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| St. Iakovos processing with the skull of Venerable David |
The following interview with Saint Iakovos Tsalikes is an excerpt from a recorded interview on the radio station of the Church of Greece conducted by Protopresbyter Fr. Constantine Stratigopoulos.
Fr. Iakovos: One day they will be resurrected, my Fr. Constantine, according to the will and command of God, as our Christ also told us: "and everyone will be resurrected." And those bare bones that gush forth healings, within which sacred relics lived or lives an immortal soul, no matter how much they rot in the soil and in the earth, one day these relics and these bones will come to life, Fr. Constantine, and they will be resurrected and presented again to the Master Christ as, forgive me, we were at first but also with the body, and these relics will come to life.
Fr. Constantine: Fr. Iakovos, you have there the relics of Venerable David. Can you tell us a few things about the energy that come from these relics?
Fr. Iakovos: Fr. Constantine, you see the holy relics of Venerable David as bare bones. They gush forth healings and cure every bad disease, like so many things we see nowadays, what I told you before of Saint David but also of Saint John the Russian.
My Fr. Constantine, Venerable David here, his relics, have miraculous power, because in them dwelt the immortal soul and dwelt, my Father, dwells, the Holy Spirit also. Therefore, they do many miracles when we cross someone with his holy head. He heals from the heart, the many people who come to the monastery in pain, from cancer, from various bad and difficult diseases, and he heals, my Father, every bad disease. And we see that in these bones, these holy relics, dwells, my Father, the grace of God and the Holy Spirit, Fr. Constantine. And the Saint is very miraculous and the Saints always do their miracles when we also have faith in God. As our Christ says, "do you have faith in God, then ask and it shall be given." The grace of the saints is alive, my Father, and sacred relics have miraculous power and give, my Father, healings and give, my Father, sanctification both in the body and in the soul of man.
Fr. Constantine: Fr. Iakovos, thank you very much for what you told us about the holy relics and I do not know if you had anything else to tell our listeners. How they should feel in front of relics and how they can be found worthy of their healing grace and blessing.
Fr. Iakovos: Fr. Constantine, the holy relics have grace from God. You see, they were also people on earth, but as the divine John the Russian had said a few days ago, that "they think I sleep in the coffin, dead and asleep or am just dead. But I am alive," forgive me, "and Christians think that they see that I sleep and they do not consider. But listen to what I tell you, my Father," he said, "there is a lot of sin in the world, a lot of impiety and a lot of unbelief." That is why, my Fr. Constantine, St. John the Russian had said - I do not say it because I am, forgive me, I see fantasies - but my Father, the divine John the Russian said, that there must be a war, because my Father, there is a lot sin in the world.
You see, my Fr. Constantine, that the war, floods, disasters, so many evils had been declared here in Evia. But his grace is very great. "Christians think I sleep in the coffin. I always see them and while my body is inside, I often go out." The Saint was, my Fr. Constantine, outside the coffin and said, "they do not see me, I see them and I hear what they say." Again, my Fr. Constantine, he entered his coffin and lay down like a man. For, my Father, these relics of our saints have eternal life. And in these bones, in these dead things, which we call dead, Fr. Constantine, there is life immortal, and the Spirit, my Father, and the immortal soul.
Fr. Constantine: Fr. Iakovos, Christ is Risen and we thank you very much for everything.
Fr. Iakovos: My Fr. Constantine, come to us so we may see you.
Fr. Constantine: Pray that we come soon.
Fr. Iakovos: We thank you very much, Fr. Constantine, however, my Fr. Constantine, sacred relics have healing grace, bare bones gush forth healings and cure every bad disease and everyone in pain. Because we see, my Fr. Constantine, a little while ago,... now I may be tiring you....
Fr. Constantine: No, I want to hear a lot from you.
Fr. Iakovos: A while ago there was a young man from the Saint's homeland, Lokrida, and this young man waited four days in the monastery and he tells me, 'Father,' he tells me, 'what good does the Church do? I went,' he says, 'to the Church for twenty-five years, where I stayed for a short while and left. Here, my Father, I sat for three days in your monastery and, my Father, we sit throughout the Liturgy, but what nice letters my Father,' he says. 'God and Saint David will dwell in my body,' he says. And we saw the repentance of this man, of the young man, my Fr. Constantine, we saw his repentance, and immediately you see, the seed fell on good ground and the good word. And we rejoice, my Fr. Constantine, because aching souls and people with sins and mistakes come and become from old people to new people.
And thank you very much for your love, that you listened to me, my Fr. Constantine.
Fr. Constantine: Of course, of course, and to you as well.
Fr. Iakovos: Thank you very much and be well, I wish you good strength. With wellness may you come to the Holy Monastery, and with wellness may you always serve your flock there and teach the word of truth.
Fr. Iakovos: One day they will be resurrected, my Fr. Constantine, according to the will and command of God, as our Christ also told us: "and everyone will be resurrected." And those bare bones that gush forth healings, within which sacred relics lived or lives an immortal soul, no matter how much they rot in the soil and in the earth, one day these relics and these bones will come to life, Fr. Constantine, and they will be resurrected and presented again to the Master Christ as, forgive me, we were at first but also with the body, and these relics will come to life.
Fr. Constantine: Fr. Iakovos, you have there the relics of Venerable David. Can you tell us a few things about the energy that come from these relics?
Fr. Iakovos: Fr. Constantine, you see the holy relics of Venerable David as bare bones. They gush forth healings and cure every bad disease, like so many things we see nowadays, what I told you before of Saint David but also of Saint John the Russian.
My Fr. Constantine, Venerable David here, his relics, have miraculous power, because in them dwelt the immortal soul and dwelt, my Father, dwells, the Holy Spirit also. Therefore, they do many miracles when we cross someone with his holy head. He heals from the heart, the many people who come to the monastery in pain, from cancer, from various bad and difficult diseases, and he heals, my Father, every bad disease. And we see that in these bones, these holy relics, dwells, my Father, the grace of God and the Holy Spirit, Fr. Constantine. And the Saint is very miraculous and the Saints always do their miracles when we also have faith in God. As our Christ says, "do you have faith in God, then ask and it shall be given." The grace of the saints is alive, my Father, and sacred relics have miraculous power and give, my Father, healings and give, my Father, sanctification both in the body and in the soul of man.
Fr. Constantine: Fr. Iakovos, thank you very much for what you told us about the holy relics and I do not know if you had anything else to tell our listeners. How they should feel in front of relics and how they can be found worthy of their healing grace and blessing.
Fr. Iakovos: Fr. Constantine, the holy relics have grace from God. You see, they were also people on earth, but as the divine John the Russian had said a few days ago, that "they think I sleep in the coffin, dead and asleep or am just dead. But I am alive," forgive me, "and Christians think that they see that I sleep and they do not consider. But listen to what I tell you, my Father," he said, "there is a lot of sin in the world, a lot of impiety and a lot of unbelief." That is why, my Fr. Constantine, St. John the Russian had said - I do not say it because I am, forgive me, I see fantasies - but my Father, the divine John the Russian said, that there must be a war, because my Father, there is a lot sin in the world.
You see, my Fr. Constantine, that the war, floods, disasters, so many evils had been declared here in Evia. But his grace is very great. "Christians think I sleep in the coffin. I always see them and while my body is inside, I often go out." The Saint was, my Fr. Constantine, outside the coffin and said, "they do not see me, I see them and I hear what they say." Again, my Fr. Constantine, he entered his coffin and lay down like a man. For, my Father, these relics of our saints have eternal life. And in these bones, in these dead things, which we call dead, Fr. Constantine, there is life immortal, and the Spirit, my Father, and the immortal soul.
Fr. Constantine: Fr. Iakovos, Christ is Risen and we thank you very much for everything.
Fr. Iakovos: My Fr. Constantine, come to us so we may see you.
Fr. Constantine: Pray that we come soon.
Fr. Iakovos: We thank you very much, Fr. Constantine, however, my Fr. Constantine, sacred relics have healing grace, bare bones gush forth healings and cure every bad disease and everyone in pain. Because we see, my Fr. Constantine, a little while ago,... now I may be tiring you....
Fr. Constantine: No, I want to hear a lot from you.
Fr. Iakovos: A while ago there was a young man from the Saint's homeland, Lokrida, and this young man waited four days in the monastery and he tells me, 'Father,' he tells me, 'what good does the Church do? I went,' he says, 'to the Church for twenty-five years, where I stayed for a short while and left. Here, my Father, I sat for three days in your monastery and, my Father, we sit throughout the Liturgy, but what nice letters my Father,' he says. 'God and Saint David will dwell in my body,' he says. And we saw the repentance of this man, of the young man, my Fr. Constantine, we saw his repentance, and immediately you see, the seed fell on good ground and the good word. And we rejoice, my Fr. Constantine, because aching souls and people with sins and mistakes come and become from old people to new people.
And thank you very much for your love, that you listened to me, my Fr. Constantine.
Fr. Constantine: Of course, of course, and to you as well.
Fr. Iakovos: Thank you very much and be well, I wish you good strength. With wellness may you come to the Holy Monastery, and with wellness may you always serve your flock there and teach the word of truth.