Geronda in Hawaii (Miracles of Saint Joseph the Hesychast)

27 August 2023

Geronda loved the sea and trees. That is Geronda why, when I went to Hawaii to hear confessions in 1987, I saw him in a vision in the midst of orange trees. Those orange trees were tall and loaded with oranges and apples. Up on top was Geronda, and next to him was Gero-Arsenios. (He had passed away in 1983.) He was enjoying the view from up there. Geronda was delighted to see me. As soon as I saw him, I did a prostration to him and said, “Geronda, will you give me an orange?”

“Only one? They’re all yours, my child.” So I draped the end of my cassock over my arms, and he filled it with fruit.

Gero-Arsenios said to me, “Koutsiko, we’ll plant more trees, too!”

The reason why they were together was because they had made a solemn pact that they would evenly share the rewards for their spiritual struggle so that they would be in the same place after death. This goes to show how deep their love and trust was for each other, since not only the positives but also any negatives would be shared. I wanted to make the same pact with Papa-Haralambos, but Geronda didn’t let us.

Source: Elder Efraim (of Arizona), My Elder: Joseph the Hesychast and Cave-dweller, Saint Anthony’s Greek Orthodox Monastery, 2013, Arizona USA (www.stanthonysmonastery.org).

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