Abbot of the Monastery of Saint David the Elder in Euboea,
experienced the devil's cruel warfare.
When the latter realized that by tempting people the old man was benefiting,
he decided to tempt him directly himself, like so many other godly hermits.
Listen to some terrible incidents: I once repaired the rooms of the monastery,
recounts Fr.
James.
A little before noon, I lay tired on the bed of a room whose ceiling I was repairing.
Suddenly the door opens and a soldier, wearing some old gaiters, enters violently.
He had only one eye on his forehead and was shouting wildly.
So this is where you are?
Now you'll see what will happen to you!
Behind him were about 18 demons, some in human form and some in ape form.
All of them rushed towards me and started beating me.
I was trying to make my cross, but they were blocking me.
Three of them were holding my hand and one of them was spreading my fingers,
so I couldn't make the sign of the cross with them.
The blows and sufferings I endured are not described.
In a short time, blood was flowing from my mouth and nose.
My lips were swollen.
My beard and hair were plucked.
My robes were open and my trousers pulled down, for even in the secret places God allowed
me to be tortured.
My fingers twisted.
My shoulder was almost dislocated.
And in my ears were their hateful words: Can you see me?
One of them asked me.
It is I who take you by the throat and do not let you read clearly
Another called me one thing and another another another.
At last, at some point, I released my hand and made my cross.
Immediately the demons jumped out the window, leaving me half dead.
I gathered up my clothes and went downstairs to the kitchen as it were.
There was a pilgrim grandmother there, who was frightened when she saw me.
You didn't come upstairs Grandma to help me.
The demons beat me to death.
I could hear Father James knocking and making noise but I thought you were working and knocking.
These temptations, so painful, reveal the strength the Lord gave him to withstand
them, as well as the martyrdom and confessional
grace with which he was enriched.
Blessed Fr.
James experienced the demonic presence in his monastery on other occasions.
Once a local shepherd, fooled by the evil one, thought that some of his sheep were mauled
by a dog of the monastery.
The old man assured him that this was not true, but he brought a lawsuit against him.
So while Fr.
James was sitting in the courtyard in sorrow, he saw a slim and tall man standing a short
distance away, looking at him.
At some point, he found himself on the roof of the monastery and called out to him from
there: I brought you the summons from the court.
I caused it all!
The devil was obvious.
Finally, with the help of Saint David and a lawyer, the case was settled.
and without the old man having to go to court, which would have been very upsetting.
Another time he was at the entrance of the monastery and suddenly saw an old woman enter.
Come, grandmother, come to worship and we will treat you and give you hospitality.
Tonight you'll stay here.
No, I'm not staying here, I can't, because you dun duns are ringing the bells.
I just came to see you and leave.
I'm going to this nunnery.
They give me a big welcome there and I stay for a week.
Once I go there I do to the nuns (and she pointed her finger that she is being skewered).
And they immediately start scandals between them.
And the festival begins!
Surprised at what Fr.
James was hearing, he looked her carefully in the face.
He then saw some very small and painted eyes, big earrings, and a thread sticking out of
her nose and tied to the earrings.
Spontaneously he made the sign of the cross, saying:
Lord, have mercy!
What an old woman she is!
Immediately the old woman began to dissipate like smoke and disappeared.
It was the devil!
The old man commented on how much temptation is removed by the daytime services and the
daily Mass.
The devil himself confessed that he could not remain, "because the bells were always
dun-during."
On the contrary, how he rejoiced in the scandals and misunderstandings!
Anyway, he concluded, he comes to us, he makes his rounds, lest he should find someone unguarded
and thus be able to do his work.
Some nights at dusk, he saw outside his cell the temptation of
a female figure lewdly pointing at his backside, saying shameless words.
He immediately took the image of the Virgin Mary and went out saying:
"To this mercy, we flee, O Goddess..."
As the shell flew away with a whistling sound, so did the temptation,
it passed over the tiles of the roof and exploded on the opposite mountain with a deafening
crash.
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