The miraculous help of the Virgin in our days: three stories of parishioners of the temple. "Pray - the Mother of God will hear

On Saturday of the fifth week of Great Lent, the Holy Church celebrates the Praise Holy Mother of God. Otherwise, this holiday is called the Saturday of the Akathist, composed in gratitude for the miraculous deliverance from troubles through the intercession of the Mother of God. About a small fraction of the modern miracles of the Mother of God - these stories.

The manifestation of icons

Archpriest George Breev , rector of the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Krylatskoye:

When I was appointed rector of the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Krylatskoye 20 years ago, they immediately brought me the Rudny Icon of the Mother of God. Here, in honor of this image, an altar was consecrated, since local peasants found it at a holy spring near the church. I remember the headman comes and says:

Father, I wanted to give you something in connection with the fact that you were appointed to restore this temple ...

She knew that the Rudny Icon of the Mother of God was revered here. Holds out an icon, but that one is dark. Nothing was visible: no colors, no image itself.

And how did you understand that this is the Rudny icon? I ask her.

I was told about this when I bought it at the antique market in Izmailovo, - explains.

Okay, since Rudnenskaya, I’ll take it with pleasure!

The fact is that in our church only one revered Rudny icon remained, preserved by old parishioners. According to legend, when the temple was closed in 1936, a resident of the village of Krylatskoye split and burned the temple icon. A few years later, during the Great Patriotic War during a German air raid on a plant across the Moscow River, one of the bombs "accidentally" fell out and hit the village - precisely in the house of this woman, killing her along with her daughter. No one else in the village was hurt except for them.

And now I look at this dark Rudny icon brought to me and think: "It needs to be cleared." However, on the first feast of this image celebrated in the church being restored, I nevertheless placed this icon in the church on the lectern. Then, after the icon has been in the temple, I bring it to the cell and cannot understand: what is happening?! She seems to be changing before our eyes, some colors in her come to life ... Tamara Alekseevna Gavrilova, the treasurer of the temple, came in:

Look, Tamara Alekseevna, the icon was not like that!

Yes, father, - she confirms, shocked.

The icon was completely updated before our eyes, sparkled with colors

Indeed, the icon was completely renewed before our eyes, sparkled with colors - and this despite the fact that the brush of the restorer did not even touch it! See the colors on it? And there was just a black board, on which only some outlines showed through, but now it shines!

And here is another image of the Burning Bush. The parishioners also gave her to me completely dark. I brought it here to the cell, but nothing is visible on it: neither the face nor the details can be made out. Just some stripes on a dark board looked through. It was only along these lines, converging at angles, that I realized that this was the image of the Burning Bush. Hung her in a cell...

"Okay, - I think, - I'll find good artists." I then just realized that it was impossible to give the icon to the first comers for restoration, the day before they ruined one image for me. So I decided to wait...

And this icon also manifested itself! What you can see on it now - all this was not in sight! Now even blue azure is visible on it - this color was completely absent. There were no angels to be seen! And look what a noble face the icon has!

Here you are, the wonders of our time.

Just the other day, I came from the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God " life-giving spring”In Tsaritsyno, where I also used to be rector, they reported that three icons shone there. Go there, take a look! These are the icons of the Mother of God “Joy of All Who Sorrow” and “Search for the Lost”, as well as the image of the Great Martyr George the Victorious. And in my cell, too, besides icon of the Mother of God George the Victorious has been updated.

I also remember, when I was just appointed rector at Krylatskoye, one artist brought me the icon of the Mother of God “The Redeemer”.

Take her to the altar! - asks me.

Why to the altar? - I specify.

And then she tells me her story. She became seriously ill and made a vow to the Mother of God that she would paint Her icon. And when she got better, she forgot about the promise in the surging fuss. Two years have passed, one morning she goes out for a walk with her dog and this is what she sees. A tall, slender nun walks towards her… She reined in the dog, and she herself thinks: “What a majestic…”

You gave me your word and why don't you keep it? suddenly a passer-by turns to her.

“What word? .. To whom?” she thinks and suddenly remembers:

The Mother of God promised to paint Her icon!

But the Mother of God has already become invisible.

"Sign" from the sea

Sergey Korablev:

In 2016, having retired from service, I took a ticket to a sanatorium in Sochi. Came out, I remember, on the coast. It was a clear sunny day. The sea is calm: not a single wave. Exactly at noon I saw a flock of dolphins swimming up to the shore, began to count: 12. I sat in a sun lounger and watched them. Suddenly I realized that they were pushing some object to the coastal edge of the water ... When the dolphins disappeared, a single wave suddenly rolled up, which I generally noticed that day, and threw this bundle onto the sand. I paid attention to him, but soon I was distracted by business and I left the beach for a while. I return, and this sea offering still lies in the same place ... I got e-book and tried to go into reading, and the inner voice repeats:

Open the bag. Open the bag.

I obeyed. Approached. The bag was covered in mud. Removed these algae. He began to untie the twine. The contents turned out to be tied around a man's sweater, fastened with clerical needles with plastic tips. I unfold the sweater, and there is an icon! Mother of God.

I called my mother, sent home a picture of the find via whatsapp.

Mom said:

Sent to you - take it.

Although immediately someone came up and offered to take the shrine to the temple. But I still listened to my mother. Later Schema-Archimandrite Eli (Nozdrin) confirmed this decision to me when I brought him an icon in Peredelkino. Archpriest Valerian Krechetov was still next to him then. I wanted to give the icon to them, but Father Eli said:

Let her stay with you.

This icon is miraculous. How many times has it happened that colleagues who had some serious problems in life came to my house, and I told them:

Believe, pray! Just ask the Mother of God in your own words!

And each time, in a completely miraculous way, everything in the lives of these people was resolved.

My own life has completely changed. Somehow, everything started to turn out right. On the Internet, someone wrote something about this case, but there are a lot of lies. For some reason, they wrote that I was there with my wife, and I just got married a year ago! I feel the help and patronage of the Most Holy Theotokos.

How Mother of God stood up when the doctors refused

, resident of the Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra:

I remember how in the 1970s the monks of the Lavra were prevented from holding separate unctions. Like, enough for believers and one common unction on Great Wednesday. And soon a very young girl living in the neighborhood of Lavra fell ill. She worked as an accountant in a children's dispensary. They built something in the yard of the institution, dug holes, and by negligence she fell and hurt herself. Some kind of hard lump formed in her, she thought it would pass, but as it seemed to the doctors, they diagnosed cancer, and already with metastases ... She lay alone in the ward of the Botkin hospital, and burst into tears:

Why, Lord?

The Mother of God said: “Lydia, why are you murmuring? Nobody left you"

And I saw the Most Holy Theotokos right in the ward:

Lydia, why are you murmuring? Nobody left you.

Doctors refused her, sent her home as hopeless. Her mother was a believer, she immediately turned to the monks of the Lavra with a request to consecrate and take communion.

The girl was brought to the Lavra, and we closed ourselves in the Mikheev Church, without turning on the light, by candlelight we consecrated her. Then she took communion three times and returned to work healthy.

How did you get healed? her colleagues ask.

The Lord healed, Communion, she answered.

You just need to believe, pray, the Mother of God will hear, the Lord will not leave.

Such testimonies of faith are especially important for those who are still looking for their way in Orthodox Church and does not know how and what to talk about with the saints and the Lords. We are waiting for your letters - they can be left in the candle shop of the temple or sent .

On the power of prayer

I want to say that all important events, and even small ones, in my life took place under the Protection and with the help of the Mother of God. The main thing, of course, is the meeting with the future husband, and then the birth of our children. The doctors diagnosed me with infertility. It sounded scary. I still remember how I came to the icon of the Albazin Mother of God and prayed. God's mercy descended on us, and I became pregnant. Thus, our first son was born.

Six years flew by unnoticed, we began to think about a second child, but there were doubts, since I had health problems. I again to the Mother of God - for help. Three months later I realized that I was pregnant. There is no doubt that the second child also appeared according to my faith and prayers to the intercessor, by the grace of God. It is difficult to imagine a greater miracle than the birth of a child, so the phrase “the power of prayer” is not an empty phrase. It is hope and support at all times.

Meanwhile, miracles do not end. When our younger son, I knew that my prayer to the Mother of God would help us to endure. My son fell ill with menigitis, the disease was severe, he only lay, groaned, fell into a dream, he had no strength to get up and walk at all. And we also worried that meningitis often has dire consequences, from severe headaches to blindness and deafness. All this time, my family was constantly praying, and in the church, prayers for the child’s recovery were lifted up before the miraculous image of the Mother of God “Joy of All Who Sorrow.” I was in the hospital with my son, but I knew that people were now praying for his healing. I did not doubt the power of prayer, but I was still surprised that everything happened so quickly, before my eyes my child began to recover, come to life, get out of bed. He had an appetite, he wanted to play. As a mother, it was very important for me that my prayer was intensified thanks to the prayers of strangers, for which I thank them so much!

But that's not all. While the son was in the hospital, he was given a huge number of droppers. And what are the wreaths of a four-year-old baby?! Still need to find and get. The next time the nurse tried to change the catheter, and nothing worked, my heart bled. And then I automatically took and crossed his pen, the nurse immediately inserted the needle. Then, before each such procedure, I was always baptized and overshadowed my son with the banner of the cross. Everything went great. Here it is, the power of the sign of the cross. Thanks to the Most Holy Theotokos and our Lord for everything that is sent to us and miraculously resolved!

Sincerely, Elena Miusova

The tumor disappeared without a trace

The Lord and the Most Holy Lady Theotokos help me constantly. I came to faith recently, about two years ago. After I went to church for a year, I was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. Praise the Lord that at that time I already knew Him. Of course, there were tears, but, in general, I took it for granted - the Lord knows better what is useful to us. She intensified her prayers, in addition to Sunday service and weekly communion, she began to go to prayer services to the miraculous icon of the Mother of God “Joy of All Who Sorrow”. A year has passed, I feel well, there is no metastasis. I thank the Lord and the Lady Mother of God not only for this, but also for the peace in my soul, which I have had all this time. I understand that everything is the will of God and, most importantly, it is to save your soul.

I was convinced that the Lord really hears us and responds to our sincere prayers. There were also small miracles, for example, there was not enough money for the wedding of her son, she began to pray to the Lord and the Mother of God about this, and in three days the money was found, they sold the car, which they could not sell for a very long time. There were several more miracles, please take my word for it so as not to write a lot.

Be sure to believe the Lord, thank him and our Lady for everything, love Them and your loved ones, and, be sure, your life will change. Thank God for everything!

It's never too late to pray

Three years ago, in 2014, my matchmaker underwent an operation at the regional hospital. Right during the operation, cardiac arrest occurred. The heart was "brought in", but he fell into a coma. Within one month, he was disconnected from the machine twice to breathe on his own. But his heart stopped again, during this terrible month he suffered clinical death three times. Doctors prepared the family for the worst, they said that the patient was not a tenant, that his brain was dying, as it no longer responded to pain.

And when despair seized the family, I suggested that the matchmaker go together to our temple. She and her husband were baptized, but did not go to church. The matchmaker agreed, came to confession, took communion, ordered a magpie about the health of her husband. And she continued to go to the temple to the icon of the Mother of God "Joy of All Who Sorrow." And at the head of her husband she put the icon of St. Luke of Crimea. Within 7-10 days, the matchmaker began to come to his senses and came out of a coma! Of course, he was still in the hospital for three long months, but all this time we already knew what to do to get him back on his feet. Pray! Now he feels so good that he went to work. And we thank the Lord and the Mother of God for this miracle of healing, when it seemed that there was no hope left.

This article is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary - the mother of our Lord Jesus Christ. Here you will find icons and prayers with Her image, as well as learn about miracles! The Most Holy Theotokos - Virgin Mary, Mother of Christ. Through the prayers of the Most Holy Theotokos, amazing miracles are performed, consolation comes to people in sorrows, and sincere faith helps to overcome life's difficulties. About the great glory of the Most Holy Theotokos, about the Intercessor of all people - in this article.

In your Assumption, you did not leave the world ...

From troparion

Indeed so! So many miracles were created by the Mother of God! How many miraculous icons She glorified in our land! And it is not in vain that we see Her icon in every Orthodox home. And bishops wear a panagia (which in Greek means “Most Holy”) on their chest, and this testifies to the Orthodoxy of our faith. And in general, in all divine services, we certainly commemorate the Mother of God in Bogorodichny. And how many holidays are there in a year! How many icons in temples! We know all this well.

But most of all, we believe Her own words, which She herself uttered about Herself at the righteous Elizabeth: Se… please give birth to me(Luke 1:48).

And it has come true and is coming true.

And we will glorify the Most Pure Mother of God. Her greatest glory is that she was honored to be the Mother of the Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ! And for this alone she became "the most honest cherub and the most glorious seraphim without comparison."

But we will cite here at least a few of Her miracles in our Russian country, where we so zealously honor our Intercessor. First of all, let us recall the miracles from Her glorified icons, which we know for sure.

Holy Mother of God. Iconography

Patriarch Nikon ordered to make a copy for Moscow. Now she is in the Church of the Resurrection in Sokolniki. Another copy was made for the same Patriarch Nikon, for the Valdai Monastery. The memory is honored three times a year: on Mount Athos and in our country - on Tuesday of Easter week; October 13 - in Moscow; February 12 - in Valdai.

In 1383, she showed up within Novgorod, in the city of Tikhvin. Here a temple was built for her in the name of the Assumption of the Mother of God. During the German invasion (1941 - 1945) it was taken out and was in Riga. Now it has been returned.

Here are the most important icons revered in Russia. And, without any doubt, miracles were created from them everywhere. I will write about some here, although they are less known.

Holy Mother of God. miraculous icons

Up to 400 miraculous icons of the Mother of God of Russia are still known. In conclusion, let us recall the local icon . It was “brought by the Don Cossacks, who came to the aid of the Grand Duke Dimitri Ivanovich Donskoy, and was approved on a staff like a banner” when the prince fought against the Tatar Khan Mamai (1380). After the defeat of the Tatars, she was taken to Moscow. Then in 1591 the Crimean Tatars attacked Moscow, but were driven away. On the spot where the Russians met with the Crimeans, the Donskoy Monastery was created, where the image of the Donskaya Mother of God was placed. She is a copy Smolensk icon"Hodegetria". Her copies are still revered to this day. Holiday 19 August.

And how many thousands of miraculous intercessions know Her Orthodox people by ourselves and from others! And how many - truly the sea - unknown miracles to us!

How many such deeds of Her, of which only She knows, the Zealous Intercessor, the All-Singing Mother!

Let's talk about some cases from modern life known to us personally or borrowed from unknown books and manuscripts, or told to us by others.

In the life of St. Tikhon of Zadonsk, which I read among the manuscripts of Optina Hermitage, the following supernatural event is described.

Saint Tikhon, then living in the Zadonsk monastery, was attacked by the temptation of anguish: this happens, by God's permission, with saints. And he had a spiritual friend in the town of Yelets (this is about thirty versts from the monastery). The saint wrote him a letter, asking him to come and visit him in grief. This was Great Lent, shortly before the Lord's Entry into Jerusalem. My friend's name was Kuzma, but I don't remember his last name now: I think it was Chebotarev. In Yelets, he served as a clerk (this is a judicial rank in the old days). In addition, he was the headman of the temple, and the “Entrance”, Passion and Easter was approaching: busy time.

Having received the letter, Kuzma, a faithful admirer of St. Tikhon, without deliberating for a long time, decided to set off on his journey. But at that time, in the suburban river (I think Khoper), which flows into the Don, there was ice. However, this did not frighten Kuzma: he went from ice floe to ice floe, with faith in the saint. And arrived at the monastery.

Saint Tikhon, seeing him, thought: is this not a ghost? - to arrive in such a muddle! But he said: "Let God arise," and they calmed down. The conversation began. At this time, a fisherman came to them and offered, through a cell attendant, to buy an ide from him. The saint at first thought: now great post; fish - except for the Annunciation and the Entrance to Jerusalem - is not allowed to eat by charter; and then he said: “We will have an entrance, but Kuzma will no longer be!”

And he ordered the attendant to buy fish and boil the fish soup, and serve the fish separately. He did just that. They began to have lunch. Kuzma suddenly wept bitterly. Tikhon Zadonsky asks him about it. And then he himself took a spoon and sipped a few spoonfuls of fish soup: “You see, I also eat.” But he keeps on crying. The saint asks him: what's the matter? Then Kuzma told the following.

When I (I am writing on his behalf) was still a boy, an archimandrite (I don’t remember his name now) was hegumen in the monastery. He was a good monk; constantly read the akathist to the Mother of God. But he suffered from a terrible vice - drunken drunkenness. When this passed, he again repented and prayed to the Mother of God. In one of these attacks, the abbot died. The brethren did not then dare to bury him according to the statutory order, as having died in sin, and sent to Voronezh to the bishop to ask how he should be buried. But the bishop at that time left for the city of Ostrogozhsk. The monks went there. The bishop approved. Let's go back; returned on the third day. They began to prepare the deceased for the funeral. And suddenly he came to life. "I, seems to be dead?" - asks the abbot of those around him. “Three days already,” they answer him. Then he said the following. “When I died, judgment was upon me. And I was sentenced to punishment. And when they let me go somewhere, I heard a voice: “For the prayers of My Mother, she returns to life for repentance.”

Saint Tikhon commanded him not to tell this to anyone else. And the archimandrite lived for another forty days, repented, prayed, and exactly forty days later he died completely.

Even from the late Archbishop F., I heard a story about the following event. In the city of Yalta (in the Crimea) there lived a widow, she had one son, still a little boy, the mother's only consolation. Suddenly he falls ill; doctors are powerless. And the mother in grief rushes to the icon of the Mother of God with a fervent plea to leave her son alive. After that, in a thin dream, the Intercessor comes to her and asks: “Do you guarantee that you will bring him up the way he still is?” - "I vouch, I vouch!"

The child survived.

It's time for teaching. The boy at school began to play pranks and more and more deteriorate. No requests and persuasions of the mother helped. And one day, seeing her helplessness, she turned to the Mother of God with these words:

Forgive me, Mistress: I cannot cope with my son and fulfill the promise I made to You. And if he doesn't get better, then take him.

Shortly thereafter, the boy rode out for a ride, and at the bend turned his horse around sharply, fell and crashed to death. He was brought to his mother already dead.

And this time she did not ask for anything - and there was nothing to ask for - she did not grumble and did not cry inconsolably, for she believed the Mother of God that it was better that way.

From the book "Stories of a Wanderer" I had to subtract about the effect of the prayer "Our Lady of the Virgin, rejoice."

One young man was taught by his mother to read this prayer at every opportunity. When he grew up, he thought: is there any benefit to him from this?

And in a dream, his spiritual leader appears to him and explains to him:

Do you remember how the horses went berserk in the market?
And you would be killed. Are you still alive? - And he brought him several similar cases of possible death, from which he was saved by the Mother of God for reading the “Virgin Mary”. And the young man calmed down and continued to fulfill the covenant given to him.

But I know a number of cases when the Mother of God saves even without prayer, by Her mercy, at least for one faith ... And, moreover, in a completely unexpected way!

Personally, I witnessed a miracle from the icon of the Mother of God. When I was still a hieromonk, I was invited to a poor house to serve a prayer service before the icon of the Mother of God, from which a constantly clear liquid, oil, was coming from behind.

Indeed, I saw an icon, the size of 8 × 6 inches, under which they constantly put cotton wool, where liquid was absorbed from the back of the icon: it was oily. Cotton wool was distributed to believers ordinary people, without any disclosure. I served a prayer service. And I don't know what happened after.

I also saw the updated icon, it was small in size, 5x4 inches. At a slant, from the upper corner of the right side to the left, it was completely light; the other half is dark.

I consider the redemption of the Iberian Icon of the Mother of God in Paris to be a miracle. The Jew dealer took this icon out of Russia. It was an exact copy of the Moscow Iverskaya: the same huge size - about two arshins high and a quarter to five wide, the same writing and not dark, but, according to a specialist, written in the middle of the 18th century.

The owner asked for 12 thousand francs for it (this was in 1931 - 1932, when the francs were still in price). He did not address our Patriarchal Church: it was poor, housed in the basement; there were about 100 people; employees did not receive income; near the door there was a box where the volunteers put the remnants of bread; small coins were lowered into the mug; the people were all workers; the food was so meager that potatoes in soup seemed to us a luxury; often poor people stayed with us. We huddled upstairs, under the roof.

Therefore, the owner turned to the richest church on Rue Daryu. But there he was refused. One naval officer, out of jealousy for the icon, became an intermediary with a Jew. After the first church he went to the second, h. Monarchist”, on the Rue-Odessa, but they refused there too.

Then he came to our Patriarchal Church. But we barely ate. It was impossible to think about a ransom! Looking for an outcome, I remembered an Orthodox Greek woman who was married to a wealthy Englishman. Maybe they will help? Let's go there. We were fed a good dinner, but they refused to help.

The mediator, a man of great will and faith, suddenly turned (probably on the way back from the Greek woman) with the question:

Will your church buy?

We couldn't even dream of this!

In the evening I stand in the basement church at the service ... And the question is in my mind: “Will your church buy it?” ... And a fierce struggle began in my soul. - Are you a believer? Believer, but...

So make up your mind!
- Hm ... hm! ..

Just make up your mind! And besides, the Mother of God herself
will help.

But where do you get money from? 12 thousand!

Just make up your mind!.. Just make up your mind!

And again the questions: am I a believer?

Ah, how difficult it was! So I tormented for half an hour ...

And I decided: I believe! buy!

Evening is over. I immediately went to a Christian woman and, to my surprise, she gave me 2,000 francs! God! Went elsewhere - a thousand francs! Then he turned to the parishioners with a request for a monthly subscription - they agreed: some 20, some 10 francs ...

We talked with the owner: he is now asking for 6,000 francs and 6,000 for six months in installments. With great effort they collected - in addition to those 3 thousand, another 3 thousand; and they bought an icon… Characteristically: when we came to pick it up, it, in a linen canvas, stood upside down (what is it to him? he is a Jew).

With difficulty redeemed for another six months.

And now she is in the Compound in Paris.

Then I was sent to America. There they sent me an exact copy from this Iverskaya. After 14 years, His Holiness the Patriarch summoned me to Riga. I took the icon. Seeing her off, one Orthodox American woman wept bitterly… Holy tears… In Riga I presented the icon to the cathedral… I have another, smaller, copy left. This one, when he was going to Rostov, he gave it to a convent. Before leaving, a pilgrim sold me a third. And now I have it, a small size: 7 × 5 - Isn't it a miracle ?!

Still - a living story to me.

In America, in San Francisco, there lived a grandmother with her granddaughter. She told me about herself the following story. While still a girl, she was invited by her friend to take a walk in the forest. Two young men were also called there. But it soon became clear that they had impure intentions. Seeing this, the narrator rushed to run wherever her eyes looked. Ahead is a deep steep ravine. She, with a prayer to the Virgin Mary, without thinking, jumped and rolled. And all ended happily. But a young man also jumped after her - and broke his leg.

I do not remember where, but in my memory - for more than 45 years - I remember such an event.

At night, probably to the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, the drunken monk returned. On the Obvodny Canal, he missed the bridge and fell to the water. One or two more careless turns and he would have rolled into the water. At this time, the Mother of God appeared (I don’t know if it was in a dream?) To someone and said: “My servant is in danger: go (there) and save him!”

And the drunkard, for some good deed of his and by the grace of Heavenly Abbess, was saved from inevitable death and without repentance.

Holy Mother of God. Amazing story

I will also tell the case with me, a sinner.

At one time, about two years ago, it became difficult for me to work with one employee. And the question arose: should I deal with him in truth, or endure out of love? - I asked for advice. The answer was this: the truth should be with love, and love - fair.

After that I finished my work at about three o'clock in the morning and went to bed, and kept thinking about the same things... I had not slept at all yet. And suddenly - it was completely dark - near the table I saw the Most Holy Theotokos sitting, with her head bent to the right side, silent, in such a humble pose that the answer was clear to me: humility!

I asked for advice a second time, describing what I saw. And he received the answer: to act as the soul prompts. So I did. And soon after that, this employee was forced (by the circumstances of his life, and in no way - not by me) to resign.

Here is my meager wreath on the coffin of the Most Pure “Servant of the Lord” (Lk. , 38), “Queens of heaven and earth”, “not leaving us in our sleep”. Amen.

Kazan Icon of the Mother of God Photo: AiF / Aliya Sharafutdinova

21 July Orthodox world celebrates the 435th anniversary of finding one of the most revered shrines - the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God. In 1904, criminals stole this miraculous image from the Bogoroditsky Monastery. It has not been found so far. In 2005, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexy II handed over to Kazan one of the most known lists icons kept in the Vatican.

Answering then the questions of journalists about the miraculous power of the list of the Kazan icon, Alexy II said that after a while he would definitely declare himself ...

On the eve of the holiday of the 435th anniversary of finding the shrine, the AiF-Kazan correspondent went to the Holy Cross Cathedral of the Bogoroditsky Monastery.

It turned out that the deacon of the cathedral knows the most about the affairs of the Kazan IconFather Kharlampy. It is he who is responsible for all incoming mail to the monastery.

The Day of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God is celebrated twice a year - on July 21, in memory of the appearance of the icon in Kazan, and on November 4, in gratitude for the deliverance of Moscow and all of Russia from the Polish intervention in 1612. The first description of the miracles shown by Kazanskaya is the healing of two blind , who participated in the procession of transferring the found face to the temple, was made by Patriarch Hermogenes in 1594, 15 years after finding the shrine. And by 1903, documented evidence of salvation and healing that occurred through prayer to the glorified image, occupied more than one hundred pages.

Last year, an announcement appeared in the temple asking those who received “special grace-giving help from the Kazan Miraculous Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos” to respond. But the monastery received letters of gratitude before.

“The icon is behind armored glass, so crosses and other gifts, as is customary among Christians, cannot be hung on it,” says Father Kharlampy. - However, the image constantly receives gifts. Parishioners bring gold, silver crosses, chains to the church shop, sometimes they put them in a donation box. I also find there notes and letters glorifying the Mother of God. People put pictures of the kids she helped in their emails.”

Father Kharlampy says that it is possible to ask for the intercession of the Mother of God without knowing the prayers. It is enough to say: “Most Holy Theotokos, save us!” or pray in your own words. The main thing is that it should not be just reading words, but sincere prayer.

Judging by the letters, a variety of people turn to the miraculous, with different aspirations - from the most serious to the most banal problems. In the monastery, the AiF-Kazan correspondent was given four letters about the miracles of the Kazan icon. In fact, there are ten times more such letters.

Holy Cross Cathedral of the Bogoroditsky Monastery Photo: www.kazan-mitropolia.ru

Got rid of debt

The most recent evidence is a letter that came to the monastery this year, immediately after Antipascha.

The place where the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God was found Photo: sobory.ru

“For more than a year, a financial problem hung over me like a sword of Damocles. At work, I was owed a large amount of money, which I, in turn, owed to my girlfriend - 282 thousand rubles. The soul ached, nothing pleased. It seemed that this problem would never be solved. I begged for help. I stood service, listened to the guide, did not even notice how time flew by. I left with joy and peace of mind. And on April 29, they told me that a decision had been made to return all the debt to me, and I was able to pay off my friend. She immediately went to the monastery and thanked the icon. My soul sang. I know that my problem is just a nuisance compared to other people's problems. After all, all my loved ones are alive and well. I am grateful to the occasion that led me to the holy icon. I'm sure everything was decided safely not just like that. My prayers were heard through the holy icon and thanks to faith.”

Gave the winner

“In 2011, I came to Krasnodar from Kazan, where I attended services at the Bogoroditsky Monastery. I was 34 years old when I first became pregnant, but my husband and I did not have long to rejoice. In the second month, the ultrasound doctor said: “Your fetus has stopped, there is no heartbeat. An urgent cleaning is needed, otherwise a fatal outcome. Swallowing tears, I went to the hospital. There, the obstetrician-gynecologist, sadly shaking her head, confirmed the terrible diagnosis. I was given full anesthesia, and the doctors set to work. I woke up already in the room. A long-awaited little man lived in me for 6 whole weeks, and he was gone! The painful thoughts were interrupted by a phone call. "Do you know what day it is today? The day of the appearance of the Miraculous, - my husband consoled me. - I was in the temple at the festive service. And at home I will read an akathist and pray for you. The Mother of God will definitely help us.” Before discharge, they sent me for an ultrasound. The doctor stared at the screen for a long time. “Why does the card indicate that you are after cleaning? he finally said. “Your child is alive, nothing happened to him.” A minute later, the ultrasound room was filled with doctors. “In 30 years of work, I have not seen anything like this,” the manager said. - It looks like your child hid in a muscle during brushing. It looks like someone has hidden it." It was clear to us WHO first gave life to our child, and then hid it. During pregnancy, doctors frightened: a freak, a disabled person could be born and offered to get rid of the child. But my husband and I decided to pray and believe in a miracle. Kazan relatives more than once ordered a magpie for me in the temple and even sent me a consecrated icon. A daughter was born 9 months later. Of all the children in the maternity hospital, she turned out to have the highest health indicator on the Apgar scale (Each newborn is given this score in the first minutes of life according to 5 indicators). We named our daughter Daria. This name means "Gift of God" and "Conqueror". She, by the power of God, won the battle for life.”

Photo: AIF-Kazan / Photo by Maria Zvereva

Overcame the distance

“Only a year and a half before these events, I stood at the place where the icon was found. The windows of the former nunnery looked at me in silence like empty eye sockets. I often came here and prayed about everything and, of course, about the arrangement of my personal life. By the age of 33, I had everything I aspired to. Rare education, creative perspective work. Only the family was missing. A friend advised me to pray to the great shrine of our city. And the miracle was not long in coming. Soon we met my future husband, got married, left for his city. At the wedding, the priest blessed us with an icon. Now she stands in our prayer corner. Wonderful protection did not leave me even at a distance of 2 thousand km.

Defended in battle

“In early 2007, my son received a summons from the military enlistment office. I, like any mother, was very worried about him, I was afraid that he would end up in a dysfunctional part. I really wanted him to join the Navy, like his father. Yes, and I, having left for Severomorsk with my husband, worked in the naval unit. Because of this, I thought that there was better discipline and more order. After receiving the summons, she went to the monastery and prayed to the Mother of God for her son. And the miracle happened. The son ended up in the Northern Fleet, although he does not pass because of his health. Surprisingly, nothing is indicated in the column “health” in the son’s military ID ... But the miracles did not end there. After studying, my son was sent to serve in the Black Sea Fleet. He participated in the Georgian-Ossetian conflict as a peacekeeper, participated in a naval battle in 2008, and received gratitude from the President of Russia for this. He returned home safe and sound."

The girl had a disease of the joints

It happened in 1881. One day, the daughter of Count Maria sprained her leg. A seemingly minor injury, unexpectedly for everyone, caused a serious progressive disease of the joints - the girl could become disabled. Doctors tried to cure her with numerous procedures, but nothing helped. The girl was getting worse day by day. And on February 21, 1881, the parents decided to take Maria to Moscow for a consultation with a famous European doctor.

Before the road, according to family custom, the girl prayed before the Kozelshchanskaya icon of the Most Holy Theotokos. And suddenly I decided to wipe the riza on the icon. Her hands were exhausted, so she with difficulty, almost crying, wiped her robe, and quietly prayed. Suddenly, Maria felt that life-giving forces were pouring into her numb hands and feet. When she went down to her parents in the living room, they almost fainted from joyful surprise.

Not believing in a miracle, the parents nevertheless took their daughter to Moscow for a consultation of doctors who had previously treated the girl, and they confirmed miraculous healing. In the count's garden miraculous icon a chapel was built, later - a temple and a monastery in honor of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The patient, bedridden, got up

This healing took place on January 25, 1760. The lady from the Moscow region was bedridden for a long time, she was paralyzed. The doctors could do nothing to help, and the woman, not hoping for a recovery, expected death. But one day in a dream she saw the Mother of God. She told her: “Tell yourself to be taken to Moscow. There, on Pupyshevo, in the church of St. Nicholas, there is My image with the inscription: "Assuage my sorrows, pray before him and you will receive healing."

The woman told her dream to her relatives. They believed in the prediction and went to Moscow. The said temple was found there. They looked around the whole church, but did not find the image that appeared to the woman in a dream. The lady turned to the priest for advice, and he ordered the clerks to bring all the icons of the Mother of God from the bell tower. And among the old, forgotten icons, an icon of the Mother of God was found with the inscription: "Assuage my sorrows." Seeing her, the patient exclaimed: “She! She is!" - and crossed herself. Everyone gasped - after all, until now the lady could not even move her hand. After the prayer service, the woman venerated the icon and rose to her feet completely healthy.

The young man did not crash, falling from a great height

One monastery was restored. And a young man Yuri got a job there as a simple worker. One day he was asked to carry sacks of flour and cereals to the upper tiers of the food warehouse, which was then located in one of the temples of the monastery. At that time, only the outside walls and the roof were restored in this temple, while inside the walls were still sooty, but in places one could see miraculously preserved frescoes.

And now Yuri is carrying a heavy bag along the narrow floorings of planks and, due to fatigue, on the next upper platform he lost his balance. He begins to fall, and suddenly sees a fresco of the Mother of God with the Child on the wall. At that very moment, he felt with amazement that it was as if someone's gentle and affectionate hand took him and lovingly put him in his place. Since then, this young man has especially revered the Maternal intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos, because the monastery in which this miracle happened was consecrated in her honor.

The old woman, whose legs were paralyzed, got up and went

One old woman lived in a village near Yaroslavl. She had been lying motionless on the bed for ten years: her legs were paralyzed. hung in the corner of the room Vladimir icon Mother of God, to whom the old woman often prayed.

One day she heard a knock, as if something had fallen, and a voice: "Get up and pick it up." I looked around and outside the window - no one was there. She thought she heard. A minute later someone's voice was heard again: "Get up and lift it." The old woman was seriously frightened, answered into the void: “How can I get up when I have been lying motionless for so many years?” But for the third time, the voice already firmly ordered: “I tell you, get up and lift it up.”

Then suddenly the woman felt strength in herself, lowered her legs to the floor and went to the corner from which she heard the voice. What did she see? The icon without a frame - one board - lay on the floor, split into two parts. The old woman raised the icon to connect the two halves - and the icon, as it were, grew together. True, not very evenly - the Mother of God had one side of her face higher than the other.

But since then, the old woman has not been sick, walks briskly and does not complain about anything.

Exhausted women were helped to carry a heavy burden

Two women, sisters, who survived the Leningrad blockade, told such a story. It was winter. They exchanged some things for potatoes, loaded them onto a sled and took them away. It was necessary to go very far. Their strength was running out, they collapsed from hunger and fatigue. And the blizzard has begun. Exhausted, they stood on a snow-covered road and prayed: "Holy Mother of God, help us."

And suddenly, as if out of thin air, a handsome woman appeared, her face reminded of someone. She suggested to the sisters: "You are very tired, let me help you bring the potatoes." And she undertook to carry them along. The sisters recalled that it became very easy to carry, as if there was fluff on the sled, and not sacks of potatoes. They quickly brought the potatoes to the house. They looked back - and the woman disappeared, as if she had disappeared into the same air. Then they realized that it was the Most Holy Theotokos Herself.

The student avoided a meeting with the criminal

One girl was pious, she greatly honored the Queen of Heaven, especially loved Her image “Unexpected Joy”. And often prayed before this icon.

She studied and worked in Moscow, and lived in the Moscow region. She returned home late, and had to go along a deserted road and in one place - a forest. The place was restless: there were often robbed and even raped.

Once in the winter she entered the forest - it's scary, she almost runs along the path trodden in deep snow. Suddenly she sees a man walking towards her. It was a moonlit night, and he could be seen laughing and stretching out his arms to grab her. The girl was seriously frightened - not to go anywhere from a narrow path. And then she prayed: “Queen of Heaven, Unexpected Joy, save me!” And suddenly she calmed down and stopped feeling fear. But for some reason, fear took possession of the man. The girl saw that he was looking not at her, but at the one who seemed to be behind her. Another second - and the bandit suddenly turned right into the snow and left very quickly.

The girl did not dare to look back, but she felt the Companion behind her. However, coming out of the forest, curiosity got the better of her, she still looked around, but there was no one except the bandit running away in the distance.

The seller escaped from nightmares

The girl worked as a salesperson in a bookstore. I occasionally went to church to pray. She lived alone. One evening, when she went to bed, she heard someone very strange footsteps outside the door of her room - spanking. She was so frightened that her hair began to stir on her head. Hid under the covers. And the footsteps died away at the bedroom door, and the opening door creaked. The girl was bound so that she could not even look at the night visitor. And he approached her bed. And suddenly something heavy, black, sticky fell on her and began to choke her. There was not enough air, she began to suffocate and understand that she could die now. And then she remembered the prayer and began to pray to the Mother of God: “Most Holy Theotokos, save me.” She whispered a prayer more and more often. And then the strangler seemed to snort, but with such hatred and anger that the girl went cold. And then he reluctantly released her, got up and left, as if he had vanished into thin air.

Soldiers didn't starve to death

The story of the military N. Dramoudianos, which happened to him during the war of 1940.

“Our detachment received an order to take a height to create a bridgehead. We had to dig in rocky ground. As soon as we got into position, heavy snow began to fall. It snowed non-stop for two days and two nights, and soon some snowdrifts began to reach two meters in height. We found ourselves without communication with the headquarters and without food. Each of us had exactly one day of groceries left. Overwhelmed by hunger and cold, we did not think at all about the “day to come” and ate all the provisions at one time.

After that, the real suffering began for us. We quenched our thirst with snow, but hunger tormented us mercilessly. Five days have passed. We have become skeletons. Although we were cheerful in spirit, nature has its limits.

Then a miracle saved us! Our sergeant, having taken out a paper icon of the Most Holy Theotokos from his bosom, raised it up and urged us to gather around him:

“Now only a miracle can save us!” Get on your knees and ask the Most Holy Lady for salvation!

Everyone fell on their knees, raised their hands in the air and began to fervently pray to the Ever-Virgin Mary. Before we had time to rise from our knees, the ringing of a bell reached our ears. We grabbed our weapons and took up an observation position.

In less than a minute, a large, heavily loaded mule approached us. Everyone is petrified! An animal without a master crosses a mountain that is covered with at best a meter layer of snow - all this was absolutely incredible. And then it dawned on us: the Most Holy Theotokos brought him to us. All of us as one warmly thanked our Savior.

The animal was loaded with a large amount of food: soldiers' bread, cheese, canned food, cognac and much more.

In the war, I went through many different disasters and hardships, but I will never forget this incident.

The warship was not blown up by mines in a storm

The story of the old sailor Konstantin Haropoulos.

“During the US-Japanese War, I worked as a chief engineer on a merchant marine oil tanker.

In an Indian port, our tanker was loaded with oil, which had to be delivered to one of the Pacific islands, where at that time there was an American air base. We were constantly on alert because we were being hunted by Japanese submarines. Our tanker, of course, was surrounded by anti-torpedo mines, but the Japanese could break through the ring from below and bombard us with torpedoes. Then death would be inevitable.

This time we were also pursued by a strong storm. The waves rose to the sky like huge mountains, dangerously playing with anti-torpedo mines. The sailors whispered among themselves that our last hour had come.

- Get baptized! I shouted to the captain and sailors. - Pray God to help us! God Almighty, save our souls, in this nightmare You alone can help us.

- Amen! everyone else screamed.

Slowly the sea began to calm down. But before we had time to catch our breath, a cyclone of terrible force swooped down on us.

- Drive to the left and full speed ahead! the captain shouted. - All in their places!

From the load and vibration of the machine almost tore. Thank God that we got into the peripheral part of the cyclone. We have glorified the Almighty. Sweating profusely, I got up from the engine room for a cup of coffee. Before I even took a sip, a third mechanic flew up to me, announcing that there was a fire in the diesels.

I rushed into the hold, grabbed a fire extinguisher and began to pour water on the ignited engines.

Suddenly, I still do not know how, a fire hose wrapped around me and squeezed like a boa constrictor roe deer. I tried to free myself, but my attempts were in vain. A little more, and I would have died of suffocation. Having collected last strength, I screamed:

- Holy Mother of God, save us!

That was enough. Inexplicably, the hose loosened. I took a deep breath and continued to extinguish the fire. When the fire was localized, the entire crew of the ship descended into the engine room. With tears in their eyes, the sailors hugged and kissed me. I told them

- What happened was a miracle of the Most Holy Theotokos! I called on Her name, and She saved me and our ship from certain death.”

(From the book "Apparitions and Miracles of the Virgin", Parakletos Monastery, Greece, translated by Dmitry Gotskalyuk.)

Abbot of the monastery did not crash on a tractor

The story of Archimandrite Athanasius, hegumen of the monastery of Stavrovouniu on the island of Cyprus.

“It was February 9, 1960. My elder Herman ordered me to drive the monastery tractor from the monastery compound of St. Modest to another monastery compound - St. Barbara.

There was a celebration of the Candlemas, and I, sitting at the wheel, quietly sang the troparia of the holiday. On one steep descent, the tractor suddenly went out of control and began to rapidly pick up speed. Obviously, something in it broke, and I was not an experienced driver to immediately take the necessary measures. I could crash at any second. Without hesitation or delay, I placed all my hope in the Most Holy Theotokos.

- Mother of God, help me! Holy Virgin, save me! I exclaimed.

The tractor was rapidly approaching the bank of the river. It was only moments before my death. But a miracle happened - having entered the bush, my tractor froze motionless on the very edge of the river.

From the depths of my soul, I thanked the Ever-Virgin who heard my prayer. Getting off the tractor, I went on foot to the farmstead of St. Barbara, where I met my elder.

- Old man, I almost killed myself! I confessed and told him everything that had happened to me.

Obedience to the elder and the intercession of the Mother of God saved me from certain death.

On the shore, not far from the scene, a huge pine tree grew. Later, I hung an icon of the Most Holy Theotokos on it. And every time we passed through that place, we stopped for a while to worship Her.”

(From the book "Apparitions and Miracles of the Virgin", Parakletos Monastery, Greece, translated by Dmitry Gotskalyuk.)

Barren man has children

“I got married in 1981 and after four years I discovered that I could not have children. After a series of examinations, I was told that this was completely impossible due to one congenital defect. All this happened in 1985.

In 1995 I visited the Holy Monastery of Vatoped, where I spent Holy Week. There I heard about the Holy Belt of the Virgin. After worship, the hieromonk placed the Belt on me and read a prayer. After that, he gave me a girdle from the Honest Girdle and told me to gird it, because I had a problem. My wife Eleni had no problems.

Ten months later (in March 1996) my wife went to the doctor to do some tests, and he told her that she was already two months pregnant. We gave him all the evidence that said scientifically I couldn't have children. He studied them and the only thing he said was, “I can't say anything. This is just a miracle".

I praise Panagia and Her Holy Belt for the divine gift given to me.”

Konstantin and Elena Farazi, Nicosia, Cyprus, 1996.

The tumor disappeared on its own without treatment.

“I will tell you about the miracle that happened thanks to the girdle from the Holy Belt.

Fani Fusteri, a young woman, came to me weeping inconsolably. She visited many doctors, did many tests and x-rays, which she showed me. All the doctors told her with one voice: cancer. We urgently need to go to the hospital for an operation, and God forbid that we have time, since the stage is very serious. I felt sorry for her, because we were the same age. She was supposed to be around. They have no money, because 3 months ago they married their daughter. And immediately I thought that I should give her a belt for a while as a blessing. I explained to her that it was consecrated on the Holy Belt of the Virgin. With tears in her eyes, she tied it tightly around her chest, just where she had a tumor, and said to me: “I believe, Anna, that only the Mother of God can help me.”

It was Saturday afternoon. On Monday, she was due for surgery. Everything was ready. On Monday, the doctor began to examine her, began to feel the tumor, which was on the surface, but there was no tumor. She disappeared! He did not keep her in the hospital for another minute. A miracle happened. The doctor was perplexed. Fani is now completely healthy.”

Anna Vas. Anagnostou, Athens, 1995.

Seven years later, a child was born in the family

“My name is Supigetean Christina and I live in the village of Barsau 12 in the community of Harau in the district of Hunedoara. I am an Orthodox Christian and often go to church. I was born in 1971, and at the age of 19, that is, in 1990, I married Lucian. We really wanted a baby, but we couldn't have one. We tried for seven years, we were prescribed various courses of treatment, but everything was in vain. We also went to Sovata, to the thermal springs that treat infertility, but this did not help me. We had lost all hope of having children, and we were both quite upset.

Our family doctor gave us one more hope and advised us to turn to God, because people are weak and not everything is subject to them, but everything is subject to Him. The doctor himself brought me a consecrated belt (from the Holy Belt of the Virgin) from the Vatopedi Monastery, which was given to him by a friend of his from the neighboring village of Babotok. I began to pray and girded myself with a belt with faith in God. The divine miracle happened faster than human logic could have expected. I got pregnant, and this happened, according to the doctor's calculations, in the first days after I put on the girdle. The Mother of God took me into her arms. I had a normal pregnancy, and on January 4, 1998, I gave birth to a beautiful boy at the Dewas Hospital, whom we named Christian-Ivan, since he was born shortly before January 7, when St. John is celebrated.

We are not worthy to thank God and His Mother for the great joy they brought to our home. We told about all this so that the testimonies for everyone would be preserved and so that people would see the divine power and help of the Mother of our God, who works miracles when we, people, are helpless. Our family doctor, who has always helped us, confirms this story and seals it with his signature and seal.

May the Lord and the Mother of God help you."

Supigetean Christina, Barsau (Romania)

The old man did not die of brain cancer

“A month ago I received an envelope containing a treasure from Athos for us who live so far away. It was a fabric ribbon consecrated on the Holy Belt of the Virgin. I want to tell you about the first miracle.

Our friend came to my store and told me that his father was dying. He had surgery (brain cancer) 20 days ago and was in aphasia. Everyone was very upset. I told him that a girdle from the Holy Girdle had been sent to us from the Holy Abode of Vatopedi, and I gave it to him, telling him to cross his father's head with it, and he would recover. But I asked to return it to me, so that later I could give it to other people for worship.

Indeed, he went to the hospital and crossed his father's head. After a while, although he was in a coma for 20 days, like a living corpse, he yawned twice, opened his eyes for a little while, and again lost consciousness. Then his son put the envelope with the Holy Belt under his pillow for the whole night, and a miracle happened. The next day the patient woke up, spoke, and rose briefly. Belt on it. He's better now, and his doctors can't believe it. They were waiting for him to die. I was asked by my friend to leave him a belt for a while until his father leaves the hospital ... ".

Theophilus, Canada, 2000

A rare type of cancer has been defeated

“I have been suffering from rare species cancer. This winter has been especially hard for me. When the Holy Belt of the Most Holy Theotokos was brought to Kastoria, my daughter brought me an icon with a belt, which were distributed to believers. As soon as they were in the room, despite the fact that I was in severe pain and had been bedridden for 2.5 months, I jumped up and started kissing the icon with tears. It seemed to me that the Mother of God herself came into my room.

When I was in the hospital for an appointment with an orthopedist, he prescribed me medications, and also told me to buy an orthopedic belt and keep bed rest. Then I told my daughter that I would wear the girdle of the Virgin, because I believe that She would help me. And the Mother of God performed a miracle. Twenty days later the pain was gone and I was on the mend.”

Nicky Papandreou, Vogatsiko, Greece, 2001