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Commemorated on April 4
The Icon of the
Mother of God, named "Gerontissa" ("Staritsa" –
"Nastoyatel'nitsa", "Head" – "Elderess"), was
glorified in the Athos monastery of the Pantokrator ("Vsederzhitel'",
"Ruler of All").
The pious
hegumen-elder of this monastery received a revelation about his impending end.
Before death he wanted to be communed the Holy Mysteries of Christ and he
besought of the serving priest to hasten to make the Divine Liturgy, but that
one did not heed his request. Then from the wonderworking Gerontissa Icon in
the altar was heard a fiercesome voice, ordering the priest to hasten to
fulfill the wish of his hegumen.
Another miracle from
the icon occurred, when through the prayer of the head of the monastery, oil
appeared in empty monastic vessels.
On the icon, the
Mother of God is imaged in full stature without the Christ-Child. Before Her is
a vessel, from which oil pours out over the edge.
An icon of the
Gerontissa Mother of God is known of in the altar of the Uspenie-Dormition
cathedral church in the Pochaev Lavra. Through the blessing of Archbishop
Modest of Volynsk and Zhitomir, priest-servers before the start of
Divine-services asked the blessing for the start of services in front of the
Icon of the Mother of God.
© 1996-2001 by translator Fr. S. Janos.
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