When we
arrived at Saint Efraim it was afternoon, around four o clock and the monastery
had just opened it’s gate. By the time we crossed the gate, we felt a sweet
smell from the Saint that welcomed us. As soon as we saw the courtyard, our
attention was drawn by the large group of Romanian pilgrims from Cluj that were gathered circularly under a pine.
As we approached, we saw that there were three priests in the center of the
circle who were praying in order to please and thank Saιnt Efraim.
At the same
time that the priests were reading the prayers, we were listening the Vesper
from the church, the nuns were gorgeously chanting and the birds were peeping
in a nature of unique beauty. All pilgrims were very devoted, they were fully
given in the pray, no speech or whisper was heard. When the prayers ended, we
first went to greet the priests and to kiss their hands, they blessed us and
then we all went to the place of martyrdom of St. Efraim. After we went in the chapel to light candles and leave our
names in the church. Then we met, in the center of the chapel with two young
ladies from Cluj, who were responsible for the group, we greeted each other and
spontaneously came out from our lips and our hearts the question:
-"How do
you feel that you are visiting Saint Efraim?"
- "As if we came to meet our friend! We
feel great happiness! "They replied directly
-"How do
you know about St. Efraim?" "
- In the
begging of the 2000’s our Spiritual Father Kyprianos read a book about St. Efraim.
At this period of time our parish visited for the first time the monastery here
in Nea Makri. Some years later in 2011 we visited Greece and we stayed at
Father’s Marcos place. At that visit we came to the monastery and the nuns gave us St. Efraim's shoe which we
kept in our parish. Since then the Saint has performed many miracles not only
in Cluj but also in many places in Rumania which we have published in several
books. Many people in Rumania discovered Saint Efraim so us today he is one of the most popular saints in our country !!!
"
-“What do you
know about Father Marcos,?"
-"He had
visited our city a year before his death. He was a person full of love! At that time he met our spiritual
Father Kyprianos who spiritually connected with him and he was very impressed
by the intimacy that Father Marcos had with the Saints !!! Father Marcos helped
many people in Cluj to come close with
Christ, as it happened with a young man
who was not believing since he met him, he changed his course of life and subsequently
he actively helped the church!
At that
moment our two friends were called to the church for chanting and so they
rushed to leave, leaving us with the sweet feeling of how wide the Christ’s
love could be that Saint Efraim is performing miracles in Romania and Father
Marcos without even talking their tongue,
" he spoke" so strongly to the hearts of the people and he
helped them gain faith !!!
Then we also
followed the group to the church. The devout atmosphere of the church with the
relic of St. Ephraim “ filled with” the
wonderful chanting of the Romanian pilgrims. We were all feeling great love for the Saint and we were very
emotional of being all there. We worshiped the relic and then we stood on the
stalls opposite to the choir and we let our hearts be seduced by the chanting!
Together with the chants in the Romanian language we heard the "Kirie
Iisou Christe Eleison me ton amartolo" in Greek in a form of chanting!
After we left
St Efraim and Nea Makri, we arrived at the church of Agios Georgios in Dionysos
where is the tomb of father Marcos. The whole group bowed in the church and
then they chanted the request to the Holy mother “Paraklisi”,
in the courtyard next to father’s Marcos tomb. Love and reverence were
painted on the faces of the pilgrims when one by one bent and worshiped the
tomb!
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