In any society there are richer people and poorer people. People who find a job, people who can’t find a job for a variety of reasons. All of this God has left on earth in order to need each other and to learn to love one another and not to judge too much why. In any case, Jesus does not want the sinner’s death but to return and be alive.

The beginning

In the village near the monastery in Evia where Saint Iakovos Tsalikis lived, there was a poor woman who was out of work. The saint, having mercy on her, hired her as a caretaker at the church.

After a while, Saint Iakovos noticed that someone took wine from the wine used in the Divine Liturgy. As a precaution, the saint moved the wine from the known place to a hidden place known only by himself.

One evening while praying in the altar, the saint hears the caretaker as she was cleaning in the church. At one point, the caretaker approaching the icon of the Virgin Mary and not knowing that Saint Iakovos Tsalikis is behind the icon, begins to cry: “My Lord’s mother, give me a little wine to drink so that my throat is watered!”

Saint Iakovos, being behind the icon, approaches it and says in a serious voice that he wanted to be impressive, threatening: “It is not good to drink wine! It’s a sin! “

But the woman, who seems to have been a little dizzy with wine, turns to Christ from the icon and says angrily, “You shut up! I’m talking to your mother! ”

Jesus does not want the sinner’s death but to return and be alive

Within a few days, Saturday evening, the woman came to confess to St. Iakovos Tsalikis. After the confession, to exit the church she must pass in front of the royal doors of the alter, as they were open, she saw in the altar a child who was sitting with his bottom on the holy table and smiling, looking at her.

Outraged, the woman begins to shout threateningly at the child, but without being able to enter the altar: “You, Pig! Go from there! Shame on you! There is a holy place! I’ll tell about you to your mother! Get out of from there! How rude! What’s your dad’s name?! I will tell about this to your parents! ” The child, however, was looking lovingly at her, ignoring the rain of threats that the woman was covering him. However, the woman, even more annoyed by the boy’s calmness, begins to shout at him even louder “Don’t you hear?? Get out of there!!! If I catch you, see what I’m goinig to do to you! I’ll beat you till death!!! “

At one point, however, after many quarrels from the woman, the child with a calm and humble voice, without disappearing the smile on his face says “You confessed but that certain sin you did not tell!” The woman gets stuck and cold sweaty broths appear and she asks: “But who are you?”

“I am the one that you will receive in the Holy Communion tomorrow!” answers the Child and He disappears.

Jesus does not want the sinner’s death but to return and be alive.

Photos from a liturgy in the Chapel of the Holy Unmercenary Healers, Vatopedi monastery, Mount Athos.

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