Wondrous stories of St. Iakovos Tsalikis of Evia

Wondrous stories of St. Iakovos Tsalikis of Evia
~Army pass
When St. Iakovos of Evia (1920-1991) was serving in the army before he became a monk, he was granted permission to take all of Holy Week and Pascha off.
But during the week, he noticed one of his fellow soldiers was very depressed. And he asked him, “Why are you so sad, Mr. George?”
“Papa-Iakove (Fr. Iakove), you with your religiosity, managed to convince the commander to give you the entire week off. You will be fine with your chanting, your monk practices, but how about me? I also want to go to my village to spend Pascha with my fiancée.”
“Okay, George, now you want the day of Pascha off - do you also want a couple of other days off?”
“Well, it would be good to have Great Friday off, and even (Great) Thursday, so I can get to church and hear a couple of gospels…”
“Don’t worry George, I will take care of it.”
This man of God (St. Iakovos), who lived for these services - this was his life, these hymns were his breath - he sacrificed it all for his fellow man, and he stayed inside the barracks - Holy Thursday, Holy Friday, Holy Saturday and Pascha Sunday.
Out of curiosity someone asked St. Iakovos at the time; “Very well, Geronda (Elder), how did you pass these days?”
“I was serving guard duty, and I was on a hill watching the citizens of Athens going to their churches, and I was trying to repeat the prayer of Jesus. And on the night of Pascha, when I heard the joyous bells, I sighed and I said, ‘O my Christ, now our Christians are receiving Your Holy Light.’ And as I said this, the Holy Light came to me as well!”
“How did this happen, Geronda (Elder)?”
“Well, my child, a light came from on high and rested on me, and I became all light!”
The man of God had sacrificed the created light of the Pascha candle, and he received the uncreated Light of Divinity. This was St. Iakovos. This was inside his nature - the willingness to sacrifice even his prayer and his personal effort and struggle, for the love of his neighbour.
(Source: From a talk given by Metropolitan Neophytos of Morphou, Cyprus)
~Guided by the wing of an Angel
“People are blind and don’t see what takes place in church during the Divine Liturgy. Once I was serving and I couldn’t make the Great Entrance because of what I saw. I suddenly felt someone pushing me by my shoulder and guiding me toward the holy prothesis. I thought it was the chanter, and said to myself:
"The blessed one, such irreverence? He entered through the Beautiful Gate and is pushing me?" I turned around and saw a huge wing that the archangel had laid on my shoulder, and that he was guiding me to make the Great Entrance.
What amazing things take place in the altar during the Divine Liturgy! Sometimes I can’t handle it, and so I pass out in a chair, and thus some con-celebrators conclude that I’ve got something wrong with my health, but they don’t realize what I see and hear. What wings on those angels, my child!”
And some people still think we can get sick in the Holy Churches, where Christ, the Angels and the Saints are physically present!
~Heavenly Mansions
Metropolitan Neophytos:
St. Iakovos Tsalikis told us: “I was reading (the verse where it says)
“In My Father’s house are many mansions” (John 14:2) and I could not understand it. And I wondered “My Christ, how can there be many monasteries in heaven and many mansions?”
And right away, my nous (the eye of the soul or heart) “was grabbed” and I found myself in front of the Gate of Heaven. One large garden.
“And who was at the Gate waiting for St. Iakovos of Evia?”
“St. Seraphim of Sarov!”And tells him:“Come, Father Iakovos! Since you asked it, the Lord of Heaven and Earth sent me to show you the Heavenly Mansions.”
“And (I found myself) in an infinite meadow, full of an open-blue and white coloured light! This light was full of information and whatever you desired, you heard it inside your heart as an eternal knowledge.”
“And there was an infinite meadow, full of daisies and nice, big violets! And St. Seraphim started walking but there was no path so he was stepping on these heavenly flowers. (But) I was not walking.
He waved at me. “Come Father Iakovos!”
“I am not coming!”
“Why won’t you come. You asked for it!”
Reached capacity:

[@helenmary9628]

Thank you for posting these beautiful and edifying stories 🙏💙🙏💙🙏💙

[@HolyOrthodoxy]

@helenmary9628; Glory be to God for all things! ☦️🙏

[@stephaniebailey864]

This is truly beautiful, i feel closer to God for watching this. Thank you , Glory to God

[@lindaphillips4646]

Closer to God, and a longing to be even closer.

[@catherineahtipis4716]

This is our beautiful Orthodox Church. It produces real saints. Glory to The Holy Trinity. Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, the wretched sinner. Have mercy on the world! We need you to come back soon, Jesus!

[@user-wc5pl2wf4t]

Слава БОГУ за все 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
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