Several years ago, we had a visitation from the Hawaiian Myrrh Streaming Iveron Icon at our parish here in Michigan. His Eminence Archbishop Alexander was present with us, and offered a small homily before the veneration and anointing of this incredible miracle that was laid out before us. He said: "This is a special visitation of Grace…one of the signs that God is kind enough to show us from time to time of His presence and assurances.”
As a parish priest, I have had the blessing to see so many visitations of Grace and assurances of God’s presence in the fallen world. These assurances, or perhaps what some might call miracles (God working in a different way than He normally does), were extremely evident on a recent visit to Mt. Athos and Greece. We venerated the right hand of St. Mary Magdalene, still intact and as warm to the touch as our own hands…after 2000 years. We venerated icons of the Theotokos, some having stab and blood stains on them from when the Turks would come and try to desecrate the images of our Lord…only to turn away in fear when these icons began to bleed in their presence. We were greeted with the sweet scent of the myrrh that flowed from the bones of so many Martyrs who had given their lives for Christ…so much so that the heavenly sweetness literally permeates their bones that have been preserved by Christians for centuries. So many assurances of God’s Grace and Presence in the world, that have brought Greece and that entire region through some very difficult ages and persecutions. It was truly a wonder to see!
The assurances by God aren’t just something that was given to us centuries ago. They still manifest themselves in many ways today, and this is where I want to share the story of a Miracle from St. Ephraim of Nea Makri. When we arrived in Athens for a short 2 day visit, we hailed a taxi to take us into the city and to our hotel. The driver who picked us up was named Athanasios. After finding out that I was a priest from America, he could not help but share his story.
Several years ago, Athanasios began his work as a taxi driver, takings tourists and pilgrims to the many sights around the capital of Greece. One of the popular destinations for Pilgrims was the Monastery of Nea Makri just outside of Athens. This ancient monastery was rebuilt in the 1950s by Sister Makaria, after she had a vision to dig in a certain spot in the midst of the ruins, only to uncover the relics of St. Ephraim! The monastery was rebuilt, and the discovered miracle working relics of St. Ephraim were laid out in the Church. It has since become one of the most visited monasteries in Greece.
Athanasios would usually wait outside of the monastery in his taxi while the pilgrims looked around the monastery. One day, he felt a strong urge to go in and have a look around. As he approached the relics of St. Ephraim, an overwhelming sense of Grace poured over him. He began to weep uncontrollably, not knowing the reason or purpose of his tears.
Having consoled himself, Athanasios turned around and was ready to go back into his taxi when an elderly nun approached him. She said to him: “Athanasios, do not worry about your stomach…all will be well.” He thought this was a bit odd, but never the less, it stood in his mind for the next few weeks.
During a routine physical with his doctor, Athanasios remembered the words of the nun and asked if there was anything wrong with his stomach. The doctor looked over the results of some recent tests, including the results of a colonoscopy and others, and said that there was nothing wrong. Athanasios insisted on getting his stomach checked out, and after some further tests, it was determined that he had stomach cancer.
Athanasios was immediately scheduled for surgery to remove the cancer. Since it was in it’s early stages, the doctors were able to remove all of it (at this point, while driving 90 mph down the Athens highway, Athanasios ripped up his shirt to show the large scar around his stomach to us). He didn’t have to resort to chemo treatments, and the cancer never spread to any other parts of his body.
Overjoyed with a spirit of thanksgiving, Athanasios returned to the monastery of Nea Makri in order to find the nun who had offered him this advice. He searched everywhere, but could not find her. Instead he found several nuns, and described for them the woman he was looking for. The nuns were shocked when Athanasios described her and the advice she gave him…because this particular nun had died several years before.
Athanasios never forgot the miracle brought on by St. Ephraim and this special nun (could it have been Sister Makaria, ((the discoverer of St. Ephraim’s relic)), who died in 1999?). To this day, Athanasios has an icon in his taxi cab of St. Ephraim of Nea Makri…who he says he owes his entire life to.
Holy St. Ephraim of Nea Makri, pray unto God for us!