Fr. Andreas Konanos on Anxiety and Stress

This is a good talk from Fr. Andreas Konanos, a popular preacher in Greece in recent years. Fr. Andreas has a very light-hearted, positive style and tends to discuss a lot of topics in a spiritual manner that resonate with people today. This talk is on anxiety and stress, and the role of our bodies, minds, relationships and our spiritual life in affecting our lives (with English subtitles). I hope his wide-ranging and wise thoughts and advice may be helpful and give consolation to many who continue to suffer daily.

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Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us! Amen!

A Miracle of the Newly-revealed Wonderworkers: "The first time in my life I have seen such a thing!" the doctor told them.

Sts. Raphael, Nicholas and Irene of Lesvos (source)

  
D. saw in a dream that she was in the Church of St. Raphael in Ano Souli, Marathon, together with a multitude of people. On the Holy Rock of St. Raphael [where St. Raphael appeared and advised them Fathers to build his Monastery there], he saw that there was a full body icon of St. Raphael, but there were some other pieces of velvet and other coverings like on the Holy Altar before the icon of St. Raphael, and most of the people would not pass by to venerate St. Raphael. She thought, why is there a Saint before them but people are not going to venerate him? And then she saw a small girl (it was St. Irene) in black clothes (it was during Great Lent when she had this dream) and she passed through the multitude of people to come up beside her and tell her: "Mrs. D., St. Raphael heard your prayer. That which you are seeking, he will do for you." And she awoke. What she was seeking was for her daughter to find an honorable husband, as she was still single. From then on she had faith in St. Raphael and his companions Sts. Nicholas and Irene that they would take care of her daughter and that she might be married in the best way. She continued to pray daily to Sts. Raphael, Nicholas and Irene, along with St. Ephraim [of Nea Makri], as his Monastery was nearby as well.

About one year later, her daughter saw a dream that she was in the Church of St. Raphael, Ano Souli, Marathon, and there was a liturgy going on. There was also the Holy Relic of St. Ephraim in the Church as well. At one point, she saw the Relic of St. Ephraim stand up and point to her saying: "And I will help you as well!" With this dream, she was strengthened and her faith was made more sure that she had both Saints as her helpers, and with their intercessions her marriage might take place in the best manner.
  

Sts. Raphael and Ephraim the Newly-revealed Hieromartyrs and Wonderworkers of Christ (by Alevizakis, sources 1 and 2)

  
St. Raphael of course also helped her wondrously with a severe problem with her health which she overcame. The doctor diagnosed a mass in her right breast, and after a biopsy revealed that it was malignant. They did not tell her that it was malignant, however, but that they must work "prophylactically" to remove the mass. The only thing that her mother knew for sure was that her blood pressure was always up and she worried she would suffer a stroke from her worry and agony. Ultimately, however, she related her concerns to the Fathers of the Monastery of St. Raphael, Ano Souli, who gave her strength and holy oil from the vigil lamp of St. Raphael. She brought this immediately to her daughter to place on the place where she had the problem. After a few hours she had the operation. The doctor was astonished that the mass had become totally benign. "The first time in my life I have seen such a thing!" the doctor told them. He told them: "Go light a candle because a miracle has occurred." From then, she rejoices with utter health knowing that whatever occurs, it will be with her thanksgiving and faith in the wonderworking Sts. Raphael, Nicholas and Irene for her health and her situation.
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Sts. Raphael, Nicholas and Irene of Lesvos (source)

   
Note: A faithful Christian related a vision he saw in which St. Raphael and St. Ephraim showed their deep respect for each other:
"I saw Saint Efraim and Saint Raphael of Mytilene coming down from the sky. They were standing facing each other. Then, Saint Raphael made his cross and a prostration to Saint Efraim. Saint Efraim, then made his cross and a prostration to Saint Raphael and after that they turned to us, blessed us, and went away."
   
Excerpt from the book: Visions and Miracles of the Great Martyr and Miracle-Worker Ephraim Neophanoys, Volumes A&B.
 

Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us! Amen!

St. Ephraim saved the young man from death

St. Ephraim of Nea Makri (source)

  
In 2000, a motorcycle slides off the road in the town of Kounavoi of Heraklion, Crete, in Peza. A car however was coming out of a local gas station and collided with it violently!

The driver of the motorcycle, Michali, was 18 years old at the time, and had just finished high school and was preparing for the Army. Bystanders saw him lying on the ground, not moving, in a critical state, and immediately called an ambulance and transferred him to the hospital.

Immediately, Michali's family was informed and they ran to the hospital. The doctors informed them that his situation was very dire, and he was unconscious and had head trauma, but, unfortunately, they did not have space in the ICU. He was therefore transferred to the General Hospital of Heraklion and the doctors in the ICU there saw him as "clinically dead"!
  
Michali's uncle related that, for 28-29 days in the hospital, the boy's parents and all of his family and friends were surrounding him in the ICU. After the endless tests and procedures that they did, including a tracheotomy, the doctors did not give him any hope of being saved. "We were despairing, until the morning that I saw in the hospital a tall, elderly lady, with a gray hair and robe, holding in her hands a bottle of oil and asking for some cotton. I began to look for cotton and I brought her some from the child's mother. The woman said: "It is to cross your child with the holy oil from St. Ephraim." And she gave me the cotton with the holy oil. I turned around to give it to his mother, and when I turned back she had gone! I ran to the stairs and to the elevator to thank her, and looked outside, asked doctors, nurses, nothing, no one else had seen her. Ultimately, upset as I was, I left the hospital...
  

St. Ephraim of Nea Makri (source)

  
As I was sitting despairing at home, something deep within me made me believe that Michali would live. In reality, two days later, the phone rang, and to the astonishment of all of us, my nephew was better, and slowly began to react to his surroundings, and we believe this because it was only two days after the woman appeared! "Medicine cannot explain this", the doctors said...

When I related what happened to my priest and spiritual father, he said that it was Panagia who appeared. When I asked, "why to me?", he replied, "Maybe you were the purest one..."

When Michali was discharged, he went to a hospital in England for tests. The doctors could not believe their eyes and said that there was no way that the child could have lived! However, 15 years later, my nephew's health is great! Of course he has suffered greatly going to clinics, physical therapy, etc. Even dealing with the tracheostomy."

From the day that my nephew was saved, I desired to come to know St. Ephraim, for that was the first time I heard about him. I visited the monastery of St. Ephraim in Nea Makri. In the courtyard of the Monastery, at the mulberry tree where he was martyred, and where it was said that the newly-revealed Saint prayed as he was being tortured by the Turks, the holiness of the place, the total silence, the fragrance of the incense was something else. I wanted to learn more about him! I went many times until something wondrous occurred. I met the Abbess of the Monastery, Makaria. I never met her before nor did I tell her my story. But one day as I was sitting, something within me made me stop to meet her. Before I began to introduce myself, she said to me: "Greetings Mark,  I've been waiting for you for a while and you've been late." And she told me the whole story herself regarding what happened with my nephew! I was dumbfounded staring at her.

When we returned to Crete, we resolved to built a church in thanks to St. Ephraim."
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The chapel of St. Ephraim built in Crete in thanksgiving for his miracle (source)

  

Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us! Amen!

St. John of the Ladder's advice for those living in the world

St. John writing his Ladder of Divine Ascent (source)

  
Some people living carelessly in the world have asked me: ‘We have wives and are beset with social cares, and how can we lead the solitary life?’ I replied to them: ‘Do all the good you can; do not speak evil of anyone; do not steal from anyone; do not lie to anyone; do not be arrogant towards anyone; do not hate any one; be sure you go to church; be compassionate to the needy; do not offend anyone; do not wreck another man’s domestic happiness; and be content with what your own wives can give you. If you behave in this way you will not be far from the Kingdom of Heaven.’
-St. John Klimakos, The Ladder of Divine Ascent, Step I
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Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us! Amen!

"What shall we offer to You, O Christ? For You gave us Your Precious Cross..."

The Exaltation of the Precious Cross of Christ (source)

  
What shall we offer to You, O Christ? For You gave us Your Precious Cross to venerate, on which Your All-holy Blood was spilled, and on which Your Flesh was affixed with nails, which we now embrace, giving thanks to You.
  
With hymns, let all of the trees of the forest skip for joy for their fellow tree, beholding the Cross being embraced today, on which Christ lifted up His head, as was foretold by the divine David.
  
You were put to death on the tree that I might find life. O Christ-bearing Cross, my protector unassailable, and mighty strength against the demons, O Cross which we venerate today, we cry out: Sanctify me with your glory.
-from the Matins Canon for the Feast of the Veneration of the Holy Cross
  
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Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us! Amen!

St. Porphyrios and the Monastery of Ntaou (Dao) Penteli

The Holy Martyred Fathers of the Monastery of the Pantocrator, Ntaou (Dao) Penteli, martyred on Great and Holy Pascha, and commemorated on Bright Tuesday (or St. Thomas Sunday in other traditions) (source)

  
On March 9th 1963, as relates the current Abbess Styliani, we came to the Monastery according to the directive of Archbishop of Athens Chrysostom. On March 14th, St. Porphyrios came to our Monastery for the first time. Then he was staying at St. Nicholas in Kallisia, which was once a Metochion (Dependency) of our Monastery. He would come regularly with his spiritual children and many times served liturgy at our Monastery. He related to us that, when he left Mount Athos, after he was ordained a priest, he prayed to God to show him a holy place where men lived the ascetical life and had spiritual experiences. He went throughout many parts of Greece and in the end he came to Pantocrator Monastery. As he said, however, he went to the then Abbot of Penteli Archimandrite Athanasios Kontogianni, and asked him to give him that place, but he cast him away harshly. And because of this he came to St. Nicholas Kallisia nearby in order to come here to pray. From then he "saw" in his sleep and awake, as he related to us, what had occurred here.

He related to us that the venerable Martyrs of our Monastery were not sanctified only with their blood, but that they had holy lives. They were friends with God, they were like the great Monastic Saints Pachomios, Anthony, Ephraim and Isaac the Syrians, Basil the Great and Chrysostom. They did not leave even one minute without communicating with God. He characteristically said:
"Hear what I'm telling you, that in Orthodoxy, there is no holier place. Oh, that you had the eyes to see what occurred here. Wherever we are walking is a Holy Altar (he said looking around), for there is martyrical blood and Holy Relics. They had many ascetical places that reached Marathon. Many destructions occurred from the wrath of the devil. You will see however what will occur later. It will become a great pilgrimage. They will come from the ends of the earth for a miracle."
  

The Holy Monastery of Ntaou Penteli as it appears today (source)

  
The Elder told us that, when he bought the land in Milesi, he wanted the land around the Monastery to be bought by spiritual people, so that the sisters wouldn't later have problems.

We loved him and routinely went to see him and get his blessing. Many times we made a trip. The sisters would go in a car to the field across from Papouli's Monastery for a blessing.

One day, the Elder related that he wanted to buy another piece of land, where they are now. In one of our visits to that place, a man approached us to sell the land because he needed the money. In reality, some people helped us to acquire it.

I didn't say anything to Papouli [St. Porphyrios] however. One day when we went to the property we went to the Elder to get his blessing. The sisters received his blessing and then he told me:
"Close the door. Where did you come from?"
"From further down. (I pointed the road)
"From there you came?" the Elder asked.
"From further down" I said afraid.
"Is it large?" he asked and he extended his hands to show the size.
"Two parcels, Elder" I confessed.
"Oh you, I wanted that. It was the ancient Monastery, a most ascetical and holy place. The place in the ancient years was called "Kliza Frouga". How did you get it?"
"God, Elder."
"I wanted Ntaou Penteli, the Monastery of the Pantocrator, and you took it from me! "Kliza Frouga" I wanted and you took this from me. What are we going to do with you***?"
(From the book "The Venerable Porphyrios, published by "Enomeni Romiosini". Source)
  
***St. Porphyrios is saying this in a loving and joking manner and he continued to guide and support and pray for the Monastery the rest of his life, and continues to do so now from Paradise.
  

St. Porphyrios of Kavsokalyvia (source)

  

Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us! Amen!

St. Gregory Palamas: "Taste and know that the Lord is bountiful..."

Jesus Christ the Son of God the Savior (source)

  
Prayer changes from entreaty to thanksgiving, and meditation on the divine truths of faith fills the heart with a sense of jubilation and unimpeachable hope. This hope is a foretaste of future blessings, of which the soul even now receives direct experience, and so it comes to know in part the surpassing richness of God’s bounty, in accordance with the Psalmist’s words, ‘Taste and know that the Lord is bountiful’ (Ps. 34:8). For He is the jubilation of the righteous, the joy of the upright, the gladness of the humble, and the solace of those who grieve because of Him.”
–St. Gregory Palamas, The Philokalia Vol. 4
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Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us! Amen!