Orthodox Parables and Stories: " “Your life is my life. If you don’t sacrifice yourself for your neighbor, nothing will come of it.”

One of the instructive stories that characterize the depth of Father Gabriel's selflessness for the salvation of his neighbor was told by Abbot Elisha (Belkania). He witnessed the murder of an innocent man committed by a mentally ill person, whom he could not help in any way and for this reason almost left the monastery: “The murder happened so suddenly and for no reason that I was numb. I froze in place, moreover, I will not hide, I felt something like fear, because the action of the devil was very clearly looming here. The fact that I could not do anything to save the unfortunate man tormented me very much as a person, and because of shame I wanted to get away from everyone; I was tormented by the conscience that I was to blame for my inaction. I withdrew into myself, decided to take off my monastic robe and leave the monastery. Vladyka Daniel and my closest spiritual brothers tried very hard to get me out of this terrible state, but nothing helped. The news of my story even reached the Patriarch. On Saturday evening Vladyka Daniel served Vespers in Samtavro. He knew that I was supposed to see him during prayer, and then take off my monastic clothes and leave the monastery. Arriving in Samtavro, I met Father Gabriel entering the temple, giving a blessing and entered the altar to the Lord. Vladyka again sympathetically and lovingly inspired me not to take a deliberately false step, but my closed soul did not heed this.

Soon after this conversation, a terribly angry Father Gabriel entered the altar. He made me kneel and started yelling at me. He scolded me so much that I, one might say, would not have forgiven anyone in a different situation! But it was surprising that this terrible scolding flowed sweetly in my soul, and after I overcame this test, I felt in myself a long-forgotten spiritual freedom and lightness. He abused me so much that it seemed that it would never end, but he suddenly became silent and left the altar.

Bishop Daniel said: “Father Gabriel hasn’t entered the altar for a long time (because of humility), can’t you guess that he did it only because of you.” I, already freed from this temptation and having come to my senses, nodded to Vladyka Daniel and said that I was not going to go anywhere. After the end of the prayer, Father Gabriel met me at the entrance to the temple and, as if there were no ill words, in his own way, kindly began to talk with me. From this conversation, I saw the great danger that I faced because of my inexperience. Having finished the conversation, he blessed me, I remember, even hugged me and went to his cell. I don't know how it happened, but after walking a few steps, he fell and broke his leg. I was amazed and could not find an explanation for this: how? a great monk and an ordinary everyday accident?! When I entered Father Gabriel's cell, knelt at his bedside and sympathetically laid my head on the chest of the great old man suffering from pain, he blessed me and said in a voice tense from pain: “I was in the temple. When I went up to my cell, I was inspired from above - not to return to the temple, but there one monk was in very serious danger, and I went down. I knew that I would incur punishment, and so it happened."

When the doctors took an x-ray of Fr. Gabriel's injured leg in his cell, he was diagnosed with a fracture of the hip joint. The doctors insisted on the need for an urgent operation, but the elder resolutely refused to leave his cell and monastery. From that day until his death, Father Gabriel did not get out of bed and humbly endured the pain. Only occasionally, after the first five or six months, did he ask to be lifted and seated in front of the cell - the elder was happy to look at the monastery and look at the visitors, because he said: “Your life is my life. If you don’t sacrifice yourself for your neighbor, nothing will come of it.”

From the book "The Holy Fool. Saint Gabriel (Urgebadze)"