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Metropolitan Neophytos of Morphou Remembers His Elder, Iakovos Tsalikis
1:21:55
What the video says
Metropolitan Nafos of Morphou speaks in a 2015 radio interview about his spiritual father, the contemporary elder Yakovos Salikis. He explains that Elder Yakovos told him at his diaconal ordination that one day he would become a bishop and light the elder's lighter so people could receive light from it. The metropolitan describes the elder's childhood in Farakla under his mother Theodora, who prayed for hours with raised hands while young Yakovos saw a light around her, and his nightly ascetic struggles at the chapel of St. Paraskevi.
He recounts the elder's appearance of St. Paraskevi, his military service, the death of his mother, his entrance into monasticism, and his encounter with St. David of Evia, who became his second elder. The interview closes with the elder's simplicity, his repeated phrase 'forgive me,' his hospitality, his gift of insight in confession, and his stories about the saints, ending with the metropolitan's own words: 'forgive me.'
Key moments
- Metropolitan Nafos says he is obeying the will of God revealed by his elder, who told him at his ordination as deacon that he would become a bishop in his birthplace and light the elder's lighter so people could get light from it.
- The elder's mother Theodora taught him asceticism; he placed her at the same level as great abbesses. As a child of 10 or 12 he saw a light around her while she prayed for hours with raised hands.
- St. Paraskevi appeared to the young Yakovos under a plane tree near her chapel, telling him Christ had sent her because his prayers pleased her; his mother told him to ask her for a heavenly fortune.
- St. Paraskevi foretold that bishops and patriarchs would confess to him, that he would give birth to many spiritual children, and that money would pass through his hands and be given away with the other.
- During military service he gave up Holy Week and Pascha at home so a sad comrade could visit his fiancee; while singing 'Christ is risen' at the base, a light came from above and rested on him and he became all light.
- After his mother's death, the elder's great temptation was grief; he struggled and prayed long to conquer it so the joy of the Holy Spirit would come, and advised Metropolitan Nafos on this struggle.
- Before going to Jerusalem he venerated St. David at his monastery; the old monk who received him had the same face as the icon, and St. David became his second and last elder.
- The elder constantly said 'forgive me,' taking on others' sins as his own out of continuous repentance, since all Orthodox Christians belong to one body, the body of Christ.
In a radio interview recorded on December 30, 2015 with journalist Maria Makri and aired by the Radio Station of Peiraiki Ekklisia, Metropolitan Neophytos of Morphou speaks about his spiritual father, the contemporary Elder Iakovos Tsalikis. He explains that he is obeying a will revealed to him by the elder, who told him at his ordination as deacon that he would one day become a bishop in his birthplace and light the elder's lighter so that people could receive light from it.
The metropolitan then traces the elder's life. Iakovos grew up in Farakla under his mother Theodora, whom he placed at the same level as great abbesses; as a child of ten or twelve he saw a light around her while she prayed for hours with raised hands. At the chapel of St. Paraskevi, where he struggled ascetically at night, the saint appeared to him under a plane tree and told him Christ had sent her because his prayers pleased her.
She foretold that bishops and patriarchs would confess to him, that he would have many spiritual children, and that money would pass through his hands and be given away. During military service he gave up Holy Week and Pascha at home so a sad comrade could visit his fiancee; while singing 'Christ is risen' at the base, a light came from above and rested on him.
After his mother's death, his great temptation was grief, which he conquered through long prayer so that the joy of the Holy Spirit would come. Before going to Jerusalem he venerated St. David of Evia, whose face matched the icon, and St. David became his second and last elder. The interview closes with the elder's simplicity, his hospitality, his gift of insight in confession, and his constant phrase 'forgive me,' by which he took on others' sins as his own, since all Orthodox Christians belong to one body, the body of Christ.
Main points
- Elder Iakovos told Metropolitan Neophytos at his diaconal ordination that he would become a bishop in his birthplace and light the elder's lighter so people could receive light from it.
- As a child of ten or twelve, Iakovos saw a light around his mother Theodora while she prayed for hours with raised hands; he later placed her at the level of great abbesses.
- St. Paraskevi appeared to him under a plane tree near her chapel and foretold that bishops and patriarchs would confess to him and that money would pass through his hands to be given away.
- During military service he gave up Holy Week and Pascha at home for a sad comrade; while singing 'Christ is risen' at the base, a light came from above and rested on him.
- St. David of Evia became his second and last elder, and the elder's constant 'forgive me' expressed his repentance and his taking on others' sins as his own.