"A Miracle at "Panagia Araka"
We had just finished our lunch at Saranti village and we decided to visit the monastery of "Panagia Araka" as it is indeed a place worth visiting. A monastery with long tradition and important things to see once you are inside.
The monastery, dedicated to Holy Mother Mary, had more to give us than we expected. As we found out, many miracles have been performed in the past! A well known one is the story of "Kadis" and the area just opposite the monastery called "Mnima tou Kadi" which means the grave place of Kadis (Kadis in Turkish means judge).
The judge with his assistant visited the village a day when the village was celebrating Holy Mother. The priests and the villagers had taken the icon of Holy Mother outside the monastery for praying. Kadis appeared in front of them and asked his assistant to take the icon and deliver it to him. The assistant, although reluctant at first, obeyed in the thread of the gun and took the icon from the hands of the priests and gave it to Kadis.
Kadis then tried to leave with the icon but it was impossible. His horse would not move from its place! Kadis got angry and threw the icon away. The icon, like it was held by an invisible hand, did not fall in the ground but was guided back to the hands of the priests!
Kadis then left with his assistant and headed back to town. As he was leaving the monastery a big black cloud appeared, although it was a sunny summer day, and a hail storm started. The hail was in the size of an egg, and was so strong that killed Kadis. His assistant immediately prayed to Holy Mother to save his life and in return he would donate to the monastery a silver hail in the size of an egg. Moments after the hail storm stopped and he was saved. Keeping his promise the assistant, soon after, delivered a silver hail in the size of an egg to the monastery to honor Holy Mother.
Since then and for years to come whenever there was a bad weather in the village the silver hail was brought out of the monastery by the priests who prayed for the weather to get better.
At some point the silver hail due to its great value was moved to the Metropolis of Kerynia to be stored. Since then its trails are missing.
Older people still alive in Lagoudera and Saranti village recall that their parents told them that they witnessed the silver hail. Perhaps one day it will return to the monastery of "Panagia Araka" where it belongs!
No comments:
Post a Comment