20 years before the Chernobyl accident, people saw the Mother of God in the sky. It was an extraordinary bright radiance, in which the Mother of God was clearly visible. The townspeople clearly saw how She held dry wormwood branches in her hands.
She threw them to the ground. Nobody could understand why this happened. And only 20 years later people realized that the Virgin Mary warned of an impending disaster.
Many people know of cases when the Virgin Mary appeared to people. These cases occurred not only in the past, but also now, even in our days. It would seem that in our time it is almost impossible for a miracle to happen. But even in our time, apparitions of the Mother of God occurred.
In this photo, the silhouette of the Mother of God in a bright glow is clearly visible, which was captured on the camera of one of the people. Photo: mtdata.ru
One day the appearance of the Blessed Virgin Mary occurred in the city of Nicaea
Orthodox people know that from the very birth of the Mother of God, her life was filled with miraculous events. She is the only one of all wives who was born according to the Angel's promise.
Sometimes the appearance of the Virgin Mary meant imminent disaster for people. Let us consider the famous cases when the appearance of the Blessed Virgin Mary occurred. Everyone knows the famous icon of the Most Holy Theotokos “Goalkeeper”.
Tradition says that the icon was kept by a woman in the city of Nicaea.
She lived in a small house church with her son. One day, this area was attacked by imperial spies. When they discovered this image in the woman, they threatened her with death. All night the woman cried and prayed in front of the holy image of the Mother of God.
At night she took the icon and went to the coast. The woman approached the sea and said: “O Lady Theotokos, You have the power to save us from the wrath of the wicked ruler, and Your icon in the depths of the sea.”
In this image we see how a woman takes the icon to the sea so that the emperor's spies cannot take it. Photo: hram-kupina.ru
Then something incredible happened. The icon rose above the waves and headed towards the west. Returning, the woman told her son to go to Greece, where he subsequently became a monk. He got involved on the spot, and later the Iversky Monastery was founded. It was from there that the monks of the monastery learned about this miraculous icon.
A long time later, after the death of the monk who came from Nicaea, late in the evening the monks saw a pillar of fire over the sea, which reached to the very heavens.
Kazan Icon of the Mother of God. Unexpectedly, she appeared at the site of a burnt house
This vision continued for several days. Finally, one of the monks decided to come closer to the coast. At the base of the pillar of fire, the monks saw an icon of the Mother of God.
ON THE ROAD OF WAR
Immediately after the invasion of Hitler’s troops into the territory of the USSR, Patriarch Alexander III of Antioch took seclusion and retired to the dungeon in which the icon of the Mother of God was kept. Without food, water or sleep, he prayed for help for Russia.
Three days later, the Virgin Mary appeared to him and said: “Temples, monasteries, theological academies and seminaries should be opened throughout the country. Priests must be returned from the fronts and released from prisons. They must start serving. There is no way to surrender Leningrad! Let them take out the miraculous icon of the Kazan Mother of God and carry it in a religious procession around the city, then not a single enemy will set foot on its holy land. A prayer service must be performed in front of the Kazan Icon in Moscow, then it must arrive in Stalingrad. The Kazan icon must go with the troops to the borders of Russia.”
Surprisingly, Stalin heeded these words. He promised Metropolitans Alexy and Sergius all assistance. The Icon of the Kazan Mother of God was taken out of the Vladimir Cathedral, it was carried in a religious procession around Leningrad, and the city survived.
According to some reports, the plane, controlled by Stalin’s personal pilot, flew around the defended Moscow with the miraculous Kazan image on board. Few people know that the Battle of Stalingrad began with a prayer service. Then the icon stood among our troops on the right bank of the Volga, and the Germans were unable to cross the river, no matter how hard they tried.
The Virgin Mary appeared to Father Gabriel and told him to take the icon from the sea
The monks wanted to take the icon, but as soon as they tried to get closer to it, it moved away from them. Then the monks gathered in the monastery and began to ask God to give them this icon. The Most Holy Mother of God heard their prayers. One of the ascetics named Gabriel was honored with the appearance of the Mother of God.
The Virgin Mary appeared to him and told him: “...Tell the abbot and all the brothers that I will give you this icon so that it will protect you. You will enter the sea, walk on the waves, and thus everyone will see My favor towards your monastery...”
It was Father Gabriel of Svyatogorets who was able to take the icon of the Iveron Mother of God from the sea. Photo: 3.bp.blogspot.com
That's exactly what happened. Father Gabriel took the icon from the sea and brought it to the monastery. The icon was first placed in the altar of the main church, but the next day the icon disappeared. Nobody could find her.
After searching everything, the icon was found above the monastery gates. The brethren of the monastery decided to return the icon back, but this was repeated several times. The next night there was another appearance of the Mother of God to Father Gabriel.
The Queen of Heaven told him:
“Tell the brothers not to bother me anymore. I came here not for you to keep Me, but to keep you. All of you who live virtuously on this Mountain, have faith in the mercy of My Son. As long as My icon is in your monastery, His grace and mercy will always overshadow you.”
the Virgin Mary
After which the icon was left in its place.
COMMUNITY OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCH OF THE MOTHER OF GOD SOVEREIGN
John Bogomil - “Apparitions of the Mother of God of the 1st-20th centuries” - 2006
What great grace is associated with the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin! Everything around is illuminated, hearts and souls are fragrant with myrrh aromas. Marvelous gifts and mercies are revealed by the Heavenly Treasury. Despite the great number of apparitions of the Mother of God in Russia, we know almost nothing about them, since the censored chronicles are reduced mainly to blessings for the construction of churches and the apparitions of icons. There is no true description of the phenomenon, the living image of the Mother of God. Nothing is said about Her messages, about living signs, about the secrets She reveals. Meanwhile, the Queen bears the image of the heavenly church. She is the gate of eternity. And each of Her phenomena, be it great in fiery glory, like Pochaev’s (XIV century) and Solovetsky (30s of the XX century), or private, healing or liberating from the attacks of enemies, carries a mysterious meaning that must be understood.
1 We can say that the Lady of Heaven is persistent in Holy Rus'. Her names never leave the lips of the Russian people. She is a burning Candle, lit in the hearts of millions. In addition to temple services, the common people turn to the Blessed Virgin in case of incurable diseases, illnesses, dangers and infirmities. The people have learned to call upon the Most Holy Theotokos as their Mother, their warm Intercessor. Legends about Her help to simple peasants and girls are passed on from mouth to mouth. They appeal to Her as a fair and formidable Judge, as a merciful Mother. She is the eternal feminine image of the Divine for the Russian people.
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Vladimir and Bogolyubsk icons of the Mother of God
Vyshgorod, Moscow, 1131-1395.
2 The appearances of the Mother of God in Russia date back to Her earthly days, from the writing by Apostle Luke of Her first icon, called the Vladimir icon. In the shadow of above, the divinely inspired apostle, having received the gift of the first icon painter in the Church of Christ, drew on the board for three days the face of the Blessed Virgin, visible to him with spiritual eyes. The Mother of God, as the life of the holy evangelist Luke narrates, at the sight of the icon, sang the Majestic:
3 'From now on all generations will call me blessed.' And she added: “May the grace of Him who was born of Me and Mine remain with this icon forever.” My protection and grace-filled intercession will be found by all who call upon My help, praying before the icons with My image. The Lord will send them unspeakable mercies and bounties from His Kingdom.'
4 Having blessed the apostle, the Queen showed him the iconostasis of heavenly Jerusalem with countless (more than two thousand!) images of her. And then she outlined the fate of the icon and the miracles from it in Jerusalem and Constantinople, Vyshgorod and Vladimir and the triumph of the Most Holy Theotokos in Rus'.
5 “I will come with this image to Holy Rus' and will show many miracles and signs of protection on this wondrous land, dedicated to Me from time immemorial,” added the Mother of God, revealing in detail to the holy apostle many secrets of the country, which She called Holy Russia, Her home and destiny. Like the icon of Vladimir, which served as a prototype for all future images of the Blessed Virgin, this dialogue of Her with the Apostle Luke can be called transformative for the historical destinies of Russia.
6 Until the middle of the 5th century, the icon smelled of fragrance in Jerusalem, in the temple erected in honor of it. The repeated flow of myrrh, especially during days of tribulation, attracted the attention of thousands of pilgrims.
7 Under Emperor Theodosius the Younger, the Lady of Heaven appeared to one obedient monk and asked to convey to the patriarch and church authorities that the icon be transferred from Jerusalem to Constantinople, from where at the beginning of the 12th century it was presented as a gift to Grand Duke Yuri Dolgoruky and placed in the nunnery of the city of Vyshgorod.
8 Soon after the icon was transferred, many miracles began from it. Our Lady of Vladimir stood transfiguring above the temple. She was seen by dozens of clergy, parishioners and pilgrims. The sisters’ faces shone with wondrous grace from the presence of the Most Heavenly Lady. The earthly order, and with it personal sins and heavy ancestral cups, receded. Repeatedly the icon left its place and stood in the air of the temple. The dazzling radiance emanating from it was such that it was necessary to stop the service. The icon was put back in place, but the next morning it again stood in the air and was transformed, as if showing the image of the transfiguration of Holy Rus'. By appearing to the people in the church, the Most Holy Virgin let them know that she wanted to influence the destinies of Russia and that Her time in the Vyshgorod convent was exhausted.
9 Rumors of miracles reached Prince Andrei of Vyshgorod, the son of Yuri Dolgoruky, who amazingly revered the Blessed Virgin and always called on Her. Having learned about the transfiguration of the Queen in the air of the monastery, the prince visited the convent. The radiance of the icon during his pilgrimage diminished just enough for the prince to see the tender image of the Most Holy Lady, looking at him with love and seeming to be saying something. With his inner ear the prince heard: “Take this image of Mine and transfer it to the Suzdal land.”
10 With great precautions, Andrei Bogolyubsky moved the ark with the miraculous icon and placed it in a horse-drawn ark specially built for it. When the ceremonial cortege, having passed through Vladimir, was 10 versts below it along the river. Klyazma, the horses suddenly stopped dead in their tracks. They were changed, but the new ones could not move. Prince Andrei got off his horse, kissed the Vladimir soil and raised his hands in prayer to the Blessed Virgin. Tears streamed down his cheeks.
11 The Mother of God appeared to him with a scroll. The Mother of God stood on a white cloud, hosts of Russian saints were turned to Her with outstretched hands. Fools, cave dwellers, princes, apostles - the whole light of solar Orthodoxy looked at the Prototype. The Mother of God extended a white scroll from the sky.
12 With inexpressible love, the Mother of God turned Her gaze to the prince, as to Her beloved son. 'What does this scroll mean?' – Andrei Bogolyubsky asked the Blessed Virgin. The Most Pure One’s lips moved, and with his inner ear the prince heard Her royal, gentle voice: “This is a tablet from the Book of Life.” In it are the names of all the saints glorified in the church, the mystery of salvation, the names of those who love Me and resort to My intercession.'
13 Prince Andrei contemplated something unprecedented: the scroll in the hands of the Blessed Virgin opened and changed in shape. The saints read its outlines. And the Mother of God did not take her eyes off the face of Hrnst in heaven. On the scroll, as on a screen, the word of the Lord was depicted - the living saving word. The saints immediately read it. Then what was written was erased and the names of those for whom the saints prayed were inscribed. The Mother of God presented this scroll with the names of those whom She took under Her protection to the Lord, asking for His mercies. And then the Lord read from the scroll.
14 The blessed charter in the hands of the Blessed Virgin represented the secret of Holy Rus' from the beginning to the end of time - a page of the Book of Life, brought down from heaven. The great teachers of the church, the saints seen by the prince, belonged to the heavenly triumphant church. The Vladimir icon, in an image accessible to that time, revealed what was happening in heaven: the Mother of God, the living tablet of God the Word, imprinting the mysteries in the Book of Life, read by the saints of the triumphant church. The wonderful destiny of those dedicated to the Blessed Virgin was contemplated by Her beloved child, Prince Andrey of Vyshgorod.
15 'Erect a temple in this place in honor of My Immaculate Conception (later, during the period of the church authorities' rejection of the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception, it was rewritten as 'Nativity'). I will provide My protection to all who confess Me as their Immaculate Mother.' The place was named Bogolyubov and a church was soon erected there. The appearance of the Mother of God to Andrei was captured at his command by the Bogolyubskaya icon of the Mother of God with a scroll, placed in this new white stone church. The Vladimir Assumption Cathedral was built for the Vladimir icon.
16 The Mother of God revealed to Prince Andrei the secret of Holy Rus'. “I am the Patroness of Holy Rus' from time immemorial,” said the Mother of God, “which was created in My image, the Eternal Virgin. As long as Russia worships the Most Holy Virgin, the Mother of the Cross, Her ever-virgin beauty will repel all the arrows of the enemy: invaders, disasters and all dishonor. As soon as the worship of Me as a new Creation, as the Conqueror of the devil, as a powerful Virgin, ceases, Russia will lose its strength and will be plunged into darkness.'
17 Nearby, the Most Holy Virgin asked that the Conception Monastery be erected to glorify Her most important hypostasis - the Immaculate Conception. The intercession of the Mother of God through Vladimirskaya was felt an unprecedented number of times. She remained unharmed during the fire of 1185 in Vladimir, delivered the people from a pestilence, and declared the land of Vladimir to be the inheritance (throne) of Her Immaculate Conception, the capital of Her radiant virginity.
18 In the most testing times, the Lady of Heaven appeared as a Woman Clothed in the Sun. Sometimes She was in military armor, and in Her hands was an irresistible sword. Another time She revealed herself in the retinue of pious virgins and monks. But the Mother of God was always inspired by the power of God and was irresistibly magnificent. Her appearance captured the radiance of the glory and triumph of God. Revealing the power of Holy Rus', the Queen of Heaven in one way crushed the most villainous plans of her enemies. We can count dozens of such Her phenomena known to us. Hundreds and thousands of them remained unrecorded by history.
19 In 1395, the bloody Tamerlane, who devastated Europe, was forced to retreat from Russia when the Mother of God appeared to him in a dream in the form of a magnificent and powerful Woman Clothed in the Sun with tens of lightning-like warriors Elijah and Enoch, rushing at him in full armor of the glory of God. The leader of the armies of Heaven, with a formidable finger, showed the Mongol conqueror and his wild hordes the way away from Russia. The archers of Her retinue threatened to fire a hail of arrows and turn Tamerlane’s invincible army into dust. The pointing finger and angels seen by Tamerlane were so formidable that the conqueror did not dare to resist.
20 In 1514, the Blessed Virgin scared off the Tatar khan Makhmat Girey with the help of the great army of Elijah and Enoch, who followed Her along the city wall. Another time She appears surrounded by pious virgins and monks. In the 18th century, he transports through the air the peasant Fedot Obukhov, who lost his way and found himself on the edge of an abyss during a terrible winter blizzard. Here She is healing from paralysis the pious daughter of ruined nobles, who uselessly spent their fortune on the best doctors in Europe...
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Icon 'The Sign'
Novgorod, XII century.
21 In the 12th century, the Most Holy Virgin of the Sign, transfigured over the city wall, saved the Novgorodians from the devastating raid of their enemies. The small icon of the Sign, placed on the city wall, suddenly began to grow and was transformed into the great Mother of God, the Solar Lady.
22 The icon shed tears. Her irresistible face led her enemies into confusion. The pious Archbishop John of Novgorod, having removed the phelonion, began to collect the tears of the Mother of God, and then said: The Queen is giving us a sign that she is praying for the deliverance of the city from the siege. The besiegers immediately fled in fear.
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Feodorovskaya Icon of the Mother of God
Kostroma, 1260
23 In 1239, on the eve of the miraculous discovery of the icon on a pine tree near the Zaprudnya River, the Kostroma residents saw how Prince Stratilates, resembling the Great Martyr Feodor (hence its name Feodorovskaya), in rich military clothing, was carrying It around the city.
24 In 1260, the Prince of Kostroma came out against the approaching Tatars with the Feodorovskaya icon. When the Mother of God icon appears, the enemies, amazed and blinded by the extraordinary radiance around it, take flight. Three hundred years later, Marfa Romanova prays to the same Feodorovskaya for intercession, asking to bless her young son Mikhail Fedorovich on the Russian throne, shaken by the Poles. And the Mother of God makes it so that the very next day Prince Mikhail is elected to the Russian throne.
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Kiev-Pechersk Lavra
Kyiv, XIII century.
25 Tradition of the Patericon. In the 13th century. Three poor ascetic monks in torn robes are clothed by the Blessed Virgin upon Her appearance in velvet cassocks with unearthly paintings and reveals herself under the name “I am the Mother of the poor and orphans, longing for the ineffable riches of My Divine Son.”
26 During fervent monastic prayers in the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, a fiery cloud of divine light stands like a bush. At night it shines so clearly that the candles light up and go out by themselves: there is no need for them. And above the cloud, in the brightest dazzling light, they see the transforming Wife.
27 By the end of the 13th century, princely funds were used to build a meager infirmary at the Kiev Pechersk Lavra, something like a modern hospice, where they provide minimal medical, but more spiritual care to sick monks and wanderers. There is almost no care for the infirm. They place more here for prayers to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The dying are tuned to the psalter, church prayer and calling on the Most Pure Virgin for help. The Lady of Heaven herself comes to the sick countless times, carrying in her hands heavenly oils, vessels, mysterious waters, herbs of unearthly origin and healing flowers.
28 To the question of those experiencing unbearable and inconsolable sorrows (and this is the Queen), She answers:
29 'I am the joy of all those who mourn on earth. I come to console the orphans in their hours of sorrow and to tell them of the unspeakable blessings prepared for them by My Divine Son.' Another time: 'I come to show My maternal mercy and intercession to My children.'
30 To the question “What destiny awaits us, Lady?”: “He will ask for sins, but His mercy is inexplicable, and My intercession largely determines the final destiny.”
31 The monks and gatekeepers see Her in the evening moonlight, imprinted on the wall above the dying. The Divine Visitor exudes Her mercies and speaks to the mourners, whom no one can help. What is She talking about and what words does She console? Those worthy of heavenly visitation carry Her words and secrets into eternity. But on earth remains the memory of Her visit to Elizabeth and her divinely inspired: “Who am I, that the Mother of my Lord should come to me?” This gospel verse was repeated in admiring delight by the sorrow-torn wanderers of the earth, who found their last hour in the orphan infirmary of the Kiev-Pecherskaya. Through the prayers of the wondrous elders and monks, the Lady of Heaven came to their bed and decorated them with fragrant lilies, roses, and wildflowers.
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St. Euphrosyne of Suzdal
Chernigov, Suzdal, 1212
32 The Mother of the Immaculate Conception comes to the pious Chernigov prince Mikhail and his wife at night prayer. The prince and princess pray for the granting of offspring to them. The Queen of Heaven honors the appearance of the tearful Chernigov prince. 'Rejoice, child, your fervent prayer has been heard. Continue to be bold in prayer. Here is a sign for you,” - the Blessed Virgin opened a casket decorated with pearls and handed Prince Mikhail a bundle of incense and ordered him to incense the whole house with it. The aromas of the Kingdom spread through the princely chambers, dozens of smells that had never been seen on earth. The Lady of Russia handed them unearthly incense. And the faithful prince and princess repeated: “We were honored to dwell in the bridal chamber.” When asked what this incense means, during her second appearance, the Queen replied: “The fragrances represent the life of the saints in the Kingdom of My Divine Son.”
33 After repeated burning with heavenly incense, the prayer became contemplative. The prince and his servants ascended in spirit and, it seemed, in flesh to heaven. The princess asked to take care of the incense, but, to the surprise of her and the prince, its quantity did not decrease, and the fragrance from it continued throughout the prayer and long after it. In the second appearance, the Mother of God presented from Her hands a white dove, a symbol of virginity and the Holy Spirit. 'Mistress of Heaven, why do You honor us with Your mercies: incense from the bridal chamber, a dove with white wings, a sign of the Holy Spirit, chosen oils?'
34 “Rejoice, My children,” said the Lady of Heaven at the third appearance with the Monks Anthony and Theodosius. “Both signs were given to you as a sign that you will have a daughter and name her Theodula.” She will become an honest vessel of the Holy Spirit and will be numbered among the virgins, My servants at the Deposition of the Robe in the Suzdal Monastery. I will preserve her like the apple of my eye and prepare her for the marriage of My Son. The virgin Theodula will be filled with the Holy Spirit and will receive many joys in sorrows even in this century.
35 The wonderful story of the Chernigov prince Mikhail seems to repeat the immaculate conception of the Blessed Virgin from Joachim and Anna. As a child, Theodula is dedicated by her parents to the Blessed Virgin. Loves visiting temples and praying. The girl grows up, and the memory of the miraculous phenomenon gradually fades. A fifteen-year-old girl is wooed to the young Suzdal prince Mina. And with the Chernigov princess, the story of the Blessed Virgin is wonderfully repeated, when they wanted to marry Her off at the end of her term. Theodula prays to the Blessed Virgin in tears. 'Mistress of Heaven, didn't You promise to preserve my virginity? Didn't my dear parents take vows of dedication upon my birth?'
36 “Honor your father and mother, do not resist your parents,” answered the Most Holy Virgin, appearing to her. – Don’t lose faith and don’t be afraid. Let confusion not touch your heart. There will be no marriage. I'll talk some sense into your parents. Honor them and do not doubt what has been prepared for you.
37 The wedding procession has already been prepared. With downcast eyes, surrounded by her friends, Theodulus headed to Suzdal as a bride, without ceasing prayers to the Most Holy Theotokos, when already on the way she learned that the Suzdal prince Mina had suddenly died. In tears, she turned to her parents with a request to bless her to take monastic vows at the Deposition of the Robe Monastery of the Blessed Virgin. And the elderly parents agreed with deep emotion, glorifying the mercy of the Blessed Virgin. The pious prince so wanted to have an heir and heiress, but what could be more beautiful than following the will of God? And after the expiration of her term, the former princess becomes Abbess Euphrosyne and is awarded the great grace of senility. The novices dote on her, and for hours the mother-mentor talks with them about the Most Holy Theotokos, about Her Immaculate Conception, about the Gospel miracles. From the lips of the blessed old woman, the sweet narrative sounds as if she were personally acquainted with the Blessed Virgin.
38 As a prophetess and elderly righteous woman, Euphrosyne of Suzdal denounced the monks for their negligence in prayer, for attacking the spirit of the world, mammon, gluttony and other abominations. 'Our fathers do not fulfill their mission to pray for sinners, they do not grieve for the Suzdal land. The great wrath of the Lord will be shed due to the fault of the church. They do not hear the Most Holy Theotokos asking for purity and prayer.'
39 Shortly before the death of Euphrosyne of Suzdal, the Mother of God appeared to her and predicted that the city would be struck by a great earthquake, a sign of God's wrath against its inhabitants and monks. The old woman did not fail to inform the monastery management about this: “Because of our sins, great misfortune will come to Suzdal. And then do not try to seek the help of the saints and the prayers of the Most Holy Theotokos, if you do not repent and ask for God’s mercy.”
40 The prophecy of Euphrosyne led to confusion among the Suzdal hierarchs. On the same day, during the Trisagion, during the liturgy in the cathedral church, the earth shook and cracked, and through the gaping cracks the cry of hellish monsters and the cry of thousands of souls was heard. Horror gripped the residents of Suzdal. A giant gray cloud obscured the sky and covered the city in darkness. Falling in the darkness, the inhabitants ran blindly, some to the temple, some wherever they looked, fleeing from disaster. The terrible screams intensified until they turned into a continuous symphony of fear and despair. In the Cathedral, in the pitch darkness, someone’s quiet voices were heard: “Most Holy Theotokos, save us.” Finally, the prayer in the temple stopped, and an oppressive silence fell, as if the cathedral had fallen into the ground.
41 Only the Monk Euphrosyne maintained peace. Illuminated by the Holy Spirit, she looked up into the sky in admiration and repeated: “Repent, and the Lord will forgive.” There were so many warnings about repentance that were not heeded. And so, disasters came.' “We repent, Lady of Heaven,” dozens said, falling to their knees right there. There was a cloud of light around the saint, and not a single one of those who came to her was touched by disaster. 'I see the sky open and in the non-evening light of the Son of God, and before Him the Most Pure Mother with the holy saints. Let us pray together that the Lord may have mercy on our city and the disaster will end.'
42 Suddenly, through the prayers of the saint, the stinking black cloud dissipated. A wonderful temple appeared in the heavens, above which stood the Wife in the clothes of a Russian princess with a golden staff and the Infant God in her arms. The earthquake has stopped.
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Healing of the Tatar Khan
Kostroma, XIII century.
43 The Tatar Khan Chet was distinguished by his humble, chaste disposition and reverent attitude towards Orthodox shrines. Returning from Moscow to Horda, he was passing through Kostroma when suddenly he was struck by paralysis and internal pain began. The Lady of Heaven appeared to him in an hour of extreme confusion, almost agony, with the words: “I am the Mother of the Russian God. I will heal you as a sign that My mercy extends to all the righteous inhabitants of the earth.'
44 The appearance of the Queen of Heaven was accompanied by the Apostle Philip and the Hieromartyr Hypatius. The healed Tatar khan, after the appearance of the Most Holy Theotokos, secretly carried with him Her icon, ordered in the chapel he himself had built in the Ipatievsky chapel in honor of the Life-Giving Trinity.
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Sergius of Radonezh
Sergiev Posad, 1385
45 Around 1385, the Monk Sergius of Radonezh was honored to see the Queen of Heaven. The Mother of God appears to him with John and, touching him, says: “Do not be afraid. Your prayer has been answered. I will take care of you and your disciples: from you will come a line of virgin prayer books for Holy Rus'.'
46 The queen showed how the devil would tempt his monks, how much trouble they would have to endure. But she promised St. Sergius to create a new kind of monastic asceticism, going under Her direct protection and guidance, and promised Her constant protection and mercy over him. 'As long as I remain above your abode, the evil one will not dare to do anything with your charges.'
47 St. Sergius cared about the state of monasticism and asked the Most Holy Virgin in his prayers so that She would become their personal patroness and present images of worthy prayer and ascetic struggle. 'What do you want, Most Holy Lady? How to please the Lord? How to maintain the purity of prayer, mental prayer, contemplation? How not to succumb to the temptations of this world?' This is how St. Sergius asked the Lady of Heaven. It seemed to him that he had no images of spiritual activity and service to the Good God. The monk was in a state of deep crisis when the Most Holy Virgin appeared to him and presented him with a gracious image of monasticism, repeating that Sergius would become the father of a new Holy Russian monasticism. The monasticism of the Sergius-Radonezh school, the Queen said, will shine with contemplative mental prayer and otherworldliness. There will be a special cover over the monastery, and the devil will not dare to touch the monks of the Sergius school. She Herself, the Lady of Athos, will make the Sergius monastery blessed, in the image of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra, but in accordance with other circumstances. The monks will work more in hermitages and retreats.
48 – Rejoice, the Lord reigns! - the angels sang a psalm after Her appearance.
49 The Queen of Heaven indicated to St. Sergius places for the construction of monastic hermitages, blessing him to boldly leave monasteries struck by the spirit of the world, where holiness is impossible to achieve. How the Monk Sergius thanked the Lady of Heaven for her help, for the images of perfect holiness that She presented from eternity! “This age will pass,” said the Russian Intercessor, “but your monastery will remain. Evil will not touch her, although the devil will pursue your brothers on the heels.'
50 In one of the appearances to St. Sergius, the Queen of Heaven showed many golden crowns. They floated across the sky like a parade. The wondrous faces of the saints shone beneath them. It was the Cathedral of Sergius of Radonezh.
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Sunny Wife
Pochaev, XIV century.
51 Monk Lazar of Murom (XIV century) in his dying will spoke about the apparitions of the Solar Woman on the previously uninhabited Pochaevskaya Mountain. The Monk Lazarus described how the Most Pure One stood over Pochaev in fiery rays, and the holy men of the heavenly church approached Her for blessing with prayer, bowed and listened to Her wise advice. The stone imprinted the footprint of Her right foot and emitted water. To this day, on the Holy Hill in Pochaev, on a stone near a spring, a fragrant imprint of the foot of the Blessed Virgin Mary has been preserved.
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Around 1917, the monastery where the icon of the Mother of God was located was attacked by the Bulgarians
Let's look at a story that happened later. During the Bulgarian occupation, the monasteries were often raided by the Bulgarians. Once such an event happened around 1917. The monks prayed at the evening service.
The relics were taken to the center of the temple for veneration. At that moment, the Bulgarians came to the temple, they began to say that they also wanted to venerate the shrines. But this was their insidious plan; they grabbed the relics and ran away.
Iveron Icon of the Mother of God. Photo: hranitel.club
The next day they wanted to steal the icon of the Mother of God. One of the sergeants decided to take the icon, but then fell dead. During another attempt, the Bulgarians took the icon, but were only able to carry it to the exit from the temple.
The icon became so heavy that they could not even lift it. A stream of tears began to flow down the Mother of God's face. The Bulgarians saw this, got scared and fled.
The image of the Virgin Mary as a symbol of patronage
Did you dream that an image of the Mother of God appeared on the wall? Don’t be alarmed, Miss Hasse’s dream book consoles us with its interpretation. Enemies will not be able to harm you. And if the image of the Mother of God streamed myrrh, an influential person will help you.
A dream in which the face of the Mother of God with a cross in her hands appeared on the bark of a tree is considered a good omen. Honors and encouragements await you, the Eastern Dream Book prophesies.
Do you dream that some writing appeared on your pendant with the Virgin Mary, and you began to read it? You will provide patronage or assistance.
The appearance of the Mother of God occurred in Latin America
It is believed that not every person can see the appearance of the Mother of God, but only those who deeply believe and listen to her words. Many people always try to find an excuse for each individual case of a phenomenon, but there are cases when Divine help contributed to the salvation of many people.
1531
this year the Virgin Mary was seen by an Indian named Juan Diego
One of the cases occurred in Latin America. In this place, the miraculous image of the Virgin Mary of Guadalupe is venerated. She is considered the patroness of America.
In 1531, the Indian Juan Diego received the apparition. The appearance of the Mother of God occurred when he was going to morning mass.
Juan Diego was honored with the appearance of the Mother of God. Photo: i.pinimg.com
Suddenly he saw someone singing. When he climbed the hill, he saw a young woman who looked more like his fellow tribesmen. This woman seemed to be inside some kind of shining cloud.
She introduced herself to the boy as the Mother of God. For almost 4 days, the Mother of God appeared to Juan. She approached him with a request to build a church on that hill.
Many priests then decided that the boy was just making things up.
Then the Virgin Mary told the young man to pick flowers on a rocky hill. The young man did just that. Although he understood perfectly well that there were no flowers in that area, they simply did not grow there.
But suddenly he saw a rose bush growing right on the stone. “Here is My sign,” said the Virgin Mary. “Take these roses, wrap them in your cloak and take them to the bishop.” This time he will believe you."
When Juan came again to the bishops, he unfurled his cloak. All those present fell to their knees at the same moment, as the image of the Mother of God appeared on the cloak. After this moment, six million Indians converted to Christianity.
FATIMA MIRACLE
Perhaps the most significant and famous series of apparitions of the Mother of God began in May 1917 in the Portuguese city of Fatima.
First, the Virgin Mary appeared to three children: Lucie, Jacinta and Francisco, who were playing in a field not far from their house. She asked if they were ready to become the chosen ones of the Lord in order to atone for the insults and blasphemies inflicted on the Mother of God. They enthusiastically agreed.
When leaving, she ordered the children to pray daily for peace and the salvation of sinners and ordered them to come to the meeting place on the thirteenth day of each month. The boys told their parents about everything, and they, in turn, told their neighbors. And already on the 13th of the next month, about 60 people accompanied the children.
It must be said that no one saw the appearance of the Mother of God except these three guys, nevertheless, every month there were more and more people on the field.
Pilgrims began to flock to Fatima from all over the world. Two days before October 13, all the roads leading to the city were clogged with carts and pedestrians. Waiting for the appearance of the Virgin Mary, people, and there were about 70 thousand of them, slept on the ground, despite the cold October rain that had been falling for three days.
Everyone was soaked to the skin. At noon, everyone present knelt down, despite the mud and puddles. Lucia, seeing the Mother of God, exclaimed: “Here she is!”, and everyone saw how the children were enveloped in a light white cloud. It rose up three times and fell again on the children.
Then eyewitnesses said that the rain suddenly stopped, the sun came out, but its appearance was strange: a disk surrounded by a shining crown, which you could look at without squinting.
In front of everyone’s eyes, the sun first spun like a huge fiery wheel, scattering multi-colored bright flashes in all directions, then it seemed to separate from the sky and began to spiral downwards, radiating heat. This sun dance lasted at least ten minutes and was visible many kilometers from Fatima.
When it was all over, people were surprised to find that their clothes were suddenly dry. This was the last appearance of the Mother of God to children.
The Virgin Mary left them three predictions, the last of which was revealed only recently. The first and second were made public by permission of Pope Pius XII in 1942. One spoke of an impending war that would claim millions of lives (apparently, the Second World War was meant). The second prophecy concerned Russia, which must devote its heart to the Virgin Mary so that peace and tranquility will replace the chaos in the country.
But the third message remained a sealed secret for a long time. Only in 2000 did Pope John Paul II lift the veil: it concerned an attempt on his life. Indeed, in 1981, John Paul II was shot by a Turkish terrorist.
But that's not all: presumably, the third message also contains information about the further tragic fate of the Catholic Church. It seems that church hierarchs prefer to hide it so as not to cause unrest among believers.
Around 1858, the Most Holy Theotokos appeared to a 14-year-old girl.
Around 1858, a similar apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary occurred. Then one 14-year-old girl, Bernardetta Sibiru, received a great honor.
1858
This year the Virgin Mary appeared to a 14-year-old girl, Bernardette.
The girl grew up in a very poor but large family. Her parents earned only bread. At the age of 14, the girl could neither read nor write. From early childhood she suffered from asthma.
Bernardetta Sibiru assures that the Mother of God appeared to her for 18 days in a row. Photo: oudhoorn.nl
In 1858, on February 11, Bernadette and her sister went to the Masabielle mountains to collect firewood. The girl said later that first she heard a noise, and then she saw a woman in white. The woman held a rosary in her hands, and on top of each of her feet was a yellow rose.
The girl got scared and crossed herself, but after that her fear disappeared. The girl fell to her knees and began to pray, fingering the rosary in her hands. The lady was also fingering her rosary. When the girl finished her prayer, the vision disappeared.
Arriving home, the girl told everything to her mother, but she forbade her to go to that place.
But the girl seemed drawn to this place, she went there again, taking holy water with her.
Seeing the woman in white again, the girl sprinkled her with water and said: “If you are from God, stay!” If not, leave!” The woman smiled and remained.
On February 18 of the same year, the lady in white said to the girl: “Come here within fifteen days. I promise to make you happy, but not in this world, but in another.” Thus, the total number of appearances of the Mother of God was 18. During all these meetings, the lady in white gave the girl several instructions.
"I AM THE IMMACULATE CONCEPT"
The small city of Lourdes, located in southwestern France, became widely famous in 1858 thanks to the 14-year-old girl Bernadette Soubirous. It was she who was honored to witness as many as 18 (!) apparitions of the Virgin Mary. In the cold February of 1858, Bernadette and other children were collecting branches for kindling in the grove.
To get to the deposits of branches, they had to ford a stream. When Bernadette came out to the other side, she heard a noise similar to the sound of the wind, and near the grotto that opened to her gaze she saw a lady in a white dress, at whose feet yellow roses were scattered. Surprisingly, no one else saw anything.
This time the girl did not dare talk to the stranger; she decided that it was the ghost of a recently deceased village resident. Despite her fear, she was drawn to the grotto, and she came there again and again. Now the girl understood that the Virgin Mary was appearing before her, asking her to pray for sinners. During one of her apparitions, the Mother of God gave Bernadette an instruction: “Go to the priests and say: I want a chapel to be built here.”
But the priests took the stories as empty fiction, and the girl as completely crazy. Only her confessor asked to know the woman’s name. And Our Lady answered: “I am the Immaculate Conception.” When the girl conveyed these words to him, the priest was amazed to the core.
Bernadette could not know that shortly before the events described, Pope Pius IX proclaimed the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. And the ministers themselves had previously used the expression “Sinless Conception.” And this meant that the girl really communicates with the Virgin Mary.
The Mother of God also showed Bernadette a miraculous source, to which millions of people subsequently began to flock. In the first year alone, five officially certified healings took place at this source. Bernadette later became a nun under the name Maria Bernarda and died at the age of 35. Already in 1933 she was canonized by the Catholic Church.
Before recognizing her as a saint, representatives of the Catholic Church opened the grave three times. Witnesses to the exhumation were not only priests, but also doctors and other respected members of society. And each time they were all convinced: the body of Bernadette Soubirous was not touched by decomposition. A temple was built at the site of the appearance of the Virgin Mary, and Lourdes is now visited by about five million pilgrims every year.
In 1903, an unnoticed appearance of the Mother of God took place in a monastery on Mount Athos.
In 1903, an event unnoticed by the whole world took place in the monastery on Mount Athos. On this day, the monks distributed alms to the poor Siromakh monks at the gate. The fate of Athonite homeless people changed dramatically under the influence of one photograph.
On that day, the monk Gabriel photographed the distribution of alms. Having developed the photos, on one of them he saw the figure of a poorly dressed woman who was receiving a piece of bread. This news quickly spread throughout the area.
The appearance of the Mother of God on Mount Athos is a fairly frequent event.
Athonite monks very often see the Mother of God in dreams or in reality. But the Mother of God always leaves a visible sign of her presence.
Sometimes it is a warning, admonition, and sometimes a manifestation of mercy. A photo of the appearance of the Virgin Mary on Mount Athos can be seen just below.
A photo showing Athonite monks and a woman who was not there during the shooting. It appeared after the film was developed. Photo: tte-semya.pravorg.ru
The apparition of the Virgin Mary takes place today in the village of Medjugorje
But did the appearance of the Mother of God take place in our days? In distant Bosnia and Herzegovina there is a small village of Medjugorje, which at one time became famous for the apparitions of Our Lady. In 1981, the Mother of God appeared to six children. These phenomena continue to occur to this day.
Thousands of Christians from all over the world come here to hear the conversations of the Mother of God, which are then distributed in all major languages.
In distant Bosnia and Herzegovina there is a small village of Medjugorje, which at one time became famous for the apparitions of Our Lady. Photo: effafa.ru
On June 25, 2022, another phenomenon occurred. The Mother of God left a message:
“…“Dear children! This is the day that the Lord gave me so that I thank Him for each of you, for those who converted and accepted My messages and followed the path of conversion and holiness.
Rejoice, children, for God is merciful and loves you all with His immeasurable love and leads you along the path of salvation by My coming here.
I love you all and give you My Son so that He may give you peace. Thank you for answering My call!”
In our time, miracles also occur that cannot be explained. They happen only by God's will. There are real photos of people in which you can clearly see the silhouette of the Mother of God. These silhouettes are often captured in the sky, above temples.
Perhaps all these phenomena happen for a reason, maybe this is a sign that the Mother of God wants to save us and is trying to warn us of the impending danger. Or maybe She comes to us to show how much She loves the entire human race.
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Brief interpretation
If it happens that when you wake up, you cannot remember what exactly you dreamed about – no problem. For a dream book, sometimes a small fragment of a dream is enough to explain why this or that is being dreamed about.
- Asking about something is a test.
- To meet you in church is a surprise.
- Seeing one descending from heaven means the fulfillment of desires.
- Seeing it on the street means reconciliation.
- Her face appeared on the wall - someone will help you a lot.
- Praying for something means hope for a better life.
