Monday, January 20, 2020

Orthodox Parables and Stories: Life-Giving Cross of the Lord - The Most Famous and Revered Shrine Arzamas



According to legend, the carved Cross of the Lord was brought to Arzamas in the second half of the 17th century by a certain Shayansky. At that time, three Shayansky brothers lived in a provincial town (according to other sources of the Kashcheevs). The brothers were engaged in trade, and the younger brother did not have the abilities for this craft and was known among the weak-minded. But at the same time he was gentle, very pious, so the older brothers loved him and always took him to fairs. Once, during a trip to the Makaryevskaya fair, a miraculous discovery of the shrine took place. While the brothers were trading, the youngest, as usual, attended the services of the Makaryev Zheltovodsky Monastery. At the end of the liturgy, he went to the banks of the Volga to admire the merchant ships. Among the ships, he noticed a boat decorated with flowers and fragrant trees, in the middle of which stood a large Cross with a carved Crucifix. The young man got into the boat to row to the shrine. Then the owner of the vessel approached him and asked if he wanted to buy this Cross. Shayansky was delighted. He agreed on a price and said that he had no money on him and needed to get to his brothers. "Take the cross now, and bring the money later," the owner said.

The brothers happily gave the right amount. But when the younger brother came to pay, he did not find the boat. No matter how much he asked the owners of other vessels, everyone replied that it had never been here. Shayansky immediately realized that not an ordinary person was the owner of that wonderful boat, but an Angel of the Lord. He put the cross on his back and carried it to Arzamas on foot. Shayansky overcame the entire path of 110 miles in one day and at the same time did not feel tired.

Source: arzblag.ortox.ru
translated by Orthodox Parables and Stories

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.