Elder Andreas Agiopavlites The Theotokos And The Zealots Of Esphigmenou
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The sea in role of the glebe has oodles rocks, at what time three of them, very fitting to each other, are named three siblings. The mansion of the glebe is not obvious from the sea for instance it is built scheduled the ascent. Fright Andreas recycled to go down to the seashore at time with the prayer lead in hand, and at what time praying he tranquil brushwood for the fire, if he could find any.
One day a gigantic allegation blew up, with a difficult rain and imbalanced sea, causing have an adverse effect on here the area. When the allegation iced down, Fright Andrew severe to go down to the seashore to definite kindling that the sea would clasp washed stranded, accomplished kindling for the grate. He was attention that following such a imbalanced sea, conceivably award was a deduce to help someone in grieve.
On the seashore, blond a bit relieve from somewhere the Grand Fright gathered kindling, he saw whatever thing that seemed almost a material creature. At this time he brainstorm that it force be a shipwrecker, who force deduce help. So, like he approached, he saw that it was a woman, wearing clothes in black almost a nun, who sat on a tower of strength, holding on her slap a book and words whatever thing. She furthermore had succeeding to her two add-on books.
Astounded, the same as highest to Upsurge Athos is illegitimate to women, he asked her with the distinct words of the those of the desert island of Kefallonia, somewhere he was from, the following:
"Who are you, my lady? And what do you entreat here? Do you entreat any help?"
"No, A cut above," she responded, "I do not entreat help. I am voguish and I am accomplish this work."
"And what are these three books that you clasp with you?"
And the lord replied: "In the original one I mention the names of persons who come to this Curtail, in the minuscule I mention the names of persons who extract, and in the third one, which is the book of life, I mention the names of persons who defray voguish until the end."
Not in need to muddle her any add-on, the same as award was no deduce, and not good enough understanding what he saw or heard, Fright Andreas prepared his way back to the look after. When it was time for the sunset service he went to church to pray. So like he started saying Salutations from the Akathist in role of the icon of the Panagia, and started to chant "When the bodiless academic of the secret take precedence..." (...), the eyes of his variety opened and he realized that all that had preceded were not be in the region of, and that the lord whom he had met was the enormously as the icon of the Virgin Mary, and subsequently scarcely he understood whom he had really met.
The good A cut above went back to the turn as wildly as he could, in spite of his age was advanced and the path was not at all easy, in order to compose the Father whom he loved touchingly as a child, and to whom he endlessly directed his prayers for his release, and furthermore to whom he laid every probability. So he shouted with all his love: "My Panagia, my Panagia". But an otherworldly and melodious odor, which had permeated the area, was moved out scheduled like the Panagia Theotokos went in reserve, the same as she obviously was no longer award.
Fright Andreas confessed the experience to his spiritual surprise Dionysios, from the Abrupt Saint Anna Skete, as rightly all the monks clasp to do in order to avoid the deceptions of the faint aggressor, who transforms even into an angel of light, as the Apostle Paul quotes. The spiritual surprise knew the incorruptibility of the A cut above, and he thankful him, saying that it was the Panagia. As well as A cut above Andreas told him: "Alright, my spiritual surprise. Immediately, scratch do not say this to self, I don't entreat them to restrain I am some sympathy of a saint." Constant the spiritual surprise extensive the command of the A cut above. Since subsequently, at time like the A cut above supposed the Salutations of our Panagia, her vigil-lamp moved, so as to remembrance him of that meeting.
This experience was not blond a whim. The A cut above was what we attract in the monastic life, a crusader. This machination that he dealt with spiritual matters barely, at what time he had the gift of sleeping for a litter at what time, attainment up in advance and praying constantly. Therefore, it wasn't at all witty that our Panagia honored him with her phantom. And not scarcely the Panagia...
Inwards his interrupt in the glebe the A cut above had visits from monks of the Monastery of Esphigmenou, who urged him to common the brotherhood of the Monastery which had sooner than been cut off from the rest of Upsurge Athos. By posturing the arguments for ecumenical compromises of bounce church leaders, they urged him to decide to "zealotism" for the precision of the depend on. The na"ive A cut above began to clasp suspicions in his imaginings and from this time he considered it necessity to snowball his prayers and the supplications to God for such a conclusion. The conflict was prominent. How could he permission his place of Doubt and his brothers and be cut in reserve from them? On the other department the monks showed that the Repute was at risk and could in a relaxed manner be betrayed and so, according to them, he necessity reject all the preceding in order to embrace the Repute.
In this strive with his imaginings, a priest salaried him a refer to. He had a settle down phantom and a mirthful facade, a true "image of goodness".
"A cut above," he supposed to him, "may God's harmony be with you. Which thoroughfare necessity I persuade for Karyes?"
The ingenuous A cut above on hand to guide him. "Having the status of is your name, father?" he asked him.
"Fright Nicholas," replied the passer-by.
"Everywhere are you from?"
"I came from Cyprus."
He waved see you later following he had unacceptable the path, and prepared his return of the glebe. But without delay he thought: "I didn't ask the man if he was thin, if he was in deduce of whatever thing. He has a covet way to go." He turned disclose and called out to him "Fright Nicholas, Fright Nicholas, Fright, Fright." The priest had no more at what time in general he wouldn't clasp walked not even ten meters.
Throw down with the passer-by who no more into thin air, the disturbing imaginings of the A cut above furthermore no more, bringing harmony to his thought for instance, not considering the mind that he had on matters of depend on, the advice of persons monks who advised him would clasp dominated him out of the Cathedral. So Fright Nicholas, who undoubtedly was Saint Nicholas, showed him the path to go for the rest of his life, meaning not to tug in reserve from the Cathedral.
Let us character reference that according to a tradition, Saint Nicholas "launched" his episcopal responsibility from the Monastery of Priests which is placed shut Paphos in Cyprus.
When the A cut above grew generously proportioned due to his age, he returned to the Monastery of Saint Paul in order to spend award his obstruction time. At this Monastery was a distribute, who worked award for oodles time, and was very respectable and good, but he came down with a generously proportioned growth and he was incarcerated to bed. Before long through he died, the Abbot intentional to make him a priest, the same as for instance of the monastic schema, which is a minuscule baptism, all sins of life are forgiven. The distribute wept like he heard the concept of the Abbot and oral with joy.
From this time he died as a priest, and specifically on the 2nd of February, like the Monastery of Saint Paul has the prominent celebration of the Performance of Christ. It was that distribute whom Fright Andreas brought up leader and leader over as an instance, saying: "Reasonable how outlying did our Panagia love this man? Such an honor, to keep him knock down on Her feast!"
It was the dawn of the 2nd of February 1987. The Monastery of Saint Paul was celebrating the breakfast of the Performance of our Noble. Stunted some gossip leave by word of gossip, and it moved out speckled way of behaving. Typically it had to be sad gossip, but by anxiety it the fathers were full of resurrectional excitement. Fright Andreas prepared harmony with God in the course of the vigil. A sacred end. The succeeding day concerning the Interment service, his spiritual surprise revealed to the majesty all persons events which unassailable the prominent incorruptibility of that man. Fright Andreas was lower-level at the necropolis of the Monastery of Saint Paul, and was luxury in the course of his fathers. May we clasp his prayers.
