From the Lesna convent in France we received the following accounts of some of the spiritual and physical healings which occurred this spring when the Myrrh-streaming Iveron Icon traveled to Europe

     An Orthodox man living in France came to see the Icon while it was at Lesna. In the presence of Brother Jose, the guardian of the Icon, this man stated that he simply could not believe there was no mechanical device inside the Icon producing the myrrh, Brother Joseph decided to take the Icon out of its glass-covered case and show the doubting Thomas that the icon was painted on a thin piece of solid wood. On seeing this the man turned pale, made the sign of the cross and said, “Now I believe it is a miracle.”

    A young French convert to Orthodoxy who has been a regular visitor to the convent for many years related this incident. After having venerated the Icon at the convent he returned home. He was sitting in a restaurant telling a friend about the myrrh-streaming Icon when a French woman whom he did not know approached them. She apologized for overhearing their conversation and offered to tell them what she knew about the Icon. Her brother, a devout Catholic living in France, heard about the Icon, yet was not able to believe it was miraculous, even after having flown all the way to Montreal to see the Icon. This troubled him very much. One night he prayed for a long time in front of a photograph reproduction of the Icon, Suddenly he noticed some myrrh which had miraculously appeared on the previously dry photograph. The Mother of God granted him the faith he sought.

     A woman who often visits the convent called Abbess Magdalena a few months ago to say her husband, a middle-aged gentleman, was in the hospital. He had suddenly developed a high fever and the doctors diagnosed acute meningitis. The high fever continued for several days. The man was placed in intensive care, but he failed to respond to treatment and the doctors began to lose hope for his recovery. Abbess Magdalena told this woman about the Icon and sent her a piece of cotton with myrrh. After his wife faithfully anointed him with the myrrh, he gradually began to improve, and has now fully recovered-to the astonishment of his doctors.

     An elderly Russian Orthodox man who often visits the convent was suffering pains in his stomach and problems with his digestion. No medication helped him. After venerating the Icon, he anointed his stomach with myrrh and was completely relieved of his troubles the next morning. Five weeks later he came to say that he remains completely cured.

    A French Catholic woman came to venerate the Icon. For five years she had suffered from arthritis and walked with great difficulty using two canes. She had undergone an unsuccessful operation on her knees and was scheduled for another operation in the near future. A week later she returned to venerate the Icon once again, walking quite freely without any assistance. She thanked the Mother of God for healing her and told the Abbess what had happened, She had returned home with a piece of myrrh-soaked cotton which she tied to her knees before going to sleep. The next morning she awoke perfectly well. About a month later she called the convent to say she had asked her doctor to review her case. The doctor said he saw no need even for an x-ray. He could not understand what had happened, but she had indeed been healed. Recently, the woman again telephoned the convent to say that she continued to amaze her doctors by her recovery.

    In April when the Icon visited Brussels, a six-year-old boy came to venerate it and thank the Mother of God for healing him. When he was three years old he had fallen and severely injured his head. Even after his recovery from the fall he suffered severe headaches which awakened him every night and made him cry with pain. Medication gave him no relief. Friends of the family told them about the then newly-revealed Iveron Icon in Montreal which streamed myrrh. The family received a photograph of the Icon which they accepted with faith. Soon the boy was totally healed. One of the Lesna sisters heard that he greeted the Icon with innocent enthusiasm, declaring to the Mother of God: “It’s me! I’m the one you healed. Thank You!”

     The day the Icon was to leave the convent, a special moleben was served. Some of the sisters and visitors quickly placed paper icons on the glass cover of the Icon as a blessing, hoping some myrrh would appear on the outside of the glass, as it often does, and remain on the paper. One sister took a copy of the Lesna Icon of the Mother of God and blessed it in this way with the intention of sending it to Belgium to a pious woman who was ill. She saw no myrrh on the paper icon when she removed it from the glass. In a few minutes, however, she noticed that this same paper icon was dripping with myrrh, so much so that another sister brought a piece of cotton to collect the myrrh as it dripped from the icon. Later this icon, saturated with myrrh, was sent to Belgium.

God’s mercy is manifest in our lives in so many ways. Have you a miracle which you can relate for the edification of our readers? These things should not be kept hidden under a bushel but set upon a candle stand unto the glory of God Who is wondrous in His saints.