St Panteleimon, Thessaloniki, Greece
When I pray, I always commend my family to St Panteleimon. Every time I go to Thessaloniki, Greece, I like to go to the Church of St Panteleimon and just sit there and pray alone while the caretaker of the temple does her work. She lets me stay for as long as I want. I have always believed that the saint listens to my prayers. This past winter, St Panteleimon saved the lives of my mother Maria, brother Abnel and sister-in-law Ruth.
They are Protestants and live in the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico. I am the only Orthodox Christian in my family and I live in WA state. On Saturday, December 27, 2008 my mother and siblings were driving back home from my sister Ivette's house. It was close to midnight, when all of a sudden, the river flash-flooded and washed over the road level flushing their car into a very deep precipice. The car rolled over several times ending upside down and totally destroyed. My mother was not wearing her seatbelt. The only thing she did during the accident was to say; "Glory to God" continuously. The car's descent was stopped by a tree and as soon as my brother and his wife were able, they got out of the car. My mother was not able to get out but everyone seemed to be fine.
It took 8 men and heavy equipment to extricate my mother out of the car. They were all sent by ambulance to the hospital but when they were all examined, they were perfectly OK! They did not have a scratch on their bodies, no bleeding, nothing!
Everyone that sees the destroyed car, and the precipice cannot fathom how my family is alive.
My sister tells me that before my family was taken to the hospital, my brother and sister-in-law stayed by the car waiting for help to come. They did not want to move my mother because she could have been hurt if moved inappropiately.
While they were waiting for help, a man came out of nowhere and walked straight to my mother and told her; "God is protecting you, I am here to stay with you until help comes, do not worry, God is with you". This man was not a paramedic. The ambulance was not even at the site yet.
All the man did was hold my mother's hand and comfort her until the ambulance came. To this day, no one knows who this man is. He was not seen again after my mother was placed in the ambulance. And my mother talks a lot about this man, and the feeling she had in her heart while he was with her.
While my sister was talking to me, the name of St Panteleimon was constantly in my mind and for many days all I could think was that the saint saved my family. I have an inner assurance of this that is hard to describe. I know St Panteleimon saved my family. Glory be to God who is glorified in His saints!
Troparion to St Panteleimon
O holy passion-bearer and healer Panteleimon, entreat our merciful God, that He grant our souls remission of transgressions.
Megalynarion
We magnify thee, O holy Passion-bearer, great martyr and healer Panteleimon, and we honor thy precious sufferings, which thou didst endure for Christ.
From the Menaion published by St John of Kronstadt Press, Liberty, TN
I do not understand how this can happen, but the appearances of such a man at critical accident sites and the resulting non-injury or at least non-fatality that occurs to potential victims, seem to form a pattern.
ReplyDeleteI recently heard of a very similar occurence that happened in Kansas City perhaps 20 years ago. A mall collapsed and a young woman was crushed under the structure, being near the edge, where she was visible in the rubble. Her body was so crushed in a doubled over position that her thighs and knees had broken her rib cage. A man came from nowhere and actually pulled her out. When the medics finally arrived, the man disappeared. After several years, the young woman, who was diagnosed not to recover, actually regained most of her abilities and was not crippled. She later met a Greek elder whom she identified as the man who had helped her and then disappeared. This is truly a strange story.
In the light of this, I would guess that Panteleimon could have been the man comforting your mother.
Interesting, I have been following your blog for a while now ... and today I have put your identity to your Monachos identity! Nice to meet the both of you ... as I said over there, this story truly does say - Glory to God!
ReplyDeleteSaying "Glory to God" continuously by your mother after the accident helped to save her life, as well as the lives of the other people in the car.
ReplyDeleteGod helps us when we genuinely ask Him to do so, and this is a good example of God's love.
God is glorified in His Saints!
ReplyDelete