And today, various versions of the appearance of the belt of the Virgin and the interpretation of his fate have the right to life . True believers around the world are looking for particles of this shrine, as there are recorded facts of healing after touching it.
In difficult situations, sincere faith heals better than a variety of doctors and helps to perk up when, it would seem, there is no hope for a successful solution to the problem. That is why hundreds of thousands of believers sincerely rejoiced when they met the Belt of the Virgin in Kazakhstan. Moreover, among those who came to worship the shrine there were many supporters of Islam.
How was the shrine created?
The idea is widespread, according to which the Virgin Mary herself weaved a belt from the hair of a camel, and the baby Jesus held on to him when he was just learning to walk. The Belt of the Blessed Virgin Mary became the only surviving relic from the earthly life of the Virgin Mary. This explains its fabulous value both morally and materially. Touching the belt cleanses, removes heaviness from the soul, restores strength. Cases of recovery from the most serious oncological diseases and infertility are known. An invariable condition for the manifestation of miraculous power, according to the clergy, is the true faith of the converts.
The first historically captured miracle
The first mention of the amazing power of the belt is associated with the Apostle Thomas, who could not participate in the burial of the Virgin Mary.
Only three days later Thomas arrived in Jerusalem and in his grief asked the apostles to open the tomb in order to bid farewell to the Virgin. When the tomb was opened, it turned out that it was empty. Inside, there were only funerary sheets with a marvelous fragrant aroma. The astonished exclamations of the apostles did not go unanswered - the Mother of God appeared to them with blessing.
Further wanderings of the shrine
After dressing and the Belt of the Virgin passed to the respected and pious widows of Jerusalem. So, for many generations kept shrines in Palestine. But in the 4th century, the Belt was placed on the ark and delivered to Constantinople (Istanbul), where it remained intact until the 10th century, when it was divided into parts and smashed to different parts of the world.
When Constantinople fell, several places of storage of the Belt of the Virgin were known. Among others were called: Vatopedi Monastery, which is located on Mount Athos in Greece; Trooditissa Monastery in Cyprus, Blachernae Church in Zugdidi (Georgia), the Church of Elijah the Prophet of Ordinary in Moscow, Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg, St. Stephen's Cathedral in Italy and the Church of the Belt of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Syria.
Why was the pilgrimage of the Belt made possible by country?
Everyone dreams of touching the shrine, but some cannot afford to reach the place of its storage. Therefore, the pilgrimage of the Belt of the Virgin Mary throughout the world. In May 2014, the journey of the shrine throughout the Republic of Kazakhstan began. The Belt of the Virgin in Kazakhstan was already in early May.
It was possible for all believers to touch the shrine in Alma-Ata within the walls of the convent, which is located on Latif Hamidi Street. This was not the last chance for residents of the city and the region to take a closer look at the Belt of the Virgin in Kazakhstan (2014). The relic returned to the southern capital on May 31 and stayed in Alma-Ata until June 15.
The pilgrimage schedule accompanying the Virgin Mary’s belt in Kazakhstan was adjusted in accordance with the circumstances. Until mid-May, the pilgrimage affected Shymkent, Kyzylorda, Taraz, Uralsk and Aktau. There were many who wanted to personally see the Belt of the Virgin in Kazakhstan. Aktobe became the first city in the program of the second half of May.
After him, the inhabitants of Atyrau, Kostanay, Petropavlovsk, Pavlodar, Ust-Kamenogorsk, Semey, Astana, Kokshetau, Karaganda and Taldykorgan could join the shrine. The official schedule and order of visiting cities were known in advance, and you could even get acquainted with them if you so desired even on the Internet. Due to the large number of people who want to join the shrine and see the Belt of the Virgin in Kazakhstan, it was decided to extend the pilgrimage until mid-June.
Conclusions, according to experts
Hieromonk Nectarius confirms that the Belt of the Virgin is the only relic preserved after the earthly life of the Virgin Mary. Virgin Mary herself wore a belt over her clothes. As a consolation, she presented her belt to the Apostle Thomas, who could not arrive at her burial in time.
Metropolitan Alexander, who visited the Akim of the Aktobe region, Archimedes Mukhambetov, said that particles of the belt belonging to the mother of Jesus are stored in various remote places on the globe. The belt of the Holy Virgin in Kazakhstan was accompanied by Moscow clergy. The relevance and timeliness of the pilgrimage was explained by the Metropolitan of Astana and Kazakhstan, who noted the great likelihood of earthquakes and an appeal to the Virgin to stop natural disasters. There are many cases when prayer in front of a shrine forced the elements to recede, prevented epidemics. The last hope for hopeless patients is the Belt of the Virgin in Kazakhstan, to which they pray for the healing of sorrows and ailments. People deprived of the joy of having a child turn to the Mother of God. And often their prayers are heard. The inhabitants of the country themselves believe that the possibility of healing directly depends on the strength of faith.
How was the Belt of the Virgin Mary met in Kazakhstan?
From the very morning on the day the delegation accompanied the shrine and the shrine, thousands of believers met in the cathedrals, including Christians, Catholics, and Muslims. Among the requests addressed to the Virgin, there are no restrictions. People are asked to keep their relatives during military campaigns and business trips, pray for peace of mind and physical health. Prayers were held in the temples, followed by worshipers of the shrine and choral chants.
Then came the glorification of the Holy Trinity and the Mother of God with the sprinkling of believers with holy water. Metropolitan Alexander, Bishop of Karaganda Sevastian and Bishop of Peter and Paul Vladimir overshadowed the ark with a belt of those present.