Our holy father John Kalaides - Memories of the holy Elder.

Our holy father John Kalaides - Memories of the holy Elder.

Our holy Father John was a lover of the sick but never complained! When we asked him how his health was, after an illness he had suffered, he would say: "Thank God my child and no worse". When he was sick, he would come by ambulance to the Serres hospital, where I would wait for him several times and stay with him until his children came from Thessaloniki. During one of his hospitalizations, I sat next to his bed and felt a great blessing and emotion. At that time, I was suffering from an eye disease and I begged him to cross me with his hand. He said to me sadly: "My child, I cannot raise my hand" and he meant his right hand. Being ignorant, I begged him to cross me with his left hand.  Then he said to me: "This is not allowed, my child"! But shortly, going beyond, he raised his right hand and crossed me over both eyes, saying: "I could not stand it, my child, and I crucified you". He always went beyond to relieve his fellow human beings! He was deprived of the sleep and rest that he so badly needed because he remembered thousands of names every day. He wanted to help others and he did this to the point of self-sacrifice! 

In those days, they brought to the bed next to him a priest of the old calendar, who did not speak to Father John!!! When they brought the holy relics of Saint Raphael for Father John to venerate and thus be helped in the matter of his health, he also begged him with great love to venerate the holy relics of the Three Newly Appeared Saints. In this way, he managed to calm this miserable soul too! 

 He gave undivided love to the flock entrusted to him by our Christ, but also to every fellow human being who approached him with a good mood! He was in every way an imitator of the Lord! 

May we have the honest wish of our holy Father John! May his memory be eternal! 

Miltiadis Tsesmetzis - educator