The following story was told by Metropolitan Neophytos of Morphou based on the testimony of a certain lady he knows who was a spiritual child of Elder Eumenios, who had given her before his venerable repose the cane of Saint Nikephoros the Leper as well as a portion of his sacred relics. This blessed soul, said the Metropolitan, was close with the late famous Crazy-John (Trelo-Yiannis), whose name in the world was Constantine, about whom, as is well-known, books have been written, albeit in a "fictional" style.
In a certain church in Athens, on the formal and festive day of the Sunday of Orthodoxy, the faithful entered, holding icons they had brought from their homes, in commemoration of the restoration of the icons on this bright day. During this Service the lady who is well known to us was present, who at one point saw Crazy-John enter the church, holding above his head a flowerpot with withered flowers! During the procession of the sacred icons, which takes place on this day in some churches, certain Christians were making fun of Crazy-John, for his strange "lifting" of the flowerpot. This good lady of ours, who was processing with Crazy-John, tried to knock some sense into him, saying: "My Constantine, put down the flowerpot now! You're not being serious on such a day and time!" He responded to her: "What you see, is madness with meaning! You see a flowerpot. In the end you will see everyone fall down in veneration!"
The procession came to an end, and the head priest, with a "loud voice", recited from the Synodikon of Orthodoxy the well-known triumphant discourse: "This is the faith of the Apostles, this is the faith of the Fathers, this is the faith of the Orthodox, this is the faith upheld by the Ecumene."
Then Crazy-John, with a "loud and clear voice", while still holding the flowerpot with the withered flowers above his head, began to cry out: "Christians, Christ is Risen!" And then, to everyone's surprise, they saw the withered flowers come to life in the pot and bloom! Then Crazy-John began to prophecy in his foolishness: "This is how Orthodoxy will flourish in a few years! This is how it will bear fruit throughout the world!" And the mad prophet left running throughout the streets of afflicted but also sanctified Athens.
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
In a certain church in Athens, on the formal and festive day of the Sunday of Orthodoxy, the faithful entered, holding icons they had brought from their homes, in commemoration of the restoration of the icons on this bright day. During this Service the lady who is well known to us was present, who at one point saw Crazy-John enter the church, holding above his head a flowerpot with withered flowers! During the procession of the sacred icons, which takes place on this day in some churches, certain Christians were making fun of Crazy-John, for his strange "lifting" of the flowerpot. This good lady of ours, who was processing with Crazy-John, tried to knock some sense into him, saying: "My Constantine, put down the flowerpot now! You're not being serious on such a day and time!" He responded to her: "What you see, is madness with meaning! You see a flowerpot. In the end you will see everyone fall down in veneration!"
The procession came to an end, and the head priest, with a "loud voice", recited from the Synodikon of Orthodoxy the well-known triumphant discourse: "This is the faith of the Apostles, this is the faith of the Fathers, this is the faith of the Orthodox, this is the faith upheld by the Ecumene."
Then Crazy-John, with a "loud and clear voice", while still holding the flowerpot with the withered flowers above his head, began to cry out: "Christians, Christ is Risen!" And then, to everyone's surprise, they saw the withered flowers come to life in the pot and bloom! Then Crazy-John began to prophecy in his foolishness: "This is how Orthodoxy will flourish in a few years! This is how it will bear fruit throughout the world!" And the mad prophet left running throughout the streets of afflicted but also sanctified Athens.
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
