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

At the Source Icon

The history of the revered icon of the monastery of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Pyukhtitsy - the image of the Mother of God "At the source" is associated with the name of the great all-Russian shepherd and prayer book, the righteous Saint John of Kronstadt.

In 1894, on the day of the Angel, the nuns of the monastery presented Father John with an icon depicting the appearance of the Most Holy Theotokos at a spring in Pyukhtitsy. The priest prayed before this image and bequeathed it to a certain pious married couple from St. Petersburg, who, before her death, gave the holy icon to the nun Bathsheba, a former resident of the St. Petersburg Ioannovsky Monastery, which was closed by that time. Once appearing to a nun in a dream, the Most Holy Theotokos ordered that Her image be returned to the Pukhtitsa monastery.

It happened in 1946, on Pascha. And soon, on the day of the celebration of the Bogolyubskaya Icon of the Mother of God (June 18), the image of the Virgin "At the source" returned to its monastery. The sisters of the monastery, led by the aged abbess Abbess Alexia II (in schema Sergius), met the holy icon, before which the holy righteous John of Kronstadt prayed and with which he did not part until his death.

Now the holy image of the Most Pure Virgin Mary is located in the main aisle of the Assumption Church of the Pyukhtitsa Monastery.

Icon of Sts. Constantine and Helen June 3/ May 21

 

The Icon of the Mother of God "Grieving for the babies in the womb of the slain"

The history of prayer and icons. The icon of the Mother of God "Grieving for the babies in the womb of the slain"

The icon of the Mother of God "Grieving for the babies in the womb of the slain", painted by the masters of the icon-painting workshop "Heaven on Earth", was presented to the Znamensky Church of the Kiev Trinity Ioninsky Monastery.

This icon-painting example of the recently glorified icon of the Mother of God is the embodiment of a penitential feeling about children killed in their mother's womb.

On the icon, the Mother of God is depicted with the infant Christ. An angel, embracing the soul of a baby killed in the womb, hands it over to the Savior. The amazing performance of the icon emphasizes and fills with strength not only the repentance that people bring before this image, but also in a special way gives consolation, which grieving mothers lack so much. 

Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos

 

Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos.

XVI century., Stavronikita monastery, Holy Mount Athos

Author: Theophanes of Crete

The Blessing of the Priests mural

The Blessing of the Priests

The mural depicts Joachim and Anna calling the priests to bless their one-year-old daughter. (Kaisariani Monastery). 

The sixth chapter of the Protoevangelium of James describes the placement of Mary in a room in which nothing unclean was allowed to touch her and that is why pure maidens are called to protect her. On the completion of one year of Mary, a feast is organized by Joachim and handed over to the priests to bless her.

Appearance of the Light-Painted image of the Most Holy Theotokos on Mount Athos in the Russian Saint Panteleimon Monastery (1903) commemorated Sept. 3/Aug. 21

We venerate thy Most Pure Image, Blessed One, asking for protection for us, Mother of God, for thou voluntarily expressed mercy to appear among the brethren in order to save those whom thou hast gathered from sorrow. Therefore, we appeal to thee with gratitude: "Thou fillest everyone with joy, Holy Virgin, who entrust themselves to thy protection."

Icon of the Mother of God "Infant Leaping"

Icon of the Mother of God "Infant Leaping" also called Mother of God "Leaping with Joy" commemorated Nov. 20/Nov. 7
This holy icon appeared in 1795 and now is found in the St. Nicholas-Transgression (Nikolo-Ugreshsky) Monastery, Moscow diocese.

Before the icon they pray for:
gifting children;
successful pregnancy;
successful childbirth;
about the health of the baby and his mother.
Image: Monastery of Xenophon. Holy Mount Athos

The miraculous icon of the Mother of God, called Joy and Consolation. One of the seven miraculous icons of the Vatopedi monastery.

 

The miraculous icon of the Mother of God "Three-handed"

Before the icon they pray for protection from enemies who threaten the well-being in the house. They ask for healing of diseases of the hands, feet, eyes. The Mother of God patronizes those who are engaged in crafts.

Icon of the Mother of God "Gerontissa" Mt. Athos

The icon of the Mother of God Gerontissa (which means "eldress", "overseer") is one of the most revered shrines of the Holy Mount Athos, the patroness of elders.

According to the ancient Athonite tradition, the icon became especially revered after the following event. The old abbot of the monastery of Pantocrator, who was dying, asked the priest to bring him holy communion. But the young priest neglected the request and, after the service, remained in the temple on his own business. In the altar, he heard a voice from the icon of the Virgin: the Blessed Virgin urged him not to delay and to go immediately to the dying elder. After receiving Holy Communion, the old monk reposed in the Lord.
In the seventeenth century, the monastery had an olive crop failure and the monks began to run out of oil. The abbot and the monks prayed diligently before the holy image. One morning they noticed that olive oil was dripping from under the door of the monastery's storeroom, although all the jars had long since been emptied. When they entered the room, they found that from one formerly empty jar the oil was pouring out in an endless stream. The monks gave thanks to God and Our Lady and decorated the icon with the image of the vessel that was perpetually full.

Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos "Surety of Sinners" in Koretsk (1622) June 24/ June 11

                                      Miracle-working icon at Holy Trinity monastery Korestsk

The ancient icon of the Mother of God "Surety of Sinners" of Koretsk was kept in the castle of the princes of Koretsk and was called "gracious".

After the death of Samuel, the last of the Orthodox princes of Koretsk, his brother John invited his sister, the hegumena Serafima to take the icon from the princely prayer house to the Orthodox Holy Resurrection Women's Monastery of Koretsk. The solemn removal of the holy image occurred in the year 1622, on the Thursday after Pentecost. On this day was established the celebration in honor of the icon of Koretsky "Surety of Sinners.

On August 12, 1880, the icon was transferred to the monastery`s Holy Trinity Church and placed in a carved wooden casket near its left front column.

More than once the wonderworking icon brought graceful help to the suffering people. In 1923 on the Feast of the Holy Trinity a young man possessed by an unclean spirit was healed by the icon. The next year, when in Volyn, between the Ascension of the Lord and Thursday after Pentecost, there were incessant downpours, miraculously after the presentation of the holy icon by procession around the church, the rain began to pacify.

Many a believer, who turns to the Queen of Heaven for help and intercession in cases of trouble, family problems, and especially when their soul is in "pain," testify that after praying before the icon they receive spiritual relief and peace of mind, for She is truly the "Surety of Sinners.

The icon depicts the Mother of God with the Child on Her left arm, who holds Her right hand with Christ's hand. The inscription reads, “I am the Surety of sinners for My Son Who has entrusted Me to hear them, and those who bring Me the joy of hearing them will receive eternal joy through Me.”

The icon is in the Holy Trinity women's monastery in Koretsk. 

Ascension icon explained

Forty days after Christ’s resurrection, He was taken up into the Heavens before the disciples, and so forty days after Easter, is the Feast of the Ascension. The icon for this feast shows the events as described in the Book of Acts, though as with all Holy Icons there is more revealed than just a straight retelling of the story in pictures.

Based on the accounts written by St Luke in his Gospel (Luke 24:36-53) and the Book of Acts (Acts 1:1-12), the icon of the Ascension is correspondingly ancient. One of the earliest surviving images of the Ascension, a full-page illustration from the 6th century Rabbula Gospels, is remarkably similar to all subsequent icons, with precious few variations. Icons from St Catherine’s monastery in Sinai, for example, show little change between images of the Ascension made in the 6th centurgy with those painted almost 600 years later. Regardless of age or location, the Icon of the Ascension seems to have been “canonized” early on in the Church’s history.

The image itself is characterized by colour: the robes of the Apostles, the Mother of God, the Angels, and Christ Himself surrounded by light; all this is suitable for the Feast itself, which is one of the Twelve Great Feasts and a joyous celebration.

The icon contains both confusion and peace: the former is borne of worldly reasoning, whilst the latter comes from divine, heavenly, order.

In the Scriptures, Jesus is described as being merely “taken up” into the skies and disappearing from sight behind a cloud. Seemingly contrary to this, the icon of the event shows Christ in glory: surrounded by a mandorla (or circle) of light, flanked by angels, and arrayed in brilliant golden robes. Indeed, the similarity between the appearance of Christ at His Ascension, and the appearance of Christ at His Second Coming are striking:

The image of Christ in glory, seated upon a “rainbow”, comes directly from the Book of Revelation, regarding the Last Judgment and Second Coming of Jesus Christ:

Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne. And He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald.
(Rev 4:2-3)

The reason Christ ascending into Heaven is depicted the same as Christ’s Second Coming is because of the words of the angels present at the Ascension:

“Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”
(Acts 1:11)

And so the Icon depicts Jesus’ Ascension and Second Coming “in like manner”. Not that the disciples below Christ fully understand these words yet.

The distinction between heavenly peace and worldly confusion is most apparent upon the Mount of Olives. The Apostles look up in a combination of fear and wonder, their arms waving like the olive trees on the mount. In the centre, the two angels “in white apparel” exhort the men to cease their gazing into heaven and return to Jerusalem to receive the promised gift of the Holy Spirit. Between the two angels stands Mary the Mother of God, hands raised in prayer, not staring up, but peacefully toward us. Already overshadowed by the Holy Spirit sinceThe icon contains both confusion and peace: the former is borne of worldly reasoning, whilst the latter comes from divine, heavenly, order.

In the Scriptures, Jesus is described as being merely “taken up” into the skies and disappearing from sight behind a cloud. Seemingly contrary to this, the icon of the event shows Christ in glory: surrounded by a mandorla (or circle) of light, flanked by angels, and arrayed in brilliant golden robes. Indeed, the similarity between the appearance of Christ at His Ascension, and the appearance of Christ at His Second Coming are striking:Mary appears to understand the deep mysteries of her Son’s birth, death, resurrection and ascension, already hoping on Christ’s return. This hope brings her the divine peace shared by Jesus Christ and the angels: they all have halos signifying the grace and glory of God, whereas the disordered Apostles do not.

An Icon of the Church Before Pentecost

Ascension: the Church before the gift of the Holy Spirit

Pentecost: the Church after the gift of the Holy Spirit

The Ascension, as well as showing the historical event of Christ’s ascension, also symbolically depicts the Church. This is most evident by the Apostle Paul being present in the icon, despite the Ascension occurring before Paul’s conversion (recounted later in the Book of Acts).

This ahistoric depiction is not uncommon in holy icons: the icon of Pentecost also shows Paul, as it too is an icon of the Church. The differences and similarities between the two festal icons (the feasts only being separated by 10 days) are deliberate. Before the coming of the Holy Spirit the Church is put into a certain amount of confusion by the physical absence of Christ. At Pentecost – by the power of the Holy Spirit – the Church, again represented by the Apostles, is shown in order. And the Apostles get their halos.

But amid the confusion of the Church before Pentecost there is the Mother of God, prayerfully and peacefully entreating God, and hoping upon His promised return. Gazing out, she exhorts us, whilst still amid the confusion and disorder of the world, to do the same: spiritually gazing to the heavens in prayer, awaiting the return of Our Lord.

Abandoning on earth the things of earth, leaving to the dust the things of ash, now, let us come to our senses and raise on high our eyes and minds.
Mortals, let us make our sight together with our senses fly to heaven’s gates.
Let us imagine we are standing on the Mount of Olives and that we bend our gaze on the Redeemer, as he rides up on a cloud.
For, from where the Lord has hastened back to heaven, there too the One who loves to give has distributed his gifts to his Apostles,
Cherishing them as a father and confirming them, guiding them as sons and saying to them,
‘I am not parting from you. I am with you, and there is no one against you.’
(Hymn by St Romanos the Melodist for the Ascension Feast)

Source: iconreader.wordpress.com

 

"Self-Written" Icon of the Mother of God

 

The "self-written" icon of the Mother of God is located in the skete of St. John the Baptist Lavra of St. Athanasius on Mount Athos. She was named so after the following event. In 1863, the abbot of this skete, Niphont, ordered an icon of the Mother of God for the monastery from the elderly pious icon painter Georgy Nikolaev from the city of Yassy in Moldova. George easily painted the clothes, but when he started writing the Divine faces, the work stopped: he could not depict them the way he should. The elder put aside his work and, after spending the night in fervent prayer to the Mother of God, in the morning he was going to finish painting the icon, but was surprised to find that the faces, on which he had been working unsuccessfully for so long, were already ready. Embraced by awe, the artist did not dare to touch the icon with his brush, but only varnished it. The news of the miracle spread quickly throughout the city, and a multitude of sick people began to flock to the icon, who received healings. On the way to Athos and in its monastery, the icon also became famous for many miracles.

Most Holy Theotokos "The Unfading Flower" (April 16/April 3)

The icon first appeared in Greece in the 17th century. The plot for her writing was the lines from the Akathist to the Theotokos, in which the Most Pure Virgin is called "the root of virginity and the unfading color of purity."

In the icon, the Virgin Mary embraces the Christ baby with one hand, and holds a flower in the other. Sometimes it is a rose, and most often it is a snow-white lily. This bright flower is a symbol of the Mother of God, a gift from the Archangel Gabriel on the day of the Annunciation. He testifies to the purity and integrity of the Blessed Virgin. Moreover, the purity is eternal, unfading. Sometimes even a garland of flowers or a wand entwined with flowers is depicted.

On Mount Athos there has long been an old tradition: on the Feast of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos, to lay on the icon "The Unfading Flower" flowering plants that miraculously do not fade and retain their fragrance for five months before the feast of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos.

A fragrant flower in icon painting is a symbol of the fact that our soul is immortal, and a person can always return to a righteous life. Even if the soul is tired, it has lost its joy, as if it wilted under the weight of sins. After repentance and prayer to the Lord Jesus Christ and His Most Pure Mother, it can bloom again.

Believers noticed that the prayer for the icon "The Unfading Flower" revives not only the soul, but also the body, helps to preserve youth and beauty for many years.

For those people who suffer from grief, longing and loneliness, the Mother of God gives strength to overcome adversity and look to the future with hope.

Girls near the image of the Virgin Mary "Unfading Flower" often pray for help in choosing a spouse and ask for happiness in family life, so that on this path at least in something like the Mother of God, to embody the best feminine qualities in this life. Therefore, the icon "The Unfading Flower" is often called the icon of brides, because it is customary to bless girls with it for marriage, but for married women, prayer in front of this image helps to cope with all the difficulties that happen in their family life.

Rejoice, O Bride of God, rejoice, mystical rod which blossomed the Unfading Flower; rejoice, O Sovereign Lady, through whom we are filled with joy and inherit life.

Didactic Icons

Didactic Icons:
The icon of the Publican and the Pharisee is what is called a didactic, or “teaching”, icon. The main difference between these icons and other Holy Icons is that didactic icons do not show actual people, but generic “types”. We can learn from the consequences of the Pharisee’s prayer and the Tax Collector’s prayer, both of which are shown in the icon. The Tax Collector is shown with a “halo” on the right, but this is not to show him as a canonized Saint who can be prayed to, but merely to show that he returned “to his house justified”. As the icon does not show actual people, it is not venerated as an icon depicting Christ or the Saints would be. (Iconreader)

The Garden of the Virgin

 

The Theophany icon explained

 The Baptism of Christ, the Theophany icon explained:

Theophany which literally means a “revelation of God” in Greek (Θεοφάνεια; the Russian is Богоявление and means the same).

The paradox that Jesus Christ might be revealed as God through an act of submittal to a mere man, John, is shown well in the Icon. Though John is baptizing Christ, it is the former who is shown bent over in reverence to the latter. In other icons, John is shown with his face turned toward heaven and beholding the miracle of the Theophany; either way, despite being the baptizer, he is not central to the scene. Near to John is a tree with an axe laid at the root, recalling John’s own preaching to those who came to him: “And now also the ax is laid to the root of the trees: therefore every tree which brings not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.” (Matt 3:10). Present in the icon, this shows that whilst the Baptizer must now “decrease so Christ may increase”, John’s teachings and role are not done away with now the Holy Trinity has been revealed. On the opposite bank to John the Baptist, angels wait invisibly to receive the newly baptized Christ and clothe Him. And so, on the left is the forerunner of Christ, John, with his sermon of repentance represented by the tree and axe; on the right, the angels wait with reverence to accept the newly revealed Son of God. In the middle – the moment of revelation itself.

Jesus Christ, despite being the one submerged in the Jordan, is shown as though standing up and staring straight at us. His body is depicted as strong and beautiful, as it is understood classically, and in older icons He is naked. Christ appears almost as wide as the river Jordan itself; indeed: it is as though it is Jesus Christ, rather than the river, which cuts a swathe through the rocky wilderness on either side.

The Icon of the Theophany, as well as depicting the Holy Trinity, also answers the question of John the Baptist: I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me? The answer is in what Jesus does with His hands. Whilst in Western art, like the painting by Da Vinci (Christ's hands are folded in prayer), Jesus is shown as submitting to John’s authority, in Orthodox icons Christ’s hands are not shown in prayer, but in a sign of blessing. Rather than the waters of Jordan cleansing Christ, it is Christ Who cleans the waters. This is why in the bottom of most Theophany Icons, little creatures appear to be fleeing from the feet of Christ. This is a reflection of the words of the Psalmist regarding the Messiah (Christ): “the sea saw and fled, the Jordan turned back” (Psalm 114:3).

This is the depth and profundity of the Baptism of Christ; the feast of lights which revealed the Holy Trinity, and cleansed the waters of baptism so that we, like the fishes shown in the icon, may swim in pure waters. (iconreader)

Our Lady of Bethlehem. The icon that smiles and shines.

Among the many and varied relics and spiritual treasures that one finds in the majestic Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem , a special place in the hearts of the Orthodox and not only , holds the miraculous image of the Virgin of Bethlehem. The only icon that smiles and shines because it brought into the world our Savior Christ.

The holy icon is the epitaph of the Basilica of the Nativity of Christ and is located in a prominent shrine, on the right side of the south entrance of the Holy Cave of the Nativity. The infinite affection that overflows from Her eyes sweetens and delights and gives birth to the hearts of the faithful, but also the clothing of the Most Holy Theotokos that is covered with luxurious gems cause a special impression.

It is speculated that the image comes from Russia and in particular the Holy Tradition connects it with the Russian Empress Catherine (others believe that it belongs to St. Elizabeth) who visited the Holy Land and Bethlehem, after a miracle performed by the Virgin, donated her tsarist clothes to dress the Miss of the World.
At the same time, she gave up her jewelry, insisting that since then the tsars should no longer wear rubies and diamonds, but that this should be the exclusive privilege of the "Queen of Angels".
May he always be for all of us our warm protector and helper in all that we are experiencing in the Apocalypse today, Amen!

Even the most formidable tsar needs an intercessor and comforter.

The Tikhvin icon of the Most Holy Theotokos has always been loved by Russian tsars.

How many times crowned persons rushed to her on a pilgrimage. But not only they, but ordinary people who have experienced a problem with the birth of children. Having a child is the dream of many families, and in the life of tsars it is also a state matter.

It all started with a miracle in the family of Grand Duke Vasily III. After a divorce from his first wife, the tsar came to Tikhvin and prayed for childbirth with his new wife. Two years later, a son was born - John Vasilyevich.

Then Ivan the Terrible referred to the icon with special respect, considering it his heavenly Intercessor. And so it was. Before the conquest of Kazan in 1552, the Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God appeared to him and reinforced his hopes for victory in the upcoming battle.

In 1560, by order, grateful for the help of the Queen of Heaven, the tsar rebuilt the Tikhvin monastery. The monastery was surrounded by a stone wall. The sovereign came to pray to the Mother of God of Tikhvin on the eve of important events not only in his life, but in solving state issues.

Even the most formidable tsar needs an Intercessor and Comforter.