On February 23/March 8 the holy Orthodox Church celebrates the uncovering of the relics of St. Matrona of Moscow, one of the most beloved saints in Russia today. Her relics are kept at Moscow’s Holy Protection Monastery, where believers constantly flock, seeking her intercessions. We present here a collection of stories about help received from Blessed Matrona, sent to the editor of Pravoslavie.ru.
Photo: http://svmatrona.ru/ Anna Bezborodova
“My husband quickly found work, and they allowed me to work”
It was July 2010. My husband and I weren’t working: the doctors wouldn’t let me work for health reasons, and my husband had been unemployed for a year. At that time I had just started going to church, and always prayed to God and the Theotokos that God would give us work, and health for me.
A week later I found out they were bringing the relics of holy Blessed Matronushka[1] to Gorodets. As the opportunity appeared, my mother-in-law and I went to Gorodets, having written prayer lists beforehand. Arriving there, we left our lists, lit some candles, and I again mentally asked Matrona for help: for me to get healthy, and for my husband and I to find work.
My husband quickly found work, and they allowed me to work. I found a job by chance, and I still work there. My health depends on whether or not I keep the fasts, go to church, commune, and confess. If I observe these important Mysteries, then my sickness subsides. This is how God bound me to Himself and pitied me, a sinner, so that I wouldn’t forget Him. I always turn to Him in prayer!
***
Julia (Minsk, Belarus)
“In two weeks the stuttering had subsided”
My kids and I lived at our dacha in the summer. One July evening a terrible storm came. The thunder roared, the lightning flashed, and at the next burst of lightning the lights went out. The children were very afraid and began to cry.
A few days later my younger son Nikolai (two and a half years old) began to stutter. Before this he had spoken normally. Within a few weeks his stutter had become so bad that he couldn’t even say “mama.” I couldn’t listen to him without crying. The family was clutching their heads. Kolenka,[2] understanding his trouble, nearly stopped speaking.
Then I found that that they were bringing a piece of the relics of Matushka Matrona to us in Minsk (August 2010). We went to her on the first day. It was hot, but the kids patiently waited their turn, hiding in the shade of the trees. I besought Matushka just about Kolenka. We bought some oil and read her Akathist for a few weeks. Kolya[3] would anoint himself with oil.
In just about two weeks the stuttering had subsided… I am sure that help came by the prayers of Matushka Matrona. Now Kolenka is six years old and there is no aftereffect or problems with his diction, thank God.
***
Daria Feofanova
“My dad could barely stand up”
A few years ago my dad had injured his feet in some nasty circumstances. The doctors said that they couldn’t help him, because his heels were seriously shattered. His feet soon began to seriously fester. The doctors had different ideas of what to do, including even amputation.
I went to church for a long time, asking help from Matronushka. They didn’t amputate his feet, but my dad could barely stand up. And since he lived on the fifth flood in a building with an elevator, it was very problematic to move him.
Life unfolded in such a way that I stopped all communication with my dad, but I continued to pray for him.
One day I went to Matronushka—I really needed to; my heart was restless. I was standing in line for her relics and I thought, “Why did I come for? What will I ask for? Everything is good. People come here with big problems, but why did I come...?” My turn came to venerate her relics. I stood there thinking, “May everything be good with my dad! At least let him recover and be able to walk!”
In the evening, I called my mom and found out that my dad had had his final restorative surgery (which I knew nothing about).
And now my dad has been walking for two years already. Yes, he has a disability and needs a cane to lean on, but he walks! He can even drive. I am entirely grateful to holy Matronushka for this!
***
Patriarch Kirill praying at the relics of St. Matrona Leonid Krasnoperov
“I couldn’t get married for a long time…”
I couldn’t get married for a long time… Completely by chance, while passing through Moscow (I had a multi-hour layover on the train), I wound up at Matushka Matrona. Unprepared, in flip flops, shorts, and a vest, I stood in line for two hours… I went to her icon and asked to get married and for kids too.
This was at the end of July last year, and now I’ve been married for more than six months to my, it seemed, friend (she was like a sister to me), and she is already in her sixth month! What a miracle!
***
Nikolai Tuzaev
“We were left with nothing in a strange city”
My wife and I went on vacation to our relatives in the Volgograd region.
I left my bag on the seat in the bus, with our passports, tickets, and telephone inside. We were left with nothing in a strange city.
I dashed to the last bus stop and started to ask the drivers. They said, “Like you’re going to find the right bus out of twenty (I, of course, could not remember the number).” I was wearing a Matronushka medal around my neck, and I was asking for her help the whole time, begging. I clutched the medal in my head, not taking it off my neck, as if I needed it to call the numbers of the bus drivers the guys had given me. And I pleaded and pleaded with Matronushka.
I don’t know how much time passed, when suddenly they told me they had found the driver and my bag, which a passenger had turned in. I can’t even describe how I felt: joy, surprise, gratitude to God, to Matronushka, to the passengers, to the driver—and the strange feeling that Matronushka was near!
This is how Matronushka helped me. I thank you again, Matronushka, for helping me!
***
Olga Buligina
“I had to pay an enormous sum for the apartment”
My husband died in 2007. I remained with my son—not alone, thank God, in an apartment for which I had to pay an enormous sum (a loan). I couldn’t even imagine how we would live… I was worried and afraid.
I went to Matronushka. I won’t even say now how I begged her, but she RECEIVED me. Now, everything is fine. The Lord handled everything!
***
Tatiana Reisner
“She played and realized that someone was guiding her fingers”
My daughter had an exam in music school. Most of all she was worried about the piano exam, because she wasn’t well prepared for it. Knowing that Matushka Matrona helps people taking exams, the day before she went to her relics.
The next day she played brilliantly, at a very quick tempo. She played and realized that someone was guiding her fingers. She wasn’t able to repeat it!
***
Maria Utkina
“Something coming from the icon engulfed me with warmth and some kind of power”
Admission exams to the institute were coming. I decided to go to Matronushka, to ask her to help me get in. I took my sisters and brother with me. We stood in line for three hours. Finally, it was my turn to approach her icon and ask. I crossed myself twice and stepped forward, touching the icon with my forehead, entreating…
I uttered some phrases, foolishly and insecurely. When I finished, I became lightheaded, and something coming from the icon engulfed me with warmth and some kind of power. I felt it quite clearly. Opening my eyes, so as not to fall, I crossed myself a third time and reverently stepped aside. My sister experienced the same thing.
I entered the institute, even though it was practically impossible. My sister gave birth to a beautiful daughter. Matronushka also helped my cousin get into school. She has helped our family many other times, in sickness and in danger—always.
***
Olga Morozova
“My friend met her future husband, and I entered the Theatrical Academy”
I first went to see Matronushka with a friend. It was Christmas Eve, -22°, and few people—we stood in line just three hours. My friend really wanted to get married, and although she didn’t go to church, she didn’t doubt the help of Matushka, seeking her out as her last hope. She met her future husband a month after our pilgrimage.
For a long time I was unable to determine my artistic plan, and didn’t know where to direct my energy. And, after six months I entered the Theatrical Academy completely by chance, and I’ve already finished, thank God! I’ve heard from many people how Matushka helps, but never heard of anyone going away without help. Holy Blessed Matronushka, pray to God for us!
***
Alexander
“Once I went to a Church service, and I felt eternity there”
I was baptized as a child, but not churched. Grandma just took us to Communion a few times and gave us holy water to drink. And one day in childhood, a thought came to me which I received: “God is good, and so He will save me. I’ll live how I want.” When I entered a Moscow institute, I lived for pleasure in the capital. I corrupted my heart, mind, and body with many sins that I didn’t even consider sins, because I didn’t know the Orthodox faith. Like garbage in the wind, I drifted towards instant gratification, and inflicted much evil and suffering on myself and those around me.
And I kept going, even until desperation and despondency hit, having no strength to live, although outwardly everything was fine—I had fun friends, work, various hobbies, art. I even started to think about suicide.
I remembered that my grandmother was very devoted to Blessed Matrona, so I went to her relics at Holy Protection Monastery. I prayed in line and venerated her relics for her to help me.
And strength appeared, and the meaning of life—I began to live according to the Orthodox faith and my mom brought me a cross from my grandmother. Once after work I went to the evening Church service, and I felt eternity there. I began to read the morning and evening prayers, and went to a monastery a few times to work.
Now I work in church, reading on the kliros. There are plenty of difficulties and temptations, but everything is overcome with God’s help. And most importantly—the meaning of life: communion with God, knowledge of God, and theosis. I learned about the Orthodox faith, looked at myself in a new way, and met many wonderful people.
I am very grateful to God, holy Blessed Matrona, and the people of Holy Protection Monastery that they preserve such sacred relics for us.
***
Boshko Iovanovich
“The tremor on my face disappeared”
At the advice of my spiritual father I began to pray to St. Matrona of Moscow, that my problems would be resolved. After prayer, the tremor on my face disappeared.
And when I received an icon of St. Nektarios of Aegina from America, I began to pray to him for an improvement in my material situation. And, really, someone gave me $2000, which gave me the possibility to go on pilgrimage to Russia.
***
Irina Belousova
“How holy Blessed Matronushka helped my family”
Wondrous is God in His saints! I often turn for help to Matronushka, and she ALWAYS helps. I want to tell you about those instances I have written in my diary.
Healings have occurred by praying to Matronushka: an alveolar abscess disappeared, and my tooth pain went away. An abscess formed in my ear, but when I was anointed with oil blessed on Matronushka’s relics, the abscess DISAPPEARED completely the next day.
When my younger son was taking his driver’s test, I asked Matronushka to help him, and he passed both theory and driving on the FIRST try.
Matronushka also helped when I asked her for my younger son to not serve too far from us, that we would be able to visit him. He served in Novosibirsk. My son himself said he felt help from above. On January 3 I asked Matronushka for my son’s boil to burst, and on the fourth it burst.
I also prayed to Matronushka to win a grant, and she helped. When I ask to take some place in a competition, we ALWAYS get it. Matronushka also helps me teach my students.
I’ll tell you about another case of help from Matronushka. My hands had become weather-worn, and I decided to use “Velvet Hands” cream. Soon my hands swelled up, turned red, and my sore spots got bigger and turned white. My fingers turned pale. Soon my skin began to peel off.
I washed the cream off and anointed myself with oil from St. Matrona. I asked her to heal my hands. In about five minutes my hands became nice and cool (they burned after using the cream). I soon fell asleep. In the morning, there was no sign of the swelling.
I am glad to share my stories about help from holy Blessed Matronushka.
Do not despair. Turn to the saints for help, and they, according to our faith, ALWAYS help!
Glory to God for all things! Holy Blessed Eldress Matronushka! Pray to God for us sinners! We love you and are in need of your help. We thank you for your aid to us, great sinners! All saints, pray to God for us!
Photo: http://v-2017.com/ 
