Virgin of Akathistos
Mt. Athos, Greece (1276)
The Akathistos is a long sequence of praises to the Mother of God, which originated in Constantinople in the 500s. In 1276, near the Bulgarian monastery of Zografou, lived a hermit who spent his days repeating the Akathistos before an icon of the Virgin and child. One day, she answered his salutation: “Don’t be afraid, but go quickly to tell the abbot and monks that the enemy is near. The faint¬hearted should escape, but those who wish a martyr’s crown should stay.” Upon arrival, he found the icon waiting at the gate. He delivered the Virgin’s warning to the abbot. Soon, Catalan crusaders arrived. Crusaders set fire to the tower, making Orthodox martyrs of the 26 people inside on October 10 (October 23 in the modern calendar). Only the icon survived, unhurt in the ashes.
Text and image used with permission.
Source: "365 Days with Mary" by Michael O'Neill
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