"The Wonders of St. Ephraim"

"The Wonders of St. Ephraim"

On the Great Tuesday of 1977, Mother Makaria, Head of the Monastery of the Annunciation of the Theotokos Attica, Greece, (the monastery where the Great Martyr Ephraim was martyred and his remains are found) went to hospital with a little girl named Athena. Athena was a resident of the orphanage in Nea Makri and always prayed to God to heal her mother Paraskevi who is dying in the hospital. Mother Makaria and the child approached Paraskevi's bed and called her by her name in vain. The patient was not responding. Her body was like a wooden board. So Mother Makaria blessed the patient with St. Ephraim’s blessings, and left with the child.

Two days later Athena's mother opened her eyes and said, "I saw St. Ephraim and he told me, I shall not die, but be healed." And she ordered some food. The doctor rejoiced with all his staff in the hospital and said, "It is truly the Resurrection from the dead. And when you get better we are going to get some X-rays "

A few days passed, the woman started eating five to six meals a day, after spending nearly twenty days without water. All were thanking God and His saint Ephraim. As soon as she left her bed and started helping others, the doctor told her that, the next day, he would take some X-rays.

The next day, he took pictures of her that showed the wonders of God in plain sight. The doctor, upon seeing the pictures, shouted in amazement: "Two new lungs have sprouted again, joy!" ". Glory to God and to His saint Ephraim.

At the same time, the husband of Paraskevi,  named Nicholas, was a passenger on a ship. Nicholas said that during this voyage the ship’s engine stopped, and for seven days they were standing in one place, with the waves hitting the ship and filling it with water. Nicholas felt danger, so he brought out the icon of St. Ephraim with him and kissed it, saying, "Saint Ephraim, please help us and I will go  barefoot to your monastery to honor you." At this moment, the engine started, and in seven days they arrive in Baros. Upon arriving in Baros, they unloaded and set off for Italy to the shipyard. Experts examined her and said with great astonishment: "It's impossible that the ship could have traveled this long distance with such a broken engine." When Nicholas told them about the miracle that St. Ephram performed when they were among the water suffering from thirst, hunger, and fear of death hovering at them, Nicholas felt the presence of the Saint of God aboard the ship and pushed him to the engine during the journey.

Nicholas finally arrived at his home in Khalandri. He then left barefoot for the Monastery in Attica. There he thanked the saint for saving him and those with him and for allowing him to fulfill his promise, as mother Makaria told the miracle of the saint, so glory be to God for his safe return and the healing of his wife.

O Saint of God of Avram, intercede for us ...