Miracles do happen-Always Respond with Love

Fr. Dimitrios Moraitis

You may remember a while back I introduced a book and was quite excited to give a brief review.  Well, the author of that book, who is an incredible person has had such an incredible experience. 

A miracle.  


We learned of it shortly after Christmas, but I waited to share it. I waited, why? I thought to respect the people it involved, to wait for the right time? When is that?  The first time I  heard about it was on a personal account, shared by husband who had spoken with Father during the holidays and I cried. Then I read the story below and I cried again. My husband shared it with our community, guess what, it made me cry once more. Then yesterday, I heard the interview Fr. Dimitri gave on OCN, I thank Presvytera Candace for bringing it to my attention in her post.  You would think that after this much time and knowing the story it wouldn't affect me. But, hearing it once more, I was filled with gratitude and hope and overwhelmed with how much we are all loved.  No matter what pain we have to persevere, we must continue to praise the Lord. So, when is the perfect time to share God's love or when we are blessed to experience it outright. Is it just in the Christmas season, Pascha/Easter, Valentine's? I think you see where I'm headed with this? 

Anytime is the right time, it is all about responding with love. Forgive the time it took to share this. Truly do not miss this. A miracle happened and they happen everyday.

We may not always hear about them, so don't miss the chance.
Share the Day, 

It has been shared on Orthodox Thought for the Day,
 which is a beautiful resource and somehow Presvytera always knows what I need that day.
If you haven't signed up to receive her emails, 
it is a bright point daily.

Here is an audio link interview with OCN of Father Dimitri Moraitis,
describing what he has written below 
and shared on his Facebook and through personal discussions. 

GOD IS GREAT! GLORY TO GOD!

The following, is written by Fr. Dimitri Moraitis,

Priest of the Saint Paraskevi Shrine Church in Greenlawn, NY.

God is truly wondrous in His saints!

He was wearing dark glasses and had a walking stick. His wife was also by his side. I introduced myself and he wanted to know if I was the priest at the Greek Church in Greenlawn, and I said I was. He wanted to come by earlier that week to ask permission to walk his new guide dog in our parking lot. The high school next-door had told him that he could no longer walk his dog on their property, because he was an insurance liability. So of course I said it wouldn't be a problem. I gave him my card and told him that when he comes to walk his dog to please be sure to come inside so that I could read a prayer over him and anoint him with the holy water from the Shrine of St. Paraskevi. He said he would love to. A few days later he emailed me and asked if I would be willing to hear his confession as well. I told him that I would. When he came and began telling me about his tragic and sad life, I cried. For those two hours I listened to him so intensely, that I felt as I was with him, living it with him. It seemed that every evil conceivable that could've come upon this man came upon him from his childhood, to his parents, to his first wife. After he finished his confession I wanted to read some type of prayer over him and he insisted on kneeling. As I put my hand on his head some vibration came through my head into my right hand and on top of his head, causing him to shutter. I've heard hundreds upon hundreds of confessions and this has never happened to me. We cried together knowing that we were both touch by something supernatural. We got up and both went down to the shrine and I read the prayer of healing over him and then he began to wash his face with the holy water as if he was in a sink basin. As he got up he began to look to his left and said there is a woman here as he looked at the icon of St. Paraskevi. He then turned to my face and he look at me in an odd way and he said "you have light brown eyes. I have not seen a color in seven years, I can see your light brown eyes." He then proceeded to tell me everything that was around the grotto shrine and I started crying, he started crying, even his wife was crying. This man had absolutely zero vision in his right eye and could barely see shadows in his left as a result of being exposed to chemicals as a rescue diver for the fire department. That afternoon he emailed me again saying that he was in his backyard, not only able to see the different colors of the cars that were passing by, but being able to make out each make of car as well. The next morning he came back to church and placed his glasses on top of the relics of St. Paraskevi. He walked down the stairs to the shrine, this time without a walking stick or his guide dog. He didn't even need to use the handrail, he simply walked down. He has been at church every morning, even staying for every liturgy. I told him, that he has helped open up my spiritual eyes to a vision that I haven't seen in many years. And perhaps in my heart of hearts I think that I've been more healed then he has. This happened on November 18, and today his eyesight is better than mine. Glory be to God!