My name is Maria P. and I'm from Cyprus. I wanted to relate my own experience of the love and providence of God with clarity and great emotion.
On January 2nd 2007 I entered a hospital in Athens for some tests, because the next day, January 3rd 2007, I was going to be operated on. It was supposed to be a routine surgery, about an hour, but the doctors discovered another problem and complications, and as such the surgery took 4-5 hours. My family's agony was great.
As I later learned from my anesthesiologist, who was named Thomais, my life was in danger, but in the end everything was fine. My days in the hospital passed with some difficulty, but my consolation was that I felt a certain peace, you could say as if all of this was happening to another person. Indeed, I prayed continuously.
Ten days after I left the hospital, I saw the following dream. I saw that I was in a hospital room and next to me my doctor was sitting. With us was a woman dressed in white, with a white complexion and brown hair. I talked with this woman, who asked me for some clothes that I wanted to wear when I leave here. As she took the clothes, she turned and said to me: “You know, Maria, I did your surgery! I put in this red spiral tube so the food could descend to your stomach easier.” She told me other details surrounding my surgery and I was impressed that my doctor listened to her carefully without saying anything. The next morning, as soon as I got up, I went to look at the calendar to see which Saint is celebrated on January 3rd.
With astonishment I learned that our Church celebrates the memory of the martyr Thomais of Lesvos. I didn't know anything about this Saint, and because of this a very pious relative of mine came into contact with a priest in Mytilene, who told him that on January 3rd 2007, the day of my surgery, the Thyranoixia* was performed on the Church of St. Thomais.
When I mentioned this event to my anesthesiologist, she listened to me speechless, for that day (January 3rd 2007) strange things occurred, she told me, in relation to her work, saying that an incredible power led her to see them.
In conclusion, I wanted to say, after this experience of mine I can't lose my faith in God before the face of the dangers and the adversities of life. When Satan sends his demons to torment us, this God sends His Saints to protect us. At my first opportunity I will go to Lesvos to venerate and thank St. Thomais who protected me, and from now on I celebrate her memory.
* The Thyranoixia, or "Gate-opening", is a short church service performed for a newly-built church. This church of St. Thomais in Lesvos, according to their website, is the first dedicated to the Saint.
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
