The great defender of the Orthodox Faith against the Iconoclasts, our
righteous Father John of Damascus (See Dec. 4), was slandered to the
Caliph of Damascus by the Iconoclast Emperor Leo the Isaurian (reigned
717-741). Saint John was accused of sedition and his right hand was cut
off. Having asked for the severed hand, Saint John passed the night in
great pain, praying for the aid of the most holy Theotokos. Awaking from
sleep, he found that his hand had been miraculously restored, with only
a red scar about the wrist where it had been severed, as a testimony to
the wonderous healing. In thanksgiving, he had a silver hand attached
to the icon to commemorate this great miracle. On becoming a monk in the
lavra of Saint Sabbas the Sanctified in the Holy Land, John brought the
icon with him. There it remained until the thirteenth century, when it
was given to Saint Sabbas of Serbia (see Jan. 14), who brought it to
Serbia, where it remained for a time. Later, it was miraculously
transported by an unguided donkey that carried it to the Serbian
Monastery of Hilandar on the Holy Mountain, Athos, where it remains to
this day. APOLYTIKION OF SYNAXIS OF THE ICON OF MOST HOLY LADY THEOTOKOS
Fourth Tone
From the Palestine, godly-minded Sabbas brought unto us thy ven'rable
icon, which is known as Of the Three Hands, O all-holy Bride of God.
Wherefore, since the monks of Hilandar now possess it as their boast,
they send up hymns of praise and thanksgiving, while crying out with
fervour: Rejoice, thou who art full of grace.
KONTAKIONOF SYNAXIS OF THE ICON OF MOST HOLY LADY THEOTOKOS
Plagal of the Fourth Tone
Come, let us worship the famed icon of the Queen of all called: Of the
Three Hands, for the fearful marvel which it wrought; and with fervent
faith and longing, come, let us cry out: O pure Maiden, keep thy
monastery and thy flock from all dangers, tribulations, and adversities,
for we cry to thee: Rejoice, thou help and defence of all.
In the
city of Yaroslavl the townswoman Alexandra Dobychkina suffered terribly
for seventeen years from emotional and bodily illness. In 1823 she saw
in a dream a church with an icon of the Mother of God. She decided to
seek out the Yaroslavl temple and icon she had seen in the vision.
This
church turned out to be the temple in honor of the Procession of the
Venerable Wood of the Cross of the Lord (August 1), under the belltower
of the archbishop’s residence. Entering the church, the afflicted
Alexandra saw on the wall the depiction of the Kiev Caves Mother of God.
Suddenly she had a powerful attack of fever, after which there was some
relief at first, and later a full healing from the grievous illness.
From that time, miraculous healings took place when people prayed to the
Most Hoy Theotokos.
The Belynich Icon of the Mother of God initially was in one of the
Orthodox churches of the Mogilev district. After the emergence of the
Unia (1596) the icon passed into the hands of the Catholics and was
placed in a church of the Belynich Catholic monastery, founded in
1622-1624 by the hetman of Great Lithuania, Lev Sapega, on the banks of
the River Druta, 45 versts from Mogilev. The icon was venerated both by
Catholics and by Orthodox. In 1832 the monastery was dissolved, and the
Catholic church became a parish church.
In 1876 the icon was given
to the Orthodox after the restoration of the monastery. On April 12 of
that year the first Divine Liturgy was served in the church of the
Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos on the altar table consecrated by an
Orthodox bishop.
The Belynich Icon of the Mother of God is venerated throughout the Christian world.
On
this day we also remember the Transfer of the Venerable Belt of the
Mother of God from Zila to Constantinople in the year 942.
KONTAKION - TONE 6
We have no other help, we have no other hope, but you, O Lady. / Help
us, for in you we hope, / and of you we boast, for we are your servants.
/ Let us not be put to shame.
On Bright Monday the Church commemorates the Sweet-Kissing (Glykophilousa) Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos.
Like
the Iveron Icon (March 31), the Sweet-Kissing Icon was also saved from
the iconoclasts by a pious woman in the ninth century. It also traveled
miraculously upon the sea, arriving at Mt. Athos, the “Garden of the
Theotokos,” where it was honored by the monks.
A nobleman
named Simeon was an iconoclast who shared the emperor Theophilus’s
hatred for the holy icons. Simeon’s wife Victoria, on the other hand,
venerated icons, especially a certain icon of the Mother of God before
which she prayed each day. Simeon could not tolerate his wife’s piety,
so he demanded that she give him the icon so he could burn it. Victoria
threw the icon into the sea, hoping that it would be preserved through
God’s providence.
Years later, the icon appeared on the
shores of Mt. Athos near the monastery of Philotheou. The igumen and the
brethren of the monastery retrieved the icon and placed it in the
church, where it worked many miracles.
In 1830 a pilgrim
came to the monastery from Adrianopolis. He listened to the history of
the icon and the miracles associated with it, but regarded such things
as childish fables. The monk who had related all this was surprised and
grieved by the pilgrim’s disbelief, fearing that such doubts indicated
an unhealthy spiritual state. He did all that he could to remove the
pilgrim’s skepticism, but the man stubbornly adhered to his opinion.
The
Mother of God, in her compassion, finally healed the pilgrim’s soul in a
rather dramatic way. On the very day that he had his discussion with
the monk, the pilgrim was walking on an upper balcony. Suddenly, he lost
his footing and began to fall. In his distress he called out, “Most
Holy Theotokos, help me!” The Mother of God heard him, and he landed on
the ground completely unharmed.
The icon is one of the
Eleusa (Tenderness) type. It is unusual in that it shows the Virgin
kissing her Child. Christ raises His hand as if to repulse His mother’s
caress.
The origins of this unusual icon, in which the Most Holy Theotokos is
depicted without Christ, are unknown. The bright red color of her outer
garment inspired the name Areovindus, or “Fire Appearing” (“Fiery
Vision”).
This highly-venerated icon of the Annunciation was discovered
in the ruins of the ancient church of Saint John the Baptist on January
30, 1823.
An elderly man, Michael Polyzoes, had a dream shortly
before the Feast of the Annunciation in 1821, in which the Mother of God
appeared to him in shining white garments. She instructed him to dig in
the field of Anthony Doxaras outside the city, where he would find her
icon. She also told him to build a church on the site, since there had
once been one there. The Queen of Heaven also promised to help him
accomplish these tasks.
Upon awakening, he crossed himself and
tried to go back to sleep, believing that his dream had been a
temptation from the devil. Before falling asleep, Michael saw the
Theotokos once again, and noticed that the room was flooded by a gentle
white light. Her head was surrounded by divine light, and her face
displayed ineffable grace and sweetness. Speaking to the old man she
said, “Why are you afraid? Your fear comes from unbelief. Listen! I am
Panagia (the all-holy one). I want you to dig in the field of Anthony
Doxaras where my icon is buried. I ask you to do this as a favor, old
man. You will build a church there and I will help you.” Then she
disappeared.
The next morning, Michael went into the village and
told the priest what had happened to him during the night. The priest
also thought the dream was a temptation, so he urged Michael to come for
Confession and Communion. The old man, however, was not convinced that
his visions were mere dreams or demonic temptations. He told the
inhabitants of the village of his experience. Some laughed at him, but
only two believed his words.
The two men went with him to the
field one night and dug in many places, but they found nothing. Then
they dug in another place and found the remains of an old wall. Finding
nothing but bricks, they had to give up their search in the morning so
the Turks would not find out what they were doing.
Anthony
Doxaras, the owner of the field, found the bricks and tried to use them
to build an oven. The mortar would not adhere to the bricks, so whenever
they tried to build one section of the oven, it collapsed. The workers
were convinced that God was showing them that the bricks from the
ancient church were not to be used for an oven.
Saint Pelagia
(July 23), an eighty-year-old nun, had several dreams in June of 1822 in
which the Most Holy Theotokos appeared to her. Saint Pelagia was living
in the women’s monastery of the Dormition on Mt. Kechrovounios, about
an hour’s journey from the village. She had lived in the monastery from a
young age, and was known for her great virtue and piety.
The
Theotokos appeared to her in a dream and ordered her to go to Stamatelos
Kangades (a prominent man of the village), and tell him to uncover the
church of Saint John the Baptist in the field of Anthony Doxaras.
Terrified
by the vision, Pelagia attributed the dream to her imagination, and she
began to pray. She was afraid to tell anyone about her dream, but the
following week, the Theotokos appeared to her again, reminding her of
her instructions. Still, the nun remained silent and told no one of her
vision. The Theotokos appeared a third time, this time with a severe
manner. She chastised the nun for her unbelief, saying, “Go and do as I
told you. Be obedient.”
Saint Pelagia woke up in fear and
trembling. As she opened her eyes, she saw the same mysterious Woman she
had seen while asleep. With a great effort she asked, “Who are you,
Lady? Why are you angry with me, and why do you order me to do these
things?”
The Woman raised her hand and said, “Proclaim, O earth,
glad tidings of great joy” (Megalynarion of the Ninth Ode of the Canon
for Matins of the Annunciation).
Understanding at last, the aged
nun joyfully exclaimed, “Praise, O heavens, the glory of God” (The next
line of the Megalynarion).
At once, she informed the Abbess of her
visions, and she also told Stamatelos Kangades. Mr. Kangades, who had
been designated by the Theotokos to carry out the excavation of the
church, informed Bishop Gabriel of these events. The bishop had already
heard of the dream of Michael Polyzoes, and realized that the account of
the nun Pelagia agreed with his vision. Bishop Gabriel wrote to all the
churches on the island of Tinos, urging them to cooperate in finding
the church and the icon.
Excavations began in September of 1822
under the supervision of Mr. Kangades. The foundations of the church of
Saint John, destroyed by Arabs in 1200, were uncovered. An old well was
found near the church, but not the holy icon. The money ran out, and so
the effort was abandoned.
Once again the Mother of God appeared
to Saint Pelagia, urging that the excavations continue. Bishop Gabriel
sent out an appeal for donations to build a new church on the
foundations of the old church of Saint John the Baptist. The new church
was built, and was dedicated to Saint John and to the Life-Giving
Fountain.
On January 30, 1823 workers were leveling the ground
inside the church in preparation for laying a new stone floor. About
noon one of the workers, Emmanuel Matsos, struck a piece of wood with
his pickaxe, splitting it down the middle. He looked at one piece of the
board and saw that it was burned on one side, while the other side
showed traces of paint. As he brushed off the dirt with his hand, he saw
that it was an icon. Joining the two pieces of wood together, he
crossed himself and venerated the icon.
He called the other
workers, who also came and venerated the icon. When the icon was
cleaned, it was shown to be an icon of the Annunciation. The split was
in the middle of the icon, between the Theotokos and the Archangel
Gabriel. Neither figure was damaged, and this was regarded as a miracle.
That same day, the icon was given to Bishop Gabriel, who kissed
it and cried out, “Great art Thou, O Lord, and wondrous are Thy works.”
After
the finding of the icon, the inabitants of Tinos were filled with zeal
to build a magnificent church in honor of the Theotokos. People offered
their money and their own labor to help build the church of the
Evangelistria (She who received the Good News).
The new church was
completed in 1823, and was consecrated by Bishop Gabriel. Saint Pelagia
of Tinos fell asleep in the Lord on April 28, 1834. Her Feast Day,
however, is on July 23.
The Tinos Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos
continues to be venerated as one of Greece’s holiest treasures.
Innumerable miracles of healing and deliverance from danger have not
ceased since the time the icon was found.
The Damascene Icon of the Mother of God, by ancient
tradition, was painted by Saint John of Damascus in gratitude to the
Theotokos for the miraculous healing of his right hand, cut off through
the perfidy of Emperor Leo the Isaurian. This icon is also known as “Of
the Three Hands” Icon of the Mother of God (June 28, and July 12).
In
the ninth century in the time of the Iconoclasts, Saint John of
Damascus (December 4) was zealous in his veneration of holy icons.
Because of this, he was slandered by the emperor and iconoclast Leo III
the Isaurian (717-740), who informed the Damascus caliph that Saint John
was committing treasonous acts against him. The caliph gave orders to
cut off the hand of the monk and take it to the marketplace. Towards
evening Saint John, having asked the caliph for the cut-off hand, put it
to its joint and fell to the ground before the icon of the Mother of
God. The monk begged Our Lady to heal the hand, which had written in
defense of Orthodoxy. After long prayer he fell asleep and saw in a
dream that the All-Pure Mother of God had turned to him promising him
quick healing.
Before this the Mother of God bid him toil without
fail with this hand. Having awakened from sleep, Saint John saw that
his hand was unharmed. In thankfulness for this healing Saint John
placed on the icon a hand fashioned of silver, from which the icon
received its name “Of Three Hands.” (Some iconographers, in their
ignorance, have mistakenly depicted the Most Holy Theotokos with three
arms and three hands.) According to Tradition, Saint John wrote a hymn
of thanksgiving to the Mother of God: “All of creation rejoices in You, O
Full of Grace,” which appears in place of the hymn “It is Truly Meet”
in the Liturgy of Saint Basil the Great.
Saint John Damascene
received monasticism at the monastery of Saint Sava the Sanctified and
there bestowed his wonderworking icon. The Lavra presented the icon “Of
Three Hands” in blessing to Saint Sava, Archbishop of Serbia (+ 1237,
January 12). During an invasion of Serbia by the Turks, some Christians
who wanted to protect the icon, entrusted it to the safekeeping of the
Mother of God Herself. They placed it upon a donkey, which without a
driver proceeded to Athos and stopped in front of the Hilandar
monastery. The monks put the icon in the monastery’s cathedral church
(katholikon). During a time of discord over the choice of igumen, the
Mother of God deigned to head the monastery Herself, and from that time
Her holy icon has occupied the igumen’s place in the temple. At the
Hilandar monastery there is chosen only a vicar, and from the holy icon
the monks take a blessing for every obedience.
The Damascene Icon of the Mother of God, by ancient
tradition, was painted by Saint John of Damascus in gratitude to the
Theotokos for the miraculous healing of his right hand, cut off through
the perfidy of Emperor Leo the Isaurian. This icon is also known as “Of
the Three Hands” Icon of the Mother of God (June 28, and July 12).
In
the ninth century in the time of the Iconoclasts, Saint John of
Damascus (December 4) was zealous in his veneration of holy icons.
Because of this, he was slandered by the emperor and iconoclast Leo III
the Isaurian (717-740), who informed the Damascus caliph that Saint John
was committing treasonous acts against him. The caliph gave orders to
cut off the hand of the monk and take it to the marketplace. Towards
evening Saint John, having asked the caliph for the cut-off hand, put it
to its joint and fell to the ground before the icon of the Mother of
God. The monk begged Our Lady to heal the hand, which had written in
defense of Orthodoxy. After long prayer he fell asleep and saw in a
dream that the All-Pure Mother of God had turned to him promising him
quick healing.
Before this the Mother of God bid him toil without
fail with this hand. Having awakened from sleep, Saint John saw that
his hand was unharmed. In thankfulness for this healing Saint John
placed on the icon a hand fashioned of silver, from which the icon
received its name “Of Three Hands.” (Some iconographers, in their
ignorance, have mistakenly depicted the Most Holy Theotokos with three
arms and three hands.) According to Tradition, Saint John wrote a hymn
of thanksgiving to the Mother of God: “All of creation rejoices in You, O
Full of Grace,” which appears in place of the hymn “It is Truly Meet”
in the Liturgy of Saint Basil the Great.
Saint John Damascene
received monasticism at the monastery of Saint Sava the Sanctified and
there bestowed his wonderworking icon. The Lavra presented the icon “Of
Three Hands” in blessing to Saint Sava, Archbishop of Serbia (+ 1237,
January 12). During an invasion of Serbia by the Turks, some Christians
who wanted to protect the icon, entrusted it to the safekeeping of the
Mother of God Herself. They placed it upon a donkey, which without a
driver proceeded to Athos and stopped in front of the Hilandar
monastery. The monks put the icon in the monastery’s cathedral church
(katholikon). During a time of discord over the choice of igumen, the
Mother of God deigned to head the monastery Herself, and from that time
Her holy icon has occupied the igumen’s place in the temple. At the
Hilandar monastery there is chosen only a vicar, and from the holy icon
the monks take a blessing for every obedience.
The Mirozh Icon appeared at the Mirozh monastery in the year 1198.
But later, during the reign of Ivan the Terrible, at a time when a
plague raged at Pskov, an ancient report tells how tears flowed from
both eyes of the icon. Many benefits and healings for man occured from
the icon of the Mother of God.”
The Mirozh Icon is an “Orans”
(“Praying”) type. On either side of the Most Holy Theotokos stand the
Pskov Saints: on the right, the holy Prince Dovmont-Timothy (May 20); on
the left, his wife, the holy nun Martha, in the world named Maria
Dimitrievna (November 8, 1300). Tsar Ivan Vasilievich took away the
wonderworking icon from Pskov, but at the monastery an exact copy
remained: the so-called “Great Panagia” from the Savior-Mirozh
monastery.
On September 24, 1567, on the Feast of Saint Abraham
at the Mirozh monastery there occurred a miraculous sign from an ancient
icon of the Most Holy Theotokos. The celebration of the Mirozh Icon of
the Sign was established in that same year, with the blessing of
Archbishop Pimen of Novgorod and Pskov. A special service to this icon
was composed, and was published in the 1666 MENAION.
The Constantinople Icon commemorated today is probably the
prototype of another Constantinople Icon (April 25) venerated at
Moscow’s Dormition church on Malaya Dimitrovka.
The Domnitsa Icon of the Mother of God appeared in the year
1696 on the bank of the Domnitsa River in Chernigov diocese, not far
from the city of Berezna. At the place of appearance of the icon a
monastery was established, in which was situated the wonderworking
image. In the year 1771 the inhabitants of the city prayed before the
holy icon and were delivered from plague through the intercession of the
Theotokos.
The Chernigov-Gethsemane Icon of the Mother of God is a copy of the
famed Ilyin-Chernigov Icon of the Mother of God (April 16), which was to
be found at the Trinity-Ilyin monastery near Chernigov on Mount
Boldina, and where in the eleventh century Saint Anthony of the Kiev
Caves struggled in asceticism.
Saint Demetrius of Rostov described
the miracles of this icon in his book THE BEDEWED FLEECE. He wrote in
conclusion: “The end of the booklet, but not of the miracles of the Most
Holy Theotokos, for who can count them?” The grace-bearing power of
this icon is manifest also in its copies.
The Chernigov-Gethsemane
Icon of the Mother of God was painted in the mid-eighteenth century and
was passed on to the Trinity Sergiev Lavra in 1852 by Alexandra
Grigorievna Philippova, who piously kept it for a quarter century. (This
icon was given to her by the priest John Alekseev, who received it in
turn from one of the monks of the Trinity Sergiev Lavra.)
On the
advice of the head of the Lavra, Archimandrite Anthony (+ May 1, 1877),
the icon was placed in the newly-consecrated cave church named for Saint
Michael, Leader of the Heavenly Hosts, which was consecrated on October
27, 1851 by Saint Philaret, Metropolitan of Moscow (November 19), who
assumed an active role in the building of the Gethsemane skete.
In
this manner, the icon took in the currents of grace of all the history
of the Russian Church, it acquired the blessing of Saint Anthony of the
Caves, of Saint Sergius of Radonezh and of his parents Saints Cyril and
Maria (September 28), and finally, of the ascetics of the nineteenth
century. These spiritual connections providentially come forth through
the Chernigov-Gethsemane Icon of the Mother of God.
It is
remarkable that the first miracle of this icon was witnessed on the day
of the Church New Year, September 1, 1869, when the
twenty-eight-year-old peasant of Tula governance, Thekla Adrianova, was
healed, after being completely crippled for nine years.
Living at
the hostel by the caves, and then at the Lavra during the celebration of
the Repose of Saint Sergius (September 25), Thekla recovered
completely. Saint Innocent the Metropolitan of Moscow (October 6 and
March 31), learned of the miracle from his daughter the nun Polyxeni,
treasurer of the Borisov wilderness monastery. On the feast of Saint
Sergius, he himself met with Thekla and asked her about the details of
the healing. On September 26, 1869 Saint Innocent arrived at the
Gethsemane skete and gave the blessing for a Molieben to be served
before the glorified icon, while he himself prayed with tears.
By
September 26 three healings had occurred already, and a whole series of
miracles in November of that same year. The fame of the icon of the
Mother of God spread with unusual swiftness. Exhausted by suffering and
sickness, thirsting for bodily and spiritual healing, people from every
class of society came with firm faith to the wonderworking icon, and the
mercy of God did not forsake them.
By the beginning of the
twentieth century, more than 100 miracles had been recorded. By its
great esteem the icon benefited the ascetics of the Gethsemane skete:
the schemamonk Philip (+ May 18, 1868), the founder of the cave
monastery, and his three sons, the hieroschemamonks Ignatius (+ 1900),
Porphyrius (+ 1905 ?) and Basil (+ April 1, 1915). They preserved
accounts of the deep love, which the hieromonk Elder Isidore (+ February
3, 1908) displayed for the Chernigov-Gethsemane Icon.
The initial
celebration of the icon was established on April 16, on the day when
Ilyin-Cherigov icon was celebrated. Later, it was transferred to
September 1, the day of its glorification. At the present time there are
copies of the Chernigov-Gethsemane icon at Trinity-Sergiev Lavra. They
are found in the temple of Saint Sergius, in the monastery trapeza, and
in the portico of the Trinity cathedral, painted by Elders of the
Gethsemane skete and the Zosimov wilderness monastery.
The wonder-working Lydda Icon is mentioned in the service for the
Kazan Icon (July 8 & October 22) in the third Ode of the Canon.
According
to Tradition, the Apostles Peter and John were preaching in Lydda
(later called Diospolis) near Jerusalem. There they built a church
dedicated to the Most Holy Theotokos, then went to Jerusalem and asked
her to come and sanctify the church by her presence. She sent them back
to Lydda and said, “Go in peace, and I shall be there with you.”
Arriving
at Lydda, they found an icon of the Virgin imprinted in color on the
wall of the church (some sources say the image was on a pillar). Then
the Mother of God appeared and rejoiced at the number of people who had
gathered there. She blessed the icon and gave it the power to work
miracles. This icon was not made by the hand of man, but by a divine
power.
Julian the Apostate (reigned 361-363) heard about the icon
and tried to eradicate it. Masons with sharp tools chipped away at the
image, but the paint and lines just seemed to penetrate deeper into the
stone. Those whom the emperor had sent were unable to destroy the icon.
As word of this miracle spread, millions of people came to venerate the
icon.
In the eighth century, Saint Germanus, the future Patriarch
of Constantinople (May 12) passed through Lydda. He had a copy of the
icon made, and sent it to Rome during the iconoclastic controversy. It
was placed in the church of Saint Peter, and was the source of many
healings. In 842, the reproduction was returned to Constantinople and
was known as the Roman Icon (June 26).
The oldest sources of
information for the Lydda Icon are a document attributed to Saint Andrew
of Crete in 726, a letter written by three eastern Patriarchs to the
iconoclast emperor Theophilus in 839, and a work of George the Monk in
886.
The icon still existed as late as the ninth century.
The Lydda Icon of the Mother of God is also commemorated on March 12.
The Kiev Caves Icon of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos is
one of the most ancient icons in the Russian Orthodox Church. The Mother
of God entrusted it to four Byzantine architects, who in 1073 brought
the icon to Saints Anthony and Theodosius of the Caves. The architects
arrived at the monks’ cave and asked, “Where do you want to build the
church?” The saints answered, “Go, the Lord will point out the place.”
“How
is it that you, who are about to die, have still not designated the
place?” the architects wondered. “And they gave us much gold.”
Then
the monks summoned all the brethren and they began to question the
Greeks, saying, “Tell us the truth. Who sent you, and how did you end up
here?”
The architects answered, “One day, when each of us was
asleep in his own home, handsome youths came to us at sunrise, and said,
‘The Queen summons you to Blachernae.’ We all arrived at the same time
and, questioning one another we learned that each of us had heard this
command of the Queen, and that the youths had come to each of us.
Finally, we beheld the Queen of Heaven with a multitude of warriors. We
bowed down to Her, and She said, ‘I want to build Myself a Church in
Rus, at Kiev, and so I ask you to do this. Take enough gold for three
years.’”
“We bowed down and asked, ‘Lady Queen! You are sending
us to a foreign land. To whom are we sent?’ She answered, ‘I send you to
the monks Anthony and Theodosius.’”
“We wondered, ‘Why then,
Lady, do You give us gold for three years? Tell us that which concerns
us, what we shall eat and what we shall drink, and tell us also what You
know about it.’”
“The Queen replied, ‘Anthony will merely give
the blessing, then depart from this world to eternal repose. The other
one, Theodosius, will follow him after two years. Therefore, take enough
gold.
Moreover, no one can do what I shall do to honor you. I shall
give you what eye has not seen, what ear has not heard, and what has not
entered into the heart of man (1 Cor.2:9). I, Myself, shall come to
look upon the church and I shall dwell within it.’”
“She also
gave us relics of the holy martyrs Menignus, Polyeuctus, Leontius,
Acacius, Arethas, James, and Theodore, saying, ‘Place these within the
foundation.’ We took more than enough gold, and She said, ‘Come out and
see the resplendant church.’ We went out and saw a church in the air.
Coming inside again, we bowed down and said, ‘Lady Queen, what will be
the name of the church?’”
“She answered, ‘I wish to call it by My
own name.’ We did not dare to ask what Her name was, but She said
again, ‘It will be the church of the Mother of God.’ After giving us
this icon, She said, ‘This will be placed within.’ We bowed down to Her
and went to our own homes, taking with us the icon we received from the
hands of the Queen.”
Having heard this account, all glorified
God, and Saint Anthony said, “My children, we never left this place.
Those handsome youths summoning you were holy angels, and the Queen in
Blachernae was the Most Holy Theotokos. As for those who appeared to be
us, and the gold they gave you, the Lord only knows how He deigned to do
this with His servants. Blessed be your arrival! You are in good
company: the venerable icon of the Lady.” For three days Saint Anthony
prayed that the Lord would show him the place for the church.
After
the first night there was a dew throughout all the land, but it was dry
on the holy spot. On the second morning throughout all the land it was
dry, but on the holy spot it was wet with dew. On the third morning,
they prayed and blessed the place, and measured the width and length of
the church with a golden sash. (This sash had been brought long ago by
the Varangian Shimon, who had a vision about the building of a church.) A
bolt of lightning, falling from heaven by the prayer of Saint Anthony,
indicated that this spot was pleasing to God. So the foundation of the
church was laid.
The icon of the Mother of God was glorified by
numerous miracles. Two friends, John and Sergius, sealed their
friendship before it. After many years John fell mortally ill. He gave
part of his wealth to the the Caves monastery, and he gave Sergius the
portion for his five-year-old son for safekeeping. He also entrusted his
son Zachariah to his guardianship. When Zachariah turned fifteen, he
asked for his inheritance, but Sergius persisted in saying that John had
distributed everything to the poor. He even went into the Dormition
church and swore before the wonderworking icon that he had taken
nothing.
When he attempted to kiss the icon, he was not able to
come near it. He went to the doors and suddenly shouted, “Saints Anthony
and Theodosius! Let me not be struck down for my dishonesty. Entreat
the Most Holy Theotokos to drive away the multitude of demons which
torment me. Let the gold and silver be taken away. It is sealed up in my
granary.” Zachariah gave away all his inheritance to the Caves
monastery, where he also himself was tonsured a monk. From that time, no
one would take oaths before the wonderworking icon (March 24).
More
than once the icon defended the land from enemy invasion. In 1677, when
the Turks laid siege to Chigirin and danger threatened Kiev, they
carried the icon around the city for almost the entire day of August 27.
The Mother of God blessed Russian armies going to the Battle of Poltava
(1709). In 1812 they carried the icon around Kiev again. The icon is
commemorated twice during the year: May 3 and August 15 .
The icon received its
name because on either side of the Mother of God are two angels with the
implements of the Lord’s suffering: the Cross, the lance, and the
sponge.
There was a certain pious woman, Katherine, who began to
suffer seizures and madness after her marriage. She ran off into the
forest and attempted suicide more than once.
In a moment of
clarity she prayed to the Mother of God and vowed that if she were
healed, she would enter a monastery. After recovering her health, she
only remembered her vow after a long time. Afraid and mentally
afflicted, she took to her bed. Three times the Most Holy Theotokos
appeared to her, commanding the sick woman to go to Nizhni-Novgorod and
to buy Her icon from the iconographer Gregory.
After she had done
this, Katherine received healing. From that time on, miracles have
occurred from this icon. The Feast day of this icon is on August 13,
commemorating its transfer from the village of Palitsa to Moscow in
1641. A church was built at the place where it was met at the Tver
gates, and in 1654, the Strastna monastery was built.
The icon is
also commemorated on April 30, and on the sixth Sunday after Pascha
(the Sunday of the Blind Man) in memory of the miracles which occurred
on this day. Other “Passion” icons of the Mother of God have been
glorified in the Moscow church of the Conception of Saint Anna, and also
in the village of Enkaeva in Tambov diocese.
The Ilyin-Chernigov Icon of the Mother of God was painted in
the year 1658 by the iconographer Gregory Dubensky, (Gennadius in
monasticism). Tears flowed from the icon for eight days in 1662, from
April 16-24.
In this same year Tatars descended upon Chernigov
and devastated it. At midnight they burst into the Trinity monastery,
went into the church, overturned all the icons and grabbed all the
utensils, but the wonderworking icon and its ornaments remained
untouched.
An invisible power held back the impious from the holy
icon. Previously, the Queen of Heaven had not permitted the enemy to
enter the cave of Saint Anthony of the Caves, where the brethren of the
monastery had hidden. The Tatars fled, as though terrified by a vision.
The
miracle of the Mother of God and Her Chernigov Icon was described by
Saint Demetrius of Rostov (October 28 and September 21) in his book, THE
MOISTENED FLEECE [Runo Oroshennoe]. Later on, Saint John of Tobolsk
(June 10) also wrote about the Chernigov Icon.
A wonderworking
copy of the Chernigov Icon of the Mother of God, in the Gethsemane skete
of the Trinity-Sergiev Lavra, was glorified in the year 1869 (September
1).
The Icon of the Mother of God “Surety of Sinners” is known by this
name because of the inscription on the icon: “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 Mother
of God embraces Her Child, Who holds Her right hand with both His hands
so that Her thumb is in His right hand, and Her small finger in His
left hand. This is the gesture of one who gives surety for another.
Although
we do not know when or by whom the icon was originally painted, it is
believed that the basis of the icon is to be found in the Akathist to
the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos: “Rejoice, You Who offer Your
hands in surety for us to God.”
In 1848, through the zeal of Lt.
Col. Demetrius Boncheskul, a copy of the wonderworking “Surety of
Sinners” Icon was made and placed in his home. Soon it began to exude a
healing myrrh, which was given to many so they might recover their
health after grievous illnesses. Boncheskul donated this wonderworking
copy to the church of Saint Nicholas at Khamovniki in Moscow, where a
chapel was built in honor of the icon.
The “Surety of Sinners” Icon is also commemorated on May 29 and on Thursday of the week of All Saints.
The Icon of the Mother of God “In Giving Birth, You Preserved
Your Virginity” (“A Virgin Before Birth and After Birth”) was
transferred to the Nikolaev Peshkov monastery of Moscow diocese by the
Moscow merchant Alexis Grigorievich Mokeev. Around the year 1780 Alexis
joined the brethren of the monastery. He had given all of his wealth to
the igumen of the monastery, Archimandrite Macarius, and the holy icon
remained in his cell.
After Alexis’s death, the icon was brought
to the archimandrite, who observed that the icon was painted in oil on
canvas and not according to the prescribed rules of iconography (using
egg tempera on wood), and he installed it over the exit door of the
chapel of St Methodius, which was on a street not far from the
monastery.
The glorification of the holy icon began in 1827, when
Captain Platon Osipovich Shabashev, going past the chapel at night, saw
an extraordinary light coming from the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos.
Another time he had a vision of the icon at a time when he found
himself in difficult circumstances. In a dream, Platon beheld the
radiant icon of the Mother of God in the clouds above the chapel of St
Methodius and heard a voice say, “If you wish to be delivered from
temptation, pray before this icon.” Platon obeyed the guidance of the
Mother of God, and the sorrow passed him by.
The pious Platon
told the Superior of the monastery about the miracles. He then
transfered the holy image into the monastery. When they went to put the
icon in a ornamental case, the image of the Most Holy Virgin, painted on
canvas, stiffened taut upon a board, on which was concealed a depiction
of the Mother of God of finest quality. Numerous miracles are recorded
to have taken place from this icon in 1848 during an outbreak of
cholera, when many praying before it were healed.
This icon of the Mother of God is of the Hodigitria type.
At the fourth session of the Seventh Ecumenical Council
(in 787), St Peter, Bishop of Nicomedia, in defending the necessity of
icon veneration, presented an account of St Athanasius about a miracle
which occurred in the city of Beret, Phoenecia.
In this city,
near the Jewish synagogue, lived a certain Christian. When he moved to
another place, he left behind an icon of the Lord Jesus Christ. A Jew,
who moved into the house, paid no attention to the icon. Once, his
friend noticed of the image of Jesus Christ on the wall and said to the
homeowner, “Why do you, a Jew, have an icon in your house?” He then went
to the synagogue and reported this transgression of Jewish law.
The
Jews expelled the owner of the house from the synagogue.They took the
icon from the wall and began to scoff at it, “As once our fathers mocked
Him, so we also mock Him.” They spit at the face of the Lord. Hurling
abuses, they lashed at the icon, they placed thorns around the head,
nailed it to a tree, and put a sponge with vinegar to the mouth.
Finally, they took a spear, and one of the Jews thrust it into the side
of the Savior. Suddenly, from the hole in the icon made by the spear,
blood and water flowed. The Jewish rabbis, seeing the miracle, said,
“The followers of Jesus Christ say that He could heal the sick. Let us
take this blood and water into the synagogue and anoint those afflicted
with infirmities. Then we shall see whether what is spoken of Him is
true.”
A vessel with the blood was put in the synagogue. The
inhabitants of Beret, once they learned of the miracle, began to bring
those suffering from various illnesses into the synagogue. They all were
healed, after being anointed with the blood from the icon of the
Savior. Then the Jewish people believed in Christ and exclaimed, “Glory
to You, O Christ, Whom our fathers crucified, Whom we also crucified in
the form of Your icon. Glory to You, O Son of God, for having worked
such a miracle! We believe in You, therefore be merciful to us and
receive us!”
The Jews went to the Bishop of Beret. After showing
him the wonderworking icon and the blood and water that flowed from it,
they told him of their misdeed. The bishop, seeing their sincere
repentance, accepted them, catechized them for many days and then
baptized them. Then he consecrated the synagogue into a church of our
Savior Jesus Christ. At the request of the Jews, he also consecrated
other synagogues into churches dedicated to the holy martyrs. There was
great joy in that city, not only because many people were healed, but
because many were baptized due to the miracles worked by the icon of the
Savior.
"Worship" as a False Friend
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*What is a "False Friend"?*
As a Bible nerd, I have spent a lot time watching videos from a Protestant
podcaster by the name of Mark Ward, who spent sev...
Robert E Howard Days 2026
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Originally published on my Substack:
https://cliftondhealy.substack.com/p/robert-e-howard-days-2026?r=2jveu I
write this the day after getting home from Ho...
Mărțișoare cusute manual
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Mărțișoare confecționate îmbină croșeta cu acul. Dorința mea a fost de a
încerca să cos diverse flori, ca o joacă mai mult, ca o relaxare. Au ieșit
acest...
On the canons
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Longtime readers will know I enjoy Fr. Sergei Sveshnikov's books and
articles. Enjoy this discussion on the canons from ROCORStudies.
--------------------...
The Catacomb Church (1991)
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The text below is excerpted from the 2011 book "In the Catacombs" by S.V.
Shumilo:
"Remaining in a position without rights, the Catacomb Church – as in t...
Εσύ ετοίμασες την Φάτνη σου;
-
*Άκουε ουρανέ και ενωτίζου η γη· ιδού γαρ ο Υιός και Λόγος του Θεού και
Πατρός, πρόεισι τεχθήναι…*
*Ηλιαχτίδα..*
Αναρωτηθήκαμε ποτέ, γιατί άραγε ο...
Ascension and Judgment in the Triumphal Entry
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One of the key features of the Gospels is the many prophecies of Christ
regarding His own passion, death, resurrection, …
Continue reading →
England and Wales, 2019
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I am back and rested after spending 15 days in the U.K. While I
always enjoy coming home, the truth of the matter is that I was not quite
ready to ...
Exceptions
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There seems to be a common school of thought that and exception to a canon
permits more exceptions. However, the very nature of an exception is that
it doe...
A Tale of Two Linguists
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The Second Vatican Council declared the Latin language to be one of the
treasures of the Western Church, and decreed that it would remain the
official lang...
Christmas: the Eternal embraces the Finite
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*The following is a Christmas-season meditation by Susan Anne, who will be
joining me on this blog as a co-author.*
Beginnings and endings, finite measur...
Service Interruption notice
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You may have noticed rigorousintuition.ca is currently down. We're moving
servers. Drew informs me it shouldn't take too long. Perhaps tonight or
tomorrow....
The truth drew hatred…
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“Seest Thou what suffer those who censure, O Word of God, the faults of
the unclean. Not being able to bear censure, lo, Herod cut off my head, O
Savior....
The Dynamism of Holy Tradition
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I. How & Why Traditions Are Created “Be imitators of me, just as I also am
of Christ. Now I praise you because you remember me in everything and hold
firml...
Apostleship - A Family Affair?
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Sometimes I amuse myself by imagining Jesus and the Apostles in situations
they might see if they grew up in the America that I know and love. When I
was a...
Moving Day
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I’m beginning to copy some of the articles on ecumenism over to a new blog
called “Eirenikon“, devoted solely to the topic of Orthodox/Catholic
rapprocheme...
June 28
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