THE ATHEIST AND THE OLD LADY

Dear People,

            This is a marvelous story that comes out of Orthodox Greece that tells of the love of a mother for her atheist son.  The mother circumvents death, time and space to minister to her atheist son seeking the salvation of his soul.  It is apparent that the mother of the atheist had come from the other world to show her son the way to salvation.  It indicates to all of us that life continues after death and love should be at the core of our existence as human beings.  This love should tie all humanity together is expressed powerfully by St. Paul in his letter to the Romans: “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39).

The following story was translated from the Greek by:

+Fr. Constantine (Charles) J. Simones, Waterford, CT. USA, August 1, 2015, 860-460-9089, cjsimones300@gmail.com  

           

It was midnight when someone went to a Church and knocked on the door asking for a priest.  It was an old lady who wanted a priest to visit a sick man to give him Holy Communion.  The priest responded to the knock on the door and upon hearing the request he prepared himself and joined the old lady.  As they walked along, they approached a rundown house; it was like a shack.  The old lady opened the door for the priest to enter.  After the priest entered the house, he suddenly found himself alone with the sick man.  To his surprise, as soon as the sick man saw the priest, he motioned to him to leave.  In fact the sick man yelled at him saying: “Leave!  Who invited you here?  I am an atheist and I will die an atheist.”  The priest couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

          The priest answered the sick man saying: “But I did not come here alone.  The old lady invited me to come to visit you.”  Which old lady? I do not know any old lady. As the priest was saying this, he noticed a photograph over the man’s bed.  It was the photograph of the old lady who had requested that he visit the sick man.  The priest then pointed at the picture and said, “That is the lady that invited me.”   The sick man responded; “what are you talking about priest?  That picture is my mother and she died many years ago.” 

          Upon hearing this response, the both of them became speechless.  They both were in awe at the supernatural reality that brought them together. The sick man started to cry.  He then requested that the priest hear his confession and then he received Holy Communion.   It is very apparent that the mother of the atheist had come from the other world to show her son the way to salvation.  It indicates to all of us that life continues after death and love is at the core of our existence as human beings. This spiritual love that should tie all humanity together is expressed powerfully by St. Paul in his letter to the Romans: “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Roman 8:38-39).  

         

We should not fear death.  It is not something fearful; it is

the doorway that leads into eternal life.

Δέν πρέπει νά μάς τρομάζει ό θάνατος.  Δέν είναι τίποτα

φοβερό’ είναι ή πόρτα πού μάς περνάει στήν αίωνιότητα.