— Yes, prayer is a great power, the father continued.
— I had a relative who had already died in the Christian way, thank God, with Repentance and Holy Communion. His wife went to the temple and asked me all: “Pray for my damned husband, drink without fail!”
Uncle Kolya worked as a fireman, the drunk was a man. But even in a binge, he did not leave work, and there, in a stoker, and stayed overnight with a bottle, he did not go home. I tried to warn him, to persuade him. That’s it! He sent me away like a boy: ‘You,’ he says, ‘do not mind your own business.’ It’s your job to wag a cage, and it’s mine to stove. Go where you came from. I prayed for him all year, at every service. And then he gave his assignment to the parishioners to read 40 days for Uncle Kolya, the akathist of the Mother of God in honor of the icon “Indrinkable Chalice”. What do you think? After 40 days, Uncle Kolya comes to the temple himself, shakes, frightened. «What happened, Uncle Kohl?» he asked. And he said to me: “I have a white fever, Father, save me!” “So this is for you, Uncle Kolya,” I say. And he said, «No, no!» This is spiritual, only God will save me. And he said, I was sitting by the stove yesterday. Well, I drank a little, but I wasn’t drunk. So instead of sleeping pills, sleep. Sitting, staring at the fire. And suddenly I see: a terrible woman in white with a scythe! He looks at me with burning eyes and says to me: “I will take you away, Nicholas, and you will burn in this fire forever!” I lost consciousness with fear.”
Uncle Kolya stopped drinking, and every Sunday there was gold in the temple, not a man. Everyone loved him. A year ago he died of the righteous.
That’s what prayer means…
Stories of a village priest.
Written by Sergei Geruk
The Holy Land Charitable Foundation
Soul investment!
Orthodox stories from life
