Quite a few years ago, I was reading Youth of the Apocalypse: And the Last True Rebellion (found here). Of the stories of modern holy figures that take up the latter part of this book, one story stuck with me, even until today. It was the story of a monk in the country of Georgia who, during the height of Communism, committed an act that was shocking in its brazenness and inspiring in the zeal from which it came. The monk, seeing a banner of the Lenin streaming down the side of a building in the town's square, sneaked into the structure, scaled the stairs, and poured kerosene (or gasoline or some other flammable substance...) down the banner. He yelled down to the townspeople who had gathered for a rally that they once venerated true icons and worshiped their true Lord, Jesus Christ. Now, their worship had fallen upon false idols of atheism and worldly power. Then, before all the people and the authorities, he set the banner on fire.
Such a story always caused me to wonder about this hieromonk and the rest of his life. Well, as it turns out, this monk, Father Gabriel Urgebadze, was recently glorified in the Church as a Saint.
A declaration of this glorification in which he is called "St. Gabriel: Confessor and Fool for Christ" can be found here. His life, well worth one's time, can be found here.
St. Gabriel, intercede for us!
do you have the tropar and kondak in English ?
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