During the terrible persecution of Christians by the emperor Decius, seven young men belonging to the best and noblest families of the city of Ephesus, fleeing from torture, hid in a cave on the solitary mountain Ochlon, located not far from the city. Unfortunately, their whereabouts were discovered, and, by order of Decius, the entrance to the cave was blocked with stones and walled up, in order to destroy the fugitives with hunger and thirst. A royal seal was attached to the walled-up entrance, so that no one would dare to release the prisoners. But the Lord preserved His chosen ones from suffering, and they fell into a quiet, deep, long sleep.

Two hundred years have passed since then, and the memory of the seven youths buried alive has mingled with the memory of all the other martyrs who died during the persecution of Decius.

Years passed, and with them the emperors and events changed. Constantine reigned on the Byzantine throne, and the moribund paganism gave way to Christianity. A cruel schism shook the church, and under Theodosius II there arose a dangerous sect of heretics, who rejected the resurrection of the dead.

Just at that time, that is, two hundred years after the seven youths had been immured in the cave, a peasant climbed Mount Ochlon in search of material for the construction of a stable. When he saw the well-hewn and fitted stones that covered the entrance to the cave, he broke down the wall and, gathering as many stones as he could, took it to his place.

Through the hole, daylight poured into the cave like a wave. And then the seven youths, suddenly awakened, rose to their feet and greeted the coming of the day with the usual prayers. Going on with their daily lives, as if they had fallen asleep only the day before, they began to consult as to what they should do, and they decided to send a lad from among themselves, named Iamblichus, to the market to purchase provisions, the supply of which had been exhausted.

The appearance of Iamblichus in the market caused general amazement and excitement. His face, pale as a dead man's, his strange costume, the style of which had long since been abandoned by everyone, the silver coins minted 200 years ago, with which he wanted to pay the market merchants, all seemed unusual and suspicious. They seized Jamblichus and brought him to the bishop of Ephesus, Saint Stephen. Here the lad told everything that had happened to him and his friends. The young man's story seemed so incredible that the bishop and the proconsul with a crowd of guards went to check on it.

But when they all reached the cave and saw six pale youths dressed in ancient clothes, a reverent horror chained them at the entrance. They fell on their knees and glorified God in His deeds, while the seven youths confessed their faith and bore witness to their resurrection, as if to shame the blasphemers who dared to deny this dogma of the Christian religion.

And when they had finished speaking, all seven bowed quietly. When they were lifted up, they saw that their souls had flown away.

Their memory is celebrated on August 4.

What practical conclusion can we draw from this teaching of the Christian faith about the immortality of the human soul?

Very important.

If the soul of a person is immortal, then obviously the souls of dead saints continue to exist. Spiritual communion with them is possible, a request for help and prayerful intercession before God is possible, our prayer to the saints is possible.

"Do the saints we invoke pray for us? Fr. John of Kronstadt asked. — They pray. If I, a sinful person, a cold person, sometimes an evil and ill-disposed person, pray for others who have commanded me and did not command me to pray, and do not doubt, do not get bored patiently going over their names in prayer, although sometimes not heartily, then are the holy people of God these lamps and flames, burning in God and before God, full of love for their earthly brethren? do they not pray for me and for us, when we call upon them with all possible faith, hope and love? They also pray, quick helpers and intercessors for our souls, as our God-enlightened Mother the Holy Church assures us. Therefore, pray unquestionably to the holy men of God, asking their intercession for you before God. In the Holy Spirit they hear you, only you pray with the Holy Spirit and from your heart, for when you pray sincerely, then the Spirit breathes in you, Who is the Spirit of truth and sincerity, is our truth and sincerity. The Holy Spirit in us and in holy people is one and the same. The saints are holy from the Holy Spirit, Who sanctified them and lives eternally in them."

Chapter XII, Verses 28-34