Why
aren’t the lampadas burning?
In
around 1740, a monk of Dionysiou Monastery,1 Hierodeacon Ieremios, fell
seriously ill and at the decision of the community was sent to the kathisma2 of
the Holy Apostles (which was opposite the monastery), to the care of one
reverend elder. The young hierodeacon’s condition worsened with each passing
day, so that death was inescapable. Seeing the sick man’s state, the elder was
very grieved. A few days later the sorrowing elder saw twelve men descending
the mountain to him. They greeted him warm-heartedly and asked him the cause of
his grief. The elder showed them the supine deacon, adding that he would most
likely be saying farewell to this life very soon. But the men replied:
The
kathisma of the Holy Apostles.“The deacon will not die. Be bold, O elder, and
tell the other brothers what you saw and heard. But tell us—why didn’t you
light the lampadas in the church, like you usually do? Whey aren’t they burning
now?”
The
elder started justifying himself, blaming the dochiaros,3 that he doesn’t give
him any oil for the lamps.
“Tell
the dochiaros not to deprive the churches of oil, or he won’t escape a sudden
temptation.”
Dumfounded
by the words of these unfamiliar men, the elder asked them:
“But
who are you, where did you come from, and where do you live?”
The
strangers replied:
“We
are the masters of this kathisma!”
Having
said this they went into the church, and the elder ran to the deacon to tell
him about the strange pilgrims. But O, the wonder! The deacon whom he had left
half-dead just a few minutes ago was sitting joyfully on the bed; his condition
had sharply improved, and only a little blood dripped from his nose. Meanwhile
the twelve visitors who had gone into the church disappeared! Then the elder
and the deacon understood that their visitors were none other than the Twelve
Apostles of the Lord! Word of the miracle spread like wildfire among the
brethren of Dionysiou Monastery, and all glorified the Lord. The dochiaros who
was economizing on the lamp oil was warned that his thriftiness was not
pleasing to God, and the healed hierodeacon Ieremios later became the
metropolitan of one of the northern dioceses in Greece.
Silver
on the pistols and the monastery oars
In
1821, the Greek people’s rebellion against the Ottoman yoke broke out, which
resulted in a significant part of Greece receiving independence. In their
attempt to quash the Greek liberation movement, the Turks attacked various
inhabited areas, including the Holy Mount Athos. Abbot Stephanos (1817–1836) of
Dionysiou Monastery took the Right Hand of the Forerunner relic along with some
other holy relics of the monastery and started searching for refuge in safer
places, meeting a multitude of dangers and calamities along the way. In his
wandering Abbot Stephanos arrived on the island of Paros, where some good
Christians received him. However there were also others, who were not averse to
robbing the abbot. Thus, one such man came to Fr. Stephanos and demanded a
quantity of silver sufficient to cover his pistols. Should he refuse, the
bandit threatened to come at night and get his revenge on the monks. The abbot
found himself in a hopeless situation and gave one of the monastery’s silver
lampadas, leaving judgment of the impious man up to the Honorable Forerunner.
And the Baptist of the Lord was not slow to respond—a few days later the
wretched man came down with dysentery and died suddenly. When he heard about
the man’s pitiful end, Abbot Stephanos invited the dead man’s brother, who was
a very kind man, and told him what had happened. Deeply grieved and weeping
over his brother’s impious deed, that man ran to the dead man’s house, found
the silver, and returned it to the abbot.
Another
time the chief captain of Paros forcibly confiscated the oars of the monastery
boat and sailed away to another island. Along the way an argument broke out on
his vessel, which escalated into a gunfight. One bullet pierced the monastery
oar and then lodged in the captain’s temple. He returned immediately to Paros,
and begging forgiveness of Fr. Stephanos, returned the oar to him. The monks
served two molebens for his health, blessing the waters with the Right Hand of
the Forerunner, but nevertheless, the wound turned out to be fatal and the
captain died.
The
Forerunner’s invisible care
One of
the remarkable monks of Dionysiou Monastery was Monk Vissarionos, who died in
1952. Fr. Vissarionos was adorned with humility and because of that he was
vouchsafed appearances from the saints. Thus, while still a layman, he was
worthy of a visit from Holy Great Martyr Parescevi, who consoled him in his
sorrowful family situation and foretold that he would soon receive the monastic
tonsure. As a monk, Fr. Vissarionos was twice found worthy of an appearance from
Dionysiou Monastery’s patron saint, St. John the Forerunner.
The
first visit from the Baptist of the Lord occurred in 1916, when Vissarionos was
appointed as the steward of the monastery metochion [dependency]. Located not
only outside of Mt. Athos but also in a place there was no church nearby, Fr.
Vissarionos was very sad that he could not attend services, even on the great
feasts. On one cold February evening, Fr. Vissiaronos went into the kitchen and
saw there an old man, warming himself by the fire. He was surprised—how did the
old man get into the cell? But he nevertheless cordially greeted the unexpected
guest. The old man asked the monk how he was doing, and Fr. Vissiaronos did not
hide his sorrow over the fact that there was no church nearby.
“What
are you saying, Vissarionos!” the guest protested. “There is a church right
here, on this spot! Just two steps away from the stove is where the church
begins. Start digging and you’ll find it!”
The
monk could not believe his ears.
“Vissiaronos,
you don’t believe me, but know: It’s God’s will that you excavate the church
and restore it! When you find the column of the holy Altar Table, stop, cross
yourself three times with bows, and you’ll see how the earth that covers the
altar table clears away by itself!”
The
conversation was going on, when Fr. Vissiaronos heard a noise at the mill. He
ran there to find out what was happening, and when he returned to the cell the
elder was gone. Fr. Vissiaronos doubted and could not resolve to begin the
work, but a week later, at night, some terrible, oppressive heaviness fell upon
him and he heard a thunderous voice of warning. The frightened monk arose and
in the morning began digging shown him by the Holy Forerunner, who had appeared
to him in the form of an old man. It all happened as the Baptist had said: The
church was unearthed and restored.
The
second time the Forerunner appeared to Fr. Vissarionos, he rebuked him for his
unbelief. One day a certain peasant came to the mill and after milling some
flour, went into the church, venerated the icon of the Forerunner, and placed a
significant amount of money before the icon as a donation. Fr. Vissarionos saw
the money, but he was busy and didn’t take it yet. By evening he walked past
the icon and noticed that the money was gone—someone had managed to steal it!
Fr. Vissarionos was terribly upset and depressed. He turned to the icon of the
Forerunner and said:
“O
Holy Forerunner, aren’t you here? How did you allow the money to be stolen,
right from under your icon? I’m not going to light the lamp for you today!
Frustrated
and perplexed, Fr. Vissarion went to his cell. That night someone woke him up,
shoving him. When he woke up, the monk saw before him a giant in garments of
skin, with loose, wild hair. This was the greatest of those born of women, the
Baptist of the Lord Himself! Fr. Vissarionos trembled with fear and could
barely utter:
“How
did you come in here?”
“Don’t
ask how I came in. You had better answer why you didn’t light my lampada!”
Crying
bitterly Fr. Vissarionos fell to the feet of the Forerunner and begged his
foregiveness.
St.
John said to him in a sweet voice:
“Vissarionos,
my child! You say that I’m not here. But if I’m not here, then who has been
protecting you from bandits and robbers in this deserted place? So, go and
light my lampada and tell people that icons work miracles, for many here have
begun to say that icons do not work miracles.”
Having
said this, the Baptist became invisible. Fr. Vissarionos ran to the church and
saw with amazement that the money was again lying before the icon of the
Forerunner.
“Don’t
I know who to appoint as head?”
A monk
of Dionysiou Monastery, Monk Chrysanthos, had tried for many years to force his
way into leadership positions, often beleaguering the abbot; however his many
years of numerous attempts were crowned only by total failure. Fr. Chrysanthos
took his bad luck very hard, and he fell into deep despair and depression,
finally resolving to take his own life! “Just look,” he thought, “how many
young people are being appointed to various responsibilities; but I, who have
done so much for the monastery, am passed up and ignored. I won’t endure it!
I’ll go down to the sea and drown myself in front of everyone. Let them see
it|!”
But
through the prayers of the Honorable Forerunner, the Lord suggested to the monk
that before committing suicide he should close himself for three days in his
cell, refuse all food and drink, and give himself over to increased prayer.
This was in February 1937. The monk did just that—he shut the door and windows
of his cell and in total darkness, almost without sleeping, prayed. On the
third evening, his cell suddenly shone with heavenly light, and the monk heard
a thunderous voice:
“Why
are you so worried? Why are you disturbed and want to go down to the sea to
drown yourself?”
All of
Fr. Chrysanthos’s bad thoughts disappeared from the heavenly voice, and a flood
of tears poured from his eyes.
“Forgive
me, holy Forerunner, forgive me!...”
“Why
did you abandon your singing on the cliros for a whole week now? And why are
you running around here and there, asking them to appoint you head of
something? Or don’t I know whom to appoint as head? How will you become a head
if I don’t want you to?”
The
radiance disappeared, and with it all of Fr. Chrysanthos’s sadness. He was
under the particular care of the Forerunner, because he had great simplicity
and sang with great love on the cliros for a whole twenty-five years!
Liturgy
without a priest?
In the
area of Karyes, which is the administrative center of the Holy Mount Athos, is
a small church dedicated to the Holy Protomartyr and Archdeacon Stephen. On
July 14, 1958, a representative from the Russian monastery of St. Panteleimon,
Hieromonk Nikostrat, was invited to this church to serve a festal Liturgy. Fr.
Nikostrat arrived at the church toward the end of Matins,4 but he didn’t
resolve to enter the church, instead following the service with great
compunction from the stasidia, which stand outside of it. When he was invited
inside to begin the proskemidia, Fr. Nikostrat refused, saying:
“What
am I to do inside, if you already have a priest serving?”
“A
priest is serving the Liturgy inside?” the monk who had invited him said with
surprise.
“How can
there not be a Liturgy if the deacon only just censed all the people and icons
and has already gone into the altar? Is he serving without a priest?”
The
monks came to a state of compunction, because in the church there was neither
priest nor deacon; the one whom the reverent Russian hieromonk had seen was the
Holy Archdeacon Stephen himself! Only with great difficulty were they able to
persuade Fr. Nikostrat to come into the empty altar and serve the Liturgy...
A
heavenly messenger
Elder
Anthimos was one of the spirit-bearing fathers of Dionysiou Monastery. At the
beginning of his monastic path, Fr. Anthimos bore his obedience in the kitchen
as a cook. With great love and care he prepared all possible tasty dishes for
the consolation of the monastery’s brothers and pilgrims, but he himself was
content to eat only dried bread and olives. Fr. Anthimos enraged the demons
with this podvig, and they were ready to tear the ascetic into pieces; but
God’s grace protected him, and the only thing the demons were able to do was to
assemble in the kitchen and beat the pots and pans all night long, shouting and
making noise. That shows how Fr. Anthimos’s fasting and prayer drove them to
such lengths.
With
time Fr. Anthimos received a blessing to depart from the monastery and become a
desert dweller. During the first years, the anchorite had to endure many
sorrows, depravations, and temptations, because he was completely alone. Thus,
in the fifth year of his desert life, Fr. Anthimos fell seriously ill and could
not rise from his bed. He had a high fever for three weeks straight, but he had
no medicines or normal food. Regardless, the monk never ceased to glorify God
for visiting him with sickness. Three weeks later the elder heard an unexpected
knocking on the door of his cell.
“Through
the prayers of our holy fathers...”
Fr.
Anthimos arose with great difficulty and opened the door. Before him stood an
unfamiliar monk, who gave him several fresh fish, saying:
“Take
this fish and cook your favorite soup. If you need anything else, I am at your
service; I’ll stay with you and serve you until you recover.”
Fr.
Anthimos’s joy was boundless. In just a couple of days he was perfectly
healthy, and the unknown monk, after bidding him farewell, became invisible.
Probably he was an angel of the Lord in the visage of a monk, sent to the elder
to help him in his hour of need...
Retold
from Modern Greek by Gevorg Kazaryan
Translation
from the Russian by Nun Cornelia (Rees)
Monk
Lazarus the Dionysite, Stories from Dionysiou Monastery, Mt. Athos
2/13/2020
1
Unfortunately, in Russian “Dionysiat” and “Gregoriat” have taken root as the
name of the monastery. In fact, Γρηγοριάτης
and Διονυσιάτης
respectively mean “a monk of the monastery of Dionysios” and “monk of the
monastery of Gregiorios”. These monasteries dedicated to their monastic saints
are called Γρηγορίου and Διονυσίου, that is, “the monastery of Gregorios”
and “the monastery of Dionysios”.
2 A
kathisma is a small dwelling on Mt. Athos, located near other monasteries and
under their care.
3 The
dochiaros is the monk in charge of the provisions in the storerooms.
4
Matins and fist hour are served in the morning in Greece, just before the
Liturgy.
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