Christmas Miracle :
Weeping Icon at Jesus' Birthplace
According to hundreds of eyewitnesses, a painting of Jesus is
weeping red tears. The painting is no ordinary icon for it hangs
in the Bethlehem Church of the Nativity, above the very spot where
Christ is said to have been born.
Many hundreds of Christian pilgrims, of all denominations, together
with Jews and Muslims, say they have seen the tears. The weeping
was first noticed by the 60 year old Muslim woman who cleans that
part of the church every morning.
Sadika Hamdan told reporters that she was working alone in the
shrine when suddenly "
a light came from the column
and the picture of the Messiah Jesus, peace be upon him, began
to cry. It was beautiful, beautiful. He opened and closed his
eye and later tears fell, red tears. At first, I was very frightened,
and I wondered why Jesus was speaking out to me, a Muslim. But
I went and got the brothers, and they saw it too, and we realised
it was a miracle. I have been coming to this church for 22 years
and it is the first time in history that I have seen such a sight."
At the time of the report about 600 people were visiting the shrine each day, and thousands were expected to attend the Sunday services. As well as the tears, pilgrims have also been reporting that the painting of Jesus was winking at them. There are of course no shortage of sceptics dismissing the whole story, but Stephanie Nolen, writing for a Canadian newspaper, had this to say :
"This reporter went to Bethlehem armed with the double protection
of lapsed Catholicism and journalistic cynicism, and joined a
crowd of about 100 kerchiefed Cypriot women clutching candles
and videorecorders. 'Tears, tears,' they were whispering, some
with tears in their own eyes. So I looked up - and Jesus winked
at me."
( Source - Reuter 28 November, 1996; The Globe and Mail, Canada,
4 December, 1996 ;
CNN )
Since 1985, tears of myrrh have been manifesting on an icon owned
by Christ of the Hills, a Russian Orthodox monastic community
near San Antonio in Texas. The icon, called Our Lady of New Sarov,
was commissioned in 1983, and depicts the Virgin Mary holding
the infant Jesus. It was in May of 1985 that tears of myrrh began
to stream from the eyes of Mary and at times from the hands of
Jesus.
Today pilgrims from all faiths and all walks of life come to the
monastery. Each visitor is annointed with the sweetly scented
myrrh and great miracles of healing have taken place as a result,
including cancer, leukemia, blindness, mental diseases, and most
importantly : peace of mind. Often the icon seems to weep when
someone comes into her presence who particularly needs to experience
the love of the Holy Mother.
In a pamphlet written by the community's founder, Father Benedict, it says :
"We are not worthy to have the spiritual treasure which has been entrusted to our care. However, we are profoundly aware of our deep responsibility to share it with all our brothers and sisters, regardless of their religious background. The Mother of God calls all to herself. The Mother of God calls all to repentance, prayer, fasting, and an other-worldly way of living. Like Saint John the Baptist, her cry is, 'Make straight the way of the Lord, Christ is coming again'."
( Source: Share International, October 1992 )
" 'Make straight the way of the Lord'- The weeping icon
at Christ of the Hills"
by Bette Stockbauer
Nigeria ( 1988 )
Saint Mary's Catholic primary school, Aking in Akamkpa Local
Government area of Cross River State (Nigeria) became a centre
of attraction when the image of a man suspected to be Jesus Christ
appeared on the wall of the school.
The picture of the man, clad in white garment with a lamb on the
right hand side and a staff in his left hand appeared on the wall
with light shining around the area, attracting various people
to the scene.
Reports said the picture disappeared after 10 minutes but stayed
for several hours on the wall on a second appearance. It was also
gathered that after the second appearance the head of the man
with a long beard appeared for a longer period.
According to the deputy headmaster of the school, Mr Bassey Itaya,
the fingerprint of the man is still visible on the wall of elementary
3A classroom. Mr Itaya said that people from all walks of life
thronged the school premises to have a glimpse of the mysterious
picture on the wall which remained like a television screen throughout
the scene.
The councillor representing the ward in Akamkpa Local Government,
Mr Lawrence Effa, who was also present, described the incident
as the first in the history of the area, saying that he was confused.
He wondered what was the significance of the picture on the wall.
( Source: The Nigerian Chronicle, Cross River State, Nigeria,
3 October 1988 )
Texas ( 1991 )
Several parishioners of a Catholic church in Austin, Texas, say
they witnessed a framed picture of the Sacred Heart of Jesus bleed
real blood. As word of the phenomenon spread, crowds of mainly
low- and middle-income Hispanic worshippers began waiting in line
to see the photo with its thumb-sized, blood-colored stain. The
parishioners who originally saw the blood said they received messages
from Jesus, with one reporting a similarity to those received
by the children in Medjugorje, Yugoslavia, from the Virgin Mary.
Others reported visions of a war scenario similar to what subsequently
took place in the Persian Gulf.
The pastor of the church, Father Fred Underwood, said that at one point he moved the tablecloth-covered table on which the photo rested. Underwood's staff later noticed he had blood on his right hand. But he had no cuts. Underwood said, "I didn't even touch the picture. And there's nothing on the tablecloth." Underwood and most of his parishioners are convinced the bleeding photo is a miracle. Some consider it a sign that people have turned away from Jesus, and a call to stop leading sinful lives.
But if the faithful were convinced of the miracle's authenticity,
the Catholic Church was not. Austin Bishop John McCarthy, upon
visiting the church, ordered the photo to be removed from public
display until Catholic Church authorities had an opportunity to
investigate it further. (Source: Austin American-Statesman)
Full report, including an interview with Father Underwood
"We feel so privileged to have the picture of the Sacred Heart here and Our Lord working so actively in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel. You see so many external phenomena happening right before your eyes - visions and conversions and instantaneous healings. It is like watching Jesus heal people and work and walk the earth 2,000 years ago." ( Father Underwood )
Russia ( 1994 )
A religious icon in a church in Russia's far north has undergone
a "miraculous" transformation, with its dark, faded
paint becoming bright and fresh again. The icon depicts St Nikolai
the Miracle Worker, who protects sailors, fishermen, travellers
and miners, according to Russian Orthodox tradition.
Parishioners at Mother of God church in the mining town of Kirovsk
said the transformation took place over several days, the ITAR-Tass
news agency reported.
"Its darkened and faded colours began to brighten up. In a few days, it was hard to recognize the old icon,'' the head of the local religious affairs department, Vladimir Kisenko, was quoted as saying.
"It looked quite new, as if it had been freshly painted.'' Kirovsk is about 50 miles above the Arctic Circle near the port of Murmansk.
The report did not say how old the icon is.
(Source: Associated Press)
Chicago ( 1994 )
In a church near Chicago, Illinois, thousands of people are flocking
to witness tears flow from the eyes of a painting of the Virgin
Mary. The painting, on an icon screen in the St George Antiochian
Orthodox Church in the town of Cicero, depicts Mary with the baby
Jesus. Since the spring of this year when the liquid first flowed
from Mary's eyes, about 120,000 people have visited the icon.
There have been numerous reports of miracles, including healing
from the liquid, and a Chicago gang member who reportedly turned
his back on gang life after seeing the icon.
The Most Rev. Metropolitan Philip Saliba, head of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America, visited the icon, declared it a miracle and gave the painting its name: "Miraculous Lady". Saliba said: "We dare not explain this phenomenon. This is a supernatural invasion of the natural order."
( Source: A Milwaukee newspaper, Wisconsin USA )
New York, USA ( 1994 )
The curious and faithful have gathered in the Bensonhurst neighbourhood
of Brooklyn, New York, to see a holy picture of the Virgin Mary
that was weeping oil. The icon was in the house of a member of
the Egyptian Coptic Orthodox sect. Said one visitor: ìIf
you smell it, it doesnít smell at all. You feel it when
you go up to it. You feel like a chill going through your body.î
The oil continued to drip for days and stopped when the picture
was transferred to an Egyptian church nearby. (Source: New York
Newsday, USA)
Australia ( 1994 )
Dear Editors,
In the tiny Antiochian Orthodox Church of St Mary, in the far
western suburb of Mt Pritchard, Sydney, Australia, a miracle happens
every day. Since the end of August, a life-sized icon of the Christ
is exuding pure olive oil. It forms in beads all over the painted
surface of the icon, and is captured in receptacles and on wads
of cotton wool laid at the base. So far since it began, more than
three litres of the oil has been collected. The priests anoint
all who come to the church, and there are hundreds flocking there
every day. The oil has been tested at a laboratory in Sydney,
and without a doubt it is pure olive oil! The icon was painted
in the usual way, on hardwood, and was shipped out to Australia
about seven years ago. Nothing unusual happened until a decision
was made to demolish the church and build a larger one in another
location. Two days later the icon started to ooze oil, to the
utter amazement of the clergy.
Several members of the Sydney and Canberra meditation groups have witnessed the phenomenon, and have also noted that the oil has an aroma of roses. Several healings have been said to have taken place, and Archbishop Gibran has asked that if a healing is claimed to have occurred a prior medical record should be produced.
In another Orthodox Church, about two kilometres from St Mary's,
an icon of the Madonna is gradually renewing itself. Unlike the
icon of the Christ, which was painted in one of the Greek Islands
only seven years ago, the icon of the Madonna is about one hundred
years old, and was painted in Russia. During the Russian Revolution
it was caught in a fire, and totally blackened. Subsequently,
it was smuggled out of Russia and taken to China, where there
were many refugees from the Revolution. Years later, still in
its blackened state, it was brought to Australia, and placed in
the Intercession of the Holy Virgin Russian Orthodox Church, Cabramatta,
where it remains. Father Peter, when he came to the church in
1981, remembers that the icon was still in its blackened state,
showing no colour at all. Since then, the icon has been gradually
renewing itself. The original colour is coming back, revealing
the beauty and form of the Madonna and the Child Jesus.
Kathy Zawadski, Sydney, Australia
( Source: A letter to Share International, December 1994 )
California ( 1995 )
Icons in the possession of the Reverend Moueen Hana,
a priest of the Eastern Orthodox church, have been seeping olive
oil for the past eight years. Hana, who lives in Northern California,
has had as many as 30 icons over the years, and currently has
eight. Twice, his hands have dripped olive oil during prayers,
he says. The oil has been responsible for at least three healings.
Hana traces the miraculous events to a woman named
Myrna Nazoor from Syria. In 1982, Nazoor began exhibiting healing
powers and having visions of the Virgin Mary. Each time Nazoor
prays, her hands fill with olive oil, according to Reverend Hana.
The oil is used for healing purposes. In 1988, one of Nazoor's
icons seeped 57 gallons of olive oil. A sample was sent to a
German laboratory, who reported the liquid to be 100 per cent
olive oil, no impurities. "That means it's a miracle,"
says Hana. "Only a miracle could make olive oil so pure."
That same year, Nazoor visited Hana. She brought
along a photo of her icons, and Hana made 8,000 copies, both by
photocopying and by photographing it. "Many of these have
exuded oil," Hana says. He believes this phenomenon is a
continuation of the Syrian miracle, which representatives of at
least three Orthodox churches have confirmed.
Hana says his icons are " a sign from God. He's saying, 'Hey, I really exist.'"
( Source: San Jose Mercury News, USA )
Canada ( 1996 )
Hundreds of people have visited a small Greek Orthodox
Church in Toronto,Canada, to see a painting of the Madonna shedding
tears. A replica of a 750 AD icon of the Madonna began weeping profusely
after a Sunday mass ended, leaving a large puddle below the painting,
according to the Reverend Ieronimos Katseas. Visitors soon began
pouring into the Mother Portaitissa, Sts. Raphael, Nikolaos and Irene Church
as word of the miracle spread. The Reverend Katseas said the church
will remain open to anyone wishing to witness what he and others have
called "a modern-day miracle."
Katseas said he believes the phenomenon is a holy
prophecy. "It means something good or bad will happen soon ...
but it (the weeping icon) has powers to heal the sick, too."
He said the tears are being collected and preserved in a bottle. Visitors are allowed to smell the fragrance before they pray. One worshipper said: "This is a message coming down from heaven. It's a message from God."
(Source: Toronto Sun, Canada)
"Visit to the weeping Madonna icon in Toronto" by Connie Hargrave
Bethlehem ( 1996 )
Hundreds of eyewitnesses report tears coming from a painting of Jesus, at Christ's traditional birthplace in Bethlehem, Israel. Hundreds of Christian pilgrims, of all denominations, as well as many Jews and Muslims, say they have seen the tears, with some also reporting that the painting of Jesus had winked at them. See lead story at the top of this section.
( Source: Reuters and CNN )
Louisiana, USA ( 1997 )
Crowds are gathering at a church in Kenner, Louisiana, USA, to see a weeping portrait of the Virgin Mary that hangs beside the altar. The painting in Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church reportedly began shedding tears last September. Up to 125 people per hour are now permitted by church officials to view the manifestation. Many visitors reportedly have come away from the site convinced they had seen a miracle. Catholic Church officials are taking a cautious approach, saying they may conduct an investigation, but only after media attention has waned. (Source: New Orleans Picayune, USA)
Lebanon ( 1997 )
Many citizens flocked to the Notre Dame church in the village of Jibrael (northern Lebanon), when news spread about a weeping icon of the Madonna. It all began on 13 April 1997 when Samer Younes and Nina Mekari, both 13, were praying before an icon of the Madonna. "At a certain moment," said Samer, "I took a glance at the icon and saw water flowing out of its eyes. We got nearer, to wipe the liquid before it could damage the icon, and that's when we found out that the liquid wasn't water but oil." Samer rushed out of the church, shouting "the Virgin is dripping oil on the table".
Next day, the parish priest, Antoine Jammal, took the icon (fixed in a wooden frame) and returned in the afternoon with the icon framed in aluminium and glazed.
"Last Sunday," Father Antoine told the newspaper Al-Anwar, "while we were celebrating the mass (taking place as usual between 6 and 6.30pm), one of the girls singing out prayers to the Holy Virgin suddenly ceased her chant and approached the icon, and saw oil flowing out of the eyes. The believers left their seats and gathered around the icon to be blessed by it. We continued the mass and around 10.30pm the oil was really covering the entire surface of the icon. We slept that night in the church," said Father Antoine. "The 'oil-flowing' phenomenon has now stopped," he added. (Source: Al-Anwar, Lebanon)
Chicago ( 1997 )
Daily, hundreds of believers are flocking to the home of Salim Najjar in North Hirschberg, where an image of the Madonna has appeared in a window and a small picture of an icon is also giving off tears. An Orthodox Christian bishop has officially proclaimed these events to be "an extension of the miracle of Our Lady of Cicero" - an icon at the St George Church in Cicero which three years ago began weeping ( see Chicago story above ).
Salim Najjar said that when the image of the Madonna appeared on his front window, the amazed family, who attend the St George Church, taped a small reproduction of the weeping icon to the window. To their astonishment the small picture began giving off oily tears.
Chicago Sun-Times May 22, 1997
Cyprus ( 1997 )
In just one month five weeping icons have been reported in churches on the island of Cyprus. The first icon to weep tears was at Kykkos monastery where thousands of people have flocked to witness the miracle. Since then weeping icons have been reported at Mammari and Ayios Georgios churches in Nicosia, and on 24 February 1997 icons in Ayii Trimithias and Peyia churches also started shedding tears. (Source: Cyprus Mail, Associated Press )