything to say. He was unknown to us. He began to ask us in a very polite way how we knew the Elder and what we knew about him. I then told him about my experiences because I owed him my life and he said to me in a very polite and soft voice, “I request that you tell that for the benefit of the whole world.” Then he asked, “Can I use it?” “Well, of course,” I said. “I say it wherever I go and wherever I am because it is something that I have experienced; it is not simply something that I have heard.” The comment that the priest made impressed me when he said, “for the benefit of all people.”

S. “And tell what great things God has done for you,” as it says somewhere in the Bible. (Luke 8:39).

He sees Ancient Things; He sees them with his soul.

O. He also loved the poem by Drosini which talks about the North Wind and the sun. He said to me, “Read it, read it. Do you understand now what is happening here? The power of love, the sun which warms things, not haste and the North Wind, is that which wins over man.”

At another time he spoke to us about the water that was on our property. “There is water over there. There are ancient ruins over there.” “My, my” I said, “there are ancient ruins and we will not be able to build.” “You will never be able to find them,” he said to me. “Where will you build?” “Over there.” “You will not find them, everything is all right.”

G. And in fact, do you want to know something, while working with the bulldozers in order to prepare the land, we found some small items which we covered over very quickly as you can understand so that the archaeologists would not find out that we had unearthed them.

O. The place where he had mentioned that there were ancient ruins by coincidence was never excavated and it will never be excavated so that we will never be hindered by it.

G. He loved water since he could see where it was located as you know.

S. Yes, yes

O. In a special way, he had great love in being able to see water sources below the surface and he often discussed it with G. When he wanted to find water, he would call him and say to him, “Let us go and see the drilling that is taking place there.”

Why does the person who is helped want to hurt the person who helped them?

O. I remember something else that he told us. He wanted to explain to me how it is possible to help someone and then for that person who is helped not only to act ungratefully but also for that person to do something bad in return. He said, “Well that is something that is natural.” I said to him, “Natural?” “Yes, my dear. That is the natural response because” he says, “as long as you live the person you helped remembers his obligation to you, therefore he must do away with you so that he can end that feeling of obligation to you.”

He gave an example about someone who owed money to Fr. Porphyrios at the time when he was manufacturing knitwear for a large department store in Athens. He had told me the whole story. That person was trying to harm him so that he could be rid of him.

He said, “as long as that person sees you, he remembers his obligation to you and in remembering his obligation, he feels uncomfortable. Therefore, he searches for ways to get rid of you.”

G. I had made great efforts to help someone. When I was in a difficult situation that person let me down, he did nothing to help. That bothered me very much and I said to him, “Pappouli, those people who owe me everything when I was in great need they let me down.” Then he said to me: …

S. That it was natural?

G. “Yes” he said, “that is the way it is. It is natural, it is a natural behavior. This is why when someone does a good deed for someone, it should be done without their knowing it. In this way, they won’t feel obligated to that person. They, by not knowing where the help came from, will not be able to turn that good deed against you, to something bad, let us say.”

Choose a job through which you will help people

O. Once he told G. again, “You should do that job.” It did not appear to be an especially good job. At that time, he had two suggestions. He said to him, “No, you are to go to that job.” He said, “But that place is not so good.” And Pappouli said, “No, you are to go there because you will help people at that place.” He said, “How will I help?” Pappouli anwered, “you will do nothing, you will simply be there. Only by your presence you will help. You will do nothing.” Indeed he went. It did not end up well, but he was a positive presence in that place.

G. I hope so.

O. It surely was. Because after that we experienced some difficult time and that helped us a great deal. It changed us very much. First, we had the good fortune of not having a job and being able to visit the Elder every day. There was no problem for him to call us and for us to take the car to visit him and, by being unemployed , spend the whole day with him. It was a blessed period in our lives.

S. Glory be to God for all things.

O. Glory be to God, Glory be to God. I hope that he is following us and that he can hear us.

S. It is truly certain.

Pappouli is close to us even now

G. I had gone up to his cell and I had the feeling Mr. S. that he was alive, he was there. In other words, I knelt; I remember when I arrived there we would kneel next to his bed and when he would place his hand on our heads, on me and on O.’ s head. He would do this with my children when they came with us. I then had the feeling literally that he placed his hand on my head. All right, you might tell me, it was suggestive, I don’t know…

S. Nobody knows how to distinguish the limits of suggested thought from reality. Fantasy is not very far from reality.

G. I frequently had such scientific discussions on this issue. Is there life on the stars? I would ask him. Is there other life and other life forms, etc? And then he would get angry and say to me, “Oh, you will be eaten up by your head and brain. You are always full of questions. Stop thinking and reading about these things.” You should know that I would always bother him that way, let us say, and we had some of those discussions. But it is better that I write them.

S. Very good.

A FEW OTHER THINGS OF ALL THAT I REMEMBER

(a written text of G. G.)

Daily Experiences of the Gifts of Elder Porphyrios

My wife and I first got to know Pappouli about the middle of 1975 in a way that can be characterized as miraculous. This was accompanied by a miraculous diagnosis and an equally miraculous cure of my wife that are described by the same person in a separate testimony about the Elder.

From that time, we always went to Kallisia when and whenever our schedule allowed it. We even went there during the time we did not have serious problems. We did not burden him with our concerns, we simply asked for his blessing. This would frequently facilitate long and amazing conversations on just about every subject with someone who knew many things. Having therefore read the first edition of the book published in Greece about the Elder[1] I wish to say at this time that for every person who had the good fortune to see Pappouli often, many of these people wrote about their experiences in reference to his gifts of foresight, discernment, healing and other gifts which had become a (set a guard over my mouth O Lord) routine for these people. His ability to read our thoughts, to see within our bodies and our souls, to foresee future events, to describe places where he had never been before, to know all things about people that he had never met, to make medical diagnoses and then to effect cures etc, were continuous and limitless to the point of astonishment. In this way, therefore, in spite of all the similar experiences that we had with him, so that we would not describe similar instances, I will confine myself to a few which I believe are of special interest.

Visiting the Drillings of Kalamo

My field of interest, chemistry, and my professional experience, the biggest part of it, the industrial output, made me a rationalist and an investigator, seeking the facts which science demands. This means finding the proof through the steadily repetitive experiments. You must understand of course, the never ending of differences, if I can use the expression, I had with Pappouli who had unbelievable scientific knowledge. Every now and then he would indirectly prove to me how limited my science was.

Thus, during the time the Elder was searching seriously to find property where he would build the hermitage, I happened to be unemployed so I had the time to take him during the morning hours to various areas which were of interest to him. One day driving toward Kalamo, we had passed through some curves on the road at a high elevation after Kapandriti and we had begun to descend toward the sea. The Elder asked me to proceed toward the right on a dirt road. He explained to me that in that area there was a large volume of underground water. In fact, in a short while we arrived at a large cooperative work area of ΕΥΔΑΠ (National Water Supply Company) which was drilling for water. We stopped and got out of the car and approached the machines when a young man who later introduced himself as an engineer, he was in charge of the project, approached us and asked us what we were doing there in a very condescending way. The Elder, with his quiet and smiling demeanor with which he greeted all people, began asking him certain technical details about the project. The engineer, in a rude way said, “my dear father, even if I explain it to you, you will not understand anything,” then a laughing Pappouli started to describe to him in exact faultless scientific detail the whole process. He described the technical problems which they had encountered from the beginning. Specifically he described all the layers of different rocks they had encountered during the drilling, the depth at which they first found water, the problems, the damage etc, which they had encountered and many other things.

It was truly funny for someone to watch the expressions on the face of the engineer and the changes of expression during the time Pappouli was talking to him. I, on the other hand, at the beginning, being perplexed was thinking how we were going to justify our presence at the site since entrance to that area was forbidden to unauthorized people. I began to come around and take my “revenge” on the young and arrogant engineer. It is needless for me to add that after all the above the ice melted completely and we remained there for about an hour. Pappouli astonished everyone with his knowledge and we finally left once Pappouli blessed the project and the workmen. After our departure, he explained to me that the underground water was in reality a big underground river which begins in Evia, flows under the Gulf of Evia and continues its course underground to Attica. He foresaw that great quantities of water would be drawn from there in the future. In fact, from what I know today, from that area, a large part of Athens receives its water.

A Meeting at the International Exhibition in Thessaloniki

The Elder’s great interest in contemporary technology, its continuous development and its methods of production is shown in the following story: I believe it was 1977 or 1978 when the company for which I worked at that time was presenting some heavy machined tools at a booth at the exposition in Thessaloniki. One afternoon, I was at the booth with some customers. I saw a figure dressed in black going by our booth. It was Pappouli! After giving some convenient excuse, I left the group of people I was talking to and I rushed to catch up with Pappouli before he got lost in the huge crowd at the exhibition. I caught up to him about three or four booths further down where he was looking at some very advanced designs of lathes and he was asking the people who manned the booth various questions. As soon as he saw me, he reacted with great joy and with the enthusiasm of a child. He began explaining to me the function of the lathes. Although I was knowledgeable about those machines, I could not but be amazed one more time at the knowledge of Pappouli. In fact, on that day he repeated something that he had said many times before. In other words, the idea that handmade products no longer had any meaning in our age since technology gives us the ability to make whatever we want much better, cheaper and faster than whatever can be made by hand. To prove this he requested from the workers at the booth to make for him on the spot, the leg for a piece of furniture. They made it from a prototype and of course the machine made it exactly like the original right down to the finest detail.

His interest in aromatic fragrances

Another subject that interested him a great deal for business purposes was the production of aromatic oils made from aromatic plants. In fact, once he was telling us about a secret formula of a fragrance that came from a fir tree that is used by the Catholic monks. They produce this fragrance for sale and they make a lot of money. He added that he knew exactly how they prepare it. Another time, he told my wife that he knew the recipe for a face cream that is made from avocado which makes the skin youthful. But when my wife asked him for details, he answered laughingly that it was not necessary for us to know it. All those that knew him remember his continuous experiments in order to create various fragrances. I, at this point, will tell you a short story which shows the great powers of discernment and the spiritual abilities the Elder had.

Therapy through fragrances

One afternoon when we were looking again for a place to build the hermitage, I believe that my wife was also with us, the Elder asked me to stop the car at a heavily forested area near Kapandriti. Once we got out of the car, we walked for a little while to a sunny spot which is found in every forest. There were many wild flowers and plants there. The Elder began naming the flowers one by one. He showed us various wild plants and herbs describing at the same time the medicinal qualities they had to heal various ailments. He also explained to us at that time as well as at other times that human smell plays a significant role in our lives and fragrances and their compounds can play a positive or negative psychological role in the human condition. Today, after many years, this has been proven in contemporary medicine and is being developed. From what I have learned, a whole branch has been developed and it is known as Aromatic Therapy and in fact during one of my trips to the bookstores of Athens, I saw some books in English dedicated to Aromatic Therapy.

About Astrology

Another field of interest that always interested me and was the subject of discussion at various times with the Elder concerned those scientists and pseudo-scientists with various mystical or occult leanings as for example, astrology, the existence of UFOs, the existence of life in other parts of the universe, etc. One discussion of great interest with him I will now attempt to convey to you: At that time a very close and beloved relative of mine worked as an astrologist. She received inquiries, gave advice, while at the same time she wrote in an astrological column in one of the biggest Greek magazines with a large circulation. Taking the opportunity from one of her prognostications, I once asked Pappouli something in reference to that. The Elder, then, in a long discussion we had on this subject said there is a small amount of truth in astrology and this truth is infinitesimally small. But “he who has all the knowledge” has the ability to talk about the future and give advice to someone who inquires about direction in life. That, of course, does not happen with astrologists and therefore their forecasts and counsels not only do not help but on the contrary, they are harmful because they create negative thoughts in those who receive them. These are thoughts that could eventually lead to the fulfillment of foreseen developments since the thoughts and especially the negative ones can lead to negative conclusions. On the other hand, in addition to this, the direction and the influence upon the free will of the individual are very dangerous while at the same time it is a serious sin even for the astrologist who is burdened by the negative influences his advice has upon his customers.

After some meetings this relative of mine had with Pappouli and once I conveyed to her the essence of the previous discussion, she stopped using astrology as a business and she ceased her co-operation with the magazine. This she did in spite of the fact that this activity with the magazine brought in a great deal of money.

There is Pulsating Life Around us that we do not see

This story about astrology brought to mind another experience of mine with Pappouli. This is in relation to my continuous questions to him about life in other worlds, about life that co-exists with us and other relevant doubts of mine which would often elicit a reprimand from Pappouli. He would always add the same refrain: “Oh, my dear George, you read too much, certainly it is wrong, and this harms because you always ask and ask and you wait for answers to your questions and when you don’t receive them you feel disappointed.”

So quite late on a very cold winter night, it was probably past 10 p.m. and I was preparing to go to bed. Pappouli called me and asked me to pick him up from his house in Tourkovounia and take him to Kallisia. Without a word, I dressed, got in my car and went to pick him up. During our trip there and especially after Penteli, we took the dirt road toward Kallisia. I started my usual conversation by saying, “Look Pappouli at how many thousands of stars are above us.” It was a clear cold night. “Is it possible for some of them not to be inhabited? Statistically, at least, it is impossible. There must exist some forms of life even if they are drastically different than ours!”

In the meantime we had arrived at the open space where we parked the car in order to take the footpath to St. Nicholas. We got out of the car when, to my surprise, Pappouli asked me to accompany him all the way to the monastery. It already must have been after 11 o’clock and I felt hesitant about going but I did not say anything. The Elder explained to me that he did not feel too well and it was likely that he might need my help. Starting off on the foot path Pappouli said to me suddenly, “And why are you interested, George my child, in life on other planets or other forms of life here or elsewhere? Is it possible that this knowledge would make you a better person? You must pursue knowledge of things that will improve you. The other things are useless for you. Therefore stop this type of inquiry!”

We proceeded silently for a short while and then suddenly Pappouli turned and said to me, “Look at how beautiful, peaceful and quiet the night is. All of nature is sleeping and you have the impression that we are alone. But yet, around us, in spite of the fact George that you cannot see it, there is pulsating life. There are different beings that are encircling us, moving, living, existing but for you that should not be of any concern since you do not have any connection with them. Neither do they have any connection with you and therefore even if you could see them, as I do, and you became convinced of their existence, this would not help you at all to improve yourself which should constitute the prime objective of each one of us.”

The Fear of Night

In this way the Elder answered me indirectly. However, it was either the night or the wilderness or the forest or the things that he had described to me that made me feel somewhat fearful, although I do not usually fear such things. Pappouli realized this, he laughed and without me saying anything to him, he started to joke with me in order to change the subject. When we reached the monastery, we parted company. I would now be alone taking the return path back to the car. I confessed to him that I had become frightened. The Elder laughed and said to me that I should not fear anything because he would accompany me in spirit back to the car. He added that if at any moment my fear became overwhelming, I should look back at the monastery and he would flash his light. He had a small flashlight in order to show me how he was following me and was thinking of me.

Troubled, I started my trip back to the car and I tried as much as I could to control my fear which initially was not very much. But after a short while, when I had gone some distance and entered the forest, the fear increased. I had the feeling that I was not alone, that many eyes were watching me. I began to hear strange sounds and generally I began to panic. Turning my head I saw Pappouli’ s flashlight only a few meters behind me. For a moment I stopped and thought of turning back and telling him to return to the monastery since I was certain, that in order for him to bolster my courage he was close behind me. But after this, I decided to call to him to tell him to go back which I did and the flashlight went out. I continued walking so that I would not repeat the same thing every time fear overcame me. I turned my head and saw the light was always there to encourage me and comfort me. When I was finally approaching the car and all those that have travelled to Kallisia will remember that the monastery becomes visible only at a few hundred meters before one reaches the clearing where we left the cars, I finally turned unconsciously in the direction of the monastery and there was the light of the Elder going on and off at a distance from the monastery. The Elder had given me a good lesson in reference to my discussions with him about my doubts but on the other hand, in a miraculous way he showed me that he will always be with us. He also taught us that that type of inquiries should not take place without the directions and the blessings and the observances of highly spiritual people.

Race Car People are mixed up

What can someone remember from the unending conversations with the Elder? How can someone condense in a few lines the unending river of wisdom which at any moment came from his mouth, even when ostensibly he was saying irrelevant and simple things? Continuously things come to my mind; talks, advice, short sayings, remarks, comments about something and concerns about everything. For example, he told us he went to see a car race in order to see how the people were there who were involved in them. And he did the same with a motocross race! He said to us how he had seen the souls of the drivers and that they were all mixed up and agitated. And he explained how all these activities and occupations which involve the element of danger and risk are done by mixed up people.

Advice which applies to each person differently

It is also miraculous as it is indicated in the first edition of the book which circulated in Greece[2] how different, even contradictory his response was to the same questions depending on who asked them. I cannot but bring up, finishing up this witness of mine, my experiences on certain subjects which are touched upon. These are subjects about which I was given completely different advice from Pappouli. And I believe that this is indispensible so that the impression will not be created that whatever the Elder said to one of his spiritual children also applies to everyone the same way.

Those issues are women’s dressing and certain other things. Therefore, in this way the Elder did not give priority to the proper dress of women and especially to pants that women wear which is so prevalent in our time and is repeatedly discussed by us. He would say to us that the vesting of the soul is that which measures our being and not our outward appearance. In fact, he fixed his attention on certain fanatic view points and with gentleness censored people, either priests or other lay people who insisted on an exaggerated conservative dress code that applied to women[3] and to all people of another age.

Let it be noted that as much as my wife and other women in my circle of friends are concerned they came very often dressed in pants, Pappouli never made any remarks about this and in relevant questions we received the previous answers.[4]

I do not know in all the things that I have put forth if I have added something worthwhile in all the precious testimonies of so many others which are included in the first edition of the book circulating in Greece. I hope the answer is yes. But in every way it is an impossible task for someone to hear conversations over many years and to print them in a few pages. This is more difficult when one is called upon to deliver pieces of wisdom from these conversations. I hope that I have selected some representative examples of the greatness of the Elder.[5]

1 He means the book of Cl. Ioannides, Elder Porphyrios, Testimonies and Experiences which is circulating in the 9th edition.

2 He means the book by Klitos Ioannides, Elder Porphyrios, Testimonies and Experiences which is circulating in the 9th edition. On page 11 it is emphasized that every opinion of the Elder encountered a specific person for a specific situation. If he had a headache and the Elder said to him to take an aspirin, this does not mean that everyone who has a headache must take and aspirin.

3 A note from the producer of this edition. Both Deuteronomy (a book of the Old Testament) and the 62nd Canon of the 6th Ecumenical Council, which are mentioned on the 108th page, footnote 1, of the book by Klitos Ioannidis, forbid men from wearing women’s clothing and women from wearing men’s clothing. They do not indicate though which is men’s clothing and which is women’s clothing in specific locations and eras. The Scottish men wear the well-known quilts and the mountain Greeks wore the well-known Greek quilts. In Lapland and in other areas women wore pantaloons (large trousers). In India men wore (some still do) the ancient Greek garment (Himation)- and the Bedouins the kelempia (a long robe) which are like whatever women wore and still wear. The issue therefore is not whether or not women are allowed to wear pants but if in their era and in their country what they wear is considered female dress or manly dress. That is determined by the prevalent practice.

It is a completely different issue if pants are a proper dress for women. This is because there are pants which are proper (healthfully designed) and others that are not proper. As there could be proper pants (and proper skirts) and provocative pants or improper and provocative skirts or and also indecent skirts.

If then in one society and a specific era, like ours, where the pants are thought of (acceptable) as a manly dress then it is good for girls not to wear pants. This is so in order not to change their character so they become tomboys, as Elder Porphyrios recommended (see Klitos Ioannidis, “Elder Porphyrios, Testimonies and Experiences,” page 109). But on the other hand, when women pick olives or cherries, they wear pants for reasons of modesty. From there on it is one’s personal responsibility what to wear. My personal opinion is that pants tend to be understood equally as manly or female clothing by contemporary young people but it has not been accepted as female clothing by various levels of society. The greatest majority of society consider it male clothing. It is something else when tight pants are unhealthy for the boys and even more so for the girls. (G. P. A.)

4 A note from the producer of this edition. Confronting those visitors does not mean that the Elder laid down a rule that their clothing was proper. The Elder was proper in overseeing their salvation and not in the keeping a local code of law (page 283 in the book).

5 A note from the producer of this edition. An analytical explanation for the reasons for which the Elder gave many times different or antithetical directives on the same question when he was asked by another person who functioned in different circumstances from the previous one, is given at the end of this book. (See the Section: Different circumstances justify different advice and especially in the chapter, The Truth is Alive, page 344). From this development it is clearly shown that it is a mistake for us to separate the answer from the circumstances on which it was given and for us to make it a rule for other circumstances which function in different instances. It is for this reason that it is a big mistake which is said by some mothers without thinking, that the Elder said four children or the Elder said five children, etc. It is evident that the Elder could have said to one woman four children and to another five or ten, etc because that is all that she could endure psychosomatically. But he did not say neither could he say that this is for all women. He was not so inconsiderate to say such a meaningless thing.

A characteristic denial of the above wrong understanding makes up the following text with the title “Remembrances of a Mother” which testifies that the Elder told her that she would have many children and she had eight. She writes how the Elder rejoiced when he saw families with many children. It is not right for them who decided to have fewer children to claim that the Elder recommended the number of children that they had. And even if he had said this, this was the proper response for their personal solution and not as a general rule.

REMEMBRANCES

OF A MOTHER

Writes E.D.

The Grace of God awarded the zeal of Elder Porphyrios, a man of little education who studied with effort and desire the law of God.

The Acquaintance

God directed us to Holy Elder Porphyrios on an afternoon in September of 1979. A quiet and peaceful landscape invited us to come close to the great Shepherd. When I first saw him, I was impressed by his face; it was filled with light and simplicity. Before I could say anything, he gave us a blessing for our wedding. In my joyful surprise, I felt a sense of deep respect for Pappouli who laughed with such innocence.

His blessing accompanied us to the Church where, as he had told us, he would be present spiritually. From that moment, we felt a desire to be close to him and to hear his words that were filled with truth. And as he said to us, “what are you doing riding around out there, you should come here so that we can talk about spiritual things!” With the passing of time, the spiritual ties with the Elder increased until we found ourselves often at dawn at his cottage without our realizing it.

The Frankness of the Priest

The words of the Elder were a revelation for each one of us, a moving towards the will of God. I remember his words, “if only you knew my children, how much boldness an Orthodox priest has before God! He simply raises his hands and he prays and God hears him. He does not need any special technique such as that of the sorcerers, the witches, etc. All of those things are of the evil spirit and we Christians should keep away from them.”

Counsels and Events

He spoke to us about our faith and how Orthodoxy is the only true faith. It is like a pearl because the Elder knew all other religions. At other times he would say, “when someone does something bad to you or thinks something bad about you, you should communicate to him your goodness” and he would move his hand in the form of a blessing. “In this way you will not be harmed.”

When we asked him about death, he said, “death is like getting up, opening the door and going out into the light. Now you are in the light! This is the truth and we should not be very sad when loved ones leave us.” All the time he was talking, he was praying and we heard “Lord Jesus” and he was repeating this constantly.

Once when he was talking to us some people had come from Mt. Athos to visit him and because he could not talk, he asked them all to pray together and they would communicate spiritually. One day, when I saw him outside of his cell, it appeared to me that he was not standing on the ground, he was walking so fast.

Now, following his repose, a nun from the Monastery of St. Meletios in Kytherona related to us how the Elder a few years ago visited their monastery and he disappeared during meal time. In searching for him, he was found outside the monastery in a grassy area and suddenly she saw the Elder flying high towards her. He had his hands clasped on his side. When he approached her, he told her not to tell anyone about this until after his death. This is just as it happened.

He spoke to us a lot about the relationships of people such as those who cohabitate. He told us how this can be very difficult even if both of them are saints. Many problems are created and the Elder knew from confessions he had heard that they would often reach the point of hatred.

Often in the face of difficulties, the Elder would be indifferent and he would simply raise his shoulders like a little child. He would say “yes, all those hindrances exist but God never abandons us when we sincerely call upon Him. Because of this, you should not worry. Leave all things in the care of God and pray.”

He told us that a happy life is only that which God tells us about in the Gospel. The Gospel is a revelation and every one of its words requires an analysis and commentary in order for us to understand it. And we should not read the Gospel mechanically.

He is joyful with children

The love of the Elder was great towards children and he very much enjoyed seeing families with many children because in that way man becomes a co-creator with God. We were spiritually fed by these divine words and we felt joy but we had not yet understood how bold he was before God and that he had become God through grace.Once when we were deeply afflicted we asked for his advice. We were awaiting some medical tests concerning conception which had been very discouraging. We expressed our pain to him but we could not imagine the surprise that awaited us. The Elder laughed and he reassured us like an affectionate father, “You will have many children and one right after the other.” We did not believe him. We looked at one another but we didn’t understand anything. How is this possible? Are these just comforting words? Is it possible? How will it happen? And in fact, a few days later, in a dream, I saw the Elder in gold vestments liturgizing along with a host of angels behind him and they were giving me something in the hand. This dream happened at the time that I received word of my first pregnancy. It is enough for one to wonder and be astonished when God condescends and listens to the prayers of His saints and has mercy on us unworthy ones. How benevolent you are Lord! Even in a dream three angels chanted the hymn, “The Dove, the Merciful, gives birth, hail Ever Virgin.” This was done before the altar of the Church and it revealed to us the date of the birth of the child which fell exactly on the same day that the hymn was chanted in the Church. Marvelous are the works of the Lord!

He Predicts the Character of the Child

We went to our Holy Father in order to receive his blessing for the birth of the child. He, filled with joy talked to us about what kind of character the baby would have, about his talents. He even said that he would be born naturally. Thus our first little angel came to us and the joy of all of us was great. The Elder, being joyful, said, “come on now, take them and hide them!” His help in raising the child was a great boon to us who had no experience. He counseled us about the upbringing of the child, to be careful that we do whatever is best for the child and not to do whatever accommodated us or was convenient for us. He would say to me, “He now knows that you love him. Make sure that he does not take advantage of that. Allow him to cry but watch him and pray.”

You should caress it before it is born

In a few months the second child arrived. The Elder always helped in his own way. “Now you should love it even more. Show it love now rather than after it is born. You should caress it. You should tell it to become strong, bright, and beautiful and he will hear this. Prayer will help a great deal.” The time had come for the second baby to be born but it was positioned upside down and it was big. The doctors were preparing the operating room for a possible operation but they did not even succeed in catching the child when it slipped out in the abundant fluid. The whole area was flooded. The telephone rang immediately and we heard the Elder asking if everything was going well. Again God, through the prayers of the Elder, helped us. Father, we thank you, we are not worthy of this. He answered “this is how I saw you and I prayed’ “God, my child, it is He you should thank.”

The Third and Fourth children are born.

Not much later he announced we would have the third child. Through his divine grace, he followed the child’s gestation, his position in the womb, his sex and he even described his character. All the obstacles faded away and God granted us a healthy child. Pappouli performed the baptism completing our great joy and thanks to him for being the intercessor to the merciful Lord Who helps us.

In a few months, the fourth child came along and again all the problems during the birth were overcome in a miraculous way because that one was also positioned upside down. He also blessed us with his presence at the baptism of the child saying, “They are divine gifts! Now you must become saints!” The Elder loved children very much. When they cried, he held them close to him and he quieted them down.

You must have your own home

Once he told me that we must hurry to acquire our own home. “You must start.” We questioned this. We had never even thought of something like this. We were completely unprepared. How, without any money put aside, could we begin this effort when our obligations at that time had increased with the responsibility of aged parents? But in spite of this, our income increased and our efforts overcame the difficulties. Then the fifth child came. The blessing of our Elder supported us and strengthened us in our struggle for our children.

The Healing of our fourth child

Suddenly the fourth child became sick with continuous vomiting. It became so weak that we took it to hospital. There was something that showed up on the tests about the vertebrae and seems to have disappeared. With intravenous fluids, the child slowly but slowly recovered its senses while a new test done by the doctors seems to have harmed it a lot. They tapped his spine and from then on he would sit in his bed without being able to walk and he was in pain. The doctors did not know what was happening. They simply waited for his improvement but his condition worsened.

Suddenly one day, the telephone rang and I heard the Elder saying to me, “tell me which foot is it that he cannot walk on?” Nobody had bothered to look for this, not even the doctors. I did not know what to say. The Elder continued, “I hope that he will not be denied the joys of his age and he will be able to run and play joyfully like all the other children.” I was amazed and asked if the child would become well. He said to me, “I do not know about that but I pray to God. You also pray with me” and oh the miracle! The next day, the child was healed just as the Holy Father had prayed. Nothing remained of this ailment. Joyfully he returned home and he began to play and run with the other children. Everyone was surprised. They did not know what to say. How could a child be crippled one day and then become very healthy the next day? Only God is able to perform such a miracle through the prayers of the holy Elder. What the Apostle says is here apparent: “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” (James 5:16). When we went to thank the Elder, he accepted it as something that was not too special but he simply said, “not me, God.”

The Sixth Child Arrives along with the private home

Thus, his prayer always protected us and banished every difficulty up until the time we went to our home. In the meantime, the sixth child was born. Already at the fifth month of the pregnancy, it was already difficult to move around and especially in a house that still had a lot of deficiencies.

There were many blessings and prayers of our Elder that the child who was crossed many times started moving around in the womb, possibly showing in this way, its thanksgiving and it’s thanks to the Holy Elder. We then acquired great strength and courage for a new direction which began for us. One would think that our house was being flooded with divine grace and light. Along with the voices of our children there was thanksgiving and doxology toward God for His abundant help for us.

As a small sign of honor and thanksgiving, we gave the name of the Elder to our new child. He joyfully prayed that, “the family is increasing exponentially!” What unspoken joy that was! This experience is not expressed in words and so another child came. This was a new expectation for us. Certainly it was difficult because the care and concern for the children was heavy to bare but the prayer of the Elder always relieved us and we forgot our burdens.

The Seventh Child

His birth was approaching but his position was cross wise and there was a problem. We again ran to our Elder, but we saw him sitting on his bed and he was very sick. The people were waiting in line in order to receive his blessing and his counsel. Some of them were complaining about their place in line. The Elder was praying in a bent over position and yet not saying a word. His expression showed such love as if he desired to hold all of the people in his embrace. Priests had brought the Holy Cross for him to venerate and I heard that they were preparing him to go to Mt. Athos. I waited to see him so that I could receive his blessing to give me courage. We approached him and he prayed that our child should have life. The next day, the echogram showed that the child was where it should be and in a good position. It was ready to be born. We again glorified God. Within a few days the child arrived healthy bringing us more joy.

We waited for the Elder to return as he always did in order to receive his blessing but the news came suddenly that we no longer had him with us. But we have the love that he showed us during the time he was with us. It cannot be different but for him to be near us praying for us the weak ones who struggle, following our successes and our failures and with his prayers to sustain us and to pray for our salvation.

May we someday find ourselves together around him in Paradise as he always gathered us together with him here and admonished us and made us participants in the divine gifts.[1]

“Let the little ones come to Me, and do not hinder them; for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven.”

Jesus Christ

1 After the falling asleep of Elder E.D gave birth to her eighth child.

MIRACULOUS CURES

The eyes of the body are blind and closed but the spirit is active and sees.

THE THYROID OF MRS A. S.

(The narration is recorded on an audiocassette)

A. is the person telling the story, h. is her husband. S. is the person conversing with them.

A. I met the Elder in 1982 after a suggestion made to me to go and receive his blessing. I had a lump on my neck caused by thyroid problems about ten hundredth of a cm. They told me that it was imperative that I went to hospital to have it operated on.

Immediately after the Elder’s blessing, I thought that I did not have to go to the hospital since the Elder had made the sign of the Cross on me. He told me that I would not have an operation but that I would become well when I became a good person.

After this many years intervened. I could not interpret what he meant by saying good except that I did not want to enter the hospital in order to have an operation. After a painful flair up a very dangerous thyroid inflammation appeared which looked like cancer.

h. It is called Gravi.

A. It is a sickness that appeared then for the first time.

I became very ill with a high temperature. My husband went again to the Elder and he asked him what must be done. “An operation will not take place, you will simply become closer to God and the mass will go away.” Truly, we believed in the words of the Elder. We became closer to God. These were the words that the Elder told me after a second, third and fourth visit to him. He told me every time, “You should become even closer to God.” Finally the sickness that was dangerous went away through the Elder’s prayers. The mass disappeared without medication, without an operation and without any kind of therapy from the doctor. The ten one hundredth cm of the original size no longer exists and is not visible. When the doctor saw me he said it was a miracle.

The Elder prayed many times for me. He would say to me, “I am praying but you should be closer to God.” These are the words of the Elder “You should be closer to God.” In fact, the mass went away. It was ten one hundredth of a cm big. There is now nothing there.

h. And the professor Papathemetriou who saw you at the time….

A. When the doctors first saw me they said, “Only if a miracle happened will you be saved otherwise you will not.” In fact after the healing all the doctors say today: “A miracle happened.” Nobody believes it.

S. May the name of God be glorified.

A. Yes. May we have the blessing of the Elder.

THE HEALING OF INFANT D.

(The narration is recorded on an audiocassette).

G. is talking to S.

S. What happened to your cousin doctor D’ s grandchild?

G. He was born during the seventh month of the pregnancy and he had a high fever while in the hospital. He was seriously sick and in danger of dying. The doctors were waiting for this to happen and the child’s grandmother came to the Elder and spoke to him about the situation. The Elder said to her, “Kneel down so that we can say a prayer.” And they prayed.

The grandmother left. That night the doctor phoned Pappouli (I do not know what time it was, I heard of this in the morning) and he said to him, “Your prayer was effective Elder and the child is well. We removed him from the incubator and now he is well and we thank…etc.” And the next day, I went by to see the Elder and I said, “Elder offer a little prayer for the doctor’s grandchild.” “It became well, it became well, the child became well and it is just fine” he told me with joy.

HEALED OF ARTHRITIS

Australia 1995

Last June I was very sick. I had arthritis and sclerosis and I was not able to walk. Fr. Gregory would come and take me to Church and I cried and I was asking my Lord Jesus Christ and the Theotokos to restore my health. One day, I was in Church and I saw a lady from the Island of Crete, I was being assisted by two ladies so that I could receive Holy Communion and she said, “That lady used to be so well and look how she has ended up. Let me give her the book about Elder Porphyrios to read.”

The woman brought me the book about the Elder, may God keep her well, and I read it up until 12:30 at night. And oh what a miracle, as soon as I went to bed and said my prayer, I saw the miracle working Elder Porphyrios. He made the sign of the cross on my legs and I sat on my bed. Crying, I made the sign of the cross and I said, “Christ, Holy Mother is it true that I saw the Elder or are my eyes deceiving me?” And immediately, I got up and walked. May His name be glorified. I forgot to tell you that I saw him while awake and he opened his hands and he made the sign of the cross on my feet.

The next morning the priest came to take me to Church. I went outside and I said to him, “Father, I am not coming today because I have the orphans and they are sleeping.” And he said to me, “I will come tomorrow Anna.” And I said to him, “I will come on my own feet.” May God keep him well; he came and took me and I told him that I had seen Elder Porphyrios with my own eyes and father told me, “Anna it was a miracle.”

I requested that the artoklasia service be performed on November 25. I also desired to be the first to enter the Church on the 26th of February. I was seeing him in my dreams and he was telling me about the artoklasia. “Do it for me on November 25th.” I now have him as my protector and my helper. May the name of Elder Porphyrios be glorified.

Anna L.

LETTERS

FOR ELDER PORPHYRIOS

This is another effort at drawing the bodily features of Elder Porphyrios. Let us attempt to make similar efforts to grasp and copy his spirit! This is true obedience…..

A LETTER FROM A MONK

OF MT. ATHOS

I received the last book that was issued by the monastery “Close to Elder Porphyrios” and I am studying it. Firstly, I find it good and beneficial. The author Giannitsiotis conveys to us the credibility, as humanly possible, of the Elder’s spirit within its pages.

Once I had visited the great well-known Elder of Katounakia, Papa-Ephraim in order to receive his blessing and he began to speak to me with great enthusiasm about our blessed Elder. I convey to you a portion of our dialogue.

G. Ephraim: Can you see the sea?

A monastic of Mount Athos (M. A): Yes.

G. E. It is like the Grace which Fr. Porphyrios received. An ocean of Grace pours forth from Fr. Porphyrios. If I send you to bring me water from the ocean, how much can you bring me?

M. A. As much as my bucket will hold.

G. E. (With enthusiasm), Exactly!

That is exactly what happens to those who wish to write about a saint. In reference to certain negative criticisms, supposedly the books that are published about the Elder are frivolous, I am not in agreement with them. The greatness of the Elder is that he came down to the level of the average suffering human being of our days and he spoke his language. Now, this suffering, struggling Christian person who is seeking his salvation comes to us and tells us his experiences. Isn’t that extraordinary?

A contemporary Neo-Hellenic poet says, “Being able to read, you will learn many things if you delve into the insignificant things.” That which, according to the understanding of many (or rather the few) demeans the Elder, is that they say that a spiritual man must write in order to give the width and depth of the Elder. In reality this promotes him. That which seems cheap in the eyes of some people is rather very rich because within these simple stories-parables, in these simple and plain dialogues of the Elder, the teaching of our Church is given in the language of contemporary man in the 20th century. The time will come I hope when a spiritual person will make use of all that material and the bright star of the Elder will break forth from the cloud in which he hid himself through humbleness and love. It was in humbleness and love that he used to hide his virtue so that he could live amongst us, so that we could endure him.

They had recommended that a monastery of Mt. Athos should work together with us in order to write a book about Elder Porphyrios, in which their Elder, would give, as a spiritual man, the credibility of a saint as was Elder Porpyrios. But since I was afraid that they would give their own point of view in the name of Elder Porphyrios and for other reasons, I rejected their proposal. I discussed the subject with the blessed Elder Paisios and he suggested that I should make notes of whatever I remember with the intent that sometime in the future I would develop the stories. But believe me, they cannot separate personal life experiences without “losing” something because all things with the Elder took place through interpersonal relations. Even when he was talking to us about issues of the Church or of society or of children, he answered to my personal questions and inquiries. He would speak to me in the way I was living them. So it is very difficult for them to be written without my giving them a part of me or for me to talk and to touch upon individuals and things. I hope through the prayers of the Elder that God will give me the strength to also do that sometime in the future, if that is His will.

At this point, I will tell you two very joyful things:

a) after the departure of Elder Porphyrios to the Lord, I searched to find a teacher and a professor during my initial steps in monasticism. St. Paul says “You can have many teachers but not many fathers.” I found recourse in Elder Paisios who accepted me willingly and I thanked him for that. Many times when I would ask him something, before answering me, he would turn his face to the right and converse with someone whom I could not see nor hear but I felt his presence. I only heard one side of the dialogue, Elder Paisios, who finally would give me the answer. Such awe would overcome me that I did not dare ask him with whom he was talking. But I knew deep down inside of me that it was Elder Porphyrios because I could see him with the eyes of my soul.

b) On Christmas Eve 1993, I found myself in a very difficult situation. I was physically sick with terrible pains, the arousal of passions, and battles of the evil one which came from people. I said “my Christ what kind of Christmas will I have this year” and I called upon the Elder. A little before he left this world he had said to me “call on me.” On the night of December 22nd, just about the time that I was falling asleep, he came. In the beginning, I thought he was still alive, that he was still in this world and he said to me, “Come take me for a walk.” I embraced him and instead of me taking him, he took me. We were together, as I believe, all night. We traveled to many places. We came to the monastery. We also went to the children. The next day I was relieved of everything; grief, depression, worries, and evil thoughts. Everything had left me. I was filled with calmness, peace, joy, with good, humble and penitential thoughts for everyone and for everything and especially for my future in the monastic state. It was the visitation of Divine Grace through Elder Porphyrios as I was told by my discerning spiritual father.

It is insanity for me to say it but the Elder said to me, “You should become insane” and this was one of the last recommendations he gave me, maybe the very last. May God enlighten me to understand what he meant...The time will come when God will speak about the Elder. This is a deep desire of mine and of many others. He will reveal His great Saint Porphyrios.

As for the conversation with the monks of Koutloumousiou, it is that which is included in the second section of the pamphlet and of the cassette “The Spirit of Orthodoxy is the truth.” It has the title “You open the hands to God.” In the empty area that exists in the audio taping, the Elder gave practical directions about the daily schedule of a monk.[1]

a) He emphasized his well-known teaching that we read the services of the Church with understanding, in other words, we should not omit anything neither should we read hurriedly.

b) He told us which way we should sit in the stalls in order for us not to fall asleep and we should be attentive. We should not turn around, right or left. The body should be upright, the shoulders back, and the head straight ahead.

c) He recommended that the Psalter should not be read during the matins but during some other hour of the day so that the monks do not get tired and so that they will understand it. You know about his love for the Psalter. He would read it in his cell at 11 p.m.

d) He said that the monk who follows faithfully the monastic schedule of the monastery services, personal prayer, chores, etc, slowly but surely and without realizing it becomes sanctified.

e) He repeated something which he had said to the Serbian monks: “The issue is to find a way to open a hole into heaven.”

f) Please excuse me if I tired you with my many words. I am thankful that you remember me. Please pray for me.

A monk of Mt. Athos

1 Note from the publisher of this book. Since the monk who writes this letter was present during the conversation that was taped we asked him by letter what the Elder said at the time we were absent and he answers us.

A LETTER OF E. G.

In this way I got to know the blessed Elder Porphyrios

For many years I taught in Greece the Greek and the Russian languages. For quite some time I had as one of my students, in the class of Russian, the microbiologist and currently professor of the medical school Mr. G. P. and his daughter. Many times my student would bring to class religious material for me to translate. Then we talked about God and our faith. During one of these discussions, I told Mr. G. P. that when I was young I would never leave the Church. My mother was a very God-fearing person and that idealism, naturally, not only did she pass on to me but she implanted it in me.

So, during my high school years, I found myself teaching in the advanced catechetical schools. But the war intervened; the occupation took place and then the civil war. At the end of the civil war, I found myself in the Soviet Union where I lived for fifteen whole years. At this point, my religious feelings diminished but it was not uprooted. Hearing this, Mr. G. P. spoke to me about Elder Porphyrios and in fact he promised me to introduce me to him. He invited me one day along with his family to go to the monastery in order to meet him. And so it happened.

First Meeting

Mr. G. P. spoke with Pappouli on the telephone. He told him that we would be visiting him the following Sunday and the Elder was waiting for us. The door opened and upon entering his room, I was awe struck. I saw upon a bed a thin and pale old man. His face lit up as soon as he saw me. He opened both of his hands. He lifted them up high and he made a sign for me to come close to him. The atmosphere was moving. I approached and I knelt before him. I placed the palms of my hands on his knees and I waited. Kneeling in this way, I listened to everything that he said to me.

“Did you notice my child how I opened my hands when I saw you? Rarely do I do that. What are you doing my child? You are our child.” Then he began to speak about his life on Mt. Athos. “When I first went to Mt. Athos,” he said to me, “in addition to the Elders that I had in my cottage, I also met a Russian monk who through his example, taught me many things. He always called me, “Hey, outsenik” (hey, student). At night, very early in the morning on Sunday or on major feast days, all the monks of Kavsokalyvia, during the time of prayer we would go to the central Church which is called Kiriako. I watched the way this Russian monk performed his genuflections. He was constantly doing genuflections and he was tall. I remember from that time, I do not know what happened inside of me, but I was able to see certain things earlier than normal. For example, when I was alone in the cottage, I saw that my Elders or the monks were coming and I would go down to receive them or to show them the way.”

During the time Elder Porphyrios was speaking to me, a sweet fragrance was coming from his mouth. I attributed this to the small amount of food the Elder ate. Upon leaving, I felt light and I was filled by an inexplicable joy. On the road during the return trip, my student’s wife said that a fragrance filled the room when we were talking to the Elder. It was like the fragrance of flowers and she had asked Pappouli’s sister what kind of incense was it that smelled so beautifully.The sister answered that it was not incense. Sometimes that happens with Pappouli when he speaks.

A Second Meeting

Not a lot of time had elapsed when Mr. G. P. asked me if I wanted to visit Pappouli again since he was going with his family to visit him. I gladly accepted. This time I took with me a piece of paper upon which I had written many things about my life. He received me with the same enthusiasm as before. I was left alone with the Elder. I started my confession reading from the paper I had prepared in order not to forget anything so that I could avoid taking up too much of his precious time. I was sobbing. He got up, he took off his black skull cap, he took a book and placing a stole on my head, he read a prayer. While coming out of his cell I thought I was flying. The burden on me had been released.

The Third Meeting

It was night when the phone rang at my home. I was happy when I heard my student’s wife. She asked me if it was possible to go the following morning together with her to the Elder as an interpreter. An Esthonian woman had come with her sick child and she wanted to bring him to the Elder. I accepted with great pleasure. The next morning, as soon as the door bell rang, I went downstairs. I met the child’s mother. Her name was Kaikilia.

Her son was a chubby and delightful child about 8-9 years old. He was sitting in the back seat of the car. We had a good and joyful trip to the monastery. We all entered Pappouli’ s cell. The good Elder was waiting for us. They had talked to him about us the night before. His gaze was focused on the child. The child approached him. He knelt down while kissing his hand and he stood next to him. Kaikilia, after kissing his hand, said to me with emotion that she had come to him for her sick child and she was asking him to help the child regain his health.

I passed all these on to the Elder. Before the mother began explaining things to the Elder, the Elder said, “the child acts quarrelsome and vengeful on three levels in his life. It happens in his family, in school and in the courtyard of their home when he plays with the other children. At home he fights with his parents and with his brother. Ah, how he hits him sometimes! How he pushes his mother! At school he comes to blows with his fellow students. He hits them, he kicks them! He also does this in the courtyard. What the poor children go through.” I translated all this for Kaikilia. So, this is the way she answered me, “My, how does he know all these things? He hits the children so badly in school and in the courtyard. This embarrasses me. How can I face the parents and his teachers? They tell me to take him from the school and if I don’t do that they themselves will expel him for good.”

I explained to the Elder whatever the mother told me and he continued, “He hates his brother with a dangerous hatred.” I translated this to the mother. “Yes, so it is”, said Kaikilia. “ I fear for the life of my other son. I am fearful, I am fearful that he will incapacitate him. One time he hit him severely.” “I see it,” said the Elder, when I explained all those things and again he continued, “He stays up late in your bedroom. He lies down between you and your husband and he refuses to go to his room.” “That is exactly the way it happens”, said the mother again “and if I insist, he gets up and hits the windows, kicks the doors, and turns over tables. But he recants when he gets over his anger and cries. He cries with a loud voice. In school he is the best student in his class. He is very good at music. He plays very difficult pieces on the piano and he amazes everyone. He has such dexterity for a young person!”

“That is good,” answered the Elder, when I explained it to him. At that point he brought the child close to him, grabbed his head in the palms of both of his hands and squeezed it very hard bringing it toward his chest. How distressed and unfortunate the mother appeared! She looked upon the scene dumbfounded and you could see the tears dripping from her eyes. The Elder’s prayers merged with the prayers of the tormented mother for the health of her child. “What can I do Elder”, she said in a chocking voice. “What therapy shall I pursue?”

“You should concentrate his attention on whatever he likes best. Allow him to play the piano as much as he desires. Show compassion and love. Praise him for every good thing he does. The most important thing is, God shall provide, He desires it.” I was astonished. I thought that the sick child was being examined by a very experienced psychiatrist, by a psychoanalyst. I asked my student Mr. G. P how the child’s health was and he answered me. “He is well. He does not have any problem.”

This is how I met Elder Porphyrios. I call upon him and I will call upon him spiritually during the rest of my life. I owe great gratitude to my student Mr. G. P. and his family for the great good they did for me. I have been reinstated with the Church and I have understood the GREATNESS of conscious faith.

E. G., Professor of Russian Philology

THE LETTER OF DOCTOR A. T.

How I was healed by the Elder’s prayer

I received your letter and I thank you for the prayers from all of you. You asked me if I knew anything else other than my letter to Fr. Nikodimos.[2] I will write for you two incidences of my personal experience. But beyond those there are two more experiences which my good friend in Christ told me. I asked him to make sure that they reach you and that you find out about them from the people whom Fr. Porphyrios has helped through the grace of healing.

During the spring of 1982, I got sick from acute lumbago on the right side with intense acute symptoms. There was pain and numbness on the outside surface on the lower left extremity. There was pain as far as the 2.5 toes on the extreme end of the foot. Very soon atrophy was added on the same extremity about 2.5, the remainder of which remains to this very day. In addition to the echogram and medicinal therapy that was administered in an orthopedic clinic of our city, I visited two Professors in Thessaloniki, Orthopedic and Neurosurgical and the director of the orthopedic clinic of the Kilkis Hospital. The director of the neurosurgical department told me that there was a possibility that the condition would develop into paralysis. If that happened he would admit me for surgery. During the duration of those three days where I was being examined, I stayed in a private home hosted by my brother. And in order for me to climb up to the second floor I had to grab hold of the banister of the staircase and I would literally drag my leg. I climbed with much pain. But my condition worsened. In fact, I went twice for acupuncture. Now, for days I have also had the soul-searching dilemma that forced me to think about going abroad for an operation. I thought this because Greece had not yet had the procedure and I did not have confidence in the system here.

Thus, I decided to visit our Holy Father. He received me with fatherly love although he was not well. “Father, I have come as did with my wife to ask for your help for me. I am in a lot of pain.” “It is not right to offend God,” he said to me. “You should go abroad…” I then cried. “Did you go to doctors?” “I did.” “Did you go to a well-known doctor”? “I went to such and such doctors and I had acupuncture twice.” “Don’t have acupuncture… those are from… you know…the eastern religions, you understand. No acupuncture.” He got up; he took the Cross in his hands. “Where does it hurt you?” he asked me. “Here Father.” He blessed me with the cross there where it hurt.

I came out of his cell just as I had entered regarding the pain. At the airport in Thessaloniki, my brother picked me up. I was like a discarded body in the back seat of his car with a lot of pain. But at the moment that I started to climb the stairs at his house, I realized I was able to do this with less pain and without the help of the banister. I was encouraged. I increased my pace as I ascended the stairs. That lifted my spirits and sent away the sorrow I had had up to that point. I lay down and my eyes fell upon the icon of Panagia and a feeling of joy and optimism came over me. I returned to Xanthe where every day, a little at a time, I felt an improvement. Of course, I continued to be given physical therapy for about twenty days. When I felt much better and I was able to work I felt an obligation to go and thank my benefactor. He received me with a smile and with joy. “Now”, he said to me, “you will climb mountains.” But I still had in my mind the words that Father had said to me about going abroad and so I thought that I should ask him because it was troubling me.

“Father, what about going abroad you mentioned?” “You said that,” he answered, emphasizing the “you”. “But”, I said inside of myself, “since he said that to me, why does he now give me that answer?”

Then, for many days, that comment for some reason remained a riddle for me without my being able to give an explanation. But I said, however odd the words of saints appear to us that is not because of them but it is because of us who do not have the ability to understand them. His other strange comment was that which he said to me “It is not right for us to offend God.” But I did not come to offend God. I really hurt and as he had healed my wife’s hand[3] I came to ask for his help also for me. Many days went by and my health was finally much better for me to understand that the Elder was talking to me then about the grace of discernment.

In fact, from the very first moment, he perceived my thoughts—the discord within me, to go abroad which was caused by my soul-searching pain and which was caused by a weak and cold faith. In this way, he exposed my weak faith, the diminished faith with which I was approaching God through His saint (since my greatest hope was directed abroad). He told me that I should not offend God and explained to me why he had said that to me. He revealed the discord in me.

“You should go abroad.” In other words, you come to seek help yet you have already made the decision to go abroad (in fact, I had practically made the decision). Then why are you coming here…? Just in case... you are helped…In fact, so I was praying, but was this honorable before God?

I left very happy and confident in the Elder and I asked God to grant me the opportunity to offer a few days of my vacation to help the work for the building of the monastery as a small token of my thankfulness.

In fact, a unique and unexpected opportunity was given to me for ten days during which I enjoyed sweating and working during the hottest days of the summer. I enjoyed them close to the breath of the holy father. On the first day, before I went to the Elder to receive his blessing for me to remain there or not, the supervisor of the works gave me some work to do during which I damaged a plastic hose but not causing any more damage. When we went up to the Elder with the supervisor of the works, he brought my attention to that which had happened with the hose. Nobody else knew about it but me and I was not able to tell him about it first. He advised me to be careful and not to damage things. Those ten days were like a spiritual oasis that fed me being close to the friend of God, to our holy God-bearing Fr. Porphyrios.

During another visit of mine to the holy place at Oropos, when I sat in the dining room for a meal, after I had said a prayer, I took a mouthful of food. I felt numbness in the palette of my mouth. In a flash, my thoughts were that I was receiving the blessings which were coming from the Elder and I invoked his blessing. This is what I said: may I have the blessing of Fr. Porphyrios, Lord Jesus Christ bless the food and drink of your servants. At that very moment, the numbness disappeared and I continued normally eating the food.

Please excuse me for describing the events in such detail. Believe me, I have left out other things. But I do not believe that I could have written it more briefly. My respects to the Elder, to the cell of the Elder and greetings to all of you.

A. T.

2 This letter has been published in the book by Klitos Ionnides, Elder Porphyrios, Testimonies and Experiences, page 126.

3 Note. Then with my wife we did not go there for her hand. Neither had it ever occurred to us (and even when we were in his presence) to ask for his help. We went because we had heard of the Father, to receive his blessing. And he himself grabbed her hand and immediately the pain disappeared.

THE LETTER OF THE ECONOMIST H.B.

God’s answer to youthful disbelief

Now when Jesus had come into Peter’s house, He saw his wife’s mother lying sick with a fever. And He touched her hand, and the fever left her. Then she arose and served them. (MT. 8:14-15)

Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe. (John 4:48)

Last summer, I heard on television a discussion in reference to the Holy Girdle of the Theotokos which had been brought to Athens. Amongst the questions that were asked whether people believe in miracles and furthermore whether miracles happen. So today, I decided to write about my experiences about Divine Power and its influence upon us.

Thus around the years 1978-80, as an upper classman in college that has been influenced by materialism, youthful disbelief, and the current rage of unbelief, I was searching for something through discussions that we were having with the professor of theology. We did this in order to learn why Almighty God doesn’t do something to convince us about His existence and His power. In a few words, I was asking “why doesn’t a miracle happen today in order for us to believe?” It was a loaded question whose answer was to be revealed to me ten years later in a way which, at least for me, and for many others in my company, could not be disproved.

I was serving my military service while at the same time finishing my studies at the University of Athens. My wife and I were planning how we would define our lives after my discharge. I had already planned my professional career and the future was opening up before me at twenty seven years of age. I cannot say that I did not always believe in God but I believed in the way people of the time did and I attended Church every Pascha.

But the terrible message that I got on Epiphany Eve in 1990 was meant to change my life and my faith. A small swelling appeared at the base of my neck. A colleague doctor in my unit in which I served sent me to the hospital for tests. The diagnosis was clear. It was lymphoma or more clearly, cancer of the lymphatic system. And to be sure, at the age of twenty seven, the only thing that I could not imagine is that I would suffer from cancer.

A trip followed to London where I began a torturous series of therapy with special medicines and chemotherapy. These treatments had been prescribed by a cancer specialist: he said, “it is like someone is putting rat medicine in the blood” and this was followed by radiation on the neck and the thorax for ten torturous months. I saw, during the course of those months, the sorrow of my friends and family about my plight and the change in my character. From being a very loud and boisterous man, I closed myself up completely in the house and my wife was saying to herself as she confided in me later “let him talk, my God.” Nothing was important to me and I remember with trembling the nights at that time when I grabbed my wife’s hand to help me sleep not knowing if I would wake up the following morning.

But as expected, the religious feelings within me became more intense. My people, who are people of God, tried to help me with a little holy water and with some oil from a monastery. In Malakasa, in a monastery there lived an Elder, Elder Porphyrios, who was old and was said to be charismatic. He had discerning and great supernatural powers. A relative of mine who believed in him visited him in order to ask for his help. The only thing that he asked her was, “I know, just tell me his name.” The woman told him and once she prayed for a little with him she left.

She went there again. She had a conversation with him on the phone and the Elder verified to her that I would get well. In fact time went by and the cancer that I had five years ago is now but a terrible memory. Everyone tells me about the terrific composure and desire that I exhibited and the effort that I put forth. But in reality, that which I know is that I was not that way inside. I was a psychological and physical rag which became the prey of the sickness and also of my soul because up until that time, for me, as well as for the majority of the people around me, cancer was equivalent to death. And it is true, that it is very difficult to endure and it requires great courage which I did not have.

I found that inner strength was revealed to me one morning when I was going to Malakasa. I requested that a friend of mine take me there in his car in order to thank the Elder. In fact we went to the monastery. We were lucky for the very old and afflicted Elder received us. The only thing that I was able to tell him was “I thank you because I know that you made me well.” The Elder didn’t speak to me, he blessed me with a little cross which he gave me and I left. Thus, I truly understood that all those things that I needed to overcome the problem like finding the right doctor and having the right stamina were not found by me, but God sent them to me through the intercessions of the now blessed Elder Porphyrios.

Surely those who will read these lines will maintain that science has made great strides and it can cure many forms of cancer. Yes, I accept this, but no one can understand what courage and what endurance a soul of a sick person must have in order for him to succeed. In order to give the extent of the spiritual reserves that are needed, it is enough for me to mention what a doctor told me, “I gave you a fifty percent chance for survival based on the medicine and you gave fifty percent from your soul.” And I assure you, that the human mind alone cannot find it. Only Divine Grace can give it to you.

As it was natural and as a very small thank you for his priceless help, I sought out and read different books about the Elder after his death. These books were published and they described the life and the divine gifts of Elder Porphyrios. Among them all, I focused on one of them. It was especially vivid as it was written by one of his spiritual children, Anargyros Kalliatsos. I do not even know the man neither had I read any of his books before. I do not even know if he is an author. Why do I bring this up? The reader will understand this further on.

Recently, one of my close associates’ brother encountered serious psychological problems to which not only he did not know how to respond but he refused to visit a psychiatrist. We had discussed this together and I learned of his negative approach to the problem. But he was young; a father of two small children and the issue concerned all of us who knew him intimately.

On January 20, 1995 and as the situation worsened for him, the Elder appeared in my sleep and he ordered me, “Give his sister whom I have known for many years and who had undertaken the effort to heal him the book of Kalliatsos and tell her to take her brother to the Monastery to venerate there and he will become well.”

Since when saying something like that may sound strange, I wrote everything down for her. The next day, in the morning, I went to the bookstore but unfortunately the book had been sold out. So I made a photocopy of it and gave it to her. She did what the Elder had ordered and her brother went to the doctor and today he is better than before.

Since we live in the age of rationalism, some people surely will be found to say that I belong on the other bank. I assure you that I serve one of the most rationalistic sciences that exist, economics and I am not influenced by any kind of religious fanaticism. My life, after my many vicissitudes became better and so much better that when I hold my child by the hand in Church I glorify God silently for His gifts. I truly believe they are: “we offer You these from Your own gifts.” I thank Him many times for during my troubles I found the true meaning of life.

THE LETTER OF H. H.

How I was Healed of Temptation

I was in Athens and I was working at a kiosk. I became sick from a powerful demon because I lived far away from the life of the Church. I got involved with mediums. They hypnotized me in order to heal me. The result of this was that I got ten times worse. I quit my job and went to a provincial city. My condition was the same and every day it was getting worse.

I went to Panagia Malevi, or rather they took me there grudgingly because I could not stand looking at icons and crosses. I went to confession and the priest said to me, “Go to Fr. Porphyrios, he can make you well.” I did not believe it. I got up and left. After a few days I began to see the Elder’s hands while I was awake calling me to him and a voice saying “come to me.” This continued every day even more intensely. I attempted to go there and I got as far as Athens. I arrived there without any problem. They took me from Athens to the Elder grudgingly. I did not want to go because I felt like I was burning up. I could not stand it. During the trip, I would open up the window of the car and ask for help and that is why they tied me up. After my relatives suffered through this whole ordeal, we arrived at the Elder’s place.

When they brought me into his cell, I saw him totally aglow like a burning fire. I could not stand it. I wanted to leave but a power kept me there. I fell down convulsing like a fish. In view of the trouble I was causing, the Elder asked what was happening. They told him that a young man could not approach him. After asking my name he said to me, “Do you see, (he called me by my name), what happens to a person when he leaves Christ”?

He got up, read a prayer and said, “Don’t be afraid, it is only temptation. I can send it away right now, but if I start reading exorcisms you will turn everything upside down, that is why you should not allow priests to read exorcisms for you. They should only pray on the Altar and you will get well when you come closer to Christ”.

For the first time in seven years, I left completely calm. He told me to call him on the phone every month. I did not call him because I was ashamed about a particular sin. A month later, he called me himself. One night the demon bothered me terribly. I was shaking all over. I called him and I told him what was happening to me. He said to me to hang up the phone and kneel in front of the icon corner in my house and that I will come there where I was. I had hardly knelt and the Elder was there. I was in such a terrible state that I was barking like a dog. I fell down and convulsed. The only thing that I felt was that above me stood a monk and he was reading. Every time he stretched out his hand and blessed me with the cross, fire was burning my body. It was like a knife that was passing through me and ripping me in the form of a cross. I wanted to turn around and tear him to pieces but I could not, someone was hitting me on my hand every time I stretched it out. My relatives in the other room were praying. They could hear the house creaking and strange banging was coming from the room in which I was. It appears that the Elder was fighting with the demon that is why they heard banging. Slowly but surely, with the Elder’s help, I became well. I became a cantor. I got married and had a son.

My wife once got sick for three months. We would go to the hospital and see the doctors but they could not find what ailed her. I became despondent. I phoned the Elder. He said to me “Don’t be afraid your wife has suffered an infection and she will get well.” I hung up the phone and took her again to the doctors. They immediately found what she was suffering from while for three months they could not find anything. She became well.

I once visited him in his cell and he talked to me for some time. At the end he said to me, “Don’t say anything to anyone about what we discussed because we must be humble”. As soon as I walked out of the door I had forgotten everything.

Once I went to visit him in his cell, but he was not there. I knelt near his bed and although he was not there I heard him saying to me, “I love you…(and said my name)” .

Truly the way I saw him during those five years that I was close to him, he is a saint.

He knew things about my life that nobody else knew about. Many times he would describe my village and he would name areas with their old names although he had never been there before. Every time I went to the Elder’s cell, he would say to me “I love you.” When he was alive, even though I loved him, I never told him so. When he fell asleep, I understood. My family and I thank the Elder for the spiritual and physical healing that he offered me.

A LETTER OF K. T.

How the Grandchildren were acquired

Melbourne April 29, 1993

Christ is Risen Holy Eldress Porphyria, may I have your blessing. If it is blessed, I desire for the glory of the Lord and for the glory of His holy ones that you publish sometime in the future the important miracle that the blessed Elder Porphyrios performed in my family through his prayers.

My daughter-in-law, my son’s wife, could not have a baby for six years. After conception, she would keep the baby for three months and later she would have a miscarriage. The doctors who were attending her had disappointed her and even the specialist who examined her on July 17, 1986 told her that after ten pregnancies she would only be able to go one full term, but unfortunately for her, the child would be born defective. She was also told that the reason for this was that there was something wrong with her blood.

Then in September, God sent a theologian from Greece along with two others in order to preach to the Orthodox Christians of Australia. Amongst other things, they told us about the charismatic Holy Elder and the miracles that take place even over the telephone. That was it. I requested the telephone number from the theologian who knew it. I called requesting that the holy one pray that my daughter-in-law be granted a child. We also yearn for a child noting that I, the mother-in-law, have only one child.

Then the holy one told the theologian to read from Romans 10:15; “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace.” He also prayed for my daughter-in-law that the Lord would grant her a child. We called there on a Saturday, September 27th 1986 and then the miracle happened. On July 3, 1987, exactly nine months later Christopher was born strong, smart and beautiful.

Today, through the prayers of Elder Porphyrios, we have two delightful grandchildren that speak both Greek and English and have a desire toward holy things. In ending, the only thing that I can say is: God is marvelous in His Saints. I thank the holy Elder who made the effort in his asceticism to have mercy also on us sinners.

With respect, the grandmother K. T.

THE LETTER OF E. L.

Like a Farewell

This is the last encounter with our father, brother, friend and protector, Elder Porphyrios. May I have your blessing Elder, my Pappouli. I knelt down close to him on the coziest and most blessed corner of the world. “How are you my daughter?” He spoke to me with a voice full of love but also with anguish. He continued, “Know that every day many people come here and many think that the Elder does not speak to them, he does not like them, and he no longer has time for them. You should know that we had and continue to have great love, divine Eros which nothing can change. Do not cry. May God bless you, your children and your husband. I am now sick, very sick. I suffer with my stomach, I am anemic, I have cancer in my head in a very bad spot, it is the pituitary gland. Because of this I now cannot be joyful, sad, I cannot feel warm, and I cannot feel cold. I must not speak. That is the way God wanted things to happen. Our silence must speak. From wherever I am, wherever I find myself, I am still close to you, I still pray and I love you. The good God will allow us to be united in prayer. You will understand the moment when the Elder is praying and is close to you in a powerful and clear way. And then you will pray with me. We must be united and become one, to become one with Him.”

“Wherever there is unity there exists power. God is there. God loves us very, very much. And when we love Him, we become united with Him. This happens if we have faith, immovable faith. I know that the struggle is not easy in this life in which we find ourselves. You should know, (my two brothers were present), that the purpose of our existence is to become saints and there is no other goal other than that from the moment that we were born. Try to be on the road of the Lord and He will be with you always. I will pray for that.”

“Pray for me, the humble and sinful one, so that God will have mercy on me. I am not worthy of all those things but God has allowed people to come from everywhere seeking me out. God hears my prayers and responds to whatever I ask Him, (me the sinful one). You should know N. that I am praying for you. Stay close to the Lord and everything will go well. May God bless the works of your hands and may His Divine Grace keep us under His protection. Tomorrow I am leaving. I am leaving for Mt. Athos and I am very happy. I will be gone for about one month and after that whatever God wants. Know that I love those places very much because I lived there as a monk when I was a young boy. Now you may go in peace with the blessing of God and with my blessings to all of you. May God be with you. Leave now. Reverence the icon of Panagia, the Holy Mother, before you leave.”

His tears and his sobs will always be with me and I will hear them in my ears. It was the dreadful time of parting and our definitive union with Him. We thank you Lord.

September 1991 E. L.

SUPPLEMENT: DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES

JUSTIFY DIFFERENT ADVICE

This is one more effort to draw the image of the body and of the spirit of Elder Porphyrios. “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” 2 Cor. 3:18.

Introduction

We have been asked for clarification by some of the readers of the books that we have published about Elder Porphyrios. These are in reference to certain points of view of his on various issues. These issues have been given in different ways by those who have spoken or written about him either in books that we have published[1], or articles, talks, etc which have been written or given about him.[2]

After that we requested our well-known friend G. P.A., who knew him very well, to put together whatever is possibly accurate in reference to what has been taught by him. He gave the text below which we offer to you with joy.

The truth is living and saving

“For the teaching of the truth is changed according to the disposition of the hearer.”

The expression which makes up the title of the text which you are reading was written by Saint Gregory of Nyssa in the outstanding book “In the life of Moses,” paragraph 65. This expression does not mean that fundamental truth does not exist. No. It means that according to the disposition of the hearers firstly, the manner of an unchanging truthful teaching is understood one way by one person while by another one in another way and secondly, the same teacher tailors his teachings to the spiritual condition (the disposition and the maturity) of his audience.

This we have seen with the Lord Himself Who once said to His disciples that He still had many more things to tell them. But He does not tell them now because they will not comprehend the words. (John 16:17). And at other times, He was talking in parables so that only those who could would understand them while the others could not (Matthew 13:10-15, 13:34). And the Apostle Paul writes to the Corinthians that he fed them milk and not regular food because they were still infants in Christ (1 Cor. 3:1-2, Hebrews 5:11-14).

This is the reason why the real Elder does not say the same thing to everyone but he reveals the will of God for a particular person at a specific moment. And in this way, he can give different advice for two apparently same circumstances because he discerns that they fundamentally are different.

For a better understanding of the application of the Elder’s advice given for the situation of a listener, we offer below various situations from the life and the works of Elder Porphyrios.

a. “In order for him to understand clearly I must explain it to him well”

Once a Christian visited the Elder and asked him something. The Elder kept silent until the point when the visitor left worried without receiving an answer. Then someone who knew the Elder who was watching this unfold had the boldness to ask the Elder, “why Elder didn’t you answer him? The issue appears simple. You could have told him two words so that his mind could be put at ease.” And the Elder answered approximately in the following way, “It appears simple but it is not. In order for me to explain to him so that he could understand well, I would need more than half an hour. In the condition my health is in now, I could not endure to explain everything to him. If I had told him a few things, he would have wrongly understood and it would have been worse. Let us pray that God will enlighten him so that he will find the right answer by himself.”

If therefore a person, in order to understand correctly the answer to a question, required so much of an effort on the part of the Elder, think how many misunderstandings of the words of the Elder must have circulated from one person to another and how many misunderstandings will happen or have already happened regarding the proper understanding of all that the coworkers writing this book and other books say that the Elder has said. This is because unfortunately, my brothers and sisters, we do not see things in the same way neither with the same clarity. We do not always have the necessary discernment because we do not have the required virtue.

Another monk of Mt. Athos, the blessed Fr. Paisios, said in relation to this, when he was asked how discernment is acquired: “Discernment, blessed one, is the crown of virtues. If your virtues are made of grass then your discernment will be grassy. If they are of iron you will have ironclad discernment and if your virtues are of gold then your discernment will be of gold.”

b. “I have another method”

It is like someone who was scandalized when he visited the Elder because the Elder did not criticize some girls whom he was talking to about their improper way of dressing. The Elder told him, “I have another method. Because even if I had spoken to them about their appearance, since they do not have faith in Christ, they would have reformed. I attempt first to bring them to faith in Christ and then, on their own, they will understand their mistake and they will correct themselves.”[3]

Therefore a great deal of care must be used in order for them to understand properly why the Elder said something or he did not say something or he did something or he did not do something. For example, it would not be right for someone to come to the conclusion by the Elder’s silence on this issue that the Elder was indifferent about the proper dress of women. No. He simply judged that it was not the right time to talk to them about this at that time.

c. “There is a time for everything”

There are many who say that the Elder started to say something to them and stopped and then after many years told them the conclusion. And when I asked him why he did not tell them those things immediately, he answered, “because then you could not endure it” or “because then you could not understand it” and similar things. Here is an example. A lady wanted to create a company with someone about whom she had received good recommendations. She felt that everything would go well but she also asked the Elder who neither told her to proceed nor not to proceed. After this, she was reluctant because she believed that she should not proceed if the Elder did not positively tell her to do so. After a few months, she learned that her prospective partner was not in order with his business dealings and she said this to the Elder who assured her that it was good that she did not proceed with the deal. Questioning this, she asked him why he had not told her this from the beginning. He answered her saying that then she was not ready to hear the truth and she would be very worried.

Therefore, the Elder lived the word of the Church “there is a time to be quiet and a time to speak” (Ecclesiastes 3:7)[4] and so he spoke only when it was necessary. And certainly he said only those things that he should say at the time.

It is for this reason that we should not generalize without discretion whatever he said to a person neither should we dismiss without discretion whatever he said to someone else.

d. “The singular desire of God for each person”

We must specifically emphasize a section of another book that has been inserted on page 22 of the book by Kleitos Ioannides “Elder Porphyrios, Testimonies and Experiences.” It is written there by Bishop Kallistos. “The true Elder sees in every situation that particular man or woman who is before him and, inspired by the Holy Spirit, tries to impart to them the singular desire of God for that particular person.”

This has great meaning and we must always consider it when we think to impose upon ourselves specific advice which the Elder gave to someone else.

Because there certainly exists advice which has a general application as, for example, “cleanse your soul of hatred” and others which apply only for a particular person to whom the advice was given and for the period of time during which it was given as, for example “do these many genuflections.” If we desire to generalize specific advice we could fall into delusion. It could possibly not be valid for the other person to whom we convey it.

The Elder was narrating the following story. A monk who had heard on Mt. Athos, where there are no women, that they use magnesium salt for constipation. Once there was a woman in his village who was complaining about constipation. Then, without thinking, he said to her, “why don’t you take magnesium salt.” And the woman who was pregnant took magnesium salt but this caused her to have a miscarriage. This monk, on Mt. Athos throughout the rest of his life, was praying to God to forgive him for this involuntary death. Therefore magnesium salt for some is medicine and for others it is poison. Relative to this advice for some people it could be their salvation and for others it could be harmful.

e. “Do not put your trust in people”

This expression in truth was spoken by the Elder but in order for you to understand it properly I must explain it in a special book. But in spite of the fact that I will not write a whole book about it, I dared in my thoughtlessness and because I am not the Elder, to convey this to you in the hope that through his prayers you will understand it properly even in a few words. I will attempt to explain it to you.

Even if we take the above mentioned advice of the Elder word for word and we don’t trust anyone, sooner or later we will suffer from persecution mania. In addition to this, the Elder said he was totally and joyfully obedient to his Elders. In other words, he trusted them completely in everything. Then the proper meaning of his words is not to trust all people but we should single out who is worthy of our trust and who is not. We should also determine how much trust every person is worthy of our trust. We start off at first with hesitation according to the Apostle “do not believe every spirit” (1 John 4:1) and when we are convinced someone is worthy of our trust then we trust them.

In other words, we should not be easily convinced. We should not believe someone who says that the Elder has said something, without investigation.

Once, a young man wanted to wed a girl who knew the Elder. He used to send her letters with the forged name of Fr. Porphyrios. In these letters he wrote that he was a good boy and she should accept him. Someone else of those who were misguided said that he was one of the Elder’s spiritual sons and yet he had not once seen the Elder. Another person said that he confessed to the Elder while in reality he had only asked him once to read a prayer of forgiveness for him. There are many of these circumstances.

On the other hand, some times without meaning to, we present the Elder’s words in such a way that he who hears them might misunderstand them. When, therefore, we read or hear that the Elder said something and that something appears strange to us, we should not even say that we accept it since the Elder said it (thoughtless acceptance) neither should we say that the Elder is at fault (thoughtless dismissal). We must investigate the issue to see how he said it, how he meant it, to whom and under what circumstances he said it and so we will come to the right conclusion for the real understanding and the spiritual purpose of his words.

f. “When a jackass kneels it needs to be unburdened”

In order for Elder Porphyrios to explain to someone why he had allowed someone else “by dispensation” something which appeared as a dismiss from an obligation to follow a command of God, he said to him, “The jackass which kneels under a load he is carrying needs to have the load lightened so that he may stand up on his legs and proceed. There is no need for you to add to the burden.” Most likely, he meant that our brother to whom he made an exception was burdened, the unfortunate one, either through weakness or from a heavy load, and so his burden needed to be lightened so that he could walk upright in order to be saved. Relative to this, another monk from Mt. Athos, the well-known Fr. Paisios said, “A spiritual father gave penance to a young person to eat at the ninth hour, according to monastic terminology, in other words he was to eat once a day after three o’clock in the afternoon.” The young person, after some time, could not endure this and not only did he disobey the penance but he also abandoned the Church. What was the benefit of such strictness?

g. “To a soldier you give weapons not take them away”

During another instance the Elder said to one of his spiritual children who could not understand why he had given different advice to another one of his spiritual children, “To the soldier who fights the enemy, we must give weapons not take away those that he has.” He meant with that the method used is an unusual way of doing things and the weapons with which that brother of ours is struggling are unusual for his salvation but now we cannot tell him this because it will be like taking away the little that he has which appear to be inferior spiritual weapons and in this way he will be defeated by the enemy. We must give him the right rifle at the right time to use and take from him the old rifle with which he is struggling.

In relation to this, he narrated the following story: On a moonlit night a shepherd was praying on the mountain and was saying: “How much I love you God for having made all this beauty. How I desire to be in your house to tidy it up, to sweep it, to cook for you, to bring you milk, to take care of you” and other things. It happened that a monk was passing nearby who heard him and wanting to correct him said to him, “What is that you are saying my dear man! Does God have need for you to cook for Him and for you to sweep for Him?” And he left. The shepherd fell into depression because he did not know what else to say. He got down from his rock and the unfortunate one was thinking: What more can I do for God since He does not want me to sweep for Him and to cook for Him? When the monk arrived at his cell, he heard the angry voice of God saying to him, “Why did you worry my servant with those things that you said to him? Go and tell him that what he was saying was good.” And so he returned and found the grieving shepherd and he said to him, “I was joking with you, my dear man. What you were saying was good. Continue as you were speaking.” And so the shepherd came alive and his heart leapt for joy because God accepted his offering.

h. “If you want to become perfect… (Matthew 19:21)”

The word of the Lord to the rich man of the parable “if you want to become perfect go and sell all your possessions and give them to the poor” means that this is not a compulsory commandment of God just like “do not kill” but advice for the person who desires perfection. Therefore, there exist at least two roads, the road of the perfect ones and the road of the rest. But also each one of those roads has many other paths so that all can journey toward salvation.

Just as Fr. Paisios of blessed memory, who is one of the most renowned Elders of Mt. Athos said and as we read in the works of the Elders and other books of the fathers “there are many interrelated ways to God”. There is the first which is the perfect one but for those who cannot do it or do not want to do it that way, there is a second and a third way and so on. “God wanted that thing to be a water jug. You broke it. Make it at least into a pot for plants” said that monk. And St. Basil the Great who does not approve of a second marriage said that marriage is preferable to unbridled adultery. The hermit, in the book of Elders, said to his visitors who had told him that they could not turn the other cheek that they at least can forgive and pray for the perpetrator, the person who slapped them. And when they said to him that they could not even do that, he said to them at least do not return the act. And when they said to him that not even that could they do, he said to his subordinate: “make some gruel for them” (thin) meaning that they are sick. There exist certain limits.

Abba Isaac beautifully gives the following advice: “If you cannot see the other person’s sins as your own and accept on his behalf the punishment and the embarrassment at least endure them and don’t embarrass him. And if your heart cannot be quiet, at least may your tongue be quiet. And if you cannot straighten out your thoughts, at least put your senses in good order. And if you cannot be alone in your thoughts, at least be alone physically. And if you cannot work with your body, at least be sorrowful in your heart. If you cannot stand throughout a vigil service, do the vigil sitting on your bed or lying down and if you cannot eat once every two days, at least fast until the afternoon. And if you cannot remain hungry until the afternoon at least avoid overeating. If you are not a saint in your heart, at least become pure in your body. If you do not grieve in your heart, at least grieve with your face. If you cannot be merciful, speak as a sinner. If you are not a peacemaker, do not become a troublemaker. If you cannot work quickly and with enthusiasm, at least become tireless in your feelings. Aren’t you victorious? Do not be high-minded towards the defeated ones. If you cannot control the mouth of the person who slanders his neighbor, at least have nothing to do with him.”

i. “Do not judge people based on a few commandments but on the basis of all the commandments”

Elder Porphyrios did not separate out one rule from Holy Scripture and from Holy Tradition in order to base himself on it to resolve a problem but he always respected the totality of the commandments of God. In addition to this, he did not base himself only on as many circumstances that were known but he would take into consideration the whole psychosomatic condition of those concerned, for he “discerned” with the Grace of God. So the solutions that he gave could have been and usually were different according to the specific person. They were solutions that would propel that person toward something better than where they were, neither beyond nor below their strengths. That which always superseded everything else was the salvation of man which is the greatest goal of creation. This is the reason for the Incarnation of the Son of God, not literally keeping of the commandments, (which kill) but commandments lived according to the spirit which gives life. For example, the laws of God are known, “increase and multiply” and “do not kill.” It is also known that medical science has proven that a woman usually can endure safely up to four caesarean sections. If a woman came forth who had four children through caesarean section and it was medically determined that if she has a fifth child, it is most likely that either she or the fifth child will die in doing this leaving four children orphaned along with a widower, what would the Elder say? First, of course, he would see with his power of discernment if the danger of death for the mother was certain or hypothetical. And if “he saw” the danger did not exist, he would not advise her to forego the fifth pregnancy. But, on the other hand, if “he saw” that the danger was real, it does not appear to us that he would approve the many sufferings that would follow in order to follow a rule because that rule is not the only one in the Church. Neither is it the most important of all.

And here are the rules all of which are required to be followed:

1) You will not murder anyone (neither yourself nor the embryo).

2) You will not avoid conception.3) You will not divorce your spouse.4) You will not deny yourself to your spouse without mutual consent.

5) You will be responsible for the upbringing of your children.

6) You will not test the Lord your God.

7) You will not commit adultery neither will you force someone else into adultery.

If then we say that the woman cannot bring herself to have a fifth pregnancy, she will be forced to honor the second rule knowing that God ordained that rule. She will be concerned about the other rules. Maybe she will violate the sixth rule because she demands from God some kind of support for this decision. While this same person is aware of the danger and later she is likely to violate the first rule, if the fifth embryo is not born alive. Or if because of the fifth pregnancy she and the baby might die. As a result of her death she will leave her three other children orphaned. And if on the other hand she tells her husband that she will no longer have intimate relations with him to avoid pregnancy, this would violate the fourth rule. And this also may violate the seventh rule and the third rule, depending upon how her husband objects to her decision

That is a small example of how difficult it is for someone to give answers and why Elder Porphyrios many times said, “I will tell you another time” or why he did not give an answer directly but after prayer.

It is evident that it would have been another answer if the couple, not only with words and deeds, would accept to endure living apart. And there would be another answer if one or both of them could not accept this solution with peace, perseverance, love and simplicity.

I consider it helpful to add at this point a specific excerpt from the book “My Elder, Gabriel Dionysiatis, 1886-1983” by the late monk Theoklitos Dionysiatis, , an edition of ASTIR, pages 208-210. The blessed Gabriel had a great deal of experience as a spiritual father. The recently deceased monk Theoklitos writes about him:

My Elder, as I had indicated, had broad experience and he was fatherly, overseeing through the ascetic work of a Spiritual Father the healing of souls from different sicknesses of sin, coordinating the application of the canons with discretion along with the love of man. In his recommendations to the spiritual elders, amongst other things, for different cases of avoidance of pregnancy, he writes the following which is worthy of our attention:

The warmest recommendation of the spiritual father should be “do not sin again.” If with the help of God and with his experience he manages to succeed in this “it is directed to the mouth of Christ.” That is true repentance for him who confesses. This is a great benefit for the Church. It is a great success for the spiritual elder. But amongst the many circumstances are also the particular ones which bring the Spiritual Father to a difficult position, to a real dilemma.

I will bring to you some proof of this even though I believe that the same has also happened to many brothers. People come to confession, especially women, worn out, drowning in tears, not able to express themselves through their sobs. After being reassured by the spiritual father they take courage, acknowledge that they have five or six children but because of financial worries, they were forced to throw away, that is to abort one or two children, and they continue to be careful, I do not know how, from having others. What can the unfortunate spiritual father say in the face of such a dilemma? I do not know how the other brothers handle these circumstances. For me, the moment came when I confessed publicly. It happened that I recommended to a woman to give one or two of her children for adoption. Her crying escalated into wailing “how can I give them up, my dear Father? How do I know where they will end up and who will take them?” I emphasized the seriousness of the sin which falls upon the parents and the children but especially on the mother. I recommended strongly that the problem be left to the care of God but the answer was negative. “If you insist father that I have other children, I will be forced to turn to adultery. There is no other way for me to care for them. My husband cannot feed more with his small daily wage.” In that case, I told her, there is nothing else for you to do but to avoid relations through prudence. “For me”, she said, “with all my heart, it will be spiritual salvation for my soul and my body but I fear that my husband will turn to evil ways and things will get worse, I and the children will end up in the streets.”

I bent my head before the Head crowned with thorns in the icon of Christ the Bridegroom and prayed to Him, whatever You desire in Your divine Greatness toward “the woman caught in adultery.” Towards her he said, “You may go now, my daughter, be concerned to at least make them good Christians. Send your husband here if you can, maybe I can better come to an understanding with him. But if he does not come, be mindful not “to throw away” another child. How you will do it, may God enlighten you. You will not receive Holy Communion for at least one year since your last abortion and may the Lord have mercy on us.

That evening I narrated the circumstance to His Holiness, the Ecumenical Patriarch with obvious sorrow for both of us. And when I asked, “Your All Holiness did I do the right thing?” he placed both of his blessed hands on my shoulders, as it is usual in intimate moments, and with a palpable voice said, “that is the way God enlightened you” and two tears rolled down his venerable face. I do not know whether or not they were for the atonement of my mistake or for my lack of experience. But I have the feeling they meant the affirmation of my judgment and approval.

The Apostle of the nations has a place for me when he says “our compassion is known to all people.” I believe that a small divergence from the rule of the canons in the case of the families with many children “will be thought of with justice” from the all compassionate God. Besides this Saint Basil the Great, the strictest of all the Fathers of the Church says, “repent every way possible but do not delay in your effort.” How will abstinence from Holy Communion for a long time help when it is not accompanied by the pain of being denied this sacrament? Yet, on the other hand, I believe a compassionate condescending response with the understanding that it is given for his repentance, will have a greater influence and get positive results.

The situation of the prodigal son, who consumed his father’s inheritance with harlots, wasn’t it damning? But yet after his return, the father ran to embrace him and falling upon his neck kissed him and he slaughtered the fatted calf in his honor.

The strict application of the canons is applied to those pitiful situations which according to the prophet “they boast in their sinfulness.” in which they should be ashamed. In these issues, the spiritual father condemns their arrogance and insensitivity, and they bring disrepute to the sacrament of confession.

The Orthodox Church weighs every circumstance with all the given facts. It allows in certain circumstances that a certain holy canon or a commandment of God will not be applied with exactness in order to save the person from a greater evil which could be the violation of another greater commandment. It is the known circumstance of the clashing of responsibilities. But according to the dispensation of the Church, a solution does not create a canon because it is specifically a personal solution.

It is because of this reason that it is a mistake for some women who say that Elder Porphyrios recommended that they have only four or five children. If he allowed for some women, according to the dispensation of the Church to stop at four or five children that does not mean that he recommended the same for everyone. The mother, for example, who writes the text of a book with the title “Remembrances of a Mother” on page 285 of this same book, writes the note that she had seven children and later gave birth to another one, this is a total of eight. Some mothers, with the counsel of the Elder, had even more children.

Here are some real life circumstances of transgressions of the law, see the book of G. P. Arvanitis The Transgressions of the Law, 2nd edition, 2003, pages 50-72.

A mother lives in a bad environment in an apartment house with five children and she is showing signs of nervous exhaustion. This led her, in accordance with what the discerning Elder saw, to the breakdown of her endurance. This breakdown in turn could affect her other children. In this case, maybe he could allow her, according to the economy of the Church, to avoid the conception of a sixth child. Maybe this could be done for a certain amount of time in relation to her psychosomatic condition. What would be the benefit if she conceived and then aborted, in her spiritual opposition to the rules, or she miscarried using a medical procedure or she became emotionally unstable and left her other five children unprotected? This certainly does not mean that it is justified for every woman to use the excuse of maybe suffering from psychosomatic fatigue to avoid conception. It requires discernment and direction from a discerning person and if not a discerning person then from a compassionate spiritual father. But the easy solution to suggest that avoiding conception is forbidden is sometimes imperceptible and constitutes a heavy and unbearable burden. (Mt. 23:4 and Luke 11:46).

If, on the other hand, the weak woman mentioned above chose abstinence as the only way to avoid conception and this led to a divorce, the husband committing adultery, the breaking up of the marriage or the creation of orphaned children, would that be better than a solution given by dispensation? Would it lead her to humbleness? Would it intensify her love for her husband and for her children? Would it lead her to an acceptance of moderation or would it lead her to arrogance, thinking that she is not like other women but more virtuous than others because she can abstain when the others cannot?

We must repeat that Elder Porphyrios was not one sided. He did not judge based on one part of divine law neither did he take into consideration one side of the reality. He saw everything, he weighed everything and he offered council, specifically the right solution for a specific person at a specific time. It is known from biology that there are not two people who are exactly alike psychosomatically. We all know, for example, that everyone exclusively has his own finger prints. Accordingly, in the same way, he has exclusively his own persona. There is not another person in the world who is exactly the same. For this reason, advice that is given by a saint of God to a fellow human being does not apply indiscriminately to all people and especially not forever.

A few years ago, from amongst the well-known Elders of Mt. Athos, Fr. Paisios answered to people who wrote letters to him. At one time one of the recipients of his letters said to him that he saves his letters in order to read them again and he is helped. And the Elder urged him to burn them telling him in his inimical, likeable and joking way, “My blessed one, then when I wrote you it was Christmas and I told you to wear a coat, now when you read them it is summer and if you wear a coat you will be overheated!” In the same way Elder Paisios many times would say something which was true for a specific circumstance. We cannot take that and make it a general rule and an excuse for justifying our sins.

This position, this discernment, this enlightened application of the sayings of Ecclesiastes, “there is a time for everything,” does not mean the indifference and opposition of man to the rule of God which recommends a certain behavior. The canon is honorable. The commandment of God is holy but just as the Lord said: The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath. In other words, the laws of God, the mandates of God, have as a goal, the salvation of man and they serve that purpose. Therefore, they must be interpreted, understood and applied in this spirit and not blindly or with indifference for the result which undiscerning application would have. For example, we should not tell lies. But Saint Dionysios told lies in order to “save” his brother’s murderer. It was not allowed for anyone to eat the bread of the oblation but for the priest. But the Saint and Prophet David ate it and the Lord did not condemn his deed. The adulteress should have been stoned to death. But the Lord forgave her and advised her not to sin again.[5]

Solutions according to the Church dispensation do not create a canon

This does not mean that the canon is refuted, that the law of God ceases to be valid, that each person can eat the bread of the holy oblation or that every woman is justified to think that she can sin because her adultery will be forgiven just as the adulteress in the Bible. That kind of thinking is a big sin. It is an “offence” towards God.

Let us add a great example. It is known that the holy fathers forbid celibate priests to cohabite with women unless they are relatives, for example, a mother or elderly women. But yet a contemporary saint during the time of the war, not finding another way to find shelter for a pregnant, unprotected girl whose husband was on the front lines, sheltered her for a length of time in his private room, dividing the room into two with a floor screen. He did this in order to save the child and the mother from many dangers overlooking his own danger of being badly characterized.

Therefore, the Elder always tested the hierarchy of the commandments of God. And he applied that mandate that was superior, which in a specific situation helped a human being to be saved. May we have, through his prayers the discernment which is needed for us to be saved.

THE END

AND GLORY BE TO GOD

1 For example, Kleitos Ioannides, Elder Porphyrios, Testimonies and Experiences, 9th edition; Anthony Tzavaras, Remembrances from Elder Porphyrios, 11th edition; Constantine Giannitsiotis, Close to Elder Porphyrios, A Spiritual Child Remembers Him, 5th edition; Anthony Kalliatsos, Father Porphyrios, 6th edition; Agapios the Monk, The Divine Flame Elder Porphyrios Lit in my Heart, 4th edition etc.

2 For example, Monk Nicodimos (Bilalis) Elder Porphyrios, The Prophet of the Age, in the magazine Families of Many Children, issues 56,57, December, 1992, March, 1993, pages 3 and 17 correspondingly; A. M. Stavropoulos, Three Years Later, the magazine, The Pastor, volume MG/1994, page 392; Archimandrite Gouvali, About Elder Porphyrios the Discerning One, in the newspaper, Ecclesiastical Truth, pages 339/16,12,91 340/1-16/1/92,341/1.292 etc.

3 Similar confrontation is seen in the book, “Thoughts for the children in the Orthodox Church”, by Sister Magdalene, published by the Holy Monastery of St. John the Forerunner, Essex, 3rd edition, pages 109-111 or 2nd edition, page 91

4 Ecclesiastes is one of the books of the Old Testament.

5 See instances where the law was violated for some higher purpose in the book by G P. Arvanites.” The Transgression of the Law.” 2nd edition, Athens, 2003, pages 50-72.

Table of Contents

PROLOGUE

A Notebook from my Encounters
with Elder Porphyrios

These are the notes
of Markiani Notarias

BIOGRAPHY

How he went to Mount Athos

The First Year

The Handiwork

Communicating With Prayer

Why He Left Mount Athos

How He Became A Spiritual Father

The Secret of Confession

How He Stopped a Bad Habit

It snowed on mt. Athos. The Elder feels cold in Athens

You are where your spirit is.

DIALOGUES WITH HIM

When your Enemy Swears at You

You must be obedient

About the Prayer

I Release You from Your Obedience

I Will Listen To You

Divine Grace and Joy

Remembrance of forgotten thoughts

He explains things to us so that others will listen

A spiritual father is a doctor filled with love

You should love mystical things. Do not display a sense of uneasiness before your children

The Issue of Identity Cards

We should also pray for evil people

You can acquire holiness in Omonia Square

My Joy Was to Visit the Elder

About death

Mystical Communication

The Holy Trinity Loves You

The Soul is the place where the battle of good and evil takes place

PASTORAL

How He Brought Together a Divided Family

A Visit of Hindus

Avoid Para Psychological Experiments

A Meeting with a Murderer

The Shepherd who took his blankets

DISCERNMENT

He tested the water below the surface of the ground

The healing of a cancer stricken person

Telepathic Diagnosis

He sees from a distance the blossoming thyme

A Spiritual Presence

MIRACLES

A miracle

The Immediate Healing of a Hand

The Miracle of Prayer

MIRACLES AFTER HIS FALLING ASLEEP

An Invocation and an Immediate Healing

THE VISIT OF MRS. E.

The return of a soul

The Visitation of the Holy Spirit

About Egotism

About the Fragrance

NARRATIONS FROM A RELATIVE OF MINE

If you have a problem, phone me

You will become a mother

Come dear one, it is a cyst

The unfortunate little girl

Bad circulation

Where are you Elder?

Christ today is in your home

His sudden appearance after his falling asleep

Deliverance from a dangerous friend

His services

Memories of a Nun
about Elder Porphyrios

Miraculous Experiences
of the Spouses Th. and V.

This is a recording between S. (speaker), Th. (a female teacher)
and V (her husband who is a doctor)

RECORDED CONVERSATION

My Acquaintance with Elder Porphyrios

His Great Love

Preparation for the Wedding

The Healing

The Causes of Sickness

The Straightening of the Nose

Assistance in the Pregnancy

How I was freed from the tumor

The Child is straightened out

Recommendations for Prayer

Healing the Child of a Urinary Tract Infection

How the Child Spoke

Healing of Urticaria

The Second Child is born

Pedagogical Advice

Personal Discussions and Change

How I came to know Elder Porphyrios

He teaches without many words

Did you get married?

With Father Paisios

Did We Win?

Spiritually present at the Wedding

Advice for the Married State

After his Falling Asleep

About Anonymity

THE NARRATION OF A MIRACLE

Miraculous Memories
from Elder Porphyrios

From the couple
G.G and O.G.

AN AUDIO RECORDING OF A CONVERSATION

The Search for the Elder

The First Encounter

Spontaneous Confession

The Diagnosis of a Sickness

Caesarean Section and the Removal of a Tumor

Quickly to the Elder for Help

After Leaving the Hospital

The Complaint and the Explanation

Miraculous Interventions

The Rejection of the Stone from the Kidney

He sees the Property

The Healing of M.

He confesses that it is a miracle

Registering Memories

Pappouli, a Joyous Child

A Place of Divine Power and Prayer

A Suggestion of a Priest, “we should say things that are beneficial.”

He sees Ancient Things; He sees them with his soul.

Why does the person who is helped want to hurt the person who helped them?

Choose a job through which you will help people

Pappouli is close to us even now

A FEW OTHER THINGS OF ALL THAT I REMEMBER

Daily Experiences of the Gifts of Elder Porphyrios

Visiting the Drillings of Kalamo

A Meeting at the International Exhibition in Thessaloniki

His interest in aromatic fragrances

Therapy through fragrances

About Astrology

There is Pulsating Life Around us that we do not see

The Fear of Night

Race Car People are mixed up

Advice which applies to each person differently

Remembrances
of a Mother

Miraculous Cures

Letters
For Elder Porphyrios

Supplement: Different Circumstances
Justify Different Advice