The Mother of God was buried in Gethsemane. For three days angelic melodies were heard at her grave. On the fourth day they opened the carved tomb so that an Apostle, who, according to God's plan, was not at her funeral, could take her holy cloth. Then they found it empty! Only her shroud was there. The body of the Most Holy Theotokos had been transferred to heaven!

 

Georges (Georgios Georges)-Nativity Fresco, Catholicos of M. Dochiariou, 1568

 

Commemorating the Kazan Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos Nov.11/Oct. 2

 

The miraculous Kazan Icon of the Mother of God is considered one of the most revered Orthodox icons, thousands of people received healing from numerous diseases, especially eye diseases and blindness. The Kazan Icon of the Mother of God is a miraculous icon of the Mother of God, which appeared in Kazan in 1579. The prototype of this icon has been lost.

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Miracle stories:

1. The miraculous appearance of the icon of the Kazan Mother of God

The miraculous appearance of the icon of the Kazan Mother of God took place in the summer of 1579, when there was a terrible heat and dryness in Kazan, because of which a terrible fire began to blaze in the city. It began near the Church of St. Nicholas, and then spread to the Kazan Kremlin. Many believers wept and mourned at this terrible sight, while unbelievers laughed and gloated. In that terrible fire, the shelter of many families burned down, including archer Daniil Onuchian. And then his daughter Maronushka had a vision one night - the Mother of God Herself - the Most Holy Theotokos - appeared to her.

The Blessed Mother of God ordered Matrona to find a place where Her icon lies underground, and to get this same icon. Matrona was very impressed with this dream and told her relatives about it, but they did not believe her, because the Orthodox people knew that attaching meaning to dreams is very dangerous. But Matrona had a dream not once or twice, but three times. And for the third time, Matrona saw that the Mother of God was angry that the girl had not dug up the icon. It was then that the Mother of God said to Matrona: "If you do not fulfill My command, then I will appear in another place, and you will perish."

It was then that Matrona was seriously frightened, then her parents believed her. And Matrona and her mother began to dig in the indicated place, where they found the holy icon. Archbishop Jeremiah arrived at the place of the miraculous acquisition at the head of the clergy. and soon the icon was transferred with the procession to the Annunciation Cathedral, and during the procession with the miraculous Kazan icon, two blind men, Joseph and Nikita, were healed.

2. Epiphany of a blind baby

The Mother of God performed many miracles through her miraculous image of Kazan. And then one day an unfortunate woman came to the temple, whose little child was completely blind. The mother held the baby in her arms and prayed for a long time with tears in front of the holy and miraculous Icon of the Mother of God for insight into the blind eyes of her child.

And suddenly, at some point, the baby began to touch his mother's face with his hands. Everyone who prayed before the Most Pure Image, together with the Archbishop, looked at the baby and saw how he touched his mother's face with his hands. Then the Archbishop ordered to bring the child an apple, which the baby immediately began to grab. It was then that everyone was convinced that the child had received his sight and immediately gave glory to God and His Most Pure Mother, the Lady of Our Lady, who works marvelous miracles.

3. The Enlightenment of Monk Joseph

Joseph, a monk of the Trinity Monastery in Kazan, suffered from blindness. Having learned about the great miracles happening from the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, he came to the cathedral church of the Most Holy Theotokos and served a prayer service before Her icon, but Joseph did not receive healing at the end of the prayer service. Monk was overcome by grief and sadness with which he went home.

When he arrived at his house, he decided to lie down and rest, and when he dozed off, he suddenly saw the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos, from which he heard a voice commanding him to go to the house of the Most Pure One, serve a prayer service, and then wipe his face with a veil. After that, the Mother of God said that the monk would receive healing. When Joseph did what the Mother of God commanded him, he immediately received his sight.

4. Healing the paralyzed

In Kazan, at the parlor of the Posad church of the First Apostles Peter and Paul, the faithful and God-fearing widow Julita, son Isaac had been bed-ridden for two and a half years. His illness was so severe that he could not even put his feet on the floor. Having learned about the miraculous Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, Isaac asked his mother to serve a prayer service at the Icon. Isaac himself lay in his house and tearfully prayed to the Most Holy Theotokos in order to see her miraculous Icon himself.

At some point, Isaac felt a little relief from being bed-ridden and, by the grace of the Most Pure Mother of God, he suddenly got to his feet, trying to walk a little. Isaac immediately took two staffs and relying on them, he went to the monastery to the miraculous Icon of the All-Merciful Mother of God. When Isaac saw his own mother, she was so amazed that she did not immediately come to her senses, but when she came to her senses, she realized what a great miracle the Mother of God had performed and, falling before the Most Pure Image of the Mother of God, began to earnestly thank the Mother of God with tears. When Isaac was finally healed, he and his mother gave praise and glory to God and the Most Pure Mother of God and went home, while praising and glorifying the Almighty God, Who creates wondrous and glorious miracles.

5. Healing from dementia

In the city of Laishev there lived a man named Kozma, who suffered from the disease of dementia. At some point, his relatives advised him to go to the Kazan Monastery to the Most Pure Mother of God and ask for healing. When Kozma came to his senses, he immediately began to pray to the Most Pure Mother of God for healing. And now, by the grace of God and the help of the Virgin, Kozma received healing. He served a prayer service and immediately received complete healing from the relaxation of his mind, became healthy, and when, rejoicing, he went home, he fervently praised God and the Most Pure Mother of God

St. Anna Pray to God for US!

 

The Raven on the Icon

 

A raven is depicted on the icon of the holy prophet Elijah. How did this bird get there?

The raven was considered an unclean bird. And here she is next to the holy prophet, and food is in her beak.

Saint Elijah denounced the Israeli king Ahab and his wife Jezebel for deviating from faith in the true God. But the king did not heed the preaching of the prophet and the Lord punished his kingdom with a terrible drought. There was a great famine.

The Lord commanded the prophet to go to the channel Khorath, next to the Jordan. There was water here, but there was no food. And so that Elijah would not die of hunger, the Lord commanded the raven to bring him food.

So the raven, an unclean animal, ended up next to the great prophet Elijah, and remained with him on the icon.

Kazan Icon of the All-holy Theotokos (Commemorated Oct. 22/Nov. 4)

This feast was established in memory of the salvation of Moscow from an invasion of Poles in 1612 by the intercession of the Sovereign Lady. At that time our country was in extreme danger. Generations of kings of the House of Rurik on the Russian throne ended. There came an interregnum, but at the same time there was anarchy, disorder and disarray throughout the realm. Everywhere there were unpunished robberies and murder. The Poles, having taken many Russian cities, occupied Moscow, and the Swedes seized Novgorod. These and others wanted to give Russia their own king, and already half of Russia recognized the Polish king's son Vladislav as their own king. But the true and faithful sons of the country could not admit a stranger of another faith on the imperial throne of Russia. "We stand for Holy Russia, for the home of the All-holy Theotokos, for the wonderworkers Alexis, Photius and Philip; we may sell wives and children, but we shall free the fatherland!" - one of true of the sons of the fatherland, the Novgorod citizen Minin cried out to his compatriots.

After the Minin appeal and also the appeals of the Monk Palitsyn and the Boyar Pozharsky, the Russian people unanimously rose up for the defense and liberation of their native land. The Russian national guard began to form to go to Moscow. A national guard also came from Kazan and brought with them the Holy Icon of Kazan which became glorified for wonderworking (see Jul. 8). In faith the soldiers brought the holy icon, which began to reveal many wonders. With the help of the Mother of God, the Russians beat the Poles at the Novodevichy monastery and took many captives.

But the time for the conclusive deliverance of the Russian land still did not arrive. Enmity and contention arose between the heads of groups; violence and selfishness of the Cossacks and other soldiers had no borders. In the Winter of 1611 the holy icon was released back to Kazan.

When the holy icon on the way back to Kazan arrived in Yaroslavl, the national guard gathered by Minin under the command of Prince Pozharsky arrived from Nizhny-Novgorod. Having learned about the wonders which came from the holy icon under Moscow, the soldiers took the holy icon with them and constantly resorted to it with warm prayers for help.

The national guard under Prince Pozharsky met an impregnable obstacle for human forces at Moscow. It was necessary to take the fortified and persistently protected city, to beat back the fresh numerous replacements for the earlier Polish army already coming to Moscow to pacify the will and resistance of the Russian groups under Moscow which instead of help and friendship to the arriving national guard showed enmity and change of heart. Besides this, there were no means for provisioning the army, who did not even get arms. With such difficulties the spirit of courage began to flag in the army. And meanwhile autumn arrived and with her bad weather and that increased the tribulations of the besieged even more. However, having decided to make the attempt to vanquish the enemy and thus having made the assignments, all hope was not their own but uniquely in the help of God and the intercession of the Mother of God.

Our devout ancestors before beginning the struggle before them spent three days in fasting and in earnest prayer before the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God.

The Lord heard the prayerful wail lamenting for their country and Church. One of the venerable First Hierarchs, Archbishop Arsenius who arrived in Moscow from Greece, languished among the besieged in the capitol, among enemies, in severe captivity and still more severe illness. Close to heaven in his rank, he was even closer to it in his virtues. Therefore he also was accepted as the intermediary between heaven and earth. In the midnight quiet, his cell is suddenly filled with an unusual light and he sees St. Sergius of Radonezh before him.

"Arsenius", the Saint said to the ill one, "your and our prayers are heard. The judgment of God about our country is changed to mercy by the intercession of the Mother of God. Early in the morning Moscow will be in hands of the besieging, and Russia will be saved". As though confirming the prophecy, the health and the strength of powers suddenly returned to the ailing starets.

This joyful message passing by word of mouth immediately penetrated the walls of the city to the Orthodox troops and ignited their boundless courage. Holding the name of the elected Voivode, the religious troops did not see any insuperable barrier before them. The enemies, not seeing their own predicament, could no longer hold on to the stronghold, and the Russians seized the Kremlin.

Revering the heavenly help, the thankful troops did a solemn Molieben on the following Sunday entrance into the returned capital. In order that the memory of such a wonderful appearance of the veil of the All Holy Virgin over the country does not weaken over time, it became necessary to create the solemn commemoration of the deliverance of Moscow from its enemies annually on this day. The Church service for this day is the same as on July 8.

Learn to decorate icons

For those who want to learn how to decorate icons with flowers. here is are courses you can take online in English and Russian from experts in Russia. Receive a certificate when finished for each course.Go to EN on the site www.churchfloristry.ru

"Holy Patroness of Athos "- written by the monk Ioannikiy (Russian) from Karyes. Located in the cell of St. Nicholas

 

St. Nicholas the Wonderworker icon

Throughout the Christian churches, it is difficult to think of a Saint as well-loved as St Nicholas the Wonder-Worker, honoured on Dec 18/6 and every Thursday of the week. A fourth-century Bishop of Myra famous for defending Orthodoxy against heresy during the First Ecumenical Council, there are also numerous miracles associated with his life. However it is the miracles wrought after his repose, even up to the present day, that lead St Nicholas to be honoured as a “Wonder-worker” and for many a cherished heavenly pastor of an earthly flock. The oldest surviving icon of St Nicholas, was painted in Constantinople sometime during the 10th century. It is currently stored in the monastery of St Catherine in Sinai. Later icons of St Nicholas show him slightly older than here, with whiter hair and a receding hair-line.

St Nicholas is dressed as a bishop, characterized by the white stole embroidered with crosses over his shoulders. Called an omophorion in Greek, omophor in Slavic, the bishop’s stole represents the lost sheep carried over the shoulders of the Good Shepherd (John10:1-21) and thus signifies the bishop’s pastoral role. In St Nicholas’ time, it would probably have been made from lamb’s wool.

As a bishop, St Nicholas also holds a copy of the Gospels in his left hand. Another ministry of the Church’s bishops is to preserve and proclaim the Gospel. In later Russian icons, the Gospel book can be shown open, and when it is a variant of Luke 6:17 is usually written upon it, the prelude to Christ's Sermon on the Plain. His right hand is not shown in a blessing in the 10th-century icon, but is depicted this way in near-contemporary icons of the Saint (and other bishop-saints).

In medallions around the border of the Icon are the busts of Christ and His Saints. Christ Himself is in the centre at the top, flanked by the Apostles Peter (left) and Paul (right). On either side of St Nicholas are four Warrior-Saints, dressed in the Roman Imperial armour and cloaks of their time, holding spears and swords. On the left are the martyrs Demetrius and Theodore Stratelates, whilst on the right are the martyrs George and Procopius of Scythopolis. At the bottom are three Holy Unmercenaries (healers): Cosmas, Panteleimon, and Damian.

None of these Saints particularly relate to the life of St Nicholas, but taken together they can be regarded as comprising the different ranks of the Sainthood: the Apostles, the Martyrs, the Holy-Warriors, and the Healers are all represented here, overlooked by Jesus Christ. At the centre of all these famous Saints (and they were all incredibly well-revered in the 10th century) is St Nicholas. He is therefore shown not only as the archetypal Bishop, but the archetypal Saint. The icon represents what the faithful in the ancient Church thought of Nicholas of Myra, and such reverence is preserved in later icons too.

Source: iconreader.wordpress.com

The Icon of the Mother of God, the “Multiplier of Wheat”

 

The Icon of the Mother of God, the “Multiplier of Wheat”, written with the blessing of Elder Ambrose of Optina in 1890 and belonged to the elder. Lithographed icon. End of the 19th century.

On this icon, the Mother of God is depicted sitting upon the clouds, and Her hands are extended in blessing. Beneath her is a compressed field, and on it amidst the grass and flowers stand and lay sheaves of rye. Elder Ambrose himself decreed the day of celebration, October 28/15, and called the icon “Multiplier of Wheat”, indicating by this, that the Most Holy Theotokos “is a Helper for people in their labors for the acquiring of their daily bread.

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Rare: Mother of God with young Jesus Christ

 

Rare

 

St. Gregory of Nyssa

St. Gregory of Nyssa says that after the resurrection everyone will receive a new body which will differ from the previous material one, just as the body of Christ after His Resurrection differed from His earthly body. The new, “glorified” human body will be immaterial, luminous and light, but will preserve the likeness of the material body.It will have none of the defects of the material body, such as mutilations or signs of old age. This is why for instance we see St. Matrona in icons with open eyes and standing.

Do not forsake me, O Lord my God, do not turn away from me. Promise me help, Lord of my salvation .....

Artist Anna Baibkova, St. Peter, St. Matrona, St. Gerasmus

Three-handed icon at St. John of Kiev monastery

The replica icon of the miraculous (wonderworking) icon of Mt. Athos at the Monastery of St.John in Kiev. The founder is the spiritual child of St. Seraphim of Sarov