A father talks about the healing of his son from demonic possession:
My son was possessed, he hated everything holy, all holy icons and crosses, he split them into the thinnest sticks and was very happy about it. I took him to Vladyka John, and he put him on his knees, placing either a Cross or the Gospel on his head. My son was very sad after this, and sometimes ran away from the cathedral. But Vladyka told me not to despair. He said that he will continue to pray for him, and over time he will get better, but for now let him continue to be treated by doctors: “Don’t worry, the Lord is not without mercy.”
This went on for several years. One day he was reading the Gospel at home. His face was bright and joyful. And he told his father that he needed to go to Minhon (30-40 km from Shanghai), in a mental hospital, where he sometimes went: “I need to go there, there the Spirit of God will cleanse me from the spirit of evil and darkness, and I then I will go to the Lord,” he said. They brought him to Minhon. Two days later, his father came to visit him and saw that his son was restless, constantly moving on the bed, and suddenly began shouting: “Don’t, don’t come near me, I don’t want you!”
The father went out into the corridor to find out who was coming. The corridor was long and opened onto an alley. There he saw a car, and Vladyka John got out of it and headed towards the hospital. The father entered the room and saw that his son was thrashing about on the bed and shouting: “Don’t come, I don’t want you, go away, go away!” Then he calmed down and began to quietly pray.
At this time, footsteps were heard along the corridor. The patient jumps out of bed and runs down the corridor in only his pajamas. Having met Vladyka, he fell on his knees in front of him and cried, asking to drive away the spirit of evil from him. Vladyka put his hands on his head and read prayers, then took him by the shoulders and led him into the room, where he puts him on the bed and prayed over him. Then he gave him communion.
When the Vladyka left, the patient said: “Well, the healing has finally taken place, and now the Lord will accept me to Himself. Dad, take me quickly, I have to die at home.” When his father brought him home, he was happy to see everything in his room, especially the icons; he began to pray and took the Gospel. The next day he began to hurry his father to quickly call the priest so that he could receive communion again. The father said that he received communion only yesterday, but the son objected and said: “Dad, hurry up, hurry up, otherwise you won’t have time.” The father called. The priest arrived and my son received Holy Communion once again. When the father accompanied the priest to the stairs and returned, his son’s face had already changed, he smiled at him again and quietly went to the Lord.
Source: Pascha in the Midst of Summer. Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
My son was possessed, he hated everything holy, all holy icons and crosses, he split them into the thinnest sticks and was very happy about it. I took him to Vladyka John, and he put him on his knees, placing either a Cross or the Gospel on his head. My son was very sad after this, and sometimes ran away from the cathedral. But Vladyka told me not to despair. He said that he will continue to pray for him, and over time he will get better, but for now let him continue to be treated by doctors: “Don’t worry, the Lord is not without mercy.”
This went on for several years. One day he was reading the Gospel at home. His face was bright and joyful. And he told his father that he needed to go to Minhon (30-40 km from Shanghai), in a mental hospital, where he sometimes went: “I need to go there, there the Spirit of God will cleanse me from the spirit of evil and darkness, and I then I will go to the Lord,” he said. They brought him to Minhon. Two days later, his father came to visit him and saw that his son was restless, constantly moving on the bed, and suddenly began shouting: “Don’t, don’t come near me, I don’t want you!”
The father went out into the corridor to find out who was coming. The corridor was long and opened onto an alley. There he saw a car, and Vladyka John got out of it and headed towards the hospital. The father entered the room and saw that his son was thrashing about on the bed and shouting: “Don’t come, I don’t want you, go away, go away!” Then he calmed down and began to quietly pray.
At this time, footsteps were heard along the corridor. The patient jumps out of bed and runs down the corridor in only his pajamas. Having met Vladyka, he fell on his knees in front of him and cried, asking to drive away the spirit of evil from him. Vladyka put his hands on his head and read prayers, then took him by the shoulders and led him into the room, where he puts him on the bed and prayed over him. Then he gave him communion.
When the Vladyka left, the patient said: “Well, the healing has finally taken place, and now the Lord will accept me to Himself. Dad, take me quickly, I have to die at home.” When his father brought him home, he was happy to see everything in his room, especially the icons; he began to pray and took the Gospel. The next day he began to hurry his father to quickly call the priest so that he could receive communion again. The father said that he received communion only yesterday, but the son objected and said: “Dad, hurry up, hurry up, otherwise you won’t have time.” The father called. The priest arrived and my son received Holy Communion once again. When the father accompanied the priest to the stairs and returned, his son’s face had already changed, he smiled at him again and quietly went to the Lord.
Source: Pascha in the Midst of Summer. Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
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