Nun Ekaterina Embraelindze recalls the following incident that she witnessed with Saint Gabriel the Fool for Christ in Georgia:
Once Father Gabriel was sitting next to the chapel, on a chair. At that time a rather beautiful woman arrived, with painted eyes and wearing trousers.
As soon as she saw the Elder, she sat on his lap and began to kiss him:
"Father Gabriel, how beautiful you are! How I like you! I will come back to see you," she told him.
Petrified by our surprise, we asked ourselves: "What could have motivated this girl to such obscene behavior?"
Father Gabriel had his eyes fixed on the sky and did not utter a word. The girl's behavior seemed like a joke and incomprehensible to us nuns. We thought that someone had sent her specifically for this purpose. The Elder remained this way for some time speechless, listening to her nonsense.
Suddenly, he looked at her and said:
"Yes, Makvala! Come again."
When she heard her name, the woman, probably from her excitement, redoubled the hugs and kisses. Then, as if coming to her senses, she jumped up from the Elder's lap, looked around, then slowly began to walk away and quickly exited the chapel.
We were thinking that Makvala would come the next day and the same scene would be repeated. Indeed, she came. But something wonderful had happened. This woman had nothing to do with the one we met the day before. She was wearing a long black dress and a headscarf. Her eyes were not painted, only red from crying.
She went up to the Elder's cell:
"Father Gabriel, I know you will not open the door for me, I know I will never see you again. Forgive me for my behavior yesterday. I know what you did to me: You raised me from the death I was in! Thank you for everything!"
Seeing all that was happening before us, we were moved and wept for quite some time. Overnight a woman repented and was completely transformed. At that time we could not understand that Father Gabriel secretly healed this woman.
Let me note one more important detail. On the second day, before Makvala came to the monastery again, the Elder suddenly got up and went into his cell. As if he saw her coming and avoided meeting her. Whereas the day before, when Makvala left, the Elder immediately got up and locked himself in his cell. He didn't accept anyone. Kneeling and with tears, he prayed before the icon of the Mother of God for this soul.
Source: From the book Άγιος Γαβριήλ ο διά Χριστόν σαλός και ομολογητής. Translation by John Sanidopoulos.
Once Father Gabriel was sitting next to the chapel, on a chair. At that time a rather beautiful woman arrived, with painted eyes and wearing trousers.
As soon as she saw the Elder, she sat on his lap and began to kiss him:
"Father Gabriel, how beautiful you are! How I like you! I will come back to see you," she told him.
Petrified by our surprise, we asked ourselves: "What could have motivated this girl to such obscene behavior?"
Father Gabriel had his eyes fixed on the sky and did not utter a word. The girl's behavior seemed like a joke and incomprehensible to us nuns. We thought that someone had sent her specifically for this purpose. The Elder remained this way for some time speechless, listening to her nonsense.
Suddenly, he looked at her and said:
"Yes, Makvala! Come again."
When she heard her name, the woman, probably from her excitement, redoubled the hugs and kisses. Then, as if coming to her senses, she jumped up from the Elder's lap, looked around, then slowly began to walk away and quickly exited the chapel.
We were thinking that Makvala would come the next day and the same scene would be repeated. Indeed, she came. But something wonderful had happened. This woman had nothing to do with the one we met the day before. She was wearing a long black dress and a headscarf. Her eyes were not painted, only red from crying.
She went up to the Elder's cell:
"Father Gabriel, I know you will not open the door for me, I know I will never see you again. Forgive me for my behavior yesterday. I know what you did to me: You raised me from the death I was in! Thank you for everything!"
Seeing all that was happening before us, we were moved and wept for quite some time. Overnight a woman repented and was completely transformed. At that time we could not understand that Father Gabriel secretly healed this woman.
Let me note one more important detail. On the second day, before Makvala came to the monastery again, the Elder suddenly got up and went into his cell. As if he saw her coming and avoided meeting her. Whereas the day before, when Makvala left, the Elder immediately got up and locked himself in his cell. He didn't accept anyone. Kneeling and with tears, he prayed before the icon of the Mother of God for this soul.
Source: From the book Άγιος Γαβριήλ ο διά Χριστόν σαλός και ομολογητής. Translation by John Sanidopoulos.
