Svetitskhovloba is celebrated in Georgia

Oli Pipia – 14/7/13

On 13th July, the Georgian Orthodox Church celebrated  of the most important religious holidays of the country – Svetitskhovloba dedicated to Lord Heaton and exudes a miraculous world Pillar of Life-giving.

As reported by “InterpressNews” in the Patriarchate, on the occasion of the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, His Holiness and Beatitude Ilia II lead the divine liturgy.

According to legend, in the I-st century in Mtskheta was a Jewish community, and its rabbi Elioz, being in Jerusalem, bought out from the soldiers who crucified Jesus Christ the Savior chiton. Back in Mtskheta, Elioz handed it to his sister Sidonia, who took the chiton in her hands; she sobbed and died on the spot. Since the chiton could not be disentangled from the hands of the deceased, it was buried along with Sidonia, and on the grave grew of a big cedar, that became for the inhabitants of Mtskheta a holy tree.

When in Georgia in the IV century the Apostles Nino started her preaching sermon, a sacred cedar was cut down to build at the place a wooden church. However, the trunk of a tree could not be moved from the place. After some time, residents of Mtskheta saw how this pillar shining with light, began to climb up, while running out from the stump of fragrant myrrh, and citizens living in Mtskheta were revealed many miraculous healings. Here comes the name of the raised on that place of the temple – Svetitskhoveli .