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On God-advised and
Christ-like Works of Charity
Karouliotan father Christophoros was very strict on himself. He used to slap
his own face, for example, to stop himself from falling asleep during
vigils. He was charitable to the poor. Each time he met a monk or a lay
person he would bow down before him, touching the ground. In just the same
way he bowed before beggars, monks, and the faithful alike.
"These are Christ's brothers and sisters; they are Christ Himself," he would
say.
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A venerable monk once said, "Memorial services should be especially given
for uncharitable persons after they die. And one should especially give alms
in their memory. And again more alms. There are many poor people to help.
Give to them .... In memorial services use plain kolyva, not a sweetened
version of it, as is being done so often of late."
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The ever memorable Elder Chrysanthos from St. Anne's used to tell us,
Father Nectaries was so charitable that he would have given even the walls
of the kalyve of the Holy Forerunner as alms to the hermits and to the
Christians who were enslaved by the Turks. Father Nectaries' virtue was
known only to Father Azarios, who one day while he was digging in the garden
told me- 'Do you know what he does? Each day after vespers he visits the
hermits and gives them whatever he has.'
Father Nectarios must have had the premonition that his life would end in
martyrdom. He had a compatriot, Elder Kyrillos, who wished to follow his
example arid died the same death. This is the story of their martyrdom.
At the time of the massacre in Ismirne, the Turks herded all the priests and
monks together and confined them in a ravine. (The nuns, having read of
prophecies of just such an event, had fled away earlier, crossing to the
islands of Chios and Lesvos.) All the captives were afraid of dying except
Elder Nectarios, who consoled them all with these words:
"We have abandoned the world since our youth, and now with God's blessing we
are given the opportunity to die as martyrs, and we are afraid? Let us
repent and confess our sins and we will be freed from this fear of death."
With these words he persuaded them to make their confessions. Thus they
regained their composure and bravely ended their lives as martyrs for
Christ, killed by Retrial's
soldiers. Only one hieromonk was miraculously saved. Once during a vigil at
St. Photini of Ilissos, he told me exactly what had happened during the
massacre and then added:
"You see what charity does to someone? Charity is the crown of all virtues.
Because Elder Nectarios had this virtue to the utmost, he had the courage to
become a martyr for
Christ. »,
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The ever memorable Elder X. would tell us: "The well-known father Minas the
Mavrovounian was very charitable. All monks in his group ate from one large
bowl. At the beginning of the meal he would pretend to be eating, and then
after he saw that the others had had enough, he would finish what was left
in the bowl. 'Have you had enough? he would ask.
"'Yes,' would be the answer, without their realizing that he had eaten only
one spoonful of food."
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Only a few were as charitable as the monk Charalambros from the Dormition
kalyve of St. Anne's. This elder's charity surpassed all his other virtues —
ceaseless prayer, church attendance, and memory of death. He died in 1945.
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Monk Eulogios, whom we have mentioned previously, through his ascesis and
virtues had received an abundance of grace and strength from God. He was so
famous for his
discernment and spirituality that many went to him for advice and guidance
in their monastic life, and also to find comfort and to receive his
blessing. He had a special concern for the poor, who found affectionate care
near him. He constructed a separate building for them, where they could have
a permanent shelter from which to offer their voluntary labour, whenever
possible, to show their gratitude for his care.
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I once met Elder Christodoulos who was under obedience to the great vigilant
elder Kallinikos. He received me as a guest in his hermitage in Katounakia
which was named for St. Gerasimos. This blessed monk took care of many of
the poor by feeding them and giving them clothing and consolation. He would
say:
You must take care of strangers so that they will remain pleased. The
blessing of lay people is important when they say, 'God bless and forgive
you, Father.' To have the virtue of charity is a great thing and God blesses
especially those who practice it. Don't hesitate to give always whatever you
can. I have tested all this. Any time 1 receive goods from pious Christians,
I share them with others. Are we beasts, to eat everything ourselves?
The following incident demonstrates his special virtue. On the day of his
funeral, a beggar came with a full knapsack on his back. "May I see Father
Christodoulos to ask for a blessing?" he queried.
"Are you looking for charity in these impoverished places?" they asked in
reply.
"What do you mean? God bless him for all he has done for me. He gave me
money, canned goods, spaghetti, and even clothes! I have been coming here
for many years and he knows me."
"But this elder has died," they told him.
"What do you say? God have mercy on his soul for all he has done for me!"
And he departed very sad.
Father Christodoulos was a perfect type of simplicity and love, of love in
practice, and of charity.
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The Romanian ascetic E. had "nowhere to lay his head." He was a helper who
served at the meal line in the Russian monastery, and whatever he was given
to eat there, he would offer as alms to the hermits who lived in remote
areas. "This is my chance to be saved," he would say, "to humble myself by
begging, to labour, and to give."
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Elder Artemios, when he was serving in the Gregoriatan metochion in Arta,
would return empty-handed from his shopping for the monastery, because he
gave away all he had to the poor and the elderly.
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Whenever Elder Hadjigiorgis received gifts as thanks from persons who were
cured through his prayers, he would give them in turn to monks, to the poor,
and to lay people. He was so generous that to describe someone who was
charitable, people would say, "He gives like a Hadjigiorgis."
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Once a monk asked his visitors: "What is your occupation?" "Elder, our
profession is not very good," they replied hesitantly. "We are merchants."
"My brothers," he said, "these days we are in need of good businessmen. Now,
truly tell me what do you do when prices are up on things? Do you sell the
old merchandise ; you had in your store with the new prices?"
"Yes, Elder, we do. How can we manage otherwise to bring ' new stock into
our store?"
"That is correct! But this way you profit twice. You cannot sell using the
old prices, because the other merchants will react to that. But you could
use the extra profit you gain, toward deeds of charity," he said.
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Small in stature but tall in virtue was Father Antonakis, a hieromonk from
New Skete, who was the celebrant priest in St. Anne's metochion of the
Taxiarches in New Elvetia, Athens. Any time he was told of someone poor in
his parish, he would go secretly to leave alms at that person's door. He did
the same thing as his contemporary Elder leronymos the Simonopetritan, and
St. Nicholas, the Bishop of Myra in Lycia.
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