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| Elder Philotheos Zervakos praying to the Panagia of the Life-Giving Spring in Longovarda |
By Elder Philotheos Zervakos
In order to conclude the innumerable miracles of our Lady the Theotokos of the Life-Giving Spring, we cite here also the following miracles performed in the Sacred Monastery of Longovarda, before the Life-Giving Spring, in these days.
1. In the first days of the past forty-day fast, of the year 1927, a villager from the village of the island known as Lefkes, whose name is George Rangousis, came here. He begged me for him to bring his 18-year-old son Demetrios to our Sacred Monastery, suffering from paralysis of all his body parts and unable to walk. I, having unwavering faith in the unfailing help of the Theotokos and in the multitude of Her infinite miracles, said to the man: "Go, bring your son to the Monastery, and have faith and hope that the All-Immaculate Lady, the Life-Giving Spring, will heal him." Going from there to the village, he brought his son, for whom we began to repeat the prayers of Basil the Great and Sacred Chrysostom, anointing him with oil from the vigil lamp of the icon of the Theotokos of the Life-Giving Spring. O the miracle! After a few days of his sojourn inside, the one who was unable to stand on his feet beforehand now began to walk freely, praising and blessing God and the All-Praised Theotokos, the Life-Giving Spring, who provided him with healing, soul and body. He is now in our Monastery working in the shoemaker's shop (he happens to be a shoemaker) and he will leave for his homeland to the joy and gladness of his parents, who have spent a lot on doctors for the treatment of their son without benefit.
2. Other miracles of the Life-Giving Spring are reported to have happened in our Sacred Monastery of Longovarda. We see in the record of the Monastery from the year 1669 on April 6, it is mentioned that the sister of the Holy Abbot and founder of the Monastery, Joachim Palaiologos, whose name was Marina A. Raphos, was in danger that came from a serious illness, and seeing her health restored by the Lady of the Spring of Longovarda, she dedicated to her a field in the Palaiopyrgon, in order that she be commemorated in the Prothesis.
Miracle 3