Today we celebrate our Venerable Father Porphyrios of Kafsokalyvia. Elder Porphyrios was born in 1906 in Euboea to pious parents. He worked as a shepherd boy when he was eight years old and came across a booklet about Saint John the Hut-Dweller which he read with great difficulty as he was uneducated. Deeply touched by the life of the saint, at twelve years of age, he secretly left for the Holy Mount Athos. Here, he met his spiritual father who guided him until his own repose. After some time, he had to return to Euboea because of illness. Here, at 18 years of age, he met the Archbishop of Sinai, Porphyrios III who beheld the depth of spirituality of the young monk and his already apparent gift of clairvoyance, ordained him a priest at the age of 20. Throughout his life, Saint Porphyrios would spend much time in the world, especially Athens, treating the patients of hospitals through his prayers and wonderworking. He lived to be an exemplary paradigm for asceticism in the world. The saint, however, did not discriminate. He would visit the sick, the healthy, the rich, the poor, the righteous, and the sinners, even preaching Christ at brothels, inviting the prostitutes to venerate the Holy Cross when he went around for house blessings. Sensing the end of his life, he retreated to Mount Athos once again where he stayed in Kafsokalyvia, the same kalyve where he had been tonsured a monk seventy years prior. The Saint reposed in peace, and by his instruction, his body was buried in an unknown location, thus his relics are unavailable for veneration. A pious doctor of the Saint, however, visited Sydney, Australia, and brought with him a vile of a blood sample he had from the elder, and thus our very own country has been sanctified with the presence of the Saint. May he intercede for us all + #saint #porphyrios #elder #elderporphyrios #woundedbylove #mountathos #athos #kafaokalyvia #ascetic #asceticism #monk #monastic #tonsure #ordination #priest #archbishop #sinai #mountsinai #mtsinai #mtathos #love #prayer #rich #poor #righteous #saintjohn #stjohn #shepherd #orthodox #saintoftheday (at Athens, Greece) https://www.instagram.com/p/Clo0tpFrPp3/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=
