A word about a miracle that happened in the city Take from the icon of our Lord Jesus Christ, our true God

In the work of St. Athanasius the Great “On the Icon of Our Lord Jesus Christ” describes a miracle that occurred from the icon of our Lord Jesus Christ in the city of Berit (now Beirut). The gist of the story is this: a Christian who lived next to a Jewish congregation left an icon of Christ in his former home when he moved to a new house. A Jew subsequently moved into this hut, but at first he did not know about the presence of the icon. When his Jewish guest noticed the image, he informed the Jewish clergy about it. Having gathered, they subjected the icon to desecration: they spat on it, beat it, nailed it to a tree, put a sponge with vinegar to its lips and pierced it with a spear - after which blood and water flowed out of the image. This miracle made a deep impression on eyewitnesses. The Jews decided to test the power of the flowing blood and water: they anointed with them the lame from birth, the blind and the demon-possessed - and they all received healing. As a result, the entire Jewish people of the city believed in Christ, fell before the icon with prayer and turned to the bishop with a request for baptism. The bishop, having learned about all the miracles that had occurred, instructed the converts in the faith, baptized them and consecrated the synagogue as the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. The publication presents a translation of the essay into Russian, performed at the Kazan Theological Academy. See also: About the icon of our Lord Jesus Christ Fix the gaze of your mind and look at this new miracle that has happened today. Look at the unfathomable miracle of God and give glory to God. Think about His unspeakable love for mankind and the greatness of His economy and replace your tears with joy. Nothing is impossible for God. Being God, He can do anything. But what has happened in our days and among us horrifies the heart of everyone who hears about it. Truly, the sky was horrified by what some dared to do. Again the abysses were terrified; the sun, moon and stars were darkened by what had happened; but again then all the heavenly powers rejoiced at what the Lord had done by His economy. Listen and marvel at what has happened in our days. Understanding, understand; Before outward hearing, incline the ear of your heart and listen. There is a city called Berith, which borders on Tyrom and Sidon and is subject to Antioch. In this city of Berith there were quite a lot of Jews. Not far from their synagogue, which was very large, one Christian rented a house from someone and in it, opposite his bed, nailed an icon of our Lord Jesus Christ. After a little time, this Christian found himself a more spacious room; because he needed it. And this, as I am convinced, happened by the grace and economy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who wants all people to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Tim. 2:4), and shows His miracles to those who honor Him and to all who believe in Him, to reprove the ungodly and to confirm those who believe. So, this Christian, as I said, was looking for a more spacious room, found it in one place in the city and, moving there from a house located not far from the Jewish synagogue, transferred all his property, but, due to forgetfulness (and at the same time due to the economy of God), he forgot and left here the icon of the Lord about which I spoke. Some Jew hired himself this very house where the icon of the Lord stood; Having transferred all his property, he began to live in this house, not even noticing the icon of the Lord that stood there, because he did not pay any attention to that place. One day this Jew invited his fellow tribesman to dinner. During dinner, the invited Jew looked up and saw the icon of our Lord Jesus Christ. Then he said to the one who called him: how do you have this icon when you are a Jew? Then he uttered a great many baseless curses against the Lord. I do not dare to describe them - let it not happen! - although the invited guest spoke them against our Savior. Then the caller, having seen the icon of the Lord, reassured the Jew he had called, saying that until now he had not seen this icon; and the one called fell silent. But then he went to his bishops and accused the Jew living in the house where the icon of the Lord was, saying that such and such a Jew had an icon of the Nazarene in his house. After listening to him, they said: can you prove it? He claimed that he would prove this in the house of that Jew. Then they were filled with anger, but that evening they calmed down. The very next morning, the Jewish bishops and priests, having taken the Jew who had informed and gathered a crowd of their people, went to the apartment of the Jew, where the icon of the Lord was located. Arriving at the indicated place, the bishops and priests burst into the house along with the informer and saw that the icon of the Lord was standing. Then they became very angry and the Jew who lived in this house was excommunicated from the synagogue and expelled, and they took down the icon of our Lord Jesus Christ and said: just as our fathers once mocked Him, so will we mock Him. Then they began to spit in the face of the holy icon of the Lord and scourged it in front of those gathered. They scourged the icon of the Lord from both sides and said: what our fathers did with Him, we will do all this with His icon. Then they say: we heard that they mocked Him, and we will do the same. Then they spewed out countless curses against the icon of the Lord; we dare not even say them! Then they say: We have heard that our fathers nailed His hands and feet. We will do the same for Him. Then they drove nails into the hands and feet of the Lord, depicted on the icon. Then, in a frenzy, they say: we heard that they gave Him vinegar and gall to drink with a sponge; We will do this to Him too. And they did so, bringing a sponge filled with vinegar to the mouth of the Lord, depicted on the icon. They say: we know that our fathers beat Him on the head with a cane; We will do the same. And taking a cane, they beat Him on the head on the icon. Then they finally say: we know for certain that the spear perforated His side. We will not lag behind them in anything, but we will do this too. Then they ordered a spear to be brought and invited someone to take it and thrust it into the side of the icon of the Lord. And immediately a large amount of blood and water flowed out of her. Christ! glory to You! Incomprehensible! glory to You! Who are you like, Lord? Who is God besides You, who creates terrible and terrible things? O miracle, testifying to the greatness of our Savior! Truly, even now, seeing this, the saints of the highest powers were horrified! Oh, how loving You are, Lord! Oh how generous You are! Oh how merciful You are! For before, for our sake and for the sake of our salvation, You, being incorporeal, became incarnate from the Virgin Mary and were crucified in the flesh, being impassive according to Your divinity. Now, Lord, You are crucified again in the form of an icon, as a denunciation of the wicked and all unbelievers, and as a confirmation of those who remain in the truth and believe in You. But glory to You, Lord, the only Almighty, and also to our most blessed God and Father with the Holy Spirit. Amen. You, children, listen to what the Lord did after this, since the rest was a matter of His good pleasure. After the side of the icon of the Lord was pierced with a spear and blood and water flowed out, as stated above, the Jewish bishops and priests say: since His admirers divulge that He healed many; then let us now take this blood and water, take it to the synagogue and, having gathered all those possessed by ailments, let us anoint them; and then we will see whether what they said about Him is true. Then they brought the vessel to the side of the icon of the Lord, to the place where it was pierced by the spear, and from where blood and water flowed, and they filled the vessel from the place pierced by the spear. And they went with ridicule, so that, as they thought, in front of everyone they would mock the Lord of all. Then they brought all those who were afflicted with illnesses, and first of all they brought the one whom they knew as paralytic from birth, and anointed him. And this man immediately jumped up and stood up completely healthy. Then they brought the blind; and they also, having been anointed, received their sight. Countless numbers of those possessed by demons were immediately delivered from them. Great and boundless confusion spread throughout the city; everyone began to flock for countless miracles. All the crowds of Jews became agitated. There were a lot of residents in the city, and they all hurried here, carrying everyone who was sick in their houses, whether the paralytic, or the lame, or the armless, or the dry, or the lepers; they brought everyone, so that finally the synagogue, although very large, could not accommodate everyone; because, due to countless miracles, countless people flocked. At the same time, all the bishops and priests and the Jewish people, both men, children, and women, believed in our Lord Jesus Christ and cried out loudly: Glory to Thee, Christ, Whom our fathers crucified, Whom we also crucified in the form of Thy icon. Glory to You, Son of God, who has performed so many miracles! We believe in You; be merciful to us and accept us! So everyone cried out, and their cries rose up into the mountains: and while the bishops were anointing, miracles were performed - the sick were healed and revived. Then, when everyone was healed, immediately crowds of people went to the bishop of the local church, who already knew everything that had happened, and cried loudly: one God the Father, one Only Begotten Son, one Christ, whom our fathers crucified. We know that He is God and we believe in Him. So, having glorified God with many praises, they showed this icon to the bishop and told him everything that they had done with the icon of the Lord, and also showed the blood and water that flowed out of the side of the icon, and also told about the countless miracles performed. Then everyone in the crowd asked to be honored with holy baptism. The bishop, together with his clergy, received them, read them for many days and then baptized them, and consecrated the synagogue into the Church of our Savior Christ. And at their request, he converted their other synagogues into martyrdom churches. And thus there was great joy in this city, not only because so many people were healed and brought to life, but also because so many souls passed from the (kingdom of) the dead into eternal life. Knowing this, dear brethren, I wanted to tell you about it, for the benefit of your souls, so that you, having known the power of our God and Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ, would be more strengthened in your faith in Him and rejoice in the great deeds He has accomplished now. So give glory to Him, rejoicing with contrition and tears and giving thanks that He has made us worthy to believe in Him and to know Him. With Him be glory to the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.