www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology Healing in the Byzantine Churches

Several threads in recent weeks have touched on the topic of healing (requests for prayer, healing icons (especially the Kirsk Icon of the Mother of God), and now the miraculous icon of Our Lady of Pochaev that will be at St. Tikhon's Monastery for the annual Memorial Day Pilgrimage). During Pascha we also read the Acts of the Apostles which testifies to the physically healing accomplished in the Lord's name by the apostles.

Some possible topics for discussion in this thread:

1. What do the Byzantine Churches teach regarding healing? We have the Sacrament of Holy Anointing given to everyone on Holy Wednesday. What are we as Christians to expect from receiving this Sacrament? (Or are we to have no expectations whatsoever?)

2. Are there modern day accounts of miraculous icons in which the miracles are demonstrable (like many of the miracles of Lourdes)? Emphasis here is on the term “demonstrable”. If yes, can you share the details?

3. There are a few Roman Catholics and even some Protestants who appear to have the gift of healing. Are there living individuals in any of the Byzantine Churches with this gift?

Dear Administrator,

An excellent thread!

I firmly believe that we are to ask for and expect miracles in our lives, especially through Miraculous Icons of our Lady and the Saints.

AS Fr. Solanus Casey, as a recent example, and many other Saints have indicated, we need to really dedicate ourselves to prayer for our needs and those of others.

People coming to see Fr. Casey were told they didn't have to see him, only pray longer than they were used to for the miracles they expected.

This reminds me of St Jonah Atamansky of Odessa who died in 1924 who would pray all night reading Akathists and who was a great miracle-worker who successfully prayed for the return of the sight of a blind girl after nine days of "All-nighters."

I myself was invited to meet a modern-day miracle worker who visited the Ukrainian Catholic Church of St Demetrius.

Brother Stan from Florida is someone who prays three hours each morning from 4:00 am to 7:00 am. He is especially devoted to the Mother of God. I saw him touch the hand of a boy who could not speak and this seven year old immediately began to utter the word "Jesus."

As I spoke with him personally, I realized that he knew my thoughts without my verbalizing them first - a very strange experience.

He knew what I came to ask for without me telling him, and gave me a prayer to say for the next several days, which I did and obtained what I asked for.

When he prayed, oil dripped from the palms of his hands, an aromatic, sweet-smelling myrrh-like substance that people collected in bottles.

He received the full support of his bishop in his ministry of healing.

The miracle-working Icon of Zarvanytsia in Western Ukraine is extremely popular and many miracles are reported there.

When my grandfather was a priest in the soviet union, a miracle occurred on the glass panel of one of his parish's church windows.

The image of the Virgin Mary appeared, in colour and people immediately began to come from all around to visit it and pray before it.

The police arrested Fr. John and tried to get him to sign a paper that said that he had painted the image on the window.

My grandfather's line of defence was that the image was caused by "opalization" (whatever that is) and so was a "natural" phenomenon.

The soviets bought that and the image remained for several weeks still until it completely disappeared.

This has occurred in modern times and there is at least one officially recognized miraculous image of the Mother of God that so appeared on glass that is venerated in the Latin Catholic Church and mentioned in Joan Carroll Cruz's book on Images of Our Lady.

Alex

[ 04-17-2002: Message edited by: Orthodox Catholic ]

Hi Alex,

When you receive Holy Anointing do you have a easier time with your Diabetes? Last year after I was anointed it was effortless to manage my illness for quite sometime, but eventually it wore off. What I am a bit confused about is that I receive Holy Communion every week. What did the anointing do that Holy Communion should do for me every week? Do you think it was the anointing and the reception of Communion together? I think about that alot. Healing miracles vs the Healing of soul & body from receiving Holy Communion.


Nicky's Baba

Our new church was blessed just this last December and Bishop Michael gave us some Holy Myrrh from St. Nicholas which flows miraculously from his body only once a year. With the Myrrh from the Bishop and some that our pastor picked up in Ukraine, we have a nice supply. The Shrine is for all the West Coast of the States and it to be a permanent deal. This Holy Myrrh has healed many many believers and it has already become a very special place of prayer for our parishioners. I will have pics of it posted on our parish website here this week hopefully. if you are ever out in California, come for Liturgy and visit our Shrine.
-ukrainiancatholic

www.ukrainiancatholicsd.com [ukrainiancatholicsd.com]

[ 04-17-2002: Message edited by: ukrainiancatholic ]

Luke-

Are you the man behind your website?

Looks good?

Alex

There is a monastery in the Ternopil District of Ukraine where the Studite monks perform exorcisms every last Sunday of the month.

My girlfriend and I were going to go and check it out, but the travel IT did not permit.

The people I talked to at the LTA are sane and seemed pretty serious about the services of which some had attended.

Ality

Ality,
Yes I am webmaster. The site definately needs some TLC. I have never heard of exorcisms in the East...... By the way does anyone know of any Miracolous Icons here in the States or in Canada? Thanks,
-ukrainiancatholic

UkrainianCatholic:

Indeed He is risen!

Suggestions: Add "the" to Christ is risen from [the] Dead..."

And change: "trapmling" to "trampling" down Death by Death

Congratulations on your new church!

Christos voskrese!

Lazareno

There are quite a few Myrrh Streaming Icons here in the U.S. The Icon of 'Our Lady of Cicero' for one. Not only did this Icon weep and bring healings but the church had a fire in 1997 and the Icon was left untouched.

Probably three of the most famous were the three Icons of the Theotokos that began to weep in the homes of parishioners of St Paul's Greek Orthodox Church in Hempstead Long Island. This happned over a period of many months. One of the three Icons is still enshinred in the church. This happened in the 1960's and was covered by TV, radio, Life, Look, and all the popular news magazines at the time.
There is a wonderful new book out written by the priest at St Paul's called "Why Did She Cry?" by Fr George Papadeas. All three of the Icons were taken from the parishioners homes to the Church where many heaings as well as wonderful events took place. Such as the following -

As the first Icon was being put in the Limousine to be taken in procession to the church, three white doves appeared out of nowhere and flew above the limo carrying the Icon in a triangular formation. This is how the priest recounts the incident -

[Before I was able to to step from the limousine, the President of the Parish Council who was following the lead car rushed up to me and said, "Did you see the birds?"

I responded. Of course I did. I saw them sweep over the heads of our parishioners, gathered to recive us." He said: "No, no! I didn't mean that. I'm talking about the three white birds, which looked like doves flying in a traingular formation over the limousine. From the very moment we departed from Island Park, they came out of nowhere, and were flying over the limousine like escorts all the way to the church.]

The birds flew off and returned to encirle the dome of the church as soon as the Liturgy was started and continued to encirle the dome flying in a triangular formation during the entire Liturgy and Paraklesis that followed.

Here, once again the priest relates the story -

[After the last parishioners had left, it was always my routine to make my inspection all around the Church, and especially the Narthex, lest a candle be left burning, etc.
Entering the Narthex, I was approached by three men standing there in their work clothes. They told me that they were Roman Catholics of Italian descent, and were hesistant in walking into the church because of their work clothes. They had been informed of the Weeping Icon from the departing parishioners, and wanted to see the Icon to offer their prayers. In speaking with the one whose English was a little better than the other two, he related to me that while they were cutting down the diseased tree outside the church, they couldn't help but notice three white birds in a triangular formation circling the dome continually.
This aroused their curiosity. They knew nothing of what was transpiring inside the church, nor the reason for all the activity they were witnessing on a weekday morning.
They kept chopping away at the tree, stopping at times to watch the birds flying around the dome. Their curiosity was increasing. They would watch, and then return to their work. The white birds were still in the same formation, endlessly encircling the dome. They just could not understand what they were witnessing, because it was not natural for birds to be flying in formation for such a long time in such a small area. They could just not understand.]

Wonderful book with a wonderful story on three Miraclous Icons.

OrthoMan

[ 04-17-2002: Message edited by: OrthoMan ]

[ 04-17-2002: Message edited by: OrthoMan ]

There is another story concerning the miraculous Icon of St Irene that is enshrined in a Greek Orthodox Church in NYC. I had seen the Icon and had prayed before it prior to the following true event.

The Icon was enshrined in a case that was full of jewerly (rings, watches, braclets, earings, etc.) that were given in Thanksgiving by people who had prayed before it and had been healed thru the intercessions of St Irene.

I guess all that jewlery looked too tempting because a few years back someone broke into the Church and stole the Icon. St Irene's is an old calendar parish but just recently went under the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese. Anyhow, the people were devasted and pleaded with the thiefs thru the news media to keep the jewerly but please return the Holy Icon.

After awhile, with no respose, the infamous John Gotti (I kid you not) sent out an edict that the Icon was to be returned without the jewlery or else he would find out who had it and there would be a price to pay. Three days later the Icon arrived at the church by Federal Express!

This is a true story! Since the Icon has been returned, another attempt was made to steal it by cutting a hole in the roof of the church. Luckly
a sophisticated alarm system had been installed after the first theft and the attempt was not successful

The miraculous Icon of St Irene is still there. It's been so long, but I think the church may be in Astoria but I'm not sure. Check it out next time you are in NYC.

OrthoMan

[ 04-17-2002: Message edited by: OrthoMan ]

OrthoMan,

I remember hearing about this in my younger days, John Gotti and all. :p

Yes, I think the icon is in Astoria, I seem to remember a church/monastery by the name of Saint Irene's, if it's the same place, there's a website for it, you can get it from the parish directory of the GOA website. (How was that for a rambling sentence?)

I would like to share my recent experience.
1.
We were in a bad auto accident in Feb. The seat belt cut my carrodid artery. There were many clear signs of God going before us and preparing the way, the least of which was at the seen of the wreck on the other side of the highway were 2 ambulances and a firetruck. The doctors there placed a trach tube in be and had me transported to Birmingham, we were about two hours away. When I got here the artery was only bleeding up the artery wall and not out into the brain. However, the left side of my neck was as large as my head. Our priest was there soon after they put me in ICU. He had the Eucharist and oil, I remember him rubbing the Eucharist on the side of my face as he was praying. The nurses and everyone said the prayer was so powerful. The doctors said I would be in ICU for at least two weeks, I was home in six days. They say my recovery has been remarkable, many say miraculous. We believe as does Fr. Frank that it was a miracle.

Some women said I was healed because of my faith, they wished they had that faith. THAT WAS VERY HUMBLING AND i SHARE IT IN A VERY HUMBLED ATTITUDE. As we spun around in the car, which was totaled, we just said out loud, God is in control. There was nothing we could do. We were very much at peace, tranquill. When we stopped someone opened the door and prayed with us.

Scripture says that if we have the faith of a mustard seed we can move mountains. Whatever the situation is God can move it. But, I think that when we have a shepard believes in the healing power of God, his mustard seed of faith explodes. He moves the mountain of doubt in his people because they can see his faith in action. We had four wrecks in our parrish in two months, in each one someone should have been killed, miracously they walked out unschathed, except for us. But God had a work to do in us, it has been an awesomw experience.

I have heard from others at church when Fr. Frank prays with people at the hospital, the floor becomes quite. Recently he prayed with someone in the hall as they were going into surgery. Everyone there staff, patients and all stopped and prayed with him.

As often as I am able to be at church, especially after I have had a lot of suffering from my health, I have Fr. Frank annoint me. As long as I can get to the Eucharist, I know I am being healed in some way. And I have been trying to use confession more often, that is a miraculous healing tool the Jesus gave the Church.

3.
Yes, there are people in our church, lay people, who have the gift of healing. We have seen it for ourselves. Jesus told his deciples that they would do things that were far greater than he had done. He didn't just give it to the apostles, he gave it to his Church, the Body of Christ. So we must accept responcibility for what he has given us and use it. He won't hold anyone accountable for the knowledge they don't have, but if he has shown it to us in his Word, then it is real and we sould not be timid about using it. The oils blessed by the priests for the healing of our bodies. The Holy Water we drink to purify our souls and bodies, and free our homes from the clamors of this world. These are Sacramentals we sould be using and believe that Jesus will heal through us.

As a side note Fr. Frank will bless things, but he prefers to have them at the alter after the Concecration, then he will pass them over top of the Eucharist for blessing. It is awesome to realize the icons and such were blessed by Jesus. This may be the way it is done by others, we never saw it done that way until he did it.

Well that is my tow cwnts worth for now. i got the pins out of my hand Thursday so I can type a little bit. PRAISE GOD!!!!!!!!

Rose

Rose,

So glad to hear about your recovery. Praise God!

Prayer is very powerful. Once, while doing my rounds at the hospital in Columbus as a seminarian-visitor we were told how the medical profession was promoting more faith/prayer involvement in the hospitals. They said that those with faith and prayer got out earlier than the average patient. Funny, how the ACLU has not demanded that hospitals (and airports) get rid of chapels!

Joe

Dear Nicky's Baba,

First of all, you do have a mesmerizing way of writing, as Abdur noted as well.

Perhaps our bishops should establish the Office of Babtsia as an official rank in the Church? I would be all for it!

My experience of anointing certainly was a turning point for me with respect to Diabetes.

I still have it, but my glucose levels are normal and don't go "way over" as they did before that experience.

God Himself, to be sure, chooses how and when He will communicate Himself to us by means of a special miracle, and I wouldn't compare the Holy Oil vs. Communion etc.

Even when God doesn't respond to our prayer when WE think He should , that doesn't mean He won't or that He isn't already in a way that will only be known to us over a long period of time.

I know that God can heal me of diabetes and I pray that He will.

But I am really convinced that God wills His strength to be known through my weakness.

As long as I keep to the discipline of the diabetic fast, I'm O.K., will not suffer any ill effects of the disease (so I'm told ) and will probably live out my life as a bubbly, happy fellow, annoying people on the Byzantine Forum for a long time . . .

That is to my better spiritual benefit, I believe, and the adherence to the fast will make me more humble .

It reminds me of our continual dependence on God's Grace.

A lame man once regained full use of his limp leg following a pilgrimage to the Tomb of the holy bishop St Vedast.

Afterwards, he wondered if he had prayed against God's Will for what would be best for his spiritual well-being.

He returned to the tomb and asked God for what God considered would be the best for his spiritual state and salvation.

He immediately became lame again.

Alex

There is an icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in Michigan, I think, that is supposed to exude large quantities of myrrh. The guardian of this icon is Father Elias Warnke from ROCOR. He travels all over the world with this icon. The myrrh is extremely fragrant. However, I spoke with a hierarch from ROCOR and there seems to be some question about the authenticity of this miracle. I suppose if a person genuinely believes in the healing power of the Saint in question and is anointed with the oil (myrrh) God will certainly bless the faith of that person. Does anyone out there have any information on the reputed authenticity of this myrrh-streaming icon?
I personally always carry a small vial of oil from the tomb/relics of Saint John Maximovitch, Hierarch of San Francisco and Shanghai. I have used the oil quite freely over the past 4 years and yet the supply in the vial has never depleted. I have also seen some wonderous healing performed through the anointing with this oil.
Monk Silouan