Apart from the appearance of Saints Eustratios, Auxentios, Eugenios, Mardarios and Orestes in the metochion of the Nea Moni of Chios, they can be here and there both then and now and even always and everywhere.
These five Saints also gave witness to a girl from our company here in Argostoli. A young boy with a fine character had passed away in an accident and through dreams and some messages found in his books he was talking about the beauty of eternal life. That girl, when she heard about all this, was moved and that night, before going to sleep, she too asked to see that young man in her sleep and to feel the desired certainty of eternity. The dream came: five Saints appeared and said their names were Eustratios, Auxentios, Eugenios, Mardarios and Orestes. She had a feeling that she did not know them, but in their brightness and those heavenly melodies, she saw just as brightly that dear youth singing with the Saints.
When she awoke she remembered the names of the Saints that she had only heard in her dream: and it was shocking to her when in a church calendar she saw the same names of Saints celebrating that day, December 13! And as the Saints themselves gave testimony to her of their existence, so the presence of the young man among them was a confirmation that life does not only end at the grave, but it was a confirmation of the eternity of the soul.
A few years ago, at the dawn of a day like this, Father Gerasimos Fokas in Rakantzi spoke to us about these five Saints. "The Saints are alive," he said, "and in the Nea Moni of Chios, when due to the severe winter snow, no one could go to the temple for their celebration, they themselves went decently dressed and participated by singing during the Divine Service. Saint Orestes, in fact, changed a verb for himself in the canon and instead of ediliasen (feared) he said emeidiasen (giggled). He was then advised by Saint Eustratios, who told him to read the verb as it is written. 'Why do you change the verb and not say it as it is written? Read this again a second time as it is.' When he read it for the second time, he again changed the verb, being ashamed to say that he was afraid. Then Saint Eustratios said in a louder voice: 'Read what was written as you experienced it, because you did not giggle by seeing the bed (made of iron and burning hot), but you were afraid.' Eventually all five disappeared. And the Priest, seeing this amazing thins, remained speechless for a long time. When he came to his senses, he finished the liturgy and then told the Christians who came to him about this visible apparition."
These five Saints also gave witness to a girl from our company here in Argostoli. A young boy with a fine character had passed away in an accident and through dreams and some messages found in his books he was talking about the beauty of eternal life. That girl, when she heard about all this, was moved and that night, before going to sleep, she too asked to see that young man in her sleep and to feel the desired certainty of eternity. The dream came: five Saints appeared and said their names were Eustratios, Auxentios, Eugenios, Mardarios and Orestes. She had a feeling that she did not know them, but in their brightness and those heavenly melodies, she saw just as brightly that dear youth singing with the Saints.
When she awoke she remembered the names of the Saints that she had only heard in her dream: and it was shocking to her when in a church calendar she saw the same names of Saints celebrating that day, December 13! And as the Saints themselves gave testimony to her of their existence, so the presence of the young man among them was a confirmation that life does not only end at the grave, but it was a confirmation of the eternity of the soul.
A few years ago, at the dawn of a day like this, Father Gerasimos Fokas in Rakantzi spoke to us about these five Saints. "The Saints are alive," he said, "and in the Nea Moni of Chios, when due to the severe winter snow, no one could go to the temple for their celebration, they themselves went decently dressed and participated by singing during the Divine Service. Saint Orestes, in fact, changed a verb for himself in the canon and instead of ediliasen (feared) he said emeidiasen (giggled). He was then advised by Saint Eustratios, who told him to read the verb as it is written. 'Why do you change the verb and not say it as it is written? Read this again a second time as it is.' When he read it for the second time, he again changed the verb, being ashamed to say that he was afraid. Then Saint Eustratios said in a louder voice: 'Read what was written as you experienced it, because you did not giggle by seeing the bed (made of iron and burning hot), but you were afraid.' Eventually all five disappeared. And the Priest, seeing this amazing thins, remained speechless for a long time. When he came to his senses, he finished the liturgy and then told the Christians who came to him about this visible apparition."
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
