AUGUST 1 - Commemorating the Icon of the Holy Mother of God "Tenderness"

 

The icon of the Mother of God "Tenderness" Serafimo-Diveevskaya was a cell image of St. Seraphim of Sarov. With oil from the lamp that burned in front of the icon, the saint anointed the sick, who received healing after the anointing. The ascetic called this image “Joy of all Joys” and, pointing to it to the Diveyevo sisters, repeatedly said: “I entrust and leave you in the care of this Queen of Heaven.” Before the miraculous icon, the Reverend reposed at prayer on January 2/15, 1833.

The icon is painted in oil on canvas, fixed on a cypress board measuring 67x49 cm. The Mother of God is depicted half-height, with arms folded crosswise on her chest, without the Divine Infant, at the moment of Her pronouncing the words to the Archangel Gabriel during the Annunciation: “Behold the servant of the Lord, may it be done to me according to Your word. ” .

After the death of St. Seraphim, the rector of the Sarov Monastery, hegumen Nifont, gave the holy icon to the sisters of the Seraphim-Diveevo monastery. Before the revolution, the image was in the Trinity Cathedral of the Diveevo Monastery. For this, a special chapel was rebuilt, and the icon was placed in a special elegant icon case. Since that time, there has been a tradition: for all the nuns of the monastery during the service, to stand behind the icon case of the Virgin.

At the first opportunity, a gilded riza was made; another precious chasuble was donated by Tsar Nicholas II during the glorification of St. Seraphim. The halo on this riza was made in the form of diverging rays, consisting of precious stones and pearls. In 1903, the icon "Tenderness" was brought in procession from Diveevo to Sarov for the celebration of the glorification of St. Seraphim. Also in the year when Seraphim of Sarov was glorified, several exact lists were made from the Mother of God icon, which were sent to various Russian monasteries.

After the monastery was closed in 1927, Abbess Alexandra was arrested and sent to Moscow. Upon her release, Mother Alexandra and several sisters settled in Murom, managing to save and take away with her the miraculous icon of the Mother of God "Tenderness" along with the rest of Father Seraphim's belongings.

After her death in 1941, the nun Maria (Barinova) kept the image. At the end of her life, she decided to give the shrine to His Holiness Patriarch Pimen, who once, while still a hieromonk, served in Murom, visited the Diveyevo sisters and kissed the shrines of St. Seraphim, carrying love for the holy elder and the Diveyevo monastery through her whole life. However, the Patriarch decided that the shrines should be given for safekeeping to Archpriest Viktor Shipovalnikov, who lived in the village of Kratovo near Moscow. For 19 years, Father Victor and his mother carefully kept the belongings of the Monk Seraphim. Accepting those who came to the shrines, they repeatedly witnessed miracles and healings.

In 1991, the miraculous image, shrines and belongings of the monk were transferred to the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Alexy II, who placed the icon in the Patriarchal Church of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God of the working Patriarchal residence in Chisty Lane, where it is currently located.

According to tradition, once a year - on the feast of the Praise of the Most Holy Theotokos (5th Week of Great Lent (Saturday Akathist)) - the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church brings the Seraphim-Diveevo image of the Mother of God "Tenderness" to the service at the Moscow Epiphany Cathedral in Yelokhovo for reading the Akathist before her. On this day, the miraculous image is taken out for worship - all Orthodox Christians can venerate it.

The celebration of the Serafimo-Diveevo Icon of the Mother of God "Tenderness" takes place twice a year - on August 1 and 10