Saint Blessed Matrona of Moscow is one of the most famous and revered Orthodox saints. Having from birth the gift of working miracles, even before her death she became known as a prayer book and ascetic for the glory of God. Her whole life became an example of the great spiritual feat of love, patience, self-denial and compassion.
During Matronushka’s life, there were always pilgrims at her house. People came to mother for help from tens of kilometers away with their illnesses, anxieties, and sorrows. And Matronushka helped, healed, and instructed.
Blessed Matrona did not demand much from people, but she always demanded that they believe in God. She also taught not to despair and to the best of her ability to try to correct her life from sins and vices with the help of God.
The flow of pilgrims to venerate her holy relics does not dry up even today: from early morning until late at night, people with flowers come to the Abelmanovskaya outpost, where the Intercession Stauropegial Convent is located. Most often these are white roses and chrysanthemums - Matrona loved them more than anyone and did not like artificial flowers. Families, women and men come to Matronushka—as people affectionately call her.
Contemporaries remembered her as very bright, affectionate, with a quiet voice. She never complained, accepting everything that fell to her lot as given by God.
The blessed one predicted: “After my death, few people will go to my grave, only close ones, and when they die, my grave will be deserted, except for the occasional visit. But after many years, people will find out about me and will come in droves for help in their sorrows and asking the Lord God to pray for them, and I will help everyone and hear everyone.” Even before her death, she said: “Everyone, everyone, come to me and tell me, as if alive, about your sorrows, I will see you, and hear you, and help you.”
And mother also said that everyone who entrusts themselves and their lives to her intercession with the Lord will be saved. “I will meet everyone who turns to me for help at their death, everyone.”
Brief Life
The village of Sebino, Tula region, where Blessed Matrona was born
Matrona of Moscow (née Matrona Dmitrievna Nikonova) (November 22, 1881 - May 2, 1952, Moscow) is a saint of the Russian Orthodox Church.
Matrona Dmitrievna Nikonova was born in 1881 in the village of Sebino, Epifansky district (now Kimovsky district), Tula province, she was the fourth child in the family. According to the life of Saint Matrona, the parents, Natalya and Dmitry Nikonov, at first wanted to leave their blind daughter in an orphanage, but the mother changed her mind after she had an extraordinary dream: a white bird of extraordinary beauty, but blind, sat on her chest. Taking the dream as a sign, the God-fearing woman gave up the idea of sending the child to an orphanage. The daughter was born blind, but the mother loved her “unfortunate child.”
They also talk about the external, physical sign of the baby’s chosenness by God - on the girl’s chest there was a bulge in the shape of a cross, a miraculous pectoral cross. Later, when she was already six years old, her mother once began to scold her: “Why are you taking off your cross?” “Mommy, I have my own cross on my chest,” the girl answered.
Meeting of St. blzh. Matrona from St. right John of Kronstadt
Life reports that already from the age of seven or eight, Matronushka discovered the gift of prediction and healing of the sick. Through her prayer, people received healing from illnesses and consolation in sorrows. Visitors began to come and visit her. Wanting to thank Matrona, they left food and gifts for her parents. So the girl, instead of becoming a burden to the family, became its main breadwinner.
Many people came to Matrona for help. Four kilometers from Sebino lived a man whose legs could not walk. Matrona said: “Let him come to me in the morning, crawl. He’ll crawl by three o’clock.” He crawled these four kilometers, and walked away from her on his own feet, healed.
A legend has reached us about Matronushka’s meeting with the holy righteous John of Kronstadt, who, at the end of the service in St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Kronstadt, asked the people to make way for the 14-year-old Matrona, who was approaching the salt, and said publicly: “Matronushka, come, come to me. Here comes my shift—the eighth pillar of Russia.” Mother did not explain the meaning of these words to anyone, but her relatives guessed that Father John foresaw a special service for Matronushka to Russia and the Russian people during the times of persecution of the Church.
At the age of seventeen, Matrona lost the ability to walk: her legs suddenly became paralyzed. As Matronushka herself said, “such was the will of God.” Until the end of her days she was “sedentary.” She never grumbled because of her illness, but humbly bore this heavy cross.
Photo of Blessed Matrona
In 1925, Matrona moved to Moscow, where she lived until the end of her days. She lived wherever she had to - with friends and acquaintances. Matrona received up to forty people a day. People came with their troubles, mental and physical pain. She never refused to help anyone.
Matrona predicted her death in three days, continuing to receive people in her last days. She died on May 2, 1952. She was buried at the Danilovsky cemetery in Moscow; the grave later became a site of unofficial pilgrimage.
On March 8, 1998, the remains were exhumed; The relics were delivered to the Moscow Danilov Monastery, then transferred to the temple on the territory of the Intercession Convent and placed in a special tomb (raku).
On May 2, 1999, Matrona was canonized as a locally revered Moscow saint; The definition of the Holy Synod of August 17, 2004 read: “Include in the agenda of the upcoming Council of Bishops the issue of the church-wide glorification of the Holy Blessed Matrona of Moscow (Nikonova; 1881–1952).” In October of the same year, church-wide canonization took place.
Holiness and purity are the main character traits of a saint
The Moscow blessed spent her free time from visitors in prayer, constantly being in God's presence. Her humility and love for people was expressed in brief advice and instructions filled with Divine truth. Blessed Matrona, being blind from birth, saw the human soul on a spiritual level. Through her, God revealed the truth and a way out of problems to man, performing a miracle.
Blessed Mother Matrona of Moscow
Without dreaming of being a teacher, she taught, without being a mentor, she instructed, setting an example of trust in God with her entire humble life. Matrona's life was an example of purity and the desire to understand the will of the Creator.
The instructions of Saint Matrona sounded like advice expressed without condemnation or reproach, but with great love and understanding of the situation. By personal example, Blessed Matronushka preached Christian values. Her advice, teachings and instructions are relevant at any time for all generations, present and future.
About the life of a saint:
- Homeland of Matrona of Moscow
- About blessed mother
- Biography of the old woman
Just as many years ago the holy mother fought for every sinful soul, winning it from Satan, so now her soul stands guard, guiding those who come to her with petitions to the path of truth.
Important! The statements of Blessed Matrona still force believers to rethink life, asking questions about the correctness of their existence and the values of being on earth.
Instructions from Mother Matrona
Mother Matrona instructed: “I will die, put candles on the canon for me, the cheapest ones, go to my grave, I will always be there, don’t look for anyone else. Everyone, trust me, and I will give you thoughts on what to do and how to act. The time of delusion is coming, don’t look for anyone, otherwise you will be deceived.”
People are like children in a sled
Encouraging in a difficult situation, Mother Matrona said that there is no need to be afraid of anything, no matter how scary it may be. “They carry the child in a sleigh, and there is no care. The Lord Himself will manage everything!”
About the wedding
She blesses those living in a civil marriage to be sure to get married in the Church.
Should you believe dreams?
Matronushka said about dreams: “Don’t pay attention to them; dreams come from the evil one - to upset a person, to confuse a person with thoughts.”
About non-judgment of neighbors
Mother often repeated: “Why judge other people? Think about yourself more often. Each sheep will be hung by its tail. What do you care about other ponytails?”
About Russia
Matronushka often repeated: “If a people loses faith in God, then disasters befall them, and if they do not repent, they perish and disappear from the face of the earth. How many peoples have disappeared, but Russia existed and will exist. Pray, ask, repent! The Lord will not leave you and will preserve our land!”
About the need for treatment
People absolutely need to be treated, the body is a house given by God, it needs to be repaired. God created the world, medicinal herbs, and this cannot be neglected. Mother also said: there are no mental illnesses, there are spiritual ones - weakness, relaxation, demonic possession, possession by various spirits of evil.
On tolerance for the old and sick
If the old, the sick, or those who have lost their minds, tell you something unpleasant or offensive, then don’t listen, but just help them, said Matronushka. You need to help the sick with all diligence and you need to forgive them, no matter what they say to you. done. “Mother, my nerves,” they told her. “What nerves, there are no nerves in war or in prison... You have to control yourself, be patient.”
About surrendering oneself to the will of God
Matronushka taught us to live with prayer. Everyone must wear a cross. Often apply the sign of the cross to yourself and surrounding objects, thereby protecting yourself from evil forces. She advised me to partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ more often. “Protect yourself with the cross, prayer, holy water, frequent communion... Let the lamps burn in front of the icons.”
About prayer and the sign of the cross
Matronushka loved to repeat: “The enemy is approaching - you must definitely pray. Sudden death happens if you live without prayer. The enemy sits on our left shoulder, and on the right is an angel, and each has his own book: our sins are written in one, and our good deeds in the other. Get baptized often! The cross is the same lock as on the door.” She instructed not to forget to baptize food. “By the power of the Honest and Life-giving Cross, save yourself and defend yourself!”
About sorcerers
Mother Matrona spoke about sorcerers as follows: “For someone who voluntarily entered into an alliance with the power of evil and took up sorcery, there is no way out. You can’t turn to grandmothers, they will cure one thing, but harm your soul.” Mother often told her loved ones that she was fighting with sorcerers, with evil forces, and invisibly fighting them.
About the “elders” and “seers”
Matrona warned not to run around among confessors in search of “elders” or “seers.” Running around different fathers, she said, you can lose spiritual strength and the right direction in life. Here are her words: “The world lies in evil and delusion, and delusion—the deception of souls—will be obvious, beware.” “If you go to an elder or priest for advice, pray that the Lord will make him wise to give the right advice.”
About believers
She advised those who wished for Christian perfection not to stand out externally among people (black clothes, etc.). She taught patience in sorrows. Z.V. She told Zhdanova: “Go to church and don’t look at anyone, pray with your eyes closed or look at some image, icon.” St. Seraphim of Sarov and other holy fathers also have similar instructions. In general, there was nothing in Matrona’s instructions that would run counter to the patristic teaching.
About Epiphany water
Mother Matrona spoke about the special power of the holy Epiphany water. She taught: “Wash yourself with the holy Epiphany water, starting from your head, so that it flows down to the end of your feet, washing your whole body. You need to pour a little holy water into a mug and top it up with regular water.”
Mother said that this water sanctifies the temple, the Church, people and houses, this water must be used very carefully - it is like communion, and on the day of the second great consecration (January 19) all nature, earth, springs, grass, trees and all creation are sanctified, living on earth.
About the remembrance of the dead
Zinaida Vladimirovna Zhdanova (with whom Matronushka lived from 1941 to 1949) recalls: Anna Georgievna comes running to Mother and says that her sister Natalya died, she buried her, and on the fortieth day she saw her sister in a dream and she told her: “Here, You always scolded me for wasting a lot of time, endlessly recording the dead, recording acquaintances and strangers. And when I went through the ordeals, I passed them like an arrow. Screams came from everywhere: “Lord, have mercy on Natalya, she remembered us!”
It would seem like a small matter to submit a note for the repose of the deceased, but the soul was saved by love for others.
Mentor, healer, teacher
There is a legend that at the age of 14, during a pilgrimage to shrines, she met John of Kronstadt.
The Wonderworker, seeing the girl, said: “Here comes my shift - the eighth pillar of Russia .” He had in mind not only the continuer of his business. The Elder guessed Matrona’s special purpose: to become the support of the Faith in the difficult times to come.
And so it happened, although Matrona herself did not claim to be a spiritual leader. Since childhood, preferring icons to toys, she spent the night talking to them, immersing herself in the world of spirituality. From her very birth, the Blessed One belonged entirely to God, and he allowed her to access the truth inaccessible to others.
Mother was a woman of few words, so the advice she gave only to those who asked for it became sacred knowledge.
People were convinced of the wisdom of her words, the correctness of her predictions, and they themselves chose her as a mentor. Predicting difficulties, Mother instructed how to overcome them. That is why there were endless queues of pilgrims to any house where Matrona lived. She never refused anyone. Even 3 days before the death, which she knew about, mother received people: she treated, taught, and predicted.
The best male qualities
For a man, a dream about Matrona of Moscow can predict the immediate need to defend someone. These could be members of the dreamer's family, as well as his colleagues and friends. This dream evokes such masculine qualities as decency, responsibility, honesty, courage. You will have a reason to demonstrate them in reality.
If the dreamer sees that a saint comes to him and seems to want to explain something, then this may be a warning. The dream book explains: this vision warns the sleeper from a rash, frivolous act.
All come true!
Every dream in which Matronushka is present is described in the dream book as prophetic. Why might she be dreaming? First of all, this is a sign that the dreamer’s prayers for the saint’s help have been heard, that all the worst, most difficult, and terrible things have been left behind.
And if you dreamed of the Blessed One alive, and you even managed to talk to her in a dream, then the dream book prophesies great success in all endeavors, as well as love, happiness, peace and mutual understanding in the family.
In addition, you must definitely try to remember every word that was spoken in the night vision from the lips of Matrona. Everything she said needs to be analyzed and remembered: this is invaluable advice on how to act accurately in a difficult situation.
Women's visions
Separately, we should dwell on why a woman might dream about Matrona of Moscow. According to the dream book, this is advice to the dreamer to devote more time to his family, especially his spouse and children. Now, more than ever before, they need care, affection, and warmth.
If a sleeping lady is facing an important event in her life, then the appearance of a saint in a dream predicts a successful outcome. As the dream book assures, a woman will be able to endure all the trials sent down with dignity and will strengthen her spirit.
When a young lady sees Matrona in a dream, this is an omen of great love and happiness. The girl gains the protection of heaven, as well as hope and confidence, which will help her overcome some obstacles on her life's path.
Miller's interpretation
The dream interpreter describes a dream in which not the saint herself was seen, but an icon with her face. This vision, according to Miller, testifies to the dreamer’s high spirituality, his willingness to admit all his mistakes and repent for his sins.
If a girl dreams of such a plot, then she will soon meet a young man who will propose to her and will later become a wonderful husband.
