A [Greek] university professor had a serious heart attack. He went to the doctors to be examined and they told him that his condition is serious and nothing can be done. "You are doomed," they told him.
He, meanwhile, had a brother in America who called him and said:
"Come and let the doctors see you here."
So he goes to America, and the doctors there repeated to him what the doctors in Greece had told him.
Only one heart surgeon told him:
"Look, we can do a very risky operation, which if it succeeds you can be saved, but if it doesn't work, you may stay in the operating room. Do you want to do it?"
He said, "I am at a loss, let's do it."
So, on the eve of the surgery, he pleaded in his prayer with some indignation and with some anger:
"Father Porphyrios and Father Iakovos, have you now decided to forsake me?
(He knew both Elder Porphyrios and Elder Iakovos Tsalikes while they were alive, though this incident took place after their repose and before their canonization.)
And so with this conversation he fell asleep and as he slept or when he woke up, I don't know exactly how it happened, he sees Father Porphyrios and Father Iakovos together.
They said to him:
"What happened?"
"Well, now I need you."
"Don't worry, everything will be fine."
The next day the operation took place and the doctor told him:
"From anything else you will die, except from the heart!"
Source: From a homily of Protopresbyter Christodoulos Hatzithanasis, and included in the 2017 book Σύγχρονες Οσιακές Μορφές. Translation by John Sanidopoulos.
He, meanwhile, had a brother in America who called him and said:
"Come and let the doctors see you here."
So he goes to America, and the doctors there repeated to him what the doctors in Greece had told him.
Only one heart surgeon told him:
"Look, we can do a very risky operation, which if it succeeds you can be saved, but if it doesn't work, you may stay in the operating room. Do you want to do it?"
He said, "I am at a loss, let's do it."
So, on the eve of the surgery, he pleaded in his prayer with some indignation and with some anger:
"Father Porphyrios and Father Iakovos, have you now decided to forsake me?
(He knew both Elder Porphyrios and Elder Iakovos Tsalikes while they were alive, though this incident took place after their repose and before their canonization.)
And so with this conversation he fell asleep and as he slept or when he woke up, I don't know exactly how it happened, he sees Father Porphyrios and Father Iakovos together.
They said to him:
"What happened?"
"Well, now I need you."
"Don't worry, everything will be fine."
The next day the operation took place and the doctor told him:
"From anything else you will die, except from the heart!"
Source: From a homily of Protopresbyter Christodoulos Hatzithanasis, and included in the 2017 book Σύγχρονες Οσιακές Μορφές. Translation by John Sanidopoulos.
