Iveron icon of the Mother of God
North Ossetia Alania, Russia 9th c.)
During the reign of Emperor Theophilus (829-842) the soldiers pillaged the Byzantine empire, searching for and destroying hidden images in an iconoclastic fury.
Near Nicaea a pious widow was concealing an icon of the Virgin Mary that became pierced by the spear of a soldier. Blood flowed from the wound on the face of the Mother of God. The widow after prayer cast it to sea.
Time passed and the monks of the Iveron beheld the floating icon in a pillar of light. An apparition of Mary to the monks inspired them to lead a Georgian monk Gabriel to the sea where he walked on the water to obtain the icon.
Text and image used with permission.
Source: "365 Days with Mary" by Michael O'Neill
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