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Our Lady of Kazan

Created from a photograph of an icon of Our Lady of Kazan, circa 1970 in Sofrino, Russia. The original icon was created in Constantinople in the 13th century and brought to Russia shortly thereafter. When the Tatars captured Kazan in 1438 the icon disappeared. It was rediscovered under the ruins of a burnt down house in 1579 by a young girl Matrona who had received messages from the Virgin Mary.

This icon has a lot in common with Fátima, Portugal. Consequently, with the expansion of wars and hardening of the already rigid and unyielding positions by world leaders that reject compromise and who have discarded the concept of mutually assured destruction (coined during the Franco-Prussian War in 1870), the 13 July 1917 Fatima message to Lucia – “When you see a night illuminated by an unknown light, know that it is the great sign God gives you that He is going to punish the world…” – remains relevant and fitting today.

On 25 January 1938 an intense geomagnetic storm lit up the night sky all across Europe and could be seen as far south as Bermuda. A month later Hitler invaded Austria. Eight months later he invaded Poland and World War II was officially underway.

On 11 May 2024 an intense geomagnetic storm (perhaps the most intense since record-keeping began in1932) lit up the skies across much of the world. Auroral displays could be seen all across the United States into Mexico, in the Bahamas, western Africa and as far south as Australia, New Zealand, Chile and Argentina.

Aurora Borealis

Could this be history repeating itself with the greater intensity warning of an even greater conflagration that leads to nuclear war? Let’s hope world leaders rediscover reason and pursue peace if we are to remain a planet of the living. In the meantime, as the Blessed Mother has repeatedly implored through the ages – La Salette, France (1846), Lourdes, France (1858), Fátima, Portugal (1917), Medjugorje, Bosnia and Herzegovina (1981), to name four such instances – we should pray for peace. And as we pray for peace Our Lady of Kazan can serve as a protector. Although we may not live to see that day when peoples and nations are reconciled to each other and live in peace, one day it will happen if humanity doesn’t first extinguish itself into extinction through nuclear war and consequent Armageddon.
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71 comments

Nouchetdu38 said:

EXCELLENT*****
5 months ago ( translate )

Jaap van 't Veen said:

Stunning work William.
5 months ago ( translate )

Malik Raoulda said:

Admirable et excellente composition bien réussie, bien révélatrice et admirablement partagée.
Bonne et agréable semaine paisible et reposante.
5 months ago ( translate )

Annemarie said:

I like icons very much!
Beautiful

great to be back to your photos!
5 months ago

William Sutherland replied to Annemarie:

I love icons too as they provide visual expressions to the divine.
5 months ago

William Sutherland said:

Thank you Nouchetdu, Jaap, Malik, Annemarie!
5 months ago ( translate )

Joe, Son of the Rock said:

Lovely religious iconography.
5 months ago ( translate )

William Sutherland said:

Thank you Joe!
5 months ago

Günter Klaus said:

Vielen Dank auch für die interessanten Zeilen zu deinen schönen Aufnahmen lieber William,auch bei mir in Österreich sah man diese schönen Licht,war ein toller Moment :))

Wünsche noch einen schönen Abend,liebe Grüße Güni :))
5 months ago ( translate )

Don Sutherland said:

Awesome work.
5 months ago ( translate )

@ngélique ❤️ said:

moi aussi j'adore les icones c'est superbe mon ami *********************Belle soirée William !
5 months ago ( translate )

Armando Taborda said:

...orae pro nobis...

excellent icon photo, William
5 months ago

Boarischa Krautmo said:

we're doomed
but fírst we'll have a beer....
5 months ago

Eric Desjours said:

An relevant evocation, William, in this composition that inspires infinite admiration.
The coincidences you so aptly point out are no accident, of course. But we all hope that History will be able to reason with those who govern us and prevent the extinction of humanity. Otherwise, the teachings of the Bible, despite their warnings, will have become obsolete (and will disappear with us...).
5 months ago

Mikus said:

Sehr eindrucksvoll geschildert, William.
5 months ago ( translate )