The wondrous icon of Panagia Paramythia, Vatopedi Monastery, Mount Athos (source)
Note: This is the summary of an astonishing recent vision regarding the help of the Theotokos. In some ways it resembles prior visions, such as those of Panagia Paramythia from Vatopedi, and the Holy Protection to St. Andrew the Fool-for-Christ. Please note that I have not independently confirmed this, I have only provided my amateur translation as presented on the source site.
Several points though may benefit from clarification:
1. Christ has utter love and mercy, and He shed His Blood for the whole world. When scriptures discuss punishment or "wrath" of God, this is an idiom of our perception. Christ allows trials and tribulations as a last ditch effort to bring us to contrition and repentance, only when nothing else will work.
2. This does not mean to imply that the Theotokos would ever disobey or dishonor Christ. It just underlines how much she loves and cares for us, as she did at the Wedding at Cana.
3. As long as we repent and return to the Church during our lives, there is no sin that overcomes the love and mercy of Christ.
4. Though this might seem primarily for the people of Greece, the admonition is just as applicable for the whole world. We all have great sins to repent of, and if we do not repent speedily, it may soon become too late to do so.
May we speedily repent and return to our Lord, Who desires all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the Truth! May the Most-Holy Theotokos continue to bless, protect and guide everyone throughout the world!
About one year ago, one of our more enlightened, great Athonite Elders from the outside [i.e. outside of Greece], saw an astonishing vision, which we offer below in summary:
Our Panagia was kneeling before Christ, the Righteous Judge. She was entreating Him to save Greece from some great danger and catastrophe which would later come!
“No, my Mother,” the Lord said, “Look at what is happening in Greece. Look at the sin (bringing to mind the carnal and other sins)...”
“Forgive them, my Son, save Greece which believes in You and loves us...”
“No, Mother. They do not love me nor do they believe in me, with such carnal sins...”
“I entreat You my child,” as the Panagia now entreats the Lord with tears, “Do not let this happen...”
“It is not going to happen, Mother, and I ask you not to seek this,” said Christ, embittered by the Greeks, who had lost every piety and measure, every purity and spirituality, polluting themselves with sin and evil and impious deeds, both small and great...
“Listen, my child and my Lord,” the Panagia persisted, “Hearken to my prayers and to my children who call upon me, and who entreat me to entreat of You..”
“It's not going to happen, O Mother...Sin has overflowed...Do not persist...” says the all-radiant Christ, as He disappeared...
Therefore, our Panagia was saddened, and as the Champion General of Greece, she does something unexpected. She stands upright, takes off her mandya, and holds in a protecting manner above Greece! As the Holy Protection! As the Awesome Protection!
An astonishing vision, with which our Christ leaves us with one final opportunity for repentance and correction, only in thanks to His Mother! He holds the door half open for us still, astonishingly, on behalf of our Mother, the Mother of Greece, who has saved us through how many storms and wars and earthquakes, for centuries!
Our Panagia defends us with her own responsibility, because we so greatly call upon her, and have continuous supplications and prayers, especially of our Monasteries, and we seek her continuous protection, despite our sinfulness, which brings forth the wrath of God, such as atheism, cursing holy things, utter impiety, and especially adulteries, of the mouth, and every carnal passion, and the terrible homosexuality, which is the greatest sin of the world, and which destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, and brought about the Cataclysm of Noah...
A short time before the terrible dangers that are coming, of which we are unable to comprehend, but which may include poverty, destitution, hunger, civil war, invasions, earthquakes, epidemics, individually or all together, the evils which we see in Syria, Libya, Africa, let us take advantage of this movement of love and sacrifice of our Panagia! Let us return to our Christ! With a simple movement! Repenting, ceasing immediately, now, today, from this instant and forever, whatever evil things that we have done, whatever we do, say, think, or plan to do, sacrificing “pleasures and delights, egotism and evils”, in order to win over the love of the Queen of the Angels, and of God Himself! In order to save ourselves, and the most beautiful and once blessed Greece!
And then, let us run to a spiritual father or Elder to confess, seeking with tears and contrition, for forgiveness from Christ, Whom we have wounded and embittered so...
It is very easy...
It is such a small beginning step, which however takes us immediately to the other shore of the All-Mighty Kingdom of Christ, and eternal joy and Grace.
That our Panagia might rejoice!
That we might justify her deed and her choice!
That we might not disappoint her!
That we might return now to the honors and beginnings passed down from the Fathers!
To our Orthodoxy!
And it is sure that thus we will be saved and glorify our Greece, with the help of Panagia, who so much will give their eyes a scrubbing! Like in 1940!
And let us send as our first sign into Heaven, the lighting of our candle, the prayer of our soul!
And finally, let us chant, as ones besieged and surrounded by hundreds of thousands of savages and barbarian enemies of the City [Constantinople]:
O Champion General, I your city now inscribe to you triumphant anthems as the tokens of my gratitude, being rescued from the terrors, O Theotokos. But since you have the dominion unassailable, from all kinds of perils free me so that unto you, I may cry aloud: rejoice, O Bride unwedded.
The Holy Protection of the Theotokos
Most-Holy Theotokos save us!
Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us! Amen!
source
