Venerable fathers, dear brothers and sisters!
The bright days of the celebration of the Nativity of Christ are marked for the inhabitants of the God-protected land of Kostanay by a special event. Today, a great holy treasure is being presented as a gift to the main church of the diocese, the Constantine and Helen Cathedral of the city of Kostanay – an exact copy, «measure for measure», of the wonderworking Feodorovskaya Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos.
Seven centuries before the Nativity of Christ, the great prophet Isaiah proclaimed to mankind the incomprehensible mystery of the Incarnation: «Behold, a Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Emmanuel, which means – God with us» (Isa. 7:14). The humble and meek Virgin from Nazareth, radiant with purity and gentleness, by the will of the Creator became the Mother of the incarnate God. The Most Blessed Mary served the mystery of the coming of Christ the Savior into the world and became the true Theotokos.
From apostolic times, the Christian world has venerated the icons of the Mother of God. According to Church Tradition, the first to depict Her image was the holy Evangelist Luke. Our pious forebears were distinguished by deep and sincere love for the Queen of Heaven, as is witnessed by the multitude of images of the Most Holy Theotokos glorified by miracles in the Orthodox Church. Among them is a great holy treasure – the Feodorovskaya Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos, whose centuries-long history is connected with outstanding and glorious historical events.
The Feodorovskaya image of the Sovereign Lady, which for about eight centuries has remained in Kostroma – an ancient city on the great Russian river Volga, preserves the memory of many miracles, of the gracious intercession and maternal help of the Most Holy Theotokos manifested to Orthodox Christians. This great holy object is associated with renowned ascetics of faith and piety, famous military leaders and rulers. The ancient Feodorovskaya Icon was the prayer image of the holy благоверный Great Prince Alexander Nevsky – it was with this holy image that he was blessed for marriage, and with this revered image of the Mother of God he never parted, defending the western borders of the Fatherland from foreign enemies and traveling eastward – to the Golden Horde.
The Feodorovskaya Icon of the Mother of God was venerated by the holy confessor Nicholas, Metropolitan of Alma-Ata, the elder-hierarch Metropolitan Joseph (Chernov), the venerable confessor Sebastian of Karaganda, and many martyrs for Christ who shone forth on the land of Kazakhstan in the twentieth century.
The copy now being transferred for reverent keeping and prayerful veneration has been skillfully executed in full accordance with the rules and traditions of icon painting by outstanding iconographers and jewelers. It was consecrated before the revealed Feodorovskaya image of the Most Holy Theotokos with special prayers for the well-being and peace of the land of Kazakhstan. Affixed to the icon’s riza is a reliquary, within which is placed a holy relic – a fragment of the historical staff that until the seventeenth century was attached to the lower edge of the wonderworking image.
«The appearance of Thy wondrous image, O Lady Theotokos», we read in the ancient canon dedicated to the appearance of the Feodorovskaya Icon, «has shone forth as light for all the faithful: granting life to the dead, sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, speech to the mute, health to the paralyzed, cleansing to lepers, upbringing to infants, help to widows and orphans, healing to barren women, and painless childbirth to those bearing children».
From ancient times this holy image has been venerated by the Orthodox people as a patroness of family well-being, of the birth and upbringing of children. Through prayers before this image, healings from grave illnesses occur, including infertility, as attested by real, documentarily confirmed testimonies.
The generous gifts poured out upon us through the intercession of the Mother of God move us toward the correction of our lives according to the Gospel. Our gratitude to the diligent Intercessor must be expressed not only in words, but also in concrete actions. Saint Luke, archbishop of Crimea and physician, speaks of this as follows: «While glorifying the Most Holy Theotokos, let us remember that we must not only praise Her, but also guard our hearts from that which is contrary to Her heart, contrary to Her holiness».
The Mother of God is called more honorable than the cherubim and more glorious beyond compare than the seraphim, yet in all Her greatness She remains for us a благой example in virtues. «The example of the holiness of the Most Holy Virgin is given to us by the Gospel not only for our reverence and admiration, but also for our edification and imitation», writes the wise hierarch Saint Philaret of Moscow.
From Holy Scripture we see such qualities of the Mother of God as humility, modesty, and obedience to the will of God. Therefore, while asking the Most Holy Theotokos for everything necessary for our earthly life, let us not forget to ask for the most important thing, for the one thing needful (Luke 10:41–42) – for the heavenly gifts necessary for the salvation of the soul. We need spiritual strength and vigilance in order to fulfill the commandments. All of us are in acute need of a merciful heart capable of selfless, sacrificial love, forgiveness, compassion, and understanding.
May God grant that the presence of the wonderworking Feodorovskaya image of the Queen of Heaven in the Constantine and Helen Cathedral of Kostanay may spiritually strengthen and console all who live in this generous land of Kazakhstan. May this gift become a source of God’s mercy for all who, with faith and love, bow in prayer before the Most Holy Theotokos.
With faith and love from the depths of our souls let us turn to the Mother of our Lord: Most Holy Theotokos, save us! Most Holy Theotokos, help us! Blessed Lady, enlighten us with the light of Thy Son!
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