About Blessed Matrona
The Holy Scriptures show that the Omniscient God sometimes pre-elects His servants before their birth. Thus, the Lord says to the holy prophet Jeremiah: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” (Jeremiah 1:5). The Lord has chosen Matrona for a special service and from the very beginning laid on her a heavy cross, which she carried humbly and patiently through all her life.
The Blessed Matrona (Matrona Dmitrievna Nikonova) was born on November 22, 1881, in the village of Sebino in Tula Province. At the baptism, the girl was named after St. Matrona, Abbess of Constantinople.
The girl’s God-chosenness was evidenced by the fact that during the baptism rite, when the priest lowered the child into the font, a column of light, sweet-scented steam rose up from the font to the ceiling
They also say about the body sign of God’s chosenness over the baby, as there was a bulge in the form of a cross, on the girl’s chest, a miraculous cross.
The blind Matrona had been endowed by the Lord with spiritual foresight. It was clear that God singled out the girl. Her loved ones began to notice that she knew not only human sins and offenses, but even thoughts. She felt the imminence of danger, foresaw natural and social disasters. Even as a child, Matrona could heal people and help them in their troubles and sorrows. By her prayer, people got healing and consolation. At the age of seven or eight, Matronushka had revealed prophetic and healing powers.
At the age of 17 Matrona suddenly lost the use of her legs. From that moment on and to the end of her days, she was unable to walk. However, she never complained of her fate meekly accepting this heavy burden from God. So, to the end of her days she remained seated. Her “sitting” in various homes and apartments where she found shelter continued for another fifty years.
Although blind, Blessed Matrona was always surrounded with icons. In Moscow, in the room in which she lived for a long period, there were icon corners with icons from floor to ceiling, and glowing icon lamps before them.
So many people used to come to Matrona with their illnesses and sorrows. Having the God intercession, she used to help people. To all who turned to her for prayers and help, the Blessed Matrona advised to lead a moral Christian life and not censure anyone. Thus, she led many people to faith and repentance.
Blessed Matrona repeatedly predicted the revival of the Church in Russia, which was astonishing to others. To fellow countrymen and relatives who came for her advice, she once said that the church in Sebino will be open: “The church will open, anyways, it will”.
Blessed Matrona often thought about the place of her burial. She really wanted to be buried at Danilov Monastery’s cemetery, next to which there is a temple, as she said: “to listen to the service.”
St. Matrona passed away on May 2nd, 1952. On May 4th, during the Myrrhbearers Week and with a large gathering of people, the funeral of the blessed Matrona took place.
After her death, only her loved ones used to visit her grave.And then the grave was desolated for several decades, as she herself said during her lifetime: “After my death few people will visit my grave, only close friends, and when they die my grave will be abandoned. “
But times have changed, and more than thirty years after the Blessed Matrona repose, her grave-site became a pilgrimage site of Orthodox Moscow. A lot of people from every corner of Russia and abroad come with their sorrows and sicknesses, to fulfill the second part of Matrona’s prophecy: “But after many years people will hear about me and come in crowds for help in their sorrows and with requests for prayer for them to the Lord God, and I will help everyone and listen to everyone”.
On March 8, 1998 the appropriation of the holy relics of the Blessed Matrona took place. A year later on May 2, 1999, she was canonized as a Saint of the Church of Russia with Patriarch Alexei II (Ridiger) presiding.
At the request of the nuns of the Intercession (Pokrovsky) Monastery, who cared for her grave, the relics were transferred to that Convent. From then on the Convent has become a site of pilgrimage for people not only all across Russia, but from all over the world. The nuns carefully collect and write down all testimonies of miraculous help received by people from the Blessed Matrona.
Since then, in the Intercession (Pokrovsky) Monastery, the stream of believers who seek to venerate the Blessed Matrona and to ask her for help is not running low. The Blessed Matrona does not deny to anyone, helps all and comforts in their sorrows spiritual and physical. A lot of evidence of the miracles by the Blessed Matrona was left by the people she helped to. Here are just a few of them:
“Hello. My name is Elena, I’m from Ivanovo. If you remember, this summer I asked you to help a seven-year-old girl, dying from a brain tumor. Nastya needed an urgent surgery. You immediately responded to my request and the prayer service was offered to MATUSHKA MATRONA. I wrote you that almost immediately there were positive changes: on the tomogram, they found that the tumor had significantly decreased! The operation was postponed and conservative treatment was continued. But what has discovered at the last health survey was not just a surprise, but a real miracle. The tumor has disappeared! The girl was watched by our and Moscow specialists. Now they will be taking brain tissue for complete confidence. And Nastya feels good, Thank God! I can not express my gratitude in words. Thank God and Matronushka.”
—
“Hello! I would like to tell you about the Miracle, which the Lord did for me with the prayers of the Blessed Mother Matronushka. If it is convenient, please put my testimony on the website so that as many people as possible become stronger in the faith, as they may have lost hope for the help of God and did not despair under any circumstances.
My story is banal. Doctors in my 25 years persistently persuaded me that with such health and a long hormonal imbalance, I will NEVER be able to conceive naturally, leaving me 1 chance out of a hundred. My husband and I really wanted a baby, but nothing happened. Till now I remember, with what heart-breaking internal state I left from I.M. Sechenov after another paid consultation, where they have written me off. There were tears, despair, pain, panic and fear of the future. And then … me with the husband began to read a prayer every day to the Lord God for the gift of children. Six months have passed.
Before Easter, I came across the site of the Intercession Monastery and decided to go to Matronushka. This was not my first trip to the Mother, but before that, I stood in line with my friends, also unmarried and undecided in life as I was, and now we went with my husband and my father. I asked a lot about Matronushka, but in one thing our players have exactly coincided – we asked for a baby, with the will of God. And the Lord, through the prayers of Matronushka, performed the MIRACLE! This little miracle lives under my heart and is waiting for his birth … And our baby was conceived after the trip to the Intercession Monastery, the sonogram accurately shows the date. THANK TOU, LORD, that You did not leave me!
With all my soul and all my heart THANK you, my dear Matrona, for your help and intercession, for begging for our little child. There are not enough human words to express gratitude to God and Matronushka. Glory to Thy power, O Lord! Bless and keep our family and our baby, help me to easily begin my confinement. Holy Blessed Mother Matrona, pray to God for us!“
Anna
—
Lord, bless!
God is Wonderful in His Saints!
“Thank you, the Holy Blessed Matronushka, for helping me, sinful. In August 2009, I fell into the cellar and broke my leg. When they brought me to the trauma center and took a picture, they found a double fracture of the ankle with a shift. They said that they need hospitalization and the surgery. My mother and daughter were with me. My mother was with her icon of the Holy Blessed Matrona. While they were making out my documents in the reception room, I prayed to the saint to help me. I really believed that I would find help as very often Saint Matronushka helped me in many life situations. The doctor came to the emergency room, looked at my picture and decided to try to correct the displacement. While this procedure lasted, I continuously prayed to Saint Matronushka and felt that she was near. I was admitted to the hospital on Saturday. On Sunday, doctors were not doing rounds down. I spent a whole day praying to Matronushka, reading the Akathist. On Monday, when the doctors were rounding down, the head physician looked at a snapshot of my leg and said that the shift was corrected and the operation is not needed, I will get a cast and most importantly, that everything will properly grow together. During two months, I’ve been reading the Akathist to Saint Matronushka every day and was asking for her help. My daughter and I promised that if everything goes well, we will write you a letter. When they removed the cast and took a picture, it turned out that everything was fine: the leg had grown correctly.
I ам and my daughter love Saint Matronushka very much and in the difficult moments of life, we turn to her. And the help comes very quickly. There have been some cases when I’ve been reading the Akathist in the morning and asking for help, and in the evening problems were already resolved. Sometimes I prayed at the relics of the Holy Blessed Matrona and did not even reach the metro from the monastery, when I got this help. “
Thank you, Holy Blessed Matrona, for your help!
Glory to Thee o Lord!
Lord’s servants, Ludmila and Julia. Moscow.
—
“My mother was in the hospital with stones in the kidney. And I came to Mother’s relics and asked Matronushka for help. Asked for it strongly. And Matronushka has heard! After the examination, it turned out that the stones are not in the kidney, but below the ureter. Mom has been put the catheter and said that if the stones do not come out, they will be pulled out. Mom was checked out for some days, but the second stage of treatment was coming. I ran tearfully to ask Matrona for help. During the re-examination it was found out that all the stones came out.
It was necessary to take the final test, and if it turns out to be good, then they’ll write to Mom. During these days, I went to Pokrovsky Monastery almost every day to the relics. And day after day it turned out, that, for example, in the morning I went to the relics, for dinner it became known that the tests were good and my mother was checked out, and in the second half I ran to the Intercession Monastery to get the Thanksgiving prayer to the Lord Jesus Christ and came to thank Matronushka. I try to go to the Temple regularly, but I considered myself a man of little faith. Mother strengthened me in faith!“
Alexander I.
Ask for help in prayer
Before her death on May 2, 1952 she instructed those around her:
“Everyone, everyone who will come to me: tell me, as if I were alive, of your sorrows, and I will see you, and hear you, and help you. After my death few people will visit my grave, only close friends, and when they die my grave will be abandoned. But after many years people will hear about me and come in crowds for help in their sorrows and with requests for prayer for them to the Lord God, and I will help everyone and listen to everyone.” Today Saint Matrona of Moscow hears everyone who appeals to her with a prayer.
The believers can pray to the Holy Matrona in any place, including the city where they live in, the temple they go to and at home. If the circumstances of life allow you to visit Moscow, visit the Pokrovsky Monastery, venerate the relics of the Blessed Mother Matrona. It is a good thing, and it can only be welcomed. But do not forget that the Saints can hear us anywhere.
Troparion:
Chosen by the Holy Spirit from thy swaddling clothes O blessed eldress Matrona, / Thou didst receive bodily weakness and blindness from God for spiritual cleansing, / Thou wast enriched with the gift of foresight and wonderworking and hast been adorned with an incorruptible crown from the Lord. / Wherefore, we offer thee crowns of praise, in gratitude crying out: / Rejoice O righteous mother Matrona, fervent intercessor before God for us! Amen!
Ikos 1
An angel in the flesh wast thou revealed to be, O blessed Matrona, fulfilling the will of God. Though thou wast born in bodily blindness yet the Lord who maketh wise the blind and loveth the righteous enlightened thy spiritual eyes that thou mightest serve His people and the things of God were made manifest through thee.
Wherefore with love we sing to thee such things as these:
Rejoice, chosen one of God from thy youth;
Rejoice, thou who didst shine forth with the grace of the Holy Spirit from thy cradle.
Rejoice, thou who wast enriched with the gift of miracles even as a child;
Rejoice, thou who wast filled with wisdom from God most high.
Rejoice, thou who foresawest the will of God with noetic eyes;
Rejoice, thou who didst put to shame the wise of this age who are blinded in mind.
Rejoice, thou who ledest deluded souls back toward God;
Rejoice, thou who assuagest sorrow and affliction.
Rejoice O righteous mother Matrona, fervent intercessor before God for us.
From the sermon of the Archimandrite of the monastery of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill
“The life of the Holy Righteous Matrona helps the believing person not so much with the mind as with the heart, with spiritual experience, to understand what the cross of Christ, which is placed to each person, means. The Lord placed a special cross of great weight on the Matrona, “said Patriarch Kirill in his sermon at the Moscow Intercession Monastery.
“The cross is given to us precisely so that we will redeem our sins and get cleansed of them. The cross of Matrona was such that, carrying it in the Christian way, she not only redeemed her human sins, but was enriched with the great grace of God, which made her, a simple woman, a God-pleasing holy ascetic, a miracle-worker, famous among the people during her lifetime, – he noted.
The Patriarch Kirill explained that the gift of the miracle of Matrona meant the surplus grace of God, which the Saint shared with those around her, and with those who today come to venerate her relics.
“We need to ask Matron not only about her taking off our crosses from us with her prayers to God and healing us from our sufferings, but also giving us the strength to carry the cross, to the glory of God and to ourselves for salvation,” concluded Patriarch Kirill.