Suddenly he fell blind. With fervent repentance Nilus prayed before the icon of the Mother of God, begging forgiveness. When the brethren heard what had happened, they placed a lamp before the icon, and censed it every night. Again he heard the wondrous voice saying that he had been forgiven, and that his sight would return. The All-Pure One commanded him to announce to all the brethren that She was the protector and guardian of the monastery. “Let them and all Orthodox Christians come to Me in their necessities, and I shall not forsake them. All their petitions will be granted by My Son, because of My intercession with Him. My icon shall be called ‘She who is Quick to Hear’, for I shall speedily fulfill the petitions of those who hasten to it.” The Most Holy Theotokos then fulfilled and continues to fulfill Her promise of quick help and consolation for all those who come to Her with faith.
In Russia, copies of the wonderworking Athonite image “She who is Quick to Hear” were always venerated with great love and fervent prayer. Many of them were glorified by miracles. In particular, there were cases of healing from the plague and from demonic possession.
In 1938, the Dochiariou monastery presented a copy of the wonderworking Icon of the Mother of God “Quick to Hear” to the Russian Spiritual Mission at Jerusalem.
