During the years of Turkish rule, Agrafa became a cradle of freedom and the Christian faith, due to the peculiarities of the terrain. Many saints and New Martyrs emerged in the wider area. One of them was Holy Martyr Gerasimos of Eurytana.
Born in the late 18th centuryth century in Megalo Chorio of Evrytania from pious parents and his baptismal name was GeorgeDue to poverty, his brother took him in. Athanasius, when he was 11 years old, in Constantinople and he made him an employee in a grocery store of a fellow villager. One day his boss sent him to sell yogurts in clay pots, which he had put in a pan. However, due to the cunning man's cooperation, as he was walking and advertising his business, he tripped over a stone, the pan fell off, all the clay pots broke and the yogurt spilled. Little Georgios sat down in one corner and cried bitterly, fearing the consequences of his clumsy boss. From an opposite window, a Turkish woman, the wife of a famous aga, saw him, who took him into her house, comforted him and promised that if he wanted, she would treat him like one of her children.
In the Turkish house, George was impressed by the luxury and comforts and after two months he accepted to be circumcised, which means that he converted to Islam. He was now living as a Muslim and enjoying the comforts of the wealthy home. In fact, he had gained the love and favor of the aga, who, after two years, handed him over to another high-ranking official, who, due to his service, was traveling throughout the Balkans, having George with him as his faithful assistant.
After a long tour they returned to Constantinople and at some point, in a miraculous way, he realized the great mistake he had made in denying his faith in Christ and embracing the religion of the conquerors. That is why he decided to secretly leave for his homeland, where with heartbreak and repentance, he confessed to the priest of his village and returned to the Church. He frequented a ruined chapel, of Agios Georgios, half an hour outside the village, where he prayed for hours and cried incessantly. He spent many nights praying and sweating in the chapel.
After three years of absolute devastation and repentance, he decided to go to Mount Athos, to Skete of Agios Panteleimonos and submitted to a virtuous elder, the Cyril, who advised and comforted him. He also taught him a few letters so that he could read spiritually beneficial readings. He was especially fascinated by "New Martyrology", which contained the heroic martyrdoms of the New Martyrs. After a year, he asked Cyril to tonsure himself as a monk. The elder had his doubts because the probationary period was short. For three months he begged him with tears. Finally he allowed him and he received the monastic form and the name Gerasimos.
After three months, he informed the elder of his decision to go to martyrdom, to wash away his great sin. The elder feared that it was a demonic temptation and discouraged him, presenting him with the difficulties of martyrdom and the fear of a new conversion to Islam. The other fathers of the Skete discouraged him as well. Gerasimos returned from time to time, but he received a negative response. This lasted for three years. One day, Gerasimos asked for their permission to go to his homeland. They understood that he wanted to go to
his own homeland, but he meant the Upper JerusalemSo they granted him their wish.
He marched at full speed to Constantinople and went to the aga's house, where he stood before him and confessed that it was his childhood mistake to convert to Islam and that now that he had grown up he had converted back to faith in Christ, the true God. That he had left the darkness and found the light. The aga, confused, began to advise him that it was dangerous for him to do this and that if he became a Muslim again, honors, positions and riches awaited him. For three days the aga tried to persuade him. But in vain, Gerasimos had made his decision to shed his blood for Christ. The aga, a kind-hearted man and because he loved him, advised him to secretly flee to a foreign land and be saved. But Gerasimos remained unconvinced. Then the agha handed him over to a sheikh to convince him. However, Gerasimos remained firm in his opinion and therefore handed him over to the Turkish judge, to whom he once again confessed his faith in Christ.
The bystanders rushed at him like bloodthirsty beasts and beat him savagely. Then they locked him in prison and placed a rock on his chest. He remained there for ten days, without suffering anything! Then they interrogated him for the second time, but Gerasimos declared loudly, with all the strength of his voice, that «And I will never deny my sweetest Jesus Christ, even if you condemn me to a thousand deaths."The judge, furious, issued the following ruling: death by beheading!
The executioners took him and led him to the Dad Hubai, near Hagia Sophia. On the way, they urged him to convert to Islam in order to be saved, but the saint paid no attention to them. He asked for forgiveness from the passing Christians. At the moment of his execution, he was asked to kneel. The Martyr exclaimed: "Remember me, Lord" and the executioner cut off his head, which remained for an hour laughing, while his body for a quarter kneeling! A heavenly light shone above the holy relic! It was 3 July 1815. He was only 25 years old. His body was bought by the Christians and buried with honors. A short time later, the learned cleric Evrytanas transferred it Kyrillos Kastanofyllis At Holy Monastery of Prousos. His memory is commemorated on July 3.
photo Holy Monastery of Saint Nektarios, Glyfada, https://imang.gr/agios-gerasimos-o-neos-o-karpenisiotis/
