4th Sunday of Great Lent-- The Astounding Miracles of the Christ

The purpose of the Lord’s miracles

Brothers and sisters in Christ—

Our Lord Jesus Christ, during His earthly life, worked many astounding miracles in order to prove His Divinity.  In order for human beings to be saved, it is necessary for them to believe in the Holy Trinity and in the Incarnation of the Son of God.  Therefore, Our Lord worked miracles, so that His disciples could be more assured of these truths. Further, because Our Lord knows well the great temptations to unbelief, the same astounding miracles never ceased in the life of the Church, among the saints.  Thus, we have all of the wondrous testimonies from every age concerning the works of God among us by the intercession of the saints.  All these miracles have one and the same purpose—to confirm and strengthen our faith. 

The story of the Mother of God of Akhtyr

For example, we see again and again in Christian history that the Most Holy Mother of God comes to the Christian people during periods of sorrow, distress and poverty, in order to strengthen them through her miraculous icons.  Near Kharkiv, in the village of Akhtyr, the Most Holy Mother of God appeared to Father Basil Danyliv through a miraculous icon, which he found among tall grass, shining with a tremendous light.  The Most Holy Mother of God told the priest to wash her icon, and to give the water to the people.  Drinking this water, many people were cured of the plague of malaria that had gripped the region, as well as of others diseases.

Imitating Jesus Christ—becoming “little saviours”

    The Most Holy Mother of God loves, just as we should as well, to imitate her Son.  As He descended from Heaven in order to be our Saviour, so she descends in order to save her children from specific troubles, and her efforts always bring strength, light and peace. This is a very important example for us, since we ought to rejoice, when we have the opportunity to strengthen the faith of our Christian brothers and sisters by good works.  In this way, we can become “little saviours” according to the model established by Christ.

What is a miracle?

   Nevertheless, we need to remember that we Christians are a miraculous people. Always, God’s marvels surround us. Truly, we are ourselves wondrous on account of the fact that we are strangers among the works and the cares of this world.  God’s marvels surround us, but often we do not notice them.  The marvelous works of God become commonplace and normal to us.  But, we should reflect, “What is a miracle?” Is not a miracle that which happens without natural explanation, against the laws of nature?  Now we know that virtue is the evidence of everlasting life already in this world, but, we should recognize that virtue is also a miracle.  Christian virtue, after all, has no natural explanation, and is against the laws of nature.

Examples: Virtue does not belong to this world

     For example, in the Holy Scriptures, we find the wondrous story of the seven Maccabean martyrs, along with their mother Solomia.  She watched her sons’ martyrdom, and encouraged them not to deny God.  Also, among the forty Holy Martyrs of Sebaste, one soldier was younger than the others.  His mother feared that his youth would make him weaker than the other martyrs, and that he would deny Christ.  Therefore, she remained near, when the holy martyrs stood through the night, naked on the frozen lake. She encouraged the martyrs, and especially her son.  In the morning, all the holy martyrs were gathered together, and their limbs were broken with clubs.  After that, when the bodies were gathered together, the executioners discovered that the woman’s son was still alive.  Thus, they did not gather his body with the others, but left him, since they thought that he would, perhaps, survive.  But his mother feared that he would become demoralized on account of his separation from the others, so she picked him up on her shoulders and carried him behind the wagon, which bore the bodies of the other martyrs, until she came to the place of their burial.  In this way, he died on the shoulders of his mother.  In all of these things, her motive was a true love for her son, since she desired that he suffer pain and death for the sake of the life to come.  Her deeds do not have a natural explanation, just like all the deeds of virtue, because they are contrary to the laws of nature.  In the life of virtue, the details of this life are not important, and concern about oneself is unworthy, for the life of virtue leads to the future Kingdom through service to others.

The greatest miracle

     Yes, indeed, virtue is the greatest miracle, and we all have the ability to work this miracle in the world around us.  In is only necessary that we decide to imitate the Most Holy Mother of God, just as she imitates her Son.  We are able to become “little saviours,” according to the model of Jesus Christ, Who created us after His own Image and Likeness.  We are able to bring others to Christ by our imitation of Him.