More than a thousand years ago...
The temple was overcrowded. People in the church prayed with tears, at the limit of their spiritual strength, because the enemy fleet approached the city and threatened to be captured, while their ships were on distant lines. The all-night vigil was coming to an end, and morning was approaching.
The city holy fool, who was praying along with everyone else, suddenly turned to the disciple standing with him:
- Can you see, brother, the Queen and Mistress of all, praying for the whole world?
- I сan see it and I’m horrified!
Only they in the entire temple were granted this vision. The Most Pure Virgin passed high through the air over the Royal Doors, supported on both sides by John the Baptist and John the Theologian, surrounded by many saints in white robes. Kneeling down, the Blessed Virgin prayed for a long time with tears, and then went to the altar and continued her prayer there for the people. Coming out of the altar, She took off her head veil - it shone like lightning! - and spread it over all those praying.
And then She left. But grace remained, and the enemies retreated.
This happened in Constantinople, in the Blachernae Church of the Most Holy Theotokos, where Her Robe and the miraculous Blachernae Icon were kept. Enemies besieged the city more than once, and many times the Most Holy Theotokos miraculously saved it through the prayers of believers. Constantinople was called the “City of the Most Holy Theotokos” - one can recall the words from the 9th song of the Great Penitential Canon of Andrew of Crete :
“Preserve Your city, Most Pure Mother of God, in You this reigns faithfully (reigns with faith), and is established in You.”
This appearance and intercession of the Mother of God is described in the life of St. Andrew the Fool of Constantinople .