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July 22, 2023

Saint Hieronymos of Simonopetra and the Miraculous Left Hand of Saint Mary Magdalene

 
There are many letters in the archive of the Monastery of Simonopetra of Mount Athos, where metropolises and communities of Macedonia and Asia Minor beg the fathers to come with the sacred relic of the incorrupt left hand of Saint Magdalene.

There are also many letters of thanks that mention miracles of the Saint.

After conducting a sanctification of the waters and doing a procession with the sacred relic, the locusts disappeared from the fields.

In these missions, the sacred relic was often accompanied by our Holy Father Hieronymos Simonopetritis.

Here is one of many instances of the wonderworking grace of the sacred relic of Saint Mary Magdalene, as recorded by Monk Moses the Athonite in his book on Saint Hieronymos of Simonopetra:

"In the same period from Galatista of Halkidiki, Hieronymos writes to the monastery:

'Here there are no more locusts in one place. But the people are afraid of the locust attack and they prayed to Saint Magdalene. And they are thinking of arranging for her to come every year, venerating the Saint and asking for her grace.'

There is a record of an earlier visit of his to Asia Minor:

'A monk came with his Elder to Brioula, our village. They came with the hand of Saint Magdalene because locusts had fallen. They stayed at the house of the Holy Neomartyr Nektarios and indicated that the rest of the relics of the Saint should also be taken to the temple, which is why this house is not thriving. The locusts, after the procession, fell into the sea.'

The greatest treasure of the monastery is the left hand of the myrrhbearer, virgin, equal to the apostles and disciple of the Lord, Mary Magdalene.

It is often fragrant, has the heat of a living person and works miracles for those who embrace it with faith.

Father Hieronymos had a special devotion to the Myrhbearer."