On the Saints, Part VI

The Saints hear our prayers and are possessed from God of the strength to help us. The whole Christian race knows this.  Fr. Roman told me that when he was a boy he had to cross the river Don in the winter, and his horse fell through the ice and was just about to go under, dragging the sledge with it.  He was a little boy at the time and he cried at the top of his voice, ‘St. Nicholas, help me pull the horse out!’  And he tugged at the bridle and pulled the horse and sledge out from under the ice.  And when Fr. Matthew, who came from my village, was a little boy he used to graze his father’s sheep like the Prophet David.  He was no bigger than a sheep himself.  His elder brother was working on the other side of a large field and suddenly he saw a pack of wolves rushing at Misha—Fr. Matthew’s name in the world--and little Misha cried out, ‘St. Nicholas, help!’ and no sooner had the words left his lips than the wolves turned back and did no harm either to him or his flock.  And for a long time after that the people of the village would smile and say, ‘Our Misha was terribly frightened by a pack of wolves but St. Nicholas rescued him!’

And we know of many an instance where the Saints come to our help the moment we call upon them. Thus, it is evident that all heaven hears our prayers.  St. Silouan the Athonite