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.’* 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.
Philotheos 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
Spinners 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 Air. Board. Ceiling.
2 Again. Elder. Man.
3 Feel. Feeling. Have.
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.)
Adjectives 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 Old. 2 Painful. 3 Happier. 4 Protective. 5 Aware. 6 Blessed. 7 Older. 8 Passing. 9 Longer.
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).
Verb 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 Wish. 2 Hand. 3 Return. 4 Pass. 5 Time. 6 Light. 7 Close. 8 March. 9 Back.
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.
High Tiles Find in Think and Speak
Make words (three letters or more) from the seven letters showing below, using any letter once only. Each letter carries a score. What is the highest-scoring word you can make?
Your Words ()
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