Saturday, February 8, 2025

St. John the New Almsgiver of Amfiali (+1966): "Cease turning away the New Calendarist sheep..."

[St. John to his spiritual daughter, the future Abbess Anthousa]: "Tell your Priest at St. Phanourios, who follows the Old Calendar, Hieromonk Eugenios, to cease turning away God's New Calendarist sheep; for I did the same thing, just as my Elder had advised me, until one day, during the night, when I was doing my canon [monastic rule of prayer], our Lord Jesus Christ appeared before me, in a vision, showing to me the sheep on his right and left, the difference between them being that those on the left were scorched and blackened all over. Terrified [I] said: 'These lambs on the left, how is it that they became scorched?' Then the Lord said [to me], with indignation: 'These scorched sheep are my New Calendarist children, whom I sent to you to enlighten, and whom you turned them away. I will ask them of you at the day of Judgment, because it is not by your authority that my New Calendarist sheep are restored to genuine Orthodoxy. This is solely by my command. It is yours to accept any and all whom I deign to return to the correct rule of my Faith. For the sins of the people, I allowed this division in the Church. Receive into your ranks those whom I send. Protect them, for I will demand them of you on the day of Judgment.' And straightway the Lord was gone, leaving me affrighted at his austereness.

"The next day, I immediately opened my Church to New and Old Calendarists. I now have three thousand spiritual children who have me as their spiritual Father. Tell your Priest, then, to cease turning away our New Calendarist brethren; those things remaining are God’s business."

Source: ΤΟ ΙΣΤΟΡΙΚΟ ΚΑΙ ΤΑ ΘΑΥΜΑΤΑ ΤΗΣ ΠΑΝΑΓΙΑΣ ΕΥΑΓΓΕΛΙΣΤΡΙΑΣ ΑΚΡΩΤΗΡΙΑΝΗΣ ΣΕΡΙΦΟΥ - ΤΟΜΟΣ Α΄ [The History and Miracles of Panagia Evangelistria Akrotiriani of Serifos - Volume I], by Gerontissa Anthousa.


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Father John, being of the Patristic Calendar (with [St.] Chrysostomos of Florina), did not accept people of the New Calendar for confession. One day, he gave Communion to some people, who then went to him for confession, and the confessors, shedding tears, were scandalized to the core. At the hour of Vespers, when he entered the temple of the Lord, the Elder beheld a wondrous vision. Along the length of the nave of the church, many souls appeared, and within them, various faces became visible. Simultaneously, he heard an unseen voice saying: "John, why do you tie up My servants with regard to confession and drive them away so harshly?" Then Father John fell to his knees and cried out: "Lord, forgive me, and from now on, I will also receive them!" Thus, the Elder accepted Christians of the New Calendar, only for confession.

Source: Οἱ Ἅγιοι ηοῦ 20ος Αἰῶνορ: Ἅγιορ Ἰυάννηρ Ἀμθιάληρ Πειπαιῶρ [The Saints of the 20th Century: Saint John of Amfiali, Piraeus], by Prof. Ioannis N Kallianiotis, p. 16. 

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