Today, September 13, the Church celebrates the Position of the Honorable Belt of the Virgin Mary in Constantinopletranslated

On September 13, Orthodox believers remember the Position of the Honorable Belt of the Most Holy Theotokos in the Blachernae Church of Constantinople under Emperor Arcadius (395-408).

Position of the belt of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Image: days.pravoslavie.ru

After the Dormition of the Mother of God, Her venerable belt was kept by pious Christians in Jerusalem.

During the reign of Leo the Wise (886-911), the emperor's wife Zoe, who had previously been possessed by a demon, was healed from the belt.

The wife of Leo the Wise was given a vision that she would be healed when the belt of the Mother of God was placed on her.

The emperor made a request to the patriarch, who removed the seal and opened the ark in which the shrine was kept. After opening the ark, it turned out that the belt of the Virgin Mary was completely intact, undamaged by time.

The Patriarch placed the belt on the sick empress, and she was immediately healed of her illness. After such a miracle, a solemn prayer of thanks was served, and the honorable belt was put back into the ark and sealed.

In memory of this miracle and the double position of the belt, the Feast of the Position of the Honorable Belt of the Most Holy Theotokos was established.

Particles of the shrine are today located in Athos Vatopedi...