He spoke to us about our faith and how Orthodoxy is the only true faith. It is like a pearl because the Elder knew all other religions. At other times he would say, “when someone does something bad to you or thinks something bad about you, you should communicate to him your goodness” and he would move his hand in the form of a blessing. “In this way you will not be harmed.”
When we asked him about death, he said, “death is like getting up, opening the door and going out into the light. Now you are in the light! This is the truth and we should not be very sad when loved ones leave us.” All the time he was talking, he was praying and we heard “Lord Jesus” and he was repeating this constantly.
Once when he was talking to us some people had come from Mt. Athos to visit him and because he could not talk, he asked them all to pray together and they would communicate spiritually. One day, when I saw him outside of his cell, it appeared to me that he was not standing on the ground, he was walking so fast.
Now, following his repose, a nun from the Monastery of St. Meletios in Kytherona related to us how the Elder a few years ago visited their monastery and he disappeared during meal time. In searching for him, he was found outside the monastery in a grassy area and suddenly she saw the Elder flying high towards her. He had his hands clasped on his side. When he approached her, he told her not to tell anyone about this until after his death. This is just as it happened.
He spoke to us a lot about the relationships of people such as those who cohabitate. He told us how this can be very difficult even if both of them are saints. Many problems are created and the Elder knew from confessions he had heard that they would often reach the point of hatred.
Often in the face of difficulties, the Elder would be indifferent and he would simply raise his shoulders like a little child. He would say “yes, all those hindrances exist but God never abandons us when we sincerely call upon Him. Because of this, you should not worry. Leave all things in the care of God and pray.”
He told us that a happy life is only that which God tells us about in the Gospel. The Gospel is a revelation and every one of its words requires an analysis and commentary in order for us to understand it. And we should not read the Gospel mechanically.
From the book “Miraculous Occurences and Counsels of Elder Porphyrios“
