Testimonies of the fathers
TESTIMONIES OF THE FATHERS
Described in the brief history of our Brotherhood is how Saints Raphael, Nikolaos and Irene had appeared and had indicated the place where they desired the Church dedicated in their honour to be built. Also described is how miraculous events have led conscientious brethren to dedicate themselves and their lives in the service of God and the Saints. It was thus that the Brotherhood of St Raphael was created and the Saint assigned as its head and principle guide for the tasks that had to be performed, and of the life of the Brotherhood in general, by blessing and protecting it with his grace and by making his presence tangible with his assistance and his care.
“Praised be Saint Raphael! …”
Initially, upon the rock where the Saints had appeared, the brethren had placed a shrine with icons and an unsleeping lamp for them. The brethren prayed daily, beseeching the Saints to strengthen them in their efforts to fulfil their tasks. When the time came for the first religious ceremony honouring the saints to take place, the brethren were quite worried. The Divine Liturgy was to take place in open air and consequently, the priest’s voice and the psalms chanted by the cantors would be diffused to infinity and not be audible to the congregation. On the eve of the ceremony, the brethren deliberated on the matter and decided that a supply of microphones was necessary. So they prayed to the Saint to help them find a solution to this issue soon; an issue that had never previously been mentioned to anyone. Later, as the feast was approaching, Dennis M., a devout Christian from Zakynthos Island, contacted the Elder and the brethren and said that he happened to find in his warehouse some forgotten and unused micro-phonic equipment, so he asked whether the Brotherhood perhaps needed or wanted it. Then, the amazed Elder exclaimed, “Yes, my blessed one! It is definitely necessary, and the lack of it will create major problems. That was why we have currently been praying to the Saint, to help us solve this problem. And now, behold your offer! Praised be Saint Raphael! Once again we are witnessing his care and help! “
“… What are you doing there?”
When conditions were ripe, the brethren began discussing the specific actions that had to be taken for the construction of the Temple as well as the Phiale. (note: A Phiale is a circular building usually found in monasteries, used for placing holy water at its center, to be accessible for all, pilgrims and fathers of the monastery)
The very next day the grace of the Saint sent a believer, Mr. John T., who, while chatting with the Elder and the brethren, asked, “What are you thinking of building on the Saint’s holy site?”. They replied, “A small Church and a Phiale to accommodate basic needs of the pilgrims.” Later that same afternoon, the faithful Christian returned home and on a sheet of paper began drawing rough sketches of the Phiale. That very moment, the saint sent him help: a family friend who is a Civil Engineer, Ms. Helen T., along with her daughter, Ms. Anna T., an architect. When the engineer noticed the rough sketches of the Phiale, she asked, “What are you doing there?”. The man then began explaining his thoughts. The engineer stopped him, saying, “This is a job for me!”. However, as they began discussing the plans, he also mentioned the matter of the erection of the Temple. Without hesitation, Ms. Anna T. offered to prepare the architectural drawings and Ms. Helen T. to supervise the construction. The following day, Sunday, she met the Elder, and explained that she had offered to prepare the necessary plans herself; to provide the necessary technical advice and to supervise the construction, all for free. Thus, while the brethren were unable to find a suitable civil engineer and architect to undertake the construction of the Temple and the Phiale, Saint Raphael found them the necessary help for both projects, for free.
The “Phiale”
One evening, the Elder and the brethren were discussing about the Phiale, its dimensions and the space where it should be built. The very next day, as the brethren were trying to trace on the ground the outline of the Phiale’s position, the Saint’s presence was manifested once again, when he intervened by sending Mr. George S., who, after noticing the outline traced on the ground, asked, “What do you plan on doing here?” – to which the Elder replied “a Phiale.” In order to better understand what a “Phiale” is, he asked, “Do you have any drawings, so that I can see what the Phiale looks like?” And he was shown the sketches. At the first glance, he said: “The Phiale will be sponsored by me, but first I need to speak with the engineer.” Lo and behold – the phone rang right then, and it was the engineer. The Elder said to her, “a believer wants to sponsor the construction of the Phiale, and he wants to speak with you.” And indeed, within three months, the Phiale became real.
The Providence of Saint Raphael brought them the solution
For quite a long time in the Brotherhood, traditional lamps and lanterns which burnt pure petroleum or oil were being used during the night hours. The Brotherhood had not attempted to install electricity, as that would have required an extended supply network by the Electricity Department to reach their premises, and the cost would have been exorbitant. One day, a pious Christian, Mr. Christos P. from Piraeus visited the Brotherhood. Albeit completely unaware of the lack of electricity, but wanting to offer to the Brotherhood something useful and practical, he quite suddenly said to the Elder the following: “I have brought with me a unit that produces electricity from solar energy and thought of offering it to the grace of the Saint – and to install it – if you so wish, of course.” The brethren certainly accepted it with joy, fully realizing that divine Grace and the Providence of Saint Raphael had found the solution to a problem they had regarded as unsolvable with the means at their disposal. The battery of the solar unit was more than adequate for the brethren’s needs for studying and working during the night, and they offered up a big, heartfelt “thank you.” The Love and the Wisdom of Saint Raphael had once again provided a miracle, which had been materialized this time through Mr. Christos P.
“….If you can’t give me any either, I am lost.”
With all the necessary plans ready, the erection of the chapel of St. Raphael finally began, on the site that the Saint had indicated.
One day, the workers notified that they needed building supplies for the following day, so the brethren placed the order with the construction company, asking them to deliver the supplies the next day. Later that evening a local shepherd was heard shouting at the gate, “Elder! Elder! Come over to the gate, I need to tell you about a problem I’ve got!” The Elder went over there and noticed the shepherd, then asked him what had happened. “Elder,” the shepherd said, “I need money, because tomorrow morning I need to go and pay a loan; I will return the money to you, in a month’s time. I have asked everybody in the village for money, but no-one would lend me any. If you can’t give me any either, I am lost. In the morning I will have to disappear from the face of the earth.” The Elder asked him to wait a bit and headed up the hill to the brethren’s cells; after explaining the situation to them, he asked, “How much money do we have?” The brethren replied, “We have the money that’s needed to pay for the building materials, which will be arriving tomorrow at 12:00 noon. But, since the shepherd needs it so urgently, let’s give it to him, and tomorrow God will help us.” And so, the money for the materials was given to the shepherd. But the Saint again made his presence clear with his intervention; he sent Catherine Z., a resident of Grammatiko, who happened to be in the district of Agia Paraskevi, Attica, and was planning to buy a necklace from there. She entered a jewellery shop to pick one out and give it as a gift. While talking with the shopkeeper she noticed an icon of St. Raphael and his companions. She immediately exclaimed, “We also have Saint Raphael, at Ano Souli, Marathon!” Then the shopkeeper, without saying another word, opened the register, took out all the money from it and gave it to her, saying, “Take it all, for Saint Raphael.” Ms. Catherine Z. instinctively refused to take it, saying that she was not authorized to receive any money, but the shopkeeper insisted that she go and offer it. Seeing how the shopkeeper insisted so persistently, Mrs. Catherine Z. necessarily accepted the money and immediately left to deliver it to the Elder. To their amazement, they discovered that all the donated money amounted to the exact cost of the building materials – the same amount that they had given to help out the shepherd.
“… What application form? …”
Whatever the brethren had in mind to do, the next day the Saint would act miraculously and fulfil their wishes. One afternoon the Elder and the brethren were discussing about going to the National Phone Company in the following week, in order to apply for a phone connection.
Indeed, the following week the Elder visited the local branch of the National Phone Company. When the branch manager, Mr. F., spotted the Elder, he immediately said, “Where have you been, Elder? I’ve been looking for you to sign the application form for the new phone line.” The Elder replied, “Sign what application? I never filled in any application! I came here today to do that!”. The manager said, “But the application is ready. All I need is a few details and your signature. The cost has been evaluated and you can pay in as many instalments as you like.” The Elder was speechless. He had never submitted an application. He had never discussed the telephone connection with anyone else except the Brethren. He immediately realized that Saint Raphael had a hand in it.
The Elder remarked: “What’s been going on? I didn’t send any representative to apply, nor did I ring anybody about this matter. And yet, you’re telling me now that everything is ready, and that the cost has been evaluated. How did all this happen? “The manager replied, “I had phone instructions from the head of the Phone Company headquarters at Maroussi, Mr. Stephen D., to immediately install telephone services for the Brotherhood of St. Raphael. After signing the application form and thanking the manager, the Elder asked for Mr. Stephen D’s phone number. On his return, he told the brethren what had happened at the Phone Company’s branch office. The brethren offered their thanks to Saint Rafael, and also called to thank Mr. Stephen D. That was how they learnt that he had visited the Monastery of St. Raphael at Ano Souli a few days earlier and had asked Saint Raphael to help out in a personal case of his, to which Saint Raphael responded the very next day. So, in his desire to thank the Saint, he gave instructions to install telephone lines at the Brotherhood, because, during his visit there, he had noticed the absence of telephone lines. The Saint had silently arranged in advance to satisfy the desire of the brethren – a desire that he alone knew- while at the same time benefiting Mr. Stephen D., who had also needed his help.
“… Don’t worry …”
One other time, the brethren were discussing how they could acquire a cantor’s lectern. So they contacted a carpenter to ask for details regarding the cost, but also stressed that he must provide the information three days before delivery, as they would need time to find the money to pay for it. One afternoon, they suddenly received a call from the carpenter, who informed them that he would be delivering their lectern in two hours. The Elder looked in despair at the monk who answered the phone and said: “But we had expressly told the blessed carpenter to let us know three days in advance, and now he’s coming unexpectedly.” “Don’t worry, Elder,” the brother replied, ”the Saint will solve this problem.” Indeed, Saint Raphael made his presence clear once again by sending Mr. Evangelos Ch., who, having come to pay his respects at the Monastery, had made a donation of money, which – lo and behold – was the exact cost of the lectern! Thus, once again, the grace of St Raphael had come to rescue.
“… You didn’t bring your pledge …”
Another time there was a shortage of candles. It was Friday, and the brethren had to wait until the following week to go to Athens and purchase pure wax candles from a specific workshop. Saint Raphael did not take long to solve this problem either, with his helpful intervention. The following evening, after Vespers, a woman’s voice was heard calling out from the gate of the Monastery: “Elder, Elder, please come to the gate – it’s urgent! They approached the gate where the lady was, together with a gentleman. “Elder,” the lady said, “my name is Efthymia Z., and I made a pledge to Saint Raphael, to bring him pure wax candles. Last night I saw him in my dream, and he said: “You didn’t bring your pledge. Bring the candles to my house at Ano Souli, Marathon.” The Elder gave a humble look at the brother who had escorted him and in low voice said to him, “The Saint made another miracle again.” Then Ms. Efthymia continued, “After I woke up from this dream I rushed, panic-stricken, to Athens, purchased the candles and returned to my house in Petroupoli. Then I prayed to the Saint’s grace to help me, because Petroupoli is too far from Ano Souli, Marathon and too difficult to get there by public transport; also the cost of taking a taxi is too high for my meagre budget. Then, quite unexpectedly, an acquaintance of mine visited me and said, “Let’s go for a drive – anywhere you want.” I was speechless, because I immediately realized that Saint Raphael had “sent” him so I could fulfil my pledge; but it got dark by the time we finally located St. Raphael’s Monastery here at Ano Souli.” The Elder and the brethren thanked her and immediately prayed to the Saint, giving thanks for his help.
Another incident described by Ms. Efthymia.: “One day I visited the Monastery of Saint Raphael and was alone in the chapel, praying. When I finished praying, I approached the Elder and very hesitatingly asked him to allow me to spruce up the chapel, if it was alright with him. And so I did. Then, for the first time in my life, I felt a wonderful fragrance flooding the space, like a supernatural angelic fragrance. I called the Elder and mentioned this to him. He calmly remarked, “What you can smell is a blessing from the saint, thanking you for caring.”
“… Saint Raphael, please do something …”
Because the Brethren laboured manually outdoors, they had to wash themselves frequently, both to be clean for their religious duties as well as for the reception of pilgrims. Given that they didn’t have hot running water, they had to bathe with water at room temperature – both in winter and in summer. Even though that winter was particularly severe and hazardous, frequent bathing was nevertheless compulsory. However, one evening in February one of the brothers, trembling from the cold water, pleadingly addressed the Saint, “Your grace is great, o my Saint! I thank you for helping my soul get through these difficulties! But I beseech you, Saint Raphael, please do something about this cold water, because I see that it’s too hard to tolerate!” Several days later, Mr. Anthony M. visited the Monastery and said to the Elder and the brethren, “I have ordered various heavy duty household equipment for my new building, but have decided to donate a solar water heater to you. Do you want it?” The Elder, aware of the lack of hot running water, immediately understood the divine intervention and replied affirmatively. Later on, the brother who had prayed to the Saint about the cold water confessed to all the others what he had asked from the Saint, glorifying the Saint’s name and thanking him for his quick response. It is a fact, that the brethren always tried to please Saint Raphael, and Saint Raphael always reciprocated and took care of the brethren. Thus the devout Christian, Mr. Anthony M. brought and installed the largest solar water heater in the market. This event is one more case of St. Raphael’s miraculous powers.
Winter at Saint Raphael’s
“The thermos cooler with the tap I was telling you about yesterday …”
During Summer the brethren constantly worked outdoors, performing various tasks, and at times the heat was fierce. The only water they had was almost always too hot to drink, which caused them intense discomfort. In days like those, the brethren became exhausted, sweaty and extremely thirsty. One evening, after Vespers, a brother said, “Elder, in town they sell a Thermos cooler with a tap. You can fill it with cold water and it stays cold all day. If we have your blessing, the next time we go into town we should buy one.” Right then the phone rang; it was Mr. Harry D. with his wife, Ms. Xenia, who wished to come over the following morning, around 7:00 AM, to pay their respects to Saint Raphael. Indeed, the next day at 7:00 AM the Elder and the brethren were waiting for the pilgrims to arrive. Time passed, but they didn’t show up. They finally arrived around 10:00 AM, and to everyone’s amazement, they were holding a Thermos cooler with a tap, exactly like the one that the brother had described. “Elder!” the brother whispered, “it’s the thermos with the tap I was telling you about yesterday … Saint Raphael sent it.” The Elder replied, “Don’t say anything my child “, and, after welcoming the pilgrims, he asked them why they arrived so late. Ms. Xenia replied, “Well, we got up at 6:00 in the morning and while we were drinking our coffee, my husband said, “A thought just came to me: I was wondering if the brethren have got a cooler for cold water. Should we wait for the stores to open and buy one for them? So we waited.” The Elder remarked, “The thought wasn’t yours; Saint Raphael put it in your mind, because just yesterday afternoon we were talking about it with the brethren,” following which, he thanked and praised the Saint, who helped them once again.
“I know, Saint Raphael, that whatever you want to do, you can do it…”
During a very hot summer period with prolonged drought, the trees that had been planted by the brethren were in great need of watering . Unfortunately, the rainwater gathered in the collection tank during winter was also depleted, as the situation called for greater water consumption. Thus, the brethren were watching the saplings that began drying up day by day with great sorrow, without being able to do anything. Eventually, one of the brethren, who were particularly worried, went to the Saint’s chapel and with deep pain prayed to the Saint for help. “You, Saint Raphael, are, by the grace of God, almighty. You can do anything. We, as mortals, have done everything we could. I’m not asking anything for us; we planted the trees, not for us, but for you. So please, don’t let this place dry up! I know, Saint Raphael, that whatever you want to do, you can do it …” The brother then finished his prayer and returned to continue with his chores. The next day, before dawn, the brethren woke up in surprise by the sound of the rain. At dawn, when the brethren came out to do their chores, they saw that everything was soaked and the freshly dug pits of the saplings were filled to the brim with water. Their joy was indescribable and their gratitude to the Saint was enormous.
The same afternoon, one of the brethren went to the village to buy something at the store, where he began chatting with the people in there, saying: “What a wonderful rain that was, last night! Exactly what we needed! A true godsend!” To his immense surprise, they responded by saying, “What rain, Father? Did the heat get to your head?” So, as soon as he left the store and on all the way back, he began noticing the surroundings and was amazed to realise that it had rained ONLY within the wire fence surrounding the monastery, whereas beyond that, not a single drop of rain had fallen. Furthermore, even though the hot weather resumed, the moisture from that sudden rainfall on the Monastery’s grounds lasted – very unusually – for two whole weeks. Thus, having experienced his wondrous act of caring and protection, the brethren felt an even greater reverence and love for Saint Raphael and strived to actively show their gratitude by mustering all their force to serve him.
The trees at Saint Raphael’s
“…but I haven’t got enough time…”
One time, the brethren had been continuously busy, working at the farm all day long . Being in the countryside, they could see the plants that grew around them, and, on noticing the different varieties, they could tell that some of them were edible. However, no one stopped to pick them as there was not enough time, given that their designated tasks had to be done as quickly as possible when the weather permitted. One day, while two of the brothers were busy working, the one said to the other, “… My eye has often fallen on many edible greens around here, and I just wish I could have some, but I haven’t got enough time to stop and gather them. So, I’d better satisfy my appetite with whatever is available, and be content with that.” He didn’t linger on the matter. Later that afternoon, around sunset, another brother went to visit a family. Just as he was about to leave them and return to the monastery, the father of the family said: “Wait a minute, I have something to give you.” And he gave him a very large bag of … greens, saying, “They’re organic and of excellent quality.” When the brother arrived at the Monastery and the other brethren saw the huge bag filled with greens, they were speechless. No-one had brought them vegetables for months and yet, here they were, on the very day that they mentioned them and had expressed their longing for some (no-one had heard them except for God and the Saint ); furthermore, the greens were also of the exact same variety that they had mentioned. This was obviously not a coincidence; it was once again the Saint’s concern and his subtle expression of love, on seeing the brethren’s good disposition and their incessant labour; he sent them exactly what they had wished for. In this way, they got their lessons, realizing that … by neglecting their desires and being dedicated to work for the Saint, they receive from God what they wanted- even more than what themselves could have provided, because God always gives generously and meets every need.
“… It’s not in a good condition … it’s in an excellent one!!”
One day the Elder was thinking about how the Brotherhood needed a fridge and was wondering how he could obtain one. The next day, Mr. Tasos O. called the monastery and said to the brother who answered the phone: “I have a fridge that I don’t need; would you like to have it?” The brother asked him, “What condition is it in?” and received the reply “… It’s not in a good condition… it’s in an excellent one!! You will never need to defrost it! Come over this afternoon and pick it up.” The brother immediately went to the Elder and told him the news. Without having mentioned his earlier thoughts to anyone, the Elder was unexpectedly informed by the brother that what he had intended to purchase, was now offered to him as a free gift, through God’s providence and St. Raphael’s. He eventually revealed his earlier thoughts to the brethren and offered his thanks to both God and Saint Raphael for their care.
Miraculous protection from fire
We all know about the unprecedented devastating fire that broke out in Eastern Athens on August 21st of 2009, which lasted several days and left behind many charred forests and destroyed properties. It was one of the worst environmental disasters of the Attica prefecture – difficult to overcome and even more difficult to forget, as it had incinerated vast swathes of the last remaining, pristine and beautiful forests, but had also spread to thousands of residential areas, districts and municipalities, destroying everything in its path because of the very strong prevailing winds at the time. It had been observed routinely that the fire was being rekindled in the same places two or three times but from a different direction or from every direction, as if it had striven intentionally to destroy everything before being extinguished.
The same was observed at Saint Raphael’s, at Ano Souli of Marathon. The fire came roaring down the side of the Monastery that faces the forest which extends down to Schinia and Kato Souli; it passed by the upper and lower side of the Monastery, encircling it, then moved on towards the other face of the slope, where our Saints’ church is, and continued towards the forest between Ano Souli and Marathon, which it burnt down. But, lo and behold, even though the Monastery grounds are not protected by a stone wall or any cleared areas around it as fire protection zones, but only by an ordinary wire fence, and in spite of the proximity of the flames, the fire did not cross into the grounds of the Monastery. Thus, the Monastery’s immediate grounds within the wire fence remained green, whereas beyond it, everything was scorched! We thank and praise the Saints and Patrons Raphael, Nicholas and Irene, whose grace protected their monastery so that it remained intact.
This miracle is obvious to anyone who now visits the Monastery, but even more to all those who had been present during the fire. The flames had blazed four meters high, with a powerful momentum and fast-moving, both because of the strong winds and because of the dense vegetation with trees that are known to be highly flammable, and with burning pinecones that shot out, incandescent, in every direction sparking new fires meters away. The blaze was so strong that practically no fire extinguishers could be used, because the blasts of hot air pushed back everything that was directed to the flames. And yet, not a single tree was set on fire inside the grounds of the Monastery; one could actually see two adjacent trees, one outside the monastery perimeter in flames, while the one near it, but inside the perimeter, totally intact. Without a doubt, the grace and the power of our Saints are great, as is their outspokenness before the ever-helping God. We will always thank, honour and glorify them, and beseech them shelter, to protect and to save our Sacred Brotherhood, and all Orthodox Christians who are in need and in sorrow.
Inside the monastery grounds everything remained green, while beyond it, the entire area is razed.
