December 14th, in the Moscow church of the Nine Martyrs of Kizichesk, Orthodox people are making prostrations before an icon of the Savior which is literally bleeding.

Archpriest Ioann Bukotin, witness of this miracle, was shaken at this visible sign. In prayerful distress he cried out: "O Lord, my Lord! Surely the Pharisees and scribes didn't crucify Thee as we crucify Thee with our sins!.." After these words, the flow of blood on the icon noticeably increased.Fr. Ioann began to serve a molebin. And, surprisingly, as the molebin was being served, the flow of blood on the icon stopped. But when the molebin concluded, blood flowed again. On the evening of that very day Fr. Ioann was hospitalized - this was his final illness.

The events just described took place in the Orenburg village of Derzhavino where icons have been streaming myrrh for five years in a modest chamber in a simple rural house. The icon of the Savior had also previously been streaming myrrh.

And then - on Adoration of the Cross Wednesday in the year 2000 - they noticed that on the icon of the Savior there appeared a pale-rosy liquid, resembling serum, coming from His right hand which is raised to give a blessing, and then blood poured forth from an open wound. Later on there appeared red spots in the Savior's hair - like traces of a crown of thorns - and from these blood poured forth in unstoppable streams. These bloody streams flowed together with the streams of myrrh and became bright scarlet. As time passed the flow of blood increased significantly. Blood runs down the icon and across the face of the Savior in a dense flow; it coagulates, forming clots and dark splotches. Clotted scabs on the wounds are dark brown in color, which is what always occurs with dried blood.

"The Lord has shown us His mercy," - says Sergei, Archbishop of Samara, who has blessed the icons to travel around Rus'. "People are standing in very long lines just to draw near to these images. Moreover these icons are not old, not painted literally "written", but are printed on paper. I happened to observe how the chrism appears on the surface of the icons in the form of fragrant droplets and flows downwards. What's more, even a copper crucifixion is streaming chrism right along with the other icons! This is a rare phenomenon.

"Equally as rare is an image which bleeds. When I first heard about it, I couldn't help having my doubts. The Church is very scrupulous in her approach to manifestations of this nature, painstakingly verifying the authenticity of the miracle. But when I first looked upon this image, all doubts vanished. From the Savior's head on the icon, red streams were flowing directly from the spikes of the crown of thorns, and I sensed the natural odor of blood. And when they did a chemical analysis of the flowing liquid, it turned out that it was real plasma of human blood.

"Just as He did in the first centuries of Christianity, the Lord is showing us wonders to strengthen us in the Faith and, perhaps, to prepare us for difficult trials in the future." With inexpressible love and pain, the Lord looks upon us - vain, sinful people as we keep on pounding new nails into His bleeding wounds. Is it I, Lord?

Learn more about theses events at the Moscow church of the Nine Martyrs.

Address - St. Nicholas the Wonder-worker Church in Birulevo, Bulatnikovski proezd, 8a, 113546, Moscow