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January 23, 2010

Saint Nektarios and the Military Officer


While the Saint was alive in his latter years in Aegina he would encourage a faithless military officer to have faith, that is, that there is a God, to repent, to Confess, to go to church, and to receive Communion. However the military officer did not believe.

For the next twelve years the military officer had moved from Aegina and lived in Macedonia. He returned to Aegina after those twelve years and at the port saw St. Nektarios again, who told him the same thing he had told him about faith twelve years prior.

Still obstinate, he went to the coffee shop where he came into contact with many of his old friends. He said to them: "I'm impressed that the abbot of Holy Trinity [St. Nektarios established Holy Trinity Monastery] is still alive."

"Which abbot?" they asked curiously. "The abbot of Holy Trinity died three years ago."

This perplexed the military officer, who retorted: "What do you mean that he died three years ago? I just met him on the road and we had a chat!"

Upon hearing this everyone was drawn to divine compunction, and the military officer came to believe that St. Nektarios appeared to him in his mercy to draw him once more to repentance from beyond the grave. Remorseful for his sins, he went to the Monastery of the Holy Trinity to worship God and venerate His saint, Nektarios.