By Kostas S.
In February 0f 2004 I visited the Elder [Ambrose] at the house of the monastery which is in Athens, the abbess welcomed me, and I asked how the Elder was doing. The abbess however told me that the Elder was not well...at that moment I heard the Elder in pain...I went to the room and I saw him lying down in bed covered in a heavy hair-filled bed spread. I received his blessing and asked him:
"Elder, what happened to you, where do you hurt?"
"Lift the bed spread up till the knees and you will see."
I did as he told me and that which I witnesses was traumatizing! I saw both his legs from the knee down to be bruised and blackened. I confess that I have never seen anything like it.
"Elder," I asked, "how did this happen to you?"
"Last night a leader with a fearsome plank of wood came in and began to beat me hard on my legs. When I said 'My Panagia' it disappeared out the window."
The previous day I had returned from Mount Athos, specifically from Vatopaidi Monastery, and I had brought with me a few cords from the Holy Zoni (Belt) of our Panagia given to me by the fathers. I told the Elder that I would bring him a cord and tie it on his leg. It so happened that after a few days I returned to see him and he told me that every Christian must have a piece of the chord of the Holy Zoni on him.
