Does God always hear prayers? Do the saints always help? This story is about an unknown woman, to whom St. Spyridon of Trimifunt answered her questions.
This story did not happen to me, but in an amazing way I became a kind of “conductor” of one small but very significant miracle.
It was in 2007, when they brought to Russia to worship the relics of the very beloved St. Spyridon of Trimifuna. It so happened that I was able to find this shrine in Voronezh, and it was on the day when my friends were on duty in the cathedral. I don’t know why, but the traditional blessing – an icon and oil – was given to me in two copies, with the words: “Maybe, to whom you will pass.”
Just a few weeks later, I decided to go to a small historical homeland, to Sevastopol, where my friend and I, walking along one of the main streets of the city, decided to go to the Pokrovsky Cathedral and submit notes.
The queue was small, hot, and a kind aunt at the candle box was tightly attacked by one of the representatives, who in Orthodox society are called “parishioners”. Submitting notes for 10 years ahead and wanting to ask for help for absolutely all life situations, the woman asked more and more questions: “If I want to rent an apartment, then who should order a prayer service?”
This story was already beginning to bother me, and I sneered about the “magical ritual of filing notes”. Standing in front of the grandmother, not realizing that it was actually me and my friend – a representative of the Moscow golden Orthodox youth, one of the characteristics of which for some reason was a kind of cynicism, began to educate us: “Do you think the saints do not help?”
I reassured my grandmother that the saints were very helpful, but their help was in direct proportion to the strength of our faith. And what is very sad is that the church, with its host of saints, who preached true faith, love and fearlessness with their lives, become an element of a consumer culture, where for a successful outcome of the case (in my favor, of course) money and a paper with a name are required to sacrifice to the gods.
My grandmother also, it turns out, thought a lot on these topics: “How sorry I am for poor St. Nicholas,” she complained, “because they ask him about all nonsense, but they seem to forget about others.” The same Saint Spyridon! The great was an ascetic and how he was loved, and who remembers him?
I came to the church with the same bag that I went to Voronezh to venerate the relics of the saint, so the consecrated gift was with me. Without thinking twice, I handed my grandmother an icon and an oilseed, telling her that it was from the relics of that very revered Saint Spyridon of Trimifun.
Holding these treasures in her hands, her grandmother first fell silent, greatly changed in her face, and then said: “You have no idea what you have done for me now.” For a long time I have been praying to St. Spyridon for a very important cause for me, but nothing seems to happen. And yesterday I begged him, even swearing, that it is impossible to be so indifferent and not respond to the prayers of an old sick woman. Today you give me a gift from him.
For the remaining ten minutes, my grandmother was silent and focused on something. We also got into some of our thoughts. Still, an incredible coincidence is a situation in which too many unlikely events have converged. I did not get to the relics in the capital, but miraculously I found myself passing for half a day in Voronezh, where in the same half-day access to the relics of my beloved saint was open, I entered the cathedral just when my friends were on duty, and they suddenly decided to circumvent the rules and give me a second set of gifts, we met with a friend whom we had not seen for many years, on this day and hour, and something forced us to wrap ourselves in the church shop of this particular church, although on that day we passed by several more. And most importantly, it was the night before that a woman had a very important conversation with the heavenly office, literally demanding to indicate her presence in her life.
I truly believe that man can receive unlimited favors from God through the intercession of His saints, who, in the language of psychology, are able to feel a very deep empathy for all who turn to them for help in situations in which they themselves find themselves in their earthly ministry.
And even if it seems that we are completely forgotten, perhaps the Lord, through the prayers of our holy intercessors, chooses the best option for us.
I was thinking about this situation only a year later, when my personal life had failed, and I was forced to face the reality that I was pushing away from myself, obscuring myself like a Pharisee, with the right advice, which, however, did not take root in my heart better than the seeds sown on rocky soil.
But this amazing example of what the Lord always hears, and even to the prayers of an ordinary pensioner from Sevastopol tries to find a clear answer, I was inspired and supported in difficult moments, when almost the whole world seemed to turn away from me.
I remember riding the subway and looking around, rejoicing at couples in love and families with children. It was a very strange and unusual reaction for me – gratitude. Another person’s happiness, even if it was not available to me at that moment, inspired me and inspired the idea that if they met each other in such a big Moscow, it was possible for me. We just have to wait. But do not put your whole life on the altar of waiting, but learn things that were unfamiliar before, but will definitely come in handy later.
As it turned out, when I was riding the subway and asking for the same miracles that this pious grandmother had been granted, my then-future husband, for whom I had prayed so much, lived in the next subway station, on the same street as me, commuting to work in the same last car downtown. And most importantly, he solved very important questions for himself, without which he would never have paid attention to me and did not understand that he was looking for me, who I am.
Saint Spyridon also played a very important role in our life. Perhaps someday I will find the courage to speak of this ordinary miracle that has turned our lives and brought us to this day just as we are.
Be sure to believe! And don’t be afraid to ask. Even when it seems that even God Himself has forgotten about you, rest assured that there is already a plan for our salvation in heaven. He will show himself as soon as all participants are ready.
To our Holy Father Spiridone, pray to God for us!
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