Orthodox Parables and Stories: How Elder Sebastian of Karaganda prevented a murder

Once, the elder Sebastian of Karaganda sent his spiritual child, the elderly hieromonk Tryphon, to the church in Fedorovka district, a long road through the forest. Father Tryphon was very surprised, but did not dare to disobey. On the way, he met a young hefty guy named Nikolai, who grabbed his arm and dragged him into the depths of the forest. There he put the monk on a stump and began to tell his story.

Nikolai loved his wife very much, and they lived together, but by chance he found out that his wife had an abortion. He decided that the child was not from him, was very angry and was about to kill his wife, as he saw at night in a dream a short old man with a large beard, who blessed him to seek the advice of the first elderly man he met. It turned out to be hieromonk Tryphon.

Father Tryphon was very afraid of this huge young man who was in a state of rage, but began to pray to St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. And the monk put on his heart to say to the angry man this:

“Well, that’s it, Nicholai ... your wife herself is now repenting. She loves you, is faithful to you. She’s crying now, she regrets that she still wanted to live freely, without worries. Go home calmly, forgive your wife. Make peace with her and live in peace. Soon you will have a baby. All this, St. Nicholas told me, I am not speaking on my own."

Nikolai trembled, sobbed, fell at the feet of Father Tryphon and began to apologize:

"Because I could have killed you if I had decided to kill my wife! I would be afraid of you as a witness, I fell into madness!"

Father Tryphon said goodbye to Nikolai and thought: “How did the spiritual father bless me to go through the forest? Such a danger awaited me there ... "

The elder met the spiritual child with a smile:

"Well, is he still alive?"

“Yes, father, I survived, but could have died,” Father Tryphon was astonished that the elder knew everything.

“Well, what are you saying, Father Tryphon? I prayed all the time, why were you afraid? It was necessary to save two souls, to get rid of such demonic obsession. While I'm alive, don't say a word to anyone. And when I am dead then do as you want."

Olga Rozhneva