Experiences during the Divine Liturgy

I've been reading this book for the last couple of months and i'd like to share one of its stories with all of you..

Taken from The book"Experiences during the Divine Liturgy
-Protopresbyter Stephanos K. Anagnostopoulos

Why do we use olive oil?

So that we would be reminded of the night when Jesus prayed in the garden of olives.
The Lord prayed in the garden of Gethsemane where an oil grove was situated.

The following is a true story that is directly connected to the vigil lamp...

On the 24th of March 1942,the eve of the annunciation,we were in the Northern part of Greece,
in my hometown called Drama.
It was then under bulgarian occupation.
Deprivation,disease and famine had reached dreadful proportions and death was decimating both
young and old,especially children,on a daily basis.
Amongst my relatives was a distant aunt who was a widow with five children.
Her husband had been killed by the conquerors six months previously during the 29th of September 1941 massacre.
As far as food was concerned,there remained a very small amount of olive oil and a handful of
corn flour.
Hence,that evening she thought that the following day,that of the Annunciation,she had at least very little food for the children, one hundred grams of flour and very little oil.
Suddenly,her eyes fell on the snuffed out vigil lamp which hanged in front of the icon stand.
At that point she was faced with a dilemma:Should the oil be given to the hungry children or
remain in the icon stand with the icon of the Annunciation?

Nevertheless,with a sense of determination she made the sign of the Cross and told the All-Holy Mother of God:My All-Holy Mother!
I shall light the vigil lamp because the day which is breaking is of great significance to our faith;
however,You take care and feed my children".

She took the very little amount of oil and lit the oil-candle of the All-Holy One.
Its joyous light illuminated the shabby home and her heart was filled with serenity.
This sense of serenity accompanied them in their nightly prayer,their sleep and throughout
that unforgettable night.
The next day,after the Divine Liturgy,my aunt opened the kitchen cupboard in order to get the meagre flour and she remained speechless.
What does she see?
The" oilcan" filled with oil all the way to the top,as well as two bagfuls of flour and spaghetti!

The woman made the sign of the Cross many times,praising and thanking God and the Theotokos for this great miracle,but did not say a word to anyone.

For two years the oil never emptied from the bottle nor did the flour,although the six-member family used it on a daily basis in order to exchange it with other types of food and for charity which was done in secrecy.
However,the vigil lamp since then remained lit day and night,revealing the blessed woman's
strong faith with its everlasting light.

This book is filled with amazing true stories like this one.
i will try to post others if you wish.

Here's another one from the same book..

The following didactic story attests to something which is relevant....

There once lived a most devout priest;(this incident was narrated to me by the blessed departed Gerondas(Spiritual Elder)Gabriel,
who for a great period of time was the abbott at the Holy Monastery of Dionysios on Mount Athos).
Even though he barely knew how to read and write,he was a priest,a clergyman of strong faith,great virtue and of
many spiritual struggles.
He used to stand up-right for hours during the Proskomedia,despite the fact that the veins of his feet had been affected and were hemorrhaging.
There were times when one could see the blood running down since he was standing up-right commemorating
the names of numerous people.
He was a man of sacrifice to his last breath,in fact,his soul departed just after the Divine Liturgy.

As he barely knew how to read and write,by some misunderstanding,he did not place the portions on the Holy Diskos properly.
When we place the portion of the All-Holy Theotokos on top of the Holy Diskos,we say;
The Queen stood at thy right hand..."
The Gerondas(elder) priest was under the impression that,since he said"at thy right hand",
the portion of the All-Holy Mother of God must be placed on the right side of the Lamb(as he was looking at the Holy Diskos)
in other words,he was placing the portions backwards.

Once a heirarch visited the Holy Monastery for the ordination of a deacon.
During the Psalms of Praise when the heirarch enters the Holy Altar,he vests,then later goes to the Proskomedia,
which has already been prepared up to a certain point,from then on he alone,is the first one to continue commemorating.

Thus,the archpriest noticed that the portions had been placed backwards by the priest.
-You did not place the pieces properly,father,he told him.
Father,come here for a minute.
The All Holy Theotokos is placed over here and the Orders are placed over there.
Hasn't anyone told you,hasn't anyone seen how you do the Proskomedia?

-Certainly,Your Eminence replied the geronda(elder)Priest.
Everyday,when i celebrate(for a day did not go by unless he celebrated the Divine Liturgy),
the Angel who serves me sees what i am doing but does not tell me anything at all.
I apologize,illiterate as i am,for making such a mistake;i will be careful from now on.
-Who did you say?
Who did you say serves you here?
Asked the Bishop.
Isn't he a monk who serves you?
-No,answered the priest,an Angel of the Lord.
The Bishop fell silent,what could he have said,anyway?
He was astonished and had certainly realized that a holy priest was standing before him.

At noon,following the meal in the trapeza(refectory of a monastery or parish community),
the Bishop said goodbye to the Abbott as well as the rest of the monks,and departed.
The following day,as it was still night,when the geronda(elder)priest went to the Holy Altar in
order to hold the Proskomedia,the Angel of the Lord came down.
During the act of breaking the Lamb,the Angel noticed that the priest had placed the portions properly.
-Fine,he told him,father!
Now you have placed them properly!
-Yes,you knew the mistake i have been making for so many years!
And why didn't you tell me anything,why didn't you correct me?He asked.
I could see it,but i do not have the right to tell you anything.
I am not worthy to correct a priest.
God,the Angel continued,commands me to serve the priest.
Only a bishop has the right to correct you!!

And all day long we condemn priests,we judge them,we are busy gossiping about not only them but also about
so many other things.
Therefore,let us be careful from now on whenever we talk about a priest no matter who he is.

Here's a short one...

The Holy Spear.

With the Holy Spear we make exactly the same symbolic movement with that of the soldier who pierced the side of
Christ's Holy Body on the Cross,we say;one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side,and forthwith came there out
blood and water",as we pour wine and water inside the Holy Cup.
At this point it is worth mentioning Saint Theodosius of Argos' true story...

This Saint in particular celebrated the Divine Liturgy only once.
On the first day he became a deacon,on the second day a priest,and on the third day he performed the Liturgy for the first time.
When it was time to "pierce" the Holy Bread with the Holy Spear,he saw,right before his eyes,himself as a soldier with a sharp
spear piercing the Holy Body of the Lord as Blood and Water were coming out of His side.

No one will ever find out how terrified he must have been(this will remain unknown)when he poured wine and water inside the Holy Cup!
He was indeed captivated by Divine fear so much so that when he had completed the Divine Liturgy he never celebrated it again.

ArmyMatt said:

there is a story with Elder Cleopa of Romania that one time he was serving the Liturgy when he was living as a recluse and he had no choir. as he approached the time for the Cherubic Hymn, he heard a voice behind him tell him that he has his choir. Elder Cleopa looked around and birds with crosses on their heads descended and started singing the Cherubic Hymn, and then vanished when the Liturgy was over.

Click to expand...

There is a similar story concerning birds during The Divine Liturgy in the book i'm reading.
When i find it i'll post it.

Here's another story...

He touched the Blood of Christ...

Father Anthony Tsigas was a priest at the Church of Prophet Elijah in the area of Kastella located
in Piraeus(Greece).,When the deceased Metropolitan of Piraeus,Chrysostom Tavladorakis was still alive.

One Saturday morning,as Father Anthony was performing the Divine Liturgy he reached the point where he had to Consecrate the Holy Gifts.
As he was on bent knees saying the Prayer,his hands were leaning on the Holy Table.
During the moment when he was about to get up in order to bless the Precious Gifts,a drop of Blood falls on his hand from up high;in fact, It spattered him!!

He was in a state of terror when he saw It!!Terrified as he was,he was looking at It and then he was captured by holy awe,fear;he was ecstatic and astonished,in other words he experienced various mixed, incomprehensible feelings that could not of course be described by
Father Anthony.
As soon as he got up he did not know what to do!.
He licked the Blood of Christ.....he did not know what had come over him.
Nevertheless,the Grace of our Holy God,after this miracle,made him look at the Holy Chalice only to realize that it was empty!

He had forgotten to fill it with wine.
Next,when he looked at the Body he saw that It was in fact unpierced.
That is to say,he had not completed the Holy Proskomedia.

The chanter continued chanting"We hymn thee,we bless Thee..."the priest told him to continue with a nod
(there were not as many people since it was Saturday),he took the Holy Spear,pierced the Holy Bread and said;
one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear,and at once there came out blood and water".
Afterwards he filled the Holy Cup,then poured the wine and water,as usual,blessed it,made the sign of the Cross and after having completed
all this,he was on bent knees once again in order to read the consecration Prayer,got up blessed the Precious Gifts and our All Holy God transformed the bread and wine-the way it is always done every time there is
a Divine Liturgy-into the Body and Blood of Christ.
Following the Consecration and the end of the Divine Liturgy,he consumed the Holy Cup cleaning it entirely.

Immediately after the Divine Liturgy which was held on a Saturday,he told Metropolitan Chrysostom all about his experience.
The latter then took Father Anthony's hand so that he could smell it.
It had an inexpressible sweet-smelling savor!!
He took it and started kissing it many times.
-My Bishop!Says Father Anthony.
-I am not kissing your own hand he said,even though it should also be kissed,for you are a Celebrant of the Most High.
It does not matter if you are a priest and I a bishop.
I have touched in you hand the Blood of God,the Blood of God!!!!!

I recall that after Father Anthony's falling asleep the bishop narrated the story to me.
Since the bishop was very expressive,he stood up and said;

-Father Stephanos,the BLOOD OF CHRIST!!
and started crying!
All this takes place during the Divine Liturgy!!


Christ is not hidden in the Precious Gifts(He is not concealed or simply
found inside,nor is bread and wine mere symbols of the Body and Blood of Christ,as the Protestants claim)moreover,it is not a simple but a mystical union of each believer's soul with Jesus Christ.No! i could shout a thousand
times;no!
In the real and true Conversion Christ and only Christ is present!
That is why we say "we eat and drink"and thus we become of one Body,
of one Blood as well as Christ bearers and we are along with Jesus Christ whom we receive in us,of one body and of one blood.
We have the God-man Lord Jesus Christ "who abides in us together with the Father and the Holy Spirit",as Saint Basil the Great confirms in one of
his Liturgical Prayers.
As a matter of fact,our eyes might see the bread and wine and our tongue
taste the bread and wine however,things are not the way they seem.
I will dare say there are many who have not chewed,eaten,and swallowed
bread and wine but the Body and Blood,the Flesh and Blood of Christ,which is followed by an endless exaltation of their soul and generally a psychosomatic transformation which can only be made possible through
the Holy Spirit.
From the moment the Holy Spirit comes down upon us and celebrates the Most Immaculate Mystery,what we see and taste before us is what we actually believe in,what we venerate,what we worship,the true and real deified Body and Blood of Christ!