The Holy Fathers of the Church recognized that miraculous phenomena and experiences of the supernatural exist not only in the Orthodox Church, but also in other confessions. The attitude towards them was determined based on the biblical understanding, according to which not all miracles are from God, but there are miracles performed by the power of the devil, for in order to seduce people sometimes “Satan himself disguises himself as an angel of light” (2 Cor. 11:14). Already in the description of the competition between Moses and the Egyptian sorcerers (see: Exodus 7:10-12) it is shown that the miracles of the pagans are not from God; it talks in detail about the miracles that the devil will perform during the Antichrist (see: Rev. 13:11-14).
St. John Cassian wrote that “very often people who are depraved in mind and opponents of the faith... cast out demons and perform great miracles, so that even the power of healing sometimes comes from the unworthy and sinful. Healings of this kind occur through the seduction and trickery of demons. A person devoted to obvious vices can sometimes perform amazing actions. Through this they are carried away to imitate his vices and wickedness, and a vast path of humiliation and blasphemy of holiness opens up. Christian religion».
The devil performs miracles in false religions and heretical churches in order to keep their adherents in these errors, and also, as far as possible, to attract Orthodox Christians to these errors.
The so-called Fatima miracles were critically studied by many Orthodox authors, in particular, Hierodeacon Macarius (Petanov), Deacon Alexei Staritsyn, V. Melnikov, and noted the extremely dubious nature of these miracles.
Indeed, this phenomenon strongly supports Catholicism, which is why it is not surprising that Catholics actively promoted the Fatima events. That “lady” who appeared to three Portuguese shepherdesses at the beginning of the twentieth century fully recognized the primacy of the Pope and his claims to worldwide spiritual power when she said that it was up to him to dedicate certain countries, in particular Russia, to the Mother of God, this “lady” directly professed the Catholic dogma of purgatory, spoke about the salvation of Roman Catholicism, supported and propagated the Catholic “Cult of the Immaculate Heart” and the practice of praying the Rosary, the “angel” who appeared communed the children with unleavened bread and expressed the blasphemous idea that children should make atonement sacrifices for the sins of unbelievers.
There is no doubt that, according to the prediction of the “Lady,” a real miracle took place, which in 1917 was seen simultaneously by several thousand people, including non-believers. But turning to the descriptions of eyewitnesses, in this massive miracle we will not see anything similar to the miracles of God. All true miracles described in the Gospel and the lives of the saints had a clear spiritual and moral significance. But what is the meaning, what is the edification, what is the spiritual benefit, what is the testimony of Christ in the fact that the sun turned pearlescent, the trees turned purple, and the people yellow, and that some luminous object moved quickly in the sky? What is Christlike about these undoubtedly unusual color and light effects? Nothing. It is not surprising that some Orthodox authors called this mass miracle of Fatima one of the rehearsals of the Antichrist miracles. It is noteworthy that at a certain period the children themselves doubted that it was the Mother of God and the angels who appeared to them; after the apparitions, they experienced severe physical and mental exhaustion, and sometimes despair.
As for the prophecies about the victory of communism in Russia and the persecution of Christians, which the “Lady” allegedly uttered, it should be borne in mind that they were first recorded in 1936, nineteen years after they were allegedly heard.
There were so many inconsistencies associated with the appearances of the “Lady,” who for a long time did not identify herself to the children in any way that catholic priest, who was the first to hear about them, treated this story with great suspicion. But quite quickly (within two years in the person of the local bishop) the Roman Catholic hierarchy recognized these miracles and began to actively support their cult, because, despite some inconsistencies, in general this entire Fatima action encouraged local Catholics to be more zealous adherents of Catholicism (which was very important for Portugal at that time), and the Russian people should have been taught the idea that the Mother of God shows her care for Russia through the Roman Catholic Church, which was quite consistent with the Vatican policy pursued in the twentieth century.
As Father Tikhon (Shevkunov) noted, “the goal of the entire almost 100-year-old Fatima action... seems to be another attempt to subjugate Russia to the Pope. In any case, all interpretations of the so-called “Mysteries of Fatima” boiled down to this.”
History does not know many cases when the Blessed Virgin appeared ordinary people. Phenomena have happened Mother of God and in the 20th century. Some of them were even captured on film or video camera. We have selected three of the most impressive stories that will not leave anyone indifferent.
History of the Painted Image on Mount Athos
September 3 at Orthodox calendar marked by the feast of the unusual image of the Mother of God, called the Light Painted. On it the Blessed Virgin is depicted with a loaf of bread in her hands. The name “Painting with Light” is no coincidence: “Painting with Light” is a literal translation from Greek word"photo". And it is with photography that his story is connected.
The events that we will talk about took place in 1903 on St. Mount Athos and are considered, perhaps, one of the most known phenomena Mother of God of our time. The monks of the Russian St. Panteleimon Monastery then had a tradition - every week they distributed alms to the nomadic monks on Athos, called Siromakhs, and others in need. The necessary provisions for these purposes were brought to them from the Russian farmsteads of the monastery.
However, this year the Holy Kinot, the main governing body on Mount Athos, decided to stop the distribution of alms, since it corrupts those asking. It was on this day, September 3, 1903, that the monks decided to distribute the last alms, after which they read out the resolution of Kinot.
At the time of the distribution of alms, a certain monk named Gabriel took a photograph with beggars who received alms in the form of flatbread - chereks. However, no one expected that during the development of the negative an image would appear in the photograph Holy Mother of God standing with the poor and receiving alms. It is clear that after this, charity in the Russian monastery on Athos, pleasing to God and His Most Pure Mother, continued.
At the site of the described event in 2011, a chapel was built and a source was drawn to it, and a temple was erected in honor of the Icon of Light. For a long time, the original negative of the photograph itself was lost due to many events that befell the monastery. And only last year it was found again in the archives of the monastery.
The longest apparition of the Mother of God in Zeitoun
Unfortunately, very little is known about this phenomenon in our country. The reason for this is that it happened in Soviet times, when atheistic propaganda tried to hush up such news. At the same time, the phenomenon in Zeitoun is the longest and most documented miracle, which, in addition, was witnessed by the maximum number of people.
The first phenomenon occurred on April 2, 1968 in the city of Zeitoun, which is considered a suburb of the Egyptian capital Cairo. That evening, two car park workers noticed a translucent luminous figure of a Woman on the dome of a temple belonging to the Coptic Orthodox Church.
At first, one of the workers thought that she had decided to commit suicide and began to shout, persuading Her not to do this. Soon they called the priest of this church and realized that this was not an ordinary woman, but the Most Holy Theotokos. She prayed in front of the cross on the dome, which also glowed.
The phenomenon in Zeitoun repeated a week later, and then occurred at varying intervals until May 29, 1971. It lasted for different periods of time: from several minutes to two hours. During this time, crowds of thousands of people of different faiths and even non-believers gathered to see the miracle. Many of them subsequently converted to Christianity.
Also, this appearance of the Mother of God was marked by various miracles and healings. The first of these happened to the same car park worker who first noticed Virgo. The next day, his finger was supposed to be amputated, but the doctor stated that this was no longer necessary, since the finger was healthy.
How the Blessed Virgin looked and behaved was captured on many video and photo cameras. She was wearing long clothes with a covering on her head. A halo shone around the head, behind which it was impossible to distinguish facial features. Sometimes She was seen holding the baby Jesus in her arms. Sometimes She held an olive branch in her hands.
Glowing doves often appeared around the Most Holy Theotokos; it happened that they formed a cross, and then gathered together and seemed to melt into the air. Often the Mother of God turned and blessed people. Moreover, no projectors or lighting devices that could simulate this miracle were found.
However, one must understand that this miracle could also be a phenomenon of a different, opposite nature, as Professor A.I. Osipov, for example, treats it with caution.
The Blessed Virgin resurrected a Muslim in Damascus
The next story is very different from the previous two, as well as from everything you can imagine. Any novelist or screenwriter could envy her plot. But the most amazing thing in the story, perhaps, is that all this really happened. And although the appearance of the Mother of God was witnessed by one person, himself a participant in the events, the incredible consequences of the miracle were confirmed by many, including medical staff.
This incident is best known as the “miracle in Syria.” It was publicized by some media in Syria, Saudi Arabia and Palestine in 2004, first on television, then on radio, through newspapers and magazines. Its participant and main character events - a certain sheikh from Saudi Arabia. Sometimes sources mention his name: Shahid D.
Shortly before the events described, he successfully married. The marriage of a young wealthy family was marred by only one thing: they had no children. The parents even advised their son to marry another woman, since polygamy is permissible in Islam, and to give birth to an heir from her. Instead, Shahid went with his wife on a trip to Damascus, Syria, to relieve his grief.
There they hired a limousine with a driver-guide who took them to all the sights of the city. The guide sensed their sad mood and soon learned the reason for it. Then the guide advised to visit Orthodox monastery Seydnaya, famous for his miraculous icon Holy Mother of God. There existed interesting tradition: believers ate part of the wick from the lamp standing in front of the image of the Most Pure One, in front of which they prayed, and after that their useful petitions were fulfilled.
The sheikh and his wife, inspired by what they heard, immediately wanted to visit this place. At the same time, they promised that if their problem was resolved favorably, they would generously reward the driver with the sum of twenty thousand dollars and donate four times as much to the monastery itself.
And a miracle happened! Soon after returning from the monastery, the sheikh's wife became pregnant, and nine months later they had a son. But this was only the beginning of the benefits that the Most Holy Theotokos provided to the Gentile. Shahid did not forget about his promise and warned the driver that he would soon come to Damascus to thank him and make a donation to the monastery.
However, the guide decided to rob the generous Muslim and take all his money. To do this, he persuaded two more partners to meet the sheikh at the airport with him. On the way, Shahid tried to persuade the criminals, promised to pay each of them ten thousand, but, blinded by greed and anger, they took him to a wasteland and killed him, taking all the money and jewelry.
But the desperation of the attackers did not end there: they dismembered the corpse, cutting off the head, legs and arms. However, for some reason, they did not leave the body here, but put it in the trunk, intending to bury it in another deserted place. But then God’s providence unexpectedly intervened. On the way on the highway, the criminals' car broke down.
One driver passing by offered them his help, to which the attackers rudely refused. The driver was alarmed by their behavior. In addition, he accidentally noticed traces of blood pouring from the trunk. Therefore, soon the police were already at this place. After much argument, the criminals had to open the trunk...
But what was everyone’s surprise when a living sheikh came out of the trunk with the words: “The Most Holy Theotokos just gave me the last stitch here!” He pointed to his neck. The three attackers immediately lost their minds, which led them to admit that they had killed this man. They were placed in a prison for the insane.
Doctors confirmed an extraordinary incident: the stitches turned out to be completely fresh. Moreover, even the thinnest and most delicate vessels were connected, which was impossible to achieve using conventional medical means. The sheikh, brought back to life, in gratitude for this, donated ten times more to the monastery than he had previously promised.
He himself said that everything that happened to him, the appearance of the Mother of God and his healing, he saw as if from the outside. After this incident, the Muslim sheikh and his entire family converted to Orthodoxy. The believer tries to talk about the miracle that happened to him in Syria as often as possible, although the Arab media try to hush up about it, fearing the conversion of even more Muslims to Christianity.
You will learn more about one of the described miracles from the video:
Pope Francis canonized two shepherd children - brother and sister Francisco Marta and Jacinta, who witnessed the appearance of the Virgin Mary in the Portuguese village of Fatima. The canonization ceremony took place on May 13 during a mass celebrated by the pontiff in the Basilica of Our Lady of Fatima, Portugal.
Homily by Pope Francis at the Mass of Canonization of Jacinta and Francisco Marto. Fatima, May 13, 2017
“And a woman clothed with the sun appeared in heaven.” This is what the seer from the island of Patmos tells us in the Book of Revelation (Rev 12:1), adding that She is about to give birth to a Son. Further, in the Gospel we hear Jesus saying to His disciple: “Behold Your Mother” (John 19:27). We have Mom! “Such a beautiful Lady,” as the visionaries from Fatima said to each other upon returning home on that blessed day of May 13 one hundred years ago. That evening Jacinta could not stand it and shared this secret with her mother: “I saw our Lady.” They saw the Heavenly Mother. Many others would also like to see, but... they did not see Her. The Virgin Mother did not come here so that we could see Her. We will have all eternity to do this, of course, if we get to heaven.
Our Lady warned and warned us against a godless lifestyle that really profanes God in His creations. This way of life is often imposed on us, and with it is associated the risk of going to hell. Mary came to remind us what abides within us and protects us Divine Light, for, as we heard in the first reading, “her child was caught up to God and to His throne” (Rev 12:5). According to Lucia, the three chosen children were enveloped in the Divine light emanating from the Lady. They put on the robes of Light, given to them by God. The faith and experience of many, if not all, pilgrims testify: Fatima is nothing other than this Cover of Light, protecting us like nowhere else on earth. We need to take refuge under the cover of the Virgin Mary and call on Her with the words of the Salve Regina prayer: “show us Jesus.”
Dear pilgrims, we have Mother! Clinging to Her, like children, we live in hope directed towards Jesus. As we heard in the second reading: “those who receive the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness will reign in life through one Jesus Christ” (Rom 5:17). Jesus, who ascended into heaven, brought to the Heavenly Father our humanity, which He accepted in the womb of Mary, from which He will never again renounce. And let us place our unshakable hope, like an anchor, in this humanity, who is seated at the right hand of the Father in heaven in Christ Jesus (cf. Eph 2:6). And let this hope become our guide through life! May he always support us, until our last breath.
Confirmed in this hope, we are gathered here to give thanks for the countless graces that have been bestowed upon us over the past hundred years. All these years have passed under the same Veil of Light, spread by our Lady over all four ends of the earth, starting with the land of Portugal, so rich in hope. As an example, we can point out Saints Francis and Jacinta, whom the Virgin Mary led into the vast ocean Divine love and taught her to worship. It was this circumstance that became the source of the firmness that they showed in confronting trials and suffering. God's presence became a constant factor in their lives, as evidenced by their persistent prayers for sinners and their desire to constantly be near the “hidden Jesus” in the tabernacle.
In her Memoirs (III, 6), Sister Lucia quotes the words Jacinta said immediately after the vision she experienced: “Don’t you see all these streets, all these roads and fields, which are full of people crying from hunger, who have nothing to eat? AND Holy Father in church, praying before the Immaculate Heart of Mary? And the fact that all these people are praying with him?” Thank you, brothers and sisters, for being here with me! I could not help but come here to venerate the Virgin Mary and entrust all of Her sons and daughters to Her. They will not be lost under Her cover, from Her embrace the hope and peace they so need will pour out upon them. I also pray for all my brothers and sisters in Baptism and in the human family, especially for the sick and disabled, prisoners and the unemployed, the poor and abandoned. Dear brothers and sisters, let's pray to God in the hope that other people will hear us, let's turn to them with confidence that God will help us.
Indeed, God created us to be a source of hope for other people, genuine and effective hope, in accordance with the real situation of each individual person. In this “ask” and “demand” of all of us to fulfill the duties associated with our position (Letters from Sister Lucia, February 28, 1943), God makes a general mobilization against the indifference that chills the heart and aggravates our myopia. We don't want to be stillborn children of hope! Life can only survive through the generosity of other lives. “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; and if it dies, it bears much fruit” (John 12:24). The Lord, Who always precedes us, said this and fulfilled it Himself. Every time we bear our cross, He has already done so before us. It was not us who climbed to the cross to find Jesus there. On the contrary, it was He who, in His self-abasement, stooped all the way to the cross to find us, to dispel the darkness of evil within us and return us to the light.
Under the protection of Mary, we will become for our world the messengers of the dawn, contemplating the true face of Jesus the Savior, shining with the Paschal light. In this way we will be able to rediscover the young and beautiful face of the Church, shining insofar as it is missionary, hospitable, free, faithful, poor in means, but rich in love.
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.
A 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 Orthodox Church in memory of certain phenomena they organize religious processions with the removal of icons, literature about the apparitions of the Mother of God is distributed, and special prayers are composed.
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 at 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. Over time, temples or monasteries appeared in place of the latter.
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 by the 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 Venerable Seraphim. She gave instructions and told him to give obedience to 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.
Athanasius of Athos and the Greek architects also spoke about the apparitions of the Mother of God Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, Venerable Sergius Radonezh, schema-abbot Filaret of the Glinsk desert, monk of the same desert Dosifei, Optina schema-monk Joseph and many others.
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.
IN catholic church apparitions of the Virgin Mary are also venerated. 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”;
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. Moreover, the phenomena Holy Virgin 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.
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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.
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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 apparition of the Virgin Mary at Fatima was recognized Roman Catholic Church a real 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 to 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’s 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.
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, however, 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.
Known cases miraculous healing during these events. 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 broke 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 ah, 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.
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 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 breast pockets, and the sniper’s bullet, flying straight into his chest, suddenly turned sideways and hit him flat, falling on Alexander’s 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...
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