the holy new martyrs of eastern russia - Coptic Orthodox teaching

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completely losing the use of them. In June and July I lay in hospital. The
doctors said that my legs would not work - I had severe rheumatism. I was in
terrible pain. My wife Catherine looked after me. Every night she would put
nettles on my legs. Katya was always crying, and I always reminded her:
"'I told you not to marry me.'
"After the Dormition of the Mother of God an old wanderer came to us. In
the evening they began to bind my legs with nettles.
"'What,' said the man, 'have you been ill like this for a long time?'
"We told him. He said:
"'If you pray to God and beseech the Mother of God, I will heal you.'
"I gave him my promise, and while I was still ill I promised that I would
join the army. We got up in the morning. The old man asked:
"'Are they going to bake bread here?'
"'They are.'
"He asked for a tub, and put a prop for my legs against the tub. And when
the bread was baked, he took one loaf, broke it and put it on the bottom of the
tub, and my legs on the bread... And the pain in my legs became less sharp.
He left asking me not to forget the Mother of God or to pray. And he also
ordered that this should be done two more times. And when it had been done
three times I recovered completely and began to walk.
"Two weeks passed. On September 9, 1888, my wife Katya gave birth to a
daughter, who was called Euphemia in baptism. On the fifth day after giving
birth Katya went and did some washing. Aunt Domna came in and said:
"'Katya, are you working after giving birth?'
"She went away and Katya fell ill. She contracted a high fever, and on
September 19 she died. My daughter remained alive for nine more days. She
was looked after by my in-laws. On November 19, the day of the feast of the
Mother of God "the Consolation of the Sorrowing", she died without pain.
The Mother of God took her to herself.
"And on the evening of the same day I went to enrol in the army. I was
accepted into service on November 22. The doctors who had treated me did
not want to accept me because I was ill - my legs were no good. But I had
given a promise when I was ill that when I recovered, even if I would have to
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