The Wonders of the Theotokos of Iveron

Rejoice, inexhaustible wellspring of grace;

Rejoice, thou who in boundless purity didst

serve the Infinite One!

This ministry has already posted a few times concerning its positive impressions of the "Hawaiian" myrrh-streaming icon of the "Theotokos" ("God-bearer") of Iveron... but then it recently dawned on this author that I didn't really know the entire backstory of the original icon.  I only knew the streaming icon here is a copy of a streaming icon from Montreal, Canada, which in turn, was a contemporary rendition of an ancient icon of the Holy Virgin and Christ Child currently kept in an Orthodox Monastery on Mount Athos, Greece.  I decided to do research and what a spiritual treasure trove I discovered!

According to online accounts, the original Iveron Icon was said to have been painted by St. Luke the Evangelist, like a number of highly venerated miracle-working icons of the Madonna and Child (e.g. Our Lady of Perpetual Help and Our Lady of Czestochowa).  Because of its sacred provenance, this icon, too, was considered miraculous in nature.  Somehow, in the mid-800s, it ended up in the home-chapel of a devout widow who lived in Nicaea.  At the time the Byzantine Emperor Theophilus launched an iconoclasm (war against images) - a purge of religious images, including icons in the Eastern Church - because of a misguided belief that all were "graven".

The original wonder-working

Theotokos of Iveron Icon.

As a result of the emperor's edict, soldiers showed up at the widow's home to confiscate her icon.  One brazen soldier actually slashed at the Virgin's chin with a sword after which, to the horror of all present, blood dripped from the gash inflicted.  The soldiers immediately repented and left the home without destroying the image.

The widow then offered heartfelt prayers of reparation before her treasured icon and received a divine revelation to set it adrift in the nearby ocean to save it from further desecration.  The following morning the woman and her son obediently did as commanded and laid the wooden image upon the waves of the sea, where it set itself upright and began to mysteriously sail towards the West.

The Theotokos Icon is commended to the

sea by the pious widow of Nicaea.

Some time later, the monks of Mt. Athos in eastern Greece, were struck by the sight of a pillar of fire, approaching from the horizon, that rose from the sea into the sky.  The fiery column eventually reached the Grecian shoreline where the awaiting monks discovered the floating painting at the base of the luminary phenomenon.  Their attempts to retrieve the icon failed, though, as it drifted out of reach whenever it was approached.

In the meantime, a humble and holy monk named, Gabriel (St. Gabriel of Iveron in the Orthodox Tradition), from the Georgian Monastery of Iveron (one of several Eastern Orthodox monasteries on Mt. Athos) experienced an apparition of the Blessed Virgin, who directed him to fetch her sacred image from the sea.  Gabriel, without hesitation, went down to the shore and, walking upon the waves, as though on land, easily retrieved the painting.

The Montreal streaming Iveron

Icon with its custodian, the late

Bro. Jose Munoz.

The image was initially installed in a chapel within the Iveron Monastery but it disappeared only to be found hanging near the monastery's gate.  Repeated tries to move the icon only resulted in it inexplicably returning to the gate.  Our Lady reappeared to Gabriel and spoke the following words to him:

“Announce to the brothers that

from this day they should not carry

me away.  For what I desire is not to

be protected by you; rather I will

overshadow you, both in this life

and in the age to come.  As long as

you see my icon in the monastery,

the grace and mercy of my Son

shall never be lacking!”

As a result of this revelation, a new chapel was constructed at the gate where the icon was successfully enshrined, and where it remains to this very day.  Since then, the wonder-working image was affectionately nicknamed the "Portaitissa" (the "Portress"), as well as called the Theotokos of Iveron, after the monastery in which it's kept and venerated.

A monk, Gabriel of Iveron, miraculously

retrieved the icon from the sea by walking

on its surface.

Throughout the centuries copies have been painted of the original icon, which are amongst the most popular Orthodox representations of the Holy Mother and Child.  The rustic images show the Virgin as both the Theotokos and as the "Hodegetria" ("She who points the way") since she gestures with her right hand towards her Divine Son sitting beside her. 

Contemporary renditions of the Iveron Icon are more stylized, compared to the original, and show the Holy Mother in red robes, which are traditional in Eastern iconography.  The color denotes her sanctity and sorrows as the Mother of our Savior; the child Jesus seated on her left arm holds a scroll, which from this writer's understanding symbolizes wisdom and prophecy.

Hawaii's Iveron Icon, a slightly smaller

version of the Montreal icon, which went

missing in 1997 after the mysterious death

in Greece of Bro. Jose Munoz.

In closing, this ministry was pleasantly surprised to learn Hawaii's streaming icon is just one of several links in a chain of miracles started centuries ago by Our Lady; a blessing not just for her Orthodox children, but also a unifying bridge between the Eastern and Western (Catholic) Churches whose members all call her "Mother"; a hypothesis supported by the many graces and healings reportedly effected by the Iveron Icon and its fragrant myrrh that have transcended denominations.

For more information about the Hawaiian myrrh-streaming icon, and/or to support its worldwide healing mission, please click here.

Rejoice, thou who sheddest tears over us

from thine icons; Rejoice, thou who givest

us tears of repentance!  Rejoice, thou who

 healest us with the medicine of

bitter sorrow...

A Milestone and a Miracle Icon; a First Saturday to remember...

Today's first Saturday was extra-special for two reasons...

+ FIRST SATURDAY ROSARY FOR PEACE

First off, our Kailua parish's monthly First Saturday Rosary Devotion celebrated its 11th-year anniversary today - HOORAY!  I'm happy to report that, except for the brief period of time our island's churches were closed due to the pandemic, this devotion has never been interrupted since October 2010, when we first started it... and it's still going strong.  GOD IS GOOD!

So today we continued to pray for much-needed peace in our tumultuous world and, God willing, we will continue to do so for many more years.

The inside of St. Anthony of Padua Church,

Kailua, during the first Saturday Rosary.

Our Lady of Guadalupe and the Divine

Mercy are particularly invoked.

+ THE MYRRH-STREAMING IVERON ICON

Just a few months ago, the small Russian Orthodox Church housing the world-famous Hawaiian Iveron Icon relocated from Honolulu to - of all places - Kailua; in fact, just about two blocks away from my parish church!  The miraculous icon of the Holy Mother and Child has been streaming fragrant myrrh (a watery oil-like substance) since 2007.  In June 2008, after an investigation, the Russian Orthodox Church declared it a genuine miracle.  Since then, the icon has traveled the world bringing healing and consolation to many souls.

Today, I finally had a chance to stop by the church after our parish Rosary ended to venerate the icon, which just returned to Hawaii after touring the US east coast.  The aura of Our Lady's presence surrounding this sacred image is very tangible, as it continues to inexplicably seep oil (see below)... and its odor of fresh roses is just heavenly!

View the footage below, which I

filmed of the streaming icon.

Streaks of aromatic myrrh are visible

on the surface of the holy image.

This viewing of the Iveron Icon would be my 3rd time but, still - it never fails to amaze and touch me.  Two friends who came along with me for their very first visits, were themselves, very positively impressed by their experiences.  I'm sure we'll all be back soon.

Standing beside the actual miracle icon

with a copy of it that I purchased.

This time around, I made a few new friends amongst our Orthodox brethren, plus obtained a beautiful copy of the icon for personal veneration in my home.  I was allowed to touch my icon to the original miracle image so I came home with a meaningful remembrance of this extra-special First Saturday.  GOD IS GOOD!

Saturday evening prayer service in the

Russian Orthodox church, Kailua.

+ For more information about the original miraculous Theotokos of Iveron icon, click/tap here.

The Holy Theotokos of Iveron: Visit #2 with the Myrrh-Streaming Icon of Hawaii

"All your garments are

 fragrant with myrrh and aloes

and cassia; out of ivory palaces

stringed instruments have

made you glad."

~ Psalm 45:8

Tonight, I was invited to participate in a joint-pilgrimage with St. George parishioners (Waimanalo) and Our Lady of Good Counsel (Pearl City) to venerate Hawaii's very own myrrh-streaming "Holy Theotokos of Iveron". It was my second visit with the alleged miracle-working icon... and like the first time I saw it in June 2015, this evening's events proved to be an unforgettable encounter with the supernatural.

The altar in the Eastern
Catholic Church.

From what I was told by a friend, the icon had recently been away from Hawaii touring the US mainland, and just returned this week. Its custodian, the Russian Orthodox Subdeacon, named Nectarios, was invited to bring the blessed image to St. Michael the Archangel Eastern Catholic Church near Mililani Town where tonight's veneration service was held.

The program started with the prayer of the Rosary, followed by a short talk given by the Subdeacon, who narrated to us his personal view on why the Iveron Icon drips myrrh. He basically reiterated that Our Lady is indeed our loving mother and she is manifesting this grace of oil to get our attention; to point the way to her Divine Son, as depicted in the icon. He also testified to a few remarkable cures recently attributed to the icon, which is renowned in Orthodox Church circles for the curative properties of the myrrh that frequently oozes and drips from its surface.

Immediately after the talk, a healing service followed during which the audience was given the opportunity to view and touch the icon's protective frame, as well as receive an anointing from the Subdeacon using some of the blessed myrrh. We were told earlier in the evening that the icon was currently not streaming because of the Easter Season, however, when my turn came up to venerate the image, I found the icon's case slightly tacky to the touch due to a thin layer of oily, rose-scented liquid.

The Iveron Icon's custodian, Deacon

Nectary, testifying to the many miracles

of the holy image.  The icon is on the

podium to the right of him.

Besides the delightful aroma that surrounded the image and its immediate vicinity, many silver escarchas appeared on the carpet leading up to the podium where the icon was displayed. While waiting in line, me and co-members from our Mililani Lady of Fatima Prayer Group noticed them manifesting on the carpet, and we may have inadvertently peaked some peoples' curiosity the way we kept staring at the floor and taking pictures. 'don't blame them if they thought us crazy... but the silver sparkles just kept appearing and appearing like many tiny stars against the blue color of the carpet - so beautiful!

The healing prayer service - pilgrims

venerating the icon and receiving an

anointing with blessed myrrh.

In spite of these clear signs that were being granted us in that tiny chapel, for me, what stood out the most about this evening was not the myrrh, the scent of roses, or the escarchas... but rather, it was the powerful presence of the Divine - it literally slammed into me! I'll just leave it at that because my experience with the icon was deeply personal... and the truth is - I'm still trying to absorb it all.

A small copy of the Iveron Icon, with

cotton soaked in the miraculous myrrh,

received at the event.

I'll close this post by affirming once again that I believe in God; that I believe in Our Lady's role as intercessor and prophetess for the People of God; that I believe in the truth of the Iveron Icon and agree with the Subdeacon's assessment of it - Heaven is trying to point our way back to God and, in these times of extraordinarily flagrant wickedness, Jesus is resorting to extraordinary means to reach us - sending his own mother to anoint us with blessed myrrh; a light, scented oil-like fluid, which in Sacred Scripture, denotes elements needed to resist evil: Healing, Strength, and Consecration to God's Work.  Our Lady of Iveron, pray for us!

+ To learn about the original miraculous Theotokos of Iveron icon, click here.  +

In the Presence of a Miracle: The Myrrh-Streaming Icon of Hawaii

I’ve been fortunate to witness several wonderful things in my life that I've considered to be special signs from God and/or the Blessed Virgin Mary… and today, I was in the presence of another such event that ranked way up there in my personal experiences.

          
The myrrh-streaming icon of the Blessed

Virgin in a small Russian Orthodox church

in Honolulu.  The icon was displayed in the

center of the church, covered in blue cloth.

The photo to the right shows it's outer

case opened.

A friend of mine - Eva - invited me to participate in an exclusive visit to venerate a supposed myrrh-streaming icon of the Madonna and Child, located right in the very heart of Honolulu (of all places, it’s in an industrial area of downtown just a few blocks away from my place of work!).  I had actually heard rumors of this mysterious event a few months back but I never pursued it because the image wasn’t housed in a Catholic church or home, but rather, in a Russian Orthodox Church. (** NOTE:  The Roman Catholic Church does not forbid its members from visiting Orthodox churches and/or praying with our Orthodox brethren - refer to this link on EWTN.)

In fact, the icon - referred to as the "Holy Theotokos of Iveron" ("Theotokos" is Greek for "God-Bearer" and "Iveron" is derived from a monastery on Mt. Athos in Greece inhabited by monks from the country of Georgia) - has been exuding fragrant myrrh (blessed oil traditionally used in religious rituals) intermittently since October 2007... and in June 2008, authorities of this branch of the Orthodox Church officially recognized the weeping icon of Hawaii as a genuine miracle.  In addition, cures have been reported through the devotional use of the watery oil that drips from it.  Still, despite the official approval from its church, I remained cautious and really didn’t think much of it.

So last week, when my friend emailed the invitation to join her and a group of parishioners from St. George Catholic Church in Waimanalo in making a pilgrimage to the icon, I prayed about it for several hours, versus just excitedly jumping at the opportunity to see it.  In the end, I felt very strongly that it was God’s will that I go.  Plus Eva, who had previously visited the icon, assured me that it wasn’t a hoax and I trusted her judgement.  

Who knows, I thought to myself?  Perhaps the invitation from my friend was really Jesus’ manner of indicating that it was time for me to see and venerate this particular image of His Mother; to perhaps receive a special grace; all the while expressing ecumenical solidarity with our Orthodox brethren, who we have a lot in common with in regards to beliefs, including a deep reverence towards the Holy Mother of our Lord, Jesus Christ.  So tonight I went... and I am very glad I did.

   

Me, standing next to a crucifix-icon in the

church that also dripped myrrh, although

not as frequently and abundantly as the

icon of Mary.

I met the group of about 25 Waimanalo parishioners at the church on 845 Queen Street (appropriate location, given that we were there to see an image of the Queen of Heaven).  The first thing that struck me was the fact that if one was driving on that street, one could easily pass the small church; it looked like any other old office building on the street, if not for some metal letters that spelled-out the name of the church on the wall: Holy Theotokos of Iveron Orthodox Church... plus there was nothing posted on its exterior that indicated something miraculous was occurring within its walls.  I have to admit – I was somewhat surprised, but impressed, at the same time, by the lack of fanfare.  To me, it lent credence towards the probable authenticity of the weeping icon since there didn’t appear to be any outright attempts to attract attention or sensationalize the phenomena.

Inside the church, it seemed larger than what it looked like from the outside. I’ve never been in an Orthodox church but it was beautiful and tastefully decorated with wooden panels and many icons of Jesus, Our Lady, and Orthodox Saints in varying sizes all over its walls; different from the interior of a Catholic Church, but the "vibe" felt familiar and comforting.  

My friend led me to the center of the church where the icon was kept on a stand.  The image was smaller than what I expected - according to church literature only 7" x 9" - and it appeared to be protected in a slightly larger, glass-faced outer case over which was a fitted covering of padded blue cloth.  Streaks of clear oily moisture were evident on the smooth surface of the image and emanating from the frame was a beautiful scent of roses mixed with the pungent, but pleasing, aroma of incense and olive oil.  I prayed quietly while paying my respect to Our Lady's image, before taking a spot near the door to await the start of the prayers.

   

The interior of the small Russian Orthodox

church on Queen Street, Honolulu... and

people lined up to receive a blessing of holy

myrrh from the Subdeacon.

The Holy Rosary was soon started while the atmosphere was charged with quiet anticipation.  As we prayed the scent of roses got stronger and stronger and there was an overwhelming sense of peace, too.  I honestly felt the Lord and our Blessed Mother with us… and I felt in my heart that we were in the presence of something profoundly sacred; a genuine sign from God.  

After our prayers ended, the guardian of the icon - Subdeacon Nectarios - provided us with a brief history of the streaming icon, as well as gave us an impromptu sermon about what he believed this miraculous occurrence meant. In essence, he expressed that the icon was a rare sign from Our Lady to lead us all closer to her Divine Son, Jesus Christ.  And to add just a bit more about Subdeacon Nectarios, I sensed this soft-spoken man to be sincerely humble and completely dedicated to his role as the protector of the icon; the patience he displayed towards us and our many inquiries was also admirable.

A small copy of the miracle
icon and a piece of myrrh-
soaked cotton.

Before leaving that little Queen Street church, the Subdeacon gave us all a simple anointing with myrrh from the icon, then he proceeded to open the outer box of the icon-shrine to reveal bunches of cotton balls soaked with the oily substance below the image. We were then treated to small copies of the icon and pieces of the moist cotton, which were placed in plastic packets before being distributed to all present (left photo).  During the entire time this was taking place, I observed the icon closely and noted how the oil appeared to have increased from when we first arrived, especially on the face of the Madonna (yet there was no container of oil near it).  In fact, there was so much scented myrrh, even the outer frame had traces of the clear moisture clinging to it.

After the blessing and distribution of myrrh, Subdeacon Nectarios carefully lifted the icon out of its box to place our written prayer intentions under it (we were encouraged to write them down on small slips of paper).  He took the opportunity to show the few of us, who were closely gathered around, the back of the image before replacing it in the larger case.  The icon's reverse side was dry and free of holes or any type of mechanism that could cause the oil-weeping phenomena.  Again, I was very impressed.  I left that little church feeling renewed and strengthened in my faith in God... and in the miraculous; plus a deeper respect for our Orthodox brethren.  I think the other pilgrims who were there, too, left with the same positive sentiments.

A short video I shot of the myrrh streaming

icon of Hawaii.  The dripping oil can be seen

in the streaks near the Virgin's face.

Not sure about everyone else out there, but in my personal walk with Jesus Christ, my faith sometimes wanes during periods of spiritual dryness or very difficult personal challenges, despite my best efforts.  But it’s always at my lowest points that God sometimes surprises me with a little “boost” to help me pick myself up again.  Tonight’s visit with the streaming Holy Theotokos of Iveron was my latest spiritual boost, and boy did I really need it.  Even as I sit here in my living room, finishing-up on this recent post, I am still enjoying the scent of roses all around me.  It's simply amazing.  Our God is truly a God of wonders!

Thank you, Jesus and Mary!

+  To learn more about the miraculous streaming icon in Hawaii, click here.  +

+ +  To learn about the original miraculous Theotokos of Iveron icon, click here.  + +