It is believed that the heavenly queen bears the image of the Universal Church. She is like a burning candle, igniting hope and faith in the hearts of people. Among the common people there is an opinion that the Mother of God helps with illnesses and dangers.
Despite the fact that nowhere is there true confirmation and evidence of the appearance of the Mother of God, Orthodox people are looking for a meeting with her, expecting signs and the revelation of heavenly secrets. This is because each of its phenomena carries a mysterious meaning that one wants to reveal, understand, comprehend. Basically, such phenomena coincide with the construction of temples or the appearance of icons.
Everyone wants to understand what the appearance of the Mother of God means, what to expect. Each such manifestation of the presence of the Mother of God is marked by some event: for example, the appearance of the great fiery glory in the fourteenth century.
The Heavenly Lady is inalienable from Holy Rus'. Her name has been on the lips of many Russians from ancient times to the present day. Many believe that the Mother of God is a great helper in hopeless illnesses or situations, infirmities and mental disorders. There are many legends among the people about her intercessory maternal help.
The Blessed Virgin is considered a very fair, strict ruler. Since time immemorial, she has carried the female image of a deity, appearing to the people from time to time. In the memory of people who worship the Virgin Mary, there are known cases of the manifestation of her Motherhood to the people. Not all of these phenomena are officially recognized by the church. Some of them are thoroughly studied and researched. Seven phenomena are generally recognized throughout the world, although there are many more. For example, in Latin America, the appearance of the Virgin Mary in the sky was discovered in 1531 to an Indian near Mexico City. First, he heard beautiful polyphonic singing, and then saw in a shining cloud a young woman who called herself the Virgin Mary. She made a request to build a temple on this site to worship God's Son Jesus Christ. Because the priests did not believe him, the Virgin Mary appeared again to the same man, giving a sign in the form of a rose bush in an empty field and the appearance of her image on the cape of this Indian. The bishop surrendered, believing the sign and built a temple on the indicated site, and many Mexican residents converted to Christianity.
The Mother of the Lord Jesus Christ appears in a special way where there are heavy battles and strong protection of people is needed.
The appearance of the Virgin Mary in a dream can ambiguously symbolize different things. Depending on the mood of the Virgin Mary, the meaning of the dream changes. The smiling Mother of God will bring joy and help from loved ones. If she cries, this phenomenon can be regarded as a warning of impending danger for relatives or loved ones. For Christian believers, this means that it is time for them to visit church (communication with a priest is necessary) or perform a ritual of remembrance of the dead.
If the Mother of God holds a baby in her arms, this means that the child or children in the family are under the protection of higher powers. For young girls, this will bring pregnancy and the birth of a child.
Basically, the Mother of God appears in a dream, foreshadowing a good event, happiness, joy, or resolution of a problem. If the Virgin Mary gives something to someone who is dreaming, this person will be granted good health from above. This means that ill-wishers and rivals will fade into the background, and cloudless times lie ahead. The warmth emanating from the Mother of God or an icon with her image is the end of adversity, suffering and troubles. You should remember everything that she says in a dream and follow her good instructions, if any.
The heavenly Lady appears, carrying different meanings: either she is a Woman clothed in the Sun, or in military armor with a formidable sword. But every time she is magnificent and filled with God's power. In her face - God's triumph and radiance of glory!
The Most Holy Lady Theotokos, Mother of God, Queen of Heaven, Imperishable, Most Pure, Diligent Intercessor... For many centuries this name has flown from the lips of all believers who have turned for support and help. And the Mother of God always helps, without refusing protection to anyone. This book contains the life of the Virgin Mary, her miracles, advice and tips, our requests and appeals to the Queen of Heaven. Here are collected stories of those people whom she helped, prayers and akathists who provide tremendous support to all those in need.
From the series: Just ask
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The given introductory fragment of the book The Mother of God will help (S. V. Kuzina, 2016) provided by our book partner - the company liters.
Appearances of the Virgin Mary in dreams and in reality
From the first centuries of Christianity to the present day, numerous apparitions of the Virgin Mary have occurred, to which many books, revered icons, monasteries, and memorial signs are dedicated. The Mother of God appears to people both in reality and in dreams. She inspired some to deeds of piety, consoled others in their sorrows, and taught others the right paths of salvation. In the Orthodox Church, in memory of certain apparitions, religious processions are organized with the removal of icons, literature about the apparitions of the Mother of God is distributed, and special prayers are compiled.
What does she look like when she appears to people?
Witnesses said that in the first seconds of the appearance, such a bright, blessed light emanated from the Mother of God that it almost blinded many. But as soon as she touched a person, her vision was immediately restored, and people could see her. She appeared to one in a royal scarlet robe with golden crosses. And on her head stood a golden crown with a cross at the top. Others saw her dressed in a blue robe over a chiton. Still others describe the robe of the Mother of God as a monastic mantle. And in her hand was the abbot’s staff. As a rule, the Queen of Heaven did not appear alone, but accompanied by various saints. Her companions were John the Baptist, the Apostle John the Theologian, the Apostle Peter, St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, the saints of the Kiev-Pechersk, Athos, Pskov, Novgorod, Solovetsky, Valaam, martyrs, martyrs and other righteous people, as well as hosts of angels.
Where and when did She appear?
The Mother of God appeared to people at different times and in different places. But she was seen especially often during prayers - morning, noon, evening, midnight and after three o'clock in the morning. And most often - in churches, monastery cells, forest dugouts. In the place of the latter, temples or monasteries appeared over time.
Who saw her?
Three times the Virgin Mary appeared to St. Seraphim of Sarov. He told about the first meeting in his life. On November 25, 1825, he walked through the Sarov Forest. And on the bank of the Sarovka River, at the Bogoslovsky spring, the elder saw the Mother of God. Behind her stood the apostles Peter and John the Theologian. The Mother of God hit the ground with Her staff, and after this, a source of light water instantly flowed out of it like a fountain. The monk fell on his knees before the Mother of God and asked Her to give Her blessing to the waters of the source. And the Queen of Heaven promised to fulfill his request. Next, She gave Seraphim detailed instructions on the structure of the Diveyevo monastery. She named eight sister-maidens from the former community of the original nun Alexandra by name, gave a special charter and ordered that only girls be accepted into the new community. She promised to always be the abbess of this monastery, and called it Her “fourth universal lot on earth.”
Five years later, in 1830, the Mother of God again appeared before Seraphim. He himself told the Diveyevo priest Father Vasily Sadovsky about this. This time the Virgin Mary said to Seraphim: “My beloved! Ask from Me what you want.” And the Reverend asked that “all orphans in the Seraphim Desert would be saved.” And the Mother of God promised Seraphim “this indescribable joy.”
The third meeting took place on the day of the Annunciation a year later, in 1831. Seraphim told the Diveyevo nun Eupraxia about her. She came to visit him at his invitation, and he greeted her with words of joy: “Oh, my joy! What mercy and grace is being prepared for you and me from the Mother of God on this real holiday! Repeat, mother, several times in a row: Rejoice, Unbridled Bride! Hallelujah!" Evdokia began to cry, saying that she was unworthy. But the Reverend consoled her: “Although you are unworthy, I asked the Lord and the Mother of God for you.” Then he put his robe on her and himself began to read the akathists - to the Savior, the Mother of God, St. Nicholas, John the Baptist and the canons - to the Guardian Angel and All Saints.
After reading the canon of All Saints, both suddenly heard a noise, as if a hurricane was raging in the forest. Then singing was heard, the door opened by itself, and the cell was filled with fragrance and extraordinary heavenly light. The elder fell to his knees and, raising his hands to the sky, exclaimed: “Oh, Most Blessed, Most Pure Virgin, Lady Theotokos!” And then Seraphim and Eupraxia saw the procession of the celestials. Two Angels walked ahead, each of them had in his hand a branch with blossoming flowers. They were followed by the Queen of Heaven herself and behind Her, in pairs, 12 holy virgin martyrs and saints - Varvara, Catherine, Thekla, Marina, Irina, Eupraxia, Pelageya, Dorothea, Macrina, Justina, Juliania and Anisia. Walking behind were Saint John the Baptist and Apostle John the Theologian in white shiny robes. The Mother of God was wearing a shiny mantle, and under the mantle was a green chiton, girded with a high belt. A kind of epitrachelion was visible on top of the mantle. On Her head stood a wonderful crown, topped with crosses. The Queen of Heaven's hair was loose and lay on her shoulders. She seemed to be taller than all the maidens. The virgins, all the saints, wore crowns, also had their hair flowing, and were dressed in multi-colored dresses. The monk’s cramped cell seemed to expand and fill with bright light, eclipsing the sun.
Nun Eupraxia fell unconscious at the sight of such a wonderful procession. Therefore, later I could not say how long this meeting between Seraphim and the Virgin Mary lasted. She came to her senses only after the Mother of God asked Seraphim what kind of woman was lying on the ground? Father Seraphim replied: “This is the one for whom I asked You, Lady, to be her at Your appearance.” Then the Most Pure One approached Evdokia and, taking her right hand, said: “Get up, girl, and do not be afraid of us. Virgins just like you came here with Me.” Evdokia stood up, and the Mother of God repeated to her: “Do not be afraid. We have come to visit you." And she ordered the nun to approach the celestials, get to know them and ask about their lives. Having become a little bolder, she approached first the Angels, and then all the saints. And they told her their names and told her about their lives and their exploits.
Meanwhile, the Mother of God talked with St. Seraphim. She gave instructions and told him to entrust obedience to the Diveyevo sisters. And she promised that if they correct this obedience, then “they will be with Me and with you, and if they lose wisdom, they will lose the fate of these holy virgins.” Then the Queen of Heaven said to Father Seraphim: “Soon, My beloved, you will be with us,” and blessed him. All the saints also said goodbye to the Elder. The Forerunner and Apostle John the Theologian blessed him, and the virgins kissed him priestly - hand in hand. The Diveyevo sister was told: “This vision was given to you for the sake of the prayers of the Sarov fathers: Seraphim, Mark, Nazarius and Pachomius.” And then, in an instant, the bright host of celestial beings seemed to disappear into the sky. According to Seraphim himself, the meeting with the celestials lasted almost four hours. And at the same time he added: “This is the joy we have achieved! There is reason why we should have faith and hope in the Lord.”
Among the other lucky ones who were lucky enough to see the Mother of God were St. Andrew the Fool for Christ's sake, St. Niphon of Cyprus, and the Athos venerables Matthew and Cosmas. According to them, the Mother of God stood in the temple, tearfully prayed for the whole world, looked at the worshipers and distributed coins to them.
Also, Athanasius of Athos, the Greek architects of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, the Venerable Sergius of Radonezh, the schema-abbot of the Glinsk hermitage Filaret, the monk of the same hermitage Dosifei, the Optina schema-monk Joseph and many others spoke about the apparitions of the Mother of God.
One day the Blessed Virgin appeared in reality to some Altai children near Tomsk. Local residents told the Altai missionary Archimandrite Macarius (Glukharev) about this. As if a year before his arrival, the Virgin Mary appeared to one boy and predicted: “Child! A year will pass, and Macarius will come here. You will see him. He will teach you to pray to the God who created Altai.” The boy asked how he recognizes Macarius. Then the Mother of God led him to the Maima River and showed him on the surface of the water - the image of Archimandrite Macarius appeared on it. And a year later, the missionary really came to baptize the Altai people. This boy, with whom the Mother of God spoke, also became a convert.
Apparitions of the Virgin Mary are also venerated in the Catholic Church. The most famous of them:
352 - to people who were in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome;
1214 - Saint Dominic with the presentation of the rosary to him;
1531 - Mexican Indian Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin;
1830 - Saint Catherine Labouret in Paris, in the temple on Rue de Bac;
1846 - to two young shepherds Melanie Calvat and Maximin Giraud in La Salette, France;
February 11, 1858 – Bernadette Soubirous in Lourdes (France). On March 25, the words were spoken: “I am the Immaculate Conception”;
On the first day of the new year, Catholics around the world celebrate the Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and we remember the most notable appearances of the Virgin Mary to the people in history
Irina ROMANOVA
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The Virgin Mary is one of the most revered personalities and the greatest of Christian saints. There is probably not a single person in the world (with the exception of babies, perhaps) who has not heard of her. Catholics, Orthodox Christians, Muslims, and atheists know about Mary, the Mother of Jesus Christ.
The veneration of the Virgin Mary is based on the truth of Her Motherhood, and it is to this truth that the Roman Catholic Church dedicated the first day of the new year. On January 1, Catholics around the world celebrate the Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary - the holiday that completes the Christmas octave.
Well, on this day we will remember the most famous appearances of the Virgin Mary to the people. However, let us make a reservation that not all of these phenomena are officially recognized by the Catholic Church. Some are still waiting in the wings and are being carefully studied. In addition, there are many times more apparitions of the Blessed Virgin than seven.
The first appearance. Baptizing Latin America.
Residents of Latin America sacredly honor the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Guadalupe, who is considered the patroness of both Americas and is respectfully called “Our Lady of Guadalupe.” And the cult of veneration of the Virgin of Guadalupe began with the modest Indian Juan Diego, who lived near Mexico City. On December 9, 1531, as a Catholic convert, he hurried past Tepeyac Hill to attend morning mass at church, but unexpectedly heard beautiful singing. Deciding to be curious about where this voice (or voices) was coming from, he climbed to the top of the hill and saw a shining cloud. In the cloud, Juan Diego saw a beautiful young woman who looked more like the girls of his tribe than a white-skinned Spanish woman.
The lady called herself the Virgin Mary and asked to build a temple at the site of her appearance so that everyone could honor her Son, Jesus Christ. But bad luck! The priests did not believe Juan, deciding that the Mother of God could not appear to some Indian without a soul (previously, the Spaniards believed that the indigenous population of Latin America did not have a soul, which means that Indians could be killed without a twinge of conscience).
But the Mother of God did not retreat. One day, when Juan Diego went to find a priest for his sick uncle, the Virgin Mary once again appeared to the unfortunate Indian and ordered him to collect all the flowers that he could find on the hill. The young man obeyed, although nothing grew on the hill. But suddenly he saw a rose bush growing on a rock. “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."
Arriving at the bishop, Juan Diego unwrapped his cape, where there were roses, and everyone saw on the cloth the Virgin Mary standing on the new moon, surrounded by stars and the Sun. After this, the priests repented of their unbelief, and Juan Diego’s uncle, who was dying, was miraculously healed.
All this convinced the indigenous people of Mexico, who continued to worship their gods, that Christianity was the true faith. And after the appearance of the Virgin Mary of Guadalupe, almost 6 million Indians independently converted to Catholicism. Thus the baptism of Latin America took place.
The second phenomenon. The Virgin and the Shepherdess.
In 1858, the Virgin Mary appeared to a simple village girl from the French town of Lourdes. 14-year-old Bernadette Soubirous, who did not shine with intelligence, actually became the messenger of the dogma of the Catholic Church about the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. On February 11, 1858, Bernadette and her other children were sent by her parents to fetch branches for kindling. To get to the grove, where they could collect these same branches, the children had to cross a small stream. Bernadette's friends quickly completed this task, but the girl was left standing undecided whether to cross the stream or not.
Without waiting for her decision, the children left Bernadette alone. When the girl finally decided to cross the cold stream, she suddenly saw a golden cloud that floated out of the cave on the other side of the stream. A woman of unearthly beauty stood on a cloud...
The first time Bernadette did not dare to follow the beautiful lady, but for all the other 18 appearances, the shepherdess not only followed the stranger, but also talked to her. At first, the girl thought that this was the soul of one of the village residents who had died a year earlier, but later she realized that the Virgin Mary herself was talking to her. Bernadette, who passionately wanted to know the name of her interlocutor, once voiced her question at one of the meetings, and then the Mother of God answered: “I am the Immaculate Conception.” The girl conveyed these words to her confessor, who remembered that literally 4 years earlier the church had accepted the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Of course, the uneducated Bernadette could not know about this. So, all the residents of nearby villages believed that the young shepherdess from Lourdes communicated with the Virgin Mary.
Bernadette later became a nun, but did not live long. She died at the age of 35 from backbreaking work, the envy of other nuns and worries associated with the enormous attention of pilgrims to a modest girl. In 1933, Bernadette Soubirous was canonized as a saint of the Catholic Church.
The third phenomenon. Fatima secrets.
It is believed that the Virgin Mary appeared to three children from the Portuguese town of Fatima in 1917, but some researchers claim that these apparitions continued from 1915 until the end of 1917.
The Virgin Mary left three predictions for three children - two sisters Lucie and Jacinta and their brother Francisco - that were not immediately revealed. Firstly, the children were not believed at first. When Jacinta told her parents about her meetings with the beautiful Virgin, she was ridiculed, and Lucia was even beaten. The headman, interrogating the children together and separately, could not get a confession that all these meetings and predictions were an invention of the children themselves.
Thirteen years later, after a thorough investigation, the appearance of the Virgin Mary at Fatima was recognized by the Roman Catholic Church as a genuine miracle. However, skeptics are still confident that there is nothing supernatural in the Fatima apparitions. Some scientists believe that the “dance of the sun,” which was observed by 70 thousand pilgrims who came to Fatima on October 13, 1917, with children and 70 thousand pilgrims who came to Fatima, is easily explained by the laws of physics, while others are sure that a UFO is to blame.
Nevertheless, three predictions, three secrets that the Mother of God revealed to three children came true. The first concerned the beginning of World War II, the second - the fate of Russia, and the third - the fate of the Pope.
About Russia, the Virgin Mary said this: “... Another war will begin... (we are most likely talking about the October Revolution and the Civil War - author’s note) To prevent this, I will ask for the dedication of Russia to My Immaculate Heart... If my requests are responded to, Russia will convert and peace will come; if not, then she will spread her errors throughout the world, sowing wars and persecution against the Church; the righteous will become martyrs... many nations will be destroyed. But in the end My Heart will triumph. The Holy Father will consecrate Russia to Me, which will convert, and peace will be granted for a while.”
By the way, in 1952, Pope Pius XII, with a special apostolic letter, dedicated the peoples of Russia to the Most Pure Heart of Mary. A similar ceremony took place 12 years later, when the next Pope, Paul VI, dedicated the people of Russia and other countries of the “socialist bloc” to the Heart of Mary for the second time.
The third prediction of the Virgin Mary was revealed relatively recently. It concerned an attempt on the life of the Pope. Indeed, in 1981, Pope John Paul II was shot by a Turkish terrorist. However, the hierarch of the Catholic Church remained alive, and a year later he visited Fatima, placing a bullet taken from his body on the altar of the temple built in honor of the appearance of the Virgin Mary.
The fourth phenomenon. Virgin Mary in Japan.
The Most Pure Mother of God appeared to people not only in Europe. In the early 70s of the last century, the Virgin Mary appeared in Japan, in the small town of Akita. The Mother of God was seen by the deaf nun Agnes Sasagawa Katsuko.
At the age of 19, after a botched operation, she lost her hearing and was bedridden for 16 years. The doctors just shrugged their shoulders. They were powerless to help the girl.
The deaf patient was transferred from the hospital. And in one of the hospitals, she met with a Catholic nurse who told the unfortunate woman about the Christian faith. Thanks to the nurse, Agnes's condition improved, and in 1969 she decided to enter a monastery and devote herself to God. True, 4 months after the tonsure, the woman’s condition worsened again, and only holy water from a source in Lourdes helped the nun get back on her feet. The first time Agnes saw the Virgin Mary was on June 12, 1973 during prayer. Brilliant mysterious rays came out of the Monstrance. Agnes saw these rays for several days, and then a stigmata in the shape of a cross formed on her left palm. The pain was unbearable, but the nun held firm, answering the sisters who consoled her that the wound on the hand of the Blessed Virgin Mary was much deeper. The amazed sisters decided to go into the chapel and discovered the same wound on the statue of the Virgin Mary... But the miracles in Akita did not end there. That same evening, Agnes, praying to the image of the Mother of God, heard the first message. The Virgin Mary told the nun that she would soon be healed and called on all the sisters to pray for people in order to atone for their sins and stop the wrath of the Heavenly Father.
The Mother of God appeared to Agnes several more times, calling her to patience and perseverance. She predicted the nun not only her future fate, which included persecution and ridicule, but also the fate of the Japanese people, in particular the deadly tsunami in March 2011.
10 years after the appearance of the Virgin Mary, Agnes’ hearing returned and she finally recovered. After humiliating examinations of the sisters who witnessed the miraculous phenomenon, the Roman Catholic Church nevertheless recognized this fact as genuine, although before the investigation, more than 500 people, including both Christians and Buddhists, saw the statue of the Virgin Mary in the Akita monastery exuded blood, sweat and tears.
Fifth phenomenon. The Most Pure One in Zeitoun.
Sometimes the appearance of the Mother of God can last for years. So, in Egypt, the Virgin Mary was seen starting from April 2, 1968 and ending in August 1969. The Zeytun phenomenon is noteworthy in that the Mother of God was seen not only by Christians and photographs of this phenomenon remained.
The first to see the Virgin Mary in the Cairo suburb of Zeitoun were... Muslims. The three mechanics saw a woman dressed in white robes standing on top of the church. Unfortunately, the men were never able to see their faces due to the blinding light emanating from the figure. But someone suggested that it was the Virgin Mary, and immediately the figure in white confirmed this assumption with an affirmative tilt of her head.
The people who observed the appearance of the Virgin Mary immediately rushed to the priest who lived nearby, demanding that he explain this vision. The priest decided to look at the phenomenon, opened the window - and a wonderful Light poured into his room. He saw the Most Pure Virgin in a halo of radiance, although the vision did not last long. The figure rose into the night sky and disappeared into the darkness.
The number of people wishing to see the Blessed Virgin grew exponentially. Crowds of 250 thousand people gathered at the church where the first apparition took place. Christians, Jews, Muslims, and atheists chanted: “We believe in You, Holy Mary! We bear witness to You, Holy Mary!” And the Virgin Mary appeared to a crowd of thousands...
At first, these phenomena happened two or three times a week, but over time, the Mother of God appeared before the eyes of people less and less often. But each time Mary appeared in different guises - now as the Queen of the World, now as the Virgin grieving for all nations, now with the Baby Jesus in her arms, now kneeling before the Cross. There are known cases of miraculous healing during these phenomena. Once, photographer Vagih Rizk Matta, trying to photograph the Virgin Mary on film, slightly opening the camera shutter, discovered that his sore arm, which had been bothering him for a long time, suddenly healed. The appearance of the Virgin Mary in Zeytun became a kind of bridge between East and West. For the first time in the history of mankind, people of different faiths prayed together, without any division into nationalities and races.
The Holy Cross Icon of the Mother of God was painted after the appearance of the Mother of God in Budennovsk.
On June 14, 1995, at noon, Shamil Basayev’s gang burst into the city of Budennovsk, Stavropol Territory. The militants destroyed everything in their path, taking the staff and patients of the central hospital hostage. According to Basayev himself, he did not plan to stop in Budennovsk at all, his goal was the airport in Mineralnye Vody, where he and his people wanted to hijack a plane to fly to Moscow. But the militants did not have enough money to get to Mineralnye Vody - they all spent it on bribes to police patrols. Realizing that there was a catastrophic lack of funds, Basayev decided to carry out a terrorist attack in Budennovsk.
As a result, more than 1,500 people were taken hostage by the bandits. For six days, medical staff, elderly people, children and pregnant women ready to give birth lived in anticipation of a miracle. And the miracle happened. The Virgin Mary hastened to the aid of the hostages.
Residents of Budennovsk, as well as militants, have repeatedly seen a grieving woman in dark clothes standing near a cross made of clouds. Moreover, the Mother of God was seen not only the night before the seizure of the hospital, but also the night before the terrorists left the city. There is an opinion among local (and not only local) residents that it was the appearance of Mary that was decisive in Basayev’s desire to leave Budyonnovsk, since some of the terrorists were shocked and demoralized by the appearance of the Mother of God. On the fortieth day of commemoration of the victims of this tragedy, at the behest of Metropolitan Gideon of Stavropol, the Holy Cross Icon of the Mother of God was painted. It shows Mary near a cross on a blue background. The saint's hands are folded in prayer. True, the Mother of God, contrary to the descriptions of witnesses, is depicted in purple clothes, not dark ones. The color red became a symbol of the blood of innocent victims in 1995 in Budennovsk.
With the advent of the 21st century, the Virgin Mary did not leave the inhabitants of the Earth, continuing to appear to those who most needed protection. In 2008, residents of burning Tskhinvali saw the Mother of God walking through the streets of the city torn apart by shells. When Georgian troops attacked South Ossetia on August 8 of that year, some residents were able to watch as the beautiful Virgin descended from the dome of the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary and marched towards the Russian soldiers, despite gunfire and explosions.
Bishop George of Alania at first did not believe the witnesses of this miracle, believing that some residents of Tskhinvali saw the Virgin Mary out of fear, but then he himself saw the Mother of Jesus Christ leaving the church, and all doubts disappeared like smoke. The Mother of God was seen precisely in those places where the bloodiest battles took place.
Incredible, but true: the bombs destroyed many churches, but spared the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, from where Mary descended. Shells fell into the cathedral courtyard, but they did not cause any damage to the building.
By the way, the paper icons of the Mother of God and the Savior, which were distributed to the soldiers of the Russian Army by a local resident, helped warrant officer Alexander Shashin stay alive. He put the icons in his chest pockets, and the sniper’s bullet, flying straight into the chest, suddenly turned sideways and hit Alexander flat on his knees. After this incident, the ensign provided all his colleagues with the icons that he had taken in reserve. No one died from Shashin’s unit...
The Virgin Mary is one of the most revered personalities and the greatest of Christian saints. There is probably not a single person in the world (with the exception of babies, perhaps) who has not heard of her. Catholics, Orthodox Christians, Muslims, and atheists know about Mary, the Mother of Jesus Christ.
The veneration of the Virgin Mary is based on the truth of Her Motherhood, and it is to this truth that the Roman Catholic Church dedicated the first day of the new year. On January 1, Catholics around the world celebrate the Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary - the holiday that completes the Christmas octave.
Well, on this day we will remember the most famous appearances of the Virgin Mary to the people. However, let us make a reservation that not all of these phenomena are officially recognized by the Catholic Church. Some are still waiting in the wings and are being carefully studied. In addition, the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin are many times more than seven.
The first appearance. Baptizing Latin America.
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Residents of Latin America sacredly honor the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Guadalupe, who is considered the patroness of both Americas and is respectfully called “Our Lady of Guadalupe.” And the cult of veneration of the Virgin of Guadalupe began with the modest Indian Juan Diego, who lived near Mexico City. On December 9, 1531, as a Catholic convert, he hurried past Tepeyac Hill to attend morning mass at church, but unexpectedly heard beautiful singing. Deciding to be curious about where this voice (or voices) was coming from, he climbed to the top of the hill and saw a shining cloud. In the cloud, Juan Diego saw a beautiful young woman who looked more like the girls of his tribe than a white-skinned Spanish woman.
The lady called herself the Virgin Mary and asked to build a temple at the site of her appearance so that everyone could honor her Son, Jesus Christ. But bad luck! The priests did not believe Juan, deciding that the Mother of God could not appear to some Indian without a soul (previously, the Spaniards believed that the indigenous population of Latin America did not have a soul, which means that Indians could be killed without a twinge of conscience).
But the Mother of God did not retreat. One day, when Juan Diego went to find a priest for his sick uncle, the Virgin Mary once again appeared to the unfortunate Indian and ordered him to collect all the flowers that he could find on the hill. The young man obeyed, although nothing grew on the hill. But suddenly he saw a rose bush growing on a rock. “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."
Arriving at the bishop, Juan Diego unwrapped his cape, where there were roses, and everyone saw on the cloth the Virgin Mary standing on the new moon, surrounded by stars and the Sun. After this, the priests repented of their unbelief, and Juan Diego’s uncle, who was dying, was miraculously healed.
All this convinced the indigenous people of Mexico, who continued to worship their gods, that Christianity was the true faith. And after the appearance of the Virgin Mary of Guadalupe, almost 6 million Indians independently converted to Catholicism. Thus the baptism of Latin America took place.
The second phenomenon. The Virgin and the Shepherdess.
|
In 1858, the Virgin Mary appeared to a simple village girl from the French town of Lourdes. 14-year-old Bernadette Soubirous, who did not shine with intelligence, actually became the messenger of the dogma of the Catholic Church about the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. On February 11, 1858, Bernadette and her other children were sent by her parents to fetch branches for kindling. To get to the grove, where they could collect these same branches, the children had to cross a small stream. Bernadette's friends quickly completed this task, but the girl was left standing undecided whether to cross the stream or not.
Without waiting for her decision, the children left Bernadette alone. When the girl finally decided to cross the cold stream, she suddenly saw a golden cloud that floated out of the cave on the other side of the stream. A woman of unearthly beauty stood on a cloud...
The first time Bernadette did not dare to follow the beautiful lady, but for all the other 18 appearances the shepherdess not only followed the stranger, but also talked to her. At first, the girl thought that this was the soul of one of the village residents who had died a year earlier, but later she realized that the Virgin Mary herself was talking to her.
Bernadette, who passionately wanted to know the name of her interlocutor, once voiced her question at one of the meetings, and then the Mother of God answered: “I am the Immaculate Conception.” The girl conveyed these words to her confessor, who remembered that literally 4 years earlier the church had accepted the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Of course, the uneducated Bernadette could not know about this. So, all the residents of nearby villages believed that the young shepherdess from Lourdes communicated with the Virgin Mary.
Bernadette later became a nun, but did not live long. She died at the age of 35 from backbreaking work, the envy of other nuns and worries associated with the enormous attention of pilgrims to a modest girl. In 1933, Bernadette Soubirous was canonized as a saint of the Catholic Church.
The third phenomenon. Fatima secrets.
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It is believed that the Virgin Mary appeared to three children from the Portuguese town of Fatima in 1917, but some researchers claim that these apparitions continued from 1915 until the end of 1917.
The Virgin Mary left three predictions for three children - two sisters Lucie and Jacinta and their brother Francisco - that were not immediately revealed. Firstly, the children were not believed at first. When Jacinta told her parents about her meetings with the beautiful Virgin, she was ridiculed, and Lucia was even beaten. The headman, interrogating the children together and separately, could not get a confession that all these meetings and predictions were an invention of the children themselves.
Thirteen years later, after a thorough investigation, the appearance of the Virgin Mary at Fatima was recognized by the Roman Catholic Church as a genuine miracle. However, skeptics are still confident that there is nothing supernatural in the Fatima apparitions. Some scientists believe that the “dance of the sun,” which was observed by 70 thousand pilgrims who came to Fatima on October 13, 1917, with children and 70 thousand pilgrims who came to Fatima, is easily explained by the laws of physics, while others are sure that a UFO is to blame.
Nevertheless, three predictions, three secrets that the Mother of God revealed to three children came true. The first concerned the beginning of World War II, the second concerned the fate of Russia, and the third concerned the fate of the Pope.
About Russia, the Virgin Mary said this: “... Another war will begin... (we are most likely talking about the October Revolution and the Civil War - author’s note) To prevent this, I will ask for the dedication of Russia to My Immaculate Heart... If my requests are responded to, Russia will convert and peace will come; if not, then she will spread her errors throughout the world, sowing wars and persecution against the Church; the righteous will become martyrs... many nations will be destroyed. But in the end My Heart will triumph. The Holy Father will consecrate Russia to Me, which will convert, and peace will be granted for a while.”
By the way, in 1952, Pope Pius XII, with a special apostolic letter, dedicated the peoples of Russia to the Most Pure Heart of Mary. A similar ceremony took place 12 years later, when the next Pope, Paul VI, dedicated the people of Russia and other countries of the “socialist bloc” to the Heart of Mary for the second time.
The third prediction of the Virgin Mary was revealed relatively recently. It concerned an attempt on the life of the Pope. Indeed, in 1981, Pope John Paul II was shot by a Turkish terrorist. However, the hierarch of the Catholic Church remained alive, and a year later he visited Fatima, placing a bullet taken from his body on the altar of the temple built in honor of the appearance of the Virgin Mary.
The fourth phenomenon. Virgin Mary in Japan.
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The Most Pure Mother of God appeared to people not only in Europe. In the early 70s of the last century, the Virgin Mary appeared in Japan, in the small town of Akita. The Mother of God was seen by the deaf nun Agnes Sasagawa Katsuko.
At the age of 19, after an unsuccessful operation, she lost her hearing and was bedridden for 16 years. The doctors just shrugged their shoulders. They were powerless to help the girl.
The deaf patient was transferred from the hospital. And in one of the hospitals, she met with a Catholic nurse who told the unfortunate woman about the Christian faith. Thanks to the nurse, Agnes's condition improved, and in 1969 she decided to enter a monastery and devote herself to God. True, 4 months after the tonsure, the woman’s condition worsened again, and only holy water from a source in Lourdes helped the nun get back on her feet.
The first time Agnes saw the Virgin Mary was on June 12, 1973 during prayer. Brilliant mysterious rays came out of the Monstrance. Agnes saw these rays for several days, and then a stigmata in the shape of a cross formed on her left palm.
The pain was unbearable, but the nun held firm, answering the sisters who consoled her that the wound on the hand of the Blessed Virgin Mary was much deeper. The amazed sisters decided to go into the chapel and discovered the same wound on the statue of the Virgin Mary... But the miracles in Akita did not end there.
That same evening, Agnes, praying to the image of the Mother of God, heard the first message. The Virgin Mary told the nun that she would soon be healed and called on all the sisters to pray for people in order to atone for their sins and stop the wrath of the Heavenly Father.
The Mother of God appeared to Agnes several more times, calling her to patience and perseverance. She predicted the nun not only her future fate, which included persecution and ridicule, but also the fate of the Japanese people, in particular the deadly tsunami in March 2011.
10 years after the appearance of the Virgin Mary, Agnes’ hearing returned and she finally recovered. After humiliating examinations of the sisters who witnessed the miraculous phenomenon, the Roman Catholic Church nevertheless recognized this fact as genuine, although before the investigation, more than 500 people, including both Christians and Buddhists, saw the statue of the Virgin Mary in the Akita monastery exuded blood, sweat and tears.
Fifth phenomenon. The Most Pure One in Zeitoun.
Sometimes the appearance of the Mother of God can last for years. So, in Egypt, the Virgin Mary was seen starting from April 2, 1968 and ending in August 1969. The Zeytun phenomenon is noteworthy in that the Mother of God was seen not only by Christians and photographs of this phenomenon remained.
The first to see the Virgin Mary in the Cairo suburb of Zeitoun were... Muslims. The three mechanics saw a woman dressed in white robes standing on top of the church. Unfortunately, the men were never able to see their faces due to the blinding light emanating from the figure. But someone suggested that it was the Virgin Mary, and immediately the figure in white confirmed this assumption with an affirmative tilt of her head.
The people who observed the appearance of the Virgin Mary immediately rushed to the priest who lived nearby, demanding that he explain this vision. The priest decided to look at the phenomenon, opened the window - and a wonderful Light poured into his room. He saw the Most Pure Virgin in a halo of radiance, although the vision did not last long. The figure rose into the night sky and disappeared into the darkness.
The number of people wishing to see the Blessed Virgin grew exponentially. Crowds of 250 thousand people gathered at the church where the first apparition took place. Christians, Jews, Muslims, and atheists chanted: “We believe in You, Holy Mary! We bear witness to You, Holy Mary!” And the Virgin Mary appeared to a crowd of thousands...
At first, these phenomena happened two or three times a week, but over time, the Mother of God appeared before the eyes of people less and less often. But each time Mary appeared in different guises - now as the Queen of the World, now as the Virgin grieving for all nations, now with the Baby Jesus in her arms, now kneeling before the Cross.
There are known cases of miraculous healing during these phenomena. Once, photographer Vagih Rizk Matta, trying to photograph the Virgin Mary on film, slightly opening the camera shutter, discovered that his sore arm, which had been bothering him for a long time, suddenly healed.
The appearance of the Virgin Mary in Zeitoun became a kind of bridge between East and West. For the first time in the history of mankind, people of different faiths prayed together, without any division into nationalities and races.
The sixth phenomenon. Savior of Budennovsk.
On June 14, 1995, at noon, Shamil Basayev’s gang burst into the city of Budennovsk, Stavropol Territory. The militants destroyed everything in their path, taking the staff and patients of the central hospital hostage. According to Basayev himself, he did not plan to stop in Budennovsk at all, his goal was the airport in Mineralnye Vody, where he and his people wanted to hijack a plane to go to Moscow. But the militants did not have enough money to get to Mineralnye Vody - they all spent it on bribes to police patrols. Realizing that there was a catastrophic lack of funds, Basayev decided to carry out a terrorist attack in Budennovsk.
As a result, more than 1,500 people were taken hostage by the bandits. For six days, medical staff, elderly people, children and pregnant women ready to give birth lived in anticipation of a miracle. And the miracle happened. The Virgin Mary hastened to the aid of the hostages.
Residents of Budennovsk, as well as militants, have repeatedly seen a grieving woman in dark clothes standing near a cross made of clouds. Moreover, the Mother of God was seen not only the night before the seizure of the hospital, but also the night before the terrorists left the city. There is an opinion among local (and not only local) residents that it was the appearance of Mary that was decisive in Basayev’s desire to leave Budyonnovsk, since some of the terrorists were shocked and demoralized by the appearance of the Mother of God. On the fortieth day of commemoration of the victims of this tragedy, at the behest of Metropolitan Gideon of Stavropol, the Holy Cross Icon of the Mother of God was painted. It shows Mary near a cross on a blue background. The saint's hands are folded in prayer. True, the Mother of God, contrary to the descriptions of witnesses, is depicted in purple clothes, not dark ones. The color red became a symbol of the blood of innocent victims in 1995 in Budennovsk.
Holy Mother of God in Tskhinvali.
Photo: marshruty.ru
With the advent of the 21st century, the Virgin Mary did not leave the inhabitants of the Earth, continuing to appear to those who most needed protection. In 2008, residents of burning Tskhinvali saw the Mother of God walking through the streets of the city torn apart by shells. When Georgian troops attacked South Ossetia on August 8 of that year, some residents were able to watch as the beautiful Virgin descended from the dome of the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary and walked towards the Russian soldiers, despite gunfire and explosions.
Bishop George of Alania at first did not believe the witnesses of this miracle, believing that some residents of Tskhinval had seen the Virgin Mary out of fear, but then he himself saw the Mother of Jesus Christ leaving the church, and all doubts disappeared like smoke. The Mother of God was seen precisely in those places where the bloodiest battles took place.
Incredible, but true: the bombs destroyed many churches, but spared the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, from where Mary descended. Shells fell into the cathedral courtyard, but they did not cause any damage to the building.
By the way, the paper icons of the Mother of God and the Savior, which were distributed to the soldiers of the Russian Army by a local resident, helped warrant officer Alexander Shashin stay alive. He put the icons in his chest pockets, and the sniper’s bullet, flying straight into the chest, suddenly turned sideways and hit Alexander flat on his knees. After this incident, the ensign provided all his colleagues with the icons that he had taken in reserve. No one died from Shashin’s unit...
From the book “Appearances and Miracles of the Mother of God,” which is being prepared for publication at the Sretensky Monastery.
SALVATION FROM STARVING
N. Dramoudianos told an amazing story that happened to him during the 1940 war.
“Our detachment received an order to take a height to create a bridgehead. We had to dig in in the rocky ground. As soon as we took a position, thick snow began to fall. The snow fell non-stop for two days and two nights, and soon some snowdrifts began to reach a height of two meters. We found ourselves without communication with headquarters and without food. Each of us had exactly one day's worth of food left. Overcome by hunger and cold, we did not think at all about the “coming day” and ate all the provisions at one time.
After that, real torment began for us. We quenched our thirst with snow, but hunger tormented us mercilessly. Five days have passed. We have turned into skeletons. Although we were in good spirits, nature has its limits.
That's when a miracle saved us! Our sergeant, taking out a paper icon of the Most Holy Theotokos from his bosom, raised it up and called us to gather around him:
Now only a miracle can save us! Get on your knees and ask the Most Holy Lady for salvation!
Everyone fell to their knees, raised their hands high and began to fervently pray to the Ever-Virgin Mary. Before we had time to rise from our knees, the ringing of a bell reached our ears. We grabbed our weapons and took up an observation position.
Not even a minute had passed when a large, heavily laden mule approached us. Everyone is petrified! An animal without an owner crosses a mountain, which is covered with, at best, a meter-thick layer of snow - it was all completely incredible. And then it dawned on us: the Most Holy Theotokos brought him to us. All of us, as one, warmly thanked our Savior.
The animal was loaded with a large amount of food: soldier's bread, cheese, canned food, cognac and much more.
During the war I went through many different disasters and hardships, but I will never forget this incident."
RESCUE OF THE SHIP
Constantine Haropoulos, an old sailor, spoke of the following miracle.
“During the American-Japanese War, I worked as a chief engineer on a merchant marine oil tanker.
In an Indian port, our tanker was loaded with oil, which needed to be delivered to one of the Pacific islands, where at that time there was an American air force base. We were constantly on alert because Japanese submarines were hunting us. Our tanker, of course, was surrounded by anti-torpedo mines, but the Japanese could break through the ring from below and bombard us with torpedoes. Then death was inevitable.
This time we were also pursued by a strong storm. The waves rose to the sky like huge mountains, playing dangerously with anti-torpedo mines. The sailors whispered among themselves that our last hour had come.
Be baptized! - I shouted to the captain and sailors. - Pray to God to help us! God Almighty, save our souls, in this nightmare you alone can help us.
Amen! - everyone else shouted.
Slowly the sea began to calm down. But before we had time to catch our breath, a terrible cyclone hit us.
Steer to the left and full speed ahead! - the captain roared. - Everything is in its place!
The load and vibration almost tore the car apart. Thank God we were in the peripheral part of the cyclone. We glorified the Almighty. Dripping with sweat, I rose from the engine room to get a cup of coffee. Before I had time to take a sip, a third mechanic flew up to me, informing me that there was a fire in the diesel engines.
I rushed into the hold, grabbed a fire extinguisher and began pouring water on the burning engines.
Suddenly, I still don’t know how, a fire hose wrapped around me and squeezed me like a boa constrictor. I tried to free myself, but my attempts were in vain. A little more and I would have died of suffocation. Gathering my last strength, I shouted:
Most Holy Theotokos, save us!
That was enough. Inexplicably, the hose became loose. I took a deep breath and continued to put out the fire. When the fire was contained, the entire crew of the ship went down to the engine room. With tears in their eyes, the sailors hugged and kissed me. I told them:
What happened was a miracle of the Blessed Virgin Mary! I called on Her name, and She saved me and our ship from certain death."
TRACTOR
Archimandrite Athanasius, abbot of the Stavrovouniu monastery on the island of Cyprus, was repeatedly blessed by the Most Holy Theotokos. The incident he told us about is an example of Her miraculous intercession.
“It was February 9, 1960. My elder Herman ordered me to drive the monastery tractor from the monastery courtyard of St. Modest to another monastery courtyard - St. Barbara.
It was the celebration of the Presentation, and I, sitting behind the wheel, quietly sang the troparia of the holiday. On one steep descent, the tractor suddenly got out of control and began to rapidly pick up speed. Obviously, something was broken in it, and I was not an experienced enough driver to immediately take the necessary measures. I could have crashed at any second. Without hesitation or delay, I placed all my trust in the Most Holy Theotokos.
Mother of God, help me! Holy Virgin, save me! - I exclaimed.
The tractor was rapidly approaching the river bank. There were only a few moments left before my death. But a miracle happened - having driven into the bushes, my tractor froze motionless at the very edge of the river.
From the depths of my soul, I thanked the Ever-Virgin, who heard my prayer. Getting off the tractor, I went on foot to the farmstead of St. Barbara, where I met my elder.
Old man, I almost killed myself! - I said and told him everything that happened to me.
Obedience to the elder and the intercession of the Mother of God saved me from certain death.
On the shore, not far from the scene of the incident, there was a huge pine tree. Later I hung an icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary on it. And every time we passed through that place, we stopped for a while to worship Her."
Translation from Modern Greek
Dmitry Gotskalyuk
20 / 06 / 2001