Who is in Paradise ?

 

There was a very poor woman that was living in a small village in the center part of Greece and she had three children. She was able to raise them with incredible difficulties and in immense poverty. However, she never lost her integrity and her love for Christ. Her name was Vasiliki. She died one day before the celebration of our Mother, the Theotokos, in 1998. The next day which was the 15th of August, her body was in a very cheap coffin on the pickup track of the priest on the way to the cemetery to be buried.  On the way to the burial site, there were a few people from her village following and they were talking about how difficult was her life, when suddenly the entire area started smelling incredibly nice like there were a thousand flowers at this spot. Among the people following her there was a spiritual child of Elder Ambrosios Lazaris (1912-2006). When the Elder learned about the incidence he said: “This woman is among the Saints in the Heaven and do you know why? Because she never complained in her life. God wants people like her to fill the Paradise and to have the Second Coming.”

Elder Ambrosios Lazaris of Dadiou Monastery

A visit by Father Fotis.

 One time late in the day, the hieromonk Father Fotis visited a house in our town Mytilene of the island of Lesbos, and he stayed there over night. Before he fell asleep, he gave the following command to the owner of the house: “Tomorrow morning we have a job to do.”

Upon waking up the next morning, they left Mytilene and went to Father Fotis’ sanctuary, where he quickly took the sacred utensils and his priestly attire. Together they headed to the picturesque church of the Mother of our God the “Milk-Giver”, within the old castle of the city.

Once there, Father Fotis performed the Holy Liturgy and then picked up the Holy Gifts and as he was fully dressed in his priestly vestments he headed to one of the brothels which, in those times, used to be in that area.  There, the Father administered last rites to a dying prostitute named Evlambia (last rites in the Orthodox tradition consist of the Sacred Mysteries of Confession and the reception of Holy Communion).  The woman, immediately after receiving communion found “Rest in our Lord” and died.

Later on, the house owner asked him about this incident, and Father Fotis said:

 “Incidents such as this have happened many times before. One woman close to the Church of Saint Symeon told me of such occasions, and so I started visiting the troubled souls in the brothels. They allowed me in with respect and courtesy. I was talking to them about the repentance from sins, the salvation of their souls, and the life to come. I never talked meanly to them, but lovingly, and I would tell them to repent and that Jesus would take care of them and would fully restore them in his heart. Many of them repented.”

Father Fotis then told the man: “You asked if I was scared. Who should I be afraid of? We only fear God when we sin. I do not care about what people will say; I was acting for Christ!”

Father Fotis Lavriotis (of the monastery of Great Lavra)

Daily Prayer

 

Lord, Holy One, dwelling on high and beholding things below, observing all, with your all-seeing eye and keeping watch over all creation, to you we have bowed the neck of our soul and body, and we beseech you, Holy of Holies: stretch out your invisible hand from your holy dwelling and bless us all. And if we have sinned in anything, willingly or unwillingly, as the Good who loves mankind, pardon us, granting us your good things both in this world and beyond.

St. John of Cronstadt from Russia narrates this vision he had on January 1901.

 ‘The blessed people of God would not betray their faith not even with one word".

     Following the evening prayers, being tired, I laid down for a while to relax in my poorly lit cell. My lampada was hanging in front of the icon of the Mother of God. Half an hour had hardly passed when I heard a creak. Someone touched my left shoulder and with a gentle voice told me, "rise servant of God John, and follow the Will of God!"

     I rose and I saw near the window a glorious elder (staretz) with grizzly hair, wearing a black mantia  and holding a cane in his hand. He was looking at me tenderly and I had difficulty standing up because of my great fear. My hands and feet trembled, I wished to talk but my tongue would not oblige. The elder made the sign of the Cross on me and soon I was filled with peace and joy. I then crossed myself.
     In turn, he indicated with his cane the western wall of my cell, so that I would observe a specific sign. The elder had scratched the following numbers on the wall: 1913, 1914, 1917, 1922, 1924 and 1934. Suddenly the wall disappeared and I walked with the elder in a green valley and observed a large number of crosses, in the thousands, as markers of graves.

     They were wooden, ceramic or gold. I asked the elder what was the reason for the crosses. He answered peacefully, "the crosses were for those who suffered and were murdered for their faith in Christ and for the Word of God and became martyrs". We continued to walk.

     Suddenly I saw a whole river of blood and I asked the elder, what is the significance of this blood and how much was spilled. The elder looked around and answered, "This is the blood of the true Christians!"  He then pointed at some clouds and saw a large number of lit oil lamps that burned with a white flame. They began to fall to the ground one after the other in tens and hundreds. Having fallen their light went out and they turned into ashes.

Mount Athos

The historic monasteries and the buried cells in the cliffs characterize the Mount Athos as the greatest living museum of art, ethnology and ecclesiastical history.