St. Anthimus the Blind, new ascetic of Cephalonia (1782)
Commemorated on September 4
He was born on the island of Kephalonia in 1727, with the name Athanasios
Kourouklis. At the age of seven he became blind as a result of smallpox. His
devout mother prayed for his healing, and asked her priest to serve forty
Ligurgies for her son's healing. At the fortieth Liturgy, as the priest said 'In
the fear of God and with faith and love draw near,' Athanasius cried out that he
could see the priest's vestments and chalice. He had recovered sight in his
right eye. For a time he followed his father's occupation as a seaman, but then
took up the life of a monk, receiving the name Anthimos. At some point he went
blind again, and soon thereafter had a vision: he was praying for the
restoration of his sight before an icon of the Theotokos when two young men in
radiant garments appeared and led him to the Mother of God herself, who told him
'Depart, for your continual prayer that I restore your sight is not profitable
to you.' But the two young men pleaded for him, and the Theotokos said 'Anthimos,
because of your great piety and many prayers, I will restore your sight in part,
but do not forget that, having gained temporal vision, you can lose that which
is eternal.' Thereafter, though Anthimos was almost completely blind, he could
dimly discern the outlines of objects; but in compensation he was granted the
gift of spiritual insight,and was able to predict the future and call by name
those he had never met.
Saint Anthimos was about twenty when he entered monastic life, and lived on Mt
Athos for awhile. Despite his blindness, he then took up a life of missionary
work that took him throughout the Greek mainland and islands. Traveling from
place to place he preached the Gospel, healed the sick, founded several
monasteries. Once he restored a blind woman's sight by his prayers, though he
himself remained blind throughout his life. Throughout his amazing labors he
maintained a life of the most severe asceticism, eating little, sleeping on a
plank or on the floor.
In 1782, in the course of one of his many sea journeys, he told the sailors to
change course for Kephalonia, saying 'God's will is not that I concern myself
with [the mission he had undertaken], but that I go back and die in my
monastery.' On returning he fell ill and called his spiritual children to him.
'My children, the hour has come for me to go where the Lord ordains. Death is
the common lot of us all and is nothing to be afraid of. It is important rather
to do your best to keep your promises and your monastic vows. The one thing
necessary in this life is to please God and save your souls.' Having said this,
he fell asleep in peace, at the age of fifty-four. He was glorified as a Saint
in 1976.
Note: It is sometimes said that celebrating Divine Liturgies
for special intentions is 'not Orthodox.' The example of St Anthimos' mother
shows that the practice is a both traditional and efficacious.