Wives who have husbands but have no children are the most sorrowful wives. One has everything: a good husband, and health, and wealth, and honor from people, but has no children. And such wives cry, and hopeless sadness gnaws them, and they are ashamed of people, and sometimes they are close to despair. How to console them? Here’s the thing: we should ask them: do you pray to God that He will give you a child?
They answer: yes, we pray. And to the Most Holy Theotokos?
No? Well, so pray to Her, and your prayer, hopefully, will not have been in vain.
Parents of St. Theodora were pure and very good people. But they had grief – being married for many years they had no children. What were they to do? A sorrowful wife turned with fervent prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos and asked Her with tears to ask for a child for her from God. She was crying and praying, praying and crying. And the prayer was not fruitless, and a child was born to childless parents, whom they called Theodora. But one happiness, requested by the Blessed Virgin, was followed by another. The newborn subsequently became a great ascetic, faster, prayer and saint.
But here are some more examples.
Mother of Blessed Theophania, Queen, wife of Leo the Wise, wanting to have fruit from her marriage, every day came with her husband to the church of the Queen of Heaven and poured out her heart before Her in diligent prayer and said: “O Most Holy Mother of God, may my infertility be ceased by Your intercession, and may I receive childbirth from the Creator by Your mercy”. And since she asked with faith, she received it. And by the grace of That, to Whom she earnestly prayed, gave birth to a daughter, who at one time became famous for her great Christian deeds.
The same way mother of Saint Stephen the New earnestly prayed to the Queen of Heaven and was also heard. In the church of Blachernae, the Blessed Virgin Mary herself appeared to her and prophesied that she would give birth to a son, and the prophecy was fulfilled. A son was born to a previously childless wife, who later became a great defender of Orthodoxy and a martyr.
So, women who do not have children, do not be discouraged, but turn with fiery prayer to the Lady, and She will comfort you. She Herself was requested by prayer, and She Herself, from Her own experience, knows the need of man for supreme help. It goes without saying how great is Her mercy, and it is not without reason that She is called not only of some, but the joy of a l l who sorrow.
Therefore, pray to Her boldly, and She will cease your infertility.
Virgin Mary, Mother of God! Christians’ hope! Cover, protect, and save those who trust in you! Amen.
Translated by The Catalogue of Good Deeds
Source: https://azbyka.ru/otechnik/Viktor_Gurev/prolog-v-pouchenijah-na-kazhdyj-den-goda/147
