Εἰς τὸν Ἱερὸν Ναὸν Ἁγίων Ἀποστόλων Πέτρου καὶ Παύλου Δάφνης τῆς Ἀρχιεπισκοπῆς Ἀθηνῶν, φυλάσσεται φορητὴ Εἰκὼν μεγάλου μεγέθους τοῦ Ἁγίου Ἀντωνίου μὲ τὴν ἀφιερωματικὴν σημείωσιν κάτω δεξιά: «Ἀφιέρωσις Ἱερέως Κωνσταντίνου Παπαντωνίου ἁμαρτωλοῦ, εὐγνωμοσύνης ἕνεκεν».
Ποῖα ὅμως εἶναι ἡ ἀφορμὴ διὰ τὴν ἔκφρασιν τῆς εὐγνωμοσύνης τοῦ Μακαριστοῦ καὶ μάλιστα ἰδιαιτέρως φιλανθρώπου Ἱερέως τῆς Ἐκκλησίας μας; (Ἔμεινε γνωστὸς ὡς «ρακοσυλλέκτης» προκειμένου νὰ βοηθῇ τοὺς πτωχούς).
Ἡ ἱστορία ἔχει ὡς ἑξῆς: Κατὰ τὸν φοβερὸν διωγμὸν τῶν Παλαιοημερολογιτῶν τοῦ 1951-1953 ὁ ἀείμνηστος π. Κωνσταντῖνος συνελήφθη, ἀπεσχηματίσθη βιαίως καὶ ἐρρίφθη εἰς τὰς φυλακὰς «Χατζηκώστα». Ἡ Πρεσβυτέρα αὐτοῦ Αἰκατερίνη ἀπέμεινε μόνη καὶ ἀβοήθητη διὰ νὰ θρέψῃ τὰ τρία (τότε) τέκνα της. Οἱ γονεῖς τῆς Πρεσβυτέρας, νεοημερολογῖται ὄντες, προσεπάθουν νὰ τὴν πείσουν νὰ μεταβῇ εἰς τὴν φυλακὴν καὶ νὰ μεταπείσῃ τὸν π. Κωνσταντῖνον νὰ ἀποδεχθῇ τὴν Καινοτομίαν προκειμένου νὰ ἐλευθερωθῇ. Ἔλεγον εἰς αὐτὴν τὰ γνωστά: «Λυπήσου τὰ τέκνα σου. Πῶς θὰ ζήσουν;».
Ἐν τέλει ἡ Πρεβυτέρα ἐπείσθη καὶ ἔπραξε κατὰ τὴν λανθασμένην καθοδήγησιν τῶν γονέων της. Ὁ π. Κωνσταντῖνος ἀκούσας τὴν προτροπὴν τῆς Πρεβυτέρας καὶ τὸν κίνδυνον τῶν τέκνων του, ἐλυπήθη μέν, ἀλλὰ δὲν ἔδωσεν ἀπάντησιν ἀμέσως, ζητήσας ὀλίγον χρόνον διὰ νὰ σκεφθῇ ἐπ᾽ αὐτοῦ. Ἦτο παραμονὴ τοῦ Ἁγίου Ἀντωνίου κατὰ τὸ Πάτριον Ἑορτολόγιον, καὶ τὸ ἑσπέρας παρεκάλει προσευχόμενος τὸν Ἅγιον Ἀντώνιον νὰ φωτίσῃ αὐτὸν τὶ νὰ πράξῃ.
Ἀποκοιμηθεὶς τὴν νύκτα ἐκείνην, εἶδε τὸν Ἅγιον Ἀντώνιον νὰ τοῦ λέγει: «Μεῖνε ἐκεῖ ποὺ εἶσαι, καὶ ἐγὼ θὰ σὲ βγάλω ἀπὸ τὴν φυλακήν!».
Τὴν ἑπομένην, ἄγνωστός τις προσῆλθε εἰς τὴν φυλακὴν καὶ ἐζήτησε νὰ πληρώσῃ τὴν ἐξαγορὰν τῆς ποινῆς τοῦ π. Κωνσταντίνου. Ὁ ἐλευθερωθεὶς ἐζήτησε νὰ γνωρίσῃ τὸν ἄγνωστον αὐτὸν ἄνθρωπον καὶ τὸν ἠρώτησε τὸ ὄνομα τῶν γονέων του διὰ νὰ τοὺς μνημονεύῃ. Ὁ ἄγνωστος δὲν ἀπήντησεν. Τότε ὁ π. Κωνσταντῖνος ἐζήτησε νὰ μάθῃ τουλάχιστον τὸ ἰδικόν του ὄνομα διὰ νὰ μνημονεύῃ ἐκεῖνον. Ὁ ἄγνωστος ἀπήντησεν: «Ἀντώνιος» καὶ ἐξηφανίσθη!
Ἔκτοτε ὁ π. Κωνσταντῖνος ἐτέλει κατ᾽ ἔτος Ἀγρυπνίαν κατὰ τὴν Ἑορτὴν τοῦ Ἁγίου Ἀντωνίου τοῦ Μεγάλου τοῦ καὶ Θαυματουργοῦ καὶ ἔλεγεν εἰς τὰ πνευματικά του τέκνα ὅτι: «Ἐγὼ εἶμαι στὸ Πάτριον Ἑορτολόγιον ἀπὸ τὸν Ἅγιον Ἀντώνιον!». Παρήγγειλε δὲ τὴν ἁγιογράφησιν τῆς προαναφερθείσης μεγάλων διαστάσεων ἱερᾶς Εἰκόνος.
Στὸν Ἱερὸν Ναὸν Ἁγίων Ἀποστόλων Πέτρου καὶ Παύλου Δάφνης ἐξακολουθεῖ νὰ ἑορτάζεται λαμπρῶς ὁ Ἅγιος Ἀντώνιος ἐτησίως καὶ ἐφέτος ἐτελέσθη ἀρχιερατικὴ Θεία Λειτουργία.
ΠΗΓΗ: https://www.ecclesiagoc.gr/index.php/%CE%B5%CE%BD%CE%B7%CE%BC%CE%B5%CF%81%CF%89%CF%83%CE%B7/%E1%BC%84%CF%81%CE%B8%CF%81%CE%B1/%CF%80%CE%B1%CF%81%CE%B1%CE%B9%CE%BD%CE%B5%CF%84%CE%B9%CE%BA%CE%AC/1585-8auma-agiou-antoniou-epivevaiotikon-ierou-agonos
In the Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul in Daphne, in the Archdiocese of Athens, there is preserved a large, portable icon of St. Anthony the Great with the following dedication on the bottom right: “An offering of gratitude by the sinful Priest Constantine Papantoniou.”
What is the reason for this expression of gratitude by the ever-memorable and particularly philanthropic Priest of our Church? (He remains known as a “ragman” who scavenged in order to help the poor).
The story is as follows: During the severe persecution of the Old Calendarists in 1951-1953, the late Fr. Constantine was arrested, violently stripped of his clerical garb, and was thrown into the “Chatzikostas” Prisons in Athens. His Presbytera Catherine was left alone and helpless to nourish her (then) three children. Presbytera’s parents, being New Calendarists, tried to persuade her to go to jail and pressure Fr. Constantine to accept the New Calendar innovation that he may be freed from prison. They told her the usual: “Have pity on your children. How will they live? ”
In the end, she was persuaded and acted according to the bad counsel of her parents. Fr. Constantine, hearing Presbytera’s words concerning the danger for his children, although he was sorrowful he did not answer her immediately, asking for a little time to think about it. It was the eve of St. Anthony the Great’s Feast Day according to the Patristic Calendar, and at evening he prayed, supplicating St. Antony to enlighten him as to what he should do.
Falling asleep that night he saw St. Anthony who said to him: “Remain where you are and I will get you out of prison!”
On the next day, a certain unknown man paid Fr. Constantine’s bail. Once he was freed, Fr. Constantine met with that unknown man and asked him what his parents’ names are so he can commemorate them. The unknown man did not answer. Then Fr. Constantine sought to learn at least his name so he can commemorate him. The unknown man answered: “Anthony” and he disappeared!
Since then, Fr. Constantine served a Vigil each year on the Feast of St. Anthony the Great: the Wonderworker. He used to tell his spiritual children: “I am with the Patristic Calendar because of St. Anthony!” He ordered the previously mentioned large Icon to be painted.
At the Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul in Daphne, St. Anthony continues to be celebrated brilliantly every year, and this year a Hierarchical Divine Liturgy was celebrated.
ΠΗΓΗ ΑΓΓΛΙΚΗΣ ΜΕΤΑΦΡΑΣΕΩΣ: https://goctoronto.org/the-miracle-of-st-anthony-the-great-which-confirms-our-sacred-struggle/
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