In September 1999, our beloved sister Mother Anasimon (consecrated as a nun in 1970) was in the last stages of her illness. She was suffering from cancer, but continued to live a life of thankfulness and total surrender to her Saviour. In the course of the last year of her life, she underwent four consecutive operations. They were followed by chemotherapy and radiotherapy in order to remove the tumours from her body, a process that entailed great pain.
Throughout this painful process, she was living in peace and thankfulness taking her Mother, Mother Erene, as her example. However, a week before her departure to heaven, she was attacked by certain troublesome thoughts regarding her eternal destiny. They made her depressed and upset.
The nuns gathered around her and did their best to remove such thoughts from her head, as she was a pious nun who had made many great services to the convent. Yet their attempts were in vain; she knew all too well that her soul would depart in a few hours.
In the meantime, Mother Erene, too, was in great pain at Al – Hayat hospital. No one was able to tell her about the deteriorating condition of Mother Anasimon who was very dear to her heart.
After her return to the convent, Mother was moving with difficulty because her heart was weakening as the function of the myocardium (the heart muscle) was deteriorating. Suddenly, we saw her preparing to go to Mother Anasimon’s cell which lay in the new convent building. Mother’s cell, located in the old building, was somewhat far from the new one. Due to her medical condition, she was walking very slowly, which meant that she would cover the distance in a little less than 30 minutes.
We were extremely worried about her health, for the doctors had previously warned us to prevent her from exerting any effort. Besides, Mother Anasimon’s face and body had drastically changed in the last few days of her life. We were afraid that Mother would be disturbed when she saw her in that condition. We did our best to dissuade Mother from seeing her. We even told her that we would inform Mother Anasimon of all that she wanted to tell her. Still, Mother insisted on going to her cell.
Out of worry, we, all the nuns and novices, followed her to Mother Anasimon’s cell. When we reached it, Mother turned around and told us, “I need to see Mother Anasimon alone. I do not want anyone else with us.”
At that time, Mother Anasimon was bedridden and unable to even lift her head up. Besides, for the previous two days, she had lost the ability to drink. Because her mouth was dry, we used to put a wet piece of cotton on her lips every three or four minutes.
Mother entered the cell by herself, and we all waited outside. All of a sudden and after a few minutes, we heard her clapping her hand. I hurried in with a glass of water to wet my sister’s lips. But I saw an amazing scene: Mother, who was so weak that she had leaned on us along the way, was now sitting erect in the chair, looking very healthy. On the bed, I saw my sister sitting erect, so alert and strong!
I was speechless. With my hand, I waved to Mother to ask her what she wanted me to do. She said, “Mother, please stay with us.” I went to the far end of the room while looking at both of them in astonishment. I heard Mother telling her, “Be assured that God will reward you with great glory for every hour and minute in pain.”
Mother Anasimon said, “I need to know God’s opinion of me.” So she told her, “My love, God allows sickness to test, refine and purify people. Why are you upset and worried? Look around you, what can you see?”
She replied, “Mother, I can see nothing.” So Mother said, “No. Please look carefully.” So she said, “I can see multitudes of angels round my bed.”
Mother asked once again, “Who else can you see?”
She replied, “Oh, I can see Mother Aghapy.*
Oh, my dear Mother Aghapy, she is coming to greet me.”
And Mother added, “Who else, my love?”
She replied, “Many saints are around me.”
So Mother told her, “My love, are you assured now? Your place will be with them. The Lord of Glory has counted all your work and service in the convent and the pain of your illness. In return, He is going to reward you with a great crown. My dear Mother Anasimon, in a few days you will be standing before the Throne of your beloved Christ. Please do not forget me. Ask the Lord on my behalf that He accept my repentance. And pray for the convent and the rest of your sisters. Do come and visit us every now and then.”
So she asked Mother, “Will it be possible for me to come and visit you?”
Mother answered, “Ask God Almighty and He will allow you.”
She said, “I love you so much Mother. I love the convent and all my sisters.”
Mother asked her once more, “Do not forget to remember me before the Lord of Glory.”
And Mother Anasimon lastly said, “All that I aspire to is to please God and to have a good place in heaven that will bring joy to your heart, Mother.”
The conversation that took place between the two of them was amazing. It was not emotional, but rather remarkably serious and reflecting a sense of authority that I have never seen in my whole life. It was as if Mother were assigning a very important mission to Mother Anasimon, a mission that has to be carried out very soon. Mother Anasimon requested Mother’s then permission to tell the rest of her sisters, the nuns, the subject of their conversation to which Mother responded, “Tell them so that they will be consoled.”
Finally, Mother stood up, prayed for her, anointed her with the holy oil, and then left her in peace, joy and assurance.
On 1st October 1999, a few days later, as prophesied by Mother, the soul of our sister, Mother Anasimon, departed and our Mother presented her as a pure bride to the King, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Ref: Mother Erene – A monastic life kindled with love, in the prelude of the book
* Mother Aghapy was the first of Mother’s spiritual daughters to depart from the world, passing away in 1991. She joined the convent in 1964, and was consecrated as a nun in 1966.
The Art of Orthodoxy 