I’m Roman Catholic too but I have love and respect towards my brothers of east! I hope we can be one one day! Because we profess the same Christ risen and the same baptism! And our dear mother Mary is rock of our faith the foundation of our spiritual life as one of Catholic saints said once he would ask his priest or monks who was his patron saints! When he would not hear Mary first mother of all saints he would be troubled and ask the superiors to keep an eye on them closely! Christ bless you soul to all!
When I was a child in Catholic school we prayed to Our Lady for Mother Russia. She DID save them and the Church flourishes. And I am now Orthodox. Слава богу за всё.
We were blessed many times here in Scandinavia too by this miraculous icon. Last time I remember I was standing so close to it and I felt how it radiated towards us. After the Holy Liturgy I could hardly stay awake... our other parishioners noticed same reaction....I was so happy and peaceful after I worshipped this miraculous icon and I slept same afternoon like a baby in mother's arms... Glory be to God!
@@AnnetteMurphygeragreed i am against that kind of language, there used to be a big translation error in the early centuries of the church where the word “Veneration” which means to give or show respect to a person depicted on an icon was translated as “worship” because some languages didn’t have a word for veneration. That’s why many denominations and religions such as islam have problems with icons cause they mistake it for idolatry for the translation error
Thank you Father , the many miracles that let us know that Gods mighty power surrounds us always is a beautiful gift always to be treasured . The many miracles beautiful help replenishes our hearts and strengthens our souls . Thank you for your many homilies , they will always be beautiful gift to me . God bless you and keep you Father Spyridon.. 🥀🥀☦️🥀🥀
As a Catholic I love my orthodox brothers and saints and may their prayers be with us a Catholic Saint once said when he would ask new priest or becoming priests or monks-that who was their patron saint? Anyone who would not say Mary mother of god mother of saints he would be troubled and asked superiors to keep close watch for them! My holy Mary pray for us and not abandon us in the hands of the accuser and prideful!
How awesome to have this icon in your home! I would have felt blessed and humbled at the same time! Thank you for sharing it with us! I was also amazed at the size of the crowd that turned out to venerate the icon! Such faith and devotion is inspiring! The Theotokos is truly our Mother and advocate!
@@AnnetteMurphyger you don’t truly understand the very first church, Orthodoxy…it was the very first church since the apostles…therefore you don’t understand that they do not worship idols…they respect icons, not idols…read up on it before you go passing judgement…I did, as well…it makes sense now…peace🙏
@@AnnetteMurphyger again it’s not the “worship” of icons…it’s reverence. How can we judge something we know nothing about? Hopefully, one day we can all come together as believers in Christ. I truly say this with all respect, dear sister🙏
Wow what a great story. And a great gift and honor to you Father thank you for sharing it and the story in your words with US your family. During the story I felt happy and as if I was there.
Yes Father the Mother of God, the Blessed Virgin Mary is an extraordinary woman. She is very miraculous. I have had a few encounters with Her through my journey in life and in my house as well. "Holy Mother of God pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen"
@@AnnetteMurphygerIcons are not idols... They're windows into heaven. They show us Our Lord Jesus Christ, His Most-Blessed Mother and the Saints. Plus Iconography has been used for all of the history of the Church and was used in the tabernacle of Moses as it was commanded by God
This is such a beautiful special icon. Years ago, this icon came to our monastery . I was blessed to be able to hold this icon. I was so surprised how heavy it was. I was told it is weighted for security reasons in case someone tried to steal it.🙏🏻 Thank you father Spyridon I really enjoy your talks.
We had the Great Blessing to have Her Bless our Home 2 separate times in the Bay Area. Now though we must sell our Blessed Home and pray that God delivers Blessed buyer to carry on her work Additionally we had the Hawaii Iveron Icon also Bless our Home.
Respected father your blessings..please pray to our most holy mother of god for me if possible...you and your family are truly blessed.thankyou your blessings.+
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal have mercy on us. The whole world is falling into a terrible deception. Lord protect your Church and all its people from the snares of the evil one in these last days.
This truly blessed me, thank you for sharing this most wonderful icon. I was in awe to the throngs of people following this icon in Russia, it bolstered my faith.
This Icon came to our small parish three hours south of Chicago earlier this year. I walked in, venerated the Icon, and said prayers for myself and my family. ( A miracle did occur two weeks later in my family). I was also humbled to learn that people in Russia will stand in line for days to venerate this Icon.
Pastor i am surprised you kissed an idol...I love you anyway and you will find the fault one day.no graven images...take those down...See no matter how brilliant how blessed a man is he still sins.
So you deny that God can work miracles through others or that God dwells in others and empowers them? Did God not part the Red Sea through Moses? Did Prophet Elijah not help the widow's son? Did Peter not raise up Tabitha?
@@youyou9198Jesus said 'I am the Way, the Truth and the Life no one comes to the Father except through me' John 14:6. Jesus is the only way not Mary nor any one else.
I was born orthodox and wasn't one of the 10 commandments thou shall not worship any graven image? Im not trying to upset, just searching for the truth?
@@zarnoffa Luke painted the first icon of the Theotokos, is that a good enough source for you? Also, the very first icon is from Our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, when he wiped his face on a towel and imprinted an icon of Himself, the Icon Not Made By Hands.
Robert Taylor I understand these are traditions like those of the origin of red eggs at Easter. Not so sure they are true, but I am sure St. Paul’s and St Luke’s writings are true. Thanks.
@@zarnoffa Your incredulity is your loss, not ours. These are blessings that you exclude from your life pedantically. God is more than the Holy scriptures. He is above human language.
gerrie van der lee greetings from Toronto my dear friend! Christ bless your soul. It was interesting and different scenes of mount Athos! May Christ bless your soul!
@@JohnPaul-lc1ol Thank yopu so much . I wish for you to have a good Pasha next week (sorry, my English is not so good ) May I ask if you are a priest or a Monk?
gerrie van der lee thank you 🙏 I wish you the very same! Your English is very good! To be honest I am neither I am lay men! No priest or monk for I do not posses the grace!
We should not bow down and kiss graven images for it doesn't have precedence in the scriptures. The devil can work signs and wonders. God is not in these icons and cannot be contacted through them, He has nothing to do with them and the only one who can rescue us from our troubles and afflictions is the Lord Jesus, not Mary.
Firstly, I’m realizing you have an icon of Jesus as your profile pic, so that’s at least some form of veneration. The injunction against graven images in Exodus 20 should be read in context with the verse directly before it, “Do not have other gods before me”, since later in Exodus God commands that on the very seat where he will reside in the Temple they should put two images of cherubim, as well as that in the temple, various images are made, such as cherubim on the veil to the Holy of Holies, and pomegranates on the priest’s robes. Solomon’s temple would later have even more images, including two enormous statues of cherubim to either side of the ark of the covenant, carvings of cherubim, palm trees, and flower blossoms on the inner and outer walls and doors. “But I enter your house by the abundance of your faithful love; I bow down toward your holy temple in reverential awe of you.” Psalms 5. So we should conclude that the commandment against images is actually a commandment against false gods, since God doesn’t contradict himself. Now, Orthodox believe that Jesus was fully incarnated as human (and remained fully God), and so, St. John of Damascus says, “But when you think of God, who is a pure spirit, becoming man for your sake, then you can clothe him in a human form. When the invisible becomes visible to the eye, you may then draw his form. When he who is a pure spirit, immeasurable in the boundlessness of his own nature, existing as God, takes on the form of a servant and a body of flesh, then you may draw his likeness, and show it to anyone who is willing to contemplate it.” And then a little later “Now, however, when God has been seen clothed in flesh, and talking with mortals, I make an image of the God whom I see. I do not worship matter, I worship the God of matter, who became matter for my sake, and deigned to inhabit matter, who worked out my salvation through matter. I will not cease from honoring that matter which works my salvation. I venerate it, though not as God. How could God be born out of lifeless things? And if God’s body is God by its union with him, it is changeless. The nature of God remains the same as before, the flesh created in time is brought to life by a logical and reasoning soul.” There’s a lot of more that could be said about this, including that archaeological findings have unearthed a first century Jewish synagogue completely full of iconography of Biblical figures. (If you’re interested in seeing actual pictures of it, you can look up “Dura Europos Synagogue”) I will finish by saying that God’s Holy presence “radiates” his power in matter, as shown in Acts 19, “God was performing extraordinary miracles by Paul’s hands, so that even facecloths or aprons that had touched his skin were brought to the sick, and the diseases left them, and the evil spirits came out of them.”, 2 Kings 13, “Once, as the Israelites were burying a man, suddenly they saw a raiding party, so they threw the man into Elisha’s tomb. When he touched Elisha’s bones, the man revived and stood up!“, or even in the case of Jesus, in Matthew 14 for example, “When the men of that place recognized him, they alerted the whole vicinity and brought to him all who were sick. They begged him that they might only touch the end of his robe, and as many as touched it were healed.”
M B But then, Charismatics can also work physical healings, but they aren't getting people's souls saved. People get healed on the street and continue to live in sin. Jesus even said that many would heal and do many wonderful works in His name and not know Him.
With just a little time and effort you could have done some reading. The Church dealt with this kind of accusation hundreds of years ago. Christians died defending icons from this type of response. How much longer must the Church suffer at the hands of the world? If you had just a small amount of knowledge you wouldn't post such offensive words. If only protestants would learn about the Church they'd be able to move on from their heresy. But instead they repeat the same daft arguments centuries after God led the Church to truth on the issue. You must repent of this, for you will surely face judgement for attacking God's holy objects. This is what comes of thinking you have the authority or spiritual wisdom to interpret the Bible as you see fit. The Church Fathers are very clear and how to understand the Bible - you make yourself a little pope when you declare yourself the ultimate authority. Rant over!
@@asthestars4459 We dont worship the icons or anyone else for that matter but God Almighty himself. What do you find wrong with kissing icons? So i have a picture of my family in my wallet and everytime i travel out of country i take the picture out to remind me of them and i kiss it. So by your view this must be me idolizing and doing some pagan ritual ? No this is me showing love to my family not to the material that the painting is made. So when we kiss the icon we dont show love to the wood or paint that the icon is made from but we direct our love directly to the holy person right inside of the picture.
@@asthestars4459 Hay again. If you remeber early Christianity when Christians were getting persecuted by the Roman Empire for being Christians they use to hide in caves and catacombs. You will find that each time one of these caves or catacombs is dug up wathes it be in Isreal,Lebabon,Syria, Sinai,Turkey you can see that the walls were covered literally covered with ICONS. This is clear archeological and historical facts about Christianity and icons. But im afraid you protestants wouldnt have the slightest clue of what im talking about. Eather way stay blessed.
