Orthodox Parables and Stories: Miracle of the Prophet Elijah

The Prophet Elijah is the greatest of the Prophets, he is superior to this prophet Isaiah the most vocal. His presence with his miracles shocks the faithful and not only.

Talking to Brother Theoktistos from Epirus, he asked me if I had heard a remarkable miracle performed years ago in Ioannina by the Prophet Elijah to a soldier guarding a purpose in a barracks. I told him that I did not hear it and asked him to tell me so that we could write it down in praise of the Prophet Elijah. 

"Listen ", he says "A soldier was guarding a barracks and around midnight he heard footsteps of a man approaching him. The soldier assumed it was an officer who as usual went to see if he was awake or asleep.

The soldier shouted: "Halt!" But again the footsteps were heard and approached him. For the second time he shouts: "Halt, who's there?" With the gun in his hands, he received no response. He is forced to repeat: "Halt or I will shoot!"

As soon as he said "I will shoot" he takes the gun from his hands, about fifty meters away, and suddenly sees, instead of the officer, as he thought, a priest in a flash of light! And when he saw him, he was very afraid.

The apparent priest says to him: "Do not be afraid, my child, do not be afraid, but, tell me, why do you blaspheme  Christ, the Virgin Mary, and the Saints?"

"Forgive me, Holy Father (he came to his senses, wept and asked for forgiveness for his sin) because this is done out of a bad and long-standing habit. Forgive me. "

The saint says to him: “Preach to all to repent, not to blaspheme. Announce it to the Diocese and let the newspapers write it to everyone ".

The soldier says to him: "They do not believe me, saint. But tell me who you are? "

"I am the Prophet Elijah. And in order for them to believe more (pointing to the place) they should dig and find my old church and build a Temple on it ".

This was announced throughout the city and published in the local newspapers. Many believed and changed their lives, and the people who honored the Prophet Elijah as their patron, dug at the top indicated to them, discovered the old church and built a new one in honor of the glorious Prophet Elijah.

The soldier changed ways and old habits and lived the rest of his life as a model of a good Christian.