MINSK OBLAST, 7 January (BelTA) - While visiting a church on Christmas Day, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko urged people to have faith in a major Belarusian sacred icon, while also taking firm control of their own fate, BelTA has learned.
While visiting the church in the village of Okolitsa, Minsk District, the head of state donated a copy of the Icon of the Mother of God of Minsk. The icon was discovered in 1500 on the waters of the Svisloch River. Since then, it has remained unwaveringly in the city of Minsk. Parishioners have always treated this holy image with great reverence and managed to preserve it during periods of religious persecution and the years of the Great Patriotic War. In 1945, the Icon of the Mother of God was transferred to the Holy Spirit Cathedral, where it resides to this day.
Aleksandr Lukashenko noted that this icon is a chief sacred treasure of Belarus, aiding in finding the right path, gaining clarity, and making correct decisions in confusing circumstances. “Many, many times I have drawn your attention to the fact that the world today is very complex. It is impossibly tangled. Perhaps our main sacred relic will help us find some correct path in this dark, tangled, incomprehensible world. That’s first,” said the president.
Second, the head of state continued, the icon provides protection, warding off both seen and unseen foes. “This is critically important!” stressed the Belarusian leader. “So, may God grant that this icon, this principal relic of ours, helps you here and all of us to perceive… Well, let’s say we have no enemies. But we must be able to discern any potential, God forbid, adversaries. And our icon may help us do that.”
It is believed that the Icon of the Mother of God of Minsk grants peace and solace in times of sorrow and sadness. “Life is life. As we say, life is like a sailor’s jersey - it has both white and dark stripes. So, it’s not always white stripes. Although, it must be said that the Lord has spared us, and we live in a peaceful country. This, based on the past year, I would say, is a white stripe,” said Aleksandr Lukashenko. “Today we have everything necessary for people to live and feed themselves and their children. On one condition only, if they work. Without work, there will be nothing. Therefore, this icon grants us peace and consolation. It provides understanding.”
The sacred relic also aids in raising children, protecting them from misfortune. “Our main focus is children. I often say: we have already lived through something, seen something. Yes, today’s youth are different, our children are different from how we were. But our entire life, our attention is focused on children,” the head of state said.
He expressed hope that the icon could aid in the recovery of children with ailments and, in general, guide the youth to understanding. “We would only be glad. This is important to us. We have enough people who need help. May a person, upon touching this icon, be healed, even if slowly, gradually,” the Belarusian leader wished.
“But an icon is an icon; everything depends on us. On children, on youth, on adults. Everything depends on us. Hold your destiny firmly, and God will always lend a hand. But most importantly, you must first be able to help yourself,” the president said.
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