ELDER PORPHYRIOS
Testimonies and Experiences
Conversations with Greek and Cypriot friends
Archimandrite Daniel Gouvalis
Theologian, writer.
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K.I.: Fr. Daniel, you had God's great blessing to have known Elder
Porphyrios very well for many years. I would like to ask you first to
give us an outline of his personality, and then we shall see
manifestations of God's grace within his person.
Fr.D.G.: Elder Porphyrios was a gift from God towards the Church. He
sent us great light within the darkness in which we live, through Elder
Porphyrios. We thank the Lord for giving us such a great gift in our
times, indeed, keeping him in life for eighty-six whole years.
You felt comfortable next to Elder Porphyrios. He pressured no-one. He
wanted whoever came to him to do it out of their own free will. He
always told confessors that when we as spiritual fathers guide the life-journey
of those who confess to us, we must always respect their freedom. He
always stressed that Christianity is freedom.
He often referred to the event according to which Christ once said
something that scandalized many people. The result was they all started
to leave until only the disciples remained. In which case the Lord told
them that if they too would like to leave, they were free to do so. He
quoted the Gospel of St. John, word for word , "From that time many of
his disciples went back and walked with Him no more. Then Jesus said to
the twelve, 'Do you also want to go away?"'( Jn.6:66- 7)
Elder Porphyrios had a highly cultivated ecclesiastical awareness. He
respected Church people and the Church hierarchy. He said "If I fall out
with the bishop, if the bishop is angry with me, my prayer won't rise up
to heaven."
He loved hymnography very much. He studied and paid attention to the
Canons for the great feasts, both of the Master and of the Mother of God.
He carefully studied the meaning of each and every word of the Canon.
He frequently liked to talk about love. He said, characteristically,
that hate soils the soul. He also said that when our brother has a
problem we should gather many of us together and say a common prayer
about it.
He constantly spoke about love towards Christ. "When we love Christ" he
said, "our soul is freed from fear." He frequently used the words of St.
John the Divine "Love casts out fear."
Elder Porphyrios never allowed himself to be occupied with negative
things; he wanted everything to be bright and positive. He typically
told us, "You find yourself in a dark room and you wave your arms,
trying, in that way, to drive away the darkness. The darkness doesn't
leave like that though. Open the window so that the light can come in,
and the darkness will leave by itself. The light will drive away the
darkness. We should study Holy Scripture, the lives of the saints, the
Fathers; that's the light that'll drive away the darkness." He used the
image very often.
K.I.: Is there something Fr. Daniel that has moved you particularly?
Fr.D.G.: One day, during the German Occupation, Elder Porphyrios was
walking towards the vicinity of Lykavittos. As he was walking along he
came across an unpleasant scene. A German soldier had intentionally
driven a young girl into a corner, by the basement of some house, and
wanted to dishonor her. She looked like a little bird that had fallen
into the claws of a hawk. You could see the horror etched on her face.
She let off some weak cries of struggle and pain from her mouth. The
German tried to calm her down with sweet words. The entire neighbourhood
had heard the commotion, and were now looking out of their windows and
doorways to see what would happen. They saw a priest walking towards the
scene.
When Elder Porphyrios found himself facing this scene he felt great
internal anguish. He had to find a way of saving the girl. Ignoring the
danger he was in from the brutal German, the Elder directed his
footsteps towards him. He prayed silently and intensely for divine
strength to manifest itself. As soon as he got close enough he raised
his hands up high. It looked like he was either appealing to the German
or that he was asking God to show His mercy.
The sight of a priest with his hands raised high, the bright countenance
of his face, and what's more the divine strength that he had hidden
within him, worked its miracle.
The German softened, abandoned his intentions and let the girl free. As
Fr. Porphyrios continued on his way the people who had followed events
from their houses demonstrated their applause for him. They cheered as
much as they could for as long as they could in those difficult times.
K.I.: What do you have to tell us about his gifts of discernment and
foresight?
Fr.D.G.: Both of these gifts of his would always leave us speechless.
There are countless incidences. We'll talk about just a few examples.
At the time when Elder Porphyrios was at the Polyclinic, he asked
someone, who had gone there for confession, where he came from. He told
him he was from a village in Eleia . He then asked him if he had a house
out in the fields. When the man said yes, Elder Porphyrios told him that
a river flowed underneath the property, where that house could be found.
The man was lost for words, he never suspected anything of the like.
Many years afterwards a foreign company went to that area with the aim
of drilling to find oil. When the drilling had reached four hundred
meters deep, a huge river of water shot up. If they hadn't caught it in
time, the whole area would have been flooded.
K.I.: So much
Fr.D.G.: Yes
I'll also tell you this story. A student who did his military service at
a base near here where I live, asked me to take him to see the Elder.
As soon as we got there the Elder asked him where he came from. The
student replied that he came from a village in the Western Peloponnese.
Then the Elder said to him "What strong winds blow in those mountains by
your village!" And the student said "Do you know what the villagers call
those mountains? They call them the Wind Mountains."
K.I.: That's wonderful
Fr.D.G.: Once I went to his cell. It was the 19th of October, late in
the afternoon, I interrupted him without wanting to, because at that
hour he could be "found" in Cephallonia, at vespers for the feast of St.
Gerasimos. He saw, as he told me, the priests, the bishops, countless
people and heard the chanting. He described to me in exact detail what
was taking place at that hour at St. Gerasimos on Cephallonia.
Once he telephoned Brussels where a spiritual child was serving in the
navy there on a NATO submarine. He told him that there was a shoal-reef
there where the submarine was circulating under the sea, and that they
ought to be careful. The officer checked the spot that the Elder had
pointed out, located the reef, and gave orders for the submarine to
avoid that spot.
K.I.: The gifts of Elder Porphyrios are really so many and so surprising
that one doesn't know what to mention first and which are the most
wonderful!
Fr.D.G.: On the 15th July 1974 he was traveling with some spiritual
children of his to Macedonia, Northern Greece. On the car radio they
heard that a coup d'etat had taken place in Cyprus and that Archbishop
Makarios had been murdered. He turned around and said to his spiritual
children "That is a mistake. Archbishop Makarios has not been murdered."
And in truth, with the next newscast they learnt that Archbishop
Makarios was still alive.
K.I.: That's astonishing.
Fr.D.G.: The incidents that demonstrate his gifts of foresight and
discernment could fill whole volumes, alone.
When I first met him on Mt. Athos he told me that in my village of
Panourgia in the Phokhidos Parnassian mountains near Amfissa there are
some caves where people lived during the Turkish Occupation. He also
told me that in my village there are three country churches. He saw my
village in its past, present, and future phases, because when he spoke
to me there were only two churches; today there are three. On the other
hand, he saw that in the past, during the the Turkish Occupation, men-of-arms
and klephts had lived in the caves near my village.
He often happened to tell me something which at the time appeared
puzzling and 1 couldn't understand it or interpret it. One day, as we
were walking, he said, "Many people will listen to you." I thought that
we would have some kind of festival, we would put up some loudspeakers,
and lots of people would hear me. When, however, years later, two church
radio stations went on the air with a large audience, only then, having
taken on some of the programs, did I understand what the Elder meant.
Personally, I had the feeling that I had a prophet before me, like the
prophets in the Old Testament, and that he had the Holy Spirit within
him.
Whatever he heard, whatever was said to him, he was always completely
calm. Just like the calmness of St. Anthony.
When people who were facing difficult problems came to me, I took them
to the Elder and he gave them perfect advice. His advice was always
faultless and perfect. I'll give you one such example.
A gentleman once visited us who came from a village in Corinth. He had a
large property and was in a dilemma as to whether to plant olive trees
or lemon trees. He didn't know which was best and he couldn't arrive at
a decision. We took him to the Elder; note that this took place at the
end of the 1970's.
The Elder told him about the needs the countries of the EEC would have
regarding such produce in the future: that a method would be found for
the quick harvesting of olives and so there would be an overproduction
of olives. He advised him to plant lemon trees; lemons would always be
in demand in those countries and in the countries of the north. That, as
events proved, is what actually happened.
K.I.: The impressive thing is that Elder Porphyrios was interested in
everything, in all kind of problems that concerned people.
Fr.D.G.: Very true.
K.I.: How did he himself deal with those gifts of his?
Fr. D.G.: First, we must mention that he acquired his gift of
discernment at Kavsokalyvia when he was only seventeen years old. It is
a surprising case because these gifts
as a rule are only acquired after many decades of ascetic practice.
Elder Porphyrios, speaking about the gifts that God had given him, said
that for the Church to function, God gives different gifts to some
people at times for the good of the Church. He felt that his gifts were
an ecclesiastical function.
He kept these gifts until the end of his life. Others have also at times
been given various gifts. Afterwards however, they were found unworthy
and deprived of them.
Figures like Elder Porphyrios appear within the Church once every
hundred or two hundred years. The things that we read about in the lives
of the saints that amaze us, happened next to us because the Elder was a
living saint. And now we're informed about miracles that he performed
after death.
K.I.: Fr. Daniel, from what I know, you have many direct experiences of
Elder Porphyrios' healing gift. Could you give us a few indicative
examples?
Fr.D.G.: Personally, I knew different people that had cancer and were
cured after a prayer and blessing from the Elder.
One high-school teacher had a breast tumor and was scheduled for
surgery. She went to the Elder, who blessed her, and the tumor
disappeared without needing an operation.
One other young girl in the Athenian district of St. Paraskevi had
decided to commit suicide because she was severely reprimanded at home.
She had bought some strong weed-killer and was going to drink it.
Suddenly, Elder Porphyrios appeared before her, took the weed-killer
from her hands, and said to her, "Don't be afraid. Everything will be
all right. You'll marry, you'll have children and you'll be fine."
That's just what happened.
K.I.: "Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see
God."
Fr.D.G.: Occasionally the Elder used to visit stores where business was
not going too well. He gave a blessing and customers started to arrive
immediately, one after the other, and indeed, to shop for things in
bulk.
K.I.: What did he say about politics?
Fr.D.G.: I'll tell you this one characteristic thing, as we shouldn't
get into details. He said, "When a country is in a lot of sin, then its
political life, instead of being straightforwafd, will be crooked."
K.I.: Elder Porphyrios, from what I understand, had a concern for
married couples, Fr. Daniel?
Fr.D.G.: Very much so. He helped countless couples whose problems were
so great that their marriages had started to dissolve. He helped them
with his gifts and he restored their relationship.
I remember one moving incident when he was traveling in a taxi. He had
the following conversation with the driver:
"Do you have a wife?" "Yes, I do."
"How many years have you lived apart?" "Five."
The conversation continued and the ending was a happy one. The
taxi-driver was so impressed with what this unknown priest had said to
him that he immediately went and found his wife and re-established their
marriage.
With his gifts the Elder knew what each situation required. For example,
he said to one married lady, "When your husband finds himself in a
difficult situation, do not say a word. Pray and ask others to pray.
Because otherwise you'll make things unpleasant for him. He won't find
warmth and happiness near you, and he'll start looking around." He
would, each time make recommendations according to the situation which
contributed to the peace of that particular family.
He talked about "mixed-up" children; children who have psychological
problems because their parents have a bad relationship with one another
so there isn't a good atmosphere in the home.
He talked about "mixed-up" children of "mixed-up" parents. Indeed, it
happened that I myself took some of these parents of children with
problems to see the Elder. He said that these children already had
problems, this "mix-up", from the womb. When the child's mother was
pregnant she didn't try to put her life in order, to be calm, peaceful,
to pray and to partake of the Sacraments of the Church.
I remember that he once advised a mother of five children to stay away
from her house for a month. Her behavior was such that her children
would fight amongst themselves every day. They couldn't reason with
their mother so they would take their anger out on one another.
Because of his great discernment he would treat each situation
accordingly. He didn't deal with people uniformly; the Elder knew what
advice each person could bear. Ten people could ask him about the same
matter, and he would give them ten different answers. This is called
pastoral individualization.
K.I.: He carried out his pastoral work with discernment because he had
exactly that manner about him.
Fr.D.G.: Elder Porphyrios used the word "mixed-up" which I mentioned
earlier, a lot, when he wanted to say that someone had internal
problems. Indeed, he used that word when the subject of heresies was
brought up. He said that all the "mixed-up" people join heresies.
K.I.: How did he deal with people’s external appearance, the way they
dressed?
Fr.D.G.: Elder Porphyrios didn't concern himself with people's external
appearances. This was confirmed by all the people who went to see him
without, let us say, the proper attire. He would look to the deeper
cause within the soul. He knew that if man is sorted out on the inside
then the outside will sort itself out automatically.
K.I.: What other features of his personality would you like to tell us
about Fr. Daniel?
Fr.D.G.: Something fundamental, that characterized Elder Porphyrios is
that whatever passed through his hands he wanted it to be perfect. Just
to give you one example, when he was about to build the convent at
Milesi. He was concerned about the passage of the sun, so that in winter
those who lived there would not have sunless rooms. He also looked into
the matter of dampness, wind direction etc., so that everything would be
perfect. He wanted, as much as possible, completeness and perfection.
He spoke about the work of St. Gregory of Nyssa, "Whatever St. Gregory
has written is very well constructed; his words, his concepts, his
paragraphs." He added, "Just like a builder who puts down strong
foundations, he lays the bricks evenly, he builds the ground floor first
and then goes on to the second floor. St. Gregory of Nyssa, having taken
care of those things that belong to the first paragraph , then goes on
to the second paragraph and then the following one."
K.I.: Personally, I have a passion for studying the works of that great
Father of our Church, who, in the words of that distinguished poet of
Byzantium, George Pisidis, was the "the most mystical."
Fr.D.G.: Elder Porphyrios advised me to study St. Gregory of Nyssa's
works a great deal.
K.I.: Your words have filled me with enthusiasm Fr.
Daniel.
Fr.D.G.: Something especially impressive about Elder Porphyrios was that
he admired and exploited technological inventions. He was amazed by the
fact that God had given Man the ability to make such discoveries, and he
advised his spiritual children to make use of technology. "Should it be
allowed," he asked "for God to help Man make so many discoveries, then
for the devil to use them and us Christians not to use them?"
K.I.: That's very good.
Fr.D.G.: He made use of the telephone a lot. He spoke to his spiritual
children and others by phone on a twenty-four hour basis. Not only in
Greece, but also abroad, on all the continents. He helped untold numbers
of people through the telephone.
K.I.: The telephone, in the hands of Elder Porphyrios, really was a gift
for all those who needed it.
Fr.D.G.: He loved the Church radio. He said that through it the wish and
prophecy of St. John Chrysostomos was fulfilled, "I will rise up high to
speak about Christ and all the world will hear me."
K.I.: Truth will be shouted from the rooftops.
Fr.D.G: Elder Porphyrios was very hard-working. He loved hard work and
always spoke out against indolence. He characteristically said, "He
can't even pick his feet up off the ground, and he comes to me for
advice on how to be lifted to the heights of spiritual life." He always
stressed that when we pray we ought to also pray with our body making
full prostrations .
Studying both the Old and the New Testament we see that each time the
Lord called a prophet or an apostle, he called them while they were
working. One was called while he was shepherding sheep, another while
plowing, another while threshing, yet another while mending nets etc.
He wanted people to be busy, to be constantly using all the limbs of
their body, not to be idle. He would in no way accept indolence and
laziness.
K.I.: We would like you to tell us, Fr. Daniel, about the Elder as
priest?
Fr.D.G.: He liked his work at the Polyclinic. He comforted the sick. He
heard their confessions. He gave them communion. He did serve as a
consoling, guardian angel.
The liturgical life of the St. Gerasimos' Church also developed
beautifully. The church had a choir, and the voice of the priest had to
correspond with the singing of the choir and to avoid being musically
offensive. This is why he went to a school of music where he made
notable progress. He completed a course of studies. He also learnt to
play the piano. However, as a musical instrument, he loved the organ the
most.
Later, the place of the choir was taken in the church by the official
cantor, Spyridon Peristeris, who was destined to become the chief cantor
in Athens as First Cantor at the Metropolitan Church. Their harmony was
excellent. If on occasion somebody at the lectern made a mistake, or
said something irregular, the Elder didn't speak and didn't ruin the
atmosphere of the Divine Liturgy. Once when a visiting priest took his
place a great confusion was created. He started to say to the cantors
"Not that apolytikion , the other one. Look for the other one." They
looked for it and couldn't find it. What a commotion! This unfortunate
incident made that the cantor and his helpers appreciate the politeness
and tact of Elder Porphyrios.
The Alevizatos brothers were university professors. There were many
university people in their circle. All of them went to church at St.
Gerasimos'. Professors from the Theological School also went there, like
that great religious expert Leonidas Philippides, who revered the Elder
immensely. A whole University congregated in the church of St. Gerasimos.
The Liturgy was truly uplifting. The Elder delivered the Gospel reading
with special grace and life. Indeed, during Holy Week, at the Service of
the Passion, the reading of the Twelve Gospels had that special
something that remains unparalleled. Fr. Porphyrios, with the grace that
he had, saw Christ suffering and was shaken. Filled with emotion, his
voice would often break and he had difficulty in continuing the reading.
Once he couldn't bear anymore, and he stopped reading. Then he wiped his
face that was washed in tears, sought forgiveness from the congregation
and making a great effort, he continued. It is needless to say what
moving emotions were conveyed to the Christians present. It was like
they found themselves at Gethsemane, at the Praetorium, at Golgotha,
they followed the divine drama with bated breath. One certain time, he
had a priest of his own with him at the Service of the Passion. He was a
spiritual child of his and he had told him to be ready. If he was forced
to stop reading the Gospel, then the other priest should take over.
When the time came for St. John Chrysostom's Catechetical Homily, during
the Paschal Liturgy, unprecedented emotion and pious enthusiasm were
created.
He recited the text from memory, slowly, solemnly, and most beautifully.
He loved all of St. John Chrysostom's sermons, but he especially loved
this one. He said it quietly, elegantly, little by little, without
holding a book, holding only the paschal candle. The height of this
grandeur was when he said, "Hades was embittered when below he met You
face to face. He was embittered, for he was set at naught..." and the
people repeated, "He was embittered." Unrepeatable spiritual emotions.
He adored every Church prayer, every reading from a sacred text. They
had to be said in the most suitable way. Throughout his life he helped
countless priests, monks, cantors and lectors to chant and to read in
the best possible way, in a way worthy of God.
K.I.: One could talk with you, Fr. Daniel, for hours on end about Elder
Porphyrios. Unfortunately, a radio program, as you well know, has its
time limit. Of the great number of stories and examples that you didn't
manage to tell us, which one would you like to end with?
Fr.D.G: At the end of his life, he asked me to bring him Holy Communion
after the Divine Liturgy. During the time when he was preparing to
receive the divine gifts a heavenly state prevailed; such was his love
and his longing for the Immaculate Mysteries. Once he spoke to me about
the aroma of Holy Communion; I understood it to mean that he sensed a
fragrance in the Holy Communion.
He always urged Christians to participate actively in the sacraments of
the Church.
He said that with the sacrament of Confession, whatever has fallen down
is raised up again. He told us the moving story of a monk who had gone
to the Holy Mountain in his youth. He had so many gifts that he felt
like he lived in Paradise. One day he was disobedient to his elder. All
that gracious state left him. When his elder returned, he heard his
confession and read the prayer of forgiveness. The gracious state that
he had iost returned to him immediately.
Elder Porphyrios always stressed that when we are within the Church,
when we participate in the sacraments of the Church, then we are in
Paradise. Also, as much as we participate in the sacraments, we are that
much more in eternal life. That is why he always reminded us of the
Lord's saying, "He who believes in the Son has life eternal."
K.I.: What did he say about our departed brethren who can now be found
in the Church Triumphant?
Fr.D.G.: He said that we are all one and we should pray as much for the
living as we do for the departed. He stressed that we shouldn't say,
"Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on so-and-so" or "have mercy on us," but
that we should say "Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy upon me." As he
explained, since the Christ's Church is one bodv, within the "have mercy
on me" are included all the living and the dead. And if prayer is not
extended to all people, then it is not ecclesial.
He told us that whenever he went to holy places, to Mount Sinai, to the
Cave of the Apocalypse on the isle of Patmos or to Jerusalem he had
indescribable life experiences. He always stressed the sanctity of the
places, that the places can sanctify, that they are saturated with God's
grace.
He characteristically told us that when he struggled at a certain place
in order to reach a certain spiritual state through prayer, he needed a
quarter to a half of an hour of struggle. But when this happened at a
sanctified place things were different. "I enter, for example, a holy
cave," he said, "like the caves of St. Niphon or St. Neilos on the Holy
Mountain, or the Cave of the Apocalypse, and I don't even begin to pray
and immediately that sanctified place lifts me up."
He said again and again that, "God is everything" and he stressed that
without praying to God nothing is accomplished. "Prayer," he said "is
the mother of all good things, provided that it is always done with
humility, without any egotism, and with love towards Christ."
K.I.: We thank you very much, Fr., Daniel, for all the manna from
heaven, that, you've had the goodness to share with us.
Fr.D.G.: May we have the blessing of Elder Porphyrios and let us give
thanks to God, Who sent us such a gift in the twentieth century.
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