Soaking Wet With Myrrh

Short Summary: An icon of the Madonna and Child in Hawaii began streaming myrrh with a scent of roses, and continues to be venerated.

Details

Location: Hawaii, United States

Year: 2007

Prayer: Ancient Prayer to Mary (est. 250 A.D.) titled "Beneath Thy Protection": Beneath thy compassion, We take refuge, O Theotokos [God-bearer]. Do not despise our petitions in time of trouble, but rescue us from dangers, only pure one, only blessed one. Amen.

Verse: And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.” -Lk 1:46-55

Full Story

Nectary Yangsonan, an Orthodox Subdeacon, one day saw his cat smelling a set of paintings (known in the Orthodox tradition as “icons”) in an area the cat typically avoided. Going to pick him up, he also noticed the scent, like “a thousand roses had fallen into the room”. He called to his wife for help to investigate. In their search for the smell, he stood on his toes and took down one of the icons from the very top of the bookshelf, an image of the Madonna and Child known as the "Holy Theotokos of Iveron". It was indeed the source of the beautiful smell - and the icon was completely wet! Nectary (now Father Nectarios) brought the icon to his church at the request of his priest. The liquid was determined to be a pure liquid myrrh, and it continued to stream heavily along with a consistent smell of roses. The struggling Orthodox parish, far out in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, felt as if “the Most Holy Mother of God has not forgotten us.” The Russian Orthodox Church, after an investigation, validated the authenticity of the miracle the following year. The Iveron Icon continues to emit myrrh today. It has been taken to thousands of churches for others to witness and venerate, now having been seen by millions. Subsequent miracles have been reported from the watery oil, with a great number of spiritual and physical healings (including blindness, cancer, demonic possession, paralysis, kidney disease, chronic pain, and debilitating viruses).

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