Elder Galactia

**Elder Galaktia: "I Shout 'Christ is Risen' and They Disappear"

(July 21, 2016)**

The Elder addressing Mr. A. Moraitakis:

**Elder:** "Do you know what the accursed one does to me day and night? I sleep, and he wakes me up: 'Get up,' he says, 'you're going to get married.' Pfft, pfft, pfft. I never had such thoughts as a girl, and now you tell me such shameless things. I married the Risen Christ. He has always been the Bridegroom of my heart." Sometimes he leaves with screams and other times with laughter. He wakes me up again and says: 'Wake up to pray. It's time to pray.' I tell him: 'You do your job... I know when I will pray... You're not going to tell me.' 'What job should I do,' he says. 'To torment people?' 'Count the days,' I reply, 'when the Lord will come at His Second Coming, and you will be permanently confined to the underworld.' There, he bursts and leaves, scalded. Another time, I try to put on my dress, and he comes and mocks me: 'Don't wear black. Wear pink like this... I like this color.' I attack him again with the power of Christ, and he becomes invisible. I immerse myself in prayer, and he comes: 'Stop,' he says, 'take a little break. I brought you a sweet to rest.' And he holds filth. Then he laughs and leaves.

Sometimes many come together as naked women and naked men. 'Look, look. Look and learn, ignorant one. Look how people live today. See what we make them do.' There I shout 'Christ is Risen,' and they become smoke. They hold my walker, they muddle the words of my prayer, they knock down what I hold in my hands, they threaten me, they disgust me. Usually, they come when I am alone. They often make mischief, but I understand in another way what they are saying. They even pretend to be beautiful, but I immediately understand their 'beauty.' My whole inner self gets disturbed, I feel like vomiting. I shudder. They smell awful..."

Source: "The Blessed Elder Galaktia of Crete," Holy Metropolis of Morfou, Theomorphou Publishing, 2nd edition, pp. 141-142.