“A
few years ago, I was the parish priest of St. Vasileios church (Piraeus) and
was called to hear the confession of a young man, Xenophon, 42 years old.
When
I arrived, his days were numbered. Cancer with rapid metastases had affected
his brain too. He was all alone at the ward, the bed next to him was empty, so
we were all alone.
This
is what he told me about how he came to Faith, since he was a “hardened
atheist” in his own words:
‘I
arrived here about 35 days ago, in this ward of two beds. Next to me was
another patient, about 80 years old. He was suffering from cancer too, in his
bones, and although he was experiencing excruciating pain, he was constantly
praising the Lord “Glory to God! Glory to God for all things!” He also recited
more prayers which I heard for the first time in my life since I was an atheist
who had never set my foot to church.
Often, all those prayers comforted him and he slept for a couple of
hours. Then, after 2-3 hours, he woke up again from the excruciating pain, and
he would start over “My Christ, I thank you! Glory be to Thy Name! Glory to
God! Glory to God for all things!” I was moaning with my pain, and this patient
at the next bed to mine was glorifying God. I was blaspheming Christ and the
Theotokos, and he was thanking God, thanking him for the cancer which he had
given to him, and for all the excruciating pain he was suffering.
I
was so rebellious and indignant at this! Not only for the excruciating pain I
was suffering, but also for his never-ending Doxology. He was also partaking
daily of Holy Communion, while I was throwing up in disgust.
–
‘Will you please shut up! Shut up and stop saying all the time ‘Glory to God’!
Can’t you see that this God, Whom you are thanking and glorifying, this same
God is torturing us with such cruelty? What kind of God this is? No, He does
not exist!’
