God's blessing comes when we give a blessing

 

Elder Savvas the Philotheusite had told me that during the great famine of 1917, the Iberians, seeing the monastery's storehouses empty, had reduced their hospitality. In fact, a stingy superior insisted and cut it off completely. Next, Christ would stop all His blessings. Then the Fathers began to starve and complain to Christ and the Virgin Mary that they were not taking care of their monastery. Unfortunately, they had not realized their mistake. One day, therefore, Christ appeared to the Monastery's Gatekeeper, as a poor man, and asked him for a little bread. The Gatekeeper sadly said to him: - We have nothing, my brother, and that is why we have cut off our hospitality. But wait a moment while I bring you this little piece that I have in my cell for myself.

He ran, went to his cell and brought him the bread he had for himself and gave it to him. But he saw the poor man's face shining. After the Poor Man took the bread, he said to the Doorman:

- Do you know why this misfortune came to the Monastery? Because you expelled two from the Monastery: the "give" and the "it will be given".

After that, he disappeared, scattering a light that dazzled the Doorman. The Doorman then lost his mind and, frightened, ran to the Superiors of the Monastery and told them the incident. At first, the Fathers racked their brains to remember which people they expelled. But then they understood that the poor man was Christ and they understood His Gospel words: "Give and it will be given to you".

They immediately repented of their mistake and as soon as they began to give from their surplus to the poor, God's rich blessings arrived.