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October
9, 2009
Mayfield, PA: The Miraculous Icon of the Mother of God the “Softener
of Evil Hearts” visited St. John the Baptist Cathedral
On
Thursday, October 1, the miraculous icon of the Mother of God the
“Softener of Evil Hearts” visited St. John the Baptist Cathedral
in Mayfield, Pennsylvania. The icon was greeted by the Very Reverend
Mitred Archpriest John D. Sorochka and Protodeacon Gregory Petrochko
upon arrival and entered into the Cathedral, which was filled to
capacity with over 1000 worshippers. Mitred Archpriest John
Sorochka, Archpriest David Hritcko (St. Basil’s Church, Simpson, PA)
and Protodeacon Gregory Petrochko served a moleben to the Theotokos.
It
has been reported that this icon, located in the Cathedral of Christ
the Savior in Moscow, miraculously streamed myrrh during the election
of the new Patriarch, Kyrill. This icon is also called the
“Symeon’s Prophecy” icon. According to the Evangelist Luke, the
Holy Spirit told the righteous Elder Symeon the God-Receiver that he
would not die until he had seen the Messiah. Thus, forty days after
the Divine Infant’s birth, His parents brought Him to the Temple of
Jerusalem, and Symeon “was inspired” to come there as well, and
took the Infant into the his arms (hence the title
“God-Receiver”), and pronounced those famous words that we use in
St. Symeon’s Prayer, “Lord now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in
peace, according to Thy word...” (Luke 2:29). Just as Christ would
be pierced with nails and a spear, so the soul of the Most-Pure
Theotokos would be pierced by weapon of sorrow and pain in the heart,
when she saw her Son’s suffering. After that, the hidden thoughts of
the people regarding the Messiah would be revealed, and they would
face a choice: to be with Christ, or against Him. Such an
interpretation of Symeon’s prophecy became the subject of a number
of Icons of the Theotokos. All those who turn to this icon in prayer
sense that with the softening of evil hearts comes easing of spiritual
and physical suffering. People come to recognize that when they pray
for their enemies before this Icon, their feelings of enmity are
softened, and that strife and hatreds leave, giving way to kindness.
Photo-report.
Media
Office of the Eastern American Diocese
