Selected miracles of St. Ephraim of Nea Makri (amateur translations and summaries from various Greek sources)
A couple of Notes:
These are just a few of the countless miracles that people attest to
through the intercessions of St. Ephraim, the Newly-revealed Hieromartyr
and Wonder-worker of Nea Makri. Though he hasn’t been officially
acknowledged as a Saint by the Patriarchate yet (though the Church of
Greece has done so), St. Ephraim is greatly beloved throughout the
world, and continues to inspire and work endless healings of soul and
body for the faithful.
These are some accounts from pious laypeople, who simply and honestly
express the presence of Christ and His Saints in their lives. Though
there might be some things mentioned that we have to be cautious about
in general, including dreams, miracles, disdain for medicine, etc., one
can sense both the humility and gratitude of these people who have
clearly suffered so much, and the reality of Christ the God-man, Who is
visiting and healing His creation through one of His great and beloved
servants: St. Ephraim. May he intercede for us all and help us!
A dream of St. Ephraim
It was January of 1996, Sunday morning, when I saw in my sleep that I
was in a great church richly adorned with gold and full of light and a
great crowd was gathered inside and out. My one girl said that we should
go venerate because the mother of one of our friends passed away. We
waited in line and when I arrived in front I saw that instead of a
coffin there was an upright reliquary made of glass and inside was a
tall man, of a young age with a black beard, thin, with vestments and
[engolpia] that Metropolitans wear. He wore a black archpriestly hat
with a red cross on top, and he appeared alive as if he were sleeping. I
venerated once puzzled and waited to see my mother’s friend, while on
the glass I saw a small card attached which said: “Ephraim”. The next
morning I awoke puzzled and questioned who it was that I saw, for I had
never heard that name before and it seemed odd. I asked my Grandmother
if there is a Saint Ephraim and she replied pompously: “Ephraim? Of
course there is.” I felt goosebumps, how he appeared though I had never
heard of him before.
Over the next few days I talked with a friend of mine who was very
religious and went to church on Sunday at monasteries. He told me where
the relic of the Saint was and began to tell me details about his life,
and with great astonishment I found that the characteristics were the
same as I had seen in my dream. My friend mentioned that I should go to
the monastery, but because of work, I neglected it for two months.
Two months later, one Sunday, I was waiting for the bus to go to my
Grandmother, and I remembered that I had neglected to go to St. Ephraim.
Straightaway I saw a taxi which I stopped so that I could go faster.
When I looked around inside the taxi, I saw a small icon of a Saint that
the taxi driver had that I had never seen before. However, his face
looked familiar. I asked the taxi driver: “Is that Saint there St.
Ephraim?” The taxi driver responded affirmitively, and began to tell me
how good and wonder-working the Saint is. After another month of not
having visited the monastery, I left work and decided to walk instead of
taking the bus. On the road I found a small church which was open
around noon for a later funeral, and I again remembered the Saint, and
regretted my negligence, and went inside to light a candle. Guess which
icon they had in front: St. Ephraim!
After a few days I was made worthy to go to the monastery. My joy was
indescribable. My heart was beating as if it were crazy. When I entered
the courtyard a calmness filled my soul. I had the great fortune to
thank the Saint, and I managed to meet and speak for the first (and
unfortunately last) time with Gerontissa Makaria, an astonishing woman
who, as soon as I told her these events, cried, but also laughed like a
child. I rejoiced that my Saint had revealed himself. When I asked her
why he appeared to me though I didn’t know him, and that I had great
love towards the Panagia, she replied that St. Ephraim is one of her
[the Panagia's] most beloved Saints.
From then I have visited the monastery many times and I pray to him. I
thank him, for many times he has appeared to me in my sleep to warn me
of something evil approaching. I will never forget the following. One
morning I was taking a taxi to go to work, and inside there was an icon
of St. Ephraim, and I started a conversation with the taxi driver. I was
upset with some things that had occurred, and straightaway the taxi
driver’s voice changed and he began to tell me the story of one of his
friends and some advice exactly about my problem (I hadn’t shared any of
my details with him). I looked at him and smiled: “Were you saying this
or the Saint?” And he replied very seriously “The Saint”. I froze; he
did the same, and then the tone of his voice changed and he became as he
was in the beginning.
