Wondrous is God in His Saints!
Pres. Candace
Canonization
of Two New Saints by the Ecumenical Patriarchate
http://www.omhksea.org/2013/11/canonization-of-two-new-saints-by-the-ecumenical-patriarchate/
November 27, 2013
On Tuesday, November 27, 2013, the Sacred and
Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate decided the formal inclusion in the
List of Saints of the Orthodox Church of elder Porphyrios of Kafsokalivia and
of venerable Meletios of Lardos.
Feast Day of Saint Porphyrios of
Kafsokalivia: December 2nd.
Feast Day of Saint Meletios of Lardos: February
12th.
Saint Porphyrios of Kafsokalivia
Saint Meletios of Lardos
Saint Porphyrios of Kafsokalivia
Photo of Saint Porphyrios of Kafsokalivia
His
family
Elder
Porphyrios was born on the 7th of February 1906, in the village of St. John
Karystia, near Aliveri, in the province of Evia. His parents were poor but
pious farmers. His father’s name was Leonidas Bairaktaris and his mother’s was
Eleni, the daughter of Antonios Lambrou.
At
baptism he was given the name Evangelos. He was the fourth of five children,
and the third child of the four that survived. His oldest sister, Vassiliki,
passed away when she was a year old. Today, only his youngest sister, who is a
nun is still alive.
His
father had a monastic calling but obviously did not become a monk. He was,
however, the village cantor, and St. Nectarios called upon his services during
his journeys through the area, but poverty forced him to emigrate to America to
work on the construction of the Panama canal.
His
childhood years
The
Elder attended the school in his village for only two years. The teacher was
sick most of the time and the children didn’t learn much. Seeing the way things
were, Evangelos left school, worked on the family farm and tended the few
animals that they owned. He started working from the age of eight. Even though
he was still very young, in order to make more money, he went to work in a coal
mine. He later worked in a grocer’s store in Halkhida and in Piraeus.
His
father had taught him the Supplicatory Canon (Paraklisis) to the Mother of God
(Panagia), and whatever else of our faith he could. As a child he developed
quickly. He himself told us that he was eight years old when he first started
shaving. He looked much older than he actually was. From his childhood he was
very serious, industrious and diligent.
Monastic
calling
While
he was looking after the sheep, and even when working in the grocer’s store, he
slowly read the life story of St. John the Hut-dweller. He wanted to follow the
example of the saint. So he set off for Mt. Athos many times, but for various
reasons he never made it and returned home. Finally, when he was about fourteen
or fifteen years of age, he again left for Mt. Athos. This time he was
determined to make it and this time he did.
The
Lord, who watches over the destinies of us all, brought about things in such a
way that Evangelos met his future spiritual father, the hieromonk Panteleimon,
while he was on the ferry boat between Thessaloniki and the Holy Mountain [Mt.
Athos] Father Panteleimon immediately took the young boy under his wing.
Evangelos was not yet an adult, and so should not have been allowed on the Holy
mountain. Fr. Panteleimon said he was his nephew and his entrance was assured.
The
monastic life
His
elder, Fr. Panteleimon, took him to Kavsokalyvia to the Hut of St. George. Fr.
Panteleimon lived there with his brother Fr. Ioannikios. The well-known monk,
the blessed Hatzigeorgios had once lived there too.
In
this way, Elder Porphyrios acquired two spiritual fathers at the same time. He
gladly gave absolute obedience to both of them. He embraced the monastic life
with great zeal. His only complaint was that his elders didn’t demand enough of
him. He told us very little about his ascetic struggles and we have few
details. From what he very rarely said to his spiritual children about it, we
can conclude that he happily and continuously struggled hard. He would walk
barefoot among the rocky and snowy paths of the Holy Mountain. He slept very
little, and then with only one blanket and on the floor of the hut, even
keeping the window open when it was snowing. During the night he would make
many prostrations, stripping himself to the waist so that sleep would not
overcome him. He worked; wood-carving or outside cutting down trees, gathering
snails or carrying sacks of earth on his back for long distances, so that a
garden could be created on the rocky terrain near the Hut of St. George.
He
also immersed himself in the prayers, services and hymns of the Church,
learning them by heart while working with his hands. Eventually from the
continual repetition of the Gospel and from learning it by heart the same way,
he was unable to have thoughts that were not good or that were idle. He
characterized himself, in those years, as being “forever on the move.”
However,
the distinguishing mark of his ascetic struggle was not the physical effort he
made, but rather, his total obedience to his elder. He was completely dependent
upon him. His will disappeared into his elder’s will. He had total love faith
and devotion for his elder. He identified himself completely with him, making
his elder’s conduct in life his own conduct. It is here that we find the
essence of it all. It is here, in his obedience, that we discover the secret,
the key to his life.
This
uneducated boy from the second grade, using the Holy Scriptures as his
dictionary, was able to educate himself. By reading about his beloved Christ he
managed in only a few years to learn as much as, if not more than, we ever did
with all our comforts. We had schools and universities, teachers and books, but
we did not have the fiery enthusiasm of this young novice.
We
do not know exactly when but certainly not long after reaching the Holy
Mountain, he was tonsured as a monk and given the name Nikitas.
The
visitation of divine grace
We
should not find it strange that divine grace should rest upon this young monk
who was filled with fire for Christ and gave everything for His love. He never
once considered all his labors and struggles.
It
was still dawn, and the main church of Kavsokalyvia was locked. Nikitas,
however, was standing in the corner of the church entrance waiting for the
bells to ring and the doors to be opened.
He
was followed by the old monk Dimas, a former Russian officer, over ninety years
old, an ascetic and a secret saint. Fr. Dimas looked around and made sure that
nobody was there. He didn’t notice young Nikitas waiting in the entrance. He
started making full prostrations and praying before the closed church doors.
Divine
grace spilled over from holy Fr. Dimas and cascaded down upon the young monk
Nikitas who was then ready to receive it. His feelings were indescribable. On
his way back to the hut, after receiving Holy Communion in the Divine Liturgy
that morning, his feelings were so intense that he stopped, stretched out his
hands and shouted loudly “Glory to You, O God! Glory to You, O God! Glory to
You, O God!”
The
change wrought by the Holy Spirit.
Following
the visitation of the Holy Spirit, a fundamental change took place in the
psychosomatic makeup of young Monk Nikitas. It was the change that comes
directly from the right hand of God. He acquired supernatural gifts and was
vested with power from on high.
The
first sign of these gifts was when his elders were returning from a far-away
journey, he was able to “see” them at a great distance. He “saw” them there,
where they were, even though they were not within human sight. He confessed
this to Fr. Panteleimon who advised him to be very cautious about his gift and
to tell no-one. Advice which he followed very carefully until he was told to do
otherwise.
More
followed. His sensitivity to things around him became very acute and his human
capacities developed to their fullest. He listened to and recognized bird and
animal voices to the extent that he knew not just where they came from, but
what they were saying. His sense of smell was developed to such a degree that
he could recognize fragrances at a great distance. He knew the different types
of aroma and their makeup. After humble prayer he was able to “see” the depths
of the earth and the far reaches of space. He could see through water and
through rock formations. He could see petroleum deposits, radioactivity,
ancient and buried monuments, hidden graves, crevices in the depths of the
earth, subterranean springs, lost icons, scenes of events that had taken place
centuries before, prayers that had been lifted up in the past, good and evil
spirits, the human soul itself, just about everything. He tasted the quality of
water in the depths of the earth. He would question the rocks and they would
tell him about the spiritual struggles of ascetics who went before him. He
looked at people and was able to heal. He touched people and he made them well.
He prayed and his prayer became reality. However, he never knowingly tried to
use these gifts from God to benefit himself. He never asked for his own
ailments to be healed. He never tried to get personal gain from the knowledge
extended to him by divine grace.
Every
time he used his gift of discernment, (diakrisis) the hidden thoughts of the
human mind were revealed to him. He was able, through the grace of God, to see
the past, the present and the future all at the same time. He confirmed that
God is all-knowing and all-powerful. He was able to observe and touch all
creation, from the edges of the Universe to the depth of the human soul and
history. St. Paul’s phrase “One and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing
to each one individually as He wills” (1.Cor.12:11) certainly held true for
Elder Porphyrios. Naturally, he was a human being, and received divine grace,
which comes from God. This God who for reasons of His own sometimes did not
reveal everything. Life lived in grace is an unknown mystery for us. Any more
talk on the matter would be a rude invasion into matters we don’t understand.
The Elder always pointed this out to all those who attributed his abilities to
something other than grace. He underlined this fact, again and again, saying
“It’s not something that’s learnt. It’s not a skill. It is GRACE.”
Return
to the world
Even
after being overshadowed by divine grace, this young disciple of the Lord
continued in his ascetic struggles as before, with humility, godly zeal and
unprecedented love of learning. The Lord now wanted to make him a teacher and
shepherd of His rational sheep. He tried him out, measured him up, and found
him adequate.
Monk
Nikitas never but never thought of leaving the Holy Mountain and returning to
the world. His divine all-consuming love for our Savior drove him to wish and
to dream of finding himself in the open desert and, except for his sweet Jesus,
completely alone.
However,
severe pleurisy, finding him worn down from his superhuman ascetic struggles,
caught hold of him while he was gathering snails on the rocky cliffs. This
forced his elders to order him to take up residence in a monastery in the
world, so that he could become well again. He obeyed and returned to the world,
but as soon as he recovered he went back to the place of his repentance. He
again fell ill; this time his elders, with a great deal of sadness, sent him
back into the world for good.
Thus,
at nineteen years of age, we find him living as a monk at the Monastery Lefkon
of St. Charalambos, close to his birthplace. Nevertheless he continued with the
regime he had learnt on the Holy Mountain, his psalms and the like. He was,
however, forced to scale down his fasting until his health got better.
Ordination
to the Priesthood
It
was in this monastery that he met the Archbishop of Sinai, Porphyrios III, a
visiting guest there. From his conversation with Nikitas he noticed the virtue
and the divine gifts that he possessed. He was so impressed that on the 26th of
July 1927, the feast of St. Paraskevi, he ordained him a deacon. The very next
day, the feast of St. Panteleimon, he promoted him to the priesthood as a
member of the Sinaite Monastery. He was given the name Porphyrios. The
ordination took place in the Chapel of the Holy Metropolis of Karystia, in the
Diocese of Kymi. The Metropolitan of Karystia, Panteleimon Phostini also took
part in the service. Elder Porphyrios was only twenty-one years old.
The
Spiritual Father
After
this the resident Metropolitan of Karystia, Panteleimon appointed him with an
official letter of warrant to be a father confessor. He carried out this new
“talent” that was given him with humanity and hard work. He studied the
“Confessor’s Handbook.” However, when he tried to follow to the letter what it
said regarding penance, he was troubled. He realized that he had to handle each
of the faithful individually. He found the answer in the writings of St. Basil,
who advised, “We write all these things so that you can taste the fruits of
repentance. We do not consider the time it takes, but we take note of the
manner of repentance.” (Ep.217no.84.) He took this advice to heart and put it
into practice. Even in his ripe old age he reminded young father confessors of
this advice.
Having
matured in this way the young hieromonk Porphyrios, by God’s grace, applied
himself successfully to the work of spiritual father in Evia until 1940. He
would receive large numbers of the faithful for confession every day. On many
occasions he would hear confession for hours without a break. His reputation as
a spiritual father, knower of souls, and sure guide, quickly spread throughout
the neighboring area. This meant that many people flocked to his confessional
at the Holy Monastery of Lefkon close to Avlona, Evia. Sometimes whole days and
nights would pass by with no let-up and no rest, as he fulfilled this godly
work, this sacrament. He would help those who came to him with his gift of
discernment, guiding them to self-knowledge, truthful confession and the life in
Christ. With this same gift he uncovered snares of the devil, saving souls from
his evil traps and devices.
Archimandrite
In
1938 he was awarded the office of Archimandrite from the Metropolitan of
Karystia, “in honor of the service that you have given to the Church as a
Spiritual Father until now, and for the virtuous hopes our Holy Church
cherishes for you” (protocol no. 92/10-2-1938) as written by the Metropolitan.
The hopes of whom, by the grace of God, were realized.
Priest,
for a short time at the parish of Tsakayi, Evia and to the Monastery of St.
Nicholas of Ano Vathia.
He
was assigned by the resident Metropolitan as a priest to the village of
Tsakayi, Evia. Some of the older villagers cherish fond memories of his
presence there to this day. He had left the Holy Monastery of St. Charalambos
because it had been turned into a convent. So, around 1938 we find him living
in the ruined and abandoned Holy Monastery of St. Nicholas, Ano Vathias, Evia,
in the jurisdiction of the Metropolitan of Halkhida.
In
the desert of the city
When
the turmoil of the Second World War approached Greece, the Lord enlisted His
obedient servant, Porphyrios, assigning him to a new post, closer to his
embattled people. On the 12th of October 1940 he was given the duty of temporary
priest to the Chapel of St. Gerasimos in the Athens Polyclinic, which can be
found on the corner of Socrates and Pireaus Street, close to Omonia Square. He
himself requested the position out of the compassionate love he had for his
fellows who were suffering. He wanted to be near them during the most difficult
times in their lives, when illness, pain and the shadow of death showed the
hopelessness of all other hope except for hope in Christ.
There
were other applicants with excellent credentials who were also interested in
the post, but the Lord enlightened the director of the Polyclinic. Humble and
charming, Porphyrios, who was uneducated according to the standards of the
world but wise according to God, was chosen. The person who made this choice
later expressed his amazement and joy in finding a true priest saying, “I found
a perfect father, just like Christ wants.”
He
served the Polyclinic as its employed chaplain, for thirty whole years and then
in order to be of service to his spiritual children who sought him there,
voluntarily, for a further three years
Here
as well as the role of chaplain, which he carried out with complete love and
devotion, celebrating the services with wonderful devotion; confessing,
admonishing, healing souls and many times bodily ailments too, he also acted as
spiritual father to as many of those that came to him.
“Yes,
you yourselves know that these hands were provided for my necessities and for
those who were with me.” (Acts 20:34)
Elder
Porphyrios, with his lack of academic qualifications, agreed to be chaplain of
the Polyclinic for a salary of next to nothing. It was not enough to support
himself, his parents and the few other close relatives who relied on him. He
had to work for a living. He organized in succession, a poultry farm and then a
weaving-shop. In his zeal for services to be celebrated in the most uplifting
manner, he applied himself to the composition of aromatic substances which
could then be used in the preparation of the incense used in divine worship. In
fact in the 1970’s he made an original discovery. He combined charcoal with
aromatic essences, now censing the church with his own slow-burning charcoal
that gave off a sweet fragrance of spirituality. He never, it seems, revealed
the details of this discovery.
From
1955 he leased the small monastery of St. Nicholas, Kallisia, which belongs to
the Holy Monastery of Pendeli. He systematically cultivated the land around it,
putting in a lot of hard work. It was here that wanted to establish the convent
which he eventually built elsewhere. He improved the wells, built an irrigation
system, planted trees, and tilled the soil with a digging machine that he
worked himself. All this together with duty, twenty-four hours a day, as
chaplain and confessor.
He
valued work highly and would allow himself no rest. He learnt from experience
the words of abba Isaac the Syrian, “God and his angels find joy in necessity;
the devil and his workers find joy in idleness.”
Departure
from the Polyclinic
On
the 16th February 1970, having completed thirty-five years of service as a
priest, he received a small pension from the Hellenic Clerical Insurance Fund
and left his duties at the Polyclinic. In essence, however, he remained until
his replacement arrived. Even after that he continued to visit the Polyclinic
to meet his great number of spiritual children. Finally, around 1973, he
minimized his visits to the Polyclinic and instead received his spiritual
children at St. Nicholas’ in Kallisia, Pendeli, where he celebrated the liturgy
and heard confession.
My
strength is made perfect in weakness
Elder
Porphyrios, in addition to the illness that forced him to leave Mt. Athos, and
that kept his left side especially sensitive, suffered with many other
ailments, at various times.
Towards
the end of his service at the Polyclinic he became ill with kidney trouble.
However, he was operated on only when his sickness was in its advanced stages.
This was because he worked tirelessly despite his illness. He had become used
to being obedient “unto death.” He was obedient even to the director of the
Polyclinic, who told him to put off the operation, so that he could celebrate
the services for Holy Week. This delay resulted in him slipping into a coma.
The doctors told his relatives to prepare for his funeral. However, by divine
will, and despite all medical expectations, the Elder returned to earthly life
to continue his service to the members of the Church.
Some
time before that, he had fractured his leg. Related to which is a miraculous
instance of St. Gerasimos’ (whose Polyclinic chapel he served) concern for
him,.
In
addition to this his hernia, from which he suffered until his death, worsened.,
because of the heavy loads he used to carry to his home, in Turkovounia, where
he lived for many years,
On
the 20th August 1978, while at St. Nicholas, Kallisia, he had a heart attack
(myocardial stroke). He was rushed to the “Hygeia” hospital, where he remained
for twenty days. When he left the infirmary he continued his convalescence in
Athens in the homes of some of his spiritual children. This was for three
reasons. Firstly, he couldn’t go to St. Nicholas, Kallisia, as there was no
road and he would have to walk a long way on foot. Furthermore, his house in
Turkovounia did not even have the most basic comforts. Finally, he had to be
near to doctors.
Later,
when he had settled into a temporary shelter in Milesi, the site of the convent
he founded, he had an operation on his left eye. The doctor made a mistake,
destroying the sight in that eye. After a few years the Elder became completely
blind. During the operation, without Elder Porphyrios’ permission, the doctor
gave him a strong dose of cortisone. The Elder was particularly sensitive to
medication, and especially to cortisone. The result of this injection was
continuous stomach-haemorraghing which returned every three months or so.
Because of his constantly bleeding stomach he couldn’t eat regular food. He
sustained himself with a few spoonfuls of milk and water each day. This
resulted in him becoming so physically exhausted that he reached the point
where he could not even sit up straight. He received twelve blood transfusions,
all of them in his accommodation at Milesi. In the end, although he was again
at Death’s door, by the grace of God he survived
From
that time on, his physical health was terribly compromised. However, he
continued, his ministry as a spiritual father as much as he could, all the time
confessing for shorter periods and often suffering from various other health
problems and in the most frightful pain. Indeed, he steadily lost his sight
until in 1987 he became completely blind. He steadily decreased the words of
advice he gave to people, and increased the prayers he said to God for them. He
silently prayed with great love and humility for all those who sought his
prayer and help from God. With spiritual joy he saw divine grace acting upon
them. Thus, Elder Porphyrios became a clear example of St. Paul the Apostle
words, “My strength is made perfect in weakness.”
He
builds a new convent
It
was a long held desire of the Elder’s to found a holy convent of his own, to
build a monastic foundation in which certain devout women, who were spiritual
daughters of his, could live. He had vowed to God that he would not abandon
these women when he left the world because they had been faithful helpers of
his for many years. As time went on it would be possible for other women who
wanted to devote themselves to the Lord to settle down there.
His
first thought was to build the Convent at the place in Kallisia, Pendeli, which
he had leased in 1955 from the Holy Monastery of Pendeli. He tried to persuade
the owners many times either to donate or sell him the land required. It was to
no avail. It now seemed that the Lord, the wise regulator and provider of all,
destined another place for this particular undertaking. So the Elder turned his
sights to another area in his search for real estate.
In
the meantime, however, with the co-operation of his spiritual children, he put
together the legal charter for the foundation of the Convent and submitted it
to the proper church authorities. Since he had not yet chosen the specific
place where his convent would be built, he identified Turkovounia in Athens as
the place where it would be founded. Here he had a humble little stone house,
which, without even the basic comforts, had been his impoverished abode since
1948.
Elder
Porphyrios did not do anything without the blessing of the Church. Thus, in
this instance he sought and received the canonical approval both of His
Eminence the Archbishop of Athens and of the Holy Synod. Although the relevant
procedures had started in 1978, it was only in 1981, after overcoming much
procedural bureaucracy and other difficulties, that he was privileged enough to
see the “Holy Convent of the Transfiguration of the Savior” recognized by a
Presidential decree and published in the governmental gazette.
The
search for a suitable site to establish the Convent had been started by the
Elder long before his stroke, when he was more than certain that it wouldn’t be
at Kallisia. With extreme care and great zeal, he searched tirelessly for a
site which would have the most advantages. When his strength had moderately
recovered after the stroke and when he felt he could, he continued the intense
search for the place he wanted. He spared no effort. He traveled around the
whole of Attica, Evia and Viotia in the cars of various spiritual children of
his. He looked into the possibility of building his convent on Crete or some
other island. He worked unbelievably hard. He inquired about hundreds of
properties and visited most of them. He consulted many people. He traveled for
thousands of kilometers. He made countless calculations. He weighed up all the
factors; and finally he selected and purchased some property on the site of
Hagia Sotira, Milesi by Malakasa, Attica, near Oropos.
Early
in 1980 he took up residence on this property at Milesi, which had been bought
for the construction of a convent. For more than a year at the start, he lived
in a mobile home under very difficult conditions, especially in winter.
Afterwards he settled into a small and shabby house in which he suffered all
the hardship of three-months of continuous stomach-haemorraghing and where he
also received numerous blood transfusions. The blood was donated with much love
by his spiritual children.
The
construction work, which the Elder followed closely, also began in 1980. He
paid for the work from savings that he, his friends and his relatives had made
over the years with this aim in mind. He was also helped by various spiritual
children.
The
building of the Church of the Transfiguration
His
great love for his fellow man was centered upon guiding them to the joy of
transfiguration according to Christ. Together with St. Paul the Apostle, he
implored us, his brothers and sisters, through God’s compassion “Do not be
conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that
you may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
(Rom.12:2). He wanted to guide us to the state in which he lived, according to
which, “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)
This
is why he also called his Convent the “Transfiguration” and why he wanted the
church to be dedicated to the Transfiguration. Finally, through his prayers, he
influenced his fellow workers in this venture and succeeded in his aim. After
much consultation and hard work on the part of the Elder, a simple, pleasing
and perfect design was arrived at.
In
the meantime, through the canonical intervention of His Eminence the Archbishop
of Athens, the local Metropolitan (whose seat falls within the Athenian Archdiocese),
gave permission for the church to be built within his jurisdiction, at Milesi.
The
laying of the foundations took place at midnight between the 25th and the 26th
February, 1990 during an all night vigil in honor of St. Porphyrios, Bishop of
Gaza, the Wonderworker. Elder Porphyrios, sick and unable to climb the eleven
meters down to the ground where the cornerstone was to be laid, with great
emotion, offered his cross for the cornerstone. From his bed he prayed, using
these words: “O Cross of Christ, make firm this house. O Cross of Christ, save
us by Your strength. Remember, O Lord, Your humble servant Porphyrios and his
companions…” Having prayed for all those who worked with him, he directed that
their names to be placed in a special position in the church, for their eternal
commemoration.
The
work of building the Church (out of re-enforced concrete) began immediately.
Accompanied by the Elder’s prayers, it progressed without interruption. He was
able to see with his spiritual eyes – for he had lost his natural sight many
years before -, the church reaching the final stages of that phase of its
construction. That is to say, at the base of the central dome. It actually
reached this point on the day of the Elder’s final departure.
He
prepares his return to the Holy Mountain
Elder
Porphyrios had never emotionally left Mt. Athos. There was no other subject
that interested him more than the Holy Mountain, and especially Kavsokalyvia.
For many years he had a hut there, in the name of a disciple of his who he
visited on occasion. When he heard in 1984 that the last resident of St.
George’s hut had left for good and taken up residence in another monastery, he
hastened to the Holy Great Lavra of St. Athanasios, to whom it belonged and
asked that it be given to him. It was at St. George’s that he had first taken
his monastic vows. He had always wanted to return, to keep the vow made at his
tonsure some sixty years earlier, to remain in his monastery until his last
breath. He was now getting ready for his final journey.
The
hut was given to him according to the customs of Mt. Athos, with the
monastery’s sealed pledge, dated 21st September 1984. Elder Porphyrios settled
different disciples of his there in succession. In the summer of 1991 there
were five. This is the number, that he had mentioned to a spiritual child of
his some three years before as the total that indicated the year of his death.
Return
to his repentance
During
the last two years of his earthly life he would frequently talk about his
preparation for his defense before the dread judgment seat of God. He gave
strict orders that if he should die here, his body should be transported
without fanfare and buried at Kavsokalyvia. In the end, he decided to go there
whilst he was still alive. He spoke about a certain story in the Sayings of the
Fathers:
A
certain elder, who had prepared his grave when he felt his end was near, said
to his disciple, “My son, the rocks are slippery and steep and you will
endanger your life if you alone take me to my grave. Come, let us go now that I
am alive.” And surely his disciple took him by the hand and the elder lay down
in the grave and gave up his soul in peace.
On
the eve of the Feast of the Holy Trinity, 1991, having gone to Athens to
confess to his very old and sickly spiritual father, he received absolution and
left for his hut on Mt. Athos. He settled in and waited for the end, prepared
to give a good defense before God.
Then,
when they had dug a deep grave for him according to his instructions, he
dictated a farewell letter of advice and forgiveness to all his spiritual
children through a spiritual child of his. This letter, dated June 4 (Old
Calendar) and June 17 (New Calendar), was found amongst the monastic clothes
that were laid out for his funeral on the day of his death. It is published in
full on pages 57-58 of this book and is just one more proof of his boundless
humility.
“Through
my coming to you again”
Elder
Porphyrios left Attica for Mt. Athos with the hidden intention of never
returning here again. He had spoken to enough of his spiritual children in such
a way that they knew they were seeing him for the last time. To others he just
hinted. It was only after his death that they realized what he meant.
Naturally, to those who would not be able to stand the news of his departure,
he told them that he would be coming back. He said so many things about his
death, either clearly or in a cryptic way, so much so, that only the certainty
of those around him that he would survive like all the other times (a hope born
of desire), can possibly explain the suddenness of the announcement of his
death.
Maybe
he himself hesitated like St. Paul the Apostle, who wrote to the Phillipians,
“For I am hard pressed between the two, having a desire to part and be with
Christ, which is far better. Nevertheless, to remain in the flesh is more
needful for you.” (Phil.1:23-24) Maybe…
His
spiritual children in Athens were constantly calling upon him and he was twice
forced to return to the Convent against his will. Here, he gave consolation to
all those who needed it. On each occasion he stayed only for a few days, “that
our rejoicing for him would be more abundant in Jesus Christ by his coming to
us.” (Paraphrasing the words of the Apostle, Phil. 1:26.) He would then hurry
back to Mt. Athos as quickly as possible. He ardently desired to die there and
to be quietly buried in the midst of prayer and repentance.
Towards
the end of his physical life he became uneasy over the possibility of his
spiritual children’s love affecting his wish to die alone. He was used to being
obedient and submitting to others. Therefore he told one of his monks. “If I
tell you to take me back to Athens, prevent me, it will be from temptation.”
Indeed, many friends of his had made different plans to bring him back to
Athens, since winter was approaching and his health was getting worse.
He
sleeps in the Lord
God,
who is all-good, and who fulfills the desires of those who feared him,
fulfilled Elder Porphyrios’ wish. He made him worthy of having a blessed end in
extreme humbleness and obscurity. He was surrounded only by his disciples on
Mt. Athos who prayed with him. On the last night of his earthly life he went to
confession and prayed noetically. His disciples read the Fiftieth and other
psalms and the service for the dying. They said the short prayer, “Lord Jesus
Christ, have mercy upon me,” until they had completed the rule of a great
schema monk.
With
great love his disciples offered him what he needed, a little bodily and lot of
spiritual comfort. For a long time they could hear his holy lips whispering the
last words that came from his venerable mouth. These were the same words Christ
prayed on the eve of his crucifixion “that we may be one.”
After
this they heard him repeat only one word. The word that is found at the end of
the New Testament, at the conclusion of the Divine Apocalypse (Revelation) of
St. John, “Come” (“Yes, come, Lord Jesus”)
The
Lord, his sweet Jesus came. The saintly soul of Elder Porphyrios left his body
at 4:31 on the morning of the 2nd of December, 1991 and journeyed towards
heaven.
His
venerable body, dressed in the monastic manner, was placed in the main church
of Kavsokalyvia. According to custom, the fathers there read the Gospel all
day, and during the night they held an all-night vigil. Everything was done in
agreement with the detailed verbal instructions of Elder Porphyrios. They had
been written down to avoid any mistake.
At
dawn, on the 3rd of December 1991, the earth covered the venerable remains of
the holy Elder in the presence of the few monks of the holy skete of
Kavsokalyvia. It was only then, in accordance with his wishes, that his repose
was announced.
It
was that time of day when the sky becomes rose-colored, reflecting the
brightness of the new day that is approaching. A symbol for many souls of the
Elder’s transition from death to light and life.
A
brief sketch
The
chief characteristic of Elder Porphyrios throughout his whole life was his
complete humbleness. This was accompanied by his absolute obedience, his warm
love and his unmurmuring patience with unbearable pain. He was noted for his
wise discretion, his inconceivable discernment, his boundless love of learning,
his extraordinary knowledge (a gift very much from God and not form his
non-existent schooling in the world), his inexhaustible love of hard work, and
his continuous, humble, (and for that reason successful) prayer. In addition to
this, his pure Orthodox convictions, without any kind of fanaticism, his lively
but for the most part unseen and unknown, interest in the affairs of our Holy
Church, his effective advice, the many sides of his teaching his long-suffering
spirit, his profound devotion, and the seemly manner of the holy services that
he celebrated and the lengthy offering which he kept carefully hidden unto the
end.
As
an epilogue
a)
“The one who comes to me I will by no means cast out.” (Jn. 3:37)
Elder
Porphyrios throughout his whole life received all those who came to him;
becoming, like St. Paul, “All things to all people in order to save them.”
All
kinds passed by his humble cell; both holy ascetics and sinful thieves,
Orthodox Christians and people of other denominations and religions,
insignificant people and famous personalities, rich and poor, illiterate and
literate, lay people and clergy of all ranks. To each one he offered the love
of Christ for their salvation.
This
does not mean that all those who went to the Elder or who knew him, for however
long, adopted his message or acquired his virtue, and thus were as worthy of
our complete trust as he was. A great deal of care, vigilance and good sense is
required, because as the Elder becomes well known, the temptation will come to
some people to claim some type of attachment or connection with him. They will
want to boast or to create the false impression that they are speaking for him.
Apart from pure devotion and true love, apart from humble approach and honest
learning, there is also conceit and personal gain. Naivety exists, but so does
guile. Ignorance exists but so does error and deception.
In
his final years Elder Porphyrios grieved about this a lot. That is to say, many
people passed themselves off as his spiritual children and let it be hinted that
they did what they did with the Elder’s blessing or approval. However, the
Elder neither knew them nor sanctioned their activities. In fact he twice
requested that relevant notices to be written for the briefing of Christians.
On both occasions he revoked the order for their publication.
Here
is one example. The Elder had taken a certain stance regarding various
ecclesiastical issues that were dividing the faithful. This was known to very
few people, who should have kept it confidential. Sometimes, however, people
came who followed or expressed the opinion of one side or the other. It is not
right to suppose that because a certain person saw the Elder, the opinion which
that person held was then blessed by the Elder. If only we were obedient to the
Elder! If only those of us who approached him had embraced his advice and in
general his spirit!
His
spirit generally speaking was one of absolute submission to the “official”
Church. He did absolutely nothing without her approval. He knew from experience
in the Holy Spirit that the bishops are bearers of divine grace quite
independent of their personal virtue. He perceptibly felt divine grace and he
saw where it was acting and where it wasn’t acting. He graphically emphasized
that grace is opposed to the proud, but not to sinners, however humble.
For
this reason, he didn’t agree with actions that provoked disputes and conflicts
within the Church or verbal attacks on bishops. He always advised that the
solution to all the Church’s problems should be found in the Church and by the
Church with prayer, humility and repentance. It is better, he said, for us to
make mistakes within the Church than to act correctly outside it.
b)
“Stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the
Gospel.” (Phil.1:27)
The
Elder taught that the basic element of the Spiritual life in Christ, the great
mystery of our faith, is unity in Christ. It is that sense of identifying with
our brother, of carrying the burdens of one another, of living for others as we
live for ourselves, of saying “Lord Jesus Christ have mercy upon ME” and for
that “ME” to contain and to become for ourselves the pain and the problems of
the other, of suffering like they suffer, of rejoicing like they rejoice, their
fall becoming our fall and their getting up again becoming our getting up
again.
This
is why his last words, his last entreaty to God, his last prayer, his greatest
desire was that we “become one.” That was what he ached, wished and longed for.
In
this wonderful and simple way, how many problems were solved and how many sins
were avoided. Did my brother fall? I fell. How can I blame him since I am at
fault? Did my brother succeed? I succeed. How can I envy him since I am the
winner?
The
Elder knew that because it’s our weakest point, it is here that the evil one
does greatest battle. We put our own interests first. We separate ourselves. We
want to flee the consequences of our actions for ourselves only. However when
such a spirit prevails, there is no salvation for us. We must want to be saved
along with everyone else. We should, together with God’s saint, say, “If you
don’t save all of these people, Lord, then erase my name from the book of
Life.” Or, like Christ’s apostle, wish to become accursed from Christ, for the
sake of my fellow man, my brothers and my sisters.
This
is love. This is the power of Christ. This is the essence of God. This is the
royal way of spiritual life. We should love Christ who is EVERYTHING, by loving
His brothers and sisters, for whom the least of which Christ died.
Extract from the book “Elder Porphyrios:
Testimonies and Experiences” by Klitos Ioannidis
Saint Meletios of Lardos
Saint
Meletios was born in the village of Lardos, Rhodes, during the difficult time
of Turkish Occupation. At baptism he received the name, Emmanuel. He travelled
through life with little worldy learning, but held a wealth of grace, virtue,
purity, innocence and great love for God.
St.
Meletios was a man of prayer.
He
discovered the deserted places about Lardos, while shepherding his father’s
sheep, and calming his soul with prayer and zeal for the monastic life.
On
one of his excursions he had a vision which showed the icon of the Virgin
Ypseni at the root of a certain tree. Following this vision, and led by the grace
of the Virgin, he decided to follow the monastic life and dedicate himself to
God. So, he built a Church in the place where he found the icon, dedicated to
the Dormition of the Mother of God. The Metropolitan ordained him a Priest-Monk
and made him Abbot of the Monastery.
He
lived a strict ascetic life… In the evenings he escaped to a cave near the
monastery and prayed and during the daytime he heard confessions of the
Christian faithful, giving them strength to keep their faith throughout those
difficult times. God also gave him the gift of healing and he cured sick and
spiritually troubled souls.
He
was slandered by the Turks and a price put on his head because of his work
amongst the Greek Orthodox faithful. In the end, the Saint proved his innocence
before the Metropolitan and then gave his last breath.
He
was honoured as a saint by the Christians of the island and his relics, which
continually gave off a sweet smelling fragrance, were shared out to various
places. A piece of the Holy Relics is kept in the Holy Monastery of Ypseni as a
priceless treasure and source of healing and blessing for all those who
venerate them with devotion.
Since
St. Meletios his day of actual repose is not known his feast is celebrated
together with that of his namesake St. Meletios, Bishop of Great Antioch on the
12th February.
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