MOTHER OF GOD "MUROMSKAYA"
April 12
The Holy Icon known as the “Muromskaya” or Murom Icon was brought from Kiev to Murom at the beginning of the 12th Century by St. Constantine, Prince of Murom. Constantine had long striven to persuade the pagan people to adopt the Christian Faith. The idol-worshippers not only refused, but angrily conspired to kill him. Getting word of this, the pious prince fervently prayed to God and, bringing with him the Icon of the Mother of God, went out to meet them. The pagans, seized by some invisible terror, immediately had a change of heart, and sought baptism. At the close of the 13th Century, St. Basil was the bishop of Murom. The people, blinded by duplicitous slander, suspected him of living a corrupt life, and wanted to kill him. Holy Hierarch Basil requested that his death be put off until morning. Throughout the night, and to the third hour of the day, he prayed in the church of the Holy Passion-bearers Boris and Gleb. In the morning, having served the Liturgy, he entered the Church of the Annunciation, and there, before the Icon of the Mother of God which had been brought from Kiev by prince Constantine, he served a moleben. Placing his hope of salvation on the Divine Intercessor, he took the Holy Icon, and went out of the church and to came to the River Oka, where he took off his mantia, spread it upon the water, and holding the Icon, stepped onto the mantia. Then a strong wind carried him against the current. At the 9th hour of the day, he came to the place known as Staraya [Old] Ryazan’, where the princes Fyodor and Constantine dwelt. The princes, the clergy, and the people came out in a Procession of the Cross to meet the miraculous traveler. From that day, the diocesan see of Murom ceased to exist, and a new diocese of Ryazan’ was established through the prayers of St. Basil. There the Miraculous Icon remained until, three years later, Holy Hierarch Basil chose New Ryazan’, a site better protected from the Mongols, as his dwelling, and there in 1291 established his kathedra. There he brought the Murom Icon. ... At the request of the people of Murom, April 12th was established as the Icon’s Feast Day. Source : Muromskaya : Orthodox Icons of the Theotokos |
