Fr Ioannis Kalides - Holy Thursday

On Holy Thursday 2002 I had the great blessing to transfer the holy father, from the hospital of Serres where he was being treated, in Thessaloniki, to his daughter's house. The blessed elder of Polyxen was with us. During the journey, Fr. Ioannis told me: "The holy communion of Holy Thursday covers the Christian all year round, for it is the communion of the martyrdom of Christ. If we do not have the blessing of the spiritual father to commune both Holy Thursday and Resurrection, then you should commune on Holy Thursday!"

Thinking of these reasons of the Elder, I remembered that our Church on this day also holds, for the whole year, the Body and Blood of Christ for the faithful to receive, in extraordinary cases!  Also that Saint Mary Of Egypt asked Saint Zosimas to comune her, the following year they had agreed to meet again, on the day of Holy Thursday!  Finally, the invisible ascetics of Mount Athos, as we read in the Gerontikon, ask some virtuous Athonites to commune to them the Holy Communion on that day!

Holy Elders, like our Holy Father Ioannis Kalaidis, have left us these precious treasures.