We magnify thee, O all-holy Virgin, divinely elect Maiden, and we honour thy holy image, whereby thou pourest forth healings upon all who have recourse to it.
What a momentous few days it has been, with the great blessing of the Hawaiian-Iveron myrrh-streaming icon of the Mother of God to Cardiff and Chippenham: days of much travelling and little sleep, but immeasurable joy for those involved.
The icon’s late arrival in Cardiff was due to the throngs of the faithful – four hundred people or more – who flocked to Lazarica, to pray and venerate the Icon in Bournville.
Though the lateness in Cardiff was a challenge, knowing that so many had been able to gather to honour the Mother of God in St Lazar’s was a great joy. We pray for the blessing and grace of the Mother of God to pour forth upon Father Nenad, the Serbian Orthodox parish faithful, and the constant flow of pilgrims who make their way to Lazarica to venerate the Hilandarska-Trojerucica Icon.
The Icon did not arrive in Cardiff until 19:30, and in the vastness of the Oratory Church, it was difficult to ascertain the numbers of pilgrims until the veneration, when we realised that there were several hundred faithful gathered to pray and receive the blessing of the Mother of God. We were pleased to have Father Sorin with us, and to welcome Father Youhanis, the Coptic priest from Risca.
It was lovely to see that the Mother of God was greeted and honoured with so many flowers, and their remaining presence in the Oratory Church now is a testimony to the love of the faithful for the Theotokos.
Though the myrrh was less abundant than the following morning, people commented that it could be smelled in the street outside and the environs of the Oratory Church. I look forward to the offering of the “Rule of the Mother of God” / «Богородичное правило» in St Alban’s this afternoon, as a sort of “after-feast” for the icon’s visit.
Wednesday started with the Icon visiting our senior sister’s house, where the clergy had breakfast, before a brief visit to Chippenham, and during the course of the meal the Icon streanmed much myrrh, which soaked the cloth beneath it, so that we were able to soak it up with our prayer ropes and lots of cotton wool. The fragrance greeted us, when we finally arrived back in Cardiff and sat down for supper in the late evening.
It was a short, but welcome visit that brought the blessing of the Mother of God to Chippenham, where Father Nectarios chanted a moleben, before the faithful venerated the icon and were anointed with myrrh.
We were blessed to have a group of young people with us, and after the departure of the icon, the day was treated as a feast day with a meal and afternoon of conversation. I was pleased to hear that after we departed, the day continued in Chippenham with the chanting of the akathist.Immense thanks to those who chanted, served, cooked, cleaned brought vast amounts of flowers and submitted names for commemoration, which we will continue to commemorate the names submitted in prayers to the Mother of God this week, and to all who came to honour the Mother of God.
Our gratitude must especially be directed to the Oratorians, especially to Brother Francis Xavier, who stayed up very late, as we did not lock up and leave St Alban’s until after midnight. May the blessing of the Mother of God give him and his brethren strength.
Our hope and prayer is that the visit of the icon of the Mother of God will bring strength, help and consolation to all who came to honour the Queen of Heaven, and that whether their prayers are answered or not, their Faith is fortified and love for her increased!
O most glorious Lady, Queen of heaven and earth, Virgin Theotokos! Falling down now before thy precious icon, with compunction in our hearts we give voice to this, our meager entreaty; for we are unprofitable servants who deserve condemnation, yet hope to find mercy through thine almighty mediation before the Judge. We believe and trust, O Mistress, that thy Son, Who desireth not death of sinners, will hearken to thy mediation, and have now been informed of this by the wondrous sign of myrrh streaming from thy holy icon, from whence thou hast poured forth healings in abundance upon all who with love and faith have recourse unto thee. Wherefore, we cry out to thee with tears: Have pity on our wretchedness, forgive us our unfaithfulness, break thou the arrogance of our pride, dispel the numbness of our hardened hearts, regard the sighing of those beset by despondency, and make us chaste by the expectation of future reward. And grant, O Lady, that our Church may stand unshakably in the Truth and a goodly increase in love. Protect us from all the wiles of the demons and the vain beliefs of the heretics, and gather the scattered faithful together, that all who glorify thee in Orthodox manner on earth may also be vouchsafed to glorify with song in the heavens the most worshipful name of the Holy Trinity and thy merciful aid to us, unto the ages of ages. Amen.