“The last day of the life of Father Gerontios Prodromitos, 84 years old, remained vivid in my memory:

“The last day of the life of Father Gerontios Prodromitos, 84 years old, remained vivid in my memory:

That morning he had passed by the kitchen to help wash the vegetables. Then, seeing in the yard the tractor with the trailer ready to load sand, to be transported somewhere else for repairs, he went there, took the shovel and threw the sand into the trailer.

-Why, Father Gerontios, don’t you let a young man do this difficult work?, I asked him.

 —Leave it, because the other fathers have enough work to do...

On the same day, the baker baked the brotherhood's bread. Fr. Gerontius went there to sift the flour. After he had finished this work, the baker asked him:

-Father Gerontius, will you come after half an hour to help me bake?

I am going to my cell now, he replied, and let me know.

After half an hour, the baker went to his cell:

-Father Gerontius, can you come now to help me?

 But, because he received no answer, he opened the door, went inside and... what did he see! Father Gerontios was lying on his bed with the Psalter open next to him. The baker thought he was asleep. He called him again by his name:

—Father Gerontios, come and help me...

However, this time the ardent follower did not heed the brother's call. He had departed to receive the reward of obedience of 50 years of monastic life. He passed into eternity, to the joy of the Lord, whom he served throughout his life with much love, humility and zeal.