Saint Gabriel Confessor and the Fool for Christ of Samtavro, Georgia
Commemorated on 2 November
Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; 28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:(I Cor. 1:25,27-28).
There is no greater heroism than monasticism.Never lose hope for God’s Providence.
Seas dry up, mountains collapse, but the glory of Christ remains for ever.
Death is transfiguration. Don’t be afraid of death; rather be afraid of the Judgment Day.
The believers will be protected by the Holy Spirit. Whatever happens, never lose your hope. Help each other. God will clear your mind and you will know how to react. The one who endures will be saved. No true believer will feel either hunger, or thirst. The believers won’t wither in the time of disasters. The Lord will work miracles for them. One leaf of a plant will be enough food for a month. Even the lump of the earth will be changed into the bread by making a sign of the cross over it. We are witnessing the End Days. The Lord our God will demand love for God and the neighbor; whoever holds out to the end will be saved.
A true faith finds its place in the man’s heart, not in his mind. Antichrist will be disclosed by the believers having their faith in their hearts; those with their faith in their mind follow him.
Ecumenism is a super heresy.
A humbled man is protected from temptations. No one can enter the Kingdom of God without humbleness.
“Remember, God is love. Do as much kindness as you can to save yourself by this kindness.
Be modest, as God bestows Mercy upon His humble servants. Repent your sins and don’t wait for “tomorrow”, as it is the trap of the Devil. Love each other, as loveless man cannot inherit the Kingdom of Heaven.”Saint Gabriel was a deeply eccentric character and to the Soviet authorities he was considered to be insane. He was renowned during his life as a “Fool-for-Christ“; in Greek the term is “Salos”. This is a humble person of great holiness who is considered highly unconventional by secular society. Saint Gabriel was famed for his powers of prophecy during his life, as well as a fearless approach to denouncing Communism publicly; had he been considered “sane” by the authorities, he probably would have been executed. He was famous for tearing down a giant banner of Lenin during a May Day parade and trampling upon it while denouncing the Marxists, for which he was beaten badly. He was renowned for his compassion and deep insight into human nature.
Saint Gabriel spent much of his later life living at the Monastery of Saint Nino, a nunnery attached to the Samtavro Church of the Transfiguration in Mtskheta. It is just uphill from the Svetiskhoveli Cathedral. He died in 1995 and is buried there;A countless number of healings began to occur at his grave after his death. All Georgia deeply venerates the elder.On December 20, 2012, the Georgian Orthodox Church officially canonized him as Holy Father Saint Gabriel, Confessor and Fool for Christ.
St Gabriel is believed to have miraculous powers of healing and prophecy. The oil from a lamp which constantly burns at his tomb in Mtskheta is also considered to be wonderworking.
https://georgianorthodoxchurch.wordpress.com/2012/12/22/canonisation-of-saint-gabriel-confessor-and-fool-for-christ/At Samtavro Monastery some people have told stories of miracles, and of Elder Gabriel’s help. I will cite a few instances of healings:
“Last March I was diagnosed with tumors on the breast and internal organs. Almost all of the oncologists insisted on an operation. I went to Fr. Gabriel’s grave in order to make a decision. Afterwards I had the following vision: Fr. Gabriel was standing there and smiling at me. I was filled with faith and refused the operation. All the while I kept going to the grave and receiving treatment with the oil. Two months ago I had an examination; nothing resembling a tumor was found in my system, while the doctors had given me all of two weeks to live if I didn’t have the operation.”
Lela Tsirekidze, Tbilisi Electric Train Works Development, Block 1, Corpus 23, Tbilisi “
“I suffered from total bone marrow fibrosis. A year and a half ago the doctors lost all hope of saving me. A yellow liquid was coming out of my bones. I was left to God’s will. I prayed, anointed myself with Fr. Gabriel’s oil, and drank the oil. Three months later results showed. Now I am completely healthy. What is more, I had grey eyebrows and hair. After taking the oil my eyebrows became black, and my hair— dark with grey streaks.”
Vano Tsilikashvili, Varketili Massive, II Microregion, Corpus VI”
“My foot was festering, two of my toes were rotting, and nothing was helping. I went to Vasiliy and asked him to anoint me with Fr. Gabriel’s oil. He anointed me with the oil, and in addition sprinkled my foot with earth from Fr. Gabriel’s grave and bandaged it up. The next morning I took off the bandage and saw a miracle: my foot was completely healthy. I am very thankful to Fr. Gabriel.”
Prisoner David Chitaya”
http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/65883.htm
Saint Gabriel , pray unto God for us!