Hear the quiet voice of Godtranslated

What is the “Miracle of Elista” and what does it indicate to us? Should an Orthodox Christian trust miracles in his life? How to accept God’s will? We talk with Archbishop Justinian of Elista and Kalmykia.

– Vladyka, this year in the Elista and Kalmyk diocese there were great celebrations dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the “Miracle of Elista” - the appearance of the Savior to those praying in the church. Please tell our readers about this miracle.

– On September 11, 1946, in the Elista Church of the Exaltation of the Cross, 26 people witnessed the appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ during a service. Witnesses of the miracle raised money, which was very difficult to do at that time, and sent one of the eyewitnesses, Semyon Timofeevich Bondarenko, to Stavropol, where the artist, in his words, painted the icon “The Appearance of Jesus Christ to Those Praying in Elista.” This image is a constant reminder of the love of God shown by Him.

In August of this year, on the eve of the celebration of the anniversary of the miracle, we decided to rebury the remains of Semyon Timofeevich and his wife and, of course, began by performing a funeral litany.

August. Hot day. Clear sky. And suddenly large drops of rain begin to fall from the sky! In the waterless steppe it always rains...