In January 807 an Algerian Pirate called Vardoucan decided to attack Ayion Oros with about ten ships and some 200 pirates. On 21st January he landed and lay hidden and awaited the opening of the Monastery doors. The monks were returning to their cells after the morning prayers. There was only the Abbot left in the Church saying prayers. He heard a voice from the Icon of the Virgin Mary saying to him :

”Do not open the doors of the Monastery today.
Climb upon the walls and repel the pirates.”

He looked at the icon. The face of the Virgin Mary and the Baby Jesus had come alive. In that same moment the Baby Jesus raised his hand over His Mother's mouth and said
“Don't say it Mother. Let them be punished as they deserve to be.”
The Virgin Mary took Her Son's hand away from her mouth and re-iterated
“ Do not open the doors today!”

The Abbot told the others what happened. They all thanked the Virgin Mary for her help and went up to the walls. The pirates were preparing their attack. The Abbot let them come closer. He raised the Holy Cross and gave the signal to attack. Ten pirates fell dead immediately. Others were injured. The rest fled. The Monks gave thanks to the Virgin Mary again and the Icon was given the name Paramuthia ie The Comforter.

In the year after Vardoucan's failed attack,the pirates returned under a new leader called Khaliff. They were seen, and the Monk who spotted them, informed the others. He hid all the things of value, such as the Holy Cross and the Icon of the Virgin Mary. Thirty two monks were taken prisoner. The pirates ransacked the monastery. The monks who escaped capture slowly repaired and rebuilt the monastery with the help of many donations. Eventually the Emperor Nikiforos managed to free the thirty two hostages. They went back to the Monastery. The lookout who had first spotted the raiders went back to the place where he had hid the Cross and the Icon of the Virgin Mary. He took away the stones that he had used to hide the items from the raiders.To his amazement, the Cross and the Icon were standing upright in the water by the Holy Well where he had hid them. The candle he had lit infront of the Icon and Cross was still burning. From that time the candle has not been allowed to go out. When it has nearly melted the monks replace it with a new one. Thus the flame burns eternally.

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