Christ is risen! Truly He is risen!
St. Ephraim of Nea Makri the Wonderworker (source)
Sister M. from the sacred Monastery of Attica send the following letter to Makaria, Mother Superior of the Sacred Monastery Annunciation of the Virgin Mary in the Amomon Mountain (Nea Makri), Attica:
"I suffered amnesia, after a severe depression. I was like a vegetable and I was admitted to the Aeginition hospital in 1982 for a few days. I was unconscious not knowing that I was sick in the hospital. Being in this hopeless situation, I suddenly felt the presence of a Monk. He was tall, thin, pale, and ascetic exactly like he is in his holy Icon. From that moment, I realized that I was in a hospital room. This Monk approached me with an afflicted smile, sat on my bed, and stared at me without saying anything.
Suddenly, he said: "What is your problem, my child?"
"I don't know." I answered.
He said, "Why M. did they bring you here? They should have taken you first to Saint Raphael; the Saint was going to cure you and then bring you to my home as they had promised."
I told him that I did not know where I was and who had brought me here. He said, "You must tell Mrs. L to tell Mr. H to take you from here and to bring you to my home because my child we, the Monks, should not be coming here because they make fun of us."
I asked him, "Where is your home and who is Mr. H.?"
He said, "You tell Mr. L, she knows I know H. very well."
"What should I tell her; who are you; what is your name?" I asked.
He said, "You tell H. that my name is Ephraim. He knows where my home is. They should take you quickly from here and bring you to my home." He then got up and blessed me. I kissed his holy hand; he smiled, and then disappeared. After that I felt inner strength and realized where I was, I fulfilled the Saint's commandments and came to his Holy Monastery.
The day after my pilgrimage to Saint Ephraim, I saw him cheerful in my dream and he told me, "Now M., you know me. When you went to my home, I was there."
"I didn't see you though," I said, "Where are you?"
He said, "I was near you and I heard you." He blessed me and disappeared.
Glorified be the name of the Lord and of our Saint Efraim who cured me. I will always thank him for his great benevolence.
The same sister got sick with catarrhal pneumonia in 1983, as she writes:
"One day in the presence of the other Nuns, awake I saw Saint Efraim as a Monk. He was tall, dark, think and pale. As he entered my cell, he said, "I need to sit down for a while to rest. I am very tired because all day long I was at the hospitals with patients who had asked for me. So I came here too, to see how you are doing."
"I suffer a lot, Father," I said, "I have terrible pain and I cannot breathe."
He said, "Yes, I know everything; have patience, Jesus Christ will win. I also suffered a lot. They tortured me fiercely."
"Why, Father, did they torture you?" I asked.
"For Jesus Christ, my child, he said, "They asked me to deny the Lord and because I didn't obey them they tortured me. Look," he said and put aside the cassock, he showed me a big wound from his stomach to his abdomen. The intestines were visible and all around it there was dry dark blood. He went on saying, "My love thought for the Lord made me strong despite all of the tortures. Jesus Christ won. That's why I am telling you, don't have fear of anything; Jesus Christ will win. O! My child there is nothing better than suffering for the Love of the Lord."
"Father," I said "you must be hurting a lot. That is why it would be good for you to go to Mrs. P and Mr. H. who respect Monks (they were my doctors) go to them Father and they will relieve you from all the pain."
He smiled and said, "My child I have suffered a lot, but now I don't. I told you the love of the Lord has won. Now my child, I must go, but I will come again." He blessed me, I kissed his hand and he left.
St. Ephraim of Nea Makri, the Great Martyr and Wonderworker of Christ (source)
A few days later, he came again and told me, "I have come to see how you are doing."
I told him that I still have a lot of pain and "because when I am near you, I feel relief, joy and inner calmness. Please take me near you to rest. I am very tired."
He said, "My child, it is not time yet, we still have to finish some things. Don't have fear, you are under my care. I told you to have patience." Thinking that he was also a doctor I asked him if he could help the other sick Nuns.
He said, "My child I don't have the medicine to cure them, but for the love of the Lord they should have something to struggle for. There isn't any other struggle if they don't suffer; how else will they show their love?"
His face looked familiar, so I asked him, "Excuse me, Father, have I seen you somewhere? You look very familiar to me."
He said, "Don't you remember me, I had come to the hospital. That's where we first met."
"And where do you live?" I asked.
"My home is Nea Makri."
"What is your name?"
"My name is Efraim."
I still didn't realize that he was Saint Efraim. He said, "I have to go my child because I have to visit other sick people too. I will come again." he blessed me, I kissed his hand and he left.
The next day at the same time, he came again, and he told me, "Ah! My child, you are very, very sick. If this condition continues you will not last. So please tell Mr. D., your doctor, to give you a bigger dose of the medicine you are taking. It will help you."
I asked him if he knew my doctor and he said, "I know him very well, but he does not know me. That's why you will tell him to come to my home, so that he can get to know me. When you recover, you should come and clean my home because the sisters need spiritual support. You will be joyous when you will come."
Many days later, he came and said, "I was not going to come my child, but it was necessary for me to come and tell you that I have to do something to cure you otherwise you will have problems with the [Eldress] Mother." He then took out of his pocket a small box and gave me a teaspoon of medicine saying "I give you this so you'll regain your strength and get out of bed." With the cross he was holding, he blessed me, I kissed his hand, and he left. From that moment on, I was healthy again and got up"
Excerpt from the book: Visions and Miracles of the Great Martyr and Miracle-Worker Ephraim Neophanoys, Volumes A&B.
St. Ephraim of Nea Makri (source)
Christ is risen from the dead, by death, trampling down upon death, and to those in the tombs, He has granted life!
Truly, the Lord is risen!
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