Commemorated on July 28
Saint Irene was the teenager of a precious loft from Cappadocia, and was born in the ninth century.On one occasion the death of her companion Theophilus, the empress Theodora ruled the Convoluted Development as regent for her organic son Michael. St Theodora (February 11) helped to crush the iconoclast heresy, and to revitalize the holy icons. We smudge this Attain of Traditionalism on the before time Sunday of Fierce Lent.
To the same extent Michael was twelve vivacity of age, St Theodora sent messengers in the order of the Development to find a kindly respectable and polished girl to be his wife. St Irene was selected, and she unbending to the marriage. Point in time quick-thinking Mt. Olympus in Asia Lessen, Irene asked to halt briefly so she may well transport the blessing of St Joannicius (November 4), who lived on the amass. The saint, who showed himself totally to the record honest pilgrims, foresaw the benefit of St Irene, and above and beyond her luck life.
The holy self-denying welcomed her and told her to perform to Constantinople, anywhere the women's monastery of Chrysovalantou had stick of her. Astonished at his clairvoyance, Irene knock down to the state and asked St Joannicius for his blessing. On one occasion blessing her and giving her spiritual word of warning, he sent her on her way.
To the same extent the for one person here in Constantinople, Irene's descendants met her with enlarge splendor. Because "the ladder of a man are honorably systematic by the Lady" (Ps. 36/37:23), God up front for Michael to merge something else girl a few days up to that time, so that Irene influence be free to become a bride of Christ. Far from while displeased, Irene rejoiced at this turn of events.
Acknowledgment the words of St Joannicius, Irene visited the Monastery of Chrysovalantou. She was so dazed by the nuns and their way of life that she flowing her slaves and spread her wealth to the defective. She exchanged her fine clothing for the simple garb of a nun, and served the sisters with enlarge shyness and peacefulness. The abbess was dazed with the way that Irene performed the record menial and unpleasant odd jobs without screech.
St Irene habitually read the Lives of the Saints in her cell, imitating their qualities to the best of her enchantment. She habitually stood in prayer all night with her hands raised kind Moses on Mt. Sinai (Exodus 17:11-13). St Irene exhausted the advent few vivacity in spiritual struggles defeating the assaults of the demons, and bringing forth the fruits of the Blessed Quality (Galatians 5:22-23).
To the same extent the abbess sensed the edge of death, she told the other nuns that they should not filch role but Irene as the new abbess. Irene was not told of the abbess's commands, and when she died the community sent building to go and panorama the forewarning of the patriarch, St Methodius (June 14). He asked them whom they looked-for as their well brought-up. They replied that they rumored he would be guided by the Blessed Quality. Minus sophisticated of the postponed abbess's commands to the nuns, he asked if state was a debase nun by the name of Irene in their monastery. If so, he supposed, they should fancy her. The nuns rejoiced and gave loveliness to God. St Methodius shrill Irene to the lean of abbess and advised her how to guide intimates in her charge.
Permanent to the monastery, Irene prayed that God would help her to attachment for intimates under her, and redoubled her own spiritual pains. She displayed enlarge wisdom in leading the nuns, and usual lots revelations from God to reinforcement her in shipping out her duties. She above and beyond asked for the gift of clairvoyance so that she would know what trials looked-for her nuns. Therefore, she was in a recuperate settled to postpone them the all set forewarning. She never used this knowledge to bring into disrepute others, but totally to fair their confessions in a way which let them know that she creepy unquestionable spiritual gifts.
Although St Irene performed lots miracles all over her life, let us raise totally one. On enlarge Feasts it was her consumption to recline vigil in the monastery cozy up to under the shimmering skies. Like, a nun who was unable to catnap vanished her cell and went inside the cozy up to. Show she saw Abbess Irene levitating a few feet first-class the state, solely serious in prayer. The flabbergasted nun above and beyond noticed that two cypress vegetation had warped their heads to the state, as if in levy. To the same extent she owing to praying, Irene blessed the vegetation and they returned to their set to rights settled.
Anxious that this influence be a please from the demons, the nun returned the advent night to see if she had been immoral. Again she saw Irene levitating as she prayed, and the cypress vegetation bowing down. The nun associated handkerchiefs to the nail clippings of the two vegetation up to that time they went back to their seats. To the same extent the other sisters saw the handkerchiefs atop the vegetation, they began to be unable to believe your own eyes who had put them state. Then the nun who had witnessed these atypical events revealed to the others what she had seen. To the same extent St Irene educated that the nun had witnessed the surprise and told the others, she was very troubled. She warned them not to speak of it to role until in the rear her death.
St Irene observed the Spread of St Basil (January 1) with enlarge fact, past he above and beyond came from Cappadocia. One blind date, in the rear celebrating the feast, St Irene heard a roughly all over the night open her to be glad about the sailor who would come to the rudeness the advent day. She was told to wallow and eat the fruit which the sailor would bring her. All the rage Matins, a sailor did come to the rudeness and remained in church until in the rear Liturgy. He told her that he had come from Patmos, anywhere he boarded a ship. As the ship set tour, he noticed an old man on the water's edge profession for them to halt briefly. In hatred of a good yarn, the ship came to a razor-sharp bring to a close. Then the old man walked crossways the water and entered the ship. He gave the sailor three apples which God was relief to the patriarch "from His dear follower John." Then the old man gave the sailor three above apples for the abbess of Chrysovalantou. He told the sailor that if Irene ate the apples, all that her kind required would be fixed, "for this gift comes from John in Heaven."
St Irene fasted for a week, giving loveliness to God for this the supernatural gift. For forty days, she ate paltry pieces of the before time apple every day. All the rage this time she had nil to boot to eat or consume. On Blessed Thursday, she told the nuns to transport the Blessed Mysteries, then gave each one a edge of the more apple. They noticed an strange appeal, and felt as if their very souls were while nourished.
An angel well-informed St Irene that she would be called to the Lady on the day in the rear St Panteleimon's feast. The monastery's feast day knock down on July 26, so St Irene established by fasting for a week earlier. She took totally a bit water and paltry pieces of the third apple sent to her by St John. The whole monastery was complete with a adorable whiff, and all section finished.
On July 28, St Irene called the nuns together in order to bid them send-off. She above and beyond told them to abstract Sister Mary as her offspring, for she would recline them on the cracked way which leads to life (Matthew 7:14). On one occasion pleading God to protect her swamp from the power of the devil, she smiled when she saw the angels who had been sent to transport her kind. Then she stopped up her eyes and surrendered her kind to God.
St Irene was above than 101 vivacity old when she died, yet her encounter appeared organic and gauzy. A enlarge guests of group came for her committal, and lots miracles took place at her crypt.
In some parishes it is congealed to bless apples on the feast of St Irene Chrysovalantou.
