Testimony of Mr. Doukas Bygiatiotis. Real estate agent. Athens.
The future
During my first visits to the Saint, in 1984-5, he told me the following important thing:
-Elder, how do you see the future in general?
-Very
difficult days will come, especially when people start to move. The
world will not be able to bear it. Greece will be one of the countries
that will bear the greatest burden. We must stay united, pray and not be
afraid.
-For
the big states, it is good. However, when the movements of peoples
begin, we will suffer. It will be difficult for everyone, but especially
for Greece, which will bear the greatest burden. Everyone will fall on
us...!
-What should we do then?
-God will take care of everything. We should pray day and night, be united, and God will take care of us.
I
understood how the European Economic Community (EEC) was created to
serve the interests of the great and powerful powers. At that time,
these things seemed strange to me and I hesitated to believe them, but
today, 35 years later, I see them come true and I think about how
enlightened the Saint was. Now I see them vividly before me, whereas at
that time they seemed unbelievable to me. The Saint had told me other
things about our future, but unfortunately I did not write them down and
I do not remember them well.
Once
the Saint also told me the following: “The people who will take the
straight path will be few and they will reach their destination and be
happy. The masses, drifting away, will fall into wild seas and black
mountains. Beyond them will be waiting for black lions and wild beasts
that will devour them. They will find themselves in a dead end and will
not have a good end. Alas, we have reached the end of the straight. We
are fleeing and joy to those who will flee and will not see this end!
The
distancing of today's man from the path of God is now so generalized
that one feels like we live in a jungle where everyone wants to "eat"
the other. Most are carried away by this spirit of greed, by a constant
struggle to dominate their fellow man, while few are those who
faithfully keep the commandments of God. Perhaps we have reached the
final stretch for the end of the history of humanity.
I
want to mention that I had also noticed the following important thing.
When I wanted to go to see the Saint, something inside me told me that
he would not accept me and he did not accept me. However, when he told
me how he would accept me, then he did indeed accept me. In other words,
the Saint informed me internally whether I should go or not, so that I
would not suffer unnecessarily.
The
people who went to the Saint were in pain, with various problems and
illnesses. The Saint prayed to God for all of them and took their
illnesses upon himself. Perhaps that is why God allowed him to suffer
from so many illnesses. The Saint loved everyone much more than himself.
To some extent, he also carried the cross of other people. I always
felt that the Saint loved me especially.
He was a terrible saint.
In
May or June of 1991, the Saint called me to come to him and said: “You
know, I will soon be leaving for Mount Athos and I called you to say
goodbye... Don’t think you are good. You need a long journey and even
prayer.
You can’t lie to me!”
The
truth was that my confessions to my spiritual director, Fr. Daniel
Gouvalis, were not completely honest. Out of shame, I avoided telling
him about some sins.
But from St. Porphyrios, nothing could be hidden. As in the eyes of God everything is obvious, so it is with His saints.
He
also told me the following: “Go to Church regularly, confess clearly
and receive communion. You will try to pray as much as you can, because
only with effort and prayer will you find redemption and it is not easy.
It takes a struggle to become a good Christian...!”
When
the Saint showed me that he had gifts, I now considered him a saint,
because he told me things that I never imagined could happen. But
ultimately, for a person to change his character and be freed from his
passions, he needs a hard struggle, he also needs repentance, otherwise
he will not be saved. As much as I can, I follow his advice.
Finally,
I, who am a zero, will dare to ask God to have us all under His
protection and I will ask the great Saint Porphyrios to intercede for us
all. I ask forgiveness from God and from the whole world if I should
not have written something or if I have written it wrong.
Bibliography. Saint Porphyrios the Prophet.
Testimonies.
Publications. Agios Paulites Holy Cell of Saints Theodores, Mount Athos. Volume C.
