Belt of the Blessed Virgin Mary: you will have a child. Honorable belt of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Russia
Belt of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Belt of the Blessed Virgin Mary(Greek Ζώνη τῆς ὑπεραγίας Θεοτόκου) - a Christian shrine that belonged to Mother of God. According to Tradition, the belt was woven from camel hair the Virgin herself, and after the Dormition at the Ascension, she gave it to the Apostle Thomas. In honor of the relic, a celebration has been established in the Orthodox Church - “The Position of the Honorable Belt of the Blessed Virgin Mary” (Greek γίας Θεοτόκου), performed on September 13 (NS).
In the 10th century, the Belt of the Virgin Mary was divided into parts, which eventually ended up in Bulgaria, Georgia (Zugdidi), Mount Athos (Vatopedi Monastery), and Cyprus (Trooditissa Monastery). Pieces of the Belt are also in Russia: in the Serapion Chambers of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, in the Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg and in the Church of Elijah the Prophet in Obydensky Lane in Moscow, where you can venerate them at any time.
Historical excursion
As you know, the Apostle Thomas did not participate in the burial of the Virgin Mary - at that time he was in the Indian region and spread the Good News there. Only on the third day did he arrive in Jerusalem. Grieving and wanting to say goodbye to the Mother of God, he asked the apostles to open her tomb. Having opened it, the apostles were amazed, because the tomb turned out to be empty. Only the funeral shrouds remained in it, from which a wonderful fragrance emanated. “Kissing the funeral shroud remaining in the tomb with tears and reverence, they prayed to the Lord to reveal to them where the body of the Most Holy Theotokos had disappeared?” - writes Dmitry Rostovsky. In response to their question, the Mother of God appeared to the apostles at supper and greeted them with the words: “Rejoice! “For I am with you always.” However, there is a legend that on the third day, that is, before this appearance, the Mother of God appeared to the Apostle Thomas through his prayer. To console him, she threw her belt to him from the sky. This legend is recorded on Orthodox icons, and on the holy Mount Athos there is a 6th-century fresco depicting Thomas bringing the belt to the other disciples.
The Golden Ark, which for a long time The belt, revered as a great shrine, was enclosed and was first discovered at the end of the 9th - beginning of the 10th century during the reign of Emperor Leo the Wise. This was done with the permission of the patriarch for the emperor’s wife Zoe, who was overwhelmed by an unclean spirit. The emperor prayed to God for the healing of his wife. And a vision occurred that she would be cured of her weakness if the belt of the Virgin Mary was placed on her. When the ark was opened, it turned out that the belt, which had lain in it for almost ten centuries, had not decayed. The Patriarch applied the Belt to the sick empress, and she immediately got rid of the unclean spirit. As a token of gratitude to the Mother of God, Zoya embroidered the entire Belt with gold thread. After these events, Saint Euthymius, the emperor’s confessor and Patriarch of Constantinople, composed a Homily “in honor of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary, in remembrance of the miracle that occurred from Her Honorable Belt, by grace, mercy and love for mankind, Christ our God was born from Her.”
In the 10th century, the Belt of the Virgin Mary was divided into parts, which eventually ended up in Bulgaria, Georgia (Zugdidi) and Cyprus (Trooditissa Monastery). Helena, the niece of the Byzantine Emperor Romanos III Argir (Argyropoulo), received healing from the belt of the Virgin Mary. When in 1028, after the war with Georgia, the emperor made peace with her, he married Helen to the Georgian king Bagrat IV Kuropalates in order to seal the political alliance. With the permission of the emperor, the bride brought part of the Belt with her to a distant country. It is known that in early XIX century, the ruler of Megrelia Nino, the daughter of the Georgian Tsar George XII, after accepting Russian citizenship, sent the shrine as a gift to the Russian Emperor Alexander I. The reaction of the Russian Tsar is surprising. Decorating the Ark precious stones, he sent him back and ordered to build a stone church in Zugdidi to store the shrine. And to this day this part of the Belt is kept in the Cathedral of the Blachernae Icon of the Mother of God in a precious icon case.
In Vatopedi monastery On Holy Mount Athos in Greece, a part of the belt of the Blessed Virgin Mary is kept, which the Byzantine emperors took with them on military campaigns and which the Bulgarians once recaptured from the Byzantines. This is a gift from the Serbian prince Lazar Hrebelianovich, who ruled in the 14th century - the last independent ruler of Serbia. This prince is glorified among the saints of Serbia Orthodox Church like a great martyr. The history of the monastery is so closely intertwined with the history of the Belt that it can no longer be thought of separately from it. This is evidenced by the nickname “Agiazonites” (that is, “holy belts”), given to the Vatopedi monks on Athos. 5 Temple of the Belt of the Virgin Mary in Syria In the city of Homs (ancient Emesa) there is a temple dedicated to the Belt of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the famous “Umm Zunnar”. According to the tradition of these places, the shrine was placed in a silver flower on a stand. In the center of the plant, surrounded by openwork petals under glass, lies a thin woolen belt made of camel hair and gold threads, about 60 centimeters long, twisted into a ring. According to legend, this is part of the belt of the Virgin Mary. It was found in 1953 after an ancient manuscript in Aramaic was discovered in a monastery in Mardin (modern Turkey). This manuscript indicated the place where half of the belt was kept, which Thomas took with him. Numerous healings also occur from this part of the shrine through the prayers of believers. In Umm Zunnar, next to a niche decorated with fresh flowers, where the Belt of the Virgin Mary is kept, there is a jug. Believers throw notes into it addressed to the Heavenly Intercessor.
Location. Accessibility for pilgrims
After the fall of Constantinople, several locations of parts of this relic are known:
- Vatopedi Monastery (Athos) - a gift from the Serbian prince Lazar, is considered part of the belt that the Byzantine emperors took with them on military campaigns and which the Bulgarians recaptured from the Byzantines.
- Trooditissa Monastery (Cyprus)
- The Blachernae Church in Zugdidi (Georgia) is a part brought by the niece of Emperor Roman III, who became the wife of the Georgian king Bagrat IV. At the beginning of the 19th century, Nino, the daughter of Tsar George XII, after accepting Russian citizenship, sent part of the belt as a gift to Emperor Alexander I, who, having decorated it with precious stones, returned it and ordered the construction of a church in Zugdidi to store the relic.
- Temple of Elijah the Everyday Prophet (Moscow) - a piece of shrine kept in a reliquary at the chapel of the apostles Peter and Paul.
- Kazan Cathedral (St. Petersburg) - On September 21, 2011, a piece of the belt of the Virgin Mary was donated to the cathedral for eternal storage.
- Prato (Italy) - Sacra Cintola - a relic supposedly captured by the Crusaders during the First Crusade in Jerusalem, revered as the belt that the Virgin Mary gave to the Apostle Thomas at the time of her Ascension. The relic was brought from Jerusalem in 1141 by the merchant Prato Michele Dagomari, and is kept in the city's cathedral.
Miracles
Belt of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The miracles revealed through the holy Belt in all centuries are innumerable. Here are just a few examples.
One day, the inhabitants of Enos asked that the holy Belt be delivered for them, and the priest sheltered the monks accompanying the relic in his home. His wife secretly cut off a piece of the Belt. When the fathers gathered back and boarded the ship, it did not move, although the sea was quiet. The priest's wife, seeing this strange incident, realized that she had acted unrighteously, and returned part of the Belt to the monks. The ship immediately sailed.
The flap remained separated. Subsequently, a similar incident occurred.
During the Greek War of Independence, the Holy Belt was brought to Crete at the request of its inhabitants, who were suffering from a plague. But when the monks were about to return to their monastery, the Turks arrested them and took them away for execution. Meanwhile, the British consul Domenicos Sanantonio bought the holy Belt and it was taken to Santorini, where the diplomat's new residence was located.
Immediately this news spread throughout the island. The local bishop notified the Vatopedi monastery, and its abbot Dionysius went to Santorini. The consul asked for 15,000 piastres as ransom for the Belt. The islanders showed unanimity and were able to collect this amount. So the holy Belt was returned, and Abbot Dionysius took it to Vatopedi.
The consul's wife did the same as the priest's wife at Enos. She secretly cut off a small piece of the Holy Belt from her husband before it was returned to Abbot Dionysius. After a short time, her husband died suddenly, and her mother and sister became seriously ill. In 1839, she sent a letter to the monastery asking that the monastery send messengers who would receive the cut piece from her.
In 1864, the Holy Belt was brought to Constantinople when cholera was raging there. As soon as the ship carrying the Belt approached the harbor, the destruction ceased, and none of those struck by it died.
This strange, miraculous event aroused the Sultan's curiosity. He ordered that the Belt be brought to his palace so that he could honor it.
During the stay of the Holy Belt in Constantinople, a Greek from the Galata quarter asked that it be brought to his home. His son was seriously ill, but when the holy Belt was delivered, he had already died. However, the monks did not lose hope. They asked to be shown the remains, and as soon as the Belt was placed on them, the young man rose from the dead.
In 1894, the inhabitants of the city of Madita in Asia Minor wanted the holy Belt to be brought there, since locusts were devastating their crops and spoiling fruit trees. When the ship carrying the Belt approached the harbor, the sky was darkened by clouds of locusts, which then rushed into the sea, and the ship could not cast anchor. The Miditites on the shore, having seen the miracle, began to continuously sing the hymn “Kyrie eleison” (Greek Κύριε ελέησον - “Lord, have mercy!”).
Until our time, many miracles have been performed through the holy Belt. Vatopedi monks make small belts, consecrate them on the Belt of the Blessed Virgin Mary and distribute them to believers. It is known that thanks to the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, these belts help in healing cancer and other patients, as well as infertility in women. The monks hand out a kind of reminder to believers on how to use the blessed belts. It says that “the patient girds himself with this belt for some time, living in repentance, confessing and partaking of the Holy Mysteries. Spouses do the same, adding to this, if possible, fasting and marital abstinence while wearing the belt.” It is noted that “spiritual life in repentance and constant participation in the Sacraments of the Church must, of course, continue throughout life, since it is the only way of our communication and unity with God.”
Video
The Holy Belt of the Blessed Virgin Mary is the only thing from the earthly life of the Virgin Mary that has survived to this day. The relic is highly revered by the Christian world, confirmed a large number of miracles associated with it. In Orthodox church calendar There is even a holiday dedicated to her - on August 31, the Position of the Honorable Belt of the Blessed Virgin Mary is celebrated. The shrine is also depicted on icons, although this image is quite rare, it is revered by Orthodox believers everywhere.
History of the Belt of the Virgin
According to legend, the Virgin Mary herself wove the belt from camel hair and gave it to one Christian family. The relic there was passed down from generation to generation and only 300 years later it was given to the Constantinople temple of Chalkopration. The first miracle described is associated with the healing of the wife of Emperor Leo VI the Wise, Zoe Carbonopsina (“Coal-Eyed”). According to evidence that has survived to this day, she was tortured evil spirits, causing weakness and illness. After fervent prayers, the Mother of God appeared to the empress and said that she would be cured as soon as she placed the Holy Belt on herself. After this, with the permission of the Patriarch, the ark with the relic was opened. To everyone's surprise, the thing looked like new, it had not suffered at all from time. After laying the Belt, Zoya was truly healed. Being grateful to the Mother of God for the miracle, she embroidered the relic with gold threads. This is exactly how the Belt looks today; on icons it is also written already decorated. After the miracle of healing, the shrine was moved to the Blachernae Church.
The history of the relic is quite complex. In the 10th century it was divided into parts and distributed among monasteries. The particles ended up in churches in Bulgaria, Georgia, Serbia, and even in Syria. The most famous monasteries, where fragments of the shrine are located to this day, are the Trooditissa monastery in Cyprus (according to some sources, the Belt is now kept at the Ayia Napa monastery) and Vatopedi on Athos.
The Serbian prince Lazar gave the relic to the Athonite monks. XIV century. Later, the priests divided the resulting portion into two more. One was placed in a cross, which is not taken out of the temple, the other was sealed in an ark, and it was allowed to be taken outside the monastery. For example, this is how the relic is delivered to believers in other countries.
Pilgrims flock to the shrine from different corners peace. Therefore, now the monks of Vatopedi make small belts and consecrate them on the Belt of the Mother of God, and then distribute them to believers. They are also believed to have healing powers.
Icon "Belt of the Virgin Mary"
The relic itself is depicted in various iconographic images, but the canonical icon of the Belt of the Blessed Virgin Mary is quite rare. on her Holy Virgin depicted from the front, she is dressed in scarlet robes, and on her hands she holds a red Belt embroidered with gold threads. Above, above the head of the Mother of God, two angels singing her praises can be seen.
In terms of iconographic type, the image resembles the “Protection of the Virgin Mary”. The icons are almost identical, but have significant symbolic differences. The Virgin Mary's belt is a relic preserved from her earthly life. It heals ailments and is especially popular among young women, because it can cure infertility and help with difficult childbirth. The Protection of the Mother of God is an intercessor icon. This image appeared much later, dating back to the 10th century. It is connected with the defense of Constantinople from enemies. According to legend, when the city was besieged, the Mother of God appeared to the residents in the temple, prayed with them and saved them from enemies.
The image of the Holy Belt appears on other icons. Thus, there are known images in which the Mother of God hands him over to the Apostle Thomas. It is noteworthy that there the Belt is depicted simply in red, without embroidery. The plot of the icon refers to an apocryphal text, which tells that Thomas did not want to believe in the Dormition of the Mother of God. He ordered the tomb to be opened and saw that it was filled with flowers, and the Blessed Virgin herself was handing him the Belt. According to another version, the Mother of God threw him from heaven when, after her death, she appeared to the inconsolable apostle. This plot is very common in Catholic iconography.
How does an icon help?
There are many records of miraculous healings granted to people by the Belt of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This relic is especially known as the patroness of childbirth. Women suffering from infertility try to get to the shrine, they pray for the birth of children and, according to assurances, the Virgin Mary helps them.
There is a belief that the relic can help during childbirth. Therefore, since ancient times, there has been a custom of consecrating small belts in front of icons of the Mother of God. Afterwards, these cords were used to encircle women if their childbirth occurred with complications. This tradition is typical for Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Macedonia and other countries. According to some reports, Elizabeth of York, the 15th century English queen, paid a lot of money to a monk who gave her the Girdle of the Virgin to use during childbirth.
They also pray for healing from infertility, easy pregnancy and childbirth in front of an icon depicting the shrine. It is believed that iconographic images are endowed with the same power as the Belt itself. The only condition that the priests remind us of is that the woman asking for healing must be married and must be married.
The Mother of God, depicted with a relic in her outstretched arms, also saves in cases of mental suffering. It is believed that the icon helps with despondency, in difficult moments it is capable of restoring faith and giving strength to the despairing.
Famous miracles of the shrine
The significance of the relic for the history of Christianity is difficult to overestimate. A number of miracles are associated with it, which are confirmed by documents and chronicles from different countries. Here are just a few of them:
- 1864 - The belt was brought to Constantinople, where there was a cholera epidemic. As soon as the ship on which the shrine was located approached the harbor, the disease stopped. All those suffering from it remained alive and subsequently recovered.
- 1915 - according to the memoirs of Father Cosmas Chrysoulas, the relic of the Mother of God helped stop a locust invasion in the Greek settlement of Neochori. The Belt was brought here by monks from the Vatopedi Monastery. According to the priest, as soon as the shrine was delivered to the village, flocks of birds appeared in the sky, which quickly destroyed the locusts. This miracle saved many people from hunger.
- 1957 - residents of the island of Thassos arrived to the monks of Vatopedi. There was no rain there for several years, crops stopped sprouting, and drought threatened terrible famine. People asked to bring the Belt of the Virgin Mary to them and save them from this disaster. The monks got ready to set off a few days later. When they sailed out of the harbor there was clear weather, but when the ship with the shrine approached Thassos, the priests saw that there was a heavy rainfall there. The weather was such that the monks simply could not leave the ship and sailed back to Vatopedi.
Belt of the Virgin Mary in Russia
The belt of the Virgin Mary from the Athos temple is periodically brought to other countries so that as many believers as possible can pray in front of the shrine. However last years They try not to take the relic out of the monastery, and the holy fathers do not accept all invitations. Thus, in recent years, a number of countries have been refused, including the USA and Romania.
In 2011, an exception was made for Russia, and in the fall the Holy Belt, on the initiative of the St. Andrew the First-Called Foundation, arrived here for a whole month. During this time, believers could venerate the shrine in 12 cities: Moscow, St. Petersburg, Saransk, Yekaterinburg, Vladivostok and others. It is estimated that more than 3 million pilgrims came to pray at the Belt.
In the Vatopedi monastery on Mount Athos, Greece, there is kept a Christian relic that is almost 20 centuries old. Every year crowds of pilgrims come to the monastery to venerate the unique shrine and ask it for healing. Most of them are women. The belt of the Blessed Virgin Mary helps them get pregnant.
After all, according to legend, the Virgin Mary tied herself with a belt woven with her own hands when she carried her God-given child under her heart. And then I didn’t part with him. She took it off and dropped it from heaven only because she wanted to console the Apostle Thomas, who was not present at the Assumption.
Celebration of a Happy Healing
Miracles of the Virgin Mary amazing properties her belts appeared in the 10th century. The Byzantine Emperor Leo the Wise's beloved wife Zoe became seriously ill; she was overcome by an unclean spirit. The efforts of doctors and priests were in vain; the ruler prayed to the Almighty for the recovery of his wife. The Lord sent the unfortunate woman a vision: mental illness will recede after the belt of the Most Holy Theotokos is applied. He was immediately taken to the palace.
They opened the ancient ark, in which the shrine had lain for 900 years, and were incredibly surprised: the woolen belt had not decayed over time, it was intact and unharmed. When it was applied to the empress's head, she felt relief. The disease has subsided. Grateful Zoya decorated her belt with gold embroidery. In memory of this significant event, a holiday was established. In the monthly text it is listed as the Position of the Belt of the Blessed Virgin Mary. And according to the new style it is celebrated on September 13th.
How was the shrine divided into parts?
Queen Helen was also cured by the belt of the Most Holy Theotokos. Therefore, she brought part of it to Georgia, where she was to live after marriage. The priceless relic still remains in the cathedral of the city of Zugdidi. Although in the 19th century it was sent to St. Petersburg, to the Russian autocrat Alexander I. For some reason, the monarch sent the generous gift back.
Half of the miraculous belt was discovered in 1953, in the territory of modern Syria. An ancient manuscript indicated its exact location, a church in Homs. Under the floor of the building, founded in 60 AD, a cube of black stone was found. It contained a small silver casket, inside of which was hidden a thin belt of wool and gold threads. Scientists have confirmed that the mysterious discovery spent more than a thousand years underground.
The emperors of Byzantium took part of the belt of the Most Holy Theotokos with them to the battlefield. In one of the battles, the amulet from the heavenly intercessor was captured by Bulgarian soldiers. It went to Prince Lazar as a military trophy. And it was transferred to the Athos monastery.
How to wear the belt of the Virgin Mary to get well?
According to a long-standing tradition in the monastery, the monks make small belts. They are “charged” from the holy original and distributed to those who believe in the miracles of the Virgin Mary. They say that with the help of such a talisman one can get rid of painful diseases, defeat cancer and female infertility.
The amulet is accompanied by a short instruction that explains how to wear the belt of the Virgin Mary. To enlist her support, it is recommended to pray daily, visit church at least once a week, regularly confess and receive communion. Keep fasts whenever possible.
The belt is tied on the head, wrist, waist or hips, preferably over clothing so as not to get dirty. Wash it without powder and soap, since water cannot be flushed down the drain. They water it houseplants. It is not at all necessary to use a healing talisman all the time; a few hours a day, day or night, is enough. There is a belief that on the day of the Placing of the Belt of the Blessed Virgin Mary, September 13, its power doubles.
Volunteers from the Orthodox help service “Mercy” are on duty in the queue to the shrine and in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior itself. They are constantly approached with various questions. We publish answers to the most FAQ, including what to do with the belts that are distributed in memory of the shrine.
About the queue
Question: Until when will the Belt of the Virgin Mary be in the church?
Answer: The stay of the belt has been extended until 05:00 November 28 (Monday).
Question: How long do we have to wait in line?
Answer: Unknown. IN different time people stood from 4 to 12-13 hours. We cannot predict how long you will have to stand. The queue varies in length and moves at different speeds. It's very difficult to predict. Be patient, you may have to stand for a long time. God help you!
Question: How many kilometers do we still have to stand?
Answer: from 3 to 5 km (from Andreevsky Bridge 3.5 km)
Question: What are the nearest metro stations here?
Answer: Metro stations - “Park Kultury” (radial) and “Frunzenskaya”. There is no need to come to Kropotkinskaya! They will still send you to the end of the line. We recommend leaving Frunzenskaya, crossing Komsomolsky Prospekt and going to the embankment.
Question: Who gets skipped in line?
Answer: Disabled people (only obvious, obvious ones); children (only infants, not older than 4 years) accompanied by one adult; Pregnant women (long term, when pregnancy is obvious) are skipped in line. They must go to Kropotkinskaya and go to the entrance to the temple.
Question: I got in line for a relative. Will he be able to get in line with me?
Answer: A person can join the queue (if a place has been taken for him) only BEFORE the first fence. Behind the fence, the queue is divided into groups of 50-70 people so that there is no crowding. Riot police, police and military personnel are vigilantly ensuring that no one gets inside the fence without a queue. Persuasion does not work; order is strictly observed.
Question: Are people with disabilities of groups 2 and 3 allowed to skip the queue?
Answer: No. Only wheelchair users or disabled people of group 1 who have the appropriate ID.
Question: Is there access at night?
Answer: Access to the Belt of the Blessed Virgin Mary is open 24 hours a day
Question: Are they allowed into the Temple with bags, carts, and a thermos?
Answer: No. All this will have to be left in special tents near the metal detectors in front of the entrance to the Temple.
Question: Is it possible to submit notes / buy candles, icons, akathists in the church?
Answer: Yes, you can.
Question: Are donations accepted here in line?
Answer: No. The line does not accept donations and does not sell anything. Those who collect donations here (or sell icons, calendars, etc.) do so without blessing. Donations to the Athos Monastery (Vatoped), where the Belt of the Virgin Mary is kept, can be made directly in the Temple. There are special boxes there, you will see them.
Information
There are heating buses and dry closets along the entire line. Ambulances are on duty.
On Prechistenskaya Embankment, field kitchens have been deployed along the line, distributing tea and porridge (in addition, there are paid food stations along the line). You need to get to these points (they start behind the fences - about 1.5 km from the place where we are on duty - St. Andrew's Bridge)
About the Belt of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Question: What is this – the Belt of the Blessed Virgin Mary?
Answer: This is a shrine that has been preserved for almost 2000 years. During the earthly life of the Mother of God, he belonged to Her. Part of the belt, brought to Moscow, is permanently kept in the Vatopedi monastery on Mount Athos.
Question: How to apply it correctly, what generally needs to be done there?
Answer: It is blessed to apply with the hand, and not with the lips, to speed up the movement of the line. You will have little time, so you need to pray and cross yourself in advance. Having quickly kissed yourself, you will go forward and receive icons of the Mother of God and belts consecrated on the Belt, one for each kisser.
Question: How should you pray there?
Answer: You can pray now. If you know the prayer “Rejoice to the Virgin Mary,” you can read it. You can read the akathist to the Mother of God. Can be read a short prayer: “Most Holy Mother of God, save us!” and pray in your own words for yourself and your loved ones.
Question: Will I have time to pray when I apply the Belt?
Answer: No, you will kiss very quickly and immediately go forward, receive a belt and go to the exit. It is better to pray in advance - including now.
Question: Where can I get prayer?
Answer: You can buy a book - Akathist to the Mother of God in the shop in the temple when you get there. In the meantime, you can pray in your own words or read prayers that you know (Virgin Mary, Rejoice...)
Question: Is it possible to attach an icon, a cross, to the Belt?
Answer: Yes, you can, but only very quickly (so as not to delay the queue).
Question: Is it possible to attach the things of a sick person to the Belt so that he recovers?
Answer: No, there is no point in applying any household items. The custom of putting things on is associated with magic and superstition; it has nothing to do with Orthodoxy. You need to pray to God with all your heart for the person for whom you wish recovery. You can bring him a consecrated belt so that he can venerate it and pray.
About belts
Question: I heard they give you some souvenirs there?
Answer: When you venerate the Belt of the Most Holy Theotokos, you will be given a belt blessed on it and a small icon of the Mother of God. These are not souvenirs, these are shrines. They must be treated with reverence.
Question: Can I ask for another belt for my daughter (son, husband, etc.)?
Answer: No. Each person who venerates the veneration is given one consecrated belt and a small icon of the Mother of God.
Question: If they give me a belt, can only I use it? Or can you give it to other people?
Answer: This is a shrine, everyone can venerate it. Not only you, but also your loved ones and other people.
Question: Can I buy additional belts?
Answer: No, belts are not for sale.
Question: Can I give my belt to someone?
Answer: Yes, you can.
Question: Is it possible to cut the belt into several parts and distribute it to relatives?
Answer: Yes.
Question: Where should I keep the consecrated belt?
Answer: You can store it at home next to the icons, in the red corner. Or in another place, but you need to keep the shrine with reverence.
Question: What to do with the consecrated belt?
Answer: The belt must be treated with reverence; you can apply to it with faith and prayer.
Question: Can I wear the belt on myself? So that he can help better. Where should it be worn, on the stomach or on the wrist?
You can wear it on yourself, but that’s not the main thing. The main thing is to turn to God and the Mother of God with prayer. Wearing a belt in itself means nothing if we do not pray with all our hearts
Question: Does the belt help at all?
Answer: Let's figure out what “helps” means. We are not addressing the Belt, we are addressing the Mother of God Herself. The belt is a shrine, it is an object that has survived to this day, which was touched by the Most Holy Theotokos Herself. We venerate this shrine with faith and reverence, and it is very important to pray to God and the Mother of God. The most important thing is our prayer and our desire for God.
History of the Belt of the Virgin Mary
According to the legend that has reached us, the Mother of God wove a belt from camel hair herself and wore it until her dormition (death). This shrine and particles of the robe are the only things of the Virgin Mary that have survived to this day.
There are two versions of how the Virgin Mary disposed of her belt.
According to one, the Mother of God, after her death, appeared to the Apostle Thomas and gave him the belt as a consolation, because... He was the only one among the apostles who did not say goodbye to her, but appeared only on the third day after the burial and grieved greatly about it.
Another version is taken from the Minology of Basil II and states that the belt was given by the Mother of God shortly before her death to two widows living in Jerusalem, and then the relic was passed on by the heirs from generation to generation. (note: Minology of Basil II - an illustrated Byzantine manuscript in the genre of hagiographic literature, compiled in 979-989)
In the 4th century, the Eastern Roman Emperor Arcadius brought the belt of the Virgin Mary to Constantinople to the Chalcopratian Church. The relic was placed in a golden ark, sealed with the royal seal. In 458, Emperor Leo I moved it to the Blachernae Church.
Until the end of the 12th century, the belt remained in Constantinople.
In the 10th century, the belt of the Virgin Mary was divided into parts. The emperors of Byzantium took one of the parts of the shrine with them on military campaigns as a talisman.
In 1185, during the struggle of Bulgaria for its independence from Byzantine Empire this part of the belt of the Virgin Mary was captured and ended up in Bulgaria, from where it later came to Serbia.
In the 14th century, the Serbian prince Lazar I donated the belt along with a piece of the true Cross of the Lord to the Vatopedi monastery on Mount Athos, where it is kept to this day in the sanctuary of the main monastery cathedral.
The following claim to own the remaining parts of the Virgin's belt:
- Blachernae Church in Zugdidi (Georgia);
- Cathedral city of Prato (Italy);
- Trier Monastery (Germany);
- Church "Umm Zunnar" ("Temple of the Belt of the Virgin Mary") in Homs (Syria).
The celebration of the belt, called the “Position of the Honorable Belt of the Blessed Virgin Mary,” takes place on August 31 (old style), September 13 (new style).
Miracles of the Belt of the Virgin Mary
The wife of Leo VI the Wise (866-912), Zoe, was overwhelmed by an unclean spirit. The emperor asked the patriarch to open the ark with the holy relic. The belt turned out to be completely untouched by time. After it was applied to the patient, she completely got rid of her illness.
As a token of gratitude to the Mother of God for the miracle, the empress embroidered the belt with gold thread, after which it was again enclosed in the ark and sealed.
In 1827, the founder of the Hilandar monastery, Father Savva, writes: “In Enos, the pestilence of the plague stopped with the grace of the Holy Belt of the Mother of God,” and then, after the holy Belt was transported to Didimotikhon, the following entry appears: “Here, as in Enos, the pestilence ceased by the grace of the holy Belt.”
IN late XIX century, the Turkish Sultan Abdul-Aziz turned to the monks of Vatopedi with a request for a belt in connection with the cholera epidemic that was raging in Constantinople. As soon as the ship with the shrine on board approached the pier of Constantinople, the epidemic raging in the city stopped, and the already sick people began to recover. Abdul Aziz was so amazed by this event that he ordered the belt to be brought to his palace so that he could honor it.
In 1894, residents of the city of Madita ( Asia Minor) was pestered by locusts, destroying standing crops. Desperate people asked the fathers of the Vatopedi monastery to provide them with the belt of the Virgin Mary to fight this evil. As soon as the ship with the Belt approached the harbor, a cloud of locusts rising from the fields darkened the sky and then, to the amazement of those present, rushed into the sea.
The miraculous belt of the Virgin Mary still performs many miracles. He is especially revered for the help he provides to women suffering from infertility.
The Vatopedi Monastery contains many letters in which women who have found the joy of motherhood enclose photographs of their babies born through this relic. “Agiazonites” (that is, “holy belts” - the nickname given to the Vatopedi monks) help infertile women without violating the rules of their male monastery (after all, visiting the monastery for women is strictly prohibited). On the ark, where the belt of the Virgin Mary is kept, they consecrate the ribbons and distribute them to their husbands infertile couples. These improvised prayer belts are tied around the woman’s waist and worn until childbirth.
How to properly wear the belt of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Here are excerpts from the brochure-memoir issued with the belt: “...Believers gird themselves with this belt for a while, living in repentance, confession, prayer and communion of the Holy Mysteries. Spouses do the same, adding to this fasting and marital abstinence if possible and by mutual agreement..."
So nothing complicated - tie a belt, believe, live righteously and may you be rewarded according to your Faith.