On February 19th, we commemorate our holy Father Konon.
Saint Konon was from Kilikia. From a very young age, he became a monk at a monastery located
nearthe Jordan River, named Penthoukla.
Later he became a priest and lived with extreme asceticism. When the Archbishop of Jerusalem Peter (524-552 A.D.) learned of this saint’s
extraordinary ascetic way of life, he appointed him to baptize pilgrims who would go to the Jordan
River for this purpose.
The saint would first anoint the catechumens with the holy oil and, in following, baptize them.
Nonetheless, as a human being, he had difficulty
anointing certain ladies, and,fearing this temptation, he repeatedly contemplated to
abandon the monastery.
However, every time he thought of leaving, St. John the Forerunner would appear to him and assure him,“Be patient, Elder, and I will lighten the battle you have.”
One day, a certain young lady from Persia came to be baptized. This lady was so beautiful that the Saint was unable to anoint her unclothed, and
thus she remained in that desolate region waiting to be anointed and baptized. When word of this reached the Archbishop, he was astounded to hear how the elder had dealt with this difficulty, and he decided to send a pious lady to help the saint with the anointing and baptism of women.
However, due to various circumstances, including
the harsh climatic conditions of the desert, it was not possible for the appointed helper to reach
the monastery. Meanwhile, the elder took his cape and departed with the resolution,“I will no longer remain in this area.”
As he did so, the venerable Forerunner appeared to him outside the monastery and spoke to him in a
gentle tone: “Return to your monastery, and I will lighten the warfare you are experiencing.” But
Elder Konon responded angrily,“Believe me, I will not go back again, because you have promised many times to lighten my burden, and you have done nothing.” Then, the divine Forerunner took hold of the Elder, he lifted up his garment, and made the sign of the Venerable Cross over the area below his belly saying: “Believe me, Father Konon.
I wanted you to continue acquiring rewards from this warfare. But now return to your monastery and have no more doubts concerning this issue.” Hence, the elder returned to his monastery. On
the following day when he proceeded to anoint and baptize the Persian lady, the fact that she was a woman did not even cross his mind.
Thereafter, the saint attained such a degree of
dispassion, that he was viewed by many as a super
-natural man. Having lived another twenty years, he finally fell asleep in the Lord peacefully.
Through his holy prayers, and the intercessions of the venerable Forerunner, may Christ our God
deliver us from the evil passions. Amen.
I have never told you, my brother Lazarus, [says monk Leontios] what happened to me several years ago, when I was young and had just been newly tonsured, which has to do with the subject of obedience.
I do not remember exactly, but it was either during 1916 or 1917 when my Elder of blessed memory advised me to make a prostration and to go serve at the mill located at Mariana as an attendant. Unfortunately, because I did not particularly like this dependency, I foolishly started to make excuses, arguing that I could not go because, supposedly, it was too cold, I did not have enough
clothing, perhaps I would get sick, and other such reasons. Additionally, there were many thieves wandering in that region, and I was afraid.
My Elder of blessed memory made the same recommendation to me again and again, assuring me that he would provide me with the all the necessary clothing and provisions. I distinctly remember him saying to me,
"Go ahead, my child. May you have the blessing of the Honorable Forerunner. Do obedience and go, because the manager is there all alone and needs help. Go my child..." I, however,
continued to retort with my usual obstinacy.
Finally, my Elder got fed up and tired with me, and vexed he left the matter in St. John's hands. This is how I left from the Elder's quarters and went to my room to retire for the evening.
But alas! Every time I think about what followed, my brother, I am always overcome with trembling with fear. About 8 or 9 o'clock that same evening, I saw a fearsome, towering man appear in my bedroom with a whip in his hand.
As I was lying down, I jumped out of bed horrified. No sooner had I stood on my feet when he started to lash me. "What type of a monk are you? Why don't you do obedience?" he remarked, and simultaneously he whacked from one direction ... he whacked me from the direction. I started to cry and begged him to stop hitting me, promising that I would henceforth be obedient.
Immediately, he vanished from sight. I was a nervous wreck as I ran that very moment to the Abbot's quarters. I woke up the Elder, and with tears and lamentation I fell at his feet and asked him to read me a prayer of absolution, I related to him what had taken place, and promised to never again disobey any of his orders. Thus my Elder
was appeased, he read me the prayer of absolution, I took courage, and I returned to my cell and rested peacefully. The next morning, as soon as I woke up, I packed my bags and set out for Mariana.
from the book
Narrations from Dionysiou Monastery
I heard the following account that took place in 1937 [says monk Lazaros] to my amazement and surprise from monk Chrysanthos:
"As you are aware, Father Lazarus, for many years now I have repeatedly attempted to become a
director and member the monastery’s Council of Elders.
After trying at length, pleading with various fathers, and oftentimes bringing this matter up
with the Abbot without success, I became
extremely distraught and upset.Through the
synergy of the devil, I became despondent and my mind was darkened to such an extent that I decided to put an end to my life. "Can you believe it?" I would ask myself.
"They appoint so many other younger monks to
this position! But they disregard me, even though I have grown old in this monastery working at so many different assignments! I will not tolerate this any longer. I'll go down to the shore, and jump in the ocean then it will be on their conscience."
I pondered on these thoughts for a several days, until I firmly decided to go through with it. However, our merciful Lord, through the intercessions of our holy patron Saint John the Honorable Forerunner, gave me the thought to fast for three days prior to executing my plan.
I thus isolated myself in my room for three days.
I shut my door and window shutters, and, within the darkness of my cell, I prayed continuously for two days and nights without eating or drinking anything, without even lying down on my bed. I prayed standing, then seated, and when I sensed sleep coming on, I would again arise to pray. On the third day, around 10 o'clock in the evening, suddenly a brilliant light appeared that lit up my entire room.
Simultaneously, I heard a loud voice saying to me: "Why aren't you at peace? Why are you distraught
and planning to go down to the shore to drown in t
he sea?" As soon as I saw the light and heard this voice, the sadness and dejection that had been plaguing me altogether disappeared, and I began
crying, wailing, and shedding tears, asking for forgiveness, and confessing that I had sinned and been deceived by the evil one: "Forgive me, Saint John..." He then responded, "Why have you stopped chanting?
Why haven't you approached the chanter's stand this past week, but instead you wander about here and there asking to become a director? Don't I know who should become a director? If I don't want you to become a director, how can you become one? Don't I know who should become a director?" In the meantime, I had fallen to the ground and was weeping ceaselessly,
begging for forgiveness, and promising that henceforth I would be at peace, I would return to the chanter's stand, and never again seek to become a director.
After I said these things,the brilliant light vanished. I no longer felt uneasy, I immediately felt peace, and when the bell rang for the beginning of the service, I went to church and
followed the entire service."
Monk Chrysanthos [notes monk Lazaros] was very guileless, and for twenty-five years he had
chanted in the right choir with much zeal and reverence.
This is why he received divine mercy and
special intervention from the Honorable Forerunner.
from the book
Narrations from Dionysiou Monastery
Monk Bisarion of Dionysiou Monastery was appointed by the monastery in 1916 to work outside Mount Athos for a period of time, at one of the monastery's dependencies where he was in charge of the flourmill.
This monk related the following account that took place during his time there:
One day two villagers went to the fair, and one of them bought a horse from the other. The villager who bought the horse came to the chapel and venerated the icons.
He left a certain amount of money in front of the Honorable Forerunner's icon and asked me to light a candle for him. I lit a candle for him. I saw the money, which was a sizeable amount, but I did not take it; I left it there in front of the icon. Later that
evening, as I went to light the vigil lamps in the chapel, I noticed that the money was gone.
You can't imagine how sad I became. The evil one took advantage of this opportunity and made me
indignant. I walked to the icon of St. John the Forerunner, and, as I stood before it, I said to the
saint: "Holy Forerunner, aren't you here? Why do
you allow people to steal money right in front of your icon? I'm not going to light your vigil lamp!"
So I only lit the vigil lamp of the Mother of God, and I left somewhat nervous. I went to the mill, I walked up to the house, I ate a little, but I was
still apprehensive. I was feeling guilty for having left the vigil lamp of the saint unlit; nonetheless, the evil demon incited me to remain stubborn. I was thinking to myself:
"Let's see what will happen... I'm not lighting his vigil lamp tonight."
Hence, as I lay down to sleep with uneasiness,
I still insisted on my course of action. As I was sleeping in the house all alone (because at that time I did not have any other helpers with me), around midnight, I felt someone nudging me. I woke up, and I saw standing before me a towering figure whose hair was falling freely over his
shoulders. I started to shake fearfully, and I was just barely able to utter: "How did you come here?" The person responded in a serious tone: "Don't you worry how I came here, but tell me why don't you light my vigil lamp?" With utter fear, with a shaky voice, and with tears in my eyes, I said: "Please forgive me, Saint John. I am at fault." I then prostrated myself three times before his feet, crying and asking him to forgive me.
I then heard the Honorable Forerunner address me with a calm and sweet voice: "My child, Bisarion, why did you say that I am not here? If I am not here present, then who has been guarding you all
this time you are here in this wilderness from thieves and other harmful criminals?" "Please, my saint," I replied. "Please forgive me. I won't do it
again." "Go, light the vigil lamp hanging before my icon, and preach to others as well that the icons perform miracles. Because many people in this area have started to say that the icons do not perform miracles." This is what the Honorable Forerunner said to me, and then he disappeared.
That very same moment, I went to the chapel, where I witnessed another miracle! I saw that all the money had been returned to the exact some spot in front of the icon of St. John, where it had been originally placed before it disappeared.
The thief must have experienced a good scare, enough to make him return the money that same evening to the icon.
from the book Narrations from Dionysiou Monastery
