Christ's Eye

According to the legend a Catholic church (Church of St. Roch) was built on "Golden Hill" cemetery in 1861. Behind it an old chapel remained, at the southern part of the last almost below the very roof there was an icon, not a big one and hardly beaten by weather and time, which depicted eye of Christ with a tear hanging on eyelash. One interesting tale is connected with this icon.

During reign of Rzecpospolita a Polish magnate Z lived in the town. He was awfully rich, lived in luxury and abandoned himself to sensual delights. His treatment of servants was very cruel. For the smallest fault he beat them almost to death. Citizens were scared of him as of a fire and just his name terrified everybody. 

Once in autumn that magnate rode one of his wonderful horses over a shore of small Svisloch, which was though fast and deep those days. He rode deeply plunged in his thoughts. Suddenly somebody grasped his horse and directed aside. That was a young peasant, a self-taught painter. The magnate almost rode into his easel. He cut face of the brave man with a whip till it bleeded and went to his luxury palace. The painter vowed vengeance for himself and others who were abused.

The magnate continued to live as before. But conscience awoke in him with time. He started to feel unusual anguish. Joyful feasts and boozes couldn't chase uneasiness away. And he turned his sinned soul to Lord. He began to give big donations in monasteries, prayed a lot, changed his life style completely. He even decided to build a Catholic church, that was done soon. A beautiful temple arose to skies bringing no relief to magnate's soul.

A small wooden church was on the cemetery "Golden Hill". There were saint relics and it was honored by inhabitants. The magnate decided to reconstruct it, to decorate it in a fitting manner. All that was accomplished, only southern side wasn't decorated. By magnate's opinion an icon would be the best decoration. Though all workers and painters invited for construction of the big temple were dismissed. And he had to seek for a painter among inhabitants of that place. The magnate got that very peasant who took his horse away from his picture so bravely.

That painter drew the picture for whole week with inspiration and finally the wonderful icon was finished+ "Lord himself take revenge for me", the painter was thinking throwing brave dabs on the canvas. The painted icon depicted all-seeing eye of Savior of the World with a tear hanging from his eyelash. The eye looked at everybody with such a suffering, with such a all-forgiving love that nobody remained indifferent.

The magnate having seen the icon burst in tears, embraced the painter and gave him a bag with gold. The painter threw hated gold away to Svisloch's waves on his way home because this payment burnt his hands. And the magnate staying in excitement didn't want to send the icon to the church and left it for himself, having hanged over his bed.

Once in a night, on a thunderstorm, the magnate awoke because of nightmare. He tried to fall asleep again, but the icon didn't let him to do it. The tear on eyelash stirred and hardly fell on the floor. The magnate in panic and relocated to farer corner of the room, but the icon followed him and hot tears fell from Christ's eyes more and more often. The magnate rushed out of the room, but the icon soundlessly followed him in the air. He was already running in the town and constantly saw that God's eye expressing ceaseless love and compassion. Finally he unconsciously jumped from a steep to the river.

Thunderstorm was over and bright rays of sunrise lighted up awaking town. And the icon appeared at the destined place.

Translated by Ekaterina Ludvigovna Prokopovich, Odessa