The Miraculous Apples

 Saint Irene kept the feast of St. Basil (January 1) especially holy out of great reverance because they both came from Cappadocia. One year after the feast day of St. Basil, during the fourth watch of the night, she heard a voice saying: "Welcome the sailor who brings fruit to you today. Eat it with joy and let your soul be gladdened!" This was followed by a similar voice during Matins saying: "Go to the door and bring in the sailor who is visiting you." She invited the sailor in and they greeted one another, and stayed until the end of the Liturgy. After Liturgy, Irene inquired after the sailor's journey, to which he replied:

"I am a sailor from the island of Patmos and I joined a boat coming to this City for business. As we were passing the coast of that island, we saw a very old man on the shore who called to us to wait for him. We could not because we were near the rocks, so with a good wind behind us we left. He then shouted all the more loudly ordering the boat to stop. This it did at once. Then he came to us walking on the waves and soon entered the boat. Then taking three apples from beneath his cloak, he gave them to me saying, 'When you go to the imperial City, give these to the Patriarch [Methodios] and tell him that the Almighty sends them to him from His beloved disciple, John.' After that he took another three and asked that these be presented to you, the Abbess of Chrysovalantou named Irene. To you he said, 'Eat these and all that your beautiful soul desires will be granted you because this gift comes to you from John in Paradise.' Having said this he blessed God, wished us well, and disappeared."

Irene, with tears of joy, received this gift with thanksgiving from St. John the Theologian, the Apostle, Evangelist, and beloved disciple of Christ. The sailor asked for a blessing and left the monastery.

These three holy apples from Paradise were superior to the earth's fruits: first and foremost in beauty; second, according to fragrance; third, they were markedly larger and extraordinary. To have received such a gift only indicated that none were holier in Constantinople than Patriarch Methodios and Irene.

Irene fasted for a week, thanking God for the apples. After this, she ate small pieces of the first apple daily, without any other form of sustenance, for forty days; when she ate, she smelt as if she was exuding myrrh; during this time, the remaining apples became more beautiful and aromatic. On Holy Thursday, she directed her sisterhood to receive Communion; after the Liturgy, the second apple was divided between them; when eaten, so sweet was the taste that the sisters felt as if their souls were being fed. The third apple was kept until Irene would know what to do with it and until then she would often inhale its outstanding fragrance. She partook of this marvelous apple the last week before her repose, at 103 years of age, as her only sustenance.

In the narthex of the Church of St. Irene in Lykovrisi there is a sign concerning the apples distributed at the monastery which reads: "You eat, you believe, you hope" (Τρως, πιστεύεις, ελπίζεις). This pretty much summarizes the instruction on how to obtain divine grace and receive divine intervention towards your needs.

The Monastery of Saint Irene Chrysovalantou in Lykovrisi contains what many believe to be an actual tree of life. Apples played a major role in the life of St. Irene and the monastery has planted apple trees that are blessed and mediate divine grace and healing to all those who receive it with proper faith and preparation. Remarkably these apples also do not rot when cut in slices and maintain moisture, and there is a wonderful fragrance that emit from these apples for a long time even when they dry up after many months.

Many couples who wish to have a child frequently visit or request apples to be sent to them from this monastery hoping in a miracle. Thousands over the years have received this miracle, as is evidenced by the large number of both males and females among the Orthodox who bear the name of either Chrysovalantou or Chrysovalanti. Children who are considered a gift of St. Irene through her miraculous intervention either bear this name as a first or middle name. I have given a sample of two such miracles that appeared in last months periodical of the monastery at the bottom of this page.

It is not only infertile couples which receive miraculous intervention, but also those who are suffering any kind of ailment such as various body pains, cancers, incurable illnesses and diseases, and even emotional pains. It is recommended that to be a recepient of such divine grace, that one must fast strictly for three days and pray. Couples should not enter into sexual relations for those three days either. During those three days if you have holy water, a little should be drunk each day and if you have holy oil from the monastery you should anoint the area of the body for which you are praying with the sign of the cross. If it is a child you are seeking, the mother should also request a belt/cord that is made by the nuns with prayers and blessed for the specific purpose of receiving a child as a gift. When the three days have passed you are to eat the apple. If it be God's will, believe that God will heal you of your ailment and suffering through the intercessions of his faithful and fervent intercessor St. Irene.

The Blessing of the Apples takes place every year on the feast of the Saint on July 28th. A prayer is said "in remembrance of the three apples which were given from Paradise to Saint Irene Chrysovalantou". The apples keep vigil during the service in front of the wonderworking icon of the Saint at which time the appropriate prayer of blessing is said for divine grace to permeate through the apples to bring life to infertile couples and health to all those in need.

In some parishes it is customary to bless apples on the feast of St Irene Chrysovalantou.