the Stories of miracles that occurred at the prayer of the Saint, has long published in a separate book. But reading these multipage descriptions and blissful life, you should pay attention to one extremely important point that usually escapes us. Another Holy monk Cassian the Roman, said that “the height of sanctity and perfection consists not in performing miracles but in the purity of love.” In this sense, the feat of the Holy Matrona can teach us.
Holy blessed Matrona of Moscow (Nikonov) we almost contemporary. Matrona was born in 1885 in village Sebino of the Tula province, near the Kulikov field. And reposed Matushka Matrona 2 may 1952 in Stalin’s Moscow. The day when the saints go to eternal life, and become for us a day of their memory.
a Girl from birth, was “elected by the Spirit of God” – we read in the prayer to the Holy. In a poor peasant family Nikonovich have grown children – three and the mother, fearing that another child does not provide, decided to give it away after birth, in a shelter, about to kill a baby in the womb, could not be considered. But the shelter saw a way out. But shortly before birth the peasant Natalia Nikonova had her unborn daughter in the wonderful white bird with a human face and closed eyes. The bird landed on the woman’s right hand. God-fearing Natalia regarded the dream as a sign and abandoned the idea of shelter. The girl was born blind, and eyes the child was not quite eye sockets shut tightly closed eyelids – like white birds, which the mother saw in a dream. Soon it was discovered that slepenky from birth girl given a different, “spiritual” vision that is inextricably linked to the gift of foresight, of miracles, of healing.
from an early age it became clear that the Matron other than peers: its rarely seen playing in the yard with other children, but she was often in the temple and spent all her time in prayer before the icons. Peers Matron avoided it is no coincidence that the children had violent games: they are whipping the blind girl nettles, knowing that it will not meet the offender. Or placed in a pit and laughing, watched as a blind trying to get out of it. Over the helpless child is bullied – the girl behaved strangely: they said strange things, such as have from the child not waiting. But soon the villagers noticed that the blind, helpless girl not just surprisingly sharp, but also has the gift of foresight. And the Matron had predicted not only the events of the life of his native village, or nearby villages, there is, in allegorical form, she prophesied about the fate of the Royal family, the whole of Russia. I must say that, unfortunately, all of these prophecies were fulfilled.
having Heard about the sagacity of the girl to the house Nikonovich reached for advice and assistance, so ��buzy Matron has become the main breadwinner for the family. Then at the blind girl showed up and the gift of healing.
When the Matrona was the seventeenth year, the girl was in trouble – suddenly paralyzed legs, and before the end of his days blessed remained sedentary and completely dependent on others. In 1925 Matrona moved to Moscow. The fact that you joined the party senior matrons brothers, Mikhail and Ivan, feared that the presence in their house blessed, which is the days people flocked to trigger reprisals from the authorities. Sparing of elderly parents and brothers, the Matron leaves his native home. Begins a long period of homelessness Matrona. His corner in the capital, she never was – she wandered through relatives, acquaintances, some poor houses, and basements.
Eyewitness life has told how going early one morning to her, she found this picture: Matrona was lying face to the wall and could not turn around over night her hair had frozen to the wall. Without residence registration, Matron many times, just a miracle, avoided arrests, sliding down to other people’s apartments shortly before her came.
was Told that once with the Matrona a policeman came, and she told him: “Run, hurry home, I’m blind Yes, chairbound, you are not going anywhere, but at home you have trouble! Run, and do not have time!” The policeman obeyed, he ran home, and there his wife from the kerosene stove burned: barely time to take to the hospital. The next day, when the policeman asked why he did not arrest the blind, he replied that, and go after it – “because if not for this blind, I would have no wives left.”
In Moscow at that period there were many unhappy, lost, sick people. After hearing about the blessed, many came to her for help, and received it. Matrona took up to forty people a day. During the war she was not only healed, but also those who wanted to learn the fate of loved ones. She was illiterate, she seemed to know everything.
Outwardly life the Matron was monotonous, devoid of pathos, heroism – the day she took people in the night praying. Like many devotees, blessed never going to sleep really- just dozing, lying on her side on the Cam. With tiny, like children’s arms and legs sitting on the bed or the chest, with kind, bright face and gentle voice, such Matrona remembered by the people. She hard suffering, it seemed, knew no fatigue or irritation. It is easy to love when you’re feeling good and you’re ready to share their joy with others, and with far. But how hard it is not even love, but simply to tolerate others, if something in your life does not add up or you’re sick. Because often even the smallest pain makes a man incontinent. We, the patients, everything starts to irritate, we become intolerant, touchy, hung up on themselves and their experiences, and in the soul of anger is brewing. Moreover, a similar reaction during the illness is so common that sometimes it seems – this is natural, otherwise it does not happen.
Matrona is close to us not only because she we almost contemporary. The fact that many of the troubles which took place in Saint, familiar to us. We are all faced with the insults and persecution, many people familiar with homelessness, no bypass of the disease. Blind from birth, who lost his ability to walk and sickly in old age, the Matron, of course, suffered. But in those descriptions, which left her family a word about it. We can only guess what it cost the Matrona day-to-day to take the sick and afflicted, and not just accept, but to listen, to give advice. Eyewitnesses told how the Matrona could be love to squeeze come to her that this alone was healing. That is, it was so much love that she was suffering, she found the strength to be compassionate to others.
they say the theologians, Holiness is synergy, two burst – God and man are fused together. On the one hand, the saints are the chosen of God, and on the other the people who in response to the call of God on your spiritual feat – feat Love. The love of God to us all. But can we learn to love? And how to do it?
Once, in a conversation with the blessed someone to justify their lack of restraint, said, “Mother, it’s all nerves.” “What nerves, that’s because in war and in prison no nerves… you Have to control yourself, to endure.” Or else we are all in a warning: “If the old, the sick or those who are out of your mind, you will be something unpleasant or hurtful to say, don’t listen to them, not irritated, and they just help. To help people need with all diligence and forgiveness they need, whatever they said, whatever I did.”
it Turns out that we are annoyed, because a little love. Learn not to resent those who are near, and, conversely, to endure, not angry at them, and accept just as we are, means learning to love. And if you do it every day, overcoming his “I” for the sake of others? Here’s a daily sacrifice of love to those around, self-sacrifice, even never-seen, well, is not it a miracle?
