Elder Porphyrios : Testimonies

A text that Elder Porphyrios loved

Elder Porphyrios persistently taught that our love for our fellow man should be such that we look upon them as we look upon ourselves.

At one time he had asked one of his spiritual children to photocopy the following article of St. Symeon, the New Theologian, which was handed out to his visitors:

We should look upon all the faithful as one person and consider that Christ is in each one of them.

We should have such love for them that we are ready to sacrifice our very lives for them.

For it is incumbent upon us neither to say, nor think of any person as evil, but we must look upon

everyone as good. If you see a brother afflicted with a passion, do not hate him.

Hate the passion that makes war upon him. And if you see him being terrorized by the habits

and desires of previous sins, have compassion on him. Maybe you too will be afflicted by temptation,

since you are also made from matter that easily turns from good to evil. Love towards your brother

prepares you to love God even more. The secret, therefore, of love towards God is love towards your brother.

For if you don't love your brother whom you can see, how is it possible to love God, Whom you do not see?

"For he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God Whom he has not seen"
(1 Jn. 4:20)

  

A teaching from Elder Porphyrios, as originally recorded on tape

During the last years of his earthly life, Elder Porphyrios  frequently left the Convent where he was convalescing and went to a remote area in Evia, near the Aegean Sea. He was escorted by one or two people who took care of him for he was feeble and blind. Every time he went there he stayed for two or three days but seldom more than that. Since there was no lodging there, he would spend the night in an isolated country chapel or in an automobile. He often spoke to the people who were with him about the spiritual life in Christ. These people recorded his words on tape, out of love for him. The beginning and end of these taped messages are often missing because the tape recorder was not always handy. One of the best pieces that was saved was produced by the Convent on cassette with the Elder's voice. The transcription of the tape is published here.
 

The conversation that follows took place in July, 1988, at three in the morning in a remote country chapel.


The Elder: He is everywhere. Now you explain that. I can't explain it. I'm just telling you, wherever you're thinking about St. Anthony and we could now be thinking about him here, others could think about him in Thebais, others in Egypt, others in Jerusalem, others on Sinai. At this hour he is here, and there, and there, and there! What do you say?

Somebody: He's everywhere because he's in divine grace.

The Elder:
Yes, he is in the spiritual world. And although we are Christians, we know nothing, children, nothing we don't know anything about Christ!

Somebody: That's true.

The Elder:
....And we live, poor old things, and we read the merest word and it's beautiful. We say, "this Father spoke well and that Father spoke well. What's his name? So-and- so. Beautiful! Beautiful!" It's all Beautiful! But, in spite of this, we remain in our indolence and foolishness and we live without Christ.

Christ is something else. When Christ comes to Man, when he comes to our soul, when Christ goes to Man, when he enters into the soul, the soul becomes different. He lives everywhere, he lives in the stars, he lives in the spiritual world, he lives in the emptiness of space, in the universe, he lives... They speak to him by "telephone" from South Africa, from the Indian Ocean and he speaks to them and talks about their houses, their daughters, their family even though he is here. Do you understand?
 

Now, you'll think that by telling you these things I'm something special. I'm nothing. But I try. And from what I'm telling you it's a bit like experiencing it, just a little bit. I make an effort...I want to be...I love to be in love with Christ. I don't want to get there by rushing myself. But I often live through it with God's grace, without saying anything. I'm not allowed to say it. Well, whatever I am allowed to say, I say, but I can't speak about all these things. Well then, life without Christ isn't life. That's that. If you don't see Christ in all the things you do and think, then you are without Christ.  How did we say it? Do you understand? There's a song that goes:  "With Christ everywhere, fear is nowhere."  Have you ever heard it? Eh? It's sung by children, I don't remember it all.
Well then, really this is the way we should see Christ. He is our friend, our brother; he is whatever is good and beautiful. He is Everything. Yet, he is still a friend, and he shouts it out, "You're my friends, don't you understand that. We're brothers. I'm not....I don't hold hell in my hand. I'm not threatening you. I love you. I want you to enjoy life together with me." Do you understand?

With Christ it's like that. One is not downcast, has no sadness, no internalizing of problems, which Man thinks about or is tormented by the different idle thoughts and afflictions, that have wounded him from time to time, in his life.

Christ is new life. How can I say it? Christ is everything. He is joy, he is life, he is light. He is the true light who makes Man joyful, makes him soar with happiness; makes him see everything, everybody; makes him feel for everyone, to want everyone with him, everyone with Christ.

When we find some treasure or whatever else, we don't want to tell anybody. The Christian, on the other hand, when he finds Christ, when he knows Christ, when Christ dwells within his own little soul and he feels Him, he wants to shout and tell it everywhere; he wants to talk about Christ, to say what Christ is, he wants to say- love Christ and put nothing before His Love. Christ is Everything, He is the source of life, the ultimate desire, he is everything. Everything beautiful is in Christ.

And afar from Christ: sadness, sorrow, worry, nervous tension, recollections of life's wounds, its pressures, its anxieties, such times. When we are far away from Christ, we live through all these things. We wander around, going from here to there, for nothing, we stand still nowhere. Wherever we find Christ, even if it is in a cave, we stay there and are afraid to leave, afraid of losing Christ. Read about it and see. Ascetics, who knew Christ, didn't want to leave their caves, not even for a little fresh air. They wanted to be there, where they felt Christ was with them. Christ is Everything. Christ is the fountain of life, of joy. He is Everything. How do you see it, Nick?

Someone: Those things that you said, Elder, are golden words. That's the way things are, just like you put it.

The Elder: Yes, but that is the way we're called to live, when we say we're Christians, when we say we are Christ's. Do you understand? Whatever it is, in our moments of weakness too, as soon as we see Christ, our attitude changes and we want to be with Christ. Because Christ is our friend, he is our brother. He shouts it out, "You are my friends; I don't want you to look at me differently. I don't want you to look at me in that way, that I am God, I am the Word of God, I am a Hypostasis (Person) of the Holy Trinity. I want you to see me as one of your own, as your friend. I want you to embrace me. I want you to feel me in your souls. ME, your friend, who, in truth, is the fountain of life.

That, however, is the truth of the matter. Now, we've said that Satan exists, hell exists, and death exists. All of these things exist, they really do. It's the other part, it's evil, it's darkness, it all belongs to darkness.

Somebody who is Christ's must love Christ, and when he loves Christ he is delivered from the Devil, from hell and from death. You'll say to me, have you reached that point yet? I haven't reached it, it's what 1 want, what I'm looking for. In my silence and always, I try to live like that. I don't live like that. But, eh...I try. That is to say...how can I tell you about it? I haven't gone to a certain place, that is...or rather I went there once, I saw it, now I'm not there, but I remember it, I long for it, I want it. There, even now, this moment, tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, every moment it comes to me, and I want it, I seek it. I want to go there. I am not there now though. I can't explain it to you. Do you understand?  Yes, but I live within this effort. Tell me I'm silly. Tell me that these things aren't spoken about, Elder, whoever tries, doesn't speak, but calls upon divine grace to help him. Well, yes, but if someone has gone crazy he'll speak. Craziness also exists…… (Praying: "Lord...") Hmm, I told you.... (He Changes the tone) Where is…. Has he left?

Someone: Yes, he went outside.
 

The Elder: What, now you went over there to catch it? Why did you record that? It's just some foolishness.

Someone: Ah, Elder, ninety percent of Christians, either we're not true Christians or we simply remain in wonder and admiration. And we say that it was well said by St. Ephraim or St. Isaac the Syrian, it was well said by Saint by St. John of the Ladder. We at least remain there. But beyond that nothing, no effort is made, eh....that's why all of us have been tormented by anguish, anxiety and worry.

The Elder: Eh, yes, but you say, how? That's it. How can I be there if I'm here? The problem exists only until Christ comes to live with you. Then you're everywhere, with Christ. That's our trouble, we don't have Christ.

The Elder: Regarding these things...make an effort and in this way (a few words, that can't be made out) we may feel them, live through them and make them become a reality. Our friend! our brother! How he shouts it out though! And how much. What depth is hidden in it! Great depth. In other words it's courage. Christ does not want fear. He doesn't want fear. Eh? The Apostles -how gently!- He didn't force them, he left them alone...up until the end, poor souls! They were frightened, they locked themselves in. They did...eeh, What's the matter with us? Eh, the Spirit: that is what went, that is what made them perfect. Grace made them perfect. Eh, what do you say? Isn't that right?

Somebody: Yes, Elder....

Presbyter George C. Evthimiou
Research Assistant at the Theological School of the University of Athens(B.D.,B.Phil)
 

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K.I.: Elder Porphyrios as you well know, Father George, happened to be one of the most radiant personalities of contemporary Orthodoxy. You lived by the Elder for many years, and the fact that you are with us today to talk about this holy man of our times gives us great pleasure.

Fr. G.E.: I thank you very much Mr. loannides for giving me this opportunity to talk about Elder Porphyrios, who for many years I was made worthy to have as spiritual father and guide during a decisive period in my life.

The Elder truly played an important role in the development of my personality. I owe much of what I have today to him. Because of that I keep him as a guide in my pastoral ministry which God has made me fortunate to practice for the past five years.

Elder Porphyrios was a genuine human being created in the image of God. As we know from what he himself told us, burning with the love of God, he secretly left his home in Evia and went to Mt. Athos to the area of Kavsokalyvia. There he became the disciple of two elders, to whom, as he himself told us, he gave absolute obedience. He really was very obedient; whatever the fathers told him to do, he immediately hurried to fulfill the request.

His obedience was an act of freedom, an exceptionally powerful act, that actually frees a man from the passions, faults and weaknesses that dominate him. Through this he was in Christ and lived the freedom of God's children. You could see concentrated in Elder Porphyrios all the personality characteristics which we see in the saints of our Church; love, humility, simplicity and discernment (diakrisis).

Precisely because of his complete devotion to God, he was made worthy to receive great spiritual gifts, such as foresight and discernment. As a result of this, he became an outstanding spiritual father, who literally guided the lives of many.

Even in the twilight of his life, in pain, in bed, and suffering from various illnesses, even then, he continued his pastoral duties by phone. Day and night, literally twenty-four hours a day, thousands of people, from the length and breadth of the planet, phoned him for his help, advice and prayers.

Elder Porphyrios had all those features, that made him lovable, desirable and able to attract people like a magnet. This didn't happen in a magical way, but because he had all those characteristics that everyone longs for. He had all those reminders of our divinely created image and of the ourpose for which we were created.

Let us recall here the teaching of our Church. God, out of His love, and only out of His love, created man for one sole purpose; to make him a partaker of his own happiness. God creates man to make him happy, whole and to live in the fullness of the communion of God.

Elder Porphyrios, like the whole of humanity, received a calling from God. Everyone is called to salvation since this is the very purpose of our existence. The distinguishing mark of the Elder, as with all the saints of the Church, was that he responded to this calling. He made his choice early on and said, "I want to be with Christ and to live according to Christ." Then he followed Christ; as the Lord says, "Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself take up his cross and follow Me." (Mark 8:34) He denied the old man who is subjected to passion and sins, in the dominion of the devil, and he took up his cross and followed Christ for life.

His life was full of turmoil and upset, like all the saints of the Church, in the words of the Lord, "Narrow is the gate and difficult is the way" (Matt.7:14) that leads to the kingdom of God. Elder Porphyrios also had a life full of ups and downs, with many trials, temptations and thorns in the flesh. He went through the furnace of suffering and sorrow, by which Man is purified of all the passions within him and is offered to God clean and whole.

Elder Porphyrios battled throughout his whole life against that evil serpent the devil, who is "like a roaring lion seeking his prey." (I.Peter 5:8) He also struggled against that other enemy, the old Adam and the world subject to sin. His weapons were vigil, fasting and prayer, through which he was deemed worthy of heavenly gifts.

He was also made a spiritual father by the Metropolitan of Karystia, Panteleimon, at the very young age of twenty-one. Large numbers of people flocked to the monastery of St. Charalambos in Evia, where he was then living. They sought release from their sins, unburdening them upon him. They told him their problems and received answers and solutions to them

K.I.: How were these special characteristics of Elder Porphyrios expressed?

Fr.G.E.: We see in Elder Porphyrios' life all the characteristics of a saint of the Church. At the same time we can see certain distinct characteristics, which bring to mind the consistent teaching of our Church, that the grace of God overshadows Man, enlightens him and directs him, but it does not overwhelm him. That is to say, each saint of the Church retains the unique characteristics of his personality.

I can attest to the love that Elder Porphyrios had, both towards God and towards people, from my own personal experience. His love towards God was wholehearted. He loved Him with all his being and he truly devoted his whole life to him.

This love of his towards God, a love that had wounded his heart, sprang forth towards his fellow man. I often witnessed this touching love of his. I remember with how much love and affection he understood and sympathized with our problems when we were in difficult situations. He took these problems upon himself, prayed considerably and struggled alongside us to find the solution.

I will never forget some of the typical phone calls that he made during really critical and difficult moments for me. As I already mentioned, he carried out his pastoral work by phone. He would phone me up at the most unusual hours -once it was six in the morning! I hadn't even told him my trouble, and yet, he would ask me about that particular problem and give me meaningful advice. His words were truly like soothing balm, but at the same time acted as a catalyst for the solution of my particular problem.

Another attribute of Elder Porphyrios was his extreme humility. So, although he had that wisdom which comes from above, he would always say to us, "You have diplomas, you know things. I am illiterate."

He was both self-abasing and self-reproachful, characteristics of a humble man. Something which we come across in the saints of our Church.

Yet another attribute of Elder Porphyrios, of which one was always aware, was his simplicity. He lived extremely frugally in humble surroundings. He was very simple in his dealings with people. He received everyone and refused no one. This was an attribute of his that truly broke the ice and created just the right atmosphere so that people could get close to him, could confess their sins, could tell him their problems and receive answers to them.

Another of his main attributes was his discernment, which according to the Fathers is "the greatest of all virtues." Discernment is connected to the principle of individualization. Thus, for Elder Porphyrios, each person as a child of God had absolute worth. He saw each individual as a unique and unrepeatable personality. He confronted each problem of theirs, with its own particular characteristics.
 

That is why, Elder Porphyrios said different things to different people who may have appeared, at first sight, to have had the same problem. There were different presuppositions in each case, and each person needed different medicine to overcome his problem. It was for this reason that he often said to us "Don't tell other people what I am now telling you. This is suitable medicine for you, for your situation. Another person, even if his external symptoms are the same, won't get the same beneficial results. I was often amazed, despite his heavenly wisdom, at the answers of unmarried Elder Porphyrios on matters of marriage, marital relations and childbearing etc. His answers weren't 'cliche/ inflexible, harsh, rigid and 'objective.' They were answers full of truth, love, affection and discernment, corresponding to the situation, the need and the receptiveness of each person, at that particular time. Looking to people's salvation, he didn't try to put them into a single mold to create identical individuals. As a man full of the Holy Spirit he guided each person according to the will of Christ, giving to "each according to his measure." (Eph. 4:7) for the welfare of the soul.

At this point I would like to mention an incident which testifies to both the discerning and individual way in which Elder Porphyrios did his pastoral work and the freedom and breadth of his spirit. One day, when he was living at St. Nicholas', Kallisia, he had gone for a walk in the adjoining forest with one of his spiritual children. In the meantime, a young couple wearing shorts had entered the church to pray. When the Elder returned from the forest he met them just as they were leaving by the metal courtyard door. He greeted them and stood there for a long while, talking lovingly and affectionately with them. I didn't hear what he said to them, but the respectful way in which they kissed his hand was a persuasive testimony of the impact he had on them with his words and his demeanor.

K.I.: You referred, at some point in our conversation, to the Elder's gift of discernment. Fr. George, may we have your testimony about this gift of his, which you have naturally already mentioned when talking about certain telephone calls he made?
 

Fr.G.E.: This gift of his was very apparent. You could see it with the naked eye. Elder Porphyrios always surprised us telling us things even before we had a chance to confess them.

In order to avoid misunderstanding I would like to point out the following. Elder Porphyrios, like all the saints of the Church, was rendered worthy of these gifts by God. Our saints are not illumined in themselves but reflect divine light. God possesses everything and it is God who adorns and favors his elected servants with these gifts. These gifts are revocable and at the same time a cross. The retention of these spiritual gifts requires a life of permanent vigilance and intense spiritual struggle, with lots of trials and temptations. There is always a danger of falling from favor, falling because of arrogance and pride.

Elder Porphyrios never used all those gifts that God gave him to impress people or to draw particular benefits from them. On the contrary, he used them with discrimination and according to the particular circumstances. He only had one end in mind, people's salvation and the glory of God.

Elder Porphyrios, as a genuine man of God, was an Orthodox Christian, ^and bore no relationship to the well-known Manichaeism* of the materialists, or to dissolute spiritualists. He was a man who lived the truth of the Church. He clearly knew that a human is a psychosomatic being with both spiritual and material needs. He always helped people in this way - neither underestimating one thing nor the other.

This fact has great significance because it is an area where most people have conflict. If many so-called "spiritual" people don't fall into the trap of materialism, it is because it is visible to the naked eye and easily avoided. Many however fall into the trap of dissolute spiritualism, a kind of Manichaeism (Religious system, originally of the third to fith centuries AD. Dualist theory that there are two principles governing the World, Good and Evil. Thus, representing Satan as in everlasting conflict with God),a teaching that has no connection with the teaching of the Church. Therefore, they devalue an individual's material or bodily needs, resulting in terrifying problems for the entire person.

We know that all people are composed of both body and soul. We know of the mutual influence, that they have on one another and we know that bodily problems affect the soul and vice-versa. Thus, Elder Porphyrios, with characteristic discernment, confronted the entire person and his problems. He devalued no one but gave appropriate advice to everyone.

K.I.: Could you give us, Fr. George, some of the typical examples about him that you describe so well?

Fr.G.E.: Well, he would advise us, for example, where to build our house, in which direction it should face, so that it would have sunlight all day, how to regulate the heating etc. He also advised us on diet and nutrition. Extremely characteristic was the way in which he dealt with people who suffered from various illnesses and sought his help. At first, he would "X-ray" them with his gift of discernment. After making the diagnosis, he would advise them accordingly. To others he would say, "Eh, you've got nothing physically wrong, its psychological." and recommended the spiritual regimen needed to heal the problem. When he diagnosed physical health problems he usually directed that person to the proper doctors. Finally, in the interests of the sufferer, he would make them well, as often as it was necessary, with his gift of healing.

K.I.: As you told us, you had Elder Porphyrios as a spiritual father and guide for many years.

Fr.G.E.: This was really the area in which he shined. Primarily, with his simplicity and with his affability, he created a climate of ease and trust for each person that approached him. This is indispensable for the sacrament of Repentance and Confession.
Here I must mention that many people who found it difficult to confess certain sins to other priests felt at ease in the presence of the Elder and confessed.

Elder Porphyrios listened very carefully to what each person said to him, as he was gifted with pastoral attentiveness. He listened to people carefully first, and spoke afterwards. His words were always few and to the point, based, as we said, on the principle of individualization. Each individual who met the Elder was for him, a unique and unrepeatable personality, of boundless worth.

He confronted the problems that were put to him with particular care, with a feeling of responsibility and plenty of prayer. It was usual to see him silent during confession and you felt that he was praying and seeking enlightenment from God.

It was also quite usual for him not to give quick answers in order to form some more impressions. Sometimes he said to us, "I don't have any information at the moment, I can't answer you now." We would return a second and a third time for the same problem.

He prayed day and night for people and for the solution to their problems. All the people who were honored to have contact with him and to become his spiritual children, acknowledge the fruits of his prayer, which really solved their problems.

The astounding thing was that during our confessions with the late Elder, what he often underlined as the root of the problem was quite irrelevant to the problem. He very often said that the root of our problems was egotism, which he considered to be the basis of all sin and of Man's various problems. There are many things which we could say relating to this. What I would like to mention as indicative of this, is some pieces of advice that the Elder gave, and the methods he used to confront various problems that have a general validity and meaning for people.

K.I.: We would very much like to hear about it, Fr. George?

Fr. G.E.: We often spoke to him about our children and the problems they face. He answered us in his characteristic way, "You become saints and your children will turn out well." That was something that he constantly repeated.

Concerning the subject of raising children he stressed that we should not pressure them; that is to say, that their upbringing should not be oppressive, as that brings the opposite results. This advice was priceless and helped many parents to change their course, and many children who were literally being mistreated by the oppressive good intentions of their parents, calmed down and found their way in life.

Something which when I heard it made a moving impression on me, was regarding the subject of fasting.

It concerns a couple of newlyweds. The husband was used to keeping the fasts. The wife on the other hand, didn't keep the fasts, as that was the way she was brought up. She didn't object to fasting, it's just that she wasn't used to it.

When they put their problem to Elder Porphyrios he advised the husband as follows, "You shall fast as you always have, but you won't talk about fasting to your wife. During times of fasting you'll always keep your refrigerator full of food. Let your wife eat; you can keep your fasts."

Truly the time came, as the couple themselves later admitted, that through following the advice of the Elder, the wife also started to fast. It seems she was a well-intentioned woman and wanted to agree and go along with her husband on the issue of fasting.
He often mentioned and advised people about so called "compulsion": the psychological condition where a person compels himself to do different things which he does not believe in and that do not represent him. This is a strange condition, a great inner muddle, which makes a person find himself disturbed inside and in terrible disarray.

Elder Porphyrios helped those people who had this problem to admit it. He then told them how to overcome it, by dedication to God, prayer, and life according to God's will.

There is something else that I would like to say, because it has great importance and concerns everyone, especially Christians. It is the subject of confronting naughty thoughts.

We all know about the war the devil makes on us through our thoughts. Personally, I know from my own experience as a spiritual father, which God has made me worthy to become, how many people are confused and really troubled at this point.

When we asked Elder Porphyrios about this problem, he said, "You're continuing along your way. When the devil comes along and tugs at your shirt sleeve to put you off course, don't turn around to start a conversation or dispute with him. You continue on your way. He'll tug at your shirt sleeve, but you continue on your way and somewhere he'll get fed up and he'll leave you alone." Although, "time would fail me" (Heb. 11:32), I wish to refer to something which has to do with teachers. It concerns advice the Elder gave to a high-school teacher who had just been appointed and was about to take up her position. He told her, "When you're on your way to school say the prayer 'Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me.' When you go into the classroom feel as if you're entering a church. Face the children with love and firmness. They'll feel your love and understand your strictness. And if a particular child presents certain problems and creates unpleasant situations, give his name to the priest to remember him during the proskomide."
 

K.I.: You know so many things about Elder Porphyrios, Fr. George. What a blessing it is for us to have you tell us them!

Fr. G.E.: I tried to the best of my ability to describe this great figure who truly was a gift from God to the twentieth-century, an exceptional blessing.

The Elder had received in the eyes of the world very little education. However he was truly the wise man, who has wisdom from on high. Correspondingly he had a natural love of learning; that's why he always read knowledgeably. He asked for and read books on all subjects, apart from theology, which he naturally studied. He read medical books, books on physics, astronomy, etc..

He spoke with scientists and academics. With each one he spoke at a high level about the specific areas of their subject. I will mention just two incidents and then end my talk.

The first incident concerns an astronomy professor of international fame, who visited the Elder and discussed subjects of astronomy with him. This professor told me, "The thing that made an impression on me during my discussions with Elder Porphyrios, was that he really knew what he was talking about. He never, but never, made a mistake."

I was present at the second incident. We were with a surgeon, a director of a large hospital in Athens, and Elder Porphyrios started to describe to him how a particular operation is done. The surgeon, amazed at what the Elder said, simply agreed with him.

K.I.: We thank you warmly Fr. George, for all of the testimony you have given us. It has helped us visualize yet another side of divine reality, as expressed by Elder Porphyrios.

 

Archimandrite Daniel Gouvalis
Theologian, writer.
 

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K.I.: Fr. Daniel, you had God's great blessing to have known Elder Porphyrios very well for many years. I would like to ask you first to give us an outline of his personality, and then we shall see manifestations of God's grace within his person.

Fr.D.G.: Elder Porphyrios was a gift from God towards the Church. He sent us great light within the darkness in which we live, through Elder Porphyrios. We thank the Lord for giving us such a great gift in our times, indeed, keeping him in life for eighty-six whole years.

You felt comfortable next to Elder Porphyrios. He pressured no-one. He wanted whoever came to him to do it out of their own free will. He always told confessors that when we as spiritual fathers guide the life-journey of those who confess to us, we must always respect their freedom. He always stressed that Christianity is freedom.

He often referred to the event according to which Christ once said something that scandalized many people. The result was they all started to leave until only the disciples remained. In which case the Lord told them that if they too would like to leave, they were free to do so. He quoted the Gospel of St. John, word for word , "From that time many of his disciples went back and walked with Him no more. Then Jesus said to the twelve, 'Do you also want to go away?"'( Jn.6:66- 7)

Elder Porphyrios had a highly cultivated ecclesiastical awareness. He respected Church people and the Church hierarchy. He said "If I fall out with the bishop, if the bishop is angry with me, my prayer won't rise up to heaven."
He loved hymnography very much. He studied and paid attention to the Canons for the great feasts, both of the Master and of the Mother of God. He carefully studied the meaning of each and every word of the Canon.

He frequently liked to talk about love. He said, characteristically, that hate soils the soul. He also said that when our brother has a problem we should gather many of us together and say a common prayer about it.

He constantly spoke about love towards Christ. "When we love Christ" he said, "our soul is freed from fear." He frequently used the words of St. John the Divine "Love casts out fear."

Elder Porphyrios never allowed himself to be occupied with negative things; he wanted everything to be bright and positive. He typically told us, "You find yourself in a dark room and you wave your arms, trying, in that way, to drive away the darkness. The darkness doesn't leave like that though. Open the window so that the light can come in, and the darkness will leave by itself. The light will drive away the darkness. We should study Holy Scripture, the lives of the saints, the Fathers; that's the light that'll drive away the darkness." He used the image very often.

K.I.: Is there something Fr. Daniel that has moved you particularly?

Fr.D.G.: One day, during the German Occupation, Elder Porphyrios was walking towards the vicinity of Lykavittos. As he was walking along he came across an unpleasant scene. A German soldier had intentionally driven a young girl into a corner, by the basement of some house, and wanted to dishonor her. She looked like a little bird that had fallen into the claws of a hawk. You could see the horror etched on her face. She let off some weak cries of struggle and pain from her mouth. The German tried to calm her down with sweet words. The entire neighbourhood had heard the commotion, and were now looking out of their windows and doorways to see what would happen. They saw a priest walking towards the scene.

When Elder Porphyrios found himself facing this scene he felt great internal anguish. He had to find a way of saving the girl. Ignoring the danger he was in from the brutal German, the Elder directed his footsteps towards him. He prayed silently and intensely for divine strength to manifest itself. As soon as he got close enough he raised his hands up high. It looked like he was either appealing to the German or that he was asking God to show His mercy.

The sight of a priest with his hands raised high, the bright countenance of his face, and what's more the divine strength that he had hidden within him, worked its miracle.

The German softened, abandoned his intentions and let the girl free. As Fr. Porphyrios continued on his way the people who had followed events from their houses demonstrated their applause for him. They cheered as much as they could for as long as they could in those difficult times.

K.I.: What do you have to tell us about his gifts of discernment and foresight?

Fr.D.G.: Both of these gifts of his would always leave us speechless. There are countless incidences. We'll talk about just a few examples.
At the time when Elder Porphyrios was at the Polyclinic, he asked someone, who had gone there for confession, where he came from. He told him he was from a village in Eleia . He then asked him if he had a house out in the fields. When the man said yes, Elder Porphyrios told him that a river flowed underneath the property, where that house could be found. The man was lost for words, he never suspected anything of the like.
Many years afterwards a foreign company went to that area with the aim of drilling to find oil. When the drilling had reached four hundred meters deep, a huge river of water shot up. If they hadn't caught it in time, the whole area would have been flooded.

K.I.: So much

Fr.D.G.: Yes

I'll also tell you this story. A student who did his military service at a base near here where I live, asked me to take him to see the Elder.

As soon as we got there the Elder asked him where he came from. The student replied that he came from a village in the Western Peloponnese. Then the Elder said to him "What strong winds blow in those mountains by your village!" And the student said "Do you know what the villagers call those mountains? They call them the Wind Mountains."

K.I.: That's wonderful

Fr.D.G.: Once I went to his cell. It was the 19th of October, late in the afternoon, I interrupted him without wanting to, because at that hour he could be "found" in Cephallonia, at vespers for the feast of St. Gerasimos. He saw, as he told me, the priests, the bishops, countless people and heard the chanting. He described to me in exact detail what was taking place at that hour at St. Gerasimos on Cephallonia.
Once he telephoned Brussels where a spiritual child was serving in the navy there on a NATO submarine. He told him that there was a shoal-reef there where the submarine was circulating under the sea, and that they ought to be careful. The officer checked the spot that the Elder had pointed out, located the reef, and gave orders for the submarine to avoid that spot.
K.I.: The gifts of Elder Porphyrios are really so many and so surprising that one doesn't know what to mention first and which are the most wonderful!

Fr.D.G.: On the 15th July 1974 he was traveling with some spiritual children of his to Macedonia, Northern Greece. On the car radio they heard that a coup d'etat had taken place in Cyprus and that Archbishop Makarios had been murdered. He turned around and said to his spiritual children "That is a mistake. Archbishop Makarios has not been murdered." And in truth, with the next newscast they learnt that Archbishop Makarios was still alive.

K.I.: That's astonishing.

Fr.D.G.: The incidents that demonstrate his gifts of foresight and discernment could fill whole volumes, alone.

When I first met him on Mt. Athos he told me that in my village of Panourgia in the Phokhidos Parnassian mountains near Amfissa there are some caves where people lived during the Turkish Occupation. He also told me that in my village there are three country churches. He saw my village in its past, present, and future phases, because when he spoke to me there were only two churches; today there are three. On the other hand, he saw that in the past, during the the Turkish Occupation, men-of-arms and klephts had lived in the caves near my village.
He often happened to tell me something which at the time appeared puzzling and 1 couldn't understand it or interpret it. One day, as we were walking, he said, "Many people will listen to you." I thought that we would have some kind of festival, we would put up some loudspeakers, and lots of people would hear me. When, however, years later, two church radio stations went on the air with a large audience, only then, having taken on some of the programs, did I understand what the Elder meant.

Personally, I had the feeling that I had a prophet before me, like the prophets in the Old Testament, and that he had the Holy Spirit within him.

Whatever he heard, whatever was said to him, he was always completely calm. Just like the calmness of St. Anthony.

When people who were facing difficult problems came to me, I took them to the Elder and he gave them perfect advice. His advice was always faultless and perfect. I'll give you one such example.

A gentleman once visited us who came from a village in Corinth. He had a large property and was in a dilemma as to whether to plant olive trees or lemon trees. He didn't know which was best and he couldn't arrive at a decision. We took him to the Elder; note that this took place at the end of the 1970's.

The Elder told him about the needs the countries of the EEC would have regarding such produce in the future: that a method would be found for the quick harvesting of olives and so there would be an overproduction of olives. He advised him to plant lemon trees; lemons would always be in demand in those countries and in the countries of the north. That, as events proved, is what actually happened.

K.I.: The impressive thing is that Elder Porphyrios was interested in everything, in all kind of problems that concerned people.

Fr.D.G.: Very true.

K.I.: How did he himself deal with those gifts of his?

Fr. D.G.: First, we must mention that he acquired his gift of discernment at Kavsokalyvia when he was only seventeen years old. It is a surprising case because these gifts
as a rule are only acquired after many decades of ascetic practice.

Elder Porphyrios, speaking about the gifts that God had given him, said that for the Church to function, God gives different gifts to some people at times for the good of the Church. He felt that his gifts were an ecclesiastical function.

He kept these gifts until the end of his life. Others have also at times been given various gifts. Afterwards however, they were found unworthy and deprived of them.

Figures like Elder Porphyrios appear within the Church once every hundred or two hundred years. The things that we read about in the lives of the saints that amaze us, happened next to us because the Elder was a living saint. And now we're informed about miracles that he performed after death.

K.I.: Fr. Daniel, from what I know, you have many direct experiences of Elder Porphyrios' healing gift. Could you give us a few indicative examples?

Fr.D.G.: Personally, I knew different people that had cancer and were cured after a prayer and blessing from the Elder.

One high-school teacher had a breast tumor and was scheduled for surgery. She went to the Elder, who blessed her, and the tumor disappeared without needing an operation.

One other young girl in the Athenian district of St. Paraskevi had decided to commit suicide because she was severely reprimanded at home. She had bought some strong weed-killer and was going to drink it. Suddenly, Elder Porphyrios appeared before her, took the weed-killer from her hands, and said to her, "Don't be afraid. Everything will be all right. You'll marry, you'll have children and you'll be fine." That's just what happened.
K.I.: "Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see
God."

Fr.D.G.: Occasionally the Elder used to visit stores where business was not going too well. He gave a blessing and customers started to arrive immediately, one after the other, and indeed, to shop for things in bulk.

K.I.: What did he say about politics?

Fr.D.G.: I'll tell you this one characteristic thing, as we shouldn't get into details. He said, "When a country is in a lot of sin, then its political life, instead of being straightforwafd, will be crooked."

K.I.: Elder Porphyrios, from what I understand, had a concern for married couples, Fr. Daniel?

Fr.D.G.: Very much so. He helped countless couples whose problems were so great that their marriages had started to dissolve. He helped them with his gifts and he restored their relationship.

I remember one moving incident when he was traveling in a taxi. He had the following conversation with the driver:
"Do you have a wife?" "Yes, I do."
"How many years have you lived apart?" "Five."

The conversation continued and the ending was a happy one. The taxi-driver was so impressed with what this unknown priest had said to him that he immediately went and found his wife and re-established their marriage.
With his gifts the Elder knew what each situation required. For example, he said to one married lady, "When your husband finds himself in a difficult situation, do not say a word. Pray and ask others to pray. Because otherwise you'll make things unpleasant for him. He won't find warmth and happiness near you, and he'll start looking around." He would, each time make recommendations according to the situation which contributed to the peace of that particular family.

He talked about "mixed-up" children; children who have psychological problems because their parents have a bad relationship with one another so there isn't a good atmosphere in the home.

He talked about "mixed-up" children of "mixed-up" parents. Indeed, it happened that I myself took some of these parents of children with problems to see the Elder. He said that these children already had problems, this "mix-up", from the womb. When the child's mother was pregnant she didn't try to put her life in order, to be calm, peaceful, to pray and to partake of the Sacraments of the Church.

I remember that he once advised a mother of five children to stay away from her house for a month. Her behavior was such that her children would fight amongst themselves every day. They couldn't reason with their mother so they would take their anger out on one another.

Because of his great discernment he would treat each situation accordingly. He didn't deal with people uniformly; the Elder knew what advice each person could bear. Ten people could ask him about the same matter, and he would give them ten different answers. This is called pastoral individualization.

K.I.: He carried out his pastoral work with discernment because he had exactly that manner about him.

Fr.D.G.: Elder Porphyrios used the word "mixed-up" which I mentioned earlier, a lot, when he wanted to say that someone had internal problems. Indeed, he used that word when the subject of heresies was brought up. He said that all the "mixed-up" people join heresies.

K.I.: How did he deal with people’s external appearance, the way they dressed?

Fr.D.G.: Elder Porphyrios didn't concern himself with people's external appearances. This was confirmed by all the people who went to see him without, let us say, the proper attire. He would look to the deeper cause within the soul. He knew that if man is sorted out on the inside then the outside will sort itself out automatically.

K.I.: What other features of his personality would you like to tell us about Fr. Daniel?

Fr.D.G.: Something fundamental, that characterized Elder Porphyrios is that whatever passed through his hands he wanted it to be perfect. Just to give you one example, when he was about to build the convent at Milesi. He was concerned about the passage of the sun, so that in winter those who lived there would not have sunless rooms. He also looked into the matter of dampness, wind direction etc., so that everything would be perfect. He wanted, as much as possible, completeness and perfection.

He spoke about the work of St. Gregory of Nyssa, "Whatever St. Gregory has written is very well constructed; his words, his concepts, his paragraphs." He added, "Just like a builder who puts down strong foundations, he lays the bricks evenly, he builds the ground floor first and then goes on to the second floor. St. Gregory of Nyssa, having taken care of those things that belong to the first paragraph , then goes on to the second paragraph and then the following one."

K.I.: Personally, I have a passion for studying the works of that great Father of our Church, who, in the words of that distinguished poet of Byzantium, George Pisidis, was the "the most mystical."

Fr.D.G.: Elder Porphyrios advised me to study St. Gregory of Nyssa's works a great deal.

K.I.: Your words have filled me with enthusiasm Fr.
Daniel.

Fr.D.G.: Something especially impressive about Elder Porphyrios was that he admired and exploited technological inventions. He was amazed by the fact that God had given Man the ability to make such discoveries, and he advised his spiritual children to make use of technology. "Should it be allowed," he asked "for God to help Man make so many discoveries, then for the devil to use them and us Christians not to use them?"

K.I.: That's very good.

Fr.D.G.: He made use of the telephone a lot. He spoke to his spiritual children and others by phone on a twenty-four hour basis. Not only in Greece, but also abroad, on all the continents. He helped untold numbers of people through the telephone.

K.I.: The telephone, in the hands of Elder Porphyrios, really was a gift for all those who needed it.

Fr.D.G.: He loved the Church radio. He said that through it the wish and prophecy of St. John Chrysostomos was fulfilled, "I will rise up high to speak about Christ and all the world will hear me."

K.I.: Truth will be shouted from the rooftops.

Fr.D.G: Elder Porphyrios was very hard-working. He loved hard work and always spoke out against indolence. He characteristically said, "He can't even pick his feet up off the ground, and he comes to me for advice on how to be lifted to the heights of spiritual life." He always stressed that when we pray we ought to also pray with our body making full prostrations .

Studying both the Old and the New Testament we see that each time the Lord called a prophet or an apostle, he called them while they were working. One was called while he was shepherding sheep, another while plowing, another while threshing, yet another while mending nets etc.

He wanted people to be busy, to be constantly using all the limbs of their body, not to be idle. He would in no way accept indolence and laziness.

K.I.: We would like you to tell us, Fr. Daniel, about the Elder as priest?
Fr.D.G.: He liked his work at the Polyclinic. He comforted the sick. He heard their confessions. He gave them communion. He did serve as a consoling, guardian angel.

The liturgical life of the St. Gerasimos' Church also developed beautifully. The church had a choir, and the voice of the priest had to correspond with the singing of the choir and to avoid being musically offensive. This is why he went to a school of music where he made notable progress. He completed a course of studies. He also learnt to play the piano. However, as a musical instrument, he loved the organ the most.

Later, the place of the choir was taken in the church by the official cantor, Spyridon Peristeris, who was destined to become the chief cantor in Athens as First Cantor at the Metropolitan Church. Their harmony was excellent. If on occasion somebody at the lectern made a mistake, or said something irregular, the Elder didn't speak and didn't ruin the atmosphere of the Divine Liturgy. Once when a visiting priest took his place a great confusion was created. He started to say to the cantors "Not that apolytikion , the other one. Look for the other one." They looked for it and couldn't find it. What a commotion! This unfortunate incident made that the cantor and his helpers appreciate the politeness and tact of Elder Porphyrios.

The Alevizatos brothers were university professors. There were many university people in their circle. All of them went to church at St. Gerasimos'. Professors from the Theological School also went there, like that great religious expert Leonidas Philippides, who revered the Elder immensely. A whole University congregated in the church of St. Gerasimos. The Liturgy was truly uplifting. The Elder delivered the Gospel reading with special grace and life. Indeed, during Holy Week, at the Service of the Passion, the reading of the Twelve Gospels had that special something that remains unparalleled. Fr. Porphyrios, with the grace that he had, saw Christ suffering and was shaken. Filled with emotion, his voice would often break and he had difficulty in continuing the reading. Once he couldn't bear anymore, and he stopped reading. Then he wiped his face that was washed in tears, sought forgiveness from the congregation and making a great effort, he continued. It is needless to say what moving emotions were conveyed to the Christians present. It was like they found themselves at Gethsemane, at the Praetorium, at Golgotha, they followed the divine drama with bated breath. One certain time, he had a priest of his own with him at the Service of the Passion. He was a spiritual child of his and he had told him to be ready. If he was forced to stop reading the Gospel, then the other priest should take over.

When the time came for St. John Chrysostom's Catechetical Homily, during the Paschal Liturgy, unprecedented emotion and pious enthusiasm were created.

He recited the text from memory, slowly, solemnly, and most beautifully. He loved all of St. John Chrysostom's sermons, but he especially loved this one. He said it quietly, elegantly, little by little, without holding a book, holding only the paschal candle. The height of this grandeur was when he said, "Hades was embittered when below he met You face to face. He was embittered, for he was set at naught..." and the people repeated, "He was embittered." Unrepeatable spiritual emotions.

He adored every Church prayer, every reading from a sacred text. They had to be said in the most suitable way. Throughout his life he helped countless priests, monks, cantors and lectors to chant and to read in the best possible way, in a way worthy of God.

K.I.: One could talk with you, Fr. Daniel, for hours on end about Elder Porphyrios. Unfortunately, a radio program, as you well know, has its time limit. Of the great number of stories and examples that you didn't manage to tell us, which one would you like to end with?

Fr.D.G: At the end of his life, he asked me to bring him Holy Communion after the Divine Liturgy. During the time when he was preparing to receive the divine gifts a heavenly state prevailed; such was his love and his longing for the Immaculate Mysteries. Once he spoke to me about the aroma of Holy Communion; I understood it to mean that he sensed a fragrance in the Holy Communion.

He always urged Christians to participate actively in the sacraments of the Church.

He said that with the sacrament of Confession, whatever has fallen down is raised up again. He told us the moving story of a monk who had gone to the Holy Mountain in his youth. He had so many gifts that he felt like he lived in Paradise. One day he was disobedient to his elder. All that gracious state left him. When his elder returned, he heard his confession and read the prayer of forgiveness. The gracious state that he had iost returned to him immediately.

Elder Porphyrios always stressed that when we are within the Church, when we participate in the sacraments of the Church, then we are in Paradise. Also, as much as we participate in the sacraments, we are that much more in eternal life. That is why he always reminded us of the Lord's saying, "He who believes in the Son has life eternal."

K.I.: What did he say about our departed brethren who can now be found in the Church Triumphant?

Fr.D.G.: He said that we are all one and we should pray as much for the living as we do for the departed. He stressed that we shouldn't say, "Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on so-and-so" or "have mercy on us," but that we should say "Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy upon me." As he explained, since the Christ's Church is one bodv, within the "have mercy on me" are included all the living and the dead. And if prayer is not extended to all people, then it is not ecclesial.

He told us that whenever he went to holy places, to Mount Sinai, to the Cave of the Apocalypse on the isle of Patmos or to Jerusalem he had indescribable life experiences. He always stressed the sanctity of the places, that the places can sanctify, that they are saturated with God's grace.

He characteristically told us that when he struggled at a certain place in order to reach a certain spiritual state through prayer, he needed a quarter to a half of an hour of struggle. But when this happened at a sanctified place things were different. "I enter, for example, a holy cave," he said, "like the caves of St. Niphon or St. Neilos on the Holy Mountain, or the Cave of the Apocalypse, and I don't even begin to pray and immediately that sanctified place lifts me up."

He said again and again that, "God is everything" and he stressed that without praying to God nothing is accomplished. "Prayer," he said "is the mother of all good things, provided that it is always done with humility, without any egotism, and with love towards Christ."

K.I.: We thank you very much, Fr., Daniel, for all the manna from heaven, that, you've had the goodness to share with us.

Fr.D.G.: May we have the blessing of Elder Porphyrios and let us give thanks to God, Who sent us such a gift in the twentieth century.

Archmandrite Ioannikios Kotsonis
Theologian, writer.
 

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K.I.: The gifts that the Holy Spirit gave to Elder Porphyrios and through him to contemporary Hellenism and Orthodoxy worldwide were limitless. And you Fr. Ioannikios, a monk of Mt.Athos, are included amongst those who had the blessing to get to know Elder Porphyrios.

Fr.I.: Elder Porphyrios was a contemporary starets of Greek Orthodoxy. He was a charismatic figure. He had received the gifts of the Holy Spirit very early on in his life.

As he himself told me the two factors that helped him very much in his life and that gave him spiritual grace, were firstly, to use his words, "the cheerful obedience which I gave to my Elders."

K.I.: That's a wonderful characterization of obedience, "cheerful obedience."

Fr.I.: Yes, that's what he himself told me and he went on to explain, "For example, they said to me, 'Nikita' (for that was my name as a monk at Kavsokalyvia, Mt.Athos) 'run down to the pier and fetch that sack of flour. And even before my Elder had finished giving me the order I had already started to run towards the pier, to load up the sack, and, with cheerful obedience, to return." This cheerful obedience of his was the first factor. The other factor was his unceasing noetic prayer, "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me." He practiced the noetic prayer constantly and unceasingly.

He left the Holy Mountain because of illness with the blessing of his Elders, and he followed the well-known course, until in the end, for peace and quiet, he went to Milesi, Malakasa, where he built his well-known convent. Once when I visited him there he said to me, Tm amazed and astonished at why all these people come to me. I don't believe that I say anything outstanding. I just tell them whatever God enlightens me to say at that moment.

These words alone are enough to prove what great humility Elder Porphyrios had. He didn't have the feeling that he was anything outstanding. That's why he wrote in his final letter, "The world, however, received me well, and everyone shouts that I'm a saint. I, however, feel that I am the most sinful person in the world."

The element of humility is, as you know, the true criterion of a really holy man.

K.I.: With regard to his gifts of discernment and foresight, which experience would you like to tell us about, Fr. Ioannikios?

Fr.L: I'll tell you one of those ones which I remember.

I hadn't seen him for years. I had gone to Macedonia, *where God made me worthy, the poor and needy person that 1 am, to lay the foundations of the Holy Convent " of St. Gregory Palamas which was built afterwards.

K.I.: At Koufalia, Thessaloniki, where you are spiritual father to the brotherhood of St. Gregory Palamas.
 

Fr.L: Exactly.

I went to receive his blessing, to find for my troubled mind a little peace, consolation and hope, which Elder Porphyrios always gave to those who visited him. Primarily he had the great gift of love which he manifested by consoling all those people. Elder Porphyrios was, we could say, a comforter.


K.I.: That's very good, what you said, "a comforter."

Fr.L: When I had received his blessing and we talked a little, suddenly he looked up at me and said, smiling, "Tell me, outside the monastery you're building, what have you put out front there, before we enter the monastery?"

"What have I put there, Elder?" I asked.
"I see...,I see...," he replied.
"What do you see, Elder?"
"I see a large cross."

We really had placed a large wooden cross in that spot. I was astonished by the grace he had. I took his hand and kissed it with respect, but also with joy, because I found myself next to a grace-filled Elder and because even in our times the Church gives birth to people with such grace and so many gifts of the Holy Spirit.

He had the gift of being able to see far away, for distances of kilometers, places that he had never been to and had never read about. He could see geographic length, width and depth, where he even discovered the existence or non¬existence of underground water beds. At the same time he had the gitt of Holy Spirit to penetrate and reveal, with wonderful ease, the depths of people's souls, and to discover their hidden secrets. For us this was something supernatural, for him it was natural, like he was seeing things with his physical eyes. Fr. Porphyrios was an eye of the spirit.
 

K.I.: Which beneficial words of Elder Porphyrios do you most remember?

Fr.I.: He said that we should love Christ as much as we could. "Whoever loves Christ," he said, "avoids sin." He stressed the importance of love for God very much.

And rightly so, because, as you know, someone can live carefully and with virtue in order to avoid hell. That is the first category of people. In the second category are the people who try not to sin in order to get their reward from God, to enter Paradise. The third and highest category, as Elder Porphyrios taught, is this: for a person to live with virtue, because he loves God, because he doesn't want to grieve the Lord, Who "first loved us." This love creates a heavenly state within the soul and is the beginning of paradise.
Elder Porphyrios also stressed that, he had been greatly helped by study and diligence, that stillness - according to the expression, "Be still and know that I am the Lord God."- generally found in the hymnography of our Church. He very much loved the hymns of our Church. He also liked to read, recite and sing them.

The hymns, the spiritual treasure of Orthodoxy, give a commentary, in the best possible way, of the Holy Scriptures, our Orthodox Tradition, the Patristic texts, the doctrines of the Church and the whole of Theology.

I believe that Elder Porphyrios had within himself and expressed a mystical theology which is predominantly found in St.Maximos the Confessor and in St. Isaac the Syrian.

K.I.: Could you tell us something else, Fr. Ioannikios, something related to the stance of Elder Porphyrios towards some particular problem, out of all the problems that torment people,?

Fr.I.: I will tell you one particular story, which shows the grandeur of Elder Porphyrios' soul.
Many, many years ago, on the eve of Theophany, * he went according to custom to bless houses with holy water. As he was entering the houses, one after the other, he entered, without realizing it, a house of ill-repute. At the moment when he began to chant "O Lord, save Thy people ..." and to bless, the manageress said to him, "Don't, don't, it's not right for them to kiss the cross." Then, Elder Porphyrios replied, "I don't know whether it's not right for them or for you to kiss the cross."

Those women kissed the cross and Elder Porphyrios spoke with them a little. He told them about love towards God, that was his favorite subject.

Seeing the saintly figure of Elder Porphyrios, these women changed inside. Especially when he told them, "Love Christ Who loves you and you'll see how happy you'll be. If only you knew how much Christ loves you. Make an effort to love Him, too."

Elder Porphyrios knew that if those women got to know Christ and to love Him, because knowing leads to loving, then they would abandon the miserable profession that they practiced.

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The following addition was sent to us by Fr. Ioannikios Kotsonis, for the second edition. We thank him.


I remember that whenever the holy Elder spoke about the Skete of Kavsokalyvia on the Holy Mountain, he typically felt a sense of joy, a sense of comfort and of spiritual pleasure. It was a subject which he held dear. The tranquil location, the struggling fathers of his day, the huts, the caves of the saints, the main Church, the Divine Services, asceticism, nature, nostalgic memories of his adolescence (he entered the Monastic Commonwealth at a very young age). All this and much, much more, both indescribable and inexpressible of the hidden life in Christ and of his mystical ascent, had created for the Elder a Paradise before Paradise. And justly so, since it was from thence that his holiness sprung forth, from thence his asceticism and obedience, from thence his holy humility (as they said), from thence noetic prayer and uncreated energy, from thence his discernment and gifts, from thence the basis of his future direction.

He told me many times about a supernatural event that amazes, which happened when he was at Kavsokalyvia, a short time before he left the Holy Mountain for good. One time Fr. loannikios, the old man and spiritual brother of Fr. Porphyrios, sent him to collect snails. This lenten food of the ascetics is usually found on craggy rocks and in ravines. Elder Porphyrios, then only a young monk, filled his haversack with snails in order to please his elder. In doing this he clambered up a dangerously inaccessible rocky slope. On his way back he passed through a gorge filled with stones, which started to roll down and to sweep him away.

He cried out, "My sweet Panaghia!" and he told us, "Without realizing what was happening at that moment, in the wink of an eye, a power took hold of me and transported me on to a rock at the other side of the ravine. From here, when I had recovered, I took the path with led back to the Skete."

He caught a cold from this incident and became seriously ill. Then with the blessing of his elders he went to his village and then to Athens.

When Fr, Porphyrios speaks to us about Man, about God, about the world, about love, about prayer, about the whole of Creation, he spoke with theological criteria (being a graduate oL.the second grade of Elementary School!). He really had the gift of Theology that flows from the Living Spring of the Holy Spirit. And, indeed, of mystical Theology, which blossoms from philosophy according to Christ. He was a mystical theologian without worldly education. He only had the education of asceticism, of quietness, and of noetic effort. He said, "May we all enter the earthly uncreated Church, because if we don't enter it, then we will not enter heaven." "We can unite, if we live a mystical life..." "Divine grace comes richly, but gently like a 'murmur'," as the Old Testament says. "Become saints..."

I once spoke to the Elder about certain difficulties, anomalies and disharmony that had appeared in the relations between the nuns, caused by the passion of jealousy. The Elder told me that this passion was one of the greatest; in women it is so strong that it is only uprooted with great difficulty. Love must prevail, so that great evil, jealousy, will flee.

All these and many other stories (that I don't remember, as we didn't have the foresight to write them down) demonstrate the mystical life and the mystical vision so keenly disposed of by that holy abba.

Monk Moses
of the Holy Skete of St.Panteleimon, of Mt.Athos, writer.
 

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K.I.: Fr. Moses, as one can ascertain from reading your books, the question of suffering is a subject that has occupied you a great deal, and you have seriously thought about this important topic?

Elder Porphyrios, whom you knew, was a man who suffered much and loved much.

Br.M.: I thank you for giving me this opportunity to speak about an Elder, truly, of suffering and love. I also thank you for putting it like that, because we sometimes talk about some wonderful events in the life of some virtuous figure and we're either impressed or we're filled with enthusiasm or even with ecstasy. We forget that in order to get there they had a long, humble, and determined ascetic struggle.

This asceticism is certainly not an aim in itself but it's a means of achieving the end, which is holiness, theosis, participation of man, by grace, in God. So that this poor little person can become like iron that falls into the fire and itself becomes fire.

As the patristic texts tell us, you must give blood to receive spirit. Spiritual life is not salon-talk, a philosophical conversation about God without having felt God. In order for us to become free and to attain God's blessing as his children in the grace and joy of His beloved, a long and determined struggle of obedience within the Church is needed.

Fr. Porphyrios really was a man of virtue. With great modesty and thrift we must talk about the events that adorn his life without exaggeration, without falsification, but with a sense of responsibility and sobriety, citing those things we know well.

We first need to realize that saints live in our century, that saints are next to us, that holiness is attainable and is accomplished after a discreet, humble and ascetic struggle.

Fr. Porphyrios reached a high level of virtue. He reached it because he maintained great purity in his life. He reached it because he was very humble. He reached it because he was very obedient. He lived with demanding elders at Kavsokalyvia on the Holy Mountain. Until serious illness separated him from his dear Holy Mountain and brought him near the world, to become a healer of people, not only from their spiritual sickness and sin (because he was a good spiritual father) but also from their bodily ailments.

He had a lot of love that first flowed from his love towards God. Christian love always has two natures: you can't love Man, if you don't love God and you can't love God without loving Man.

Thus, Elder Porphyrios, especially towards the end of his life, was devoted completely to people. They came to him in tens and hundreds to be comforted by his advice and by his gift of foresight which God gives to the pure and worthy. It is a gift of God, which He gives to the humble and to those who know how to guard it well. God doesn't grant this gift to the unworthy, for then it will become a murder weapon.

Fr. Elder shows us in the strongest way that holiness exists in our century. If the world lacks saints, then the world lacks meaning. The saints uphold the world and the world's greatest need is holiness. We are sustained by holiness, we are sustained by saints. Do you see what power and what wealth a holy person like Elder Porphyrios constitutes for the Church and for the world?
I'll say something about my meetings with Elder Porphyrios.
K.I.: We'll listen to whatever you have to tell us about Elder Porphyrios with great pleasure. I am really moved, Fr. Moses, by what you've told us about Elder Porphyrios.

Br.M.: My encounters with Elder Porphyrios left me with those things that I've just mentioned.

Once, when I was unwell, I went to visit him and to receive his blessing. He told me exactly what I was suffering from, even though the doctors for many years had great difficulty in making a definite diagnosis. When, having returned from the doctors, I visited Elder Porphyrios again, he said to me, "The gift, my child, is not my own, it's God's. I say that which God says to me, and not what my mind, my imagination, my opinion, or my other capabilities say."

Afterwards he told about the following incident, "Many days ago a university professor visited me and complained about some problem that he had. I said to him, 'Professor, those problems are from your mother's womb.' The professor started to cry. I said to him,
'You, a university professor, crying?'
'You're right, Elder,' he replied 'but those words of yours have a deep meaning for me. My mother told me that when I was in her womb, my father kicked her there so that she would miscarry.'" Then Elder Porphyrios added, "Was I, my child, in the womb of the mother of that professor? God enlightened me to say that which I say."

There are so many things to say about Elder Porphyrios that we could talk for hours on end.

I would like to reiterate that Fr. Porphyrios was a humble man. His humility was so great that when he foresaw his end he removed himself from the world so that he wouldn't be honored upon his death, returning to the place where he started his spiritual struggle at the Skete of Kavsokalyvia. This is one more proof of his richness of heart, which attracted God's grace and gave him rich blessings.
God's grace is necessary but our own personal struggle is also necessary. We need to take one step and God will then take ten steps. We need to work, but not to believe in our own good works, for as St. Mark the Ascetic also says, Man is not justified by his works.

Co-operation is needed; Man's co-operation with God. We need to make our desire known and God will give Himself completely to us. He will give us everything, since we follow him kindly and faithfully.
 

K.I.: "Therefore as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of the faith."  

 

 

Monk Nicodemus Bilalis
brother of the Holy Monastery Pantocrator
resident at the Holy Skete of Kapsalas, Mt. Athos
Theologian, philologist.
 

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K.I.: Fr. Nicodemus, as I was told by our mutual friend Mr. Panagiotis Sotirchos, you have a lot of interesting incidents connected with Elder Porphyrios to tell us. I thank you very much for receiving me, even though we have never met before. In any event, we know plenty about your social work and action carried out in the field of large families.
Br.N.: Thank you, Mr. Ioannides, for including me amongst the witnesses to the personality and holiness of Elder Porphyrios. I met him once twenty years ago, in 1972. I had heard a lot about Elder Porphyrios but I hadn't had the opportunity until then to meet him.
One day I returned on foot to Holy New Skete, where I was then living, via Kerasia, from the Holy Monastery Great Lavra on the Holy Mountain, where I had gone to study. The distance is about four hours walk altogether, if not more. It had just rained and I was soaked from head to toe by the bushes and trees in the forest along the way.

When I arrived at the first cell at Kerasia, I knocked on the door and asked to warm myself. They gave me clothes, I changed and put my own clothes out to dry. Without my knowing it, Elder Porphyrios was staying there at the time. So, I had the great blessing of spending some four hours with him and to discuss many subjects with him. Out of the many things I heard, I would like to mention the following story which the Elder brought up, prompted by the subject hotly discussed in the newspapers at the time; the subject of the cloth, the clergyman's cassock.

It was a short time after he had received his priest's pension. As you know, he served as chaplain at St. Gerasimos' chapel, within the Athens Polyclinic, by Omonia Square, on Piraeus Street. One day he passed by St. Constantine's Church, Omonia, and entered the church to pray. The moment he left the church he was approached by a young couple with their little girl. They asked him if they could trouble him for few minutes. Elder Porphyrios explained that he was not the priest in charge of that particular church. "It doesn't matter," they said to him. "We just want to ask you one question. We won't take up too much of your time."

"This is our little girl," the husband said to him, "and my wife insists on dressing her in trousers. I can't accept that. It's not what I want. And so we've come to a terrible disagreement. We decided, therefore, to go to a priest, any priest at all, to put our problem to him. Whatever he tells us to us we'll do it. We'll be bound to do whatever he tells us."

First, Elder Porphyrios told them that the subject wasn't simple. He then went on to tell them that the issue is resolved both in the Holy Scriptures and in the Holy Canons. It is also resolved naturally by nature, given the fact that the woman doesn't have the same nature as a man; she differs from him bodily and spiritually. This difference is emphasized by dress, since a man's body is formed differently from a woman's. He quoted Deuteronomy , which forbids men to wear women's clothing and women to wear men's clothing.

He then told them about the following amazing incident, that I'm telling for the very first time, knowing that it will be publicized.

K.I.: We thank you very much, Fr. Nicodemus.
Br.N: When Elder Porphyrios served as chaplain to the Athens Polyclinic, many doctors there had noticed that he had certain outstanding gifts from God. They respected him immensely and they often asked him to pray during difficult operations or they called him to doctor's councils, when they were trying to make a difficult diagnosis.

One day the hospital doctors invited the Elder to give them his opinion on an unusual case that they were facing. A young woman had given birth to an ugly child, who had a black growth like an egg-plant on his cheek. They wanted to hear his own interpretation of why such a child was born. The Elder asked to see the young mother. He discovered by talking to her that a youth who had the same monstrous face as her child lived in her neighborhood of Omonia The young woman often came across this youth, and naturally felt sorry for him. When, however, she married and became pregnant, the sight of that youth started to become a nightmare. Every time she saw him she thought, "How terrible for his mother, to have such a child! If I was in her position how would I put up with it? How would I bear it?"

It was exactly this nightmarish thought that affected this young woman during her pregnancy, so that the child in her womb grew correspondingly. So much so, that when she gave birth to the baby it had a monstrous face just like that youth. Elder Porphyrios gave this interpretation to the doctors, and both they and the mother accepted it.

We must, however, return to the couple who had approached the Elder and sought his advice as to whether or not their daughter should wear trousers. Elder Porphyrios referred to the previous incident to show them that male dress psychologically influences woman's nature to the point where she will start behaving like a man, something against her nature. Naturally the same thing occurs when men wear women's clothes.

Of course, Elder Porphyrios examined the subject more deeply for them, with all its psychological and pedagogical consequences, in order to stress that women are not allowed to wear men's clothes and men are not allowed to wear women's. The couple agreed with this conclusion, and left, greatly helped by this chance encounter with the Elder.

K.L That's a really amazing story that you tell, Fr. Nicodemus.

Br.N.: I'll now tell you about another time when I met Elder Porphyrios.

As a theologian, I'm engaged in research on the subject of birth control. We know that the holy texts of our Church strictly forbid the use of birth control. I wanted the advice of Elder Porphyrios on different aspects of this enormous issue, bearing in mind that the Pan-Hellenic Society of Friends of Large Families is based here. I'm in daily contact with large families. When they see me wearing a cassock, before I can explain that I'm not a priest or a confessor, they bring up all kinds of related topics, such as abortion, contraception, and generally about childbearing and birth control. They, even bring up the same topics in their letters and ask for answers.

This meeting with Elder Porphyrios took place here in Athens, in Thision, at the home of my cousin, who was a spiritual daughter of the Elder. Elder Porphyrios went to my cousin's house from time to time, to confess a group of young girls who practiced chastity and wanted to become nuns. I told my cousin to ask Elder Porphyrios to receive me there for a little while. I had some questions and I wanted his advice. So I went to my cousin's house, and there, amongst other things, I asked his opinion on how to develop arguments against birth control, and how he as a spiritual father dealt with the subject.

I won't bring up all the details of the discussion now. I'll only mention that Elder Porphyrios upheld the strict line, which I also hold: i.e. birth control is not allowable while there are marital relations, therefore the use of contraceptive methods is not allowable, etc..
The same day, after I had left, an acquaintance of my cousin's went to her house, a certain P., from Corinth, a close associate of ours at the Pan-Hellenic Society of Friends of Large Families. As he himself explained, his meeting with the Elder took place under the following circumstances:

When I had seen Elder Porphyrios and left, my cousin went out to buy something she needed. On the way she met Mr.P., whom she knew and whose daughter lived on the same road as she did. They exchanged a few pleasantries, and then my cousin apologized, explaining that she was in a hurry because Elder Porphyrios was then at her home. When P. heard that, he became enthusiastic and asked if he too could go to her house for a little while to see the Elder and receive his blessing. That's what happened.

Then, as soon as Elder Porphyrios saw him, without having seen him before, and without my cousin telling him anything about him, not even his name, the Elder said, "Welcome P." That is to say, he greeted him with his name. Then he carried on, "Listen here, my blessed chap, those differences you have with your bishop, forget them. They were presented to him differently. You must behave lovingly to one another."

We have here another specific event where Elder Porphyrios without having previously met a person, not only knew, with enlightenment from God, his name, but also knew his own particular problems.
I'll tell you about another incident of which I also have direct personal knowledge.

K.I.: Thank you, Fr. Nicodemus

Br.R: A member of the Executive Committee of the "Pan-Hellenic Society of Friends of Large Families" regularly went to confess to Elder Porphyrios. One of his daughters, who is today married with children, as a student had a lot of anxiety about the University Exams. Her father took her to Kallisia, Penteli, where Elder Porphyrios lived before he went to Oropos. The girl went in first, without her father having ever said anything about her exams. As soon as she entered Elder Porphyrios said to her "Welcome. Listen, don't worry yourself about the delay that you've got. It's because of your anxiety about the exams. Tell me what else is the matter?"

That girl really had an unnatural delay in her monthly cycle, which worried her. She had never even thought about talking to Elder Porphyrios about it. So, as soon as she heard him bring up the subject without her even touching upon it, she was so moved that when she left confession she ran into her father's arms shouting in front of everyone "He's a saint. He's a prophet." This same event was told to me by the girl's father, a close associate of mine.

There is a third incident, which I also know from first
hand.
An Athonite monk, a friend and neighbor of mine at Kapsala, Elder Martinianos, had come to Athens from the Holy Mountain especially to meet the Elder. He was from Kyparissia by descent, and at the start of his life as a monk had lived in the historic Monastery of St. Sawa, outside Jerusalem. He later left there and went to live on Mt. Athos at the Holy Monastery of Docheiarios and afterwards to the Skete of Kapsala.

When he arrived at Oropos, where Elder Porphyrios lived, it was day-break, so without knocking on the door or doing anything else, he sat down and waited. At some moment a window opened and one of the women there asked him, "Excuse me, but are you an Athonite monk?"

"Yes, I am" he said.

"The Elder said you're to come up."

The monk was astonished. He hadn't told anybody anything and he hadn't seen anyone from the time that he had arrived. He stood up and went to Elder Porphyrios. Then the following conversation took place between them:
"Welcome. Where have you come from?"
"From the Holy Mountain, Eider/'
"But aren't you a monk of St. Sawa's"
"No, I'm from Mt. Athos."
"Didn't you become a monk at St. Sawa?"
"Yes, Elder."

Then Elder Porphyrios revealed that in the Monastery of St. Sawa there was a cave (he described the area exactly and the spot in which the cave was located), which contained the relics of the monastery's fathers. It hadn't been discovered until that moment. He told him about such circumstances of his life, that he was stunned by the surprise of Elder Porphyrios knowing so many things about his life, even though they had never met before.

I have recorded the testimony of that monk on cassette, as he himself narrates it.

I'm confining myself, Mr. Ioannides, to accounts which I know from first hand, so that we can be sure of their authenticity.

K.I.: Those are exactly the events that interest us, so that they can stand up to criticism and so that we can be, as far as it is possible, more sure about the genuiness of the accounts.

Br.N.: The following incident, is connected with a relative of mine, from Xerokambos, Eleia, I'm telling you it, just like he told me it.

K.I.: We're indebted to you, Fr. Nicodemus, for everything that you've told us and we can't wait to hear the rest.

Br.N.: This relative of mine had become so close to the Elder that they would talk for hours together in the forest. He told me about two incidents which I consider astounding, considering the revelations he had. The first is as follows:
This relative of mine wanted to build a farming unit in his village. He had sought the Elder's advice beforehand, and the Elder agreed with him. He wanted to do some drilling on his property and went to the Elder to get his advice. Then Elder Porphyrios, who had never visited his village, started to give him a complete and detailed description of the property, telling him the specific spot where the drilling ought to take place. He even told him how many meters under the ground he would find water. When this relative hired expert geologists who went to his property, they found the water just where Elder Porphyrios had indicated to him, right down to the last detail.

This same relative also gave me the following account:

Once, while riding a large motorbike he had an accident. He hit something and was flung several meters away from his bike. However, as if by miracle, he survived without getting hurt. When he returned home after the accident late that night, he had just put his foot in the door when the phone rang. He answered it and heard Elder Porphyrios speaking to him at the other end of the line, "You escaped, you escaped. Thank God." My relative remained speechless.

K.I.: How many people were helped by Father Porphyrios? What a great blessing it is for our days.

Br.N: The last time that I saw Elder Porphyrios was about a year before he died. I had to visit the military prison at Avlona, which is about half an hour away from the convent which Elder Porphyrios built in Oropos. I was with a associate of mine in the car of the Society. After our visit to the prison I said to her, "Since we're near to Elder Porphyrios, why don't we go and get his blessing?"

We went and we found twenty or so people there who had been waiting for quite a long while. Among them was a certain well-known theologian. Almost as soon as we had arrived, we heard, "The monks and clergy first." It happened that I was the only monk there; there were no clergv, so I went in first, "Your blessinq only, Elder, pray for us.'5 '

I received the Elder's blessing and explained that we were just passing and that his blessing was enough.

"Sit down, sit down," he said. He took hold of my hand. "How are you doing? Are you well?" he asked. "Thank God, with your blessing, Elder, I'm very well." Then, he immediately started to say to me, "Tell them not to avoid having children. It's a great sin to avoid having children. It's a good thing that you're involved in that work. You continue, and tell them that avoiding childbearing is not allowed. It's a great sin." Those were the last words he ever said to me. He said them of his own accord without me asking him or bringing anything up about the subject.

Elder Porphyrios must have been very pure for God to give him so many great gifts. As St. Basil the Great says, the gift of foresight only shines upon pure and cleansed hear

---

Fr. Arsenios, a monk at St. Catherine's Monastery on Mt. Sinai, told us the following about Fr. Porphyrios during our visit there in July of 1989:

B. was a novice at the Monastery. He was very young and could not get used to the monastery's tough routine that allowed very little time for sleep. So, during the mornings, after the Divine Liturgy, he would go to the area where the burning bush was located and fall asleep.

The Abbot of the Monastery, as well as the other members of the brotherhood, ignored what was happening. They did not want to be too strict or to discourage him in his monastic endeavors. So B. continued to sleep away the morning hours in the same place.

B. loved Elder Porphyrios very much and telephoned him frequently. One day he called the Elder.

"Good morning, Elder."

"Good morning, my son. How are you?"

"I'm fine, Elder. How are you?"

"I'm also fine. In fact, I am thinking about how nice it would be for me to be there at the burning bush that God revealed to Moses. Those who can be found there are sleeping."

B. read about this in the second edition of this book and asked us to clarify that he was not at all surprised by the fact that Elder Porphyrios 'saw' him in Sinai, while still in Athens, with his discernment, because he already knew about his gift. He was moved by his love and his concern.

A friend of ours from Greece, Th.S., was married to a Cypriot doctor. She went to receive Elder Porphyrios' blessing, as she was going to take a trip to Cyprus in the summer of 1983. When she told blessed Porphyrios that she was going to Cyprus, the Elder said to her, "Go and find this Cypriot lady. Tell her I sent you and get to know one another."

Th.S. obeyed and because of Elder Porphyrios from that moment on, found in the person of this young lady and her husband, two close, honest and worthy friends. During the ensuing years they frequently visited and conversed with Elder Porphyrios.

Th.S. knew Elder Porphyrios for more than twenty years. She first met him when she was sixteen years old. Here we briefly relate a few of her many experiences just as she told them to us:

Once, she faced a very serious problem which she had been talking to Elder Porphyrios about for some time. He always calmed her fears by assuring her that the problem would turn out well. Everything would turnout just as she hoped it would, despite evidence to the contrary.

Th.S., however saw that as time went on things became worse instead of better. One evening she was told that in the days that followed, the very thing that she was afraid of was going to happen. Nevertheless Elder Porphyrios never stopped assuring her that it would not happen. She felt such despair and turmoil, she spent the whole night pleading,

"Pappouli, pappouli, why pappouli?  Didn't you tell me that everything would turn out all right? Now, what will I do pappouli? She cried all night.

As soon as dawn broke, the telephone rang. She was surprised to hear Elder Porphyrios' voice. "Come on, my child why are you acting like that? You shouted for me all night and you didn't allow me to rest. Why are you acting like that? I told you that everything would turn out all right."

Th.S. was speechless. How did the Elder Porphyrios know that she was calling for him all night ? and how could he still insist that everything would be all right?

God, naturally, had helped him to foresee things correctly in this situation, as well. Th.S.'s problem, was resolved within a few days and everything turned out just as the Elder Porphyrios said it would.

Another account by the same.

She already had two daughters and was not thinking about having another child. Not then at least.

One day she went to Elder Porphyrios with her husband. While they were talking, she suddenly saw him making the sign of the cross over her abdomen and saying,

"Lord, Jesus Christ, give her a child."

Her first reaction was protest, "Why pappouli?. You know what a terrible financial state we are in. My husband is still establishing his practice and we already have two small children who have not yet gone to elementary school."

"Come now," Elder Porphyrios told her, "isn't it a pity for your husband not to have a son? He doesn't tell about it, but deep down he very much wants to have a son, too. You'll see, this child will bring you wealth and happiness."

A month and a half later, Th.S. was pregnant and soon brought a beautiful little boy into the world. Today he is six years old. He, as foreseen by the Elder, brought the family happiness and great financial security.

A third account by Th.S.

A close relative of Th.S. wanted to unburden herself to Elder Porphyrios with something troubling her soul. However, something always happened, and she never managed to go and see him.

One night, she saw Elder Porphyrios in a dream and spoke to him about that problem of hers. Waking up in the morning, she telephoned him to ask when she could go and see him. Amazed, she heard him say,

"But you told me about it yesterday. You want to tell me the same thing again?"

Testimonies of the Cypriot doctor, D.S., as they were related to us, by him.

He was studying medicine at the University of Athens.

One morning, the doorbell rang in his apartment. He opened the door and saw an unknown priest who said, "May I enter?" D.S. was greatly impressed by the fact that from the very first moment he felt that the priest, in his own words, "was completely different from all the other priests I had met up to that time."

D.S. explained, "We talked for four whole hours. We talked about all my personal and family matters and problems. He captivated me so much that only when he left did I realize that I had not even offered him a cup of coffee. He had astonished me from the very first moment that we met. Just imagine, that as soon as I opened the door, he addressed me with my name without ever having met me before."

D.S. continues, "This priest, I later learnt, was Elder Porphyrios. I changed all the decisions I had made about my future, considering the conversation we had that day. This happened at a very opportune and decisive time with regard to the rest of my life."

During the years that followed, doctor D.S. met Elder Porphyrios many times. Of the many times he told us about, we relate only two.

The first is that the Elder Porphyrios placed great importance to the endocrinological system of the human body and he frequently spoke to D.S. about this subject.

Secondly, as D.S. told to us, "It was a time when I became greatly concerned about the question of death. It reached a point where I thought about it constantly. So, one day I went to the Elder and I asked him to explain what death was to me. He laughed and said,

"Death doesn't exist."

The two following stories were told to us by E.S., a spiritual child of Elder Porphyrios in Athens:

A girl entered Theological School on Elder Porphyrios' advice. In the beginning she did not apply herself to her full ability. She studied a lot less than she should have.

Elder Porphyrios, wanted to encourage her and often urged her to study. He even discussed the content of the lessons with her sometimes.

On the eve of the examination period the late Elder saw that the girl was not well prepared, and told her to bring her books to him so that he could test her on a few pages like a teacher would. The student did not know the material well, and he said to her,

"Tonight, you'll study those pages that I tested you on that you didn't know very well."

The girl was obedient and learned those pages very well. She only understood the meaning of the Elder's actions the following day when she discovered that the examination questions were taken from those pages exactly. She was amazed. She glorified God and from then on she became a diligent student.

A lady went to visit Elder Porphyrios for the first time about a serious family problem she had. Since she wanted her husband and children to hear the Elder's answers she put a small cassette recorder in her handbag in order to record the conversation with him.

When she arrived, she saw that there were many others who had gone there before her. She sat down to wait her turn. At one point, even though so many people were before her, she heard them saying,

"The Elder said that the lady with the cassette recorder should come in."

She was literally at a loss. Only she and God knew that she had a cassette recorder in her handbag. She found out for herself that you cannot hide anything from Elder Porphyrios.

The four following accounts were told to us by Mr. Ignatios Gregoriou, a resident of Neas Politias, Oropos, Attica. They were recorded in Oropos, and we present them in full.

I have a brother who has been missing since 1981. Once, I decided to ask Elder Porphyrios how I should remember him in prayer [for the living or for the dead]

"Pray for his health," was the answer. I was confused because I wasn't sure if I heard correctly. He picked up my thoughts and said to me: "Aren't you asking me about Anastasios?"

How did he know, I ask you, that my brother is called Anastasios? He didn't even know my own name. I was concerned not to trouble the Elder, and I would go only to receive his blessing. I had never stopped to talk to him about any problem or affair of mine. The only time that I spoke to him was the time I've already mentioned, concerning my brother.

I want you to understand that from the moment Elder Porphyrios told me to pray for my brother's health every single doubt that my brother might not be alive was cleared from my mind.   Even if I never meet him again, even if I never hear any news from him, I have the unshakable belief that my brother lives. I was not told it by just anybody, but by a saint through whom God spoke

Mr. Ignatios Gregoriou's second account.

When Elder Porphyrios was about to have a cataract operation, a spiritual daughter of his went and took some girls from here, went into the forest and cried, begging God to make the Elder well.

One day the Elder called her to him,

"You, come here. Why did you take the others and go and cry in the forest?"

"Because," she answered, "we want you to get well, Elder." Do you know what he then said to her? She herself told me. He told her word for word:

"Pray for me to become good, not well."

The third account by the same.

Fr. Andreas, who has now died, was a dermatologist before becoming a monk on Mt. Athos. Later, he came here to St. George's Nea Palatia, Oropos, as the priest. One day he asked Elder Porphyrios' permission to see his hand since he was a dermatologist. This was because Elder Porphyrios had amongst other things a skin condition there. His right hand was wrapped up in gauze because of it. This account was told to me by Fr. Andreas himself.

He did, in fact, allow him to examine his hand. Fr. Andreas then went and bought some ointment and took it to the Elder.

"Apply this cream, Elder," he said, "and in a few days your hand will be healed completely."

Elder Porphyrios then said,

"Fr. Andreas, this thing on my hand was given to me by God to correct me. And now you've come to take it away from me?" He refused to take the ointment.

Mr. Ignatios Gregoriou's fourth account.

"The account that I am now telling you was told to me by my neighbor, Th, who lived very close to Elder Porphyrios. He had lived there for many years, from the time when the late Elder still lived in Penteli.

One day, a man from a village in Thrace went to the Convent to see the Elder. His wife was paralyzed. The Elder was not there. He was on Mt. Athos. This man had such great love in God that when they told him that Elder Porphyrios was not there he said,

"That's all right. It was enough just to come here to the place where he, a saint, lives and breathes. That's plenty for me."

When he returned home, he found his wife standing up in the kitchen. She was no longer paralyzed. When he asked her what happened, his wife told him that on a particular day she got up and started to do the housework. It was exactly the same day that her husband had gone to find Elder Porphyrios. This man's faith in God was so great that God honored him with the experience of such a great miracle.

The following account happened a little after the Elder Porphyrios' departure, and was told to us by D.M.M., a Cypriot now resident in Athens.

She was pregnant with her first child and from this was filled with anxiety, uneasiness and fear; something that often happens to women who are about to give birth for the first time. She often reached the point where she would wake up at night and would not be able to get back to sleep again.

About one month after Elder Porphyrios' departure she had a dream. She saw that she was sitting in the back seat of her father's car. The car was being driven by the Abbot of the Monastery of the Paraclete, Fr. Cherubim. Next to him sat an unknown venerable and aged priest. The two of them were taking her to maternity hospital for the birth. Upon waking, she felt boundless calm and a release from her anxiety and fear.

Her parents were very close to the Elder but she had never met him herself. The rest is presented here in her own words, exactly as they were written down.

"Well, imagine, what happened to me..., how I felt..., what I did... when I went to my parent's home, two months after having that dream. I saw a picture of that unknown pappouli hanging on the wall, the same person I saw in my dream. I was literally shocked. "Who is that pappouli?" I asked them. "Where did you find that picture?" "It's Elder Porphyrios," they replied, "someone we know brought it, and gave it to us this morning."

Today, when we are talking about it I feel the same astonishment that I felt on that day. I had never met Elder Porphyrios. I had never seen his face while he was alive, while he was here in the world. Yet, I came to know him, to see him after his passing, when he went to heaven."

 DE:http://www.oodegr.com/english/biblia/Porfyrios_Martyries_Empeiries/