MIRACLES OF SAINT MINAS

“who is so great God as our God?” (Pslm. 77,13)

Porphyrius, an ascetic of our days, had said to his spiritual children that he will be more close to them after his death, because he won’t be amenable to the natural laws. So, Saint Minas has not stopped after his death helping and supporting the faithfuls.

We refer some of his many miracles.

A Christian from Constantinople went to St Minas festival and he had enough money on him. He found accommodation at a hotel. The hotel-owner was seized with greediness. Therefore, he killed the pilgrim, he quartered him and he put his limbs in a straw-bag. While he searched for a place to bury the straw-bag, in order that his crime doesn’t come to light, a mounted soldier arrived at the hotel and he asked him insistently where the pilgrim was. The hotel-owner assured him that he didn’t know anything and then the soldier, who was Saint Minas, got off the horse, he went into the hotel and he found the straw-bag. He looked black at the hotel-owner and he asked him who the dead man is. Then the murderer was horrified and he fell at the unknown to him horseman’s feet. Saint Minas fitted the limbs of the victim together, he prayed, he resurrected the dead pilgrim and he ordered him to praise God. The resurrected man looked as though he roused out of a deep sleep, he understood what had happened, he praised God and he bowed before Saint Minas. When the murderer rallied from the shock and he stood up, Saint Minas stung him for the stolen money, he restored it to the pilgrim and he ordered him to keep on his way. Then, he gave the hotel-owner a good beating, as he deserved it, he preached at him and he absolved him from his sin to complete the divine beneficence. After all these he rode on his horse and he disappeared. Then, the hotel-owner understood that the soldier was Saint Minas and this fact remind the experience of two Apostles, when they went to the village called Emmaus with the Lord Jesus (Luk. 24,13).

According to some publications a similar occurrence, namely a resurrection of a quartered dead man took place in 2004 and got a lot of publicity. We refer to the important piece of news which was published in newspapers, magazines and in the Internet. According to those publications the Virgin Mary resurrected a murdered Saudi Arabian Muslim trader who went to the Our Lady of Saydnaya Monastery in Syria.

(“Greek Orthodox Family” magazine, [108], p. 5-7, 10-11-12/2005, Ed. Foundation For Large Families, Athens, Greece)

Elder Paisios of Mount Athos writes in his biography about Hatzighiorghis the following: “Father George, the Hatzighiorghis, is a Saint of our time and a great one at that.” Elder Hatzighiorghis (1809-1886), “the great and famous ascetic” for a long time led the ascetic’s life on the Mount Athos. He dwelled in the cell of Saint Demetrius and Saint Minas in Kerasia. At the beginning he was a spiritual son of Papa-Neophytos and since 1848 he was the Elder of the brotherhood. “The Elder occupied himself with a needle-work and he swallowed by mistake a big needle. He prayed the Great Martyr Saint Minas. Saint Minas appeared before him and he dislodged the needle from his throat.”