The story “mother’s prayer” from the book of the Archpriest Konstantin Parkhomenko “About miracles in the Bible and in our lives. Evidence of God’s love”, published in publishing house “Nike”.
- Ordinary miracle
- A miracle a miracle
- Prayer compassion works wonders
- Signs and wonders
My companion Basil — an intelligent man of my age. I know the whole of his large and light family. They are our parishioners.
To 25 years I was an infidel in his youth married a girl from a Jewish family. We lived for about a year and a half and left. Mary faked a suicide. The result ended up in a psychiatric hospital. It turned out that my ex-wife has long suffered from mental illness, which the doctors considered incurable, and also recommended me not to communicate with Mary, since she’s going through a divorce, and any memories of the past will have a negative impact on her condition.
Even Mary has found pathology of female bodies that were incompatible with childbearing. I’ve managed for some time about her health at Tiffany’s, then we gradually stopped talking. I have a new family, the child, together we came to Orthodoxy, was Baptized… I was all good.
And one night the phone rang. I don’t immediately recognise the voice of the former mother-in-law and did not immediately understand what she’s trying to say incoherent phrases interspersed with sobs. Finally isolate information: “Mary is dying.”
Die? Well, Yes, I know she’s terminally ill, but psychiatric diagnosis is not deadly! Please calm down and tell us more.
It turns out, Masha began the attack, and she took prescribed medicine. But the medicine did not help directly (it wasn’t meant to be, you had to wait a while). Next at that moment there was no one, and Mary, unable to control his actions, was on the pill until then, until he felt some relief. After that she went to sleep.
In the morning the mother began to Wake her up, and Mary didn’t Wake up! Looking — and her eyes rolled back and the skin turned blue. They called an ambulance. Until the doctors came while I was trying to figure out what it is… Found in the trash an empty packet of pills. “Do gastric lavage late, it took more than six hours — all sucked into the blood.”
Mother was in such a state that the hospital was not allowed, we go to the father. He explained that Mary had taken a dose of medication, four times the lethal for big men! And Maria is a petite and fragile girl with a weak health. To his question: “What kind of complications it faces for internal organs and for the brain?” the doctors said, “it doesn’t Matter. This now think is pointless, because if she stays alive it’ll be a miracle. Indications for life” — and “comfort”: “You must now think about the fact that you have another daughter, younger. She needs you”.
And here the former mother-in-law is crying and asks: “What do I do?” And what can I say in this situation? “Believe in the best, everything will be fine”? Am I allowed to say that? And suddenly not be okay?
She said, “I’m Sorry I’m calling you, I just don’t have anyone to talk to,” I understand. Her husband is a businessman. There is a circle of friends, not sympathize, and laugh and gloat, and even gossip will be dismissed. Can’t find anything to say except: “Pray for her. They say a mother’s prayer and from the bottom of the sea rises. And trust in God in all His will”.
I know that they were unbelievers and unbaptized. Observe some of their national traditions, but rather for the sake of the relatives, not by their own convictions. I promise that we will also pray for Mary at home, because the Church is impossible. And then suddenly you hear that Mary turns out to be baptized!
It was like this. During one of the exacerbations of his illness, Mary ran away from home. Was in the company of some hippies. Those her and asked: “are You Jewish? And want Russian to be? We let you to be baptized — will be Russian.” Masha agreed. And they took the Jew to an Orthodox Church, according to them — “for fun”, where her father was christened. In the early nineties in many churches baptized no questions asked, a man came, and thank God! So, not quite consciously… but baptized!
And her mother recalls: “As I pray I won? I have no prayers I don’t know!” I start to dictate over the phone “our father”, “hail Mary”, “Lord Jesus Christ”. She faithfully writes, asking for letters… saying: “Day and night I will pray, if only Mary was alive! Let just a fool will be let in the tank, I’ll take care of it while she was alive, but she survived!”
I’m scared. Understand that the chance is very small. Virtually no. The faith I…
Mother prayed for a daughter for three days and three nights. And we filed for prayers for the dead, ordered prayers for the health of the servants of God Mary.
On the fourth morning bell rings. We are afraid to take up, as we suspect the worst. And suddenly: “Mary is out of danger! All is well!” And: “We need to meet, I have a business.”
At the meeting we hear the amazing story. Masha for three days he lay in intensive care, only devices supported by the semblance of life in her body. She could not breathe, did not regain consciousness, circulation and breathing, interrupted only by machines, the body is not “included”. Then clinical death.
Stay in this state has greatly exceeded the period after which reanimation actions are considered meaningless. In the end, the doctors decided to switch off devices. It was supposed to do the anaesthesiologist in the presence of the Commission. And here the doctors (all of them were atheists, miracles did not believe) come in ICU to confirm death. They go to the emergency room and meet them out… Masha! She unsteadily on his feet, but is itself a meaningful glance. Her first words were: “Where’s daddy?” and “I want juice!”
The doctors were shocked; they said that from the point of view of medicine to explain this phenomenon can not.
Her mother called us in to consult on the subject of Baptism. It turns out that she made a vow — if Mary survives, apply to the Orthodox faith. She was very afraid of the relatives learned of her decision, the entire Jewish relatives turned away from her, calling a traitor. But Masha’s mother was adamant, and after a few days we took her to an Orthodox Church where she was Baptized with the name Alla.
Since then Mary quickly went on the amendment. It has changed a lot: it was eccentric, unbalanced, self-willed, and has now become a quiet and obedient daughter. In the summer he retired to the country, away from companies the day you are so loved. She worked in the garden and on the farm, read the gospel. A year has passed planned examination in a psychiatric hospital, and the doctors noted with surprise that the state is not just stabilized but improved greatly. A year later, she took the diagnosis from advanced disease that is considered incurable, and left no trace. Masha was discharged with a diagnosis of “healthy.”
And after a while Mary had married an Orthodox man, gave birth to a healthy baby. They visit the temple with her husband and Alla. The relatives resigned themselves to their “hobby”, more psychologically, not trying to push, just a condescending laugh. But Alla and Maria are not offended by them and pray together for the whole family.
Maria called once at Easter, congratulated me and my family, said that she is doing well, that she was freed from painful memories and never regret about our established family relationships. We hugged goodbye and promised to pray for each other. I often think of her and Alla. Asking the Lord to them.