|
Commemorated on August 31
The Placing of the
Venerable Belt of the Most Holy Mother of God in the Constantinople
Blakhernae Church was during the reign of the emperor Arcadius (395‑408).
Before this the holy relict, entrusted to the Apostle Thomas by the Mother of
God Herself, was after Her Dormition thereafter kept at Jerusalem by pious
Christians. After many years, during the reign of emperor Leo the Wise
(886-911), from the Belt of the Mother of God was accomplished a miraculous
healing of his spouse Zoa, suffering from an unclean spirit.
The empress had a
vision, that she would be healed of her infirmity when the Belt of the Mother
of God would be placed upon her. The emperor turned with his petition to the
Patriarch. The Patriarch removed the seal and opened the vessel in which the
relict was kept: the Belt of the Mother of God appeared completely whole and
undamaged by time. The Patriarch placed the Belt on the sick empress, and she
immediately was freed from her infirmity. They served a solemn thanksgiving
molieben to the Most Holy Mother of God, and the venerable Belt they placed back
into the vessel and resealed the seal.
In commemoration of
the miraculous occurrence and the twofold Placing of the venerable Belt, the
feast of the Placing of the Venerable Belt of the Most Holy Mother of God was
established. Parts of the holy Belt are in the Athos Batopedia monastery, in
Trier monastery and in Gruzia (Georgia).
© 1996-2001 by translator Fr. S. Janos.
|
Close window |