Icon of the belt of the Blessed Virgin. Honest Belt of the Blessed Virgin Mary
This Christian relic, which, according to legend, belonged to the Blessed Virgin Mary, who gave birth to the Savior of mankind. Every year on August 31, an Orthodox celebration is held in honor of the shrine. He is highly respected in religious world, chronicles know a huge number of miracles performed by a relic. The belt is also depicted on rare iconographic canvases. This is the only relic belonging to the Virgin Mary and preserved to this day.
Ark with a particle of the girdle of the Most Holy Theotokos
The history of the origin of the relic
There are several versions of the origin of the sacred relic.
- Some legends report that the Virgin Mary herself wove it on the basis of camel hair, and before her death gave it to the righteous Christian family. The belt was passed down from generations and ended up in the Cathedral of Constantinople only three centuries later. In the middle of the 10th century, Emperor Leo the First transferred the relic to the Blachernae Church, where the miracle of the appearance of the Blessed Virgin took place.
- Another version of the origin of the relic is known from the tradition of Catholicism. The Apostle Thomas did not take part in the burial of the Virgin, as he was in the lands of India and proclaimed the Resurrection of Christ. Only three days after the death of the Sinless Virgin Mary, he arrived in holy Jerusalem. The apostle, endlessly desiring to say goodbye to the Mother of God, tearfully asked to open the coffin. There was no limit to amazement when the disciples of Christ, having removed the tombstone from the tomb, did not find the body there. Here lay only fragrant shrouds. Kissing these fabrics, the apostles begged the Lord to reveal to them the mystery of the disappearance of the Virgin. The answer came soon: the bright spirit of the Virgin Mary appeared to them at the evening and greeted them, reassuring them with the words that She and God would forever be with true believers.
- There is another legend that speaks of the appearance of the Heavenly Mother of God to Thomas on the third day of her repose. The merciful Virgin, wishing to overcome the sadness of the apostle, threw her belt from heaven to him. The event found an echo in Orthodox iconography, and on the wall of one of the temples of Holy Athos there is a fresco showing the transfer of the relic by Thomas to the rest of the apostles, who are waiting for a miracle.
On the orthodox icon of the belt, the Heavenly Mother of God, dressed in crimson fabrics, is depicted from the front, in her right hands she holds a red relic embroidered with gold thread. Above the honest head of the Most Pure Mother of God, two angels hover, singing the name of the Lord. The canonical icon is close in style to the image called “The Protection of the Mother of God”.
Finding the girdle of the Most Holy Theotokos by the Apostle Thomas
The image of the belt is also found on the canvases, where the Virgin passes the shrine to Thomas, who bitterly mourns her death.
Important! The belt is a sacred relic from the time of the life of Mary, it heals from various ailments, treats infertility and helps with birth complications.
History of worship
For nine centuries, the Belt of the Most Pure Mother of God was kept in a golden ark. In the 10th century, it was opened with the blessing of the patriarch of the Church to heal the wife of Leo the Wise, Zoya, who was overcome by unclean spirits. One of the priests had a vision that the relic would save the unfortunate woman from weakness at the very moment when she applied to the Belt.
- All those present at the solemn opening saw the incorruptibility of the shrine, which had lain for nine whole centuries. Indeed, Empress Zoya fully recovered, as she felt the touch of the Belt of the Virgin. In honor of the miraculous event, she commanded that the relic be embroidered with golden threads, and the holy confessor Euthymius composed the Word of Thanksgiving, performed during divine services.
- In the same X century, the Belt of the Most Pure Mother of God was divided into three parts, which ended up in different time in the monasteries of Bulgaria, Syria and Serbia. The largest fragments are kept in the monastery of Trooditissa in Cyprus, as well as on Mount Athos. A particle of the relic ended up in the lands of Georgia after Emperor Roman the Third allowed his daughter Elena to bring the shrine to the homeland of her husband Bagrat IV to strengthen the union.
- In the XIV century, the holy prince of Serbia, Lazar I, gave the Vatopedi monastery the largest fragment of the Belt, along with a particle Life-Giving Cross. Since that time, the relic has been kept in the caches of the central cathedral of the monastery complex. Therefore, the Vatopedi monks were nicknamed “agiazonites”, which means “holy-bearers” in translation. They took the shrine with them when they traveled to the island of Crete, to the capital of Byzantium and Asia Minor. This was done with the aim of spreading the great grace emanating from the relic, and raising the spirit of enslaved compatriots.
- In the middle 19th century the shrine ended up in Constantinople, suffering from cholera. As soon as the ship with the relic approached the harbor of the city, the attack completely stopped, the affected people escaped death. The Sultan became interested in the miraculous incident and invited the monks who accompanied the Belt to his own palace. Soon the shrine resurrected a recently deceased boy, whose father turned to the monks for help.
- In 1894, the Belt arrived in one of the cities on the territory of Asia Minor, where the people prayed for deliverance from locust raids that devastate crops and spoil the fruits of trees. At the moment the ship approached the harbor, thousands of these voracious insects eclipsed the sky, and then threw them into the sea. The people, who saw the miracle, began to sing the hymn “Lord, have mercy!”. The miracles performed by the relic are still being performed today.
Miracles of the New Age
Evidence of miraculous deeds has been known to Christians since ancient times, and they continue to occur today. Prayers addressed to the Belt or to the icon depicting the Blessed Virgin resolve human troubles of various kinds. More often, gratitude comes from women who suffer from infertility and have the opportunity to give birth after a sincere prayer appeal, as well as from people who have suffered from a severe psychological or physical illness for a long time.
Icon Belt of the Blessed Virgin Mary
- The young man, four years after his marriage, discovered that he could not have children due to a congenital defect. Ten years later, he visited the sacred Vatopedi monastery and spent Holy Week. The young man was inspired by stories about the miracles performed by the Belt of the Most Pure Mother of God, and decided to go through the ritual of worshiping the relic. For a whole year he wore the consecrated belt given to him, and soon the doctors notified the couple that they would soon have a baby.
- A young woman sobbed inconsolably when she learned that the doctors had given her fatal diagnosis. Doctors advised to go to the hospital, but the operation was expensive, and the family did not have the necessary amount of money. The woman was reassured by her pious friend, she gave her a belt brought from Athos. The unfortunate woman tied a cloth at the place where the cancerous tumor was found, and said that she sacredly believed in the omnipotence of the Lord and the Virgin. On the day of the operation, an examination was carried out, but the doctors did not find any violations. A great miracle of healing took place.
- In the middle of the 20th century, the population of the island of Thassos arrived at the Vatopedi monastery. They complained that for several years not a drop of water had fallen from the sky, such a drought gave rise to a terrible famine. People humbly asked the brethren to bring to them the sacred Belt of the Virgin. Vatopedi monks set off on the road two days later, as soon as the ship approached the harbor of Thassos, the people saw the approach heavy rain. A colossal storm was raging on the island, which did not allow the brethren to descend to earth, so they sailed back, calmed by this miracle.
- The man was in a terrible car accident, doctors recorded bone fractures, tears internal organs and paralysis lower extremities. The doctor stated that there was practically no chance of healing. However, the man was a religious person from childhood and prayed non-stop for healing. He asked for help even in a dream in which he was on top of a mountain, and the Belt of the Blessed Virgin appeared in the sky. The relic slowly descended to the ground and wrapped around the paralyzed legs. The next morning the man felt great hope for healing. After the necessary operation, the patient was able to move his legs and move his toes, he was helped by great faith.
Where is the shrine
The eternal home of the Belt of the Virgin is a temple on Mount Athos. At times, the shrine leaves its native land to go to places where the Christian people will have the opportunity to touch it and receive blessings.
Belt of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Vatopedi Monastery on Mount Athos
In 2011, the relic was brought to Russia, where it stayed for a whole month. Temples in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Vladivostok, and others received great honor. More than 3 million Orthodox pilgrims visited churches and prayed for the salvation of their souls.
On the territory of Russia, fragments of the miraculous belt are kept in the walls of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, in the Kazan Church in St. Petersburg, in the Moscow Cathedral of Elijah the Prophet. Here pilgrims have the opportunity to contemplate the shrine with their own eyes and humbly ask for help.
Interesting! The belt of the Virgin is also a divine standard of measure, which was used in the construction of temples. The length of the original relic is 120 cm, the architects used this figure in such a way that in total they get the monastic centurion used on Orthodox rosaries.
The belt was used as a building standard in the construction of the Assumption Cathedrals in Rostov and Suzdal, as well as the Diveevo Monastery, etc.
Orthodox believers who have turned to the Vatopedi Monastery can receive a belt as a gift, which is made and consecrated by the local monks. This relic helps to overcome infertility and overcome a serious illness.
Advice! The shrine is allowed to be washed in water without soap, it is worn on the waist, head or wrist, it is recommended to tie it over clothes. In order for the relic to help, you should read the corresponding prayer to the Blessed Virgin daily, as well as visit temples.
Documentary about the Belt of the Blessed Virgin Mary
I continue to acquaint you with the miracles that happened through the prayers of people to the Most Holy Theotokos in the hope of miraculous power Her Honest Belt. The book from which these miracles are taken was published in the Vatopedi Monastery. Now a new edition of the book is being prepared, which will include both the most modern miracles and those recorded in the ancient Byzantine chronicles.
The book we're reading today.
It's completely impossible because it's a birth defect.
Nicosia
“I got married in 1981 and after four years I discovered that I could not have children. After a series of examinations, I was told that this was completely impossible, because it was a congenital defect. All this happened in 1985.
In 1995 I visited the Holy Monastery of Vatoped, where I spent Holy Week. There I heard about the Holy Belt of the Virgin. After worship, the hieromonk placed the Belt on me and read a prayer. After that, he gave me a girdle from the Honest Girdle and told me to gird it, because I had a problem. My wife Eleni had no problems.
Ten months later (in March 1996) my wife went to the doctor to do some tests, and he told her that she was already two months pregnant. We gave him all the evidence that said scientifically I couldn't have children. He studied them and the only thing he said was, “I can't say anything. This is just a miracle".
I praise Panagia and Her Holy Belt for the divine gift given to me.”
Konstantin and Elena Farazi
The tumor is no more. Disappeared
6-4-1995, Athens
“I will tell you about the miracle that happened thanks to the belt from the Holy Belt, which you sent me as a blessing, so that we could thank the Mother of God from the bottom of our hearts for her rich Grace.
Fani Fusteri, a young woman, came to me weeping inconsolably. She visited many doctors, did many tests and x-rays, which she showed me. All the doctors told her with one voice: cancer. We urgently need to go to the hospital for an operation, and God forbid that we have time, since the stage is very serious. I felt sorry for her, because we were the same age. She was supposed to be around. They have no money, because 3 months ago they married their daughter. And immediately I thought that I should give her a belt for a while as a blessing. I explained to her that it was consecrated on the Holy Belt of the Virgin. With tears in her eyes, she tied it tightly around her chest, just where she had a tumor, and said to me: “I believe, Anna, that only the Mother of God can help me.”
It was Saturday afternoon. On Monday, she was due for surgery. Everything was ready. On Monday, the doctor began to examine her, began to feel the tumor, which was on the surface, but there was no tumor. She disappeared. He did not keep her in the hospital for another minute. A miracle happened. The doctor was perplexed. Fani is now completely healthy.”
Sincerely, Anna Vas. Anagnost.
The doctor confirms my story
27-4-1996
Barsau (Romania)
“My name is Suligetean Christina, I live in the village of Barsau, 12, in the community of Harau of the district of Hu-nedoara. I am an Orthodox Christian and often go to church. I was born in 1971, and at the age of 19, that is, in 1990, I married Lucian. We really wanted a baby, but we couldn't have one. We tried for seven years, we were prescribed various courses of treatment, but everything was in vain. We also went to Sovata, to the thermal springs that treat infertility, but this did not help me. We had lost all hope of having children, and we were both quite upset.
Our family doctor gave us one more hope and advised us to turn to God, because people are weak and not everything is subject to them, but everything is subject to Him. The doctor himself brought me a consecrated belt (from the Holy Belt of the Virgin) from the Vatopedi Monastery, which was given to him by a friend of his from the neighboring village of Babotok. I began to pray and girded myself with a belt with faith in God. The divine miracle happened faster than human logic could have expected. I got pregnant, and this happened, according to the doctor's calculations, in the first days after I put on the girdle. The Mother of God took me into her arms. I had a normal pregnancy and on January 4, 1998 I gave birth at Dewas Hospital handsome boy, whom we named Christian Ivan, since he was born shortly before January 7, when St. John is celebrated.
We are not worthy to thank God and His Mother for the great joy they brought to our home. We have told all this so that the testimonies may be preserved for all and that people may see divine power and the help of the Mother of our God, who works miracles when we humans are helpless. Our family doctor, who has always helped us, confirms this story and seals it with his signature and seal.
May the Lord and the Mother of God help you"
With deep respect and respect,
Supigetean Christina
The chance of survival was very small.
“My name is Nikulina Glodarenko. I live in Constanta, Romania, at the address: st. Mircea is in Batran, 152A, and I work as a chief accountant in a hospital.
On January 5, 1999, my husband Viktor Glodarenko suffered a stroke. He was placed in the neurosurgery department. A few days later, he developed kidney failure and was transferred to the intensive care unit. Analyzes showed that the situation is very serious. And although the doctors tried to do everything possible to save his life, the likelihood of survival for him was small. There were hours left.
In such a moment of despair, a certain gentleman came, whom I met at work, who, with tears in his eyes, handed me several shrines: the icon of the Virgin, a belt from the Holy Belt, a sprig of olive and some oil that he brought from Athos, and asked me to put them under my husband's pillow. I put them on, and like a miracle, my husband began to recover.
Although my husband was looked after by highly professional doctors and gave him the most the best drugs They couldn't explain how he got better when they didn't give him a chance. Gradually, the tests became normal, and after a second encephalogram, it was found that the thrombus had completely disappeared!
Indeed, when patients suffer a stroke, if they manage to survive, they are best case remain disabled. Less than 30 days after the stroke, my husband got back on his feet and walked out of intensive care on his own, and nothing like this has happened in our hospital so far. This event
completely changed my perception of the world and strengthened my faith in God. I cannot explain why this gentleman came to me and brought me these "treasures" at the very moment when the doctors left us no more hope. I am sure that only the power of Our Father, and His Son, and the Holy Spirit pushed him to come to me in those difficult moments.
I cannot find words to praise and thank our Lord, who did everything to save my family. My husband- amazing person who helps the poor out own funds. As a university professor, he has helped many students and pupils.”
With great reverence and repentance, I fall to your hand,
Nikulina Glodarenko
I inform you about the miracles of the Virgin
26-4-1999, London
“I am sending you this letter and I want to inform you about the miracles of Panagia that took place through the belts from the Holy Belt.
I have three daughters, and all of them experienced difficulties in childbearing. Two of them lost their first child at the beginning of their pregnancy, and then they developed health problems. The doctor told the third daughter that it would be difficult for her to have a child. But the Mother of God heard my prayers and sent us to Father S., my confessor, who got us the belts of the Virgin. My daughters girded themselves with them, and blessed boys were born to each.
I also gave one belt to a girl who had no children, now she has a boy, after seven attempts to get pregnant.
Our friend came from Cyprus, she had a cancerous tumor in her breast. She had two surgeries and with the help of the Holy Girdle of Our Lady, she recovered.
The next miracle happened to Andrula, who, after 25 years of marriage, became pregnant at 44. But during pregnancy she had serious problems with health. She was found to have 4 tumors that prevented the fetus from developing properly. I gave her the Holy Belt at the direction of my confessor. The tumors receded and allowed the child to grow. Now she has a boy 8 months old.
I see that thanks to all these miracles, our faith is strengthened, as many say that miracles do not occur in our time. I want to explain that before putting on a belt, you must definitely confess, which is a manifestation of humility and preparedness.
With great respect, Nedi
The doctors were waiting for him to die
31-3-2000, Canada
“A month ago I received an envelope containing a treasure from Athos for us who live so far away. It was a fabric ribbon consecrated on the Holy Belt of the Virgin. I want to tell you about the first miracle.
Our friend came to my store and told me that his father was dying. He had surgery (brain cancer) 20 days ago and was in aphasia. Everyone was very upset. I told him that a girdle from the Holy Girdle had been sent to us from the Holy Abode of Vatopedi, and I gave it to him, telling him to cross his father's head with it, and he would recover. But I asked to return it to me, so that later I could give it to other people for worship.
Indeed, he went to the hospital and crossed his father's head. After a while, although he was in a coma for 20 days, like a living corpse, he yawned twice, opened his eyes briefly, and again lost consciousness. Then his son put the envelope with the Holy Belt under his pillow for the whole night, and a miracle happened. The next day the patient woke up, spoke, and rose briefly. Belt on it. He's better now, and his doctors can't believe it. They were waiting for him to die. I was asked by my friend to leave him a belt for a while until his father leaves the hospital ... "
With respect and boundless love, Theophilus
Two years of torment caused by a rare type of cancer
23-8-2001, Vogatsiko
“I have been suffering from rare species cancer. This winter has been especially hard for me. When the Holy Belt of the Most Holy Theotokos was brought to Kastoria, my daughter brought me an icon with a belt, which you distributed to the faithful. As soon as they were in the room, I, despite the fact that I was in severe pain and had been chained to the bed for 2.5 months, jumped up and began to kiss the icon with tears. It seemed to me that the Mother of God herself came into my room.
When I was in the hospital for an appointment with an orthopedist, he prescribed me medications, and also told me to buy an orthopedic belt and keep bed rest. Then I told my daughter that I would wear the girdle of the Virgin, because I believe that She would help me. And the Mother of God performed a miracle. Twenty days later the pain was gone and I was on the mend. I ordered an icon of the Honest Belt and now every year I will celebrate his holiday.
Sincerely, Nicky Papandreou
Miracles of the Honest Belt in America
Panagiotis Kallas, who lives in Florida, USA, during his visit to our monastery wrote about the following cases.
1. “In September 2001, I had dinner with my friends. One of them told about his daughter, who had heart cancer and was pregnant. The doctors wanted to remove the tumor, but she would have lost the baby. She herself could have died of a tumor if she had given birth in the ninth month. I gave my friend a girdle consecrated on the Girdle of the Virgin, the oil of Panagia from miraculous icons Vatopedi Monastery, as well as Her icon "The Tsaritsa" (Pantanassa), which heals people from cancer.
My friend flew from Miami to New York to visit his daughter. She tied a ribbon around her hand, anointed her stomach with consecrated oil, and placed the icon there.
The child was born healthy, and the mother's tumor completely disappeared without surgical intervention».
2. “In April 2002, my sister-in-law's uncle was in the hospital with liver cancer. He had no hope of recovery, as all of his internal organs were affected. A priest has already been called to the dying man for communion and confession.
My daughter-in-law sent her uncle a piece of the girdle consecrated on the Honest Girdle. The parcel arrived at his home address. She was immediately transferred to the hospital where the dying man was. As soon as the envelope with the ribbon was in the ward, the patient immediately felt better. When he opened the envelope, not yet guessing about its contents, the indicators of the condition of the internal organs improved. When the patient touched the consecrated belt, his condition improved so much that he was able to return home.
None of the hospital doctors, who considered his condition hopeless, could not believe what had happened. The cancer disappeared and now my sister-in-law's uncle is alive and well."
What you wear saved you
15-10-2002, Thessaloniki
“My name is Iliadu Stavrula, I am 25 years old. I would like to tell you about how I became pregnant in October 2000, when I kissed the Holy Belt of Panagia in the village of Assiro nomos Thessaloniki. My pregnancy went well and on July 21, 2001 it was time for delivery. Since the previous evening, I had put the Honest Belt in my suitcase, but before leaving for the hospital, something prompted me to put it on. Some people even made fun of me when they gave me an epidural.
During childbirth, I silently prayed, as my baby's pulse disappeared. It was entangled in two places with the umbilical cord, on the handle and on the neck, so there was a danger of suffocation. By the grace of the Mother of God, my son was born. When I crossed myself and thought that everything was over, I was wrong. A series of dangerous postpartum complications put my life at risk. My body reacted negatively even to a blood transfusion. I was exhausted and didn't have the strength to fight. At the last moment before the ambulance was supposed to take me to the hospital, I touched the girdle of the Honorable Belt and said: “My Mother of God, let everything be according to Your will. Help me to survive, and I will tell about Your miracle everywhere. If it is Your will that I pass away, help those whom I leave to cope with the pain.
The operating room was already ready at the hospital, and the doctors told my relatives that my situation was critical. I don't remember what happened until the next day. I remember only one professor obstetrician-gynecologist who stood at the door of the department intensive care and said to me: “What you are wearing has saved you. First of all, the Belt of the Virgin helped, and only then - all the rest. He later said the same to my parents.
I recovered very quickly. Two months after giving birth, I thanked the Mother of God: in Her honor, I made a pilgrimage to the island of Tinos and Sokhos, where I venerated the Holy Belt, which saved me, with great tenderness.
At every opportunity, I tell people about this miracle and thank the Mother of God from the bottom of my heart.”
Best regards, Ilyadu Stavrupa
I got out of bed and went
15-08-2004, Vatoped
Mr. Nikolai Yiannopoulos, visiting our monastery, wrote the following:
“My name is Nikolai Yiannopoulos, I am the son of Andrei and Sofia, I live in Patras (Adimantou 1) and I am 23 years old.
On 10/14/2000 I had a very serious car accident and was hospitalized in Riou Hospital. I had a rupture of the small intestine (peritonitis), a fracture of the jaw and left leg, and paralysis of the nerve of the fibula. After surgery, only six months later, relative improvements appeared in all damaged parts of the body, except for the nerve of the fibula. I could not move my foot and bend the knee of my left leg.
All the doctors said that there was no hope that I would be able to walk again, because it was a special ailment in which there was no question of restoring the mobility of the leg.
In my prayers (and I have been praying since childhood) I asked for healing. Two years had passed since the accident, and there was no hope for doctors. In 2002, on the evening of Good Monday, I had a dream that my family and I went for a walk in the mountains, and I wanted to be the first to reach the top. I got there, but my body was covered with wounds, and all my clothes were covered with blood. I was alone at the top, fell on my knees, stretched out my hands to the sky and shouted loudly: "Holy Mother of God, heal my leg." The sky was clear, but suddenly lightning flashed and it was as if the heavens opened up, and in the middle appeared the Honorable Belt of the Most Holy Theotokos, hanging from heaven, which wrapped around my paralyzed leg. When I woke up in the morning, I tried to understand the meaning of what I saw in my dream. I had hope that I would recover, and so I decided to have another operation.
My doctor could not decide on the operation, because, as he told me, it could cause even more harm. I fervently asked him, telling him what he saw in a dream. “Only for the sake of your great faith, I will go for it. Tomorrow I will operate on you."
In the evening, after praying, I lay down on hospital bed anxiously waiting tomorrow. I asked the Most Holy Theotokos, St. Nicholas and St. Athanasius the Great, so that they enlighten the doctor and that everything goes well. In a dream, I saw that I was lying on a surgical table and the doctor was holding my leg curiously, not knowing what to do. And then I saw St. Nicholas and St. Athanasius to the right and left of the doctor: they directed his actions, and on the third day after the surgical intervention, I was able to walk again.
In the morning at Good Friday In 2002, I was operated on, and on Bright Monday a doctor came to see me. He noticed that the cast they put on me was cracked and said that it was very bad. As he removed the old cast to put on a new one, he touched my foot—out of curiosity—to see if it was any worse than before. Surprisingly, at that moment I felt that the leg could move. The doctors were speechless from what they saw, and I got out of bed and walked after a year and a half of paralysis. I crossed myself and, filled with joy, said to the doctor: “See? I told you I'd get better." And he answered me: "Your faith has saved you."
Today, August 15, 2004, my health is excellent, and I am glad that after so many difficulties, as well as mental and physical trials, I was honored to visit Vatopedi to venerate the Holy Belt of the Most Holy Theotokos.
I pray that his Grace helps and illuminates the whole world.”
Best regards, Nikolai Yiannopoulos
My panagia, if you want, do a miracle!
20-11-2004, Edessa
“I want to tell you about a miracle that happened during the arrival and stay in the city of Edessa of the Holy Belt of the Most Holy Theotokos.
For over ten years I have been plagued by a health problem that doctors call "carotid arteriovenous malformation." As a result of the disease, the veins expanded and protruded on the right side of the face. Thus, a 10 cm tumor was formed. Doctors called this disease unique in the world medical practice and said that no one - at least here in Greece - would undertake to treat it. I recently found a hospital in America that deals with this problem, but it is very expensive.
And so, when the Honest Belt was brought, I went to venerate it with the faith that was in my soul. As soon as I bent over the Honest Belt, I said to myself: "Holy Mother of God, if you want, do a miracle and help me." I kissed and touched the Belt with a sore spot. And then I defended the rest of the Bishops' Liturgy.
And at some point I felt cramps in the right side of my face. It was the first time I felt this, and it was so pleasant that I prayed that the cramps would continue, and this may seem like an exaggeration, but I felt that I liked what was happening to me. My first thought was: “Did Panagia really hear my prayer?” After that, I immediately felt a pleasant relaxation in that part of the face where there was a tumor, which had never happened before.
Already at home I received confirmation of the amazing change that had happened to me. For the first time in the past three years, my right eye was not pressed by a tumor. My eye, which was always closed, opened. The swelling went down and I was able to talk better as the crooked jaw was also reduced. Along with this, the node that was on the carotid artery disappeared.
I told my wife, and she also confirmed that there had been significant changes. We thanked the Most Holy Theotokos and talked about the miracle that had happened.
The next day I again went to the Church and bowed to the Blessed Belt. I told a priest about the miracle that had happened. What was surprising to me was that all the time I was talking with the priest, I was crying. I cried like Small child. I've never felt this way before. I had heard about miracles, but I did not attach importance to them, and now I myself experienced one of them.
When I met my doctor friend, he immediately noticed the difference. And of course, I asked him: “Is it possible that a tumor that is constantly growing can suddenly shrink even by a few centimeters?” He answered in the negative, not hiding his astonishment. As a doctor, he gave me his assessment. He said: "The body can give a signal that blood clots form in the problem area." But when I explained everything to him, he could not say anything.
I continued to go to Church every day to kiss the Honest Belt. Now, as I write this letter to you, the tumor has shrunk even more. I don't know how things will develop further. However, what I experienced was a miracle for me, and I will always repeat it, glorifying the Grace of the Holy Belt.
The changes were not only in my illness, I changed as a person. I felt the touch of the hands of the Most Holy Theotokos. Great is Her Grace."
Best regards, Simeon and Sofia Spatinis
Miraculous Events
“From November 12 to 16, 2004, the Holy Belt of the Most Holy Theotokos was brought to the city of Edessa for worship and consecration. The whole city and authorities warmly accepted the Holy Belt. Over 40,000 people came to venerate this blessed shrine. We became eyewitnesses and witnesses of the miracles that the Most Holy Theotokos performed for pilgrims. Let's take a look at what caught our attention.
Mrs. Dorothea Armenaki, a resident of Edessa, had problems with her lower back, and almost whole year she was bedridden. When she learned that the Holy Belt was in Edessa, she asked that they bring her a belt consecrated on it, and, having received it, she tied it around her waist. And the miracle happened. The former paralyzed got up and walked. Of course, she went to the Temple and bowed to the Mother of God shrine, then she went to the metropolis, where she told the abbot of Vatoped, Archimandrite Ephraim, about the miraculous event that had taken place.
Simeon Slatinis, a resident of Edessa, had a malignant tumor on his cheek. The size of the tumor did not allow him to open his eyes.
He also came to venerate the Honest Girdle. When he came home, his wife noticed that it seemed to her that her eye had opened slightly. Then he realized that the tumor had decreased in volume and due to this, the eye opened slightly. Another tumor under the jaw also disappeared. He himself tells about this miracle in a letter.
Mr. Demosthenes Papantoniou, a resident of Edessa, had a granddaughter, Maria, who from infancy could not fall asleep herself, and if she did, her sleep was so restless that her parents no longer knew what to do. Her grandfather brought her to the temple and asked the priests to help. The priests baptized the child with the Holy Belt. From that moment on, she falls asleep on her own and sleeps peacefully through the night.”
Archimandrite Panteleimon Karalazos,
Priest of the Edessa Metropolis
I came to you, don't be afraid
Samu St. 4, Kaymakli, Nicosia
Egli Macri writes in her letter that after she underwent surgery to remove a cancerous tumor from her breast, she returned home, awaiting final test results from England.
“On April 21, I was discharged from the hospital, on the 24th my in-law came to me and brought me a belt from the Holy Belt of the Virgin, which I tied to my belt. In the evening, in a dream, I saw that a thin woman with a longish, beautiful, pretty face was standing on the threshold of the kitchen. She had a white scarf on her head. I greeted her, thinking she was my neighbor. And she asked, "How are you?" She answered me: "I came to you, do not be afraid, you will get better." Then she turned and slowly walked out.
I woke up the next morning thinking about this woman. I immediately realized that it was the Mother of God Herself.
When I came to the oncologist, he told me that the lymph nodes were clean, the tumor was malignant, but it was a curable cancer because I had no metastases. He told me that I should not be afraid.
From the day when I saw the Mother of God in a dream, I feel strong, I am not afraid, and my loneliness does not bother me. I feel that she is always by my side. And every day I praise Her name.”
Many thanks, Egli Macri
The miraculous help of the Mother of God to the non-Orthodox
After Dormition, the saints enter into God's glory and bliss, become true children of the Lord and become universal in the likeness of the universal Christ. They embrace with their love and bless all people, especially the unfortunate and suffering on earth. They receive the grace to intervene in people's lives, healing them and working miracles. Therefore, in our prayers, we call on their help and mediation. Since all people are potentially children of God, and the saints, having great love for God, contain all mankind, all people in their hearts, they work miracles and heal the non-Orthodox as well.
So, St. George the Victorious in the monastery of St. George Kuduna, which is located on the island of Prinkiponis, performs many miracles with Muslims asking him for help. And how the Lady Mother of God, the Mother of the new creation, "glory and universal joy" cannot fail to create a miracle. She sends her miraculous energy to everyone who prays to Her with faith and pain!
Grace is the main prerequisite for the healing of the human soul, its purification from passions, enlightenment and deification. Orthodox baptism. It must be emphasized that deification, that is, the sanctification of a person, is possible only in the womb Orthodox Church. However, the body can also be healed in a non-Orthodox person. The archives of the monastery contain records describing cases when the Sultan himself asked the Honest Belt for healing from any disease or for delivering the area from an epidemic. And the Mother of God performed miracles. The miracles of the Precious Belt of the post-Byzantine period will be described in the book by Konstantin Singelis, which the monastery is now preparing for publication under the title “Veneration of the Precious Belt of the Most Holy Theotokos in Byzantine world and his miracles in the post-Byzantine period.
Charlie, a Canadian by origin, a member of the crew of the Greek yacht "Rio Rita", which every year sails to Holy Athos with official delegations, on one of these visits to the Vatopedi Monastery, on May 10, 2004, learned about the wonders of the Honest Belt during an excursion and told the monk guide about his problem. For ten years married life he and his wife Nicoleta, despite all efforts, could not conceive a child. The monk at first doubted whether to give Charlie a girdle consecrated on the Honest Girdle, because he was a Catholic, but in the end he took pity on him and entrusted this matter to the motherly care of the Virgin.
AT next year When Charlie visited the monastery again, he gladly informed his fellow monk about the miraculous intervention of the Virgin and warmly thanked her for giving him a lovely daughter, Frida (Frederiki).
All test results are completely normal.
552-36 rn Panorama Thessaloniki
“From the beginning of August 2007, our seven-year-old son Georgy Papistas began to complain of discomfort in the abdomen, accompanied by general malaise. At first, we all thought it was a normal viral infection and since we were on summer vacation in Halkidiki, doctors prescribed him painkillers and antibiotics, not considering his condition to be serious.
On August 7, his health deteriorated sharply, and he was urgently sent to Thessaloniki. In the direction of our family doctor the child was urgently admitted to St. Luke's clinic for examination. At the clinic, doctors diagnosed peritonitis abdominal cavity and sent for emergency surgery. I, the father, was returning by ferry from the Vatopedi Abode at that moment, when my wife called me and informed me about the serious condition of the child. I immediately contacted my spiritual father, Elder Ephraim, and asked him to serve a prayer service to the Mother of God for the successful outcome of the operation.
The elder immediately contacted our family doctor by phone and asked him about the child's condition. Having learned from him the history of the disease, he asked the doctor not to put the child in for surgery, but to wait for the results of all the tests. In fact, when the results came in, it became clear that this was not peritonitis, but first-degree juvenile diabetes - that is, a complete lesion of the pancreas, which at any moment could put the patient in a coma.
The first great miracle was that the child was not put to surgery, because due to high sugar in the blood, it could cause irreparable consequences. Everything went well, and the doctors of St. Luke ordered that the child should take insulin for the rest of his life at 52 units daily.
Then we decided to go to England to the Cromwell clinic, so that the child was examined by one of the best endocrinologists in Europe, hoping for the best. In England, the doctor diagnosed us with the same diagnosis - diabetes of the first degree, and said that the child has self-immunity - that is, the body itself produces antibodies that affect the pancreas. Be that as it may, the trouble had already happened, since an ultrasound done in England showed that the pancreas was badly affected and was smaller than its natural size.
We returned to Greece on August 16, and on August 17 we arrived latest results tests that showed that the child does not have self-immunity and that he falls under 1% of cases when pancreatic damage is caused by other causes. After that, we decided to go to Boston for further examinations at the Joslin clinic - the best clinic in the field of juvenile diabetes. In this clinic, the diagnoses of Greek and London doctors have only been confirmed. The doctors assured us that no one in their practice had ever been healed of such an ailment, except for one case with a child from Brazil, and urged us to humble ourselves and accept reality as it is.
In early September, we returned and awaited the results of other tests for the likelihood of the child having adrenal cancer. This scared us even more, and we began to do a whole bunch of tests. On September 8, 2007, we contacted Elder Ephraim and reported to him about the condition of the child. Father Ephraim asked us to bring him a child to Athos for the feast of the Holy Belt.
My son and I really went to the Vatopedi Monastery. Seven-year-old Georgiy gracefully and patiently sat through the 11-hour service (6 hours all-night vigil and 5 hours of the morning Divine Liturgy), never once complaining, although he could go to bed. That same evening, the elder took George to the sacred Altar and read the prayer of the Holy Belt over him. After half an hour the child was tired. During his stay on Mount Athos, he experienced hypoglycemia crises and had to stop taking insulin. But the next day the child recovered.
On the day of the holiday Holy Cross 14-09-2007 (O.S. - prot. K. Parkhomenko) Georgy underwent an ultrasound scan of the pancreas, and it turned out that the size and volume of the pancreas are normal, and insulin secretion is even more than normal. Also, the analyzes showed an excellent state of cell functions, contrary to the assumptions of doctors.
4 months have already passed, and today all of George's indicators are completely natural.
Our family has experienced a great miracle. This serious case of George was recorded in all major hospitals in Greece and abroad. The grace of the Holy Belt of the Virgin Mary healed George, and now he lives a normal life. healthy life like the other four children in our family.
We thank the Mother of God and all the fathers of the Monastery for fervent prayers during the entire time of our son’s illness.”
With great respect, Athanasius, Lukia and George Papistas
Young George Papistas, who was told in the last story
At present, one of the great shrines of the Orthodox world has arrived in Russia - the Belt of the Most Holy Theotokos.
Holy Belt of the Virgin and Vatopedi Monastery
The belt of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which today is divided into three parts, is the only surviving relic of her earthly life. According to Tradition, the belt was woven from camel hair by the Virgin herself, and after the Dormition at the Ascension, she gave it to the Apostle Thomas.
In the first centuries of the Christian era, he was in. It is known that in the 4th century it was kept in the Cappadocian city of Zela, and in the same century the emperor Theodosius the Great again brought it to Jerusalem. From there, his son Arkady delivered the Belt to Constantinople.
At first, the shrine was placed in the temple of Halkopration, from where, in 458, Emperor Leo I transferred it to the Blachernae Church. In the reign of Leo VI the Wise (886-912), the Belt was brought to the imperial palace, and with its help the wife of Vasileus Zoya was healed.
She was overwhelmed by an unclean spirit, and the emperor prayed to God for healing. She had a vision that she would be cured of her weakness if the Belt of the Virgin was placed on her. Then the emperor asked the patriarch to open the shrine.
The patriarch removed the seal and opened the shrine in which the relic was kept. The belt of the Mother of God turned out to be whole and unharmed from time to time. The Patriarch applied the Belt to the sick Empress, and she immediately got rid of her illness.
As a sign of gratitude to the Mother of God, the Empress embroidered the entire Belt with gold thread. So he got the look that he has today. With hymns of thanksgiving, he was again placed in a shrine, and the shrine was sealed.
In the XII century, during the reign of Manuel I Komnenos (1143-1180), officially was a holiday is established Holy Belt, held on August 31st. Prior to that, he was honored on July 1, in a joint celebration with the Honorable Robe of the Virgin.
The belt remained in Constantinople until the end of the 12th century. But among the consequences of the defeat of Isaac Angel from the Bulgarian king Asan in 1185 was the fact that the Belt was stolen and delivered to Bulgaria. Later he came to the Serbs.
Prince Lazar I gave the Belt, along with a particle of the true Cross, as a gift to the Vatopedi Monastery. Since then, it has been kept in a sanctuary located in the katholikon, the main monastery cathedral.
During the reign of the Turks, the brethren of the monastery took the Belt with them when they went to Crete, Macedonia, Thrace, Constantinople and Asia Minor. They did this in order to spread the grace of the shrine, to raise the spirit of the enslaved Greeks and save them from the epidemics that happened.
The miracles manifested through the holy girdle in all ages are innumerable. Here are just a few examples.
One day, the inhabitants of Enos asked that the holy Belt be delivered for them, and the monks who accompanied the relic were sheltered at home by a priest. His wife secretly cut off a piece of the Belt. When the fathers gathered back and boarded the ship, it did not budge, although the sea was quiet. The priest's wife, seeing this strange incident, realized that she had acted unrighteously, and returned part of the Belt to the monks. The ship immediately sailed.
The flap remained detached. Subsequently, a similar incident occurred.
During the Greek War of Independence, the Holy Belt was brought to Crete at the request of its inhabitants, who were suffering from the plague. But when the monks were about to return to their monastery, the Turks arrested them and took them to execution. In the meantime, the British consul Domenicos Sanantonio bought the holy Belt and was taken to Santorini, where the diplomat's new residence was.
The news immediately spread throughout the island. The local bishop notified the Vatopedi monastery, and its abbot Dionysius went to Santorini. The consul asked for 15,000 piastres for the Belt. The islanders showed unanimity and were able to raise this amount. So the holy Belt was returned, and hegumen Dionysius took him to Vatopedi.
The wife of the consul did the same as the wife of the priest at Enos. Secretly from her husband, she cut off a small piece from the Holy Belt before it was returned to Abbot Dionysius. After a short time, her husband suddenly passed away, and her mother and sister became seriously ill. In 1839, she sent a letter to the monastery with a request that messengers be sent from the monastery to receive the cut piece from her.
In 1864 the Holy Belt was brought to Constantinople when cholera was raging in it. As soon as the ship carrying the Belt approached the harbor, the destruction ceased, and none of those struck by it died.
This strange miraculous event aroused the Sultan's curiosity. He ordered that the Belt be delivered to his palace so that he could honor him.
During the stay of the holy Belt in Constantinople, a Greek from the Galata quarter asked to be brought to his home. His son was seriously ill, but when the holy belt was delivered, he had already died. However, the monks did not lose hope. They asked to be shown the remains, and as soon as the Belt was placed on them, the young man rose from the dead.
In 1894, the inhabitants of the city of Madita in Asia Minor wished that the holy Belt be brought there, since locusts devastated their crops and spoiled fruit trees. When the ship carrying the Belt approached the harbor, clouds of locusts darkened the sky, which then rushed into the sea, and the ship could not drop anchor. The Madites on the shore, seeing the miracle, began to continuously sing the hymn "Kyrie eleison" (Greek Κύριε ελέησον - "Lord, have mercy!").
Up to our time, many miracles have been performed through the holy girdle. So, women suffering from infertility receive a braid from the ark where the Belt is kept. If they have faith, they receive it in the womb.
Miracles that took place through the mediation of the Holy Belt of the Most Holy Theotokos
cessation of pestilence
"In Enos, the pestilence of the plague was stopped by the graceful action of the holy Girdle of the Virgin."
From Enos, the holy Belt was transported to Didymotikhon. In another letter, dated September 12, the same father states:
"Here, as in Enos, the pestilence ended by the grace of the holy Girdle."
Getting rid of the locust invasion
Father Cosmas Chrysoulas, in a report to the monastery, writes:
“In 1915, we asked that the holy Belt from the Vatopedi monastery be brought to our village of Neochori, as well as to Kallipoleos. The reason for this was the invasion of locusts. When the Belt was delivered, flocks of birds appeared in the sky and began to eat the locusts. Thus we were saved from this calamity.”
Holy Belt on Ithaca
On the island of Ithaca, a relic - a light brown belt embroidered with gold thread, was kept by Mrs. Euphemia Sofianu from Vafu. This holy relic of St. Joachim gave it to her maternal grandmother Maria Molfesi-Sofiana.
The belt was placed near the home iconostasis, and it was given to the girls who tied it around the head or abdomen during the sacrament of the wedding as a kind of sign of virginity. This was considered a great blessing. Then it was returned to the Sofiane family.
The last time it was given to a refugee family was in 1935. It was a custom in this family to rebaptize sick children with this belt. Unfortunately, the relic was lost in a devastating earthquake in 1953.
Drought relief
In 1957, several residents of Thasos arrived at the monastery. They requested that the holy girdle be brought to their island. The fact is that for several years it did not rain there, and the drought threatened depopulation. The fathers agreed and decided to go to Thasos a few days later.
According to the monastic tradition, when the holy Belt leaves the walls of the monastery, the fathers accompany the holy Belt on a solemn procession to the small port. They are holding banners and a censer, church bells are ringing. On the way to the sea they sing prayer canon Mother of God.
So it was on that day, and the fathers boarded a small ship leaving for Thasos, which was at a distance of 2-3 hours of navigation. The weather was clear and there was no sign that rain was coming.
When they reached the port of Thasos, there was already a downpour, so heavy that they could not leave the ship. And they returned to the monastery, giving praise to the Most Holy Theotokos, who intervened and saved the pious islanders, seeing the goodness of their intentions and heeding their calls.
Translation by Sergei Akishin especially for "Orthodoxy and the World".
Prayers
Troparion of the Provisions of the Honorable Belt of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Ever-Virgin Mother of God, protection of men, / the robe and girdle of Your most pure body, / Thou hast granted Thy sovereign city taxation, / Thy seedless Christmas is imperishable, / for Thee and nature is renewed and time. our great mercy.
Your God-pleasing womb, Mother of God, / your honorable girdle that has encircled / Your city’s power is invincible / and the treasure is not scarce of the good, / the only one who gave birth to the Ever-Virgin.
Kontakion of the Provisions of the Honorable Belt of the Blessed Virgin
The honorable belt of Your position / celebrates Your day, Prepetaya, the temple / and diligently calls out to Thee: / Rejoice, Virgin, / praise of Christians.
Currently, the belt is in the Novodevichy Convent in St. Petersburg and will stay there until October 24.
Prayer before the Belt of the Virgin
Troparion, Prayer to the Position of the Honorable Belt of the Most Holy Theotokos
Ever-Virgin Mother of God, protection of men, the robe and girdle of Your most pure body, the sovereign city of Your taxation You have given, Your seedless Christmas is imperishable, for You and nature are renewed and time. We also pray to Thee to grant Thy city peace and great mercy to our souls.
Oh, Blessed Mother of God, Immaculate and Rejoiced, may we, Your weak people, rejoice, as if by Your Power and Power crush all our enemies visible and invisible, may we glorify and exalt Thee, like the Invincible Victory Almighty.
Preblagaya my queen, my hope to the Mother of God, friend of orphans and strange representatives, grieving joy, offended patroness! See my misfortune, see my sorrow, help me like a weak one, feed me like a strange one. I’ll offend my weight, resolve it, as if you will: as if I don’t have another help for You, or another intercessor, or a good comforter, only You, O Bogomati, as if you save me and cover me forever and ever. Amen.
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Rules for wearing the Belt of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Rules for wearing the Belt of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Dear visitors of the Orthodox island “Family and Faith”!
Many of you receive the Belt of the Blessed Virgin Mary. We also put in the envelope short description by wearing it correctly.
In this publication, we will tell you more about how to wear the Belt correctly, when you need to wear it and how to care for it.
The Most Holy Theotokos wove with her own hand a belt of camel hair, which she wore until the end of Her earthly life. Then Her Belt was kept by the pious widows of Jerusalem.
In the 5th century, under Emperor Arcadius, the Belt was brought to Constantinople, where it remained until the 14th century. When the Turks besieged Constantinople, the Belt of the Most Holy Theotokos was transferred to Athos monastery Vatoped, where it is stored until today.Monks, both from ancient times and now, make belts and apply them to the Belt of the Most Holy Theotokos. By the grace of the Mother of God, many miracles are performed from them!
With the blessing of the Most Holy Theotokos through Her Honest Belt, many childless spouses, recovering from infertility, become parents, those suffering from cancer and other incurable diseases are healed!
Now let's move on to the questions and answers regarding the wearing of the Belt.
Question: How should women wear the belts that were handed out near the shrine, can they be washed?
The Archimandrite of the Vatopedi Monastery, Father Ephraim, answers
– P The belts can be washed, but do not pour the first water into the sewer, it is better to water indoor flowers or a tree, because the belts are all consecrated. I remember one incident that a pilgrim on our Mountain told me: “I wore a belt that I took on this Mountain, and along with this belt I had some paper handkerchiefs in my pocket. And one day, out of forgetfulness, I took everything that was in my pocket and threw it into the fire. And then he remembered that he had thrown the girdle into the oven along with the handkerchiefs. And when I opened the stove, I saw that the belt had survived, the fire did not touch it.
Question: Could you tell me, father, how to use the consecrated belt issued in the monastery more correctly?
– H You can wear the belt like a regular belt, sometimes you can take it off the waist and wrap it around your wrist (for example, young people wear it). If you need to take it off completely (take a shower, bath, go to the pool, etc.), you can take it off. There shouldn't be any magic.
Everything must be based on our love for the Lord and for His Most Pure Mother, Who, by His will, became our Mother. And you can simply, praying to the Mother of God, kiss the belt, consecrated on the Belt.
Question: Tell me if it’s bad that I didn’t take off the belt once when I was close to my husband. Very worried.
Archpriest Konstantin Parkhomenko answers:
- AT again and again I call you to the right Orthodox attitude to the shrine.
Is it a sin not to take it off when we go to the bathroom, or when we enter into marital intimacy, or when ... - there are many options.
Not a sin! It is a sin when we put on a shrine and sin. This is a sin, and when we live the life that we live and which does not contradict the Christian faith, then this is not a sin.
If you are in a legal marriage, then Mother Heavenly will only rejoice at your relationship and bless you from Heaven.
Question: How long is the Belt worn?
Priest Dimitry Sinyavin answers:
- P The belt does not need to be worn all the time. Wear only in special occasions. Also in illness. Of course, just wearing the Belt won't do much good. You should also try to say a prayer as often as possible: “Rejoice in the Theotokos Virgin.” And yet, you need to live church life: regularly visit the temple and proceed to the Sacraments of Confession and Communion (once every 3-4 weeks). Then grace will abundantly come upon you from the Belt of the Most Holy Theotokos.
The belt can be washed. Preferably without soap and powder, so that you can water the flowers with water. If you washed with soap, then the water must be poured under a tree or lowered into the river.
You can also iron the Belt. At the same time, you need to read a prayer to the Queen of Heaven: “Virgin Mother of God, rejoice ...”
Girdle
The belt can be worn around the waist, arm or head.
The belt can be worn both over clothes and on a shirt (or T-shirt). It is better not to wear it on a naked body so that the Belt stays clean longer.
The belt can be worn both during the day and at night.
About prayer while wearing a shrine
In order for the Belt to heal, to give relief, it is necessary while wearing it to read a prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos:
B Virgin garden, rejoice, Blessed Mary, the Lord is with you, blessed are you in women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, as if the Savior gave birth to our souls.
The church must be visited every Sunday and the Sacrament of Confession and Communion should be taken every 2-4 weeks, as Priest Dimitry Sinyavin said above.
H Finally, we would like to say that only by living in repentance, confession, prayer and communion of the Holy Mysteries can we turn the gaze of the Most Pure Theotokos to ourselves. And the Mother of God will surely intercede for us before the throne of Her Son, and will ask us from Him for miraculous help!
Holy Mother of God, save us!
197 comments were left for the entry “Rules for wearing the Belt of the Blessed Virgin Mary”.
Hello, please tell me, is it possible to wear a belt all the time during pregnancy?
Yes, of course you can, and you really need to!
Hello, please tell me if it is possible to wear a belt after the deceased.
If the deceased was dear to you, then you can wear the Belt of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which belonged to him, also as a memory of the deceased. If the deceased is not a person dear to you, then you can burn the Belt, or take it to the Temple.
can non-baptized people wear the Belt of the Blessed Virgin.
The belt of the Most Holy Theotokos can be worn by all people who revere Blessed Virgin Mary, as the Mother of God, who believe in Her help, baptized or not. And without faith, even the baptized cannot be worn. The main thing is faith!
Hello, please tell me if I can cut the belt, otherwise it is too long. And can I cut it apart and give it away
Yes, of course, you can cut the Belt to the desired length and distribute the cut of the shrine to relatives, warning them that this is an Orthodox shrine that needs to be treated with reverence.
God bless you, Queen of Heaven!
Good afternoon, please tell me, is it necessary to wear a belt during pregnancy?
Yes, you can wear the Belt of the Blessed Virgin Mary during pregnancy.
And, at the same time, try to read a short prayer at least several times a day (or better, several dozen times a day):
Virgin Mother of God, rejoice, Blessed Mary, the Lord is with you, blessed are you in wives and blessed is the fruit of your womb, as if the Savior gave birth to our souls.
May God grant you a happy pregnancy and a healthy baby!
hello. Can you please send me and my husband belts. we really want kids. oleskaya region rozdelnyansky pH with. hetmans st. cherry 2 dyakova alla 67400
God, good evening!
You can order the Belt of the Most Holy Theotokos at the “Church Shop“.
Good afternoon! I asked if it is possible for a pregnant girl to wear a belt on her arm !! It’s not very comfortable on the belt, is it better to take it off your hand then?
If it is not convenient for you to wear the Belt of the Most Holy Theotokos on your belt, then wear it on your arm.
But remember to wear such great shrine follows with great reverence!
Good afternoon Is it possible to wear a belt for a pregnant girl on her arm.
And why on the arm, and not on the belt?
Hello! Tell me, please, do both spouses need to wear belts? What needs to be done when wearing belts so that the Most Holy Theotokos helps my husband and I give birth to another baby? I also know that spouses should be married, but my husband says that he is not ready to get married yet and there is nothing I can do in this situation. Thank you in advance for your response.
No, it is not necessary for both spouses to wear the Belt of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
In order for the Lord to send a child, it is necessary to completely rely on the will of God, live according to the Commandments of God, pray daily and trust in the mercy of God.
By your good example of living according to the commandments of God, you will be able to influence your husband.
Please tell me if I have lost my
Hello, please tell me, is it possible to singe the ends of the belt so as not to bloom?
Hello! She gave me her belt, very good woman, who could not give birth for a long time! Then she gave birth to a boy. I put it on as soon as I found out that I was pregnant and wore it as you wrote, but it was torn! What should I do, bring it or change it! I really believe in him and I'm worried! Thanks for the answer!
Or maybe just stitch it up? Is it possible?
Good day!
My stepfather was in the hospital, and his sister brought him the girdle of the Most Holy Theotokos.
Unfortunately, my stepfather died.
Can you please tell me what to do with the belt?
You can take the Belt of the Most Holy Theotokos for yourself or take the Belt to the Temple.
Hello! Please answer, Holy Father. A friend gave me a piece of the belt of the Most Holy Theotokos and the “Living Help” belt. They explained to her that this piece should be sewn to the “Living Aid” belt and worn, right? And she also brought me a piece of earth from Kanavka from Diveevo. What to do with her? Can it be applied to a sore spot? Thanks in advance! God bless you!
Yes, you can. Holy land can be applied to sore spots.
Good afternoon. Tell me what to do. It says here that the belt can be washed, but do not give out water to the sink, but I did it under running water and naturally the water went into the sink? What to do? I'm going through
So that you have a clean conscience, then repent at confession of this sin and do not repeat it again. Don't worry, it's not such a big sin. For other sins that you may not worry about, but are more serious, for example, pride, condemnation, despondency, you need to think more and try to correct them.
Peace and God bless you!
Hello, please tell me, is it possible to wear this belt if I live in a civil marriage?
You can wear it, but will there be any sense? Living in fornication, is it possible to ask for the birth of children? After all, children will pay for the sins of their parents ...
Hello, tell me if I did the right thing by giving my belt after pregnancy and childbirth to my close friend, who has been dreaming of children for a long time.
Yes, of course, you did the right thing and very well. Do not worry!
Good afternoon! Can you please tell me if it is possible to wear a belt during menstruation?
Can. We always wear a pectoral cross, as well as amulets, medallions do not remove, so the Belt can be worn at this time.
Hello. Please tell me, a neighbor who has already given birth gave me her belt. I can wear it too. Thank you.
God help you, with the prayers of the Most Holy Theotokos!
Hello. Please tell me, have the Belts been sent?
Oksana, good evening!
Unfortunately not, as the post office is closed due to the February 23rd holiday. The shrines will be sent to you as soon as possible.
Hello. I ordered belts on 02/14/17. Were they sent? I'm from Dagestan, it's just that on other sites they don't send to Dagestan.
Oksana, good evening!
Yes, your order was sent to you today, February 25, as the mail was previously closed due to the holidays.
The identification number of your package will be sent to you next week.
God bless you, with the prayers of the Most Holy Theotokos!
Good evening. They sent me a small piece of the girdle of the Holy Matrona (((2 centimeters, how to use it or do you need a whole one so that you can tie yourself up?
Yes, you can carry a piece of the Belt of the Most Holy Theotokos with you, near your chest, and the benefit from it will be no less than from the whole Belt. The main thing is to have faith in God's help, through the prayers of the Most Holy Theotokos!
Good afternoon. Unfortunately the belt is lost, what to do with it? Do you need to ask God for forgiveness?
In this you need to repent, pray and seek him. Read "The Creed" more often, and this way you will be able to find it faster.
Good afternoon! I ordered a belt. Can you please tell me in how many days I will receive it?
Anna, good afternoon!
It depends on the work of the post office, we cannot say exactly when the package will arrive.
I would like to know if it has been shipped?
Hello! Tell me please, is it possible to wear a belt for an operation, in my case, a dental one.
God help you, with the prayers of the Most Holy Theotokos!
Good afternoon, I ordered a belt, how long does it take to Krasnodar?
Expect within two weeks.
Hello! Can you please tell me where I can order these belts?
You can order the Belt of the Most Holy Theotokos at the Church Shop of the Orthodox website “Family and Faith” on the page: “Belt of the Most Holy Theotokos”.
hello! I have such a belt, but recently I found out everything is bad from my friend and I would like to help her ... can you cut it off a little and give her a piece ... will this piece help her and will mine continue to act?
Yes, you can separate a part of the Belt and give it to a friend.
We also want to note that in our Church Shop, for a fairly small donation, you can purchase a whole Belt of the Blessed Virgin of a standard length.
God bless you!
Please tell me, is it possible for non-Orthodox to wear a belt, do I need to do something before putting it on?
The belt of the Blessed Virgin Mary is Orthodox shrine. If you do not belong to Orthodoxy, then there will be no great benefit from wearing the Belt.
Orthodox shrines are, as it were, a continuation of the Sacraments of the Church. Baptism, Confession and Communion.
In exceptional cases, the Most Holy Theotokos helps the heterodox. But for this you need to do good good deeds. Pray from the heart. Believe.
Help you Lord!
Good day! Today I received the belts. They asked her and her husband because they can’t get pregnant. My husband is on a flight now. Will he be at home by the beginning of February? Is it okay that the belts will lie down until he comes home? I would like to do everything together!
Yes, of course, it's okay, let them lie down.
God help you find the happiness of motherhood, with the prayers of the Most Holy Theotokos!
Hello. I lost the belt while praying at work for the birth of my sister, all the time being distracted by work, putting it in my pocket, after a while I found out that He was not there. So I didn't find it. I bought another in the monastery, I wear it, now I'm pregnant, I wear it all the time. But I worry about the lost one, it turns out that I treated the Shrine carelessly.
You go to Confession and repent of it. And the soul will feel better, and the Lord will forgive.
Hello, thank you, I ordered the belt
Oleg, good evening!
Please tell me, I wear a poesok (live help), but it is very long and interferes, can it be cut off or not?
Better not to cut. You can fold the belt to a small size and put it in a shirt (sweater) pocket.
God bless you!
Hello, please tell me, my dad has stomach cancer, he was operated on, he took a holy belt from a friend and tied his dad around, when processing the seam, it’s not clear how the belt interfered with the nurse, she untied or cut it and put it away in the evening when I arrived at the sick tsu the nurse was no longer there, they searched, they said they took out the garbage and there was no access to it, since all the garbage is dangerous.
Please tell me how to be
The belt of the Blessed Virgin is very similar to a dressing. Therefore, the nurse mistook him for a medical bandage, which, in her opinion, was no longer needed.
There is no sin on you, you bandaged your father out of the best feelings, not suspecting such a bad consequence.
You can purchase a new Belt in our Church Shop, and be careful with it already. That is, to warn the medical staff about the shrine.
We wish you God's help, and your father bodily and spiritual health!
God bless you!
Usually I write about icons and shrines that help with infertility, which are constantly in Russia, but now this is an out of the ordinary case. One of the most sacred Christian relics was delivered to Russia from Greece - the belt of the Virgin from Mount Athos.
The head of the St. Andrew the First-Called Foundation (the organizer of this action in support of the Sanctity of Motherhood program) V. Yakunin believes that "the shrine will help correct the difficult demographic situation in the country," because among other miracles, she is famous for helping infertile couples in finding children.
The originality of the event lies in the fact that the Belt of the Virgin did not leave the Vatopedi Monastery - the place of its stay on Mount Athos for more than 200 years, and the territory of Greece as much as 1600!
Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos "Holy Belt"
Location of the holy relic
The position of the belt of the Virgin
Holy belt on Russian soil
(photo by Alexey Talipov)
Belt of the Virgin Nizhny Novgorod(nne.ru)
Many kilometers of queues to the shrine
Belt consecrated on the belt of the Virgin
The belt of the Mother of God was handed over by Archimandrite Ephraim, rector of Vatopedi, to the rector of the St. Petersburg Theological Academy Ambrose, Bishop of Gatchina, and delivered to Russia. Initially, it was believed that the Belt of the Virgin would visit 11 cities of Russia - St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Norilsk, Vladivostok, Krasnoyarsk, Diveevo, Saransk, Samara, Rostov-on-Don, Kaliningrad and Moscow, but a huge number of people wishing to touch the shrine forced to adjust this list. It included 3 more cities - Tyumen, Volgograd and Stavropol.
The Belt will arrive in Moscow on November 19 and will be there in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior until November 23.
The history of the belt of the Virgin
According to a legend that has come down to us, the Mother of God wove a belt of camel hair herself and wore it until her dormition (death). This shrine and particles of the robe are the only things of the Virgin Mary that have survived to this day.
There are two versions of how the Virgin Mary disposed of her belt.
According to one, the Mother of God, after her death, appeared to the Apostle Thomas and gave him a belt as a consolation, because. he was the only one among the apostles who did not say goodbye to her, but appeared only on the third day after the burial and grieved greatly about it.
Another version is taken from the Minology of Basil II and states that the belt was given by the Mother of God shortly before her death to two widows who lived in Jerusalem, and then the relic was passed on from generation to generation by the heirs. (approx. The Minology of Basil II is an illustrated Byzantine manuscript in the genre hagiographic literature, compiled in 979-989)
In the 4th century, the emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire Arcadius brought the girdle of the Virgin to Constantinople to the Chalkopratian church. The relic was placed in a golden ark, sealed with the royal seal. In 458 Emperor Leo I transferred him to Blachernae Church.
Until the end of the 12th century, the belt remained in Constantinople.
In the tenth century, the belt of the Virgin was divided into parts. Emperors of Byzantium took one of the parts of the shrine as a talisman on military campaigns.
In 1185, during the struggle of Bulgaria for its independence from the Byzantine Empire, this part of the belt of the Virgin was captured and ended up in Bulgaria, from where it later came to Serbia.
In the XIV century Serbian prince Lazar I presented the belt, along with a particle of the true Cross of the Lord, as a gift to the Vatopedi Monastery on Mount Athos, where it is kept to this day in the sanctuary of the main monastery cathedral.
The possession of the remaining parts of the belt of the Virgin is claimed by:
- Blachernae Church in Zugdidi (Georgia);
- Cathedral of the city of Prato (Italy);
- Trier Monastery (Germany);
- Church "Umm Zunnar" ("Temple of the Belt of the Virgin") in Homs (Syria).
The celebration of the belt, called the "Position of the Honorable Belt of the Most Holy Theotokos", takes place on August 31 (old style), September 13 (new).
Miracles of the belt of the Virgin
The wife of Vasileus Leo VI the Wise (866-912), Zoya, was overwhelmed by an unclean spirit. The emperor asked the patriarch to open the ark with the holy relic. The belt was completely untouched by time. After it was applied to the patient, she completely got rid of her illness.
As a token of gratitude to the Mother of God for the miracle manifested, the empress embroidered the belt with gold thread, after which it was again enclosed in an ark and sealed.
In 1827, Father Savva, the founder of the Hilandar Monastery, writes: “In Enos, the pestilence of the plague ceased due to the graceful action of the holy Belt of the Virgin,” and then, after the holy Belt was transferred to Didymotikhon, the following entry appears: “Here, as in Enos, the plague ceased by the grace of the holy girdle."
AT late XIX century Turkish sultan Abdul-Aziz turned to the monks of Vatopedi with a request for a belt in connection with the cholera epidemic raging in Constantinople. As soon as the ship with the relic on board approached the pier of Constantinople, the epidemic that raged in the city ceased, and already sick people began to recover. Abdul-Aziz was so struck by this event that he ordered that the belt be delivered to his palace so that he could honor him.
In 1894, residents of the city of Madita (Asia Minor) were pestered by locusts that destroyed crops in the bud. Desperate people asked the fathers of the Vatopedi monastery to provide them with the belt of the Virgin to fight this evil. As soon as the ship with the Belt approached the harbor, a cloud of locusts rising from the fields darkened the sky and then, to the amazement of those present, rushed into the sea.
The miraculous belt of the Virgin still performs many miracles. He is especially honored for the help he provides to women suffering from infertility.
The Vatopedi monastery has many letters in which women who have found the joy of motherhood put photographs of their babies born through this relic. “Agiazonites” (i.e. “holy-bearers” - a nickname given to the Vatopedi monks) help barren women without violating the charter of their male monastery (after all, visiting the monastery by women is strictly prohibited). On the ark, where the belt of the Virgin is kept, they consecrate the ribbons and distribute them to the husbands of barren couples. These makeshift belts are prayerfully tied around a woman's waist and worn until the very birth.
Address of the location of the belt of the Virgin
Coordinates: N 40°18"51", E 24°12"40".
Greece, Holy Mount Athos, monastery Vatopedi (in the northeast of the Athos peninsula, between the monasteries of Esfigmen and Pantokrator).
Vatopedi Monastery
63086 Karyes, Mount Athos
Greece
phone 8-10-30-23770-41488 (time for calls from 09.00 to 13.00)
fax 8-10-30-23770-41462
Belt of the Virgin in Russia
As already mentioned above, the miraculous belt will be in Moscow from November 19 to 23.
Small practical advice, based on the experience of those who have already touched the holy relic.
Because there are a huge number of people who want to kiss the belt, then the time of unity with this holy miracle is, to put it mildly, small, and the number of issued ribbons for consecration is also small, so it makes sense to stock up on a small skein of braid and consecrate it. Subsequently, it will not be difficult to cut this braid into the required number of belts.
Those who suffer, who, due to various circumstances, cannot touch the girdle of the Virgin Mary, should not despair. The monks of the Vatopedi Monastery, as mentioned earlier, consecrate belts-ribbons on the holy belt. Upon request to the address of the monastery with a description of their problem, the monks send them by mail along with recommendations for use.
How to wear the belt of the Blessed Virgin
Here are excerpts from a pamphlet issued with a belt: "... Believers gird themselves with this belt for a while, living by repentance, confession, prayer and communion of the Holy Mysteries. Spouses do the same, adding to this fasting and marital abstinence, if possible and by mutual agreement...
So nothing complicated - tie a belt, believe, live righteously and may you be rewarded according to your Faith.
Belt of the Virgin - documentary Arcadia Mamontov