For his tribute, the Associated Press visited the monastery and spoke with Father Spyridon, who, according to the report, is a symbol of local life.
For more than 50 years, Spyridon Denaxas has been praying, working and welcoming the faithful to a monastery carved in a rock by the sea, in Amorgos, which has remained almost unchanged since its founding about a millennium.
For his dedication, the Associated Press visited the monastery and spoke with Father Spyridon, who, according to the report, is a symbol of local life.
Indeed, when the recent earthquake activity in the area found Father Spyridon away due to an urgent medical issue, all he was thinking was how to return to Amorgos.
“I wanted to be here with my community, to feel their feelings, because I am responsible. God put me here to take care of them, “he told the Associated Press in the monastery of Panagia Hozoviotissa, where – as he said – not a single stone fell during the vibrations.
During this brief absence, as well as the largest he ever had, last year, when he spent almost five months in mainland Greece for surgery – the entire island, even the atheists, were waiting for when he would return.
Returning to his white monastery, perched between heaven and the sea, the monk was unhappy.
“I feel spiritual euphoria to see the people of the village again, those who were looking for me and missing me,” he said. “I am full of joy for my lonely life and my return to my natural environment.”
According to tradition, the Byzantine monks who escaped from persecution in the Middle East in the 9th century sailed to this mountain island, bringing with them a picture of the Virgin Mary. While they were building a shelter in a cave, stones that fell revealed a scrubbing hanging higher on the cliff.
Considering it as a sign, they spent the following decades building the monastery over 150 meters above the sea, where both the icon and the carpenter still remain visible in the small chapel that is the core of the complex.
Spyridon, born in Amorgos, joined the monastery shortly after high school in 1971, when he was 18 years old. Today he is one of just two monks living there, along with an assistant, 35 -year -old Constantine Papaconstantinou, who hopes to become a monk one day. For the time being, he tells visitors the story of the monastery in the various languages he learned during his previous career in fashion.
Sitting at the entrance of the chapel, Spyridon welcomes the pilgrims with a smile.
Many arrive, as they have climbed the 300 meters with stairs from the parking lot, they have passed the tiny entrance door and have climbed another narrow staircase to the dark chapel. There, they worship the image before they come back to the blinding light of the terrace.
Whether they are in search of spiritual food or material for their Instagram, Spyridon is willing to welcome all visitors, offering them cold water, sweets and homemade honey.
“The Virgin Mary extends her hand and drips a balsam to the souls of all people,” she said. “This is a universal monastery, open all over the world … Everyone receives something from her grace.”
Our Lady of Hozoviotissa, whose image adorns the cover of Lonely Planet’s last guide to Greece, is not the only religious refuge in Europe that is also a tourist attraction.
But the Monastery of Amorgos plays another role – it is a vital point of reference for the locals, who have been seeking the help of the monks, both material and spiritual, as the Christians have done for almost 2,000 years.
Even when Spyridon was missing for knees and teeth surgery, the islanders often called him to ask about his recovery and to get his wish.
Unlike the Orthodox Crues, who are often married, the monks remain unmarried – a decision that Spyridon thought seriously in his adolescence. He has not regretted, as he says, as he sees his flock as his family.
“Their children would be my children. I will be happy with everyone, I will mourn everyone and I will be with them according to the circumstances, “he said.
The days of the monks are usually filled with strict prayer and work programs, as the monasteries must be self -sustaining.
Father Spyridon wakes up daily at 3 in the morning for the first prayer and does not sleep before 9pm.
For Spyridon, spirituality is everything.
“God put man in paradise to take care of him and work for him. You know how important nature is – the sea, the mountains, the valleys and the plains,” he said.
“They are intended for human use, but we must respect them, maintain them and protect them.”
So he is so satisfied that he remains here, taking care of his “own backyard” while offering conversations and prayers to anyone who may need them.
“It’s in my DNA, intertwined with the monastery and its existence,” he said.
Source: Skai
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