"Only in true love can God be seen, because God is Love." - St. Gabriel The remarkable ascetic life of this modern apostle of love is revealed through the intimate recollections of family and friends of St. Gabriel. Born in 1929 in the Soviet Republic of Georgia, he fervently pursued the spiritual life under the guidance of holy elders. He famously rebuked the idolatry of the godless civil authorities, setting fire to a massive banner of Lenin at a public celebration. For this he was badly beaten, imprisoned and almost executed. With God's help, he survived to nurture the next generation of Georgian faithful and to see the fall of communism. Since he reposed in 1995, his veneration has grown rapidly both in Georgia and abroad, boosted by countless miracles such as those worked by his jacket, which healed a fourteen-year-old boy of a brain aneurysm and continues to heal many. Published with the blessing of Georgian Patriarch Ilia, this first book in English about this greatly loved Orthodox saint opens a vivid window to his life and continuing spiritual vigor.
