When Myrrh Dripped — A Sign from Heaven in Honolulu

Read Aloud

A Miracle in a Bargain-Bin Image

In an astonishing turn of events, a simple print bought for about $20 has become the center of a global Christian phenomenon. The print, a copy of the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God, is kept at the Holy Theotokos of Iveron Russian Orthodox Church in Honolulu, Hawaii.

What makes this image extraordinary is that the print has reportedly begun oozing myrrh — a fragrant resin historically used in biblical times, now streaming from the image without any known natural cause.

The Signs Observed

In late September, the parish priest, Father Nectarios Yangson, noticed a strong smell of myrrh lingering in his home, car, and even at work. The scent was unexplainable by ordinary means.

Upon closer inspection, a droplet of the resin appeared on the left knee of the infant Jesus depicted in the icon. The liquid also pooled beneath the frame and soaked into the cloth below. Parishioners said that on some days the image appeared dry; on others it was heavily covered in myrrh. Yet the fragrance of roses was always present.

A Growing Pilgrimage

Since the phenomenon came to light, believers from around the world have flocked to the Honolulu church. The icon has already traveled to more than 100 churches across the United States and Europe, drawing thousands of visitors.

Stories continue to emerge from those anointed with or touched by the myrrh who claim to have experienced healing — relief from chronic pain, paralysis, blindness, and even cancer. Though these accounts remain unverified medically, for those who experienced them, the change is unmistakable.

Faith Meets the Unexplainable

In Christian symbolism, myrrh carries deep meaning. It was one of the gifts brought to the newborn Christ by the Magi and was used for anointing and burial. The spontaneous outpouring of myrrh from a simple printed image reminds the faithful that the divine still breaks into the ordinary world.

For many, this event serves as a sign — a reminder that God can use unexpected means to reach His people. He is not confined to hospitals, laboratories, or church walls. He can make Himself known through icons, fragrances, and the seemingly impossible.

What This Means for Us

• Hope for the waiting: If you’ve been waiting on healing, breakthrough, or clarity, know that God may already be working in ways unseen.

• Invitation to humility: The fact that the image was discovered in a bargain bin shows that God often uses the simple and overlooked to reveal His power.

• Call to deeper worship: You may never visit Honolulu, but this story calls you to pause and notice the signs of His presence in your own life.

• Faith in the ordinary: We may not witness visible droplets of myrrh, but the same God who works in the extraordinary is active in our everyday moments.

  
  

Devotional Reflection

Take a moment to breathe deeply — imagine the faint scent of roses, a single drop forming on the image of Christ, the quiet stillness that follows awe.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, you know the hidden places of our hearts — the sickness, the sorrow, the silence. You once received myrrh at your birth, and now through this image you remind us that you are near. Pour out your fragrance on us today. Let our waiting hearts catch one drop of your healing and one drop of your presence. Help us to live like the myrrh — flowing only when you will, yet fragrant always to your praise. Amen.