The cathedral on the island of Aegina. It grew out of the Monastery of the Holy Trinity which St Nektarios founded (with his own money) here in 1904, at the request of some nuns. St Nektarios’s tomb lies within. He died on November 8th, 1920, but his feast is kept the following day to avoid conflict with the feast of St Michael the Archangel.
AGAIN the visitor kissed the icons and relics, and again he passed over anything to do with St Nektarios. Fr Vitalis asked him why, but he just smiled, and pulled out a pair of glasses exactly like a pair among the relics of St Nektarios.
Fr Vitalis asked where he lived. ‘My house’ replied his visitor, waving his hand towards the ceiling ‘isn’t ready yet.’ Fr Vitalis, acutely aware that the church was also unfinished, told him about his failing health. ‘Don’t worry’ said Anastasios. ‘But now I must go to Paros, to visit Philotheos.’1 Fr Vitalis burst out, ‘Elder, you look so like St Nektarios!’ At this the man started to weep, and blessed him. Fr Vitalis tried to embrace him in return, but clasped only thin air.
The visitor left absent-mindedly through a closed door. Sophia followed him to a bus stop, where he apparently boarded a bus but was not among the passengers. Not long afterwards the doctors pronounced Fr Vitalis completely cured, and he was able to finish the church.
Based on the account by Fr Vitalis himself, at Mystagogy.
1Philotheos Zervakos, Abbot of the Longovarda Monastery on the island of Paros, had been one of St Nektarios’s spiritual children. Philotheos, who died that same year and is now venerated as a saint, lived an eventful life: see posts tagged Philotheos Zervakos (2).
Archive
Word Games
1Spinners Find in Think and Speak
For each group of words, compose a sentence that uses all three. You can use any form of the word: for example, cat → cats, go → went, or quick → quickly, though neigh → neighbour is stretching it a bit.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Doctor. Light. Live.
2 Back. Glass. Send.
3 Arrangement. Ceiling. Weep.
Variations: 1. include direct and indirect speech 2. include one or more of these words: although, because, despite, either/or, if, unless, until, when, whether, which, who 3. use negatives (not, isn’t, neither/nor, never, nobody etc.)
2Verb and Noun Find in Think and Speak
Many words can serve as noun or verb depending on context: see if you can prove this with the examples below. Nouns go well with words such as the/a, or his/her; verbs go well after I/you/he etc..
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Finish. 2 Bus. 3 Hide. 4 Try. 5 Return. 6 Smile. 7 Kiss. 8 Close. 9 Keep.
Variations: 1.if possible, use your noun in the plural, e.g. cat → cats. 2.use your verb in a past form, e.g. go → went. 3.use your noun in a sentence with one of these words: any, enough, fewer, less, no, some.
3Adjectives Find in Think and Speak
For each word below, compose sentences to show that it may be used as an adjective. Adjectives provide extra information about a noun, e.g. a black cat, a round table, the early bird etc..
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Blessed. 2 Elderly. 3 Longest. 4 Older. 5 Responsible. 6 Long. 7 Guilty. 8 Absent. 9 Ready.
Variations: 1.show whether your adjective can also be used as e.g. a noun, verb or adverb. 2.show whether your adjective can be used in comparisons (e.g. good/better/best). 3.show whether your adjective can be used in attributive position (e.g. a dangerous corner) and also in predicate position (this corner is dangerous).
4Add Vowels Find in Think and Speak
Make words by adding vowels to each group of consonants below. You may add as many vowels as you like before, between or after the consonants, but you may not add any consonants or change the order of those you have been given. See if you can beat our target of common words.
rtns (6)
orations. rations. retains. retinas. retinues. routines.
If you like what I’m doing here on Clay Lane, from time to time you could buy me a coffee.
Buy Me a Coffee is a crowdfunding website, used by over a million people. It is designed to help content creators like me make a living from their work. ‘Buy Me a Coffee’ prides itself on its security, and there is no need to register.
Related Posts
Over a hundred young Greeks were slated to be shot after resistance fighters and British forces sabotaged an airfield.
Picture: © Rene Boulay, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC-BY-SA 3.0.. Source.
Posted July 25 2018
In 1910, Constantine Zervakos, a young monk from the Greek island of Paros, found himself charged with espionage.
Picture: © Leandro Neumann Ciuffo, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC-BY-SA 2.0.. Source.
Posted November 1 2016
