St Amvrosy of Optina

[Barbara]

And a similar eerie tale :

"...in Shamordino, knocking was heard at the doors and windows, etc.
When they communicated this to the Elder, he said, "Well, he won't knock anymore."

"But who is knocking, Batiushka?" [the nuns] asked [Fr Amvrosy].

"He who was knocking won't knock anymore," [ Elder Amvrosy insisted, without offering any further explanation. ]
 
 
 
 

[Barbara]

April 14, today, is the Day of St. Meliton, Bishop of Sardis [in today's Turkiye, where the ruins can still be seen].
Perhaps the nun named Melitona in the 1st post of this thread was named for him in a feminine version.
 

[Barbara]

Here is the writeup of probably Mother Evfrosinia of Lesna Convent, Normandie, France, about St Ambrose of Optina. Though there is no attribution but surely it must be she, as probably few others at the Convent speak English as a native speaker.
Today is St Amvrosy's Feast Day.

She copied out a truly incredible story from his biography which I had been wishing to do for years ! But now i happened upon it online already at her blog, Pilgrims Path. [She seems to have had to abandon the blog as her new duties as Abbess took up her time - I assume]

Mother Evfrosinia writes a quick summary before introducing the most stunning story probably of all those about the extraordinary Elder Amvrosy :

"In this day and age of so many false elders and deluded spiritual guides it is especially important to remember the humility and the sobriety of the Optina Elders, their refusal to ascribe any of their success to themselves, their constant self-effacement, and the respect and Christian love that they demonstrated towards all that came to them. Many of St. Ambrose’s spiritual children attest to this...

But the most amazing account of St. Ambrose’s guidance concerns a [business] affair that went on for many years. He had a spiritual son that was a carpenter, specializing in building iconostases for churches. This man was very devoted to the Elder and wouldn’t start any project without his blessing. At one point in his career he was completing a big project not far from Optina, and had a new job lined up, also in the same district. He decided to visit Optina and Elder Ambrose in between the two projects. Having collected his payment for the completed iconostasis, he set out to Optina, where the Elder greeted him joyfully, and recommended that he spend a few days at the monastery, preparing for and receiving Holy Communion, as it had been some time since his previous visit. The carpenter hadn’t intended to spend quite so much time at Optina, but he was determined to be obedient. After receiving the Sacrament he went to the Elder to ask for a blessing for his next job. He was intending to meet his customers on his way home. Much to his chagrin, St. Ambrose suddenly recommended that he receive the Sacrament of Unction, and he again agreed, though not without a bit of grumbling. Nevertheless, he figured he could still catch his customer. When he again came to say goodbye to St. Ambrose, much to his disappointment, though the Elder greeted him warmly and thanked him profusely for his obedience, he requested that the man spend one more day at Optina. “Tomorrow morning come and have breakfast with me, and then you can head on home”, he said. “Huh, and they call him clairvoyant”, the carpenter thought. But he couldn’t ignore the Elder’s loving kindness, and he didn’t want to pass up the chance to actually have a brief meal with him, and somehow he felt that this was some sort of test, so he thought, “Well, it’s not that great of a loss, I’ll find other clients”, and stayed the day. He left the following morning greatly consoled by the Elder’s farewell and by his gifts. And then it turned out that his client had been held up on other business, and he arrived at just the right time to finalize everything having to do with this new project. “So the Elder knew after all”, he thought. The project was successful and extremely profitable, and the carpenter wisely ascribed his success to his obedience to St. Ambrose, and continued seeking his guidance up until his repose.

But this is only the first part of the story!

Many, many years later, and several years after the Elder’s repose, the carpenter’s main assistant, his most trusted worker of many years, lay dying. He called for the carpenter and asked to speak to him privately. “Master”, he said, “I have something to confess to you that I must get off of my conscience before I die”. “There’s nothing between us to confess”, the carpenter said, “We’ve worked together all these years, and I never had reason to suspect you of anything. Go in peace!” “No, master”, the man said, “I have sinned gravely against you. Do you remember the year when you had that big project not far from Optina? I grew jealous, master, and I decided to kill you. I knew that they were going to pay you before you went to the monastery, and that you’d be traveling with a load of money from Optina. Since your family knew that you were going to stop on the way home to meet with a new client, I figured I could do away with you and it would be some time before they realized you were missing. And I would be far away by then… My son and I, we waited for you in the woods for several days, we were stalking you. But you got held up in Optina for a whole week by the Elder, and by then I figured you suspected something, and headed on back home. But you never said anything, and I understood that the Elder’s prayers had protected you and kept me from committing a great evil. So forgive me now, Master, and let me depart in peace”.

And only then did the carpenter learn that not only had St. Ambrose not been testing him, not only had he known that everything would work out with his new project...[Elder Amvrosy] had saved the carpenter’s very life.

By the prayers of St. Ambrose of Optina may we all learn true discernment, true charity and true humility"

https://pilgrimspath.blog/2018/12/20/a-genuine-elder/