Friday, February 26, 2010

Miracle of St. Photida for an Aga

Saints celebrated February 26th; St. Photini and her sister St. Photis (or Photida) are in the front row right and center, respectively (http://christopherklitou.com/icon_26_feb_porphyrius_photo_photis_photini_sebastianus.htm)

Miracle of St. Photida for an Aga (amateur translation)
Elder Gregory of the Holy Monastery of the Precious Forerunner Metamorphoseos relates: “One of the many times we went along with the priest of my village, Fr. Aleko, to assist the settlement of Amphipoleos [East Macedonia near Strymona], we met an older man who helped in the church of Amphipoleos. During our conversation he related an event which occurred during the Turkish occupation, when he was 12 years old:

“The Aga [Turkish leader] fell gravely ill, and he ran to doctors in every place, reaching even Thessaloniki, but none could make him well and his health deteriorated. He laid on his bed. One day loosing all hope he thought of St. Photida, for the chapel of the Saint who was the sister of St. Photini [celebrated the same day, February 26th] which was about one kilometer from the village and in it up till today flows a spring of holy water. “The Holy Water of St. Photida”. “St. Photida will make me well”, the Aga said. He ordered the caretaker of the church of Amphipoleos to go bring him holy water from St. Photida.

“The caretaker could not do otherwise. However, leaving the Aga's house he whispered: “Pig, do you think that I will bring you, holy water from our Saint for you to sell?” He left, counted the time that it would have taken to return from the chapel, and so that the Aga wouldn't drink it and to punish him, he took common water and gave it to him instead of the holy water.

“The Aga, when the supposed holy water of St. Photida had arrived, ordered those near him to raise him up from his bed, and with reverence and crying with tears in his eyes he said twice: “St. Photida, help me. St. Photida, help me.” He took the “holy water”, as he thought it was, drank it, and the next day he was well. All remained astonished, especially the caretaker who knew what he did. The faith, the desire and the trust of the Aga in St. Photida, along with the intercessions of the Saint, made him well.”
(http://theologoi-kritis.sch.gr/docs/arthrografia/riginiot8.doc)
 
For more on St. Photini the Great Martyr and those with her, see: http://full-of-grace-and-truth.blogspot.com/2009/02/st-photini-great-martyr-and-those-with.html.
 
Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us! Amen!

1 comment:

Ian Climacus said...

A beautiful, and challenging, account; thank you; I had not heard of St Photida before.