When I was in Mount Athos, together with other holy fathers, many monks told me a good amount of occurrences, signs and miracles, of Elder Porphyrios.
So, when I was at New Skete (on Mount Athos), in 1983/1984, Elder Porphyrios was visiting Mount Athos and he remained a few days at Kafsokalivia.
And so, from the Skete which I resided in, together with three other young monks, we went by boat to Kafsokalivia, and we visited Elder Porphyrios. It was my first time meeting him at Kafsokalivia.
Back then, Gheronda still was feeling relatively well; he could walk, he could see. That was our first meeting.
Of course, everything that I had heard about him was always very much alive before our own eyes, and so a great desire to know him was engendered within me. Of course I was a young monk and I didn't have the courage to approach him, however God allowed it...
that I would go on to see him many more times, both here, at the monastery, and on Mount Athos; about two or three times.
I also spoke with him several times over the phone.
When I met him for the first time, he impressed me profoundly, because at the time I was very anxious over what he would say to us, and about how our first meeting would go...
So, we went to Kafsokalivia, and we climbed up to the cell where Gheronda was staying, and I caught a moment in which he was by himself. I went and did a prostration in front of him, I got his blessing, and he asked me three or four questions; which were exactly my points of confusion (concern).
I responded to the questions he asked me. And after the other fathers went to him as well, he told us that he could no longer speak with us because he was ill.
He urged us to return; to go back to the Skete.
We exited the cell and we sat down in the yard; a little off to the side. And a father from there came to us and he said, "Be a little patient, don't leave, because Gheronda might get better. He always gets a bit weakened, but after a little while he gets better and you can see him.
It's a shame because you have traveled so far, and it is unlikely you will see him again."
We were quite far away from the cell of the Elder, and it was impossible for him to hear what this monk had told us.
After this discussion, I heard someone calling out to the monk, telling him that Gheronda was calling him.
He went inside and he said to him, "Why did you tell the fathers to stay?"
"Tell them to leave, because the whether will turn bad, and they will not be able to leave later.
If they wait another two or three hours, a storm on the ocean will appear and they will not be able to leave."
And indeed! We were obedient and we returned to the Skete. Immediately after we arrived, the weather became very bad.
A storm appeared and it would have been very difficult for us to return, but it also would have been very difficult for us to remain there (with Saint Porphyrios).
This was the first time I met Elder Porphyrios.
As I told you, I saw him other times as well, including here at his monastery...
A significant thing for me (regarding Saint Porphyrios) happened when I was the Protos (the head of governmental affairs) in Mount Athos, in 1991/1992...
A day before the death of the Elder, I had a great concern in which I was unsure what to do, and I wanted to ask Gheronda about it.
The abbot of the Vatopedi Monastery, to which I belonged, decided according to the wish of Archbishop Chrysostomos of Cyprus, who passed away to the Lord, to send a group of Cypriot monks to repopulate some monasteries inCyprus.
The abbot chose me to be the leader of this group.
This saddened me greatly, because I did not want to leave Mount Athos. And I was trying to find some reasons with which I could convince my abbot to take back his decision.
Thus, I was trying to gain some support from other older monks from Mount Athos.
At the time, I was the Protos of Mount Athos and I knew Elder Porphyrios was staying at Kafsokalivia, and that his state of health was very poor.
Nevertheless, I prayed and I called him. A monk from there picked-up and said to me, "Father Protos, sadly Gheronda is on his death bed and he can not speak with you."
I told him, "Ok, Father! If it is so, I understand the situation; I will not insist!"
However, I heard the very weakened voice of the Elder asking who was calling.
The monk answered that it was Father Protos, and he asked to speak to me.
He told me, "Bless, Father Protos! What do you want?"
I answered, "Gheronda, I want to ask you something...
The abbot of my monastery gave me the obedience to go to Cyprus; to permanently settle at a monastery. I don't want to go, but I am asking for your holiness' opinion. What should I do?"
Gheronda told me the following, "Since your abbot told you to go, be obedient and go, and I will pray to the Virgin Mary, our Mother, to be always with you and to protect you!
Forgive me, I cannot speak any longer, I am dying!"
And the next day, he died!
I can say that this was the seal for my final decision; to be in obedience to my monastery, and then to find myself (to end up) in Cyprus.
I won't say something that I said, but rather I will say what Elder Paisios (the Athonite) said to me.
One afternoon, when I was together with Elder Paisios and I heard all the things he would say about Elder Porphyrios. Elder Paisios was speaking about all the great gifts which Elder Porphyrios possessed.
Then I said to him, "Gheronda, how is it possible that so many gifts, of foresight and of prophesies...
I have heard of the Fathers of our Church, who possessed similar gifts... But to such a great extent! It's very rare! On account of what is this the case?!"
And Elder Paisios told me the following, "I think it is on account of his great righteousness and the unspoken humility which he possesses.
I cannot describe Elder Porphyrios through my own words, but I believe that what Elder Paisios said is very important, as he himself knew of these gifts from personal experience, and it is not necessary for me to add anything to this.
The great righteousness and the unspoken humility of Elder Porphyrios became, according to the word of Elder Paisios, the overflowing grace which poured from his soul.
Living in the world, as a bishop, and confessing many people, as a spiritual father, and occupying myself with the work of shepherding the Church, I can confess that all the saints of our era were truly Elders who bore the Word of God,
and nobody can put one in first place (above the others), and another in second.
However, for our era, Elder Porphyrios truly is a great gift of the divine grace.
As I said earlier, he had so many precious gifts, and people lived (experienced) next to him intense spiritual experiences.
From the onset, I confess the great blessing it was for me to know him, but also the great responsibility which I feel on account of my unworthiness, because I met holy people, but I did not follow their example.
Let us pray that the Lord has mercy on us as well!
Let me give you a simple example:
One time, I tried to call him so that I could ask him to pray for our Elder Joseph; who was faced with a great health issue.
At the time, I was in Thessaloniki and I had acquired the number of the Elder.
I tried to call him multiple times, but he was not answering.
I found out that the Elder usually picked-up in the morning. And so, I woke up very early, and I called continuously, but he did not respond.
I thought to myself that I did not pray beforehand, and that is why he is not responding. And so, I decided to read the Akathist to the Virgin Mary.
I was calling as I was praying; to see what would happen.
At one point, while I was saying the Akathist and I was calling, being very anxious because we did not know what response to expect from him (that restlessness that someone feels when they meet such a holy person)...
I hear the phone being picked-up and I hear the voice of the Elder answering, "Rejoice, Bride Unwedded!"
He wanted to tell me that he knew what I was doing, and he asked me what I wanted.
And I told him about the great health issue of Elder Joseph, and he himself described to me the Elder's symptoms (he already knew).
He told me, "Don't be afraid, the Gheronda won't die! He will live many years!"
He told me some things he (Elder Joseph) should keep in mind, and I spoke with him for about half an hour on the phone.
He told me many things about our community, and about its evolution. After which, he blessed me and I hung up the phone.
It made a great impression on me the fact that he knew what I was doing at the time, even though he did not yet know me at the time.
It was a call from a completely unknown person.
Let me tell you something else.
I came here once, to Gheronda, around the time when I first had gone to the Monastery of Vatopedi.
We were among the first brethren to go there (Vatopedi at the time was an idiorrhythmic monastery).
And here, all of a sudden, we were put in front of a very difficult situation on account of the monastery being idiorrhythmic; it had a harsh way of life, but also one which was completely foreign to us.
The Elders that lived there, who were leading the monastery, were quite difficult (harsh), and for us it was quite difficult, because we were young.
Truly, those Elders made us suffer, they tired us out, not because they were bad people, but because we were helpless.
We did not know how to cope with the situation. Sometimes, between ourselves, the younger monks, when we would meet up, because we were very pressed about the situation of the monastery, I can say with shame that....
we would, in a way, laugh about them on account of the weird and peculiar opinions they possessed.
We did this so we could still joke a little and so that we could relax a bit, because we truly were in a very difficult situation
When I came to Gheronda, I told him to pray for us, because it was difficult for us at the monastery, with the elders.
The Elder told me, "You guys aren't doing well to laugh about your Elders! You should love them and pray for them!
You guys should overcome the temptations in the monastery through prayer and through your patience.
You guys should have patience and prayer! Love your Elders, and do not mock them!
Later on, God will entrust you guys with the monastery, and you will continue your lives there."
Here one can see the correct and practical way in which Gheronda responded to these Elders, who on the one hand were difficult people, but he also understood the fact that we were helpless and lacking in experience.
He showed us that we had to be very careful, despite the unpleasant things we were seeing we had to show love and respect for those people who maintained the monastery for so many years.
For us, this was a great consolation!