Alexander and Lida had been preparing for their wedding for two months. They sent out invitations, thought through every detail of the celebration, imagined how everything would happen, and eagerly awaited the day.
Finally, the long-awaited moment arrived. But don’t think it was a lavish ceremony—the couple decided to have a modest celebration at home. Tables were set in advance, salads waited their turn in the fridge, and stuffed peppers and potatoes simmered on the stove. Every penny was spent with special thrift.
On this day, Alexander was supposed to visit the clinic to pick up his test results. The back pain that had long troubled him prompted an examination. He suspected a hernia, but the diagnosis he heard from his doctor shocked him.
“You have stage four cancer,” Ivan Stepanovich said calmly. “We will make decisions about treatment together. Don’t torment yourself with the question: ‘Why me?’ You won’t find an answer. It’s more important to ask another question: ‘What next? How to act?'” the doctor continued confidently. “You need to learn to live with this, while the Lord gives you time, and you must definitely undergo treatment. This is your chance to reevaluate the quality of life and think about your soul.”
Ivan Stepanovich was a deeply religious man. He had seen cases where patients, seemingly doomed by all medical indicators, miraculously recovered, while those who had every chance of recovery passed away. Therefore, he knew: it’s extremely difficult to fight without faith.
“What? How about the wedding?” ran through Alexander’s mind. His vision blurred, the pain became unbearable. “I don’t want a wedding today,” he kept telling himself. “How to tell Lida?”
The decision came by itself—a phone call. It was his beloved calling.
“There’s very little time left before the guests arrive. Where are you?” Lida asked, her voice anxious.
“There will be no wedding today,” Alexander said softly.
“What?! Is this some kind of joke?”
“No, it’s life,” he replied, almost crying. “I have cancer, and I have very little time left. I don’t want you to suffer.”
“Let’s meet, talk. We’ll cancel everything. I’m sure you’ll live,” said Lida, trying to hold back tears.
“I’ll come tomorrow,” Alexander said faintly.
His thoughts returned to his late grandmother, who had prayed all her life and often repeated one phrase:
“If you’re feeling bad, in pain, there’s only one recipe that suits everyone. Refrain from foul language, get rid of bad habits, start praying every day, forgive everyone who has hurt you. Take a step for your soul that you haven’t dared before. Definitely confess and take communion.”
Alexander didn’t want to return home. His legs carried him to a place where he could find solace. He decided to touch the holy relic.
Unaware, he reached the Pokrovsky Monastery, where the relics of Matrona of Moscow rest. There was a queue several hours ahead. Alexander was even glad: he wanted to dissolve in this atmosphere, share his thoughts with people who, like him, sought hope and believed in a miracle.
In the queue, Alexander heard many stories of miraculous healings. One elderly woman particularly caught his interest with her story. She told her neighbor, who was preparing for surgery, a remarkable story about her child.
“When my daughter got cancer,” the grandmother began, “we decided to move to the village of Taraskovo in the Sverdlovsk region. There, in the Holy Trinity All-Czarina Men’s Monastery, is kept a miraculous icon ‘All-Czarina.’ Around the throne of this icon is a whole curtain of jewelry, gifts from grateful people. Each piece is a story of help received here. The ‘All-Czarina’ icon is known for its power in healing cancer and incurable diseases.
“My daughter rented a room near the church from an old woman. She confessed, took communion, thinking she had only a few months to live. But God decided otherwise. She began to cleanse her soul: every day she visited the holy springs that are abundant there. It became a real blessing for her. She even wanted to stay in this place forever, but knew she needed to return and continue treatment.
“After returning, the doctors were amazed: the tumor had significantly shrunk, and remission had occurred. Now she lives a completely different life—more honest and bright. If not for Matronushka and my maternal prayers, things might have been different. It was after visiting Matrona of Moscow’s relics that I had a dream, where it was said that my daughter needed to go specifically to Taraskovo. Now I often bow to the saint and thank her for saving my child.”
Alexander stood, deep in thought. “This is a sign,” he thought. “God, how I need these words now! Thank you!” Five hours passed unnoticed. Touching the relic, he felt inspired and filled with new hope. The decision came by itself—he would travel to the village of Taraskovo.
Interestingly, why do only sufferings make many of us pay attention to our souls? Sometimes, through pain, truth reaches our hearts. Even if a person does not heal physically, he can enter the kingdom of God with a pure and bright soul. And that is already a great value. Who knows what awaits us after death if we do not strive for spiritual cleansing? It turns out, illness is a kind of medicine for the soul, although it sounds paradoxical.
Alexander organized a trip to the village of Taraskovo, having discussed his treatment plan with the doctors beforehand. This little corner seemed to him a real paradise. He was sure that, relying on the will of God, he could not only heal but also start a new life. Now his goal was a spiritual seminary. He wanted to be closer to the holy saints, preach the divine truths that are often unnoticed or ignored by people. His choice became not only a step towards possible physical healing but also the beginning of a path to true spiritual freedom.