The Holy Martyrs of Zografou Monastery, Mount Athos celebrate on October 10/23

When the Emperor Michael Paleologos contracted the ill-famed Union of Lyons with the Pope to receive his help against the Bulgars and Serbs, the monks of the Holy Mountain sent the emperor a protest against this union, and urged him to set it aside and return to orthodoxy.  During these very trying times for the Holy Mountain, there lived a monk who resided near the Zografou Monastery and would try ascetically on his own, with great labours and effort. This monk had this holy custom of reading the Akathist Hymn many times while praying in front of this Icon of the Mother of God. One day, while he was chanting "Rejoice O unwedded Bride" he hears the following words from the Icon: "Rejoice too, O Elder of God!" The Elder was frightened but the voice continued calmly: "Do not fear, but rush to the Monastery and announce to the Brothers and the Abbot that the enemies of myself and of my Son have drawn near. Thus, whoever is weak in the spirit let them hide in patience. The ones desiring a martyr's crown let them stay inside the Monastery; leave quickly". The Pope sent an army to the Emperor's aid, and this Latin army went onto the Holy Mountain and set about such barbarism as the Turks never perpetrated in 500 years.  Hanging members of the Council and slaughtering many of the monks of Vatopedi, Iviron and other monasteries, the Latins attacked Zografou.  The blessed Abbot Thomas told the bretheren by inspiration that those who desired to save themselves from the Latins should flee the monastery, and those who desired a martyr's death should stay.  Twenty-six men stayed: twenty-two monks with their abbot and four laymen who worked for the monastery.  They all shut themselves in the monastery tower.  When the Latins arrived, they set the tower alight, and these twenty six heroes found a martyr's death in flames.  While the tower was burning, they sang hymns of the Akathist to the Mother of God and gave their holy souls into God's hands on October 10th, 1282.  In December of the same year, the dishonourable Emperor Michael Paleologos died in poverty, the Serbian King Milutin having risen up against him in defense of Orthodoxy.

The Icon above shows the monks of Mt. Athos being martyred by the accomplices of Patriarch of Constantinople Bekkos.  Some were hanged, others drowned, others beheaded at Karyes on Mt. Athos, and the Zografou monastery fathers, burned alive.

ON THE MIRACULOUS ICON OF THE THEOTOKOS KNOWN AS THE AKATHIST FOUND IN THE HOLY MONASTERY OF ZOGRAFOU ON MOUNT ATHOS ^*

Before the unfortunate events of the Synod of Florence took place, the Papal-controlled West was trying with all its might to subjugate the politically storm-driven East. Even the Emperor Michael Paleologos worked towards this goal: he wanted to stay faithful to his oath to Pope Gregory X, an oath he had given after the blinding of John Lascaris and the usurping of his throne had already taken place in the 13th century.

The Patriarch of those times, John Vekkos, acted according to the apostate opinion that was in accordance with the plans of the Emperor. He thus subjugated the Eastern Church under the Papal throne of Rome during the Second Synod of Lugdunum (Lyons). As is well known, the Latins were "convincing" the Orthodox to their delusions not through the word of the Gospel but using the other well-known method of Papism: the naked sword and violence. Thousands of people became martyrs under their swords for the purity of the Eastern Orthodox faith.

The Holy Mountain always was (and still is) the projector and support of the suffering Eastern Church. For this reason the Latins wanted to destroy this bedrock of Orthodoxy. Thus, they entered the centre of Orthodox resistance, the Holy Mountain, and tried to convince the monks by words of persuasion, promises of riches, but also (where such promises did not work) through threats and even tyrannical violence to accept the power of the Pope of Rome on Athos.

A few monks proved weak and cowardly and accepted the money but most of these accepted the Latins and their money out of fear of what awaited them if they denied: tortures of unspeakable pain.

A much larger number of monks of course stayed put to their position and confessed Jesus Christ as the Sole Head of His Indivisible and Uncreated Body and chastised the Pope's sacrilegious usurping of a Vicar Vicarius exousia that did not belong to him. This way these monks shed their blood for Christ and stand now witnesses of the Truth in the Church Triumphant, victorious martyrs of the Christ they never denied.

Unfortunately however, the attack was fierce. And exactly because some monks did yield under the pressure of promises and tortures, two monasteries were lost to the Latins: Lavra and Xeropotamou. The monks in these two monasteries accepted the Latin intrusion with a subservient fear. A large part in this terrible concession was accomplished through the help of the traitor Emperor who was helping the Latins to ensure these monks deviate towards Rome's unsound dogmas.

God however, who does not abandon His Church, in order to strengthen the faith of the monks and help at least some of the deviant Latins return to the Truth, punished the Monastery of Xeropotamou.

One day, when these pitiful Orthodox monks were conducting the newly-introduced profane liturgical acts together with the Latins, a large earthquake shook the grounds. The garrison houses, fortification towers and the very foundations of the monastery fell, together with many of the Latins and deviant Orthodox monks all of whom were instantly killed.

The other Latins who had arrived from Italy did not pay attention to this clear wrath of the Heavens and spread out around Athos with rage, trying to find new victims for their delusions.

During these very trying times for the Holy Mountain, there lived a monk who resided near the Zografou Monastery and would try ascetically on his own, with great labours and effort.

This monk had this holy custom of reading the Akathist Hymn many times while praying in front of this Icon of the Mother of God. One day, while he was chanting "Rejoice O unwedded Bride" he hears the following words from the Icon: "Rejoice too, O Elder of God!" The Elder was frightened but the voice continued calmly: "Do not fear, but rush to the Monastery and announce to the Brothers and the Abbot that the enemies of myself and of my Son have drawn near. Thus, whoever is weak in the spirit let them hide in patience. The ones desiring a martyr's crown let them stay inside the Monastery; leave quickly".

Obedient to the voice and will of our All-Pure Lady, the monk abandoned his cell and ran as fast as he could towards the Monastery in order to warn the Brothers. When he reached the gate of the Monastery, he saw the very same Holy Icon he kept in his cell right in front of him! He immediately prostrated himself before it, and with great reverence took it inside the Monastery and presented himself to the Abbot holding the Icon.

The Brothers were greatly distressed on hearing the news. The weaker ones immediately left and hid on the mountains or inside caves. Twenty six (26) Monks, however, including the Abbot, felt brave enough to stay in the Monastery. They went up to the tower, awaiting their enemies and the wreaths of martyrdom.

The Latins were soon outside the Monastery. Initially they motioned to the monks to have the gates opened to let them in: if they acknowledged the Primacy of the Pope they would have nothing to fear but his mercy plus a lot of gold. The monks replied to them from the top of the tower: "And who told you that your Pope is Head of the Church? From where does this teaching of yours come? For us, Head of the Church is only Christ! It is easier for us to choose death rather than give in and defile this holy place by your violence and tyranny; we shall not open the gates of the Monastery! Leave now!"

The Latins replied with rage: "Die then!"; and gathering wood around the tower lit a large fire to burn them alive.

And the flame rose up to the heavens and was diffused in the wind, but the Monks did not give in but stayed put to their spiritual outspokeness, glorifying the Lord and praying that He forgives their enemies. In this way, they were made perfect in martyrdom on the 10th of October 1274.

The names of these holy feat-winners are kept in the Code of the Zografou Monastery, as well as in the Horologia of the Bulgarian Church.

The holy icon through which the Elder had heard the voice of the Mother of God warn him of the arrival of the enemies of Christianity, had been placed inside the tower together with the martyrs-to-be. Afterwards, however, it was found whole unscathed by the fire (that burnt down the Monastery to the ground).

In memory of this great miracle, they placed this holy icon inside the Temple of the Dormition of the Theotokos, on top of the Katapetasma, where the Despotic Icons (i.e. of Christ) are normally placed. An Unsleeping Lamp shines in front of the face of our All-graceful Virgin and Mother: small, yet always shining.

This Holy Icon of the Mother of God is very dark in colour and it seems that it had already been renovated over the years leading to this event. It is known among the Bulgarians by the simple name "Cherovo" (i.e. "the one referred to by the Greek word Chere", which means "Rejoice"). The place where the miraculous revelation to the elder took place is known till today by the name Cherovo.

* Source: http://patristic.eastern-orthodoxy.com/akathist_zografou.htm