Ancient Kaluga has a wondrous patroness - an icon of the Blessed Virgin created on canvas. For more than two and a half centuries, she has been protecting the inhabitants of the city, generously pouring out the grace of God on the pure in heart and strong in faith. The Kaluga Icon of the Mother of God - this is how it is customary to magnify this marvelous image, acquired in the 18th century and becoming one of the main shrines of the region.
The Shrine Appears
It happened in 1748 in the village of Tinkovo, not far from Kaluga. It pleased the Most Holy Theotokos to show people Her miraculous image in the house of a pious man - the landowner Vasily Kondratievich Khitrovo. During one of the cleanings, a roll of an old canvas was found in the attic of the house. When it was unrolled, the eyes of those present were presented with the image of a woman in monastic vestments, immersed in reading a book.
The girl who found the canvas decided that in front of her was a portrait of one of the sisters or the abbess of a convent located near the village, and, showing the find of Evdokia, the master's daughter, by the way, told her that, on occasion, she would complain about her motherto the abbess - this Evdokia was painfully negligent in prayer and sinful with foul language. However, instead of repentance, the servant's threat aroused anger in the master's daughter, and she, not remembering herself, spat on the picture, showing her contempt for the spiritual person.
Punishment for insolence and blasphemy
What happened next shocked everyone present. Suddenly, Evdokia staggered and after that fell, losing consciousness. When the girl came to, she could neither speak nor move. It was clear to everyone that the unfortunate woman was paralyzed for the blasphemy she had committed. The master's daughter was moved to her room and placed under the icon.
Soon the Most Pure Mother of God appeared to the owner of the house in a night vision and said that Evdokia was punished for the impudence shown in relation to the found image. The Queen of Heaven also said that it is not the abbess who is depicted on it, but She is the Mother of God, and that henceforth Grace will be sent down through this image to Kaluga and its inhabitants. The Mother of God commanded to tell the priest about everything that had happened and to serve a penitential prayer service before the new icon.
Healing of Evdokia and new miracles
It was said about the daughter of Vasily Kondratievich that after sincere and deep repentance, she should be sprinkled with water flowing from under the church - and she will be healed. That's how it all happened. The canvas with the image of the Holy Virgin was placed in a frame, and it became their family shrine. The impudent girl repented tearfully, and after being sprinkled with holy water, she was healed.
A little time passed, and the rumor abouta new miracle flew around the village. The master had a servant, Prokhor, who had suffered from deafness since childhood. Once in a dream he heard a voice telling him that the Kaluga Icon of the Mother of God, kept in their house, would save him from misfortune. All you have to do is pray hard for her. The same thing happened the next night. Then Prokhor spent long hours in kneeling prayer, after which he suddenly fell asleep. He slept for two days, and when he woke up, his hearing was completely restored.
Soon the Kaluga Icon of the Mother of God was solemnly transferred to the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which was located in a nearby village. But this event was preceded by another miracle, manifested through her and remained in the memory of fellow villagers. Evdokia fell seriously ill - the very daughter of the landowner who had once been punished for impudence. And again there was a night vision of the Blessed Virgin with a command to pray before the image and not to weaken in faith. After the whole Khitrovo family performed a prayer service before the miraculous image, the illness left the girl.
Kaluga Icon of the Mother of God - guardian of the city
Since then, an intercessor and patroness has appeared near the ancient Russian city - the icon of the Kaluga Mother of God. The Blessed Virgin showed wondrous miracles through her. In 1771, for sins, the Lord struck the inhabitants of the city with a plague, but they served a repentant prayer service before it, and the Most Pure Son begged to have mercy on the people of Kaluga. Another time, in 1812, the prayer of the Kaluga Icon of the Mother of God saved the city from the invasion of Napoleon's troops. This event has been foreverin Russian history. When the cholera epidemic broke out in 1898, during a prayer service, the Orthodox of the whole world read an akathist to the Kaluga Icon of the Mother of God, and the Heavenly Intercessor did not leave them - she averted trouble from the city.
In memory of these miracles, the Holy Church established holidays that are celebrated annually in Kaluga. All of them are dated in accordance with the days when the Kaluga Icon of the Mother of God showed her intercession. These are September 15th, October 25th and July 31st. In addition, the Church of the Kaluga Icon of the Mother of God at the bishop's house in the city of Kaluga celebrates its patronal feast every year on the first Sunday of Peter's Lent.
Prayer before the miraculous icon
This miraculous image, revealed during the reign of the pious Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, to this day does not leave the people of Kaluga under its care. Soon it is planned to open a convent in his honor at the site of his miraculous discovery.
No matter what life's hardships may be, the inhabitants of the city go to the temple, where the Kaluga Icon of the Mother of God is waiting for them. What do they pray in front of her, what do they ask for protection from? They pray for their he alth and their loved ones, for blessings on all good deeds, for family happiness and many children. They ask to protect them from the evil one and all his wiles.
