Elder Iakovos said: “The grace of our Saints has even imbued the wood of the holy icons. Once in Asia Minor a Turkish breeder tried with his axe to split the wood of an old icon. At the first chop the wood began to bleed. Seized by despair, the Turk gave the picture to Christians, and told them about the miracle.”
Again, in the procession of the icon of the Virgin Mary, the Elder saw the Virgin Mary standing before him, lifting up her hand and blessing him.
The Elder stressed that the mental development of offspring depends on the mental development and the way of living of the parents.
The Elder said: “Once I was celebrating the Divine Liturgy, I could not perform the Great Entrance because I was seeing some things. Suddenly I feel someone pushing me from my shoulder and leading me to the Altar of Prothesis. He was the Archangel.”
While the Elder offered the Eucharist to the faithful he saw their faces. However, some of the faces of the faithful were like animals and others were shining like the sun. While he was offering the Holy Communion, the souls of the faithful were passing by before him and they were begging him to commemorate them.
When the parents asked what to do when their children were naughty, the Elder said, “You will pray to God and then you will advise them with love. Not with rigor.”
Regarding the fasting, the Elder said: “Fasting is the first commandment of God. Christ even fasted. Fasting did no harm to me even though I am 70 years old. Fasting keeps away all the demons, illness, and passions.”
Somebody said, “Since Father Jacob worships God, why did God allow him to go to the hospital and undergo such a serious surgery?” The Elder replied: “God has allowed me to undergo all these things so that I humble myself.”
The Elder said, “My children, no one should have any doubts or mistrust. Have faith in God as a sinewy grain, and whatever you ask from God, He will give it to you. Prayer always supports us. Let us not be afraid. If God is with us, no one can be against us.
“Without our pure soul, we have no benefit from the Holy Communion. So do not hesitate to confess your sins without any shame. Whatever you’ve done, even the greatest sin, the spiritual master has the power of Christ and the Apostles to forgive you with his epitrachelion.”
“Grief is the biggest illness. You should always banish the grief.”
“In the Church you will always find health, comfort, hope and salvation of your soul.”
