1. Experiencing the Events at Jacob's Well
I remember one of his last Divine Liturgies (before he even went blind).
It was the Sunday of the Samaritan Woman and he came out to read the Holy Gospel (John, Chapter 4 verses 5-42). His face was shining and his voice had changed.
The way he recited the Gospel passage, which was also extensive, made a great impression on the entire congregation. It had touched us all. The Saint seemed to have no contact with the present and leaned on the pillar of the Beautiful Gate so as not to fall.
At the end of the Divine Liturgy we approached him and said to him “Elder, what a beautiful Gospel that was today!”
He, half-closing his eyes and smiling faintly, answered us:
“I was there…!”
We were shocked.
He had been transported to the time of Christ, to Jacob’s well, and he experienced the events before his eyes.
He saw the Lord and Saint Photini.
2. "Shall I Tell You How Jesus Spoke?"
Archimandrite Ananias Koustenis [1945-2021], in an interview with the radio station “Piraiki Ekklesia”, on November 19, 2013 (two days after the canonization of Saint Porphyrios), testified as follows:
“Once the Saint said to me:
'Shall I tell you how Jesus spoke?'
And he presented Jesus to me exactly.
'How do you know that, Elder?' I asked him.
'I go there and come back. How? I know how.'
They are not subject to space-time [by "they" he probably means the saints]. And this was when he was alive.”
Source: From the book Saint Porphyrios the Prophet: Testimonies published by the Agios Paulites, Holy Cell of the Holy Theodoroi, Mount Athos, volume 1. Translation by John Sanidopoulos.
3. "The Elder Heard My Deceased Mother"
On another visit, I was upset and the Elder, in his attempt to comfort me, he addressed me with a diminutive name, which my mother used when I was a toddler.
It was a completely unusual diminutive, which I had almost completely forgotten.
The Elder was transported decades back in time and “heard” my now deceased mother speaking to me affectionately.
Source: From the book by Konstantinos Giannitsiotis, Near Elder Porphyrios, A Spiritual Child Remembers Him, published by the Sacred Hesychasterion of the Transfiguration of the Savior, Milesi. Translation by John Sanidopoulos.
I remember one of his last Divine Liturgies (before he even went blind).
It was the Sunday of the Samaritan Woman and he came out to read the Holy Gospel (John, Chapter 4 verses 5-42). His face was shining and his voice had changed.
The way he recited the Gospel passage, which was also extensive, made a great impression on the entire congregation. It had touched us all. The Saint seemed to have no contact with the present and leaned on the pillar of the Beautiful Gate so as not to fall.
At the end of the Divine Liturgy we approached him and said to him “Elder, what a beautiful Gospel that was today!”
He, half-closing his eyes and smiling faintly, answered us:
“I was there…!”
We were shocked.
He had been transported to the time of Christ, to Jacob’s well, and he experienced the events before his eyes.
He saw the Lord and Saint Photini.
2. "Shall I Tell You How Jesus Spoke?"
Archimandrite Ananias Koustenis [1945-2021], in an interview with the radio station “Piraiki Ekklesia”, on November 19, 2013 (two days after the canonization of Saint Porphyrios), testified as follows:
“Once the Saint said to me:
'Shall I tell you how Jesus spoke?'
And he presented Jesus to me exactly.
'How do you know that, Elder?' I asked him.
'I go there and come back. How? I know how.'
They are not subject to space-time [by "they" he probably means the saints]. And this was when he was alive.”
Source: From the book Saint Porphyrios the Prophet: Testimonies published by the Agios Paulites, Holy Cell of the Holy Theodoroi, Mount Athos, volume 1. Translation by John Sanidopoulos.
3. "The Elder Heard My Deceased Mother"
On another visit, I was upset and the Elder, in his attempt to comfort me, he addressed me with a diminutive name, which my mother used when I was a toddler.
It was a completely unusual diminutive, which I had almost completely forgotten.
The Elder was transported decades back in time and “heard” my now deceased mother speaking to me affectionately.
Source: From the book by Konstantinos Giannitsiotis, Near Elder Porphyrios, A Spiritual Child Remembers Him, published by the Sacred Hesychasterion of the Transfiguration of the Savior, Milesi. Translation by John Sanidopoulos.
