Places of the appearance of the Virgin Mary. The phenomenon of the appearance of the Virgin Mary (6 photos). The most famous cases in the modern world

An order came from the Holy Kinot: no more alms to be given out.

Exactly 112 years ago, on September 3 (August 21, old style), 1903, an event unnoticed by the world took place in the Russian St. Panteleimon Monastery on Mount Athos. On this day the brethren last time was supposed to distribute alms at the monastery gates to the poor monks-Syromakhs (wandering around Athos “without specific place residence"), pilgrims and wanderers. The last time - because an order came from the Holy Kinot (Svyatogorsk government): not to give out any more alms. It's ineffective. This corrupts the monks staggering from monastery to monastery, healthy and not yet old, but inclined to live at the expense of others, instead of working and being obedient... (Isn’t this a familiar situation? How many homeless people do you meet - not on Athos, but in the Moscow metro, on the streets - and every time there is a moral problem: to give or not to give? Especially when it is obvious: the person will drink the “alms”, and your “help” seems to bring nothing but harm).

Monk Gabriel saw in the photograph the figure of a Woman humbly receiving a piece of bread

But the fate of Athonite homeless and needy people changed dramatically under the influence of one photograph. The distribution of alms that day was recorded by the monk Gabriel. Having shown the negative, he, to his great surprise, saw on black and white photography the figure of a poorly dressed Woman humbly receiving a blessed piece of bread. The news quickly spread throughout the monastery; it was reported that one hermit also saw a beautiful Woman several times during the distribution of alms at the monastery gates. Needless to say, after this the ban on giving alms was forgotten.

Apparitions of the Mother of God on the Holy Mountain are not uncommon events. Once or several times in life, in a dream or in reality, many Athonite ascetics see Her. But when the Mother of God leaves a visible sign of her presence, this means some kind of message: a warning, admonition, a manifestation of mercy. This is what happened with the famous Vatopedi Icon of the Mother of God, and this is what happened this time. An enlarged photograph of the monk Gabriel now hangs on the wall of the St. Panteleimon Monastery, a source has been brought to the site of the apparition, and cases of relief from illnesses have been recorded after taking water from it. A new, light-painted image of the Virgin Mary was born from this story. However, the negative of the photograph was lost, and after numerous shocks (including fires) experienced by the monastery in the 20th century, there was no hope of returning it.

Troparion to the appearance of the Illustrated Face Holy Mother of God

We bow to Your Most Pure Face, O Good One, asking for intercession for us, Mother of God, by the will of You you have deigned to appear among the brethren, so that You may deliver them from their sorrow. Thus we cry out to You with gratitude: You fill all with joy, O Most Pure Virgin, who entrust themselves to Your Protection.

Kontakion to the Apparition of the Illuminated Face of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Your indescribable and merciful look towards man, Most Honest Cherub and Most Glorious Without Comparison Seraphim. And Your light-revealed and self-depicted image, evidence of the appearance of Your ineffable love and mercy, we honor with kisses.

There is hardly a single person in the world who has not heard of Virgin Mary. From the first days after her dormition to this day, the Blessed Virgin Mary helps Christians. According to the Holy Scriptures, the Mother of God, appearing to the apostles on the third day after Her Dormition, told them: “Rejoice, I will be with you all the days.”

It is noted that apparition of the Virgin Mary most often coincide with some future catastrophes, wars and other large-scale disasters.

The Virgin Mary supposedly warns people of danger. Most often She appears in the form of a light female silhouette, as if woven from a haze. According to church scriptures, Jesus crucified on the cross entrusted His Mother to the care of John the Evangelist, his beloved disciple, and all humanity to the Most Holy Theotokos.

There is an opinion that the Mother of God does not appear to everyone, but only to those who deeply believe and listen to her advice. Of course, this Divine miracle, like all other miracles, is subject to criticism and disbelief by skeptics. But be that as it may, there are known cases when Divine help contributed to the salvation of people.

SENORA GUADELUPE

In Latin America, the most revered shrine is miraculous image Virgin Mary of Guadalupe. She is considered the patroness of both Americas and is called: “Our Lady Guadalupe.” It all started in December 1531, when 17-year-old Indian Juan Diego, walking to morning mass past Tepeyac Hill, heard someone singing from above.

Climbing the hill, the young man saw a young woman who looked more like his fellow tribesmen than a Spanish woman. The woman seemed to be inside a shining cloud. She introduced herself as the Mother of God. For four days in a row, the Virgin Mary appeared to Juan Diego, turning to the young man with a request that a church be built on this hill, where everyone could honor her Son, Jesus Christ.

However, the priests decided that the young man was simply fantasizing, because the Indians, as the Spaniards then believed, had no soul, which means that the Virgin Mary could not appear to them.

Then the Virgin Mary ordered the Indian to collect flowers on a rocky hill. The young man obeyed meekly, even though he knew very well that nothing grew there. And suddenly he saw rose bush, growing right on the stone. “Here is My sign,” said the Virgin Mary. “Take these roses, wrap them in your cloak and take them to the bishop.” This time he will believe you."

When Juan Diego unrolled his cloak in front of the bishop, everyone present fell to their knees: the image of the Blessed Virgin was imprinted on the fabric of the cloak. After this, six million Indians converted to Christianity. Thus the baptism of Latin America took place.

"I AM THE IMMACULATE CONCEPT"

The small city of Lourdes, located in southwestern France, became widely famous in 1858 thanks to the 14-year-old girl Bernadette Soubirous. It was she who was honored to witness as many as 18 (!) apparitions of the Virgin Mary. In the cold February of 1858, Bernadette and other children were collecting branches for kindling in the grove.

To get to the deposits of branches, they had to ford a stream. When Bernadette came out to the other side, she heard a noise similar to the sound of the wind, and near the grotto that opened to her gaze she saw a lady in a white dress, at whose feet were scattered yellow roses. Surprisingly, no one else saw anything.

This time the girl did not dare talk to the stranger; she decided that it was the ghost of a recently deceased village resident. Despite her fear, she was drawn to the grotto, and she came there again and again. Now the girl understood that the Virgin Mary was appearing before her, asking her to pray for sinners. During one of her apparitions, the Mother of God gave Bernadette an instruction: “Go to the priests and say: I want a chapel to be built here.”

But the priests took the stories as empty fiction, and the girl as completely crazy. Only her confessor asked to know the woman’s name. And Our Lady answered: “I am the Immaculate Conception.” When the girl conveyed these words to him, the priest was amazed to the core.

Bernadette could not know that shortly before the events described, Pope Pius IX proclaimed the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. And the ministers themselves had previously used the expression “Sinless Conception.” And this meant that the girl really communicates with the Virgin Mary.

The Mother of God also showed Bernadette a miraculous source, to which millions of people subsequently began to flock. In the first year alone, five officially certified healings took place at this source. Bernadette later became a nun under the name Maria Bernarda and died at the age of 35. Already in 1933 she was canonized by the Catholic Church.

Before recognizing her as a saint, representatives of the Catholic Church opened the grave three times. Witnesses to the exhumation were not only priests, but also doctors and other respected members of society. And each time they were all convinced: the body of Bernadette Soubirous was not touched by decomposition. A temple was built at the site of the appearance of the Virgin Mary, and Lourdes is now visited by about five million pilgrims a year.

FATIMA MIRACLE

Perhaps the most significant and famous series of apparitions of the Mother of God began in May 1917 in the Portuguese city of Fatima.

First, the Virgin Mary appeared to three children: Lucie, Jacinta and Francisco, who were playing in a field not far from their house. She asked if they were ready to become the chosen ones of the Lord in order to atone for the insults and blasphemies inflicted on the Mother of God. They enthusiastically agreed.

When leaving, she ordered the children to pray daily for peace and the salvation of sinners and ordered them to come to the meeting place on the thirteenth day of each month. The boys told their parents about everything, and they, in turn, told their neighbors. And already on the 13th of the next month, about 60 people accompanied the children.

It must be said that no one saw the appearance of the Mother of God except these three guys, nevertheless, every month there were more and more people on the field.

Pilgrims began to flock to Fatima from all over the world. Two days before October 13, all the roads leading to the city were clogged with carts and pedestrians. Waiting for the appearance of the Virgin Mary, people, and there were about 70 thousand of them, slept on the ground, despite the cold October rain that had been falling for three days.

Everyone was soaked to the skin. At noon, everyone present knelt down, despite the mud and puddles. Lucia, seeing the Mother of God, exclaimed: “Here she is!”, and everyone saw how the children were enveloped in a light white cloud. It rose up three times and fell again on the children.

Then eyewitnesses said that the rain suddenly stopped, the sun came out, but its appearance was strange: a disk surrounded by a shining crown, which you could look at without squinting.

In front of everyone’s eyes, the sun first spun like a huge fiery wheel, scattering multi-colored bright flashes in all directions, then it seemed to separate from the sky and began to spiral downwards, radiating heat. This sun dance lasted at least ten minutes and was visible many kilometers from Fatima.

When it was all over, people were surprised to find that their clothes were suddenly dry. This was the last appearance of the Mother of God to children.

The Virgin Mary left them three predictions, the last of which was revealed only recently. The first and second were made public by permission of Pope Pius XII in 1942. One spoke of an impending war that would claim millions of lives (apparently referring to the Second world war). The second prophecy concerned Russia, which must devote its heart to the Virgin Mary so that peace and tranquility will replace the chaos in the country.

But the third message remained a sealed secret for a long time. Only in 2000 did Pope John Paul II lift the veil: it concerned an attempt on his life. Indeed, in 1981, John Paul II was shot by a Turkish terrorist.

But that's not all: presumably, the third message also contains information about the further tragic fate of the Catholic Church. It seems that church hierarchs prefer to hide it so as not to cause unrest among believers.

ON THE ROAD OF WAR

Immediately after the invasion of Hitler’s troops into the territory of the USSR, Patriarch of Antioch Alexander III accepted seclusion and retired to the dungeon in which the icon of the Mother of God was kept. Without food, water or sleep, he prayed for help for Russia.

Three days later, the Virgin Mary appeared to him and said: “Temples, monasteries, theological academies and seminaries should be opened throughout the country. Priests must be returned from the fronts and released from prisons. They must start serving. There is no way to surrender Leningrad! Let them take it out miraculous icon The Kazan Mother of God and will carry her in a religious procession around the city, then not a single enemy will set foot on his holy land. A prayer service must be performed in front of the Kazan Icon in Moscow, then it must arrive in Stalingrad. The Kazan icon must go with the troops to the borders of Russia.”

Surprisingly, Stalin heeded these words. He promised Metropolitans Alexy and Sergius all assistance. The Icon of the Kazan Mother of God was taken out of the Vladimir Cathedral, it was carried in a religious procession around Leningrad, and the city survived.

According to some reports, the plane, controlled by Stalin’s personal pilot, flew around the defended Moscow with the miraculous Kazan image on board. Few people know that Battle of Stalingrad began with a prayer service. Then the icon stood among our troops on the right bank of the Volga, and the Germans were unable to cross the river, no matter how hard they tried.

PHENOMENON IN CHERNOBYL

The rector of St. Elias Church Nikolai Yakushin says: “On a rainy spring evening in the sky over Chernobyl, many townspeople saw a female silhouette descending from the rain clouds in an extraordinary radiance. On certain time the rain had completely subsided and there was an extraordinary silence. Witnesses of the phenomenon realized with fear that something especially important was happening concerning the city itself.

From the unclear silhouette, an image similar to the image of the Virgin Mary in the form of Oranta gradually became clearly visible.

The townspeople saw in the hands of the Mother of God a bunch of dry grass, which she dropped; the grass fell and scattered across the wet ground. In May, when everything everywhere begins to turn green, bloom and bloom, dried grass is practically not found.

And here on earth in large quantities It turned out to be dry stems of grass called Chernobyl. At one time the radiance moved to the St. Elias Church, and the Holy Virgin blessed with both hands God's temple. The vision left as suddenly as it appeared.”

Then the appearance of the Virgin Mary was interpreted in its own way: supposedly Mother of God blessed the temple, and dry grass most likely meant a bad year. Only 20 years later did the meaning become clear miraculous phenomenon Mother of God. She warned of impending danger, because it was no coincidence that she dropped a bunch of dry grass, called Chernobyl, or wormwood, on the city of the same name.

“The third angel sounded, and a great star fell from heaven, burning like a lamp, and fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. The name of this star is “wormwood,” and the third part of the waters became wormwood, and many of the people died from the waters, because they became bitter” (Revelation of St. John the Theologian 8:10-11).

The life of Saint Andrew describes the vision that opened to him: he was shown the beauties of paradise, but, not seeing the Mother of God anywhere, he asked his mysterious companion: “Where is She?” In response I heard: “She walks the earth and collects the tears of those who cry.” This is how the Blessed Virgin Mary walks to this hour and will always walk the earth, collecting the tears of the suffering.

One of the soldiers who took part in the assault on Koenigsberg in 1944 said: “When the front commander arrived, there were priests with him with an icon of the Mother of God. After serving the prayer service, they calmly walked towards the front line. Suddenly, for no apparent reason, the shooting from the German side stopped, and our troops began their assault.

The incredible happened: the Germans died in the thousands and thousands surrendered! The captured Germans later said in one voice: “Before the Russian assault began, Madonna appeared in the sky, which was visible to the whole German army. At this time, absolutely everyone’s weapon failed - they could not fire a single shot.”

Everyone remembers the tragedy in Budennovsk in 1995, when Basayev’s gang captured the staff and patients of the central city hospital. In those terrible days local residents Several times we saw in the sky the image of a grieving woman, dressed in dark clothes and standing at a cross formed by clouds.

Apparitions of the Virgin Mary occurred both before the terrorist attack itself and after the militants left the city. Many are still convinced that some of the terrorists were demoralized by Her appearance and this was the decisive moment for the release of the hostages.

FICTION OR REALITY?

There is still no consensus about the apparitions of the Virgin Mary. People react differently to such rumors. Those who were lucky enough to witness this miracle indignantly reject the idea of ​​a hoax. Skeptics shrug their shoulders.

It must be said that scientists have not yet managed to solve this mystery. Some of them explain this by reasons more familiar to the modern world. For example, the French-American scientist Jacques Vallee is sure that aliens are actually involved in the Fatima miracle.

“The famous visions at Fatima are a striking historical example of the religious overtones of UFO encounters. Factual side events are fairly well known, but I'm willing to bet that the true essence of what happened in 1917 near this small Portuguese town is known to few.

Even fewer people, I believe, know that the series of sightings of a creature believed to be the Virgin Mary began two years earlier with a series of classic UFO sightings,” Valle wrote in the book “Parallel World.”

Russian scientist V. Mezentsev explains that the sun dance, which was observed by 70 thousand pilgrims who came to Fatima on October 13, 1917, together with their children, was an optical illusion, a trick of light. Be that as it may, the Roman Catholic Church officially recognized the Fatima miracle and many other apparitions of the Virgin Mary.

Today, when the world is continually shaken by catastrophes, tragedies, confrontations, intolerance and wars, perhaps we should not break spears in meaningless disputes, but simply heed these warnings and hear the main call of the Most Holy Theotokos: “People, stop in your madness!”

And then the world will become more good and less grief.

Galina BELYSHEVA

Today the whole world knows about the numerous miraculous apparitions of the Blessed Virgin. Russians still have to learn about thousands of new apparitions of the Mother of God in dozens of countries around the world. If you look at geographical map globe, dotted with signs of the appearances and revelations of the Blessed Virgin, then we are unlikely to find a country in which the Blessed Virgin would not appear. Her appearances are accompanied by many miracles, healings, signs, and supernatural events.

Her first appearance in Turkish Ephesus in 49, three days after Her Dormition, constitutes one of the most secret pages of sacred tradition. The Most Holy Virgin appears to the apostles in a blaze of light at the hour of their mournful prayer. “I am always with you until the end of the age,” She repeats the words of the Lord almost verbatim. The encouraging words of Mary sound as the leitmotif of all Her appearances.

It is difficult to list all the unique revelations of Our Lady to the world...
Zaragoza (Spain) - 55. Le Puy (France) - 61 years old. Neokesarea, on Ponfa - 231. Rome (Italy) - 363. Tours (France) - 371. Evesham (England) - 709. Utrecht (Holland) - 915. Valenciennes (Belgium) - 1008, etc.

It appears not only in Christian countries. Here are just some facts:
Cairo (Egypt) - 1341. Vailankami (India) - 1550. island of Malta - 1660. Akita (Japan) - 1973. Vietnam - 1975 Nicaragua - 1980. Hiroshima Japan...

Her appearance in the Portuguese village of Fatima (1917), where She appeared six times to Her God-seers, gained worldwide fame. Here is Her direct prophecy in Fatima: “If Russia is not dedicated to My Heart, a great disaster will occur. If My request is fulfilled, Russia will convert and there will be peace. If not, Russia’s mistakes will spread throughout the world and persecution of the church will begin. Many will face martyrdom . Several nations will be completely destroyed."

The apparition of the Blessed Virgin in Lourdes, France in 1858 is also famous. The election of Lourdes was not accidental. Lourdes remained alien french revolution which covered most of the country. The so-called intellectual storms of the 19th century, which led to outright atheism and Satanism, did not affect the splendid village.

Seventy thousand pilgrims watch the apparition of the Virgin Mary in Egypt in 1968 - over the dome of a Coptic temple. The Mother of God allowed herself to be photographed. In the photograph, the face of the Most Pure One is not distorted by the subjective interpretations of the painter or the biased comments of theologians. The transformation over the city of Zeytun was accompanied by the facts of many healings. The Cairo weekly "Watani" published many stories about miraculous healings of hopelessly ill people. Numerous witnesses, including Muslims, as well as Egyptian government authorities officially certified the authenticity of the Cairo phenomenon. The Zeytun phenomenon had a wide response in Europe. It converted many people, including thousands of Muslims.

One cannot fail to mention the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin in Spanish Garabandal, which are absolutely unique and surpass all Her apparitions. The Mother of God appears to the four young goddesses hundreds of times over the course of five years. Garabandal is declared an apocalyptic ark for all humanity. Here the Blessed Virgin says that in last times there will be signs, warnings, and a great miracle will occur. And a year after the miracle - universal cataclysms on a global scale. The goddess Conchita Gonzales was given the date of the great miracle, which Conchita will officially announce eight days before its completion (the goddess now lives in America).

Since 1981, apparitions of the Blessed Virgin began to six young God-seers in Medjugorje (Yugoslavia). Divine Revelation took on a universal character. During the twelve years of the apparitions, nearly twenty million people were converted to the faith. Today these six God-seers are known throughout the world. Now they are famous. They travel a lot around the world: numerous meetings with journalists, pilgrims, believers of various faiths.

The Blessed Virgin revealed three secrets to the Medjugorje god-seers:
1. Satan wants war. 2. He wants to destroy the inner world. 3. He wants to destroy everything good on earth.

The Most Pure Virgin asks for complete entrustment to God. She wants the people to believe in Her cover and presence, and through Her mediation - in the living God of the future of humanity. Mary's face is full of love. She exudes the light of love. The world must understand how beautiful, loving, infinitely kind and merciful the Lord is - this is the gospel of the Most Pure One.

Opened in November 1984 new page universal apparitions of the Mother of God. This time - in Russia to Blessed John. Russia, in his opinion, has been chosen as a vessel for the outpouring of love. Russia is called upon to be the first of all countries in the world to become the throne of God's civilization. She was given the primary mission in establishing a new human society. The mission of the Mother of God is to give birth to a new God-manhood. In Russia She revealed herself as an apocalyptic Woman clothed with the Sun: majestic, in a white robe and a royal crown with pearls. In his hand is a sovereign rod. The power of Her gaze is extraordinary. The look is filled with compassion, affection and great love.

In Her appearances, the Most Pure One foretells almost every great tragic event. She places repentance, prayer, and conversion of sinners as the condition for avoiding it.

There was not a single great cataclysm on earth, not a single earthquake, or catastrophe, before which the Mother of God did not notify through Her messengers. But how difficult it is for humanity, blinded by materialism and false values, to accept these divine Revelations. The world has passed through Buchenwald and Dachau, Auschwitz, gas ovens, concentration camps, Nazi dungeons, torture chambers, Gulag lawlessness, mass shootings, genocide. One hundred million victims in Russia alone.

And to this day, terrorist attacks, bloodshed, wars, deaths of innocent people are taking place... To prevent new troubles is the holy mission of the Mother of God.

On the first day of the new year, Catholics around the world celebrate the Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and we remember the most notable appearances of the Virgin Mary to the people in history

Irina ROMANOVA

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The Virgin Mary is one of the most revered personalities and the greatest of Christian saints. There is probably not a single person in the world (with the exception of babies, perhaps) who has not heard of her. Catholics, Orthodox Christians, Muslims, and atheists know about Mary, the Mother of Jesus Christ.

The veneration of the Virgin Mary is based on the truth of Her Motherhood, and it is to this truth that the Roman Catholic Church dedicated the first day of the new year. On January 1, Catholics around the world celebrate the Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary - the holiday that completes the Christmas octave.

Well, on this day we will remember the most famous appearances of the Virgin Mary to the people. However, let us make a reservation that not all of these phenomena are officially recognized by the Catholic Church. Some are still waiting in the wings and are being carefully studied. In addition, there are many times more apparitions of the Blessed Virgin than seven.

The first appearance. Baptizing Latin America.

Residents of Latin America sacredly honor the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Guadalupe, who is considered the patroness of both Americas and is respectfully called “Our Lady of Guadalupe.” And the cult of veneration of the Virgin of Guadalupe began with the modest Indian Juan Diego, who lived near Mexico City. On December 9, 1531, as a Catholic convert, he hurried past Tepeyac Hill to attend morning mass at church, but unexpectedly heard beautiful singing. Deciding to be curious about where this voice (or voices) was coming from, he climbed to the top of the hill and saw a shining cloud. In the cloud, Juan Diego saw a beautiful young woman who looked more like the girls of his tribe than a white-skinned Spanish woman.

The lady called herself the Virgin Mary and asked to build a temple at the site of her appearance so that everyone could honor her Son, Jesus Christ. But bad luck! The priests did not believe Juan, deciding that the Mother of God could not appear to some Indian without a soul (previously, the Spaniards believed that the indigenous population Latin America there is no soul, which means Indians can be killed without a twinge of conscience).

But the Mother of God did not retreat. One day, when Juan Diego went to get a priest for his sick uncle, the Virgin Mary once again appeared to the unfortunate Indian and ordered him to collect all the flowers that he could find on the hill. The young man obeyed, although nothing grew on the hill. But suddenly he saw a rose bush growing on a rock. “Here is My sign,” said the Virgin Mary. “Take these roses, wrap them in your cloak and take them to the bishop.” This time he will believe you."

Arriving at the bishop, Juan Diego unwrapped his cape, where there were roses, and everyone saw on the cloth the Virgin Mary standing on the new moon, surrounded by stars and the Sun. After this, the priests repented of their unbelief, and Juan Diego's uncle, who was dying, was miraculously healed.

All this convinced the indigenous people of Mexico, who continued to worship their gods, that Christianity was true faith. And after the appearance of the Virgin Mary of Guadalupe, almost 6 million Indians independently converted to Catholicism. Thus the baptism of Latin America took place.

The second phenomenon. The Virgin and the Shepherdess.

In 1858, the Virgin Mary appeared to a simple village girl from the French town of Lourdes. 14-year-old Bernadette Soubirous, who did not shine with intelligence, actually became the messenger of the dogma of the Catholic Church about the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. On February 11, 1858, Bernadette and her other children were sent by her parents to fetch branches for kindling. To get to the grove, where they could collect these same branches, the children had to cross a small stream. Bernadette's friends quickly completed this task, but the girl was left standing undecided whether to cross the stream or not.

Without waiting for her decision, the children left Bernadette alone. When the girl finally decided to cross the cold stream, she suddenly saw a golden cloud that floated out of the cave on the other side of the stream. A woman of unearthly beauty stood on a cloud...

The first time Bernadette did not dare to follow the beautiful lady, but for all the other 18 appearances, the shepherdess not only followed the stranger, but also talked to her. At first, the girl thought that this was the soul of one of the village residents who had died a year earlier, but later she realized that the Virgin Mary herself was talking to her. Bernadette, who passionately wanted to know the name of her interlocutor, once voiced her question at one of the meetings, and then the Mother of God answered: “I am the Immaculate Conception.” The girl conveyed these words to her confessor, who remembered that literally 4 years earlier the church had accepted the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Of course, the uneducated Bernadette could not know about this. So, all the residents of nearby villages believed that the young shepherdess from Lourdes communicated with the Virgin Mary.

Bernadette later became a nun, but did not live long. She died at the age of 35 from backbreaking work, the envy of other nuns and worries associated with the enormous attention of pilgrims to a modest girl. In 1933, Bernadette Soubirous was canonized as a saint of the Catholic Church.

The third phenomenon. Fatima secrets.

It is believed that the Virgin Mary appeared to three children from the Portuguese town of Fatima in 1917, but some researchers claim that these apparitions continued from 1915 until the end of 1917.

The Virgin Mary left three predictions for three children - two sisters Lucie and Jacinta and their brother Francisco - that were not immediately revealed. Firstly, the children were not believed at first. When Jacinta told her parents about her meetings with the beautiful Virgin, she was ridiculed, and Lucia was even beaten. The headman, interrogating the children together and separately, could not get a confession that all these meetings and predictions were an invention of the children themselves.

Thirteen years later, after a thorough investigation, the appearance of the Virgin Mary at Fatima was recognized by the Roman Catholic Church as a genuine miracle. However, skeptics are still confident that there is nothing supernatural in the Fatima apparitions. Some scientists believe that the “dance of the sun,” which was observed by 70 thousand pilgrims who came to Fatima on October 13, 1917, with children and 70 thousand pilgrims who came to Fatima, is easily explained by the laws of physics, while others are sure that a UFO is to blame.

Nevertheless, three predictions, three secrets that the Mother of God revealed to three children came true. The first concerned the beginning of World War II, the second - the fate of Russia, and the third - the fate of the Pope.

About Russia, the Virgin Mary said this: “... Another war will begin... (we are most likely talking about October Revolution And Civil War– approx. author) To prevent this, I will ask for the dedication of Russia to My Immaculate Heart... If my requests are answered, Russia will convert and peace will come, if not, then she will spread her errors throughout the world, sowing wars and persecution against the Church; the righteous will become martyrs... many nations will be destroyed. But in the end My Heart will triumph. The Holy Father will consecrate Russia to Me, which will convert, and peace will be granted for a while.”

By the way, in 1952, Pope Pius XII, with a special apostolic letter, dedicated the peoples of Russia to the Most Pure Heart of Mary. A similar ceremony took place 12 years later, when the next Pope, Paul VI, dedicated the people of Russia and other countries of the “socialist bloc” to the Heart of Mary for the second time.

The third prediction of the Virgin Mary was revealed relatively recently. It concerned an attempt on the life of the Pope. Indeed, in 1981, Pope John Paul II was shot by a Turkish terrorist. However, the hierarch of the Catholic Church remained alive, and a year later he visited Fatima, placing a bullet taken from his body on the altar of the temple built in honor of the appearance of the Virgin Mary.

The fourth phenomenon. Virgin Mary in Japan.

The Most Pure Mother of God appeared to people not only in Europe. In the early 70s of the last century, the Virgin Mary appeared in Japan, in the small town of Akita. The Mother of God was seen by the deaf nun Agnes Sasagawa Katsuko.

At the age of 19, after an unsuccessful operation, she lost her hearing and was bedridden for 16 years. The doctors just shrugged their shoulders. They were powerless to help the girl.

The deaf patient was transferred from the hospital. And in one of the hospitals, she met with a Catholic nurse who told the unfortunate woman about the Christian faith. Thanks to the nurse, Agnes's condition improved, and in 1969 she decided to enter a monastery and devote herself to God. True, 4 months after the tonsure, the woman’s condition worsened again, and only holy water from a source in Lourdes helped the nun get back on her feet. The first time Agnes saw the Virgin Mary was on June 12, 1973 during prayer. Brilliant mysterious rays came out of the Monstrance. Agnes saw these rays for several days, and then a stigmata in the shape of a cross formed on her left palm. The pain was unbearable, but the nun held firm, answering the sisters who consoled her that the wound on the hand of the Blessed Virgin Mary was much deeper. The amazed sisters decided to go into the chapel and discovered the same wound on the statue of the Virgin Mary... But the miracles in Akita did not end there. That same evening, Agnes, praying to the image of the Mother of God, heard the first message. The Virgin Mary told the nun that she would soon be healed and called on all the sisters to pray for people in order to atone for their sins and stop the wrath of the Heavenly Father.

The Mother of God appeared to Agnes several more times, calling her to patience and perseverance. She predicted to the nun not only her future fate, which included persecution and ridicule, but also the fate of the Japanese people, in particular the deadly tsunami in March 2011.

10 years after the appearance of the Virgin Mary, Agnes’ hearing returned and she finally recovered. After humiliating checks on the sisters who witnessed the miraculous phenomenon, Roman Catholic Church nevertheless recognized this fact as genuine, although before the investigation, more than 500 people, among whom were both Christians and Buddhists, saw the statue of the Virgin Mary in the Akita monastery exuding blood, sweat and tears.

Fifth phenomenon. The Most Pure One in Zeitoun.

Sometimes the appearance of the Mother of God can last for years. So, in Egypt, the Virgin Mary was seen starting from April 2, 1968 and ending in August 1969. The Zeytun phenomenon is noteworthy because Mother of God Not only Christians saw it and there were photographs of this phenomenon.

The first to see the Virgin Mary in the Cairo suburb of Zeitoun were... Muslims. The three mechanics saw a woman dressed in white robes standing on top of the church. Unfortunately, the men were never able to see their faces due to the blinding light emanating from the figure. But someone suggested that it was the Virgin Mary, and immediately the figure in white confirmed this assumption with an affirmative tilt of her head.

The people who observed the appearance of the Virgin Mary immediately rushed to the priest who lived nearby, demanding that he explain this vision. The priest decided to look at the phenomenon, opened the window - and a wonderful Light poured into his room. He saw the Most Pure Virgin in a halo of radiance, however, the vision did not last long. The figure rose into the night sky and disappeared into the darkness.

The number of people wishing to see the Blessed Virgin grew in geometric progression. Crowds of 250 thousand people gathered at the church where the first apparition took place. Christians, Jews, Muslims, and atheists chanted: “We believe in You, Holy Mary! We bear witness to You, Holy Mary!” And the Virgin Mary appeared to a crowd of thousands...

At first, these phenomena happened two or three times a week, but over time, the Mother of God appeared before the eyes of people less and less often. But each time Mary appeared in different guises - now as the Queen of the World, now as the Virgin grieving for all nations, now with the Baby Jesus in her arms, now kneeling before the Cross. There are known cases of miraculous healing during these phenomena. Once, photographer Vagih Rizk Matta, trying to photograph the Virgin Mary on film, slightly opening the camera shutter, discovered that his sore arm, which had been bothering him for a long time, suddenly healed. The appearance of the Virgin Mary in Zeytun became a kind of bridge between East and West. For the first time in the history of mankind, people of different faiths prayed together, without any division into nationalities and races.

The Holy Cross Icon of the Mother of God was painted after the appearance of the Mother of God in Budennovsk.

On June 14, 1995, at noon, Shamil Basayev’s gang burst into the city of Budennovsk, Stavropol Territory. The militants destroyed everything in their path, taking the staff and patients of the central hospital hostage. According to Basayev himself, he did not plan to stop in Budennovsk at all, his goal was the airport in Mineralnye Vody ah, where he and his people wanted to hijack a plane to fly to Moscow. But the militants did not have enough money to get to Mineralnye Vody - they all spent it on bribes to police patrols. Realizing that there was a catastrophic lack of funds, Basayev decided to carry out a terrorist attack in Budennovsk.

As a result, more than 1,500 people were taken hostage by the bandits. For six days, medical staff, elderly people, children and pregnant women ready to give birth lived in anticipation of a miracle. And the miracle happened. The Virgin Mary hastened to the aid of the hostages.

Residents of Budennovsk, as well as militants, have repeatedly seen a grieving woman in dark clothes standing near a cross made of clouds. Moreover, the Mother of God was seen not only the night before the seizure of the hospital, but also the night before the terrorists left the city. There is an opinion among local (and not only local) residents that it was the appearance of Mary that was decisive in Basayev’s desire to leave Budennovsk, since some of the terrorists were shocked and demoralized by the appearance of the Mother of God. On the fortieth day of commemoration of the victims of this tragedy, at the behest of Metropolitan Gideon of Stavropol, the Holy Cross Icon of the Mother of God was painted. It shows Mary near a cross on a blue background. The saint's hands are folded in prayer. True, the Mother of God, contrary to the descriptions of witnesses, is depicted in purple clothes, not dark ones. The color red became a symbol of the blood of innocent victims in 1995 in Budennovsk.

With the advent of the 21st century, the Virgin Mary did not leave the inhabitants of the Earth, continuing to appear to those who most needed protection. In 2008, residents of burning Tskhinvali saw the Mother of God walking through the streets of the city torn apart by shells. When Georgian troops attacked South Ossetia on August 8 of that year, some residents were able to watch as the beautiful Virgin descended from the dome of the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary and marched towards the Russian soldiers, despite gunfire and explosions.

Bishop George of Alania at first did not believe the witnesses of this miracle, believing that some residents of Tskhinval had seen the Virgin Mary out of fear, but then he himself saw the Mother of Jesus Christ leaving the church, and all doubts disappeared like smoke. The Mother of God was seen precisely in those places where the bloodiest battles took place.

Incredible, but true: the bombs destroyed many churches, but spared the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, from where Mary descended. Shells fell into the cathedral courtyard, but they did not cause any damage to the building.

By the way, the paper icons of the Mother of God and the Savior that were distributed to the soldiers Russian Army local resident, helped warrant officer Alexander Shashin stay alive. He put the icons in his breast pockets, and the sniper’s bullet, flying straight into his chest, suddenly turned sideways and hit him flat, falling on Alexander’s knees. After this incident, the ensign provided all his colleagues with the icons that he had taken in reserve. No one died from Shashin’s unit...

From the first centuries of Christianity to the present day, numerous apparitions of the Virgin Mary have taken place, to which many books, revered icons, monasteries, and memorial signs are dedicated. The Mother of God appears to people both in reality and in dreams. She inspired some to deeds of piety, consoled others in their sorrows, and taught others the right paths of salvation. IN Orthodox Church in memory of certain phenomena they organize religious processions with the removal of icons, literature about the apparitions of the Mother of God is distributed, and special prayers are composed.

What does she look like when she appears to people?

Witnesses said that in the first seconds of the apparition such a bright light emanated from the Mother of God. blessed light, which almost blinded many. But as soon as she touched a person, her vision was immediately restored, and people could see her. She appeared to one in a royal scarlet robe with golden crosses. And on her head stood a golden crown with a cross at the top. Others saw her dressed in a blue robe over a chiton. Still others describe the robe of the Mother of God as a monastic mantle. And in her hand was the abbot’s staff. As a rule, the Queen of Heaven did not appear alone, but accompanied by various saints. Her companions were John the Baptist, the Apostle John the Theologian, the Apostle Peter, St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, the saints of the Kiev-Pechersk, Athos, Pskov, Novgorod, Solovetsky, Valaam, martyrs, martyrs and other righteous people, as well as hosts of angels.

Where and when did She appear?

The Mother of God appeared to people at different times and at different places. But she was seen especially often during prayers - morning, noon, evening, midnight and after three o'clock in the morning. And most often - in churches, monastery cells, forest dugouts. Over time, temples or monasteries appeared in place of the latter.

Who saw her?

Three times the Virgin Mary appeared to St. Seraphim of Sarov. He told about the first meeting in his life. On November 25, 1825, he walked through the Sarov Forest. And on the bank of the Sarovka River, at the Bogoslovsky spring, the elder saw the Mother of God. Behind her stood the apostles Peter and John the Theologian. The Mother of God hit the ground with Her staff, and after this, a source of light water instantly flowed out of it like a fountain. The monk fell on his knees before the Mother of God and asked Her to give Her blessing to the waters of the source. And the Queen of Heaven promised to fulfill his request. Next, She gave Seraphim detailed instructions on the structure of the Diveyevo monastery. She named eight sister-maidens from the former community of the original nun Alexandra by name, gave a special charter and ordered that only girls be accepted into the new community. She promised to always be the abbess of this monastery, and called it Her “fourth universal lot on earth.”

Five years later, in 1830, the Mother of God again appeared before Seraphim. He himself told the Diveyevo priest Father Vasily Sadovsky about this. This time the Virgin Mary said to Seraphim: “My beloved! Ask from Me what you want." And the Reverend asked that “all orphans in the Seraphim Desert would be saved.” And the Mother of God promised Seraphim “this indescribable joy.”

The third meeting took place on the day of the Annunciation a year later, in 1831. Seraphim told the Diveyevo nun Eupraxia about her. She came to visit him at his invitation, and he greeted her with words of joy: “Oh, my joy! What mercy and grace is being prepared for you and me from the Mother of God on this real holiday! Repeat, mother, several times in a row: Rejoice, Unbridled Bride! Hallelujah!" Evdokia began to cry, saying that she was unworthy. But the Reverend consoled her: “Although you are unworthy, I asked the Lord and the Mother of God for you.” Then he put his robe on her and himself began to read the akathists - to the Savior, the Mother of God, St. Nicholas, John the Baptist and the canons - to the Guardian Angel and All Saints.

After reading the canon of All Saints, both suddenly heard a noise, as if a hurricane was raging in the forest. Then singing was heard, the door opened by itself, and the cell was filled with fragrance and extraordinary heavenly light. The elder fell to his knees and, raising his hands to the sky, exclaimed: “Oh, Most Blessed, Most Pure Virgin, Lady Theotokos!” And then Seraphim and Eupraxia saw the procession of the celestials. Two Angels walked ahead, each of them had in his hand a branch with blossoming flowers. They were followed by the Queen of Heaven herself and behind Her in pairs were 12 holy virgin martyrs and saints - Varvara, Catherine, Thekla, Marina, Irina, Eupraxia, Pelageya, Dorothea, Macrina, Justina, Juliania and Anisia. Walking behind were Saint John the Baptist and Apostle John the Theologian in white shiny robes. The Mother of God was wearing a shiny mantle, and under the mantle was a green chiton, girded with a high belt. A kind of epitrachelion was visible on top of the mantle. On Her head stood a wonderful crown, topped with crosses. The Queen of Heaven's hair was loose and lay on her shoulders. She seemed to be taller than all the maidens. The virgins, all the saints, were wearing crowns, also with loose hair, and dressed in multi-colored dresses. The monk’s cramped cell seemed to expand and flood bright light eclipsing the sun.

Nun Eupraxia fell unconscious at the sight of such a wonderful procession. Therefore, later I could not say how long this meeting between Seraphim and the Virgin Mary lasted. She came to her senses only after the Mother of God asked Seraphim what kind of woman was lying on the ground? Father Seraphim replied: “This is the one for whom I asked You, Lady, to be her at Your appearance.” Then the Most Pure One approached Evdokia and, taking her by the right hand, said: “Get up, girl, and do not be afraid of us. Virgins just like you came here with Me.” Evdokia stood up, and the Mother of God repeated to her: “Do not be afraid. We have come to visit you." And she ordered the nun to approach the celestials, get to know them and ask about their lives. Having become a little bolder, she approached first the Angels, and then all the saints. And they told her their names and told her about their lives and their exploits.

Meanwhile, the Mother of God talked with St. Seraphim. She gave instructions and told him to entrust obedience to the Diveyevo sisters. And she promised that if they correct this obedience, then “they will be with Me and with you, and if they lose wisdom, they will lose the fate of these holy virgins.” Then the Queen of Heaven said to Father Seraphim: “Soon, My beloved, you will be with us,” and blessed him. All the saints also said goodbye to the Elder. The Forerunner and Apostle John the Theologian blessed him, and the virgins kissed him priestly - hand in hand. The Diveyevo sister was told: “This vision was given to you for the sake of the prayers of the Sarov fathers: Seraphim, Mark, Nazarius and Pachomius.” And then, in an instant, the bright host of celestial beings seemed to disappear into the sky. According to Seraphim himself, the meeting with the celestials lasted almost four hours. And at the same time he added: “This is the joy we have achieved! There is reason why we should have faith and hope in the Lord.”

Among the other lucky ones who were lucky enough to see the Mother of God were St. Andrew the Fool for Christ's sake, St. Niphon of Cyprus, and the Athos venerables Matthew and Cosmas. According to them, the Mother of God stood in the temple, tearfully prayed for the whole world, looked at the worshipers and distributed coins to them.

Athanasius of Athos, the Greek architects of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra, also spoke about the apparitions of the Mother of God. Venerable Sergius Radonezh, schema-abbot Filaret of the Glinsk desert, monk of the same desert Dosifei, Optina schema-monk Joseph and many others.

One day the Blessed Virgin appeared in reality to some Altai children near Tomsk. Local residents told the Altai missionary Archimandrite Macarius (Glukharev) about this. As if a year before his arrival, the Virgin Mary appeared to one boy and predicted: “Child! A year will pass, and Macarius will come here. You will see him. He will teach you to pray to the God who created Altai.” The boy asked how he recognizes Macarius. Then the Mother of God led him to the Maima River and showed him on the surface of the water - the image of Archimandrite Macarius appeared on it. And a year later, the missionary really came to baptize the Altai people. This boy, with whom the Mother of God spoke, also became a convert.