Agia Skepi, The Feast of Aghia Skepi

And just these two words "Agia Skepi", bring to our memory countless things

miraculous events, which demonstrate the motherly love of the Virgin Mother to us, the shelter and

protection it offers us in times of danger, and Her irresistible help in the difficulties of our life.

On the south side of the temple of Blacherna in Constantinople, there was a chapel where it was kept in

silver reliquary, the vestment of the Virgin. At the beginning of the 10th century, one night when was

held overnight in the Temple of Blacherna, Saint Andreas also went to participate in the all-night Vigil.

Agios Andreas is known as "dia Christ salos" “crazy by Christ” because, to hide his holiness from people

he was playing dumb. In the temple of Blacherna that night, he was accompanied by young Epiphanius,

who later became Patriarch of Constantinople. Around midnight, blessed Andrew suddenly sees the

Blessed Virgin Mary in the air to enter through the central gate of the Temple and proceed towards it

Agios Vima. She looked very tall and had a brilliant retinue of honor in white Angels and saints. Among

them stood out the honest John the Forerunner and John the disciple, who stood to the right and to the

left of the Holy Mary. From the white-bearers, some led and others followed singing hymns.

When the Virgin with Her escort approached the pulpit, which was in the center of the Temple, said the

holy Andreas to his companion Epiphanius:

-Do you see the Virgin Mother and Lady of the world?

- Yes, dear father, answered the young man.

Meanwhile, the Mother of God had knelt and prayed for a long time. She begged her Son for the

salvation of the world and shed tears. After the prayer she entered the Agios Vima, where she prayed

for the faithful who kept vigil. When the Virgin Mary finished her prayer, she removed from Her head

the her glittering maphorio (the red garment we see in her images Virgin Mary to cover the head and

body) with a modest movement, and as well it was large, she spread it like a Blanket with her all-holy

hands over the congregation. So spread out they both watched it broadcast for a long time glory divine

like electricity. As long as the Lady Theotokos was seen there, it was also seen maphorion to radiate.

When the Virgin Mary began to ascend to heaven, the Estheta begun shrinking little by little and

disappearing.

This fact, but also the miracles associated with her holy Estheta, became the occasion to establish the

feast of Agia Skepi, i.e. the Protection, which the Virgin Mary provides to those who invoke her grace

with faith. The miracles of Agia Skepi of Theotokos are innumerable. It is referred that when

Constantinople had once been surrounded by the sea with hostiles ships, the Patriarch took her holy

robe from the Temple of Blacherna and immersed it in the waters and immediately a great storm arose

with resulting in many of the enemy's ships being sunk and those remaining fleeing in a state of panic. In

recent years, during World War II, many times the Greeks soldiers saw above the trenches the form of

the Virgin Mary, to them protects against enemy bombs. But how many times each of us has not seen

the cover of our Virgin Mary protects from various dangers and needs either our own people, or

ourselves! That is why Christians trust in every danger, in every pain, in every one in our need we take

refuge in the Shelter of our Virgin Mary. To the loving Mother us.

Original posted: https://www.pemptousia.gr/2022/10/i-eorti-tis-agias-skepis-ke-i-metathesi-tis-tin-28i-

oktovriou/