Tomorrow (September 24) on the Greek Orthodox calendar (October 7 on the old calendar), the Icon of the Mother of God of the Myrtlewood is celebrated ("Μυρτιδιώτισσα" Myrtidiotissa). This icon is special of course because it depicts the Mother of God and our Lord God and Savior, but it also has been attributed to many miracles.
It has special significance on a personal level because it was on this feast that a potential miscarriage during the pregnancy of my youngest child was averted. The feast is a yearly reminder to me of God's tender care and mercy of my entire family, and a day I choose to celebrate in thanksgiving. It's also a reminder to me of the Mother of God's special love and intercession for me and my family...she is and always has been "Quick to Hear".
Below is an account of the story of the icon of the Mother of God of the Myrtlewood.
Sources:
http://www.roca.org/OA/151/151t.htm
http://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2010/09/panagia-myrtidiotissa-of-myrtle-tree-of.html
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Some time in the fourteenth century, a shepherd on the Greek island of Cythera was pasturing his sheep in a deserted valley which, being covered with myrtle bushes, was called "Myrtlewood." Forty days after the Feast of Dormition, he was there with his flock, when he saw a vision of the Most Holy Mother of God and heard a voice: "If you seek me, walk until you find my icon, which came here many years ago to give help to this place." The shepherd fell to the ground and with tears prayed to the Mother of God. When he arose, he turned around and, O, the miracle! he beheld an icon of the All-pure Theotokos nestled in the branches of one of the myrtle bushes. Weeping for joy at finding such a treasure, he thanked God for it and took the icon home to his hut after sharing the news of its discovery with his friends and relatives.
On awaking the next morning, the shepherd was grieved to find that the icon was missing. Perhaps, he thought, a jealous neighbor had taken it while he was asleep. He was very downcast as he led his flock to their usual pasturage. Coming to the spot where he had discovered the icon, he was astonished to see the icon resting in the very same bush. His joy knew no bounds. Glorifying God, he took the icon home, just as he had the previous day. That night, however, the icon again disappeared, and again he found it in the myrtle bush. When this happened a third time, the shepherd realized that that it was the will of the Mother of God that her icon remain there where it was first revealed. On that spot the villagers built a small church, which they called Our Lady of the Myrtlewood, or Myrtidiotissa, in honor of the icon. Later this small church was replaced by a larger one, and accommodations were built nearby for pilgrims. Still later, in 1838, a large basilica-style church was built above the old one, and the complex was further expanded with the addition of more guest quarters, an underground cistern, and a garden.
Among the numerous miracles related to this icon, we have the following accounts.
The Healing of a Paralytic
At the end of the sixteenth century, there lived on Cythera, in the village of Kousounari, a paralytic, a descendent of the very shepherd who had discovered the icon "Of the Myrtlewood." This man, Theodore Koumprianos, was very pious and firmly believed that through the intercessions of the Most Holy Theotokos he could be cured of his illness. Every year since his paralysis, on September 24, he would send a member of his family to the church of "Our Lady of the Myrtlewood" to light candles. One year he decided to have his family carry him to the shrine in order that he might venerate the holy icon himself. During the vigil service, there was a great commotion coming from the direction of the sea. Fearing a pirate attack, the worshipers fled, leaving the paralytic alone in the church. He prayed fervently to the Mother of God for protection and, O wonder, he heard a voice coming from the icon, "Get up and flee!" Slowly and rather uncertainly, his joints creaking, the paralytic rose from his bed. He left the church, gaining strength with every minute, and very soon he was able to run so fast that he caught up with his relatives. All rejoiced greatly on seeing this proof of a miracle. It was later determined that no pirates had landed on the island; the only explanation for the noise was that it was divinely purposed that the paralytic might be left alone with the wonderworking icon. In memory of this miracle, Koumprianos ordained that he and his descendents would hold a special celebration on the icon's feastday, September 24, the day he was miraculously cured of his paralysis.
A Plague Averted
In 1816, when Cythera was being annexed to the British Empire, the holy icon "Of the Myrtlewood" was being kept in the chapel of the guardhouse in the main village of the island. One night, an English soldier on guard duty saw in the air a huge flame approach the island from the direction of Crete. When this flame neared the south-east corner of the guardhouse, a lady in black suddenly appeared, and the flame rapidly retreated in the direction from which it had come. This venerable lady then vanished from the eyes of the astonished Englishman.
By the following day, news of this extraordinary incident had spread through the whole garrison. Its meaning was made clear when, a few days later, some people came from Crete and reported that that island was being ravaged by a terrible plague, claiming scores of victims daily. The pious Orthodox of Cythera immediately realized that the "lady" was none other than the Mother of God, and that the flame symbolized the approach of the plague. In spite of the frequent contacts between the two islands, the plague never did reach Cythera. And to this day, Cythera has been spared from epidemics that spread through the rest of Greece, a mercy that the people of Cythera attribute to the intercession of the Most Holy Mother of God, who protects them even as she promised.
Healing from Barrenness
A Jewish woman from Alexandria had suffered from barrenness for many years, when an acquaintance, a woman from Cythera, told her about the miracleworking icon "Of the Myrtlewood." Desperate for a child, the Jewish woman prayed to the Mother of God, and, a miracle: nine months later she give birth. In gratitude, the Jewish woman visited the church of the Myrtidiotissa on Cythera, and presented a gift of a precious pearl necklace, which now adorns the icon on great feasts.
A Soldier's Life is Spared
During the disastrous retreat from Smyrna in Asia Minor by the Greek Expeditionary Forces, a soldier of Cythera, Spyridonos Haios, experienced a miracle. His company and another were ordered to attack a certain hill on which a Turkish artillery unit was stationed, so that the retreating Greek army would not be bombarded from the rear. As these companies charged the hill, Spyridonos, knowing that he would certainly be injured or even die, took out the medallion of the Myrtidiotissa icon that he always kept with him, and begged the Most Holy Mother of God to spare his life. And lo, while two-thirds of the attacking Greeks were killed and another third were wounded, he came out of the battle unscathed. Survivors later attested that Spyridonos was in the vanguard of the attack, and the military awarded him three medals for bravery. None of these, however, meant a millionth as much to him as the medallion of the Mother of God "Of the Myrtlewood."
About the Monastery
Panagia Myrtidiotissa is the protectress of the Kythirians. Though there are differences in the sources as to when the miraculous icon was discovered, the chronicle of the priest Daniel Varypatis states that the icon was found on the 24th of September, 1446. Today, the original chapel which housed the miraculous icon of the Panagia remains as it was, however, a larger church has been built above the chapel. This was built by Abbot Agathangelos in 1857. Surrounding this church are monastic cells which were quickly built soon after the discovery of the icon by Monk Leontios. The church features an impressive 26m bell tower, located at the northeastern part of the Katholikon (main church), a work of Kythirian Nikolaos Fatseas-Fouriaris (1888). There is also a small chapel dedicated to the Holy Trinity. This monastery is today the largest in the Metropolis.
A Miracle of Panagia
Myrtioditissa
A ship was traveling at sea, when there began a terrible storm. Frigid fear seized the captain and crew. It was not like today. Then the boats were wooden. And they had sails! And the old boat started leaking. The pump worked continuously, but it didn’t do any good, and the boat started to sink. If the ship was lost what good were lifeboats and life jackets? All felt that every hope was lost. And then their minds turned to the Virgin Mary, who is the "hope of the hopeless”.
"Come, Panagia Myrtidiotissa, patroness and protector of our island. Save us. Pity our children and our elderly parents, who are waiting for us!"
Just before the boat sank, suddenly there appeared among them an all-illumined woman who said:
"I’ve come! Don’t be afraid! Your ship will be saved!"
And she plunged into the sea with a sponge in hand and closed the hole that had opened on board! In a few minutes, the boat went quietly on its way. They arrived at the first port they reached for repair. And what a miracle they saw! They saw the hole, which was opened on board, blocked by the sponge that was held in the hands of the Panagia when she appeared in the boat! Everyone saw this miracle. Full of emotion, the captain bought clean wax and made a candle like the mast of the boat. He also brought the sponge that the Panagia had in a box. He also made a small silver boat. He returned to his homeland, the island of Chios. All went to the Monastery of Panagia Myrtidiotissa. And when he went to venerate the miraculous icon, filled with emotion he cried out:
"That's her! We saw her! My Panagia! My Panagia!"
All of them knelt in front of the Panagia. They did their cross in reverence. They thanked her from the depth of their souls, and offered their small gifts, which are kept up till the present day.
"Come, Panagia Myrtidiotissa, patroness and protector of our island. Save us. Pity our children and our elderly parents, who are waiting for us!"
Just before the boat sank, suddenly there appeared among them an all-illumined woman who said:
"I’ve come! Don’t be afraid! Your ship will be saved!"
And she plunged into the sea with a sponge in hand and closed the hole that had opened on board! In a few minutes, the boat went quietly on its way. They arrived at the first port they reached for repair. And what a miracle they saw! They saw the hole, which was opened on board, blocked by the sponge that was held in the hands of the Panagia when she appeared in the boat! Everyone saw this miracle. Full of emotion, the captain bought clean wax and made a candle like the mast of the boat. He also brought the sponge that the Panagia had in a box. He also made a small silver boat. He returned to his homeland, the island of Chios. All went to the Monastery of Panagia Myrtidiotissa. And when he went to venerate the miraculous icon, filled with emotion he cried out:
"That's her! We saw her! My Panagia! My Panagia!"
All of them knelt in front of the Panagia. They did their cross in reverence. They thanked her from the depth of their souls, and offered their small gifts, which are kept up till the present day.
Apolytikion in the Fourth Tone
O people now let us clap our hands in faith and sing songs to the Mother of God crying out with fervor: Rejoice, the protection of all those in danger, Rejoice, the salvation of those who honor you with longing, Rejoice, you who granted healing to the paralytic.
Megalynarion
Sprinkle your people with divine myrrh, who in the myrtles shown forth wondrously, Holy Icon, wondrous and divine, and grant your grace, Myrtidiotissa.
O people now let us clap our hands in faith and sing songs to the Mother of God crying out with fervor: Rejoice, the protection of all those in danger, Rejoice, the salvation of those who honor you with longing, Rejoice, you who granted healing to the paralytic.
Megalynarion
Sprinkle your people with divine myrrh, who in the myrtles shown forth wondrously, Holy Icon, wondrous and divine, and grant your grace, Myrtidiotissa.
