Θα ήθελα να σας γράψω το θαύμα που μου έκανε ο Άγιος Ραφαήλ. Είμαι η Ελένη Χ. από την Αλεξάνδρεια Ημαθείας. Το Νοέμβριο του 2011 μαθαίνω από τον γυναικολόγο μου ότι είμαι έγκυος στο δεύτερο παιδάκι μου. Μου είπε ο γιατρός ότι πρέπει να πάω τον άλλο μήνα, δηλαδή τον Δεκέμβριο, να ακούσουμε την καρδούλα του μωρού. Περνάει ο καιρός και ήρθε η μέρα που πρέπει να κάνουμε τον υπέρηχο, να ακούσουμε την καρδούλα του μωρού.
Πάμε στον γιατρό, με βάζει στον υπέρηχο, βλέπει από εδώ, βλέπει από εκεί, τίποτα. Ο σάκος πολύ πιο μεγάλος από την πρώτη φορά, αλλά άδειος.
Δεν φαίνεται τίποτα. Εγώ και ο άντρας μου παγώνουμε. Ακούμε τον γιατρό να μας λέει ότι δεν ακούει την καρδούλα του μωρού και δεν βλέπει έμβρυο.
Μας φωνάζει στο γραφείο του και μας λέει ότι πρέπει να κάνω τον καθαρισμό, δηλαδή απόξεση, για να μην μείνουν υπολείμματα στη μήτρα, γιατί είναι επικίνδυνο, μπορεί να προκληθεί σηψαιμία και θάνατος.
Ήταν ημέρα Τρίτη όταν έγιναν όλα αυτά. Μας κλείνει ραντεβού για την Παρασκευή (3 μέρες μετά). Εμείς αυτές τις ημέρες ήμασταν πολύ στεναχωρημένοι. Παίρνω, λοιπόν, τηλέφωνο έναν από τους πατέρες της Αδελφότητος του Αγίου Ραφαήλ στο Άνω Σούλι Μαραθώνος, τον οποίο γνώριζα τηλεφωνικά και με στήριζε με τα καλά του λόγια, με τις ευχές και τις προσευχές του.
Γεμάτη πόνο του εξιστόρησα όσα συνέβησαν και τον παρακάλεσα να προσευχηθεί για μένα και το μωρό μου. Εκείνος μου έδωσε θάρρος και δύναμη. Μου είπε να μην απελπίζομαι, αλλά να έχω πίστη το Θεό και τους Αγίους. Μου είπε ότι θα προσευχηθεί, αλλά να προσευχηθώ και γω, να παρακαλέσω τον Άγιο Ραφαήλ να αναλάβει την κατάσταση και να λέω στον Άγιο Ραφαήλ: «Άγιε Ραφαήλ, προχώρα εσύ μπροστά και εγώ σ’ ακολουθώ!». Αυτό και έκανα.
Έρχεται η Παρασκευή και πάμε στον γιατρό να κάνω την επέμβαση (δεν παύει να είναι χειρουργείο). Φτάνουμε στο ιατρείο. Ο γιατρός είναι πάνω στα χειρουργεία, γιατί έχει μια γέννα. Μόλις τελείωνε θα ανέβαινα και εγώ να κάνω την απόξεση. Περίμενα λίγη ώρα μαζί με τον άντρα μου και με μια φίλη μας. Χτυπάει το τηλέφωνο είναι ο γιατρός μου και ρωτάει την υπάλληλό του αν έχω έρθει και του λέει ότι είμαι στο ιατρείο του και είμαι έτοιμη να ανέβω πάνω για την επέμβαση. Τότε ο γιατρός της λέει να περιμένω να με ξαναδεί, προκειμένου να μου φύγει κάθε αμφιβολία, και μετά να γίνει η επέμβαση. Κατεβαίνει ο γιατρός, με φωνάζει και με βάζει στον υπέρηχο. Ο άντρας μου, σίγουρος ότι δεν υπάρχει μωρό, κάθεται έξω και με περιμένει. Βάζει ο γιατρός το μηχάνημα και τι να δει!
Θεέ μου, την καρδούλα να χτυπάει κανονικά και το έμβρυο, το οποίο το έβλεπα και εγώ!! Ο γιατρός τα έχασε. Με ξαναείδε 2-3 φορές. Βγαίνει έξω σαστισμένος, πάει στον υπολογιστή του να δει το ιστορικό μου (που να ήξερε ότι είχε βάλει ο Άγιος Ραφαήλ το χέρι Του). Μετά από λίγο έρχεται μέσα στον υπέρηχο, φωνάζει και τον άντρα μου και μας ανακοινώνει ότι η επέμβαση δεν μπορεί να γίνει, γιατί υπάρχει μωράκι και μάλιστα χτυπάει κανονικότατα η καρδούλα του. Η χαρά μας ήταν τόσο μεγάλη που δεν περιγράφεται με λόγια. Ήμασταν πανευτυχείς. Με το που φύγαμε από τον γιατρό η πρώτη σκέψη που είπα στον άντρα μου και την φίλη μας ήταν να πάω να ανάψω ένα κεράκι στον Άγιο Ραφαήλ. Ευχαριστήσαμε τον Άγιο Ραφαήλ μέσα από την καρδιά μας για το θαύμα που μας έκανε. Είναι ο προστάτης μου Άγιος, όπως είναι και ο Αρχάγγελος Μιχαήλ και η Παναγία μας. Μας βοηθάει καθημερινά με την παρουσία Του. Θα Τον ευχαριστώ σε όλη μου τη ζωή! Ευχαριστώ για όλα Άγιέ μου Ραφαήλ!
Σημείωση: Ο Άγιος Ραφαήλ, εκτός από προστάτης των ασθενών, είναι και προστάτης των εγκύων. Όπως πολλές γυναίκες το έχουν βιώσει και συχνά τους το αποκαλύπτει ο ίδιος ο Άγιος Ραφαήλ σε όνειρο, προτρέποντάς τις να Τον επικαλούνται για να προστατεύει και εκείνες και τα παιδιά που κυοφορούν και να τις βοηθά να έχουν καλή γέννα.
http://agiameteora.net/
Schema-nun Sepphora, in the world Daria Nicholaevna Shnyakina (nee Senyakina) was an Orthodox ascetic and eldress. She was born in 1896, and desired from her early years to dedicate herself to God in monasticism, but due to her father’s early death she was compelled by her mother to marry in order to help support the family. Darya did not wish to disobey her mother. She went through many trials during the much-suffering twentieth century—“raskulachivanie”, or the confiscation of all property by the soviet authorities, famine, war, and persecution against the faithful. In 1967 she received the monastic tonsure in the Holy Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra, but she continued to live in the world. Her move to Klykovo was foretold to her in 1993, when the monastery was just being built, and no one knew about its existence. Schema-nun Sepphora reposed in the Lord at age 102 in Klykovo Monastery. Many people had found a in her a spiritual mother, consoler, and witness to faith in Christ.
Excerpt from Julia Posashko’s interview with Igumen Mikhail (Semenov):
Igumen Mikhail: …We had to restore the church having no money whatsoever for it—not a cent. So we went to ask the prayers of Schema-nun Sepphora.
How does one take a blessing from a woman?
Igumen Mikhail: Schema-nun Sepphora was waiting for us. It just so happens that in 1993, when Matushka prayed to the Mother of God to show her where she would end her days, the Heavenly Queen appeared to her and said, “Wait—the priests will come from Klykovo Monastery to take you there.” She waited for two years. At first there simply was nowhere to take her. We ourselves were living in very bad conditions here; we were building a building, and when we met her in 1995 it was half completed. Matushka starting hurrying us. “Build it faster, I am going to live with you.” We did what we could to finish the building and just before Christmas of 1996 we brought her here.
How did you meet Schema-nun Sepphora?
Igumen Mikhail: We met her in Optina. I had been there a month when one day I heard that an eldress had arrived, and everyone had a high opinion of her. They said that she was spiritual, clairvoyant, and a great woman of prayer… Naturally everyone was trying to see her; many of us had only begun the religious life, and we all had a great many questions. Well, I also went to see her. I was told, “Forget it! There are abbots waiting in line to see her. You won’t get in!” On the first night I did not get in, and I resigned myself to the probability that I would not see her. However, the next day I was leaving the Church of the Entrance of the Mother of God, and a laborer said to me, “Look, they are taking Matushka. Let’s go and get her blessing!” I thought, how does one get a blessing from a woman, and what is going on? But then I saw her blessing each person carefully with three fingers. I went up to her; she made the sign of the cross over me and asked, “Who are you?” I said, Sergei. She said with surprise, “And what are you doing here?” I said, “I am laboring in the steward’s department, helping the fathers.” She was silent, and then said, “But you and I are going to live together.” Her cell attendant whispered to me, “Listen to what Matushka says to you, she is an eldress!” We stood for a bit, were silent, and then Matushka Sepphora patted me on the shoulder. “Well, run on, run on for now!” I of course walked away perplexed. Where are she and I supposed to live together? Then I just put it out of my head. I remembered that conversation only when we were bringing Matushka here to Klykovo. She lived in our monastery until her death. We do not do anything to “advertise” Schema-nun Sepphora. It all happens by itself. People know her, and she really does help people. Some people told me, for example, that she stood during an operation next to one woman… The Hermitage of the Savior “Made Without Hands” in the village of Klykovo.
But isn’t there a certain spiritual danger in people always coming to the monastery, to her relics, to pray by the grave of the eldress not because they are seeking God, but only to solve their problems of everyday life?
Igumen Mikhail: Yes, often people have a poor understanding of God, but when they come up against an obvious miracle from a specific saint it strengthens their faith. After that, God looks for action from a person. But in order to light the flame in him a miracle is often needed. He is smart enough to turn to one or another saint and prays, and the miracle happens. It is a little push, and the person begins his first spiritual steps. He may not receive the same “advance pay” the second or third time—you can’t deceive God.
Did you have such a launching point?
Igumen Mikhail: I did not seek out miracles, and it was not my goal to pray one out. I simply lived my life with the thought that I wanted the Lord to do what was necessary in me. My sole desire was to learn from people of holy life. The Lord aided me in this—I knew many elders.
*A nun’s head-covering
http://lessonsfromamonastery.wordpress.com/2014/07/29/5405/
Fr. Paisie Olaru was born on June 20, 1897, in Stroienesti, Lunca-Botosani, Romania. His parents had 5 children; he was the youngest of all. At age 24, he became a monk at the Cozancea Skete. In 1943 he was ordained hierodeacon, and in 1947, he was ordained a priestmonk. Here you can read a few little stories from his monastic life.
It happened one time that a Christian woman and her 4-year old daughter visited Fr. Paisie. They were from Humulesti, and at that time Fr. Paisie was in the Sihla Monastery. After he confessed her, he blessed her daughter and said to her: "May God and His Holy Mother bless you, because you'll be a nun!". After 12 years, the child enrolled in the monastic life, making herself Jesus' bride... [...]
A disciple of Fr. Paisie once asked him: "How many times do we have to pray with the Jesus Prayer and cross ourselves?". And the elder said to him: “I pray one hundred times with ‘Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner’, one hundred times with ‘Most-Holy Mother of God, have mercy on us’, one hundred times with ‘Holy Godbearing Father Paisios, pray to God for me, a sinner’, one hundred times with ‘Holy Hierarch Spiridon, pray to God for me, a sinner’, and then one hundred times with ‘Holy Saint Veronica, pray to Jesus the Saviour for me, a sinner’. And so I keep repeating them over and over from the beginning. Then it happens that someone comes in, or I say a little prayer for a sick, or I confess a monk, or I listen to the Holy Services, or I cry, or I fall asleep a bit, and so goes everything until the Lord comes to us...” [...]
In the last years of his life, when he was more than 90 years old, he was lying in bed with a broken leg, having lost sight because of cataracts in both his eyes, and almost deaf. Whenever he wasn't feeling well or he was in any pain, he would pray and cry, saying of himself: "I have once again upset God!". And then he used to yell softly: "Forgive me my Lord, because I have upset you terribly; Mother of God, help me because I have no power! Where would I go? I'm waiting for you, mercy Jesus, I'm crying and waiting for you".
His disciple, seeing the pain of his spiritual father, would also cry out of compassion for him. But the father didn't know he was in his cell with him. His face enlightened once again, and then he crossed himself three times, wiped out his tears with a towel, and continued to pray secretly with the prayer of the heart, gently shaking his head in between the pillows... [...]
Fr. Paisie had the Holy gift of healing people and the gift of bringing peace into the souls of the people hurt by sin. His teachings were simple and wise, evangelical and practical. He talked little, but with Holy wisdom.
