The most important mission of a woman is to give birth to children. Unfortunately, some women, for some reason, cannot get pregnant or carry a child to term. And not only health problems can be the reason for this. It happens that both partners are completely ready to have children, but something is wrong, it just doesn’t work out. In order to solve the problem, many believers resort to reading prayers to the Belt of the Virgin Mary.
The meaning of the belt of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The appearance of the shrine is associated with apocryphal sources and holy tradition recorded by the church fathers. According to legends, the belt of the Virgin Mary, after her dormition and ascension into heaven, was given to two pious Jerusalem widows, who passed it on to their descendants.
According to Catholic tradition, the shrine passed into the hands of the Apostle Thomas, who was late for the burial of Mary, but was rewarded with a vision of her. In Israel, the relic was kept for centuries, until the Roman emperor took the find to Constantinople, to the Chalcopratian Church.
The gift, kept in a specially equipped precious ark, was an important value for the rulers of the Eastern Roman Empire. According to written sources, the wife of Emperor Leo VI, who ruled at the turn of the 10th century, Zoe, with the help of the relic, got rid of the evil spirit that tormented her. The possessed empress had a dream in which Divine powers told her to turn to the patriarch and venerate the shrine. When the command was fulfilled, Zoya recovered.
After the incident, the relic was transferred to the Blachernae Temple. The imperial couple ordered prayers of thanksgiving to the Mother of God to be served. The shrine itself acquired an even more significant status, confirming its miraculous nature. In honor of the discovery, a solemn canon was written. This event was depicted on ancient icons.
Nowadays, parts of the relic are stored in several places. For example, on Mount Athos, in the Vatopedi monastery. A complete copy, inherited, according to legend, from the Apostle Thomas, is kept in Turkey, in Homs. Smaller details of the shrine can be found in Europe, Georgia and Russia.
This artifact has very important religious significance because healing comes from it. It is believed that even his image carries spiritual protection and help. Therefore, Orthodox Christians strive to acquire icons dedicated to the shrine.
What do they pray to the Mother of God for?
There is a fairly large number of different prayers to the Mother of God for children, who will, to one degree or another, protect and protect them. The Virgin Mary definitely hears all mothers who cry out for help for the sake of their children. The Mother of God herself, being a mother, does not refuse anyone.
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In church records there are many different records testifying to healings and other acts that were done thanks to maternal prayer.
Believing women often pray before the icon of the Mother of God and ask her:
- health for your children;
- conceiving a child;
- happy life;
- so that the child gets rid of the environment of evil people;
- protection from misfortunes;
- about the health and healing of the baby.
Mothers will give completely different things to the Virgin Mary, however, the Saint hears everyone and helps when it is really needed. There are many cases when various miracles happened only after parents read a prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos for their children.
Couples who have been unable to conceive a child for a long period of time also turn to the Virgin Mary for help. Then they begin to read a prayer to the Mother of God for conceiving a child, and after a while everything works out for these people, and they can raise their child.
However, do not despair if everything does not happen as quickly as you would like. Sometimes people think that the Lord has forgotten about them and does not listen to their requests. But in reality this is not so, he hears everyone and knows much better than people what they really need and in what period of time. Therefore, under no circumstances should you lose faith, but persistently continue to pray.
Description of the icon “Position of the Honorable Belt of the Blessed Virgin Mary”
In Russia, the Mother of God is revered as a heavenly patroness and intercessor, so the legends telling about the earthly life of the Virgin Mary and the miracles associated with Her found a great response in the hearts of people. Perhaps this is why the story of the miraculous discovery of the Mother of God’s belt appears quite often in icon painting. You can find ancient examples with this image in Novgorod, in the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery and other places.
As a rule, they depict a scene of the relic being placed in a golden ark, on the throne of a large church, in front of the image of the Virgin Mary. The richly dressed emperor and priests surround the throne and, with prayerful gestures, thank the Lord for acquiring this gift. The techniques used differ depending on the period and place where the icon was created. Sometimes the robe of the Mother of God is mentioned along with the belt.
Another type of image associated with the shrine is the Belt of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Here the Queen of Heaven herself holds in her hands a red belt embroidered with gold. The image is very close to the iconographic type of the Veil, but they have different meanings. “The Protection of the Virgin Mary” is rather a symbolic image, while the Honest Belt is a real historical shrine, famous for many miracles.
In any case, over the centuries, the legend of the shrine and its images have been of great importance to Christians. For some people, Divine help granted through touching the gift of the Mother of God, or at least its iconographic image, remained the only hope for deliverance from suffering. History knows many legends associated with the artifact.
How to read a prayer for conceiving a healthy child
Prayers for conception can be said at home, but it is best to address them to the highest powers in the temple. This is done traditionally in front of the person to whom the request will be addressed. If you can’t place the icon in front of you, it’s okay.
The clergy never tire of reminding us that the Lord lives in a person’s heart, so he hears any sincere request.
To make the prayer for the gift of children effective, read it:
- After confession, cleansing from sins. In this way, you will achieve spiritual harmony, receive cherished peace of mind, which will allow you to better concentrate on communicating with God, thoughts and hope for pregnancy.
- Together with your loved one. It is good if the spouse attends church or reads prayers at home with his wife, who is trying to get help through faith in the Almighty. It’s even better if the petition comes from legally married lovers. It must also be concluded “in heaven,” that is, by going through a wedding ceremony.
- With faith in the power of the Lord and all the Saints. It is good if, while reading the prayer, a woman visualizes what she wants, imagines the normal gestation and birth of a baby.
- In a secluded place. In church, Orthodox Christians can communicate with God without being distracted by anything; at home, you need to prepare for this process in advance by turning off your phone and making sure that no one and nothing will disturb you.
To conceive a child, do not talk about your prayers for him. The less others know about your hopes, the higher the chances that they will come true.
How does an image help?
Legends tell about miracles associated with the Belt of the Mother of God. The legendary case of the deliverance of Empress Zoya from demons was not the only one in a series of Divine mercies bestowed on people. First of all, icons depicting a shrine help in healing diseases. The Mother of God can cure both physical and mental illnesses of a person.
However, images of relics have particular power in matters related to childbirth. Since the Middle Ages, the tradition of praying in front of the image of the shrine has been preserved to facilitate childbirth. Even some noble aristocrats took advantage of this opportunity and girded themselves with laces prayed before the Honest Belt in order to safely be relieved of their burden.
In addition to helping with birth, the shrine also helps in cases of infertility. The Mother of God, with her merciful intercession, helps women become mothers. Therefore, priests often recommend turning to the described icons to achieve the happiness of motherhood.
In general, the appearance of the image of the Virgin Mary with the Honest Belt in the house will protect the inhabitants from sudden dangers, adversities and difficulties. The icon will help preserve the peace of the hearth and the strength of faith. It is not forbidden to turn to Our Lady every day. According to the words of the Lord, “Ask and you will receive,” even when faced with a hopeless situation, people do not need to despair. Pure faith, repentance, and humility can appease Heaven and grant what is desired. This is why prayer is so important in Christianity.
Where to find the icon
You can find a rare image in the church. In some monasteries in Russia, ancient icons with the plot of the Belt of the Blessed Virgin Mary are still preserved. If you need to purchase an image for your home, you can contact the temple shop. But, since the image of the relic is a rare subject, there is a possibility that it will not be found in a direct church sale. Then there is the opportunity to resort to the help of the Internet. You can find this image on the websites of some icon painting workshops.
The Mother of God dwells in every heart
During the days of the stay of the Holy Belt of the Most Holy Theotokos in Yekaterinburg, the abbot of the Vatopedi Monastery, Archimandrite Ephraim, met with the laity at the Spiritual and Educational Center of the Yekaterinburg Metropolis and answered their questions.
Metropolitan Kirill prefaced the meeting with words of gratitude:
- We are glad that during the days of the stay of the great shrine - the Belt of the Most Holy Theotokos - in Yekaterinburg, Father Ephraim, the elder of God, the abbot of the most holy Vatopedi monastery, where this shrine resides, expressed a desire to meet with all of you. I am very glad that the priest found the time to communicate with the Orthodox believing people. I would like to sincerely thank everyone who came to this meeting, and I hope that it will be useful and fruitful and will bring us all comfort, hope and joy.
| Archimandrite Ephraim |
Archimandrite Ephraim:
- We came from Holy Mount Athos, which is a place of asceticism, silence, prayer, repentance, the Patroness and Head of which is the Mother of God. The Holy Mountain is also called the Garden of the Mother of God, and therefore all the monasteries there are Mother of God.
The Vatopedi Monastery is the only one in the world that is decorated with seven miraculous icons of the Mother of God and the Honest Belt of the Most Holy Theotokos itself. We have three arks of the Holy Belt in the monastery - three particles that were given to the monastery by the king and the prince. The first is John Cantacuzene, emperor of Byzantium, who had a close connection with the monastery: his spiritual father and saint of our Orthodox Church, the Monk Savva, a holy fool for Christ’s sake, lived there (I advise everyone to read his life). Before the monastery, this saint lived in Constantinople for several years, and the emperor realized that he was a man of God and took him as a spiritual adviser. And they say that at the end of his life the emperor became a monk in our Vatopedi monastery. And the second one who donated part of the holy Belt to the monastery is the Grand Duke of Serbia Lazar, who was martyred for the sake of Christ and today is the patron and great martyr of the Serbian Orthodox Church.
Apparently, the Vatopedi monastery was chosen by the Mother of God so that this monastery would be especially adorned by Her grace: two donors at once, not knowing each other, were enlightened by grace and transferred this great shrine to one monastery. Our spiritual father, Elder Joseph of Vatopedi, who died two years ago, often told us: “Where else would it have pleased the Mother of God to keep Her holy Belt, if not on the Holy Mountain, which is a place of purity, purity, chastity, obedience, a place of virginity ?. Know that the Belt has had symbolism since the Law of Moses. From the Old Testament we know that virgins wove such belts for themselves with their own hands, and when the day of their official marriage came, the virgin gave this belt to her husband as a symbol of her virginity.
That Belt, to which many of you have either already venerated, or will venerate, was woven by the Mother of God with Her own hands. This Belt is made of camel hair, by the way, it was scientifically studied, and it is embroidered with gold thread. The Belt was embroidered by Queen Zoe, the wife of the Byzantine Emperor Leo VI the Wise. Queen Zoya was very ill and saw the Mother of God in a dream. The Mother of God told her that she needed to convince the Patriarch to take the holy Belt from the sealed ark, and if she girded herself with this Belt, she would be healed. And although the holy reliquary (that was the name of the ark in which the Belt was located) had the seal of the emperor and the Patriarch since the 4th century, nevertheless, the influence of Zoya’s husband, the emperor, forced the Patriarch to open the holy reliquary. The belt was placed on the sick woman, and she was healed. Then Zoya, as a sign of gratitude, begged the Patriarch for a Belt and, living in marital chastity, embroidered the entire Belt with gold thread with her own hands. By the way, scientists say that this is also from God’s Providence, because if the Belt had not been embroidered with gold, it would not have survived to this day.
We brought this shrine to you because we believe that its presence in your city will convey great blessing and relief, a lot of grace, protection and a lot of strength. And, kissing the holy Belt, we feel that the Mother of God Herself is between us, She is in the heart of each of us. And even those who say they don’t believe, know that they are simply deceiving. I have personal experience; my father said that he was an unbeliever, and when he got sick, I remember how he constantly repeated: “My Mother of God, my Mother of God.” Because She is in the conscience and heart of an Orthodox person.
In the New Testament, because of the great humility of the Mother of God, we do not see Her very much. One enlightened elder, a saint at the Holy Mountain, once told me: “Even Christ, Who was told that “blessed is the womb of She who bore You, and the breasts that nourished You,” and gave Him a reason to praise His Mother, does not please His Mother, following Her request not to praise Her anywhere in public. Because She was a spiritually enlightened person, all the fullness of grace abided on Her.”
And it is no coincidence that She is the Patroness of the Holy Mountain. And know that She Herself asked for this place for Herself, because this is the place where spiritual life, true, Orthodox, is experienced experientially. The Mother of God knows what sanctification and holiness mean, she knows what a gracious heart means, she knows a pure, purified heart, she knows what smart action means. The great admirer of the Mother of God, the saint of our monastery, Elder Gregory Palamas, says: when the Mother of God was three years old and they brought Her into the Holy of Holies, from that time on, She learned spiritual life from the Archangel Gabriel himself. And the same saint says that therefore She is the first Silent One, the first ascetic. Know that She still appears to the Svyatogorsk monks and teaches them Orthodox spirituality. One of our monks, out of naivety, had some carnal thoughts. And the Mother of God says to him: “I don’t like that you come into contact with such thoughts.” Another had a severe toothache at night, when everyone was sleeping. We have a monk, a dentist, but my brother did not want to wake him up and decided to wait until the service began, which is the tenth hour in Byzantine, that is, about four in the morning in your opinion. But the pain increased - everyone knows what toothache is. And then, probably, because of pain, long-suffering and brotherly love (he didn’t wake up the monk-doctor) he saw a tall Nun in front of him, who was holding him and making the sign of the cross over the tooth. And the pain completely subsided.
Know that many miracles are happening here. One woman told us today that her knee hurt very badly and she was completely healed after venerating the holy Belt. In St. Petersburg, one woman could not see at all with one eye, but now she calmly reads with it. And there will be a lot of such miracles in your city, and we will find out about it over time. But the Infertility Belt especially helps. Therefore, I humbly pray that you will never forget the presence of the holy Belt in your city.
We once met a family in Athens, now they are already old people. They told how 60 years ago they brought the holy Belt to Athens and it was in their home. And for so many years they remembered this, rejoiced at it, told people about it, and grace filled them... When 12 years ago the Holy Belt was again in Athens, it was placed on one table, and the tablecloth on which it lay still smells fragrant. I pray that the grace of the Mother of God will fill your hearts, and that you will understand how great an honor it is that we are Orthodox Christians, members of the Church, children of God. That's what I wanted to tell you. And now I’m listening to your questions.
– How far is your monastery from the Monastery of Panteleimon the Healer, and how do you communicate with Russian monks?
– Not very far, and our relationship is good. The Secretary General of the European Union once came to us. And all the monasteries, of which there are twenty on the Holy Mountain, and each monastery has self-government, like a separate state, I passed through. And he said: “I’m surprised how you manage to live so amicably for ten centuries in a row, while we in the European Union constantly quarrel.” I answered him: “You are cooperating for the sake of “chris”, which in Greek means gold, and we are collaborating for the sake of Christ.”
– People who work in the Church cannot commit sin in their work and are sometimes on the brink of survival, many of them have many children, and the state does not support them. It is clear that we must pray and trust in the mercy of God, but we need to feed, clothe and work. It is clear that our bishops, dear Vladyka, perhaps worry in their hearts about their people, about their children. But, nevertheless, due to their position, they cannot openly expose the top officials of the state, although this may not help. And what advice would you give to us who have many children, because life is very difficult for us? Save me, God.
– Firstly, I will say that the topic of having many children must be looked at with reasoning. My mother had seven brothers and sisters, and they were poor people, our parents, but somehow they were able to raise us. How many people do we know who want to have many children only if there are some kind of official guarantees! If they help us, then that's very good. But do not forget that birds do not sow or reap, but our Heavenly Father feeds them.
I will tell you with all my heart one very touching example. In one area of Northern Greece, three years ago, a misfortune happened to a family, and they had neither money nor bread. The head of the family wanted to take out some kind of loan, but could not find understanding or support anywhere. But this large family had one big plus. Their house was located outside the village, and three hundred meters from it was the Church of St. George. And every evening they went there and lit the holy lamp for Saint George. And so, when all their means were running out, the father went to Saint George alone and said: “I can’t do it anymore, help me somehow.” And in a dream, the father of Saint George saw him right on a horse, and he said to him: “You will go to where my temple is, and there, at the door, there is a large stone. Lift this stone and you will find two golden lyres under it.” They did just that. Three hours later they succeeded and found two 1935 gold coins. So faith saved them, and we lack this faith.
If the devil has achieved anything today, especially among the Orthodox, it has hurt and diminished their faith. Do not forget that the key to all the sacraments of the Church is faith. When has God intervened miraculously? When I saw faith. “Woman, great is your faith,” He says to one. Another says: “Faith saved you.” The third says: “Even in Israel I have not seen so much faith.” Believe firmly and firmly, and you will not have any need. Believe, and God will solve all your problems, even at the very last moment.
– Father Ephraim, I had sins that I confessed many years ago. Now I don’t commit these sins, but my conscience is very tormenting. What do you recommend? God bless you, strength of soul and health of body.
– There is nothing to do now. No matter how many sins we commit, God’s mercy will still be greater, and if you have confessed to these sins, you have nothing to worry about.
Do not forget that very great sinners today are written on icons, and we venerate their images. God's mercy is very great, and theologians believe that the sin that is confessed was never committed.
– Archimandrite Ephraim, have you ever sung in the choir? What advice would you give to Russian singers? And how do you like Russian choir singing?
– I always really liked to sing, I still sing. But let us again be attentive to love of humility. We have one singer in Athens, he sings something, and then watches how the people react to it. Such singing is not pleasing to God; reverence and humility are needed.
– Tell me, father, how to properly prepare for Holy Communion? In our tradition, laity must fast for three days, but priests do not fast before Communion. What explains this difference?
– I know that in Russia some priests say that before Communion one must fast for three days, and some for five days. In fact, there is no mandatory law on how many days to fast before Holy Communion. Proof of this is the fact that priests do not fast without fail, and then not only receive communion the next day, but also serve the Liturgy. After all, we observe certain fasts - four fasts a year and fasts on Wednesday and Friday, I think that these fasts are enough. If someone wants to fast before Communion, even for a whole week, for the sake of asceticism, for the sake of reverence, please, but for this to be legitimized by confessors - we have never heard about this anywhere. If this were a prerequisite for Communion, firstly, priests would have to fast at all times. Sometimes they say that Christians only need to take communion once every two or three months—there is no such law either. When a Christian has no mortal sins, he has the right to receive communion much more often.
– What would you advise a person who is in spiritual relaxation, but wants salvation?
– It is important that he has a stable program of spiritual constancy, and that he strictly adheres to it. And when there is no disposition, he forces himself to this routine.
– How do you feel about globalization?
– If we mean the processes of mixing all countries and cultures into one, then no one will achieve this. This is just their attempt, and we, as Orthodox Christians, do not accept this, of course. We do not want globalized people, but we want global, that is, universal people. And universal saints are those who embrace the whole world with their prayers.
– Father, yesterday we had the good fortune to venerate the Belt of the Most Holy Theotokos. The glass surface that covers the holy Belt is decorated with stones arranged asymmetrically. What is the symbolism of such decoration?
– There is no symbolism there, as they made the ark for us, we accepted it, and we do not remove these stones, because they are also consecrated. Did you look at the stones or at the Belt?
– Tell me, in Greece Orthodoxy is the state religion, and how is this manifested?
– Yes, this is the official religion, 98% of the population is Orthodox.
– Dear father, how to properly accustom children to church services so that when they grow up they do not run away from church?
– Take your children to church services, but not all of them, because children cannot hold on for so many hours. If you take a child for five hours, he will run away from the temple, take him for an hour. This requires reasoning, but pressure and coercion will not work. That is why they say that the highest virtue in general is reasoning. Good, they say, is not good if it is done in an unkind way.
– Did you know Elder Paisius the Holy Mountain? Tell us a little if you knew.
“I knew him very well, met him many times and received a lot of benefit.” He had a lot of God's grace, great holiness. I remember him telling how Saint Euphemia visited him. She came to his cell, and they talked for eight hours. They talked a lot, but he didn’t tell us about what. He only told me about one thing. When asked how she endured such terrible torment, she replied: “If I had known before death what glory awaited the martyrs in Heaven, I would have endured many times more torment.” Paisius saw the saints many times. One day he moved to another cell, and at night, when he had finished all his work, he could not turn on the light. And when he began the service, he did not know which saint to commemorate the next day. And suddenly he saw some tall man who said: “My name is Martyr Lucilian, and tomorrow is my holiday.”
– Have you met Father Rafail (Berestov), how is his health?
“He is a very virtuous man, but I haven’t seen him for a long time, he is very, very humble.”
– How to raise children correctly – punish with a belt or forgive everything?
– Be lenient with children. Pressure and excessive severity never bring any benefit, but prayer, above all, helps. Don't tell your children a lot about God, but talk to God a lot about your children.
– How should women wear the belts that were distributed near the shrine? Can they be washed?
– The belts can be washed, but do not pour the first water down the drain; it is better to water indoor flowers or a tree, because the belts are all consecrated. I remember one incident that a pilgrim told me on our Mountain: “I wore a belt that I took on this Mountain, and along with this belt I had some paper handkerchiefs in my pocket. And one day, out of forgetfulness, I took everything that was in my pocket and threw it into the fire. And then I remembered that I threw the belt into the oven along with the scarves. And when I opened the stove, I saw that the belt had survived, the fire had not touched it.”
– In your monastery do they pray for grave sins of women? If so, how can you order a prayer service, or pray at home with a belt to the Most Holy Theotokos? Thank you.
– Monks pray for all people, and it is a mystery how monks pray. One day a monk of a very high level of spiritual life came to us and said that he had been praying all night for pregnant women who were about to give birth and who were having difficulties. And another monk answers him that when one monk was praying for a long time, the Turks captured him at that time. And that monk said that the Turks were torturing him very much. What do I want to say? When a monk’s heart becomes the Heart of Christ, then he will begin to pray for all people, and even for such individual groups. Elder Paisios says: “If I tell you everything that I am experiencing, then they will simply consider me crazy.” He sometimes said that he prayed a lot for all the married couples who were in danger of divorce. And as if in the Holy Spirit, he came into their homes and invisibly pacified them. He said: “I have been to Australia, and Cyprus, and Russia, and Athens in the Holy Spirit.” The man of God has very great powers and capabilities.
– How to deal with thoughts during prayer? On Mount Athos, do all monks master inner heart prayer or only some?
– Firstly, when thoughts come during prayer, we should simply neglect them, not pay any attention to them. And as for the monk with heartfelt prayer, no study has yet been carried out on what the number of these monks is. There are many of them, but everyone is trying to acquire it.
– Father, how do you explain the difficult situation of the Greek economy and the situation in which your country now finds itself?
– The reason for the crisis is that we, the Greeks, unfortunately, neglected the treasure that we possess and which is called Orthodoxy. The Greeks, unfortunately, were also influenced by the spirit of Europe, and they moved away from the Orthodox Tradition. And God allows all this so that we can humble ourselves. This year, people even took out some loans to go on vacation. I've never been on vacation in my life and I don't think I've lost anything.
– How to regain lost faith?
– Pray, ask the Heavenly Father, knock and it will be opened to you, seek and you will find. Because true faith in God is a gift from God, it comes from above.
– Your attitude to ecumenism, your opinion about a single electronic card? Please pray for the brothers of the Holy Trinity Monastery in the village of Taraskova.
– Ecumenism is a movement that strives for all Christian denominations to agree on something. We are not against dialogues at all, but these dialogues must have the right preconditions. Before we go to such meetings, we must know that we belong to the one Holy Catholic Apostolic Church.
As for the citizen card, as we call electronic passports, we are against it. And not even spiritually, because this is not the seal of the Antichrist, which will be on the hand and forehead, but because this reduces respect for the human person. The government that was recently elected in England, in order to advertise themselves, said in their election program that they would not accept the citizen card. Of course, not because of spiritual reasons; they have no spiritual interests at all. Because by introducing a card, they are directly attacking individual freedom. And therefore, I think that you can use the passports that currently exist; there is no need to create temptations out of the blue, as they say.
– Dear father, how can a layman live by grace and can there be a vow of silence outside of monasticism?
– A person can also live by experienced grace in the world if he is precise in his responsibility to his family, in his marital relationships, if his church life is correct, if he follows the life of the Church, if he expresses love, politeness, mercy towards other people. If he does all this, then he is not far from the Kingdom of God.
As for the vow of silence, it does not depend on the place, but on our inner state. Some divide the saints into saints of sober work and saints of mission. This is a big mistake. Every holy father was also a worker of sobriety, regardless of whether he lived in the world, lived in the desert, preached or not. The main thing is that we live the life of the Church.
– How to help a son who, out of pride, cannot come to Church, although he has already received a lot of admonition from the Lord? He is divorced and has received communion only once.
- Pray for him. But don’t tell him much about it, because he will scold his mother later. But someday his time will come for prayer.
– Dear Father Ephraim, I cordially ask for your prayers for the lost Maxim, with respect to you, grieving mother.
– I will pray to God, may He give you comfort.
– Your Eminence Vladyka Ephraim, how should one properly handle the shrine, the belt from the Most Holy Theotokos, made in your monastery, which we received as a gift? How to store it, just apply it or wear it on yourself?
- Just as we wear a regular belt, wear this belt too. I gave such a belt to one pregnant woman; she was due to give birth in a week, and I saw that she was very afraid. She gave birth naturally in fifteen minutes.
– What can you say about the timing of the VIII Ecumenical Council?
– This is not a matter of my jurisdiction, this is a matter for the Primates of the Local Churches.
– Father, my daughter’s marriage was married, but not registered, he married someone else, and the daughter still prays for him to return. What should I do?
- We must endure. I know that in Russia there are a lot of divorces and they are very easy. A lot of Russian pilgrims come to us, and two-thirds of them are in their second, third or even fourth marriage. Do you know what the reason is? Because people often only have a civil marriage, but do not get married, and therefore Divine grace does not come to them to help in family matters. And therefore, those who are not married should definitely get married, even if you are already old, as soon as possible.
– If a person gets to the Belt of the Most Holy Theotokos out of turn, does grace descend on him?
- Grace descends.
– Father, I read on the Internet that they asked to bring the Belt of the Most Holy Theotokos to different countries, but they were refused. Why was such mercy shown to us sinners?
– We really want to do something nice for your country. Probably for six years now we have been asked to bring the Belt; many famous people, even ministers and bishops, came to us with such a request. And your Holiness the Patriarch, after writing a letter to our monastery with a request to bring the Belt, in order to be sure of success, wrote a letter to the Ecumenical Patriarchate, asking them to ask us. And these two factors somehow obliged us. Yes, we ourselves really wanted this. Probably, the fullness of time has come, as they say. When Mr. Putin arrived in St. Petersburg and met the holy Belt at the airport, in our conversation he said: “Thank you for bringing this shrine to our country at a time when the whole world is going through a period of crisis, including us, and our people really need it.”
– Father Ephraim, how to deal with irritability and discontent, who to pray to? Save me, God.
– You can pray to whomever you want – Christ, the Mother of God, the saints, wherever your heart is drawn. Irritation and anger are a great passion that, unfortunately, we all have, and we must be very persistent in our requests and prayers so that God will give us a spirit of meekness. Have you noticed that when a person is angry, his face becomes red, and he looks like a demon.
– How can a single mother without a father raise boys correctly, what is the most important thing?
“I think she should give love to the child, because love covers everything.” And that she still pray a lot for the child, because this is the grace that will make up for the absence of the father.
– How to raise children in the Orthodox faith if the husband is not a believer and is against being raised in Orthodoxy?
– Teach him secretly from his father so that he does not understand what is happening. Again, so that the spouses do not quarrel later.
– Father, how can a young man ask God who wants to realize his talents and abilities, but is experiencing financial difficulties?
– God provides and will help that person who has talent, even without financial opportunity. Sometimes, in my stupidity, I also think about the following. One cleans the streets - and is happy, another is a carpenter - happy, a third is a plumber, a fourth is a businessman, a fifth is an entrepreneur, a sixth is a president, someone is a governor. I think it is a great mystery how God distributes all people to different places and gives them all peace.
– Are you planning to visit Russia with other shrines of the Vatopedi Monastery? Have you been to Verkhoturye? Sincerely, Ural Greeks.
– Let this Belt exist for now, and then we’ll see, everything has its time.
– God bless you, Father Ephraim, and all the monks of your monastery for the greatest gift that you gave to Russia. Now the question is, will Russia survive? Looking at the huge queues to the holy Belt of the Most Honorable Queen of Heaven, I believe with tears: Russia will exist. Christ save and preserve you. Servant of God Olga.
– Don’t be afraid, Russia will not fall apart, on the contrary, it will strengthen. And he will play a major and very large role in the salvation of all Orthodoxy on Earth.
– Is it possible for a modern person living in the world to be saved? What is the most important thing in spiritual life? Save me, God.
– They said that a person can be saved at any period of history, the main thing is that he lives a correct church life.
– Dear father, the child was conceived in Holy Week, he is constantly sick, mommy is very worried, what to do?
– Let him trust in God, who is the Father of us all and forgives us our mistakes.
– Father, what advice do you give to women whose husbands left them and whose marriages were final?
“I’m sadder to hear that a couple has divorced than to hear that someone has died.” I can only wish you patience.
– I love coffee very much and drink a lot of it, is it a sin, and if so, how can I pray to get rid of it? Thank you.
– You are a prisoner of coffee.
– Dear Father Ephraim, the goal of a Christian is the salvation of his soul. Is it useful to think and care about the salvation of the souls of your neighbors? What do you advise?
– When a person begins to make efforts in spiritual life, his mind and heart become enlightened. A certain conciliarity is born in his heart, and therefore he is already concerned about others, he empathizes with them, he hurts for other people. A person can be sad about everyone and at the same time be constantly in joy. A spiritual person has such greatness because joy is not a mental, but a spiritual state. After all, joy is the fruit of the Holy Spirit. As the Apostle Paul himself lists: the fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, self-control, long-suffering, and so on.
People who do not live in the Church do not have what they could have, they are like the living dead, because Christ said: “I am the way, I am the truth, I am the life.” Truth is not an ideology, truth is a face. Therefore, Christ did not answer the question to Pilate: “What is truth?” Do you know what the holy fathers say? If Pilate had asked correctly, Christ would have answered. But the question should have been posed correctly: “Who is the Truth?” And then Christ would answer: “I am the Truth.”
– Father, is it possible to venerate the Belt in uncleanness, since the Belt only remains for three days?
– If this refers to those periods that women have, a big mistake is being made here, unfortunately. I know that in Russia on critical days women do not even touch icons, and do not even go to church. This is mistake. You can do everything, just not take communion.
– Why wasn’t the Belt of the Blessed Virgin Mary brought to Omsk or Novosibirsk?
– Then the Belt must be left in Russia for a whole year so that it can visit all the cities. Next time. One day Elder Paisius was asked: “Father, were you at the anniversary of the millennium of the Holy Mountain in 1963?” He replied: “No, unfortunately, next time I’ll go.” And when the holy Belt comes to Russia again in two hundred years, maybe it will go there too. But none of us will be there anymore.
– Father, what should you do if your children end up in a sect?
– We must pray for them, because sectarians are unreasonable people. One of the most difficult and difficult tests is when our children fall into these networks.
– Has a woman set foot on Holy Mount Athos? When and under what circumstances? Since when are women not allowed there?
– Many centuries ago, women were prohibited from entering Mount Athos.
– The daughter taught her son to write with his left hand. What is your opinion?
- No problem.
– Father, why are modern children so cruel and separated from their parents?
– Unfortunately, due to many sins in the world, human nature in general has become very weakened. In addition, parents are not always correct - because of their sins, they themselves do not have internal balance. So they give birth to children who have no peace. I advise all mothers to give their babies and all other children at least a teaspoon of holy water every morning. Helps a lot.
– How do monks manage to engage in spiritual work and observe monastic vows if, out of obedience, they periodically leave the monastery or even live outside the monastery because of their obedience in the world?
– When a monk goes out into the world and has the blessing of his spiritual father, this is not bad. Because a monk, going to a monastery, does not become a recluse, and when leaving the monastery into the world, he does not commit any sin. The Holy Fathers simply advise a monk not to do what he himself wants to do. Our fathers, who have now arrived in Russia, seem to be out of their element. But, firstly, they came here out of obedience, and, secondly, they endure, and this is humility.
– There will be presidential elections in our country soon; How should an Orthodox person feel about elections if there is no trust in anyone? Is it right to eliminate?
– In politics, we should be guided by the following: choose the lesser of two evils. Don't expect perfect conditions, but you as a country are in much better shape than Greece. There they throw sour cream and eggs at ministers and presidents, but here at least they haven’t gotten to that point yet.
- Father, who should I pray to in order to get married? And does the Belt of the Virgin Mary help with this problem?
- The Mother of God helps in everything. It’s not bad if a young girl asks the Mother of God to send her a good young man, and if a young man prays for God to send him a good girl.
– Do you believe in the revival of the monarchy in Russia? How is this possible?
– I don’t think it’s possible to restore the monarchy in Russia; this is probably all a thing of the past.
– I want to become a monk, but I’m afraid that I won’t be able to cope. What to do?
– Consult a spiritual person, and he will help you.
– What did the Lord mean when he said: “Woe will be to those who are pregnant and those who nurse with breasts.” Some elders do not advise getting married in recent times.
- This is some kind of stupidity. Christ was not talking about not getting married; it says that when those days come, it will be the most difficult period for these women. And I advise you: focus on Christ, and not the Antichrist, because this is an unhealthy spiritual state when we constantly talk about the Antichrist, about the end of the age, and so on. Some people spend a lot of time on this topic.
– Now there are a lot of cancer patients everywhere, what is the reason for this?
– This is also one of the signs of the times. A Greek from America, a university professor, came to our monastery. I believe what he told me: “Wait a little longer, old man, in ten years there will be brain cancer because of mobile phones.” Although the Internet, mobile phones, and all technological innovations serve people, they also have their own radiation. Human nature is relaxing, and one of the reasons is progress in technology.
– Father Ephraim, we want to pray for you and your translator, because you have a long journey ahead of you. What is the name of your assistant? Your guardian angel.
- Father Theodokh. I also tire him out because I talk a lot.
– Thank you, Father Ephraim, for your conversation, God bless you, and we ask you to pray for us; forgive us sinners.
“I think I’ve messed with your head enough.”
Metropolitan Kirill:
– God bless you, dear brothers and sisters, for coming to this meeting. I think that these short moments of being with Father Ephraim, the elder of Holy Mount Athos, will be etched in everyone’s soul; we leave small booklets for everyone as a souvenir. Let us thank Father Ephraim again and pray.
