Feast Day: May 23rd
The Life of Saint Eumenios: There he was healed but, seeing the human pain, he decided to stay in the Hospital as a Priest, to help as much as he could the relief of his fellow human beings…
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Prayers
Apolytikion: Divine comforter to those in rough seas, aid to those in need, and guide without error, the reverence of the people with longing praises with Hymns Evmenios, as one equal in zeal with Job, an expeller of evil spirits, a most gracious intercessor for us to the Compassionate Lord.
Kontakion: To the long-suffering, quiet, sensible, simple, meek and humble and sympathetic, revered Hieromonk, let us sing praises and odes flowing with honey, without error he was a mighty guide to the faithful, and with longing we cry out: Rejoice, Blessed Evmenios.
Megalynarion: Rejoice, you who have lately shined as a close helper to those in pain, a new example of patience, extreme humility and virtue, sensible Father Evmenios.
Saint Evmenios was Tonsured a Monk at 17 years old. He was then enlisted in the army, was diagnosed with leprosy of which he was later cured, and Ordained a Priest and lived at the leper colony in Ascesis, while caring for the bed-ridden lepers.
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He served in the Church of the Holy Unmercenaries Saints Kosmas and Damian at the Hospital for Infectious Diseases.
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Saint Evmenios became the Spiritual child of Saint Nikephoros the Leper.
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“The devil fears the humble, while he loves the proud because he is his own.”
Saint Evmenios was greatly troubled by demons in body and Soul. However after many Prayers, Vigils and exorcisms he was freed from them, by Our Most Holy Theotokos.
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Our Father always laughed, he laughed a lot. He would laugh with us people and conveyed this joy to us. He laughed with the Saints, with our Lady the Theotokos, with the Angels, which is why whenever we went to him, whether we were in distress or mentally or physically tired, we would all leave as if were flying. Whoever approached him, would see a Priest, a Monk, with great joy in his face. This joy, many times, was expressed with many laughs, which were mixed with his words that were at other times poured out from the sides of his shut lips when he was silent. You understood that it was the laughter of a man who was full of Divine Grace, a heart that overflowed with true, Divine peace and joy, which poured out and refreshed as well as surprised others. It was obvious that Father Evmenios tried to restrain himself out of humility, that this holy peculiarity would not manifest itself, but he did not always succeed. Whenever I visited him I received this gift, namely joy and his “different kind of” laughter, which would flow into my heart. When he wore his Priestly Stole and came out of the Beautiful Gate to say “Peace be unto all” or when he censed our Panagia on the Iconostasis, his face, compared to the glittering vestments, would shine even more. Especially in front of the Theotokos during the “More Honorable” or the Salutations. He would truly greet her flooded with joy and would laugh by himself, as if the Theotokos had told him some pleasant news. – by Monk Simon
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A very important event from Elder Evmenios’ life that I recall, is a Prayer that he had coined: “Lord Jesus Christ, I want You to save all people. And God was pleased. And then I said: Lord Jesus Christ, I want You to save all the Catholics. And all the Protestants, my Christ, I want You to save them. And God was pleased. I also want You to save the Muslims and all those who belong to all the religions; I want You to save even the atheists. And God was very pleased. And I told him: My Christ, I want you to save all those who have fallen asleep, from the time of Adam until now. And God was very pleased. And I told him: My God, I want you to save Judas also. And finally I added: I want you to save the devil also. And God was saddened.” I asked him: “Why was God sad?” “Because God wants to, but they don’t (want to be saved),” he replied; “there is not a trace of good will for salvation in the devil.” “Hold on,” I told him, “how did you know when God was pleased and when He was sad?” And he said to me: “If your heart becomes one with Christ’s heart, you feel what He feels.” So, can you perceive the breadth of this man’s heart? This was one of the most powerful things I have ever heard; and I have never heard something like it by anyone else. And he perceived those things from the intensity of Grace. Depending on the degree of Grace, he was able to perceive His sadness or His pleasure, to whatever he said or did. – by Metropolitan Neophytos Morphou
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“You should go and receive the blessing of Elder Evmenios, for he is the hidden Saint of our time. A saint like Elder Evmenios comes along only once every two hundred years.” – Saint Porphyrios of Kavsokalyvia, who sometimes went to Saint Evmenios for the Sacrament of Holy Confession
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There was a certain woman who took care of Elder Evmenios Saridakis the last year of his life. According her testimony, on January 4th that year, which had been the day of the repose of Saint Nikephoros the Leper, the Elder was in a lot of pain. Suddenly, at one point, she heard the Elder say: “And I also love you very much.” When she later asked him to tell her who he was speaking with, Father Evmenios replied: “Saint Nikephoros celebrates today, and he came to see me. He told me that he loves me very much and he came to comfort me in my pain.”
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