Blessed David was born at the beginning of the 16th
century in the sea-side village of Gardinitza, opposite the island of
Evia. His father was a devout and virtuous priest. When David was no
more than three years old, Saint John the Baptist appeared to him one
night and took him to the nearby church which was dedicated to him. He
remained standing there, barefoot, for six days, lost in the vision, in
front of the icon of the Forerunner. Nourished from an early age on the
principles of obedience to his parents, asceticism and ceaseless prayer,
he left his family home at the age of fifteen, in search of a spiritual
father. He found him in the person of the Hieromonk Akakios, who was
well-known in the villages of the region for his virtuous life and
powerful preaching.
David was tonsured a monk in Akakios’
monastery, and there demonstrated perfect obedience, accompanied with
humility and unceasing prayer. Because his Elder wished to find a
monastery more advanced in the spiritual life, David followed him first
to Ossa, near Olympus, and then, after he had been ordained deacon, on a
pilgrimage to the monasteries on the Holy Mountain. Akakios went on to
Constantinople alone, leaving David in the Great Lavra. Akakios was
consecrated Metropolitan of Arta and Nafpaktos by Patriarch Ieremias,
and soon afterwards summoned David to his see to assist him with his
pastoral duties.
Despite living in the hurly-burly of the
world, David did not relax in the slightest his fasting,
all-night-vigils, countless prostrations and complete obedience to his
spiritual father. He soon became a priest and was appointed Abbot of the
Monastery of the Mother of God, known as Varnakova, near Nafpaktos. But
his zeal and spiritual demands were a cause of conflict with the lax
monks there, who wanted nothing other than to do their own will. So he
left the monastery and went to look for a place of tranquillity. He
settled in a barren place on a mountain near Parnassos. While there he
was attacked by a great many satanic temptations.
Charged with sheltering a runaway slave,
he was arrested by the Turks and subjected to torture over a long
period of time, before being freed through the payment of a ransom
collected by the faithful living in the area. He then set off to find a
new hermitage on the island of Evia. There he rebuilt a small church in
honour of the Transfiguration of the Saviour and it was not long before a
group of disciples gathered who shared his way of life and love of
prayer. In imitation of Christ, David showed boundless love towards all
who came to him, especially the poor, upon whom he could not look
without shedding tears.
The Monastery of Transfiguration near Rovies, island of Evia, constructed by Saint David
He shared the monastery’s goods
unstintingly with all those in need, deserving or not, Christian or
Muslim. And so he spent many years radiating the presence of God with
his virtues and many miracles. While he was travelling to mediate in the
divisions among the bishops of the Peloponnese, his ship shank and
David was saved by a miracle. Having been deemed worthy of the gift of
precognition, he helped a great many people to find salvation and knew
in advance the day of his death. He gathered his disciples and passed to
them his final spiritual instructions. He departed this life at the
moment when he had confided to those around him that Christ had just
then appeared to him. After his demise (in either 1589 or 1601), a large
number of miracles occurred at the saint’s grave.
Source: Νέος Συναξαριστής της Ορθοδόξου Εκκλησίας Indiktos Publications, November, pp. 17-9
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