Reverent Alexandru Lungu
Around 40 days ago, a young man arrived at the Church, almost on the verge of losing hope. As I looked out of the window of the parish house, I spotted him walking anxiously back and forth in the churchyard, constantly gesturing as if engaged in an argument. I quickly put on my robe and went down to the churchyard. He approached me directly, almost blocking my path. After calming him down, I invited him inside the Church. Before we could even sit down, he began hurriedly narrating his distressing situation.
“Father Alexandru, I work in car sales, and I usually travel abroad several times a month to fulfill my clients’ requests. On my last trip, I had 40,000 euros with me, as I needed to bring back three cars to the country – two within a lower budget and one slightly more expensive. On the evening I departed, I stopped at a gas station, and for the first time ever, I forgot to take my bag with the documents and money for purchasing the cars. When I returned to my car, the door was unlocked, and I felt a surge of sickness. As I attempted to enter, the first thing I checked was my bag. As I feared, it was no longer there, and I immediately felt a sense of despair. How will I explain this to my clients? I contacted them and asked for their patience, hoping that I might somehow recover the lost money. I reported the incident to the police, and they informed me that the chances of recovering the stolen amount in such cases are minimal. Father, I am desperate. I have no way to retrieve the entire sum I lost and make restitution.”
I asked him to read the Paraklesis of the Mother of God and the Akathist to Saint Mina as part of his canon. And 40 days, I will commemorate him during the Holy Liturgy.
This morning, he sent me a message informing me that yesterday morning, he received a call from the police stating that a man had come and handed over a bag containing his documents and a large sum of money. He was required to immediately come and confirm that they belonged to him. Today marked the completion of the 40-day penance, and the person who returned the money wished to remain anonymous.
Rejoice, Holy Great Martyr Mina, the abundant helper!
