Most people, even those who have a very distant relation to Christianity, have heard about such an amazing phenomenon as the myrrh-streaming of icons. For many years, it has been an occasion for discussion among scientists, priests and simply connoisseurs of ancient art. Despite the fact that some work is being done in this direction, it has not yet been possible to establish why the icons stream myrrh, and nothing promises quick discoveries in the future.
What does the term "holy myrrh" mean?
Under myrrh-streaming, it is customary to understand the appearance on the surface of icons, as well as on the relics of saints, drops of an oily aromatic liquid that emits a specific fragrance, sometimes very strong. It is she who bears the name of the world. It should be noted that its quantity, color and density may be different and do not depend on any external factors. At least this link could not be established.
The myrrh-streaming of past centuries
It is characteristic that in the Holy Scriptures there is no mention of cases of myrrh-streaming in the first centuries of Christianity. Information about them is brought to us only by Holy Tradition, that is, the oral tradition of transmitting certain facts related toChristianity, as well as apocrypha - non-canonical (not recognized by the church) literary and religious monuments.
From them, for example, we know about the annual outflow of the world from the relics of John the Theologian, the Apostle Philip, and also the Great Martyr Theodotos. In addition, the myrrh-streaming of the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, Demetrius of Thessalonica and John Skylitsa is widely known (from the same sources).
The myrrh-streaming of the last decades
The chronology of known cases of the expiration of the world shows that for the entire period of the history of Christianity preceding the 20th century, this phenomenon was a rarity. Only fragmentary and scattered information is found in the literature about him. And only in the 20th century did it become truly widespread.
The first stage falls on the beginning of the twenties, but then information about the myrrh-streaming of icons becomes rare. Perhaps this is due to the fact that the atheistic authorities that had been established in the country simply hushed up such cases. Only in the nineties did a real stream of reports appear in the media about the miraculous acquisition of icons, their myrrh-streaming and cases of spontaneous renewal. Moreover, the places where the myrrh-streaming icons were named very different - from private apartments to world-famous temples.
How did it start?
The beginning was laid in May 1991 by the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos "Sovereign" kept in the Nikolo-Perervinsky monastery of the capital. Following her, tears flowed from the eyes of the Savior on the image that was in one of the Vologda churches, and in November of the same year, myrrh streamedKazan icon of the Mother of God from the Smolensk Assumption Cathedral.
The end of the 20th and the beginning of the 21st centuries turned out to be the most abundant in miracles. Reports of cases of the expiration of the world have reached such a number that a specially created commission under the Moscow Patriarchate, whose duty was to study and describe miraculous signs, literally did not know the rest.
The point of view of the ministers of the church
From a theological point of view, if an icon streams myrrh, there must be a very specific explanation for this. Despite the fact that all canonical icons are sacred due to their spiritual content, some of them are chosen by the Providence of God, and through them the Lord sends down special signs to people.
At the same time, both the world itself, which has healing properties, and the fragrance it exudes are considered material signs of the higher mountain world. Thus, the icon is streaming myrrh, showing us a certain sign from above, the meaning of which is not always clear.
It is important to note: the mere fact of the myrrh-streaming of an icon is not a basis for recognizing it as miraculous, but the myrrh that has flowed from it is considered capable of performing miracles. In this regard, it is worth mentioning the capture of the Greek city of Thessaloniki by the Turks in 1430. Muslim fanatics, ignoring the Orthodox shrines kept in the city, snatched myrrh from the relics of St. Demetrius of Thessalonica, using it as a medical remedy for the widest possible purpose.
Voices of Skeptics
However, it should be recognized that among the church leaders of our time there are many skeptics, verywary of this phenomenon. They draw the attention of the public to the fact that there are known cases of myrrh-streaming pagan statues and even icons that were at the disposal of the most inhuman and inhuman totalitarian sects. In this regard, they recommend to be more restrained in cases of outflow from the icons of the world, tears and even blood, and if the icon is streaming myrrh, not to draw premature conclusions.
Examination of myrrh-streaming icons
Since the myrrh-streaming icons, as a rule, attract a large number of pilgrims, and thus create the prerequisites for making a profit, cases of falsification of this phenomenon and outright fraud are not uncommon. To prevent such abuses, the Moscow Patriarchate developed a special procedure for examining icons and relics to determine the authenticity of their myrrh-streaming.
According to the established rule, in cases where an icon is streaming myrrh, and a message about this is received by the local diocesan administration, a special commission is immediately formed, which examines it and interviews witnesses. The purpose of these actions is to establish the presence of external causes that can cause a similar effect and mislead others.
In their absence, the icon is placed in a locked and sealed icon case for a certain period of time. If in this case the appearance of oil stains does not stop, then an official conclusion is given about myrrh flow. Over the past decades, many cases of outright forgery have been identified using this simple method.
Examination conducted by the Sovereign
It is curious to note that the first known fact of exposure of this kind of falsification is associated with the name of Peter I. It is known that one day the sovereign began to carefully examine one of the icons of the Mother of God, which was leaking “tears”. It did not escape his attention that the finest holes were made in the corners of the eyes of the image, skillfully disguised by a shadow superimposed on top.
This prompted him to continue his inspection and remove the coating from the back of the icon. Under the outer layer, he found indentations made in the board just opposite the holes in the eyes of the Virgin. As expected, they were filled with thick oil, which, under the influence of the heat of candles lit in front of the icon, melted and came out through the channels, creating the effect of tears flowing down the cheeks.
Having thus exposed the deceit, the sovereign issued a decree determining the punishment for those whose guilt in falsifications of this kind would be established and proven. However, since then, the likhodey have not been translated in Russia, equally despising both God's Court and the earthly - criminal. And the holy images continued to flow with the purest lamp oil, equipped with incense.
Other reasons for the appearance of drops on icons
But in addition to God's command, as a result of which the icon is streaming myrrh, and deliberate falsification, other reasons for the appearance of characteristic drops on their surface are also noted. First of all, they can be formed quite naturally - as a result of external conditions.
Besides, the reasonmay consist in the ingress of drops of oil after the parishioners, having passed the rite of polyeleos (anointing the forehead with oil), kiss the icon and, touching it, leave traces of oil. And, finally, there are cases when the icon "streams myrrh" as a result of accidental oil from nearby icons falling on its surface.
It is important to note that the phenomenon of the expiration of the world is not a feature of the icons of any particular country or even continent. For example, there was a lot of information in the media that the icons of Abkhazia were actively streaming myrrh. In connection with this, it was told about the twelve images of the Ilori church of St. George. And at the same time, similar cases are widely known, recorded in Greece, Italy, Canada and South America.
Which icons stream myrrh?
It is very difficult to give any unambiguous answer to this question. But, nevertheless, it has been noticed that most often this happens with relatively new icons painted over the past decades. Information about the myrrh-streaming of ancient and revered icons from ancient times is very limited.
Moreover, it is absolutely impossible to foresee when and under what circumstances this may happen. On one of the photos cited in the article, an icon depicting Tsarevich Alexei, painted today (photo No. 1), is streaming myrrh, and on the other - the Savior, whose age is more than a hundred years (photo No. 2).
An illustrative example can be given, taken from the recent past. In 1981, an icon of the Mother of God was painted on Athos by one of the monks. The next year I saw her and wished to buy someCanadian Joseph Cortes, but was refused. Not wanting to upset the guest, the monks presented him with a list of the image he liked so much. Before leaving, the Canadian attached a copy to the original, after which he went home.
A few days after his return to Montreal, the copy received as a gift began to stream myrrh, and this continued for fifteen years. It should be noted that not a drop of peace has ever appeared on the original left in the Athos monastery. In 1997, Joseph Cortes was robbed and killed, and his relic was stolen. But the miracle did not stop there - in 2007, unexpectedly for everyone, a paper reproduction made from it began to stream myrrh.
If the icon is streaming myrrh, what does it mean?
From the above example, we can conclude that it is impossible to explain the occurrence of this phenomenon from the standpoint of our universal human logic. Why does the icon of the Mother of God, which is only a typographical print, radiate myrrh, and does not exude the original myrrh, written in the holy monastery on Athos? It is impossible to give any exhaustive answer to this and many similar questions. But the main thing is that the hidden meaning of this phenomenon is incomprehensible to us. If this is a sign sent down from above, then, alas, it is not given to us, sinners, to see what is embedded in it. The only thing that can be said with a certain degree of certainty is that the myrrh is not an indication of the miraculousness of the icon on which it appeared.
Miraculous icons of Russia
As for the icons that are really famous for miracles, then, according to the official data available to the Russian Orthodox Church, theirin the entire history of Christianity in Russia, there are about a thousand. Most of them are images of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In all cases, their veneration is due to the specific help provided to people. Usually this is the healing of the sick, protection from enemy invasions, fires, as well as getting rid of epidemics and drought.
Various supernatural events are often associated with miraculous icons. For example, the appearance in a dream vision of the Virgin, indicating a specific place where her image will be found, the movement of icons through the air, the radiance emanating from them, and much more. There are also cases of miraculous renewal of icons and even voices emanating from them.
