Three Fathers

Following is the translation of a cassette. The translation
was made for two reaons: to help my understanding (my
Greek is not terrific) and hopefully, perhaps more
importantly, to provide some spiritual strength to my
brothers and sisters in Christ.

It should be stated from the outset that this tape has
made quite an impression on me, and I hope and pray that you
also gain something from reading the following translated
script.  It proved to me, that
even in these times of apostacy, God has kept his promise
and will not leave his faithful.

The tape recording is in the form of a conversation between
a Greek theologian and a radio commentator (who, i
should add seemed to be very much in the Faith.  It seems
this conversation was originally taped on a religious
program.)  My intention was to keep as close to the original
as possible.  Regretably, the recording is of poor quality
and I at points I cannot understand some words being said.
At other times, my poor Greek fails me.  Although at these
times I cannot give a precise translation, I try to give the
overall meaning.

What I have provided here is fairly close to the
original.  Most of this is a direct translation into the
English language.  I have added nothing of my own except for
some padding (always bracketed either to extend on some
point that may be alien to non-Orthodox, or to convey the
human expression being used at the time eg (laughing)).

One will also appreciate that in any conversation, cross
talk will occur.  That is when both people talk at once.  When
this occurs some words are lost altogether as I cannot make
out what is being said.  In such cases I have also included
short sentences in brackets to inform the reader that the
translation may be missing something.

The translation has been divided into three sections,
corresponding to each Father being discussed.

The death of
these three fathers, has been regarded in Greece as a
tragedy.  All died within the space of two months in
late 1991.

Father Gerasimos: reposed in the Lord 7.12.1991
Father Jacob: reposed in the Lord 21.11.1991
Father Porfirio: reposed in the Lord 2.12.1991


NOTE: All typos are mine, sorry :)


Please take note of the following points
******************************************

I use the initials NS for Mr Nikolas Sotiropoulos
(theologian) and RC for the radio commentator.

Geronda (Gerondes - plural) - an affectionate term
used for monks, meaning elder.

I believe the Russian (Slavonic) equivalent is
Starets (pardon my spelling, there should be a z in there
somewhere.)

Patera / Pateres - (Father) termed used for both Priests and
Monks alike.

Papouli - affectionate term meaning Grandfather.  Used for
both monastics and clergy.

Kyrie Eleison - Lord, have mercy.
******************************************

(Father Gerasimus of Little Saint Anne (Mount Athos))

RC: Many years to you.  In todays programme we have with
honor and happiness, a person who is known to all of us,
Mr Nikolas Sotiropoulos - theologian and philologist.  For Mr
Nikolas Sotiropoulos we dont have to introduce him to
you as he is well known.

I would like to thank NS for having the kindness to come to
todays programme and I would like to make the first
question regarding the Fathers who reposed recently. I have
read Mr NS, in an Orthodox paper, that mentions the Fathers,
the Great (Mega) Fathers, Father Porfirio, Father Gerasimus
of Little Saint Annes (Mount Athos) and Father Jacob.  I
would appreciate then if you could give us a brief talk on
these great figures who ... shone in the Church in these
eschatological times.

NS: I would like to thank, Mr (Dimitri) Xantirolopi, for your
friendliness at this radio station, and give a brief
message to the beloved listeners, a good year and overall to
have this new year as a year of repentance and salvation.
Especially I would like to hope that our Martyric nation
is not tested (by God) with a war for our foolishness.  And
if God does allow a war because of our disrespect and
unrepentance, if He could protect as much as possible, this
Martyric place.  I have written an article, as you have
mentioned, about the Fathers who slept just recently.  Three
wonderful Gerondes, where I had the chance to meet these
three wonderful Gerondes: for a bit Father Gerasimus
of Little Saint Annes (Mount Athos), quite a bit for Father
Jacob and more, a lot more, for Father Porfirio.

RC: A bit about Father Gerasimus (questioning)...

NS: Father Gerasimus was a Monk on the Holy Mountain (Mount
Athos).  I met him the year before last when I past through
the Holy Mountain...  he had a great gift of the Holy
Spirit..  he was a hymnographer... he never studied at
university... he never learnt the ancient Greek language...
but he wrote wonderful hymns and many services of Saints in the
ancient Greek language.  He is the hymnography of the Church
of these days... I could not believe this phenomenon.  I
have studied philology, ive studied the ancient Greek
language but I am not in a position to write hymns and
services of Saints in the ancient Greek language...

RC: And he has not written just one hymn...

NS: Many canons and many hymns...

RC: Over a hundred eh...

NS: Yes, yes, yes... many hymns and many services.  I
made a question to Father Gerasimus:

"Geronda" I said "how do you write hymns and canons
in the ancient Greek language. Have you studied the
ancient Greek language?"

The Geronda laughed lightly and said:

"No my child I have not studied..."

(Then I asked)
"How do you write them then, I have studied and I can not
write a hymn in the ancient Greek language.  Perhaps I could
have written one if we lived in ancient times and used the
language"

(Geronda answered)
"My child nothing is impossible to the Holy Spirit..  Did
not the Holy Spirit enlighten the uneducated fisherman
(apostles).. and they learnt all the languages and spoke in
all the known world?  The Holy Spirit enlightened me, a humble
one, and it enlightens me to write the hymns and services "

I remembered, Mr Dimitri, a similar situation, with an
uneducated nun - Abbess, in a monastery in the Attic.  She
also wrote hymns in the ancient Greek language, even though
she has not even finished primary (grade) school!  And a
female teacher of philiology asked her:

"Gerontisa (female equivalent of Geronda), how did you write
hymns in the ancient Greek language...if you have not
studied"

(Gerontisa answers)
"Yes my child.. one day I was sitting and a light breeze was
blowing.. it was summer.. and the whole place filled with a
pleasant smell (myhr)... and words and phrases came to my mind in
the ancient Greek language.. and I wrote them down... this
is how I wrote the hymns..."

The Holy Spirit all the gifts it provides, and wherever it
wants it goes (stays)!  And when it enlightens the
uneducated it is an even more wonderful / miraculous effect
of the Holy Spirit.  This is what was happening with Father
Gerasimus of Little Saint Annes... he wrote so many
wonderful hymns and canons because the Holy Spirit 'breathed'
(dwelled) in him.  The Holy Spirit knows all the languages
and and contains all Wisdom because it is God.  The Holy
Spirit always provides.  In the first church, the church of
the Apostolic Age, the Holy Spirits gifts were richer, more
self evident, mainly because it was the start of
Christianity.  So that the foundations of faith may be
strong, God gave many gifts, which are talked about by the
Apostle Paul.  These gifts have not disappeared, they exist
in this present age.


ASIDE: I heard that one year after his memorial, there was a
very large gathering of both laymen and clergy to celibrate
Father Gerasimus repose.  In fact so many people turned up
that the monks where worried that the food prepared for the
visitors would not suffice.  After making supplication to
Father Gerasimus, the food prepared not only sufficed for
that day but lasting for three whole days after that!

(Father Jacob)

Father Jacob was a frightning ascetic.  Skin and bones from
his ascetic labours.  With bread and water he lived, some
herbs.  He did not eat meats, like we eat, or the
(appeatising foods).  He was like John the Forerunner, who
we shall celebrate in a few days time.  The demons used to
scream, from the possessed persons:

"Jacob!, Jacob! You skin and bones! Your burning us! Your
burning us!"

RC: Did you find yourself in such a situation?

NS: I met a monk from the Holy Mountain who had demonic
problems.  I heard about his miraculous healing and he (the
monk) reiterated (told me what I heard was true) all that i
had heard when I met the monk personnaly on the Holy
Mountain.  He had a frightening demonic situation.  Not
just psychological problems!  Psychological problems are one
thing but demonic situation another.

RC: He was possessed by a demon in other words.

NS: Yes, he was possessed by a demon and was frightfully tortured
(tormented).  And from the Holy Mountain, they brought him
to Eubeia (a place in Greece), at the monastery of the Osios
(holy, sacred) David, where the Hegoumenos (abbet, spiritual
father) was Father Jacob.  Even though he always strickly
fasted, the days when they bought the possessed person, from
the Holy Mountain eh!; he fasted even more strictly and the
demon came out.

RC: I have heard...

NS: This monk was made well, Father Nicholas was his name.
This made a large impression on me, the therapy (made well)
of the possessed.  For they took him from the Holy Mountain
eh! to Eubeia so that this famous (excellent) ascetic could
make him better.

And only to look at him, you realised that he was a great
ascetic and a Holy man.  His person (face) shone.  Once a
family I know came from Cyprus and we went together to the
monastery, and we visited him.  This family had with them a
little boy.  When we came out of the church where we had been
accepted by Father Jacob, the little boy said:

"This papouli (affection term meaning gradfather which is
used quite often for older monks/priets) smells very nice!"

RC: Have you had a personal experience when you smelled this
essence.

NS: Yes; one time it happened to me the humbleone , that I felt
(smelt) this essense coming from all his person.  I had
heard before but I had not felt (smelt) before.  But this
year, God found me worthy, and I felt this essence pouring
from his person; and I remembered the Apostle Paul when he
says "We are the essense (smell) of Christ."  It is a
phenomenon that occurs in the church, in Orthodoxy; that
even the Holy Relics of the Saints smell.  There might be
one person choking on this smell and another not feeling
(smelling) a thing, even when both of them are faithful.
These are mysterious occurances, the spiritual and
miraculous smell.  Not
the physical smell, that is sensed by everyone.  Some people
who attend places of veneration, they choke on this smell;
without having a sense of what is a Holy Relic.  And another
person might not feel a thing even they he is a pious
(believer).  An unbeliver might even smell, so that he can
become emotional and repent and turn into a Christian.  I
regard this phenomenon, where the saints smell during life
and their Holy Relics, strong point for our Faith.

This does not happen to dead persons
who are unbelievers, worldly / cosmic (part of this world, not
spiritual), heretics, from other regilions.  They have not not
this phenomenon where the Saints whole bodies
are preserved like Saint Spiridon, Saint Dionysios, Saint
Gerasimus.  Or when their bodies do break down, they do not
have the phenomenon when their Relics (bones) smell or are frightful
to demons and take out demons in possessed persons, cause
miraculous healings.

RC: And they have this yellow color... (Holy Relics?)

NS: Yes.. various phenomenon occur...  One situation where a
HeiroMonk (total of honor given to a monk).. place a Holy
Relic of Saint Trifona on the head of a possessed person.
Oh! The possessed person went upside-down (wild), the demon
of course, who was inside the person.  He jumped, shouted,
groaned: "Trifona your burning me, your burning me!!".  The
demon knew whose the Saint of whose relics were being rubbed
on him.  I become upset because, the people are frivolous
(superficial), preoccupied (bias), foolish who dont examine
the proof of our Faith.  If they examined the proof of our
Faith, there would remain only a few bad, demonic people.
The larger population I believe, would belive in Christ, and
in Christianity, and would have been saved.  But the people
do not believe in these things, neither do they believe when
we speak of such things.

Father Jacob had the gift clairvoyance.  He saw.  He could
talk to you and he could tell you your name, where you had
been, your problems....

RC: During confession he could tell you your...

NS: Yes, yes, yes... he could tell you your sins.. he saw
the sins you had... he use to wait until you would say them,
and if you were having troubles confessing, he would say:
(laughing)

"Maybe this too..."

He used to say these things by questioning, with manners, so
that he would not embaress you...

RC: Sorry to interrupt you, but it made an impreesion on me
what was told to me by a monk.  When he had gone to
confession, Father Jacob used to kneel and the confession was
done while kneeling.

NS: You can not even start to imagine how humble a soul he
had.. I glofify God that I met him.. I went many times to
the monastery, he loved a lot the sermon, he use to put me
up to do the sermon during the Liturgy... it made a large
impression on me his Faith and his simplicity.  He had the
simplicity of a small child.  All Saints are simple people,
they have this heart, simpleness of a child, it happens to Saints
that which Christ said, that If you dont go back and become
children, you cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven.  But
Father Jacob had a very simple heart.  People used to love
him for his childish simplicity.

RC: He did not know what shorts meant.

NS: Yes, (laughing) he used to ask me "What does this mean,
what does that mean".  He was not of this world.  Now we are
saying things Mr Xantirolopi, that if there are believing
people...

RC: They are the granduer of our Faith.

NS: ...they beleive.., if worldly people here these things
they will say:

"What are these people saying... are there brains alright!?"

These things are impossible, unbelievable, that happen with
the Saints that we have trouble saying to the masses, so
that they dont think we are crazy.  Yes.

RC: So we can say... Come and See...

NS: Yes exactly... I, in situations of the unbelievers, tell
them to go to places of worship wher miracles occur, so that
they themselves can see and believe, so that they can go to
fathers who have (spiritual) gifts so that they may believe,
to churches where exorcisms are made so that they can see
demonic phenomenom... unexplainable physical and human things,
that fall outside the laws of nature.

There are people who have gone, who were once unbelievers
and then believed.  Do you know what they were saying later
on:"We thought that these were fairytales of the priests...
Oh oh... how far we have fallen".

This is the way we live.  In a world that does not know and
does not care, has many prejudices, that holds the people
away from the Faith.

I will say something now about Father Jacob.  Father Jacob,
that the monks used to say about him: "Many miraculous
phenenomom occur with the Geronda.. especially in the last
times..".  There are about ten monks, all elite (chosen)
Fathers at this Monastery.  I said "Let me hear".

They said "He smells (of essence) alot, and many times.
Sometimes you would be looking at the Geronda on your right,
turn to the left and he would be on your left!".

RC: A worldly person told me this... They went to the
monastery one summer and saw the Geronda at the botton of a
hill, they said "Weve come to see you Geronda" and he said
to them ... "Go and i'll see you soon".  When they got there
he was already there!

NS: Yes, yes this.. this..

RC: They were asking me: "How is this possible Dimitri?"

NS: Yes, this I have heard too.  And it was told to me by a
scientist actually.  I found this very strange.  But to
these strange things, even the Bible refers to.

What had happened, was that he was riding some animal, going
to commune some sick person.  And two people had met him on
the road.  They saw that he was going somewhere away from
the monastery and they said:

"Geronda... we came specifically to the monastery to see
you"

"Good, my children", he said, "go... I will go Commune
a sick person and then I will return to you"

They with their transport went to the monsatery,
and he went on his way to
Commune the sick person.  When they went to the monastery
(laughing) they found him at the monastery!

A teacher I knew who knew Father Jacob, had heard about this
miraculous phenomenom, and she had the courage (nerve) to
ask the Geronda say that he could tell her about it.  But
she was embarassed and she said it indirectly, saying
"Geronda, ive heard once about an ascetic, Geronda who ...
(she reiterates the story here)
... "

The Geronda laughed, saying quickly
"Good, good, good I know this Geronda, I know him"

He was very humble... he did not want you talking about his
person, he always said:

"Have faith in God, children, Have faith in God, Have faith in
God".

He talked often with Osios (Divine) David (I think this reposed Saint,
had lived three years of life in a tree).  And also with Saint
John the Russian.  He had great respect for these two
Saints, miracle working Saints.  And people used to say to
him:

"Father, we here you speak with Osio David and with St John
the Russian"

And I heard the answer with my own ears

"My Children!  All is possible in our Faith.  You too; every
faithful person can talk to the Saints.  As long as you have
faith in God.  Have faith in God, dont doubt!  Christ is all
powerful!  Our Faith is alive and true!  Have faith in God!
Have faith in God!"

These words were always said by Father Jacob:
"Have faith in God!"

RC: And Osios David, say many faithful, used to walk around
the monastery.

NS: God presents his Saints... the Saint might be in one
place and God might present him in another place.  Such
occurances are stated also in the Bible.  These are not
unbelivable things.  To a God that created millions or
billions of galaxies, and governs all, nothing is
impossible!

A God who created everything out of nil, nothing is
impossible.  All powerful is God.

He had the gift of claivoyance (foreseeing) and the gift of
healing.

He had great respect for St John the Russian.  One day he
saw St John the Russian absent from Larnaka.  His incorrupt
relics are
in Larnaka, his a great miracle worker.  And Father Jacob
saw Larnaka empty / unoccupied (not under the protection of
the Saint?).  Father Jacob did not see tent (covering) of
the Saint in Larnaka.

RC: Before a long time did he see this?

NS: No not before long... And he hesitated, and later on he
saw St John the Russian, like a living person, among the
people.  Then St John the Russian, turned towards Father
Jacob, and I heard this straight from Father Jacobs mouth,
two, three times, and he told me specifically and to the
believing persons he told it to, so that he can show us that
sufferings are in stall for us.  Anyway he saw St John the
Russian among the people, and turning towards Father Jacob,
he said:

"Jacob you are worried and wondering why you do not see me
in Larnaka.  I dont rest.. I run constantly among the people
so that I can help them, but the people are unbeleiving and
disrespectful, and unrepentant.  And those who come to
worship in my church, most of them their faith is small... and
they come without respect"

You see them going now with shorts, both men and women,
going to worship, there where you (should) feel fear...

St John said "Few are the faithful"

"Jacob", he said to him three times:"The people will not
correct themselves, they do not repent.  A war has to occur!
A war has to occur! A war has to occur!"

RC: You heard this with your ears... (questioning)

NS: I heard this with my own ears (from Father Jacob)!
 and I heard it two, three
times.  One time, Father Jacob told me specifically:

"My child, suffering is install for us"

He told it also to other persons.  And one more time when I
visited the monastery he told me again.  I heard it three
times with my ears, from Father Jacob.

RC: On this topic, I had played a tape that Father Jacob had
given to me.  And this was heard by many people.  It said
because we are accustomed to the easy life, we have praise
(pride), and ...

NS: Yes we dont wont war... who wants war?

RC: Yes, and a situation arouse, where people were asking
who is this Father Jacob, be Father Jacob was saying on this
tape

"A war has to occur! A war has to occur!"

which was told to him by St John the Russian.

NS: Yes, yes, yes...

RC: The important point here is that we have you also as a
witness on this point.

NS: Yes, and do you want to here another witness?

RC: Yes.

NS: At Nea Makri (a place in Greece) at the Attic, at the
famous (excellent) relics (place of worship) of Saint Ephraim,
Osios (Holy) Ephraim.
There the Hegoumene (abbess), who is a very spiritual
person, heard from Saint Ephraim:

"I will do many miracles"

Becaues he does many miracle Osios Ephraim...he is very much
a miracle worker, he resembles (spiritually) St Raphael of
Mitilinis.

"I will do many miracles"

the Saint said when he showed himself whole, and in person
to the Hegoumene

"I will help many people, before the sufferings come!...
...before the misfortunes (calamities) come"

I heard this repeatingly also with my ears, from the
Gerondisa (abbess) of Osios Ephraims at Nea Makri.  She is a
very spiritual person, and it was to her that St Ephraim
appeared.  He was buried for about 500 years, and the Saint
showed her the place where he was buried.  She had dug at
this site, and they found his relics.  He does many miracles
Saint Ephraim.  For sure, taking into considerations the
writings, and the prophesies of the Fathers, because we dont
repent, sufferings are in store for us....

And I would like to say something Mr Xantirolopi, about the
'sleeping' of Father Jacob... he also cured the sick, cancer
striken...

RC: half a minute.. if I am permitted to interrupt you.. i
have heard from a Heirach, unfortunately I am not allowed to
say his name, that Father Jacob had told this heirach, he is
part of the Episcopate of our Church, that he had
been to 'the Third Heaven' and he told him his experience
(that he had there)

I will try, in another program so we can have a direct
witness from the most reverand Heirach, on this experience of
Father Jacob...

and you have you heard about such things?...

NS: I have not heard of these things..

RC: has he told you something of his spiritual life?...

NS: no..no.. and I did not ask him because I know that the
Saints miraculous things occur..  I dont have doubts about
these events even of such a grand nature that the
unbeleiving and wordly people dont listen when they here
such phenomena.. I have not heard about this but does not
Scripture say that Paul was lifted to the Third Heaven,
heard ineffible verbs...  this is nothing to the Saints..
the Saints live in a 'sphere' which we should be jealous of,
from which we can only feel and understand a fraction of.
We should not be jealous of any person apart from the
Saints.  The Saints are the worthy persons that we should be
jealous of.

I would like to say something about the end of Father Jacob.
Before his death he sent a monk to be ordained deacon by the Bishop.
And he told the monk and some people with him:

"Return quickly so that you will find me alive."

They went, he was ordained and as soon as they returned,
Father Jacob said:

"Has Father Ierotheus (may be some other name) come yet...
has he returned?"

"Yes he has", they said.

Straight away he gave up his soul.  Thousands, not hundred,
thousands of people gathered at the mountain where the
monastery of Osios David, where the Hegoumeno (Abbot)was Father
Jacob.  And for hours the people worshiped.  And it did not
seem that a funeral was about to occur, or that it was a
time of mourning.  But it seemed like a time of happiness,
and the people proclaimed (sang) the Christos Anesti (Christ
has Risen).  I remembered a phrase of my spiritual father,
Bishop Augustinos of Florina, who told us want:

"That the death of a Saint is Glory...Glory and happiness"

I was not at his funeral... I was at Cyprus... the days
when Father Jacob slept... a few Christians rang me saying
that Father Jacob had slept... I felt some sadness for all
three Fathers... Father Porfirio, Father Jacob and Father
Gerasimus...  and many Christians felt like they were being
orphaned from these important Fathers... many said:
"We have become poorer"

RC: Yes we have become poorer...

And many said

"what does the death of all three Gerondes mean... one death
after the other... God is collecting them in his kingdon so
that they dont see the sufferings and calamities that are
coming"

many were saying such

RC: so that we can rest ourselves and so that you can also
rest.. we have a taping of Father Jacob.. so that we can
hear a little of his voice.. he mentions with great respect
your name...

NS: have you a recording of something have you?..

RC: Yes.. we can here it so the listeners can here it to..
and then we can continue...

NS: very good, very good...

RC: We will here Father Jacob at a talk he gave.. of course
we will not here all of it.. so that we can just hear his
voice...

NS: excellent...

RC: here it is...

FATHER JACOB: ...we will say a prayer and cross the child at
this point where the child had pain, the child immediately
became well...  they did surgery on him but they did not
have the troubles they thought they would have... not even
cancer he had... they had performed surgery after 24 hours,
then they said that
"This child has cancer ... and will die" I went to the boy
and he told me "Father I dont want to die of cancer.. I dont
care that they have cut up my body...I want to get married
and have children"... with the crossing we made and the
grace (gift) of the prayer of Saint David, the child stayed
there for a while and it was not cancer... always the prayer
makes things solid... I said dont worry "St John the
Russian will help you, Pan-Agia (All Holy - title for the
Mother of God), " and every thing shall turn out fine and it
did.......

(the recording is very bad in this area... but Father Jacob
goes on to say the God tests us to test our Faith...
the person who is sick recovers however...)

"we should always pray... be close to God and He shall help
us..."


(Father Porfirio)

RC: this is of course Father Jacob.. we have not included
all of the talk of course... but you have also met the
foreseeing Father Porfirio...

NS: Yes with Father Porfirio...

RC: If you can tell us...

NS: With Father Porfirio I was associated a lot more
closely...

I had heard for many years about Father Porfirio,
miraculous, unbelievable things... but I did not give much
attention to these things... I regarded these things as
exageration... because around people, spiritual gerondes
fame and thrill came about... I regarded them as
exagerations... but they werent at all exagerations!...

One day I recevied a call from a colleuge, a theologian, he
was an Orthologist... a total unbeliever however.. if you
talked about miracles, miraculous events he laughed, made
fun of...

RC: And he was a theologian...

NS: Yes, yes.. he was a theologian...
... he was good, serious but very unbelieving..

RC: The miracles in them days, not in these days eh...

NS: Yes.. (starts to laugh) Father Porfirio later told me,
that about this theologian:

"Vagelis, when he used to first come to see me, he used to
look at me with an inquiring glance, like he was a
policeman."

RC: (laughs)

NS: (continueing)

"He studied me, I saw and with the disposition with which he
neared me, his disbelief..."

And Father Porfirio laughed while he was saying this... This
orthologist, this unbeliveing theologian, he rang me up one
day and the telephone sounding very moved (touched)...

"Niko", he said to me,"I've met a miraculous Geronda... a
great soul, very gifted.... you have to meet him as well...
I have benefitted a lot... ive changed my ways... ive turned 180
degrees..."

RC: You had met him yet?

NS: "Who is this miraculous Gerondas, Vangelis?", I asked him.
"Its Father Porfirios" Vangelis told me.  I said, "Ive heard
for many years about this miraculous Geronda that your
talking about but I regarded what I heard as exagerations"

"Its not at all exagerations" Vangelis told me, "I have
personal experience... I went to see him with some teaching
workmates... I was knocked out (amazed)... miracles
happened.. I saw these things with my eyes... I cant explain
it to you how great a man he is... you have to meet him"

I then said to him,"Vangelis, I regarded these things as
exagerations, but since you told me these things when you
use to make fun of such things , then I believe what you
have told me totally"

I went with him and another christian to meet Father
Porfirio, and from the first day I met him I saw a
miracle...

RC: Could you tell us...

NS: Yes i'll say it... Father Porfirios asked a person who
was with us and also had acquantices with Father Porfirio,
"Have you got a car?".  The man said,"I have"
"Lets go to a drive to Halkida... I have to see a certain
person there", Father Porfirio said.

We went to Halkida, we stopped the car at a public square,
and he spoke with the person we came to visit, in the car.
At a certain distance from the car, in the public sqaure
there were caravans which was
full of French tourists... We saw fire.. we thought that it
might have been a bonfire...it wasnt that though... the
Gerondas, at the corner of the public square, he started
shouting at the driver, "Fire, my child, we have get away..
take the car so we can get away...".

The thing was that he was facing the other direction... he
had seen the fire with a vision, with the Gift... he said,
"Fire my child". The driver said,"What fire?".  The Geronda
said,"Theres a fire in there".  The driver answered,"Its
probably a bonfire".  "What bonfire," the Geronda
answered,"its a gigantic fire".

Well, us the foolish ones, the teacher and I, we were
stading outside a caravan and looking.  Then we saw large
flames.  Dumbfounded, we just sat there and watched.  They
were throwing clothes on it to stop the fire but nothing
happened, the fire just got bigger.  At the end, before the
fire engines turned up, the fire exhausted (was put out).
The fire finished and it didnt spread any more.  We later
determined that we had been in great danger.  We were very
lucky we were not finshed off.

The Gerondas had seen the fire and the danger, even though
he was looking in another direction and he prayed that no
one would get hurt.

RC: And no one was hurt...

NS: After a some time, I asked the Geronda,"That day that we
had gone to Halkida and the caravan caught on fire, and then
it went out, was that a miracle?"

"Yes, my child it was a miracle, God saved us and he saved
the other people"

We were saved as well, and we were looking at the fire
dumbfounded.

That same day, a miracle of prohpesy occured.  As we were
returning from Halikda, it was March, a beutiful sunny day,
God Blessed. the driver said, "Geronda, tommorow im free to
come and help".  They were working at the monastery,
building.

"No dont come tommorow", the Geronda said.
"Why not Geronda, tommorow im free to come?, he asked.  He
wanted to go help at the monastery for free you know, a
faithful person.
"I told you not to come", the Geronda answered.
After a while, the driver asked again,"Geronda tommorow that
I am free im going to come and help"
"I told you not to come!!".
Three, four times he asked him, then he asked "Why cant i
come Geronda, I told you im free tommorow".
"Tommorow", the Geronda answered,"its going to snow in this
area".

I listened to wait the Geronda had said, and when we were
leaving the Monastery I said, "Whats this the Geronda said its
going to snow".  It was a beutiful day, God Blessed.

"Whatever the Geronda said, thats whats going to happen",
they answered me.

What I said to them, its going to snow tommorow?!  The next
day in that area it snowed!

RC: Yes...

NS: Whatever he used to say, always happened. I recognise
many situations of his gift, his clairvoyance, from personal
experience.  From others as well, friends, relatives that
asked me and I sent them to Father Porfirio, so that he
could help them with their problems... so that they could
ask for help.

RC: Tell us a few because there are many unbeliving people
out there....

NS: I will tell you of personal experiences... He saw your
thoughts, problems, sins, good and bad things, sicknesses...
all he saw...  Once I had become quite sick, I had very
traumatic pain... I asked the Geronda to pray for me... the
Geronda knew of the sickness which I had and he told it to
the person who I had rung... The Geronda said, "From that which he
ate yesterday, from that his suffering from"

RC: The doctors used to say at the Athenian clinic, he went to for 35
years, that he knew the cause and reasons of all his sicknesses

NS: Yes he knew all of that.  These things sound exagerated.
If someone is an unbeliever he would say what is this man
talking about.  Even I regarded some things exagerations.
But they werent at all exagerations!

When I got better, I went to see the Geronda to get his
Blessing, I was hurting a bit, but only a tiny bit and I didnt
worry about it, because it was minute compared to the
unbearable pain I passed.  I said, "Geronda.. I want to
thank you for the prayers you said for my situation".

He asked, "Are you alright"
I said, "Im fine"
He asked, " Are you hurting?"
I said, "No im not in pain".  I was in pain but I regarded
it only as small so I didnt say anything.
He asked, "Your not hurting"
I said, "No im not"
He asked,"Not at all"
I said "No, not at all"
"Come here", he said to me.  He pointed to an area around my
stomach and said,"At this point arent you hurting".

RC: (laughing)

NS: I said,"Im hurting a bit"
"Why dont you say it then?" he said,"I can see it, at this
point your hurting a bit"...

RC: like a doctor...

NS: Another time I had a pain in my left hand for 2-3 months i
got a bit upset.  And when I went to him... he was blind in
his last years and he could see but he saw with the Gift...
He said to me,"Come here, come here...".  Even thought i
told him I was hurting on the left hand, he showed me a
place on my back... "Here", he said, "isnt there something
here.. its from there.. from there"

He told me to do an ascesis (fastings, prayers ect), and it
left me...

Well, another time three, four girls came to see him, but
indecently dressed... before he went blind... I knew him for
a long time... some twelve years now... these girls were
half naked...and I had become wrathful inside me against
them... I was saying to myself that here when we come here, we
feel fear when we come and see this Geronda... I was saying
they come with such an unbuttoned appearance to see the
Geronda... I became extremely upset not only with them but
even with Father Porfirio that he did not tell them off... i
became scandalised in other words... what, I said to myself,
the Geronda a Saintly man, he should have told them off...
inside me I was saying this things.... I didnt say anything
though...

RC: you didnt express these things...

NS: no, no..  but I was boiling on the inside (laughing)

well... when the Geronda finished his conversation with the
girls and they left, the Geronda turned around and looked at
me and said (lovingly)," Mr. Niko...".

"Speak Geronada", I said to him...

"I'm not as strict as you are..." the Geronda said

RC: (laughing)

NS: I said,"What are you talking about Geronda, you are more
stricter, greater and more spiritual than all of us..."

"No, no .. im not as strict as you are..."

"Why are you saying these things Geronda...", I said to him.

"Ahh you see these girls came here half naked.. and you see
I didnt tell them off"

RC: (laughing)

NS: (laughing) In other words he knew all that I had
become scandalised with and all the upsetting things with my
spirit...

RC: what did you say to him then...

NS: what I said.. I became embarassed... he sees
everything.. well then he said," I have other tactics, if i
had told them off, they wouldnt have listened to me because
they are wordly girls.. slowly, slowly I try to bring them
to the Faith in Christ and when they believe in Christ then
slowly, slowly they will realise their mistake and they will
correct themselves... if I had told them to correct
themselves they would not have listened to me... thats the
tactic I have"

Once I thought of something and he told me my thought.  And
I sad to him (laughing) "Geronda we cant hide anything from
you"... He laughed lightly saying "Eh eh.. the gift of God,
the Gift of God".

He saw the attack of the Aitolean (Turkish) in Cyprus

RC: Before it happened?!

NS: Yes, the day it happened... He was at the Holy Mountain
(Mount Athos) at that time... He verified it to me later
on..  I had heard about it and I asked him and he verfied
it...  He was with a Cyprian... He said to the Cyprian, "You
the Cyprian mark (draw) the shape of Cyprus"  The Cyprian
roughly drew the shape of Cyprus... The Geronda then said,
"At this point in Cyprus at this time the Turk has
invaded!"...  Yes.. Well... I heard about this and I asked
him and he told me, "Yes my child... God had shown me this
misfortune"... Yes..

I took, one day, a manager of a bank to him.  He had
problems with his family.  And I said to him that I would
take him one day to Patera Porfirio... so he can advise you,
so he can help and pray for you... well...  the Geronda held
him for half an hour... his situation were very serious even
though Father Porfirio was very sick, he had many sicknesses
and suffered much, he held the people who went to him and
advised them...

When he came outside from the Kelli (room / cave) of father
Porfirio he said to me,"Who is this man??!!"

I said to him, "Whats up Mr. Spiro".  He told me,"He
unfolded me... He tore broke me down... The Papouli made
nails out of me" (laughing)

ASIDE: Made nails out of me is a Greek saying used when
your so amazed or shocked by what someone says that you
cannot answer back properly...

(The above passage is hard to translate into English... The
man (Spiro) is saying that Father Porfirio knew everything
about him without knowing him)

RC: (laughing)

NS: (Mr. Spiro continueing)

"He told me all my secrets... all my problems... my wifes
problems... my childrens problems...  this man sees
everything ", he told me.

Once I spoke in Canada... Very generally and vaguely, I said
that today there exist Saints and miracle workers... "Here
for example", I told them, "I know an ascetic in Greece".  I
didnt tell them his name.  "One Christian woman, a coworker
went to him, who had cancer which was very advanced.  She
had become freightened.  The Geronda said to her, 'come let
us pray together for five minutes'.  Well they prayed
together and he then told her, 'Dont me scared, you will
become well'"

RC: Did she get better?

NS: She had been going to the AntI Cancer clinic in Pireas,
at Metaxa... and the doctors came... they had done an
operation but not for her to live but to prolong her life...
the cancer was very advanced... one day the doctor in charge
came to her astonished and exclaimed, "Mrs Mihalopoulou"...
this was her name... "what happened with you... could all of
us doctors have been so wrong... have all the machininery
were have here made errors."  She said,"Why?".  He said to
her, " were done so many tests... You dont have cancer!!!".

(laughing) The last tests were clean.

"No you werent wrong, doctor" she said.  She knew what had
happened, that she had cancer... but she was a believing
woman... she had faith and courage to confess her faith...
when in a discussion some people would oppose our faith...
she used to take word and defend the faith...  She said," No
doctor you havent made a mistake and the michanes didnt
make errors... I had cancer as you had diagnosed... but
before I came here for the operation I went to an ascetic,
who is a saint and a miracle worker, and we prayed together
for five minutes and he said to me not to be afraid because
I would get better."

Penelope Mihalopoulou, a coworker of mine.  Once I took
another Christian coworker to him.  Andrew Biangi was his
name.  He lives in Daphni, Athens.  So he could meet Father
Porfirio and get his blessing.  His a very faithful man.

Father Porfirio said to hime," Here in this region on your
head I see something".  "I dont feel anything Geronda",
Andrew said.  "I see something here", Father Porfirio
repeats.  "No Geronda, I dont feel anything", Andrew
replied again.

After four years it was diagnosed a sickness.  A cancerous
tumour in the head.  His visiion started to blur, he had dizzy
spells.  He went and had tests done: cancer.  He went to the
doctors and they advised him to have an operation.  I said
to him, "Well go to Father Porfirio so he can cross you"

(make the sign of the cross over him)

We went to Father Porfirio.  It was that which Father
Porfirio had seen before 4 years... He explained to him in
doctors terms his situation (illness)!

(At this point the theologian states the words which Father
Porfirios says.  Due to my lack of knowledge in both Greek
and medicine, I am unable to provide a good translation.
The theologian does not even understand what the Geronda is
saying).

Father Porfirio says, "Here the situation of the (certain
medical terms..."

It was the first time I heard these words (terms).  It was
the first time I had heard these words.  Have you heard of
these medical terms?

RC: No... and he only did school to grade 2!! (primary
school)

NS: He explained his illness in medical terms... yes.. he
was only finished grade 2!  He explained his illness in medical
terms... in terms used by the medical profession..  this
astonished us...

Andrew then asked, "What do you think Geronda.. should I do
the operation in England or here in Greece?"

"Better outside", Father said to him," but even here if you
have the operation you will get better".

RC: Ah so he told him...

NS: Yes he went to the Euaggelismo Hospital and the
operation was performed by Kavroulis.. a doctor there...
and fell into a coma for 17 days.. a living dead man... his
children didnt want to go into the room to see him... "Our
Father looks like a corpse.. we do not want to see our
Father like this...", the children would say.
They didnt want to see him.  He
showed no signs of life.  He stayed in this situation for 17
days.  (laughing) Now we call him 17-day Lazarus.  Well the
doctors left him because they thought he would die.  When his
wife said to them, "Dont any of you care", one indifferent doctor
there said, "Well then, wont some of them die.  Is everyone
going to get better?!  Some of them will die!".  Some
doctors are very harsh.

Well, some of us there had a spiritual (psychological) shock,
because Father Porfirios said he would get better.  We went
to him and said, "Father Porfirio, Mr Andrew is not at all
well... hes like the living dead... how many days now".

Father Porfirio just laughed and said, "Good, good, you
should pray as well, you should pray as well".  On the 17th
day it was in fact St. Andrews name day, which is celebrated
on the 30th of November.  An heiromonk went there with a
holy relic and crossed him, just in the air.   And as soon
as he crossed him, he moved his head, opened his eyes and
made the first signs of life!!

>From that day he became better and he lives for 8 to 10
years.. I dont remember... its either 8 or 10 years now and
he lives...

Father Porfirio also had the gift of foresight (prophesy)...
he saw what would happen after a period of time... and he
said it... one very moving situation is with a small
child...  The childs parents bought the baby so Father
Porfirio could bless it... When Father Porfirio saw the baby
he asked the parents a question, "Is the child baptised?"
"No", they answered the Geronda.  "How are you going to name
it when you baptise the baby?", the Geronda asked.  They
said the name.  He takes the baby from them, holding it in
his hands and he lifted it three times in the air.  As if he
were playing with the child.  Later he gave the child back
to its parents and said to them, "Well, dont be worried, you
are both still young.... you will make other children!".

The parents neither understood or paid any real attention to
the words the Geronda told them.  After a few days the child
choked, and then died.  Then, the parents thought of the
words the Geronda said to them and they went to him asking,
"Geronda why did you ask us if the child was baptised, and
you took it in your hands, played with it in the air and
asked for its name and you told us dont worry, you are still
young people, you will have other children?"

"My children", the Geronda said, "I saw that the child would
die and I prayed fervently to God within myself so he could
grant you the child.  But Christs decision was irrevocable.
Thats why I took it and gave the child and aero-baptism"

(aero-baptism are performed always when the childs life is
in extreme danger.  If the child lives the priest will then
complete the baptism.  For a aero-baptism to be valid, the
person baptising the baby must be Orthodox)

This child was the first to be buried in the cemetary of our
father Porfirios monastery.  Its a new monastery near in the
region Orofou, near the town Milessi.  There, there is being
built an enormous monastery.  And the little child was the
first to be buried in the cemetary.  The first dead person
buried there.  About 30 people, with much emotion, bought
and buried the little child there.

Well... we can bring up many situations.  Once, my brother
went to see Father Porfirio.  The Geronda held him for about
20 minutes.... My brother told me later, "This man told me
all secrets.. even the secrets that only God and I know! ...
only God and I..."

I took another person, my nephew, to see Father.  The
Geronda told him the phrase that my nephew says when he gets
upsets.  The Geronda said to him,"Kosta, when you get upset,
do you say this phrase...".  "Yes Papouli (Grandfather)",
he told him.

The Geronda even knew the phrase that he used to say when he
used to get upset.

Father Porfirios cured an innumerble amount of people.
There where I said that... I have strayed from the point i
was making before about Montreal, Canada.  That even in
these days there exist saints and miracle workers... I know
an ascetic who cured a lady, a fellow co-worker, of cancer...
Well then, a certain mother who had her child sick from a
cancerous tumor in the head... she wasnt at the talk I made,
but she learnt from another person that there exists a
certain ascetic in Greece who cures sick people...  Anyway, she
rang me from Montreal and said," You have talked about a
certain ascetic... who is he that cured this person with
cancer?!"  I said to her, "Porfirios is his name".  She
said, "I beg you... Please go tell hom to pray for my
child!.. he has a cancerous tumor!  And tell him... if it is
necessary, we will bring the child to Greece so he can cross
it!"

RC: Very faithful..

NS: Yes..  Anyway, I went to Father Porfirio and I said the
name of the child... He then lifted his hand and crossed the
air... But he didnt say anything about whether the child
would get better or not...  "Geronda", I said to him, "these
people form Canada asked if they should bring the child here
so that you could cross it?"  "No, my child", he answered,
"God is does not have problems with distances... He is
present in all places.. He is all powerful... If he wants
the child to get better then he will make the child better
there... The distance is far and the expences are large,
dont let the people trouble themselves..."

I saw that this mother was very upset when she rang again...
That time when I went to father Porfirio I gave him this
name..  I had given him many names...  And I gave him this
name too... And he used to cross the air as I used to say
their names...  Anway.. after a short time, they rang me
with great joy from Montreal, Canada exclaiming, "This child
is cured!!... and the doctors are amazed"... Yes .. the
child became better..

RC: Glory be to God...

NS: Once, when I returned from Australia... well... "I saw
you... I saw you.... I followed you while you were there in
Australia", he use to say to me.  Another time he said to
me, "Im follow you, I follow you".  Anyway, I brought him a
list of names of Christian people there in Australia... And
I told him,"Geronda... I will read the names and you will
say Kyrie Eleison (Lord, have mercy) for every name (laughing)"

RC: (Laughing)

NS: Anyway.. many times I refered to him names of many
people who were hurting, or had problems, or who had various
dramas... Anyway, in this list there would have been about
30 names... when I finished, he said to me, "What type of
person is Gerasimus?".  This is among the 30 people on the
list... there on the list was also the name of Gerasimus.
"He is", I said to him, "the most active Christian zealot
who does much apostolic work"... I said this.... he said,"A
person in pain, a good person and in much pain".  He saw
these persons (with the Gift).

Once a woman came from Montreal, Canada who had 10-11
children.  A very good Christian.  Anyway, she took out a
photo of all her children and she showed the Geronda.
"Good, good... a blessed family... many children...
blessed.. joy", said Geronda.  "Do you want me to tell you
your favorite child", he said to her.  From the photograph
with 10-11 children on it, he said, "Is this your favorite
child?".  Joyfully she says, "Geronda, you got it right!
This is my favorite child!".

When I went inside later, he said to me, "This lady is very
good... a good Christian... I told her which her best child
was, with the Grace of the Holy Spirit that God showed me,
so that her faith may be strengthened".  I said to him that
she left with much emotion when she left.

Anyway, Father Porfirio did innumerble miracles... Does this
seem unbelievable (exagerated)?   I would also have considered
it exagerated if I had not seen people and places.  The
scenario: a plethora of people... a place of worship his
place was... there could be 10 to 15 cars outside (his
cell)...

RC: Every day eh?

NS: Every day... and he suffered from many sicknesses and he
couldnt always talk to all the person who came to see him
for help...  but he used to pray for all the persons... he
told me, "I see all who come to me, and I pray for everyone
but I get upset that I cannot talk to everyone".  Many came
with their problems, without having spoken to him.  Simply,
they used to go to his cell, they used to kiss his hand and
then leave.

(The kissing of a priest or monks hand is a sign of respect
in the Orthodox church.  It is usually accompanied with the
phrase "Bless" or "Bless me" by the person kissing the
hand.  The priest blesses by making the initials of Christs
name with his right hand.  The position of the fingers can
be seen in Orthodox iconography.)

Many who were sick were cured, or their
problems went away without having spoken to the Geronda.
He was a miraculous person.

RC: And his phone worked a lot too eh...

NS: The telephone... from all over the world.. his phone
rang constantly... Hear how many sicknesses he had, he had
3-4 heart attacks.. When he was younger he was an eagle..
now in his old last years... well... in his 10 - 15 - 20 years
he suffered much... he had cancer... But you have to know
he asked for these sicknesses!  He had problems with his
kidneys, problems with his stomach, he had Gastrointeritus
many times... he neared death many times...  he was blind...
he was in much pain... but he never said, "Lord heal me"...
DO you want ot know what he used to say... although he cured
so many people, he himself suffered much and so from many
sickness.  "I am embarrassed to say to Christ to heal me...
I am embarrased", he used to say.  He considered it
embarrasing!  "And you shouldnt say for Him to heal me...
you should say, 'Lord, Jesus Christ, have mercy on your
servant Porfirio'", he told us.  "This is what you should
say, because I am the one who asked for these sicknesses...
a small sacrifice to show my love for Christ", he said.

He himself asked for the sicknesses so he could show his
love to God.

Many times he himself used to tell the doctors what was wrong with
him.  He used to say,"This and this is whats wrong with my
stomach.  Internally this is what happened and this is the
conequence and this the cause".  He himself used to see the
sicknesses he had.

He did many things with the Gift of the Holy Spirit.  Once,
in Athens on the radio I heard about teachers, doctors who
talked with father Porfirio.  They used to say, "The Geronda
used to say the last word".

He was a very pure person.  From a very small age he had the
Gift.  About 17 or 18 years old youth, he had this charisma
(gift), because he was a very pure person.  He was very
humble and obedient.  When he was a young monk he did
absolute obedients to his Gerondes.  He was a monk on Oros
(The Holy Mountain), at Evia.  He had much love for God.  I
told you that he himself asked to suffer from many
sicknesses over many years to show his love to God.

RC: He had much humility.....

NS: Yes to suffer for his love of God.. he had much
humility..  Once when I went to see him he said to me, "Mr
Niko you need to be hit (punished)"

RC: Why...

NS: "But I am sick and unable to hit you.", he said.

I asked, "Why Geronda?"

"Because... I have learnt that you have been talking about
me..", he answered.  He found out that I had been talking
about him.  "You have been impressed that God has given me
some charismata (Gifts)... and I do some miracle... these
things should not impress you... the Gifts and the miracles
are not mine... they are Gods... I have only my sins... and
I am scared that maybe the Lord will punish me... HE gave me
the Gifts and the miracles and the power to do miracles
so that maybe I become emotional and become good... because
I am not good...", he said.

Listen to what he was saying!

"Maybe I become emotional and turn good... but I have not
turned good... do you see waht it says in the bible...
'Lord, Lord... did we not in your name prophesy, and signs
and miracles we did... But the Lord says I dont know you'...
this is what I am afraid will happen to me...", he said.

Once he corrected me, so that you can see how humble and
what a polite spirit he was.  He corrected me on a talk i
made.  Anyway, after a few days when I went to see him he
said sadly, "Mr Niko, I asked your forgiveness".

"For what reason should I forgive you Geronda?",
(perplexed) I asked.

"Well, I made a remark on your talk... me an uneducated
person, made an observation to a scientist (meaning the
theologian here)... well I shouldnt have done this so please
forgive me", he answered.

RC: (laughing)

NS: "You should have done it Geronda", I told him, "and i
heard with pleasure your remark and it was correct... and i
will correct that which you have observed in the talk... and
I regard it as a blessing that you recommended it"

Various person came from overseas so that they could see him
and hear a spiritual word from his mouth.  But he didnt talk
to them... for a long time they all sat but the Geronda said
nothing...  then one of these people said to him, "Geronda,
we came from so far away so that we could hear some
spiritual words from your mouth... tell us something
spiritual...".

The Geronda stopped his silence and said, "My children what
can I tell you... I am upset because I haven't loved God as
much as I should be"

I am upset because I havent loved God as much as I should
be!

RC: The saints have reached such humility that they see
themselves worse that everyone else.

NS: Yes thats correct...

RC: With the animals I have heard.... the animals understood
him and and on occasions have kissed his hands...

NS: Yes.. there various things that we have difficulty
trying to tell you... I will tell you one of these...

RC: Yes one of these... you should not have difficulty at
all, we want to know what you have seen...

NS: I dont have a problem with you because you are in
the faithful person.. and you do not find it difficult to
accept these things...

RC: We have also had similar experiences with these type of
Gerondes

NS: I dont now about my listeners (audience), this hour, how
many listen with faith and how many listen unbelieving...

RC: The message we are giving is that there still exist
these type of Fathers... these three great ones have gone...

NC: We still have Fathers and we will always have fathers...

RC: ...and we will have... whoever doubts...

NS: There will always be faithful and saints and
charismatics* and miracle workers... The Lord Lives... and
the Church lives...

ASIDE NOTE: Charismatic in this sence refers to the Saintly
people who God has found worthy of gifts.  This should in no
way be misunderstood as those deceived individuals who
think they can acquire the Holy Spirit and speak tongues
just by the laying of hands.

RC: And whoever doubts... all they have to do is look and
they will find..

NS: I encourage and take the unbeleivers, the orthologists,
the atheists to people and places where miracles occur, so
that they themselves can see... and if they have a good
heart they might believe...

RC: This is truly the message we are trying to give...

NS: (Laughing)  Once... in Ebia... in the country... he
(Father Porfirio) saw an eagle flying at a great height... a
very great height... and he asked the eagle to come down
low.. and he descended and stood next to him!

RC: And what happened next...

NS: "Eagle, eagle come down", Father Porfirio said.  The
eagle came down... the saints are like... like the period
before the Fall (of Adam)...where they could communicate
with the animals.. and the animals used to listen... the
same happens with the saints... in the life of Saint Sabba
(pronounced Savva) the Santified whose body is at the Holy
Places (Jerusalem)... it was returned by the Papists... and
his body smells of myrhh.. in the life of Saint Sabba, and
in other lives of saints, dont we read that the Saint who
had a lion in his cave and they lived like friends...

RC: Yes... we had said this at a previous talk with (the
saints name stated is unclear because of the cross talk)

NS: Yes that is another situation... when Saint Sabba left
from the monastery... the monks of the monastery kicked him
out... he was very strict... and the monks sadI to him,"
Your very strict.. we cant take you any more"... well they
thru Saint Sabba out of the monastery eh!  How the people
dont understand about the faith and the judgement of people!
Anyway... he went into a cave and found a lion in the
cave... he wasnt scared at all... Holiness enlightens the
creation just as it was with Adam bvefore the Fall... and
what did he say??!!... the lion roared and Saint Sabba
said, "Sit down, sit down... we shall share the cave... on
this side I will be and on that side you can stay"
(laughing)... they shared the cave.. and both of them lived
there...  How can worldly people beleive these things!?

I would like to say something about the end of Father
Porfirio..

RC: Yes.. and I would like to ask one question now if i
could?

NS: Yes

RC: There exist many examples of conversion... I was reading
in the periodical "The Action" that one of the biggest
actors of Holland, Tosos Zef (I think this is what he says
here) who became Orthodox from father Porfirio

NS: ah.. yes..

RC: And the Holland press came...

NS: there are innumerable, innumerable accounts..

RC: A few examples of conversation and then we'll speak on
his end...

NS: There are enumerable accounts...

RC: ...Like those which had an impression on you... People
who have changed...

NS: Yes... ok.. well, here in Patra I know a man... he was
of course a good man but... wordly.. he didnt have anything
to do with the church... well... he had a sickness and he
went one day with his wife in Athens... we went to father
Porfirio there.. he blessed them... and from that time he
said he didint have a problem... and from that time he
became a Christian zealot... a friend of the scriptures, of
our Lord, of prayer, of the monasteries... he lives another
life now...

There are many who have converted from Father Porfirio...
many have been saved...

I will say something... that has astounded me... this
charisma (gift) I havent even read in (patristic) books... i
am thinking like this... because we live in eschatological
times... the times before the coming of the anti-christ...
so that the few faithful may be strengthened in the Faith...
God has given us many signs and miracle workers in our
times.. one who studies see that many signs and miracles are
occuring in our days...

RC: Many miracles, many miracles...

NS: Well Father Porfirios, a man of 2nd grade primary
school, spoke to scientists (educated people)... with the
terminology they use in their field!!  to the biologist he
spoke with biological terms, to a doctor with medical terms,
to the chemist with terms from chemistry, to the nuclear
scientist in their language thank you very much.

Mr Frangos, who is a christian and a scientist in Athens...
he has written books and articles... when he went for the
first time to Father Porfirio... he is the head of a
committee of 30 scientists who are from all over the
world... he is an important scientist... his field is
physics, nuclear science...

When he (Mr Frangos) went to the Geronda for the first time,
Father Porfirio opened the discussion with themes in nuclear
science... Fr Frangos was astonished.. When he came outside
he asked the others, "Has the Geronda studied nuclear
science?"

The others laughed... He said, "Why are you laughing
for?... Has the PapoulI studied such things?".  Hows a
monk like him going to know such things...

They said, "The Geronda hasnt studied.. but he speaks in the
terms used by each scientist that comes to him... with the
charisma (gift)"

RC: With the scientist Kontopoulos which we have read, who
is involved with astronomy... Father Porfirio told him an
idea which he presented at a scientific committee on
astronomy...

NS: Yes he had that charisma (gift).

RC: And in actual the fact the whole committee was
astonished at this idea of Kontopoulos which was actually
Father Porfirios...

NS: Once... a metallugist whose child was sick asked if we
could go to Father Porfirio so he could cross it... we went,
he crossed the child, and it became better... but Father
Porfirio started a conversation with the Father of the
child...  the father of the child was irreligious.. a wordly
person... and he is still like that unfortunately...

Father Porfirio asked him, "What job do you do?".  He
answered, "Im a metalugist".  And Father Porfirio told him
the metals he worked with... "You work with this metal and
this metal".  Words which I was hearing for the first time.
Difficult terms of various metals.  It was the first time i
heard such terms.

He (the man) was astonised that the Geronda knew with what
metals he worked with!  The Geronda explained how he worked
ect... The man couldnt believe what he was hearing...

The Geronda said, "There at your disk, inside the drawer you
have a bible, Mr Eleftherios!.
"Yes, I have!", he answered.
"But you never take it out to read it!  You have it in your
drawer but you never take it out to read it!"

He came outside, with his head sunk to the ground in deep
thought.  He thought that religion was a fairytale of the
priests.  His father, the grandfather of the little child, a
religious man, told me, "My son Eleftherios, from the time
that he went to see Father Porfirio... its about a month and
his constantly contemplating...".

I asked, "Why's that Mr Kosta".
"Because, he thought that these were fairytales... and now
he contemplates", he answered.

Well, for 1 to 2 months he contempatled... but after he
again started the life of indifference...

RC: The same things...

NS: If the time of Grace does not come.. nothign happens...
I a man does not humble himself before God, if he doesnt
pray, if he doesnt ask for Gods mercy... then Grace does not
come...

RC: The end of Father Porfirio which was miraculous
because...

NS: Yes his end is very moving... Father Porfirios,
forseeing that his end would come... went back to the Holy
Mountain (Athos).

He said, "I want to go to the Holy Mountain, so that I may
die on the Holy Mountain".

He didnt want to die in the attic where he was staying... So
that he could avoid the people... the praise of the people
would give to him during his funeral...

He went to the Holy Mountain, and one day... he had a
synodia at Kausokalivia of five monks...

He said, "The time has come... Come let us pray because I am
leaving".

They prayed... he lifted his hands and gave up his spirit...
Like a bird gives up its breath... Like that very peacefully
he died... Before he died he gave a rule to the monks that
they invite no one at his funeral... to accept no one... and
to bury him facing the East.  He lived humbly and died
humbly.

Father Augustine, the Bishop of Florenes (in Greece), when
he heard of his death.. he rang to Athens... being very moved
he said, "The humble way in which Father Porfirio died,
avoiding every praise and honor from the people, at both his
death and his funeral, shows us again the Saintliness of
this person".

We used to say him, "Geronda.. if you leave.. we shall feel
like we are losing a great foundation of our souls"

"Well, when I leave, from heavens I shall help you more...
death doesnt exist.. for the faithful death does not
exist... What did Christ say... 'Whoever belives in me, they
shall not die but live eternally' (this is not a direct
quote).", Father Porfirio said.

If he ever heard us speaking of death he would get angry and
say, "What are you saying my child!  Death does not exist
for the Christian.. death does not exist!  Whoever is in the
Church and lives in the Church does not taste death... He
goes to a higher level and from there I will be able to help
you more".

He used to say, "The people regard me as a Saint... but im a
sinful man... and now when I leave I will go to the
heavens.. to God... im scared if God says to me, 'What do
you want here sinner!'... then I shall say, 'Lord, I am a
sinner'... the Lord will then say, 'But you belong in
Hell'.. and I shall answer, 'Wherever Your love places me...
wherever Your love places me... Let your will be done..'"

A very humble person... this is what the Saints feel.. these
are not words... this is actually how they feel...

RC: I would like to ask.... why God has given them so great
charismata (gifts)...

NS: Because he was very pure, very humble and had great love
towards God and man... he was a man of the Mysteries, of
prayer... when various people had problems... he used to
say, "Study the Bible.. so that Grace may come to your
souls... Prayer and confession... and Holy Communion".

I once asked the Geronda, "If the Anti-Christ comes
tommorow, the situation will be frightful...
will God gives us the strength to Matyr?"

"If we confess our sins, He will give us the strength", he
answered.

RC: Yes, confession is extremely important.

NS: I feel as if Father Porfirios has not died.. even after
his death I have been told that he has shown himself to
serious persons... his cell smells of myhr... many people
who have gone to his cell choked on the fragrance... people
who I know... the Saint is near us as all the Saints are...
and they help us... the righteous live eternally... (a quote
is taken out of the scripture from the ancient Greek which i
cannot understand)...

The Saints inherit the Kingdom of heaven... Great is the
Lord in His Saints... and He Glorifies his Saints... I say
Mr XantirolopI that one Porfirios or one Jacob is enough..
and more than enough to show that our Faith...
Christianity... Orthodoxy... The One Holy, Catholic
(Universal not Roman Catholic), and Apostolic Church... is
not a fariytale of the priests that the unfaithful and
atheists say.. but is the Truth... the True Faith.. and
shows that Christ, yesterday, today is with us and to the
ages of ages!


 ************************* The End *************************

Through the intercessions of Father Gerasimus, Father Jacob and
Father Porfirio, O Christ God, have mercy and save us.  Amen.

                        IC | XC
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                        NI | KA
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