Hieromonk Isaac
A resident of Athens, Mr. S., originally from the city of Kalamata, says that he was driving his car to Ioannina. On the road at high speed, he collided head-on with an oncoming car. Mr. S.'s car literally shattered into pieces, and he himself with a serious head injury was immediately hospitalized and placed in the intensive care unit.
While there, he saw a bright cloud, and in it – an elderly monk. Mr. S. was an unchurched person, but a few days before the accident, one of his acquaintances told him about the grace-filled Elder Paisius. Struck by the vision, this man involuntarily asked the unknown monk:
"Are you Elder Paisius?"
The elder did not answer. He smiled, stroked his head affectionately, and said to him:
"Don't be afraid, you'll get well!"
Mr. S. came to his senses. He was embarrassed by the unusual phenomenon, but although he was not quite sure who his wonderful visitor was, he believed in the truth of what was said to him. Excited, he told the doctors about the phenomenon. The doctors, seeing the inexplicable improvement in his condition, confirmed in amazement:
– Indeed, a miracle happened!
When Mr. S. was discharged from the hospital, he was passing by a bookstore and was surprised to see a photograph of his rescuer on the cover of one of the books displayed in the window. Thus Mr. S. found out who his benefactor was, and, full of gratitude, bought and read the book. In January 1998, this man came to Athos, came to "Panaguda" and excitedly told about what had happened to him. The appearance of the Elder – in addition to saving this man from certain death – radically changed his life in general. This man found a spiritual father and confessed. He stopped his worldly sinful life, despite the fact that his relatives urged him to such a life in every possible way. "It is no longer possible for me to continue living as before," he said with tears, "because I remember the smiling bright face of Elder Paisios."
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The testimony of a monk of the Holy Mountain: "Once two laymen came to "Panaguda". Venerating the icons in the church, they asked us to tell them something about the Elder. Among other things, I told these people that from the pilgrims who come to Kaliva we have many testimonies about the posthumous miracles of the Elder: apparitions, healings, help in accidents. When I said the words "help in accidents", tears sparkled in the eyes of one of the people who came, and, turning to his friend, he said excitedly:
–You see! And in accidents too!
Then they asked to tell about at least one miracle and wanted to hear about help in accidents. I told them about the incident with Mr. S.140 When, telling about the appearance of the Elder, I said: "And then in a bright cloud a monk appeared before him," the man who had interrupted me earlier could not restrain himself and shouted:
"And me in the cloud!"
And he briefly told about his miraculous salvation. He was so excited that he could not tell more: "Racing on a motorcycle at a speed of one hundred and forty kilometers per hour, I collided with a taxi and flew into it like a wedge... Suddenly, a bright cloud opened up in front of me, in which a monk appeared... And so, despite such a terrible collision, I remained safe and sound! My wife began to say to me: "Look in the books, look at the photographs to find out what kind of saint saved you." For the first time I saw a photograph of the Elder in one of the calendars published by Athoniade. It was a photograph in which the Elder was standing surrounded by the students of the school... This man saved my life..."