The author: Alexander Nikiforov.
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In Moscow, a friend, after seeing a photo of his father, said: "This Is the legendary abbot!" I wondered how she knew him. And she said, "to me, like many, I liked the life of the Rev. Gerasim of Jordan, his friendship with the lion. But It seemed that all this is in antiquity. And then one Lavra monk gave me the book "Reverend Gerasim of Jordan and His holy abode": "Do you Need?" – "Of course!" And to myself I think: "The Famous life... Well, what could be new?! I'll give somebody else the gift. " I sad down to read...
One hegumen collected different stories about the saint. It followed from them that Saint Gerasim of Jordan - here and now, in our time works wonders like the ancients. ”
Once, thieves climbed into the monastery of St. Gerasimus. They turned everything in the temple, stole ancient icons, even sacred vessels and the Gospel. The hegumen appealed to the Arab police - he did not find any help. Then he turned to the military commander, but, alas, also to no avail. The Patriarch reacted with disbelief that there were no traces, and he gave the abbot a week to return the sacred objects. Needless to say how upset Father Chrysostom was! He returned to the monastery, approached the icon of St. Gerasimus and said in his heart: “For so many years I have served you with love and care, and you do not want to help! Now they suspect that I have taken these things! I will not light a lamp for you and I will not ring the bells anymore! ”He extinguished the lamp before the icon of the saint and went away in grief. The next morning, an Arab policeman resorts to him, to whom Saint Gerasim appeared at night and ordered: “Go to the fabbot, he grieves. And tell him you're searching. ” It turned out that the police were just pretending to stop the investigation. Soon they attacked the trail of the kidnappers, and they all returned. Needless to say, Chrysostom's father hurried to Saint Gerasim, lit the lamp and thanked him for his help.
Saint Gerasim of Jordan (+ 475, commemorated March 4) was born into a wealthy family in the region of Lycia, in Asia Minor. In childhood, he was sent to a monastery. After pilgrimage to the holy places, he decided to become a hermit in the desert, not far from the confluence of the Jordan in the Dead Sea, and founded the monastery in about 455 years. He himself attained such a degree of asceticism that he went without food throughout the Great Lent and took Holy Communion only on Sundays. One day, not far from the monastery, he met a lion, suffering from the thorns from the date palm that fell into his paw, pulled out a splinter, cleaned the wound from pus and bandaged it. So the lion became his faithful friend and lived with the old man for five years, eating bread and steamed vegetables. And when Saint Gerasim died, the lion died from the longing at his grave.
Since ancient times, Saint Gerasim has been working wonders to this day. The Greeks even call him "the holy Express" - because so quickly he responds to prayers. Archimandrite Chrysostom saw with his own eyes many cases of the help of St. Gerasimus:
- About twenty years ago, deacon Iriney (from the Sinai Monastery) came from Jerusalem. With him was a twelve-year-old boy from Crete (he studied at a Greek seminary in Zion). On Saturday after lunch, I was very tired and kneaded the dough, because I didn’t have official prosphora for the Sunday liturgy. Suddenly, the boy had a high fever, and terrible headache and unbearable pains began. I did not know what to do! I did not have a car, only one motorcycle. I could not take the boy to the doctor and, in despair, I prayed to the saint that he heal the child. At about 11 o'clock the deacon and the boy fell asleep. I was very tired, I had loaves of bread in the oven, I thought about tomorrow's liturgy, and from the heart I asked the saint to cure a sick child. At some point, the deacon heard the door slam. I got up, looked around: no one. He came, found me, and we headed to the room together. I suggested: it must have been the saint. And before he could finish the sentence, the boy who was delirious woke up and said: “Geronda, I'm all wet. One father poured a jar of water on me. ” We took the shirt off the boy and wiped him with a towel. Five minutes later, he calmly fell asleep, without fever, and the next morning was completely healthy.
There was another case. About twelve years ago, Abbot Chrysostom went to Greece. A Romanian nun Maria, an Arab Asam, then a child, remained in the monastery, and Mother Christodula lived nearby in the cave. Every night they heard the door of the church of St. Gerasim open and close. And now, Maria went to see who it was, but saw no one. Asam also did not notice anyone.
When Father Chrysostom returned to the monastery, he was asked: “Geronda, who opens and closes the door of the church every evening?” He replied: “Holy Gerasim. Who else ?! The saint performs the duty of the guard of the monastery in the absence of his keeper, the Holy Tomb monk.
But the miracle about which the spouse-pilgrims told Father Chrysostomos: “Recently we arrived at the monastery and stayed there for several days. Sometime after lunch, we asked the abbot, if he had time, to confess us. Geronda replied that he could not, because he was very busy. Soon we went up to the temple of St. Gerasimus. There we again met the hegumen. When he saw us, he said with great love: “Come, children, I confess you”.
After the confession we went down to the courtyard. And we thanked the abbot who was passing by for the fact that, despite the efforts and fatigue, he showed us mercy and confessed us. He was surprised: “Children, what are you saying? Did I confess you ?! I have not confessed anyone today. I already told you that I have no time and I am very tired! ”We were speechless. We understood that we were confessed by none other than Saint Gerasim of Jordan, who appeared to us in the form of the hegumen. We gave thanks and glorified God! And besides, we thanked the great saint Gerasim of Jordan, who honored us and accepted our confession. ”
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