November 3, 2021

"Stella, Wake Up, Venerable David Has Come From Evia!"


By Elder Gabriel, 
Abbot of the Monastery of the Venerable David in Evia

(Excerpt from a sermon delivered on 10/10/2020 at the Church of Saint George and Iakovos in Ammos of Beroea.)

A 21-year-old girl, a student, Stella, was hit by a car at the end of August 2018 and was in a coma in the Intensive Care Unit, at the Red Cross in Athens.

Her relatives from Cyprus, who knew us, asked us to go to the hospital to bless her with the Honorable Head of Venerable David.

Indeed, we went.

Her father, Mr. Loizos, as soon as he saw us, became excited and shouted:

"Stella, wake up, Venerable David has come from Evia."

We put the Honorable Head on her head, said the apolytikion of Venerable David and two or three prayers, and immediately Stella opened her eyes.

From that moment on, her condition improved every day.

The doctors who had previously raised their hands [as a sign they could do nothing more], now were amazed for this unexpected positive development of her health!

When a little later we went with the Honorable Head of the Saint to Cyprus, on our return Stella was waiting at the airport in good health, to welcome and honor and thank the Saint.

And while she had a problem with her sense of smell, she could not even smell, that day when she venerated the Holy Head of the Saint she sensed the fragrance and so her sense of smell was gradually restored.

Do you see how alive our Saints are?

Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.