H
Harpazo
Guest
Glory to Jesus Christ!
Last Thursday, I was blessed to see and venerate a miraculous icon of the Mother of God at a nearby church. If you have never heard of the story of the Kursk Root Icon, it’s definitely an amazing one. This icon of the Theotokos was found by a hunter face down in the city of Kursk on a tree root in the late 13th century. (Before this, the Tartars invaded Kursk, completely ransacking the city.) When the hunter picked it up, a spring of fresh, pure water gushed forth and it has not stopped to this day. The icon was brought to another nearby city to be enshrined, but somehow kept disappearing back to the root in Kursk. Finally understanding that this was where the Mother of God wanted her icon to be, the hunter and others built a chapel for the icon there.
Over the centuries, many miracles have occurred through the icon, such as St. Seraphim of Sarov being healed by it as a child. During the Russian Revolution, the icon was moved out of Russia for fear that the Communists would try to destroy it. In fact, the Soviets tried to seal the spring up with cement, but the water would not be bound by their satanic deeds. The icon was brought to America where it has been in New York for the past 90 years.
It was recently brought back Russia. While the delegation of Orthodox priests from the States was on the plane, the pilot came on the loudspeaker and announced that the miracle working icon was on the flight. Everyone became silent and the priests read prayers while people, stewardesses even, came to venerate the Kursk Root Icon. When the plane landed, there was a throng of clergy waiting along with numerous faithful waiting to see the icon. The Kursk Root Icon was taken first to Christ the Savior Cathedral where the Patriarch of Moscow, His Holiness Kirill prayed services.
Many people waited 8 hours in line just to kiss the icon for 2 seconds. Women stood in the parks weeping because they could not venerate the icon while the army stood locked arm to arm for miles while it processed through Kursk, stopping at various chapels and monasteries. Molebens, akathists, canons and other services were held around the clock in churches and chapels, while liturgies were conducted everyday for weeks when the icon was in Kursk.
Below are some pictures of the icon in Kursk:
The arrival of the icon. I cannot imagine the any pilot announcing that a wonderworking icon was aboard the plane. It’s harder to imagine that thousands would wait to see it arrive at the airport.
The faithful venerating the icon.
The PM of Russia, Vladimir Putin venerates the icon. Something, I would never imagine we would see in America.
The icon being processed through Kursk. The green that you see the clergy walking on was 29 kilometers of flower leaves and stems with blue petals on the outside. If you look towards the back of this photo you can see the army keeping order.
http://www.synod.com/synod/pictures/images/9kt12krestnyhod_046_jpg.jpg
To show the shear number of people following the procession in Kursk. The city has a population of 500,000 and all 500,000 came out to see it. Stores and shops were closed and schools were shut down for the day.
http://www.synod.com/synod/pictures/images/9kt12krestnyhod_113_jpg.jpg
A billboard promoting the icon’s arrival. Again, something we just don’t see in America.
http://www.synod.com/synod/pictures/images/9kt12krestnyhod_142_jpg.jpg
More people waiting to see the Mother of God.
source of photos: ROCOR Unity
Here all of these people came to see the icon, and I felt like it was a sacrifice to take time out of my schedule to drive 90 minutes up the road to see it. It was truly an amazing experience and I feel blessed to have been able to be with it for a little while. God’s grace was just pouring out of it. The icon was on its last tour across the United States and will return to Russia, back to Kursk where it was once found.
Here are pictures from the church where the icon was brought last week. I drove up with my priest and his family. He is the one with the really long beard and glasses (and whose vestments don’t match the others).
Thank you for letting me share this.
May God bless you all!
In Christ,
Andrew
PS, my apologies for the pictures being so huge.
Last Thursday, I was blessed to see and venerate a miraculous icon of the Mother of God at a nearby church. If you have never heard of the story of the Kursk Root Icon, it’s definitely an amazing one. This icon of the Theotokos was found by a hunter face down in the city of Kursk on a tree root in the late 13th century. (Before this, the Tartars invaded Kursk, completely ransacking the city.) When the hunter picked it up, a spring of fresh, pure water gushed forth and it has not stopped to this day. The icon was brought to another nearby city to be enshrined, but somehow kept disappearing back to the root in Kursk. Finally understanding that this was where the Mother of God wanted her icon to be, the hunter and others built a chapel for the icon there.
Over the centuries, many miracles have occurred through the icon, such as St. Seraphim of Sarov being healed by it as a child. During the Russian Revolution, the icon was moved out of Russia for fear that the Communists would try to destroy it. In fact, the Soviets tried to seal the spring up with cement, but the water would not be bound by their satanic deeds. The icon was brought to America where it has been in New York for the past 90 years.
It was recently brought back Russia. While the delegation of Orthodox priests from the States was on the plane, the pilot came on the loudspeaker and announced that the miracle working icon was on the flight. Everyone became silent and the priests read prayers while people, stewardesses even, came to venerate the Kursk Root Icon. When the plane landed, there was a throng of clergy waiting along with numerous faithful waiting to see the icon. The Kursk Root Icon was taken first to Christ the Savior Cathedral where the Patriarch of Moscow, His Holiness Kirill prayed services.
Many people waited 8 hours in line just to kiss the icon for 2 seconds. Women stood in the parks weeping because they could not venerate the icon while the army stood locked arm to arm for miles while it processed through Kursk, stopping at various chapels and monasteries. Molebens, akathists, canons and other services were held around the clock in churches and chapels, while liturgies were conducted everyday for weeks when the icon was in Kursk.
Below are some pictures of the icon in Kursk:
The arrival of the icon. I cannot imagine the any pilot announcing that a wonderworking icon was aboard the plane. It’s harder to imagine that thousands would wait to see it arrive at the airport.
The faithful venerating the icon.
The PM of Russia, Vladimir Putin venerates the icon. Something, I would never imagine we would see in America.
The icon being processed through Kursk. The green that you see the clergy walking on was 29 kilometers of flower leaves and stems with blue petals on the outside. If you look towards the back of this photo you can see the army keeping order.
http://www.synod.com/synod/pictures/images/9kt12krestnyhod_046_jpg.jpg
To show the shear number of people following the procession in Kursk. The city has a population of 500,000 and all 500,000 came out to see it. Stores and shops were closed and schools were shut down for the day.
http://www.synod.com/synod/pictures/images/9kt12krestnyhod_113_jpg.jpg
A billboard promoting the icon’s arrival. Again, something we just don’t see in America.
http://www.synod.com/synod/pictures/images/9kt12krestnyhod_142_jpg.jpg
More people waiting to see the Mother of God.
source of photos: ROCOR Unity
Here all of these people came to see the icon, and I felt like it was a sacrifice to take time out of my schedule to drive 90 minutes up the road to see it. It was truly an amazing experience and I feel blessed to have been able to be with it for a little while. God’s grace was just pouring out of it. The icon was on its last tour across the United States and will return to Russia, back to Kursk where it was once found.
Here are pictures from the church where the icon was brought last week. I drove up with my priest and his family. He is the one with the really long beard and glasses (and whose vestments don’t match the others).
Thank you for letting me share this.
May God bless you all!In Christ,
Andrew
PS, my apologies for the pictures being so huge.
