The miraculous presence of Venerable David continues unabated in our day. From the book of miracles of the Saint, which is kept at the Monastery of the Venerable David the Elder in Evia, we list below a few of his many daily miracles:
1. Young John Achilleas Makris, from Kerasia in Agia Anna, was suffering from a very serious skin disease. Doctors had failed to offer him any effective help. His faithful mother brought him to the monastery and begged the priest of the monastery to do a Divine Liturgy and Holy Unction for her. After the service of the Holy Mysteries, the skin of young John was miraculously cleansed.
2. Young Maria Gritzapi, daughter of Panagioti and Vasiliki Gritzapi, from Loutsi in Livadia, was paralyzed, and was unable to walk at all. Her parents brought her to the monastery on 5 April 1965, on the eve of the Transfiguration of the Savior. During the procession with the Saint's relics, when the relics passed over her, she got up and was able to walk in the church. She had become completely well and from that time she is able to walk freely and comes often to the Saint in order to glorify him and thank him.
3. Nicholas and Eleutheria Kouphomargaritis from Moschato in Attica had a girl whose name was Martha who suffered with leukemia. The parents came to learn about Venerable David from a lady who was from Rovies in Evia, Eleutheria Tzini, who was rescued by the Saint from a serious illness. The parents with the sick child had visited many doctors, but no one gave them hope about the child. This is when they met Eleutheria Tzini from Rovies who spoke to them about "our Saint." "Who is this Saint?" asked the mother of the child, "I've never heard of him." "Venerable David," replied the woman. The mother then took her child into her arms, lifted her up, and heartfully said: "My Saint David, make my daughter well." This is all she did. At that moment her child became immediately well and she brought her to the monastery healthy, where she glorified the holy Elder. This was in 1976.
4. Venerable David has also made many appearances, not only to the Fathers of the Monastery, but also to other devout Christians in need.
Agatha Giogiou from America suffered with epilepsy. Her parents George and Paraskevi were from the village of Pagonta in Evia. The mother of Agatha dedicated her child to many saints. She had also heard of Venerable David from a woman from Skepasti in Evia, and she prayed to him saying: "Saint David, I don't know who you are, I beg you, however, make my child Agatha well." That night she saw a monk on a mountain, with the appearance of the Saint depicted in the icon on the outer door of the monastery, and he told her: "Your child will become well. Come to my house. I am waiting for you." She asked him: "Who are you that can make my child well?" The Saint replied to her: "The one you called upon a little while ago, Venerable David."
These things were narrated by the mother of Agatha herself, at a pilgrimage to the monastery on 5 April 1979, when she came to thank the Saint, whose child at that time had gone two and a half years without suffering an epileptic seizure and feeling completely well.
5. Constantine Basdekis and his wife from Malesina of Locris in Calabria, Italy were in great distress, because they were unable to have children. The children would be born, but shortly after birth they would die. One night the wife saw in her sleep a monk who told her she was pregnant and will give birth to a girl. When she asked who he was, the monk replied: "I am Venerable David from Evia. I will help you in the birth of your girl, who you will name Davidoula. You will bring her to be baptized in my house and there she will commune of the Immaculate Mysteries for the first time. Do not hesitate to say what I have done for you, wherever you are."
The words of the Elder were fulfilled to the letter in 1958.
6. Many vacationers at Lake Evia, when they learn that the Monastery of Venerable David the Elder is only a few kilometers away, come up and venerate the Elder.
Paraskevi Grigoriadou (from Eugeniou Karavia 60, Kato Patisia) was also a vacationer who went to venerate the Saint and saw clearly his visitation after fervently praying to him with tears, during which she asked the Saint to relieve her of otitis which tormented her for years. This is how the miracle took place: Being tired, the pilgrim went to the cell of the hostel to rest. There she fell asleep and saw the door of her cell open and a monk enter who gave her his cassock to wear. She took it and put it on. Then she woke up completely well. The blessed cassock of the Saint had healed her. This reminds us of the "handkerchiefs" and "aprons" of the Apostles, which contained wonderworking grace, so that those who were sick and touched them with faith were healed (Acts. 19:12).
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
