A few months before being released from earthly ties (June 4/17, 1991), he dictated a farewell letter to one of his close associates, advising all his spiritual sons and asking for their forgiveness. The precious note was found among his burial garments on the day of his repose, a testament to his boundless and uplifting humility. The lines that composed it reflect the immeasurable love he held for his spiritual sons and his unwavering hope in the shield of their prayers.
“I beseech you, those who have known me, to pray for me, for I, during my lifetime, have prayed with great humility for you. And now, as I journey towards heaven, I believe that God will ask me, ‘What are you seeking here?’ And I will say to Him, ‘I am not worthy, Lord, of this place, but whatever Your love wills, let it be done unto me.’ I do not know what lies ahead. However, I desire that the love of God may work. And I always pray that my spiritual children may love God, Who is everything, so that we may be deemed worthy to enter His uncreated Church on Earth, for we must start from here. I have always strived to read the hymns of the Church, the Holy Scriptures, and the Lives of our Saints, and I pray that you may do the same. I have endeavored, by the grace of God, to draw near to God, and I pray that you may do the same. I ask all of you to forgive me for any grief I may have caused you.” (Hieromonk Porphyrios, Kavsokalivia, June 4/17, 1991).
His final words were the words of the Lord’s Prayer: “That they all may be one,” followed by the exhortation found at the end of the Book of Revelation by St. John the Theologian: “Come!”
On December 2, 1991, at 4:30 in the morning, in the tranquility of the Cell of St. George at the Holy Trinity Skete in Kavsokalivia, the soul of Elder Porphyrios peacefully departed to the heavenly Kingdom. His holy body was placed in the Kyriakon of Kavsokalivia, where the Athonite fathers kept vigil in prayer until the dawn of December 3, when the earth covered the revered body of the Venerable Elder, in the presence of several fathers from the Skete.
According to his wish, the news of his repose in the Lord was announced after his burial. In his nobility and generosity, Elder Porphyrios made every effort to spare his spiritual children the trouble of coming to Mount Athos for his funeral.
Source: http://atitudini.com
