Icon of Virgin Mary Paramythia

One year, at the beginning of the 14th century, on 21 January, the Orthros ended. The fathers retired to their cells to rest until they began their daily ministries. Then the gate of the monastery would open.

They did not know that outside it there were pirates lurking – at that time they were a plague in the Aegean Sea – who had surrounded it, ready to invade and destroy everything.

The Abbot was alone in the temple, devoted to his prayer. He suddenly jumped when he heard a voice that did not sound like a human voice. Startled, he looked around. He saw no one.

After all, no one was in the temple. And yet someone spoke. He concentrated his attention and full of fear he realized that the voice was coming from the icon of the Theotokos.

He reverently strained his ear to hear. He then heard the voice of the Virgin Mary saying: “Do not open the gate of the monastery today, but after going up to the walls, drive out the pirates.”

Amazed, the Abbot fixed his eyes on the icon of the Virgin Mary. He then witnessed an amazing miracle.

The figure of the Virgin Mary was alive. The infant Jesus she held in her arms was also alive. He moved his right hand and closed the mouth of his holy Mother, turning his luminous face towards her.

A sweet child’s voice was heard saying: “Don’t, Mother, don’t tell them. Let them be punished, as they deserve, for neglecting their solitary duties.”

Then the Lady Theotokos, with great maternal pride towards her only begotten Son, raised her hand slightly, held his little hand, inclined her divine face a little to the right and repeated more strongly : “Do not open the gate of the monastery today, but after you have gone up to the walls, drive out the pirates… and see to it that you repent, for my Son is angry with you”.

He repeated for the third time the warning: “Today, do not open the gate of the monastery…”. After the dialogue, Our Lady and her Holy Child were restored once again as an icon.

The Abbot, full of admiration, called all the Fathers together, told them the supernatural events that had taken place and repeated to them the words he had heard from the lips of the Virgin Mary and the Divine Infant to his Mother.

Everyone turned in amazement towards the miraculous icon. And their amazement grew.

The performance of the image had been transformed. The composition was completely changed and did not resemble the old image at all. The form was preserved as it appears today. The Virgin holding the hand of Christ under her mouth and tilting her head to the right to avoid it.

Her facial expression is full of infinite indulgence, love, sympathy and motherly affection. Although Christ is portrayed as an infant, he has a stern face as the Judge.

This icon is indeed handmade, because it was made in the form it is today, not by human hand, but by the Grace of God, after the miraculous intervention of Our Lady for the rescue of the Monastery.

She was named “Panagia Paramythia”, meaning “The Comforter”. And rightly so, because, as the pilgrims of the monastery say, who cannot get enough of seeing her, the sight of the sweet expression of the Virgin’s face rests, soothes, calms and comforts the soul of man.

This miracle reveals once again the maternal pride of the Virgin Mary in interceding for the sins of men “to her Son and God” and her saving intercessions by which they are relieved of the suffering they justly deserve for the multitude of their sins.

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