Suicide

Surround her with your fervent prayers

The Elder advised the parents of a girl who attempted suicide to carefully surround her with especially fervent prayers. Pray for her as much as possible. They followed his advice, and the situation was corrected.

Change the environment

The Elder advised one girl who attempted suicide to change her environment, which had a negative influence on her. He advised her to get acquainted with believing girls, conversations with whom would give her pleasure, with whom she could go to church for services, make pilgrimages. In addition, Father Porphyrius instructed a pious girl, who often visited him, to be the first to take the initiative and get to know the unfortunate woman.

Salvation from suicide

"Geronda, I ask you to tell me in the end something that you consider useful," one monk who visited him said to the Elder at parting.

Father Porphyrius asked:

"Where are you going from me now?"

"My Geronda has blessed me to visit my relatives on the island of Euboea.

"What relatives?"

— My parents and relatives.

The elder asked me about my relatives, and then asked a question:

"Do you know what kind of problem your relative has?"

"I, Geronda, cannot deal with my own problems either. How do I know what problems this relative of mine has?

"However, by the grace of Christ, I know his problems. He's got this... and that's it... and that's it... But the worst thing is that he took this thought. And the Elder, folding his hands above his head, showed how the diver jumps into the water. Then he explained to me that he had thoughts of suicide. I asked:

"When I meet him, shall I tell him your words?"

"That's why I started this conversation with you. Tell him what we have been talking about, and tell him to go to church. Then all this will pass, and he will be saved. Don't stay too long with your family. Tell them that you see all of them in prayer all the time, and if they want you to be there, then let them start praying too. Then you will have unity in prayer.

After leaving Father Porphyrios, I came to my relatives and told my relative, about whom the Elder and I had talked about everything that he had revealed to me about him. A few days later, he himself came to the Elder.

"Geronda," he said, "I am the same person to whom you conveyed this and that through Father Christodoulos.