Orthodox Parables and Stories: Night communication with invisible forces

Abbess Theodora (Mahvilantze):

I first met Elder Gabriel in 1986, at Zion Cathedral. His strange behavior caught my attention. During the Divine Liturgy, he shouted constantly and loudly. Leaving the temple, I saw the elder fall at the feet of the Patriarch, asking for forgiveness. Since then, his form has been etched in my memory. We often noticed his strange behavior. The elder would call a taxi and not pay the driver, while giving the other driver more than he was entitled to. Moreover, he could expel from the church any civil servant or even an ordinary citizen, with voices and without any obvious reason. His attitude towards people was individualized.

Once we started together for the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Tbilisi. Suddenly, the elder began to beg for money, to ask for alms. And the people responded. The elder ostentatiously handed over all the collected money to me. Among the congregation there were also acquaintances of mine. From their surprised faces I understood how strange I looked, but I did not care at all, because I was next to my elder. I lost the sense of time near him, without being able to realize if we were talking for a few minutes or hours. As time went on, I realized more and more that what the elder said and did, although it seemed, many times, strange, was nevertheless a result of his deep faith and sacrificial love for God and fellow man.

During the night, his voice could be heard from the elder's cell. One time he was shouting, the other time he was arguing with someone or just talking. But we knew that the elder was alone. Sometimes I was frightened by this nocturnal communication of the elder with invisible forces. Personally, I never doubted that Fr. Gabriel had his own special experience. He dedicated his whole life to the loving relationship with God and his fellow man. He encouraged them all, rejuvenated them, inspired them with hope, something that continues today. The elder is still with us today.