THE NEW MIRACLES OF ELDER GABRIEL

 

THE NEW MIRACLES OF ELDER GABRIEL

 

For the fifth anniversary of the inclusion of St. Gabriel (Urgebadze) in the Russian Orthodox calendar

 

Irina Akhundova

 

With the blessing of Abbess Mikhaila (Fayzulina), mother-superior of the dependency of the Holy Dormition Convent in the city of Kemerovo, Novice Nun Maria (Glushchenko) from the dependency is traveling with the diary of the accounts of the miracles that occurred through the prayers of St. Gabriel of Samtavro along with his icon. A book on these miracles is underway. We offer our readers a number of new testimonies to Venerable Gabriel’s miraculous help.

 

 

Ekaterina Khudyakova, an anchorwoman on the Seim TV channel (the city of Kursk):

 

In February 2018, I shot a video on the blessed Elder Gabriel (Urgebadze). On the same day, when I was driving at lunchtime, my car was suddenly thrown out onto a steep ice-covered hill which ended in a horrible precipice. My Russian vehicle has no functions to handle this situation. The unguided car was tearing along to the ditch on the side at breakneck speed, and death was gloating and laughing at the windshield. I was seized by fear, horror and the thought of my children and parents. My blood ran cold in my veins because of the imminent jump into the abyss, and I cried: “Lord, have mercy! Father Gabriel, if you hear me, do something.” And the car suddenly stopped on the steep ice-covered hill, as if rooted to the spot. I managed to turn around on the hill. An invisible power lifted me uphill (as if in its arms) and set me back on the direct road. Now imagine a Russian Kalina [Lada-Kalina: a supermini car produced by the AvtoVaz Russian manufacturer until 2018.—Trans.] moving uphill over the mirror-like ice of a slope at an angle of seventy degrees. There was black ice, and the slope was steep. Even the most up-to-date jeep would not have managed such an ascent. The saints are near us. And Blessed Gabriel extends his hand to us! Father, don’t abandon us who abandon you. It was a miraculous rescue—and a lesson for me to learn. That is the real truth! February 20, 2018

 

M.A. Isaeva, Moscow:

 

A week ago we returned from Samtavro Convent and at once felt miraculous and gracious help from our beloved Father Gabriel. Last night our child coughed all the time—every minute. I used all possible means to calm him down. At last I remembered that we had a cap blessed on St. Gabriel’s reliquary at Samtavro. I placed it on my son’s chest, and his cough abated for the rest of the night. Also, two months ago, when my child lay with a fever of 39°C (102°F), I started praying to Fr. Gabriel and placed the elder’s cap to our son’s back and then on his belly. The baby’s temperature instantly started dropping, as if the cap were absorbing and removing his fever, although we were unable to abate the fever by any other means. These are the miracles our beloved Fr. Gabriel works. Ask, and it shall be given you (Mt. 7:7). 01.12.2018.

 

Valentina Galkina, the city of Kaluga:

 

I thank St. Gabriel for the fact that after reading a prayer to him for the first time I was healed from a kidney stone that had tormented me for weeks, while no medicines had been effective. St. Gabriel also helped me relieve the pain in the small of my back after I anointed it with the oil from his relics. With thanks, Valentina.

 

Anonymous, Kaluga:

 

St. Gabriel helped my nine-year-old son Michael Zemlyanoy who has severe cerebral palsy. The relics of Sts. Gabriel and David were brought to our church for veneration. Little Michael cannot walk and his left arm doesn’t work or move at all. I lifted him up to help him venerate the relics, prayed a little, seated Michael in his wheelchair, and moved aside. Suddenly Michael raised his left arm and put his palm into my hand. And his arm was completely limp, without the usual muscular stiffness. That happened for the first time in the life of the nine-year-old boy. And I felt an exceptional ease and light in my soul… Pray to God for us, St. Gabriel! 09.12.2018.

 

***

 

Glory be to Christ our God! There are lots of stories! Let me start with the fact that I have a spiritual father whose name is Fr. Gabriel, too! I will share all that I can recollect (and that is not everything!). Once I bought a book on St. Gabriel quite by chance. I had not known about him previously. I read it and was touched; but then I grew sad, because God has blessed me with many talents but I wasn’t doing anything for Him. I decided to learn more about this saint and thus found the www.monkgabriel.ge website, and saw that it had not been translated into a language I had a good command of! It was a real blessing. I contacted that site, and my friend and I translated its contents into that language! Later, a professor of theology learned about this and offered me some work on the side—translating theological books! Hurrah!

 

The language in question was German, and the friend who helped me with translating was a German named Daniel. Although he is a Protestant, he has a strong leaning towards Orthodoxy! After the translation he saw Elder Gabriel in a dream near a ruined monastery. Later, we even found a photo of the monastery in his his dream. Now this monastery is restored through the great saint’s efforts. But that’s not all!

 

St. Gabriel appeared to Daniel in a dream for the second time. The saint was sitting on a bench and pointing at it, as if inviting Daniel to join him. Now he is considering converting to Orthodoxy. And soon Daniel’s fiancée strained her ligaments. Or was it a fracture? What was it? Her entire foot swelled and turned blue (it’s a pity there is no photo of it). Daniel began to light candles there in Germany (where this story happened) in front of his computer. He would just go online, open an icon of St. Gabriel, light a candle, and pray in his own words. And he would anoint his fiancée with the oil blessed on the saint’s relics… A week later the blue swollen foot was back to normal! Glory to God. And this is what happened not long ago. I received some oil from the saint’s icon lamp at a difficult period in my life. And later, on the very feast of St. Gabriel, I saw him in a dream. All around was darkness and smoke; he alone was bright and saying something, though I couldn’t make out the words. It seems it was the night before November 3. I woke up and couldn’t fall asleep again! Suddenly the phone rang. It was a friend of mine (may God help him in his undertakings!)—he had sent me a photo from the celebrations in Georgia. It was a “greeting” from heaven. Glory to God and thanks be to Fr. Gabriel! 22.12.2018.

 

Nun Arsenia, the city of Vladimir:

 

For some reason the son of my acquaintance and sister in Christ started working on Sunday, and towards the end of the day metal shavings got into his eye (he was grinding a knife). His eye was swollen and very painful, and no drops would help. Then he said: “Father Gabriel, help me.” He asked the first, the second time, but in vain. In despair he exclaimed for the third time: “Father, help me for Christ’s sake!”, and lay down. He saw Fr. Gabriel approach him, look at him, move a meter or two away, swinging a cross and taking it on his shoulders, and then leaving. Vyacheslav opened his eyes and felt no more pain. Glory to God and thanks be to Father Gabriel for everything. 25.12.2018.

 

Servant of God Irina, the Moscow region:

 

In 2017, my cat fell sick: He had an abscess and ate nothing, suffered from diarrhea and vomiting. He was dying. No means were effective. I started praying to St. Gabriel and anointing my cat’s forehead with his oil. Soon the abscess broke, my pet began to eat and recovered. Glory to God for all things. In 2018, my cat fell sick again after someone had bitten his paw. He was afraid of everything, stopped eating, and hid. I anointed his sore spot and gave him some oil to drink—and a few days later the cat got better. Marvelous are Thy works, O Lord! St. Gabriel helps not only people but also animals. 26.12.18.

 

Servant of God Tatiana:

 

I prayed to St. Gabriel and anointed myself with his oil. I had a bowel polyp and needed an operation. Today I was to have a biopsy, but the polyp was not found. Glory to God for all things! 25.12.18.

 

Servant of God Tatiana, the Moscow region:

 

In January 2016, I was given a small book on Elder Gabriel (Urgebadze) for my name day. The elder’s photo was on the cover: he was so shining and smiling. I read the book, looking at his picture and turning to him with these words: “Father, I won’t be able to come to you! There is no way I can do it: it is too far away and I have no opportunity…” In September of the same year, by the mercy of God and through Elder Gabriel’s prayers I visited Georgia and St. Gabriel’s convent, and it was an unforgettable experience. Glory to God for all things! 26.12.18.

 

Servant of God Elena:

 

I had an ovarian cyst and it was to be removed together with my ovary. After visiting Samtavro Convent, venerating St. Gabriel’s relics there and praying near them, I experienced a miracle! The cyst dissolved! Glory to God and thanks be to Fr. Gabriel! 26.12.18.

 

Servant of God Olga Kornilova, Moscow:

 

I had wanted to “meet” Fr. Gabriel for a long time. Once I had learned about the arrival of the elder’s fragrant icon and other relics, I decided to go to them on the same day. When I came on December 20, it turned out that it was the sixth anniversary of his canonization by the Georgian Orthodox Church. My tooth had been treated several years previously; everything was right except that the tooth would hurt when I chewed. After I had venerated Fr. Gabriel’s fragrant icon and other relics at St. George the Victorious’s Church, I sat down for lunch, expecting to feel that pain again. And I suddenly realized that there was no more pain. No trace of it!

 

I realized that it was Fr. Gabriel’s miraculous help, he had helped me himself! After my first visit to him I read a lot about him and looked at his image in the evening. When I lay down, exhausted, at some point before falling asleep I sensed that Fr. Gabriel was bending over the head of my bed and looked into my face to make sure that I was falling asleep. I personally regard that moment as happiness and the great joy of my “meeting” with Fr. Gabriel. Also, my mother fell sick this week after working no days off for a long time. She feared her boss would deny her sick leave because there were very many things to do before the New Year. My mom anointed herself with Fr. Gabriel’s oil. The next day the circumstances were such that her employer allowed her to take sick leave and she got to a kind doctor at the outpatients’ clinic who helped her very much. Mother regained her strength quickly, and now she is on the way to recovery and believes that she has received miraculous help from Fr. Gabriel. Now we both venerate St. Gabriel; God willing, we would like to visit Georgia’s holy places and venerate the elder’s holy relics. Forgive me, a sinner. I have shared this with everyone since I did not want to conceal this anymore. For the glory of the merciful Lord and our dear Father Gabriel’s sake! 29.12.2018.

 

Servant of God Lyubov:

 

Glory to God for all things! Marvelous are Thy works, O Lord! Through the prayers of St. Gabriel (Urgebadze) I was healed of breast cancer. My father-confessor blessed me to pray to Elder Gabriel and ask him for healing. I try to perform my spiritual father’s blessing daily. I believe in the help of Venerable Gabriel (Urgebadze) very much.

 

I have read a book about him and come to believe in his help and intercession for us sinners with the Lord and the Theotokos. 31.12.2018

 

Servant of God Alexandra (Sabina Dadamyan):

 

I “met” Fr. Gabriel in the summer of 2017 and he has been my favorite saint ever since. Many miracles have occurred in answer to my prayers to this great saint! I wanted to give birth to a second child. So I read the Akathist hymn to Fr. Gabriel for forty days, and a month later I learned that I was pregnant! Thank you, our most beloved Father Gabriel! Glory to God for all things!!! 09.01.2019.

 

Servant of God Ia:

 

I live in Moscow. I learned about Fr. Gabriel thanks to Constantine Tsertsvadze. I watched a film, read some books, and received some oil and an icon from Georgia. I have health issues which have affected my face as well (in the form of red spots). I have a weakness for coffee and I used to drink quite a lot of it. And it was detrimental to my health. I began to anoint my face with St. Gabriel’s oil and take it with prosphora on an empty stomach every morning. And from the first day my body started rejecting coffee. I understood that coffee was bad for me. The process of my recovery has commenced. Glory to God for all things! Thank you, our dear Mama Gabrieli! 12.01.2019.

 

Servant of God Angelina:

 

Elder Gabriel’s fragrant icon was brought here to Moscow. After visiting the church we bought the book, The Elder’s Diadem, and started reading about his life with hope. A very important document had been lost: we searched all over our apartment for two days but could not find it. After we sincerely called out to Fr. Gabriel it instantly occurred to us to look in the place where we had not moved the furniture. The document was found within a minute (though we had lost all hope of finding it). Glory to God! And a big thank you to you, our dear Father Gabriel! 13.01.2019.

 

Servant of God Nina:

 

In early January 2019, I visited the Church of Greatmartyr George the Victorious in Gruziny (Moscow), venerated the icon of Venerable Gabriel of Samtavro, a “fool-for-Christ”, bought a book about him, the Akathist hymn and some oil blessed on his grave. A few days later I accidentally dropped a very heavy tool chest on my foot and hurt my ankle badly. I almost fainted with the pain. I recalled at once that I had Elder Gabriel’s holy oil. Having read the prayer “Our Father”, as Elder Gabriel taught, I anointed the injured spot. I thought that I should have put some ice to it before then. I prayed: “Elder Gabriel, help me! Heal my leg.” In the evening I anointed my ankle again. Next morning I forgot which leg had been hurt. Glory to God for all things! Elder Gabriel, pray to God for us. 17.01.2019.

 

Servant of God Natalia:

 

In 2007, I was diagnosed with lymphoma (cancer of the lymph nodes). After a series of relapses (2011, 2012, 2014) it became obvious that chemotherapy did not work in my case. In 2015, I learned about the myrrh-streaming icons of St. Gabriel in Tbilisi (Georgia). After I had anointed myself with this myrrh, venerated his relics and asked him to send me a way out of this seemingly hopeless situation, there was a miraculous turn for the better in my life. I anointed myself with Fr. Gabriel’s oil regularly, and my disease’s rapid progression slowed down. After a while I was offered a completely different type of treatment, which such patients as me could have not dreamed about a year before. Only a handful of patients from our department participated in this experimental treatment (the drug was still being tested). This drug proved ineffective for some, but through the prayers of Fr. Gabriel my condition improved and became stable. The doctors could hardly believe that cancer had stopped developing in my bone marrow; even the doctors from the U.S.A. who had provided the drug for tests had doubts. Holy Venerable Confessor Gabriel, pray to God for us! 17.01.2019.

 

Servant of God Photina:

 

In early January I went to the Holy Trinity Church in Pyatnitskaya Street in Moscow, where I bought a book on Elder Gabriel at the “Pravoslavnoye Slovo” bookstore. I had heard earlier about him from a woman, a parishioner of that church, whose daughter had been healed of a serious disease through Fr. Gabriel’s prayers. On seeing the book I bought it and read it with an ardent heart. With tears and strong faith I implored Fr. Gabriel to help me. My legs were very sore, I could not walk well and limped all the time. I almost yelled with pain. I prayed to the elder—and within two or three days the problem disappeared. Now I walk well and thank the elder all the while. Glory to God for all things! Elder Gabriel, pray to God for us! 20.01.2019.

 

Servant of God Irina, the Moscow region:

 

Through the prayers of Fr. Gabriel, God alleviated my suffering from an incurable illness. I received treatment at a hospital for three weeks. But my condition did not improve until Novice Nun Maria placed the reliquary with a particle of St. Gabriel’s relics on me. This particle had been presented by Abbess Ketevan (Kopaliani), mother-superior of the Samtavro Convent of the Holy Transfiguration, to Abbess Mikhaila (Fayzulina), mother-superior of the dependency of the Holy Dormition Convent in Kemerovo. I am extremely grateful to this Georgian saint; whole volumes about his miraculous help could be written. This topic is truly inexhaustible.

 

Irina Akhundova

Translated by Dmitry Lapa

 

Pravoslavie.ru

 

1/15/2020