Father George, the abbot of the Holy Monastery of Mt. Sinai, was ill at one time. He had, however, a strong desire to go and receive Holy Communion from the Patriarch of Jerusalem. At that moment some of his disciples went to his cell in Sinai and asked him if he would be able to come to the Church [for Liturgy].
"No," he replied, "I won't come."
As soon as they had gone, the elder was left alone in body, but in spirit, with his mind, we went to the Holy Church of the Resurrection in Jerusalem and attended the Liturgy there. He saw the Patriarch entering the Sanctuary. And all the priests and deacons and bishops there saw the abbot during the Divine Liturgy, and when it came to the time for Holy Communion they placed a priest's stole on him. He approached the Holy Table and received the Immaculate Mysteries from the hands of the Patriarch. When the Communion was over, all the priests went to the lavabo [the sink in the sacristy] and washed their hands. Father George passed next to the Patriarch, who said to him:
"At mid-day I'll expect you in the refectory [dining hall]."
Father George didn't speak, but made a reverential bow.
In the meantime, on Mount Sinai, after the Divine Liturgy there, the deacon, priest and a monk holding a candle and censer entered Father George's cell and gave him Holy Communion.
In Jerusalem, when lunch time arrived, the Patriarch waited for Father George to appear. The time passed until they couldn't wait any longer and they started their meal. The Patriarch was very upset and sent three monks from Jerusalem to Sinai to see why he had disobeyed him and had left, in spite of the fact that he was so well known for his obedience. The Patriarch's envoys arrived, and as soon as they entered the monastery they said:
"Your elder came down to Jerusalem and received Communion in the church of the Resurrection. We all saw him there and the Patriarch invited him to dine with him, but he left. The Patriarch was very upset and sent us to reprimand him for his disobedience."
The monks in the monastery were taken aback.
"Whatever do you mean?" they asked. "Our elder hasn't been out of the monastery for the last fifty years. You're obviously mistaken."
"No," they insisted, "we all saw him."
"Come then and we'll take you to the elder and we'll prove to you the truth of the matter."
As soon as the envoys saw the elder, they communicated the Patriarch's displeasure. The elder didn't speak at first, but then he said:
"Tell His Beatitude to forgive me, and give him the joyous message: God has revealed to me that in six months we will be together, so tell him to prepare himself."
You see how the abbot of Sinai went to Jerusalem without knowing himself whether it was in the body or out of the body, but at all events people saw that he went. Many of our saints also communicate at a distance and pray together. All is done by the grace of God. With the grace of God distances are abolished.
- From Wounded by Love: The Life and Wisdom of Elder Porphyrios.
Denis Harvey Publisher, Evia, Greece, 2005.
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