Continuation and End of the Festal Homily for the Friday of Renewal Week and the Zoodochos Pege (Elder Philotheos Zervakos)

CONTINUATION AND END OF THE FESTAL HOMILY FOR THE FRIDAY OF RENEWAL WEEK

(Part 2 of 2: continued from part one)

And the remaining portion of the Reading.

Bless, Father.

Through the prayers of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us. Amen.

By Archimandrite Philotheos Zervakos

Since there are some who, although they believe in the miracles spoken of concerning the Zoodochos Pege, nevertheless do not accept or are not persuaded that there are also other holy waters honored in the name of the Mother of God and of other saints, nor that signs occur elsewhere except only at the Zoodochos Pege outside Constantinople — the one discovered by Emperor Leo I, as we have said — thus ignorantly and impiously limiting to one place the indescribable grace and power of her who was counted worthy to become the Mother of the Incomprehensible God. Let such people investigate, and they will find within this same Constantinople another miracle-working and sign-bearing holy spring of the all-immaculate Theotokos, namely that at Blachernae, where even to this day innumerable miracles take place, not only for the faithful but even for unbelievers; and many other illnesses and afflictions are healed there. Especially those suffering from fever, if they go there with faith and drink from the holy water, are quickly delivered from the disease.

Festal Homily for the Friday of Renewal Week and the Zoodochos Pege (Elder Philotheos Zervakos)

Festal Homily for the Friday of Renewal Week

And an Account of Certain Miracles of our Most Glorious Lady Theotokos, of the Zoodochos Pege (Life-Receiving Spring)

(Part 1 of 2) 

 

By Archimandrite Philotheos Zervakos

Again a feast, and again a festival. And, to speak better, within the feast there has appeared to us yet another joyful feast, increasing the joy of the faithful and filling their hearts with unspeakable gladness. For while we are still celebrating the radiant and world-saving Resurrection of Christ our God and Savior, behold, there has also shone upon us another festival of His Pure and Immaculate Mother, our Lady and Sovereign, the Zoodochos Pege, which with just cause urges all the faithful to celebrate again today, and all together to rejoice with spiritual joy and exultation, glorifying with hymns and doxologies Christ our God risen from the dead, and His All-Holy Mother, the Mistress of all creation, the benefactress and mediatrix of us Christians, that we may receive from her grace and a spiritual reward.

For just as those who go to a bath and wash return cleansed from bodily defilements, in the same way every faithful person who runs to the holy house of our Lady, and with reverence and faith drinks and is sprinkled from her precious holy water, is wondrously illumined and purified with a marvelous cleansing, being freed from spiritual pollutions and delivered from every sickness of soul and body. Therefore, O my brethren, let us all hasten today with faith and reverence to the grace-filled temple of the Virgin Mother; let us rejoice and celebrate together, young and old, and let us be spiritually glad on this new Friday.

Miracles 13-17 of Saint Arsenios of Paros

By Archimandrite Philotheos Zervakos

Miracle 13

A certain Greek compatriot had come to Paros and visited the Monastery of the Transfiguration, not out of piety, but out of curiosity. Upon arriving in the monastery courtyard, he saw above the entrance door, at a window, a young nun, comely in appearance, watering basil. Being irreverent and driven by passion, he was immediately wounded by desire. At first he sought out the abbess of the monastery, who referred him to Father Arsenios. Presenting himself in a most arrogant manner, he demanded that they give him that nun; otherwise, he threatened to cause great harm to the monastery.

The Saint admonished him with gentleness and meekness, in the sweetest and most courteous manner. But the young man became enraged and angrily threatened both the Saint and, as he departed like one beside himself, declared that he would return to take the nun by force. Then the Saint said calmly: “Cease, my child, your threats and repent, otherwise you will remain immobile and deranged.”

Indeed, after three days he became paralyzed and insane, and, being carried by four men, he was taken to the asylum for the incurable, where the wretched man died miserably. The Saint then advised the nuns henceforth not to place flowers at the windows and not to lean out of them whenever strangers were present.

Miracles 6, 8, 9, 10, 11 of Saint Arsenios of Paros

By Archimandrite Philotheos Zervakos

Miracle 6

A woman named Helen Davaria, who lived in Paroikia, often went up to the Monastery and performed various tasks for the sisters of the Monastery. One day the Venerable Arsenios said to her:

"Child, here you come and work, what do the sisters give you for your labor? Do they pay you?"

"No, they don't give me money because they don't have any, but they give me bread, coffee, sugar and other things."

"From these things that they give you, do you give to some poor person, when he asks you or you when you happen to meet someone on the road?"

An Analysis of the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Elder Philotheos Zervakos)

Eighth Sunday of Luke

An Analysis of the Parable of the Good Samaritan

Luke 10:25-37

By Archimandrite Philotheos Zervakos

All people, because of the transgression and disobedience of our forefathers, have inherited the curse and eternal condemnation, and have fallen from the heavenly Jerusalem to this temporal country, which is full of sorrows and distresses, of pains and calamities, which are brought upon us by the robbers, the invisible demons, who hurt us every day. Wounds are the sins inflicted on us by pride, envy, jealousy, malice, criticism, backbiting, slander, infidelities, fornications, adulteries, thefts, injustices and in general every sin committed by man, with the help of the wicked demon, because he is the one who injures us, who hurts us.

God gave us prudence, wisdom and discernment, but because we do not pay attention and care, we receive the wounds and injuries from the demons and as sinners we fall down half dead. And if we die from the wounds and injuries inflicted upon us by wicked, marauding demons, then we die eternal death, we are condemned to eternal hell.

Miracles 3 and 4 of Saint Arsenios of Paros

By Archimandrite Philotheos Zervakos

 

Miracle 3

In Lagada, in the estates of the Monastery of Saint George and of other neighbors who had farmhouses and estates bordering on the estates of the Monastery, the residents of the farmhouses noticed that wild oxen were entering the estates at night and causing damage. When the people living in the farmhouses realized this, they ran to chase them away and the wild oxen that appeared, instead of coming out of the entrance of the estates, came down from steep slopes; while the people ran to reach them in order to drive them out of the entrance, they were in danger of falling and killing themselves. They went and announced this to the Saint, then residing in the Monastery, who comforted and reassured them saying to them:

"Do not be afraid children, have courage. I will come to drive away these wild oxen. Know, however, that they are not real oxen, but envious demons in the form of oxen, to trouble you. When they come, notify me to come and drive them out."

Homily for the Sunday of All Saints (Elder Philotheos Zervakos)

 

 By Archimandrite Philotheos Zervakos

(Delivered in the Church of All Saints in Paros in 1965)

Today our Holy Church celebrates the memory of all the Saints, those who were born and sanctified from the creation of the world, and until the end of the age those who will be sanctified. This feast is the greatest of all feasts (besides the Despotic feasts), because not just one Saint celebrates, nor ten, nor a hundred, nor a thousand, nor two thousand, or a hundred thousand, but millions.

All the millions of Saints are celebrating today, and in this feast is also the feast of the Queen of Heaven, the All-Holy Mother of God, all the angelic orders, all the Prophets, the Apostles, the Martyrs, the Hieromartyrs, the Confessors and all the Venerables. Therefore every believer today celebrates their feast, because all faithful Christians have names of Saints.

The Mother of Elder Philotheos Zervakos and Her Miraculous Healing by the Panagia the Giatrissa

In his autobiography, Elder Philotheos Zervakos writes about a miraculous healing that took place on behalf of his mother by the Panagia the Giatrissa (a miraculous icon of the Mother of God which is often translated as the Panagia the Healer, though more accurately as the Panagia the Physician). His mother fell seriously ill and was on the verge of death shortly before he departed his homeland of Pakia in Laconia to follow the path of monasticism. This is what he records about the miracle:

Seeing her in danger of dying, I thought that if my mother remains ill, I will not be able to follow Christ, because my father would be left alone, with my little sister, and therefore I would not be able to abandon them.

The day before my mother's illness, a fellow villager gave me and I read a book, which contained miracles of the Most Holy Theotokos called "Panagia the Giatrissa".

Her temple is located on the slopes of Mount Taygetus, as is her miraculous icon. At the beginning of the book, on the first page, there was a copy of the sacred icon of the Panagia.

Miracles of the Panagia of the Life-Giving Spring at Longovarda Monastery in Paros: Miracle 3 (Elder Philotheos Zervakos)

 

 ...continued.

3. Another miracle happened during the blockade in 1917,* when there was no wheat on the island** due to the blockade by the Anglo-French. Many of the poor of the island and the refugees took refuge in our Sacred Monastery of the Life-Giving Spring at Longovarda; the majority of rich people, in such circumstances, hide the wheat in order to sell it at inflated prices for profit. The Fathers of the Monastery, feeling sorry for the hungry, provided everyone with bread for food and other supplies that the Monastery had. Then it was time to marvel at the miracles of the Life-Giving Spring, because while the Fathers were giving one by one to those who came and the grain was scarce, but according to the calculations of some who were weak in faith, the grain in the storehouse would soon be exhausted, others on the other hand believed the All-Immaculate Theotokos of the Life-Giving Spring with her blessings would prove it inexhaustible. The wheat did not run out, but was preserved to the astonishment and admiration of those who saw it until the new harvest. But what can I say? The Sacred Monastery has shown to be an unfathomable and inexhaustible river. For who, poor or widowed, or orphaned or sick or suffering, either physically or mentally, coming to the Monastery with faith does not receive their request? All become healthy, both of soul and body enjoying health, they leave giving thanks to the Mother of God and recounting the multitude of her miracles.

Miracles of the Panagia of the Life-Giving Spring at Longovarda Monastery in Paros: Miracles 1 and 2 (Elder Philotheos Zervakos)

Elder Philotheos Zervakos praying to the Panagia of the Life-Giving Spring in Longovarda

 

By Elder Philotheos Zervakos

In order to conclude the innumerable miracles of our Lady the Theotokos of the Life-Giving Spring, we cite here also the following miracles performed in the Sacred Monastery of Longovarda, before the Life-Giving Spring, in these days.

1. In the first days of the past forty-day fast, of the year 1927, a villager from the village of the island known as Lefkes, whose name is George Rangousis, came here. He begged me for him to bring his 18-year-old son Demetrios to our Sacred Monastery, suffering from paralysis of all his body parts and unable to walk. I, having unwavering faith in the unfailing help of the Theotokos and in the multitude of Her infinite miracles, said to the man: "Go, bring your son to the Monastery, and have faith and hope that the All-Immaculate Lady, the Life-Giving Spring, will heal him." Going from there to the village, he brought his son, for whom we began to repeat the prayers of Basil the Great and Sacred Chrysostom, anointing him with oil from the vigil lamp of the icon of the Theotokos of the Life-Giving Spring. O the miracle! After a few days of his sojourn inside, the one who was unable to stand on his feet beforehand now began to walk freely, praising and blessing God and the All-Praised Theotokos, the Life-Giving Spring, who provided him with healing, soul and body. He is now in our Monastery working in the shoemaker's shop (he happens to be a shoemaker) and he will leave for his homeland to the joy and gladness of his parents, who have spent a lot on doctors for the treatment of their son without benefit.