Where the virgin mary was born. Mother of God - the Mother of God

15.10.2019

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The Mother of God is the patroness and Holy Virgin, the most revered in the Christian world. She is called the Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, the Most Holy Virgin. In Christianity, she is considered the mother of Jesus Christ. She is the most revered and greatest of all saints.

The Mother of God bears the holy name, because she gave birth to the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom the entire Christian world considers Almighty God.

The Mother of God was born in the city of Nazareth in Galilee. Mary's parents were Saint Anna and Saint Joachim. They were already a very middle-aged married couple, and they did not have children. However, Anna had a vision of a heavenly angel that she would soon give birth to a child. A girl was born, they named her Maria. Until the age of three, the girl lived with her parents. Then, together with the rest of the children, she was brought up in where she prayed a lot. After reaching adulthood, she left the temple, since a husband was chosen for her. It was a man from the tribe of David, an elderly man, Joseph the Betrothed. Joseph was chosen because a miracle happened the day before - his staff blossomed in an extraordinary way. The angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, he announced that she would be the mother of the long-awaited and promised Messiah. Mary conceived him through the Holy Spirit. There was a prediction that the Mother of God would give birth to a son who would save her people from sins. She ended her life in the city of Jerusalem 12 years after the ascension of Christ, she was 48 years old. The death of Mary was marked by her Ascension on the third day, and at the last moment of her life Jesus Christ himself appeared to her.

Akathist is a song, or rather a genre of Orthodox church hymnography, which is performed while standing. Akathist to the Most Holy Theotokos can be read as part of a prayer service and other services. It is especially recommended to do this on the morning of the holiday called Praise to the Most Holy Theotokos. This is one of the main chants in the Christian world. Akathist to the Most Holy Theotokos is a song of thanks, which is addressed to the Mother of God herself. All Christians revere in a special way the image of the Queen of Heaven, give her honor and praise her deeds.

Akathist to the Most Holy Theotokos is also gratitude to the one who is the Intercessor to all Orthodox people. It is about her that every Orthodox person thinks about when he is offended, humiliated, in sorrow and in distress. The Akathist to the Most Holy Theotokos says that this saint is waiting for sincere human repentance. She guides sinners on the path of a true Christian and helps them turn to a righteous life. She extends a helping hand to everyone who turns to her, and even to those who live in sin, but ask for help.

The Akathist to the Mother of God speaks of a special attitude towards immaculate souls, towards people with a pure heart and good thoughts. People with the highest spirituality and purity of heart clearly feel the presence of her son, God, at the moment of turning to the saint. Akathist to the Theotokos calls on to carefully preserve God's word and live as the Virgin Mary lived - in perfect purity.

The icons of the Mother of God are considered miraculous, since a person has a spiritual connection with God, through the intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos, these are prayers that bring peace and prosperity to family relationships. For example, if you are going to get married, pray near the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos called "The Fadeless Color."

The words that usually sound in front of this icon are requests to choose the right spouse or spouse, to get rid of quarrels in the family. Very pure, fiery words of prayer, sounding from the heart, will help you find what you are asking for, and will also allow you to achieve reconciliation in the event of a quarrel in the family. Prayers to the Most Holy Theotokos are filled with the main meaning - purity and chastity.

Veneration of the Virgin Mary

From the earliest times of Christianity, Pres. The Virgin Mary, for her great virtues, God's election and help to those in need, enjoyed veneration and reverence among Christians.

The glory of the Virgin Mary began from the time when the Archangel Gabriel, greeting Her: “Rejoice, Blessed One, the Lord is with You! Blessed are you in wives! " He announced to Her the mystery of the incarnation of the Son of God, incomprehensible to people. The same greeting with the addition of the words: "Blessed is the fruit of your womb," met the Most Pure Righteous Elizabeth, whom the Holy Spirit revealed that before her was the Mother of God (Luke 1: 28-42).

Reverent veneration of the Most Holy. The Mother of God in the Christian Church is expressed by many holidays, with which the Church celebrates the memories of various events in the life of the Blessed Virgin.

Great ascetics and teachers of the Church composed songs of praise, akathists in honor of the Virgin Mary, uttered inspired words ... With such reverent veneration of the Blessed Virgin Mary, of course, it is comforting and edifying to know how She lived, how she prepared, how she matured to such a height to become a repository incompatible God-Word.

The Old Testament Scriptures, predicting about the incarnation of the Son of God, also predicted about St. Virgin Mary. Thus, the first promise of a Redeemer, given to a fallen man, already contained a prophecy about the Most Holy. Virgo in the words of the serpent's condemnation: "I will put enmity between you and between the Woman, and between your seed and between her Seed"(Genesis 3:15). The prophecy of the Virgin Mary is that the future Redeemer is here called the Seed of the Woman, while in all other cases the descendants were called the seed of one of the male ancestors. The Holy Prophet Isaiah clarifies this prophecy, pointing out that the Wife, who has to give birth to the Messiah-Emmanuel, will be a virgin: "The Lord Himself will give you a sign,"- says the prophet to the low-believing descendants of King David, - “ behold, Virgo(Isa. 7:14). And although the word "Virgo" seemed inappropriate to the ancient Jews, in the womb she will receive and give birth to a Son, and they will call His name Immanuel, which means: God is with us ” because birth certainly presupposes conjugal intercourse, but nevertheless they did not dare to replace the word "Virgo" with another word, for example, "woman".

The earthly life of the Mother of God on the basis of Holy Scripture and church tradition

The Evangelist Luke, who knew the Holy Virgin Mary closely, wrote down from Her words several important events relating to the early years of Her life. As a doctor and artist, He, according to legend, painted Her portrait-icon, with which later icon painters made copies.

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary... When the time drew near for the Savior of the world to be born, a descendant of King David, Joachim, lived in the Galilean city of Nazareth with his wife Anna. Both of them were pious people and were known for their humility and mercy. They lived to a ripe old age, and had no children. This made them very sad. But, despite their old age, they did not stop asking God to send them a child and make a vow (promise) - if a baby is born to them, to dedicate it to serve God. At that time, not having children was considered God's punishment for sins. Childlessness was especially difficult for Joachim, because according to the prophecies, the Messiah-Christ was to be born in his lineage. For patience and faith, the Lord sent Joachim and Anna great joy: finally, they had a daughter. She was given the name Mary, which means in Hebrew "Lady, Hope."

Introduction to the Temple. When the Virgin Mary was three years old, Her pious parents prepared to fulfill their vow: they took Her to the Jerusalem temple for dedication to God. Mary remained to live at the temple. There She, together with other girls, studied the Law of God and needlework, prayed and read the Holy Scriptures. At the temple of God, the Most Holy Mary lived for about eleven years and grew up deeply pious, obedient to God in everything, unusually modest and hardworking. Wishing to serve only God, She made a promise not to marry and remain a Virgin forever.

The Blessed Virgin Mary at Joseph... The aged Joachim and Anna did not live long, and the Virgin Mary was left an orphan. When She was fourteen years old, according to the law, She could not stay any longer at the temple, but she had to get married. The high priest, knowing her promise not to break the law on matrimony, formally betrothed Her to a distant relative, the widowed eighty-year-old Elder Joseph. He pledged to take care of Her and to guard Her virginity. Joseph lived in the city of Nazareth. He also came from the royal family of David, but he was not a rich man and worked as a carpenter. From his first marriage, Joseph had children Judas, Josiah, Simon and Jacob, who in the Gospels are called “brothers” of Jesus. The Blessed Virgin Mary led in the house of Joseph the same modest and secluded life as in the church.

Annunciation. In the sixth month after the appearance of the Archangel Gabriel to Zechariah on the occasion of the birth of the prophet John the Baptist, the same Archangel was sent by God to the city of Nazareth to the Blessed Virgin Mary with the joyful news that the Lord had chosen Her to be the Mother of the Savior of the world. The Angel, having appeared, said to Her: “ Rejoice Blessed!(that is, full of grace) - The Lord is with You! Blessed are You among women. " Mary was embarrassed by the words of the Angel and thought: what does this greeting mean? The Angel continued to say to her: “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found grace with God. And, behold, you will give birth to a Son and you will call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the son of the Most High, and His Kingdom will have no end. " Maria asked Angel in bewilderment: “How will it be when I don’t know my husband?” The Angel replied to Her that this would be accomplished by the power of the Almighty God: “The Holy Spirit will come upon You, and the power of the Most High will overshadow You; therefore, the Holy One being born will be called the Son of God. Behold, your relative, Elizabeth, who had no children until she was very old, will soon give birth to a son; for God will not remain powerless no word ”. Then Mary humbly said: “I am the servant of the Lord; let it be according to my word yours ”. And the Archangel Gabriel departed from Her.

Visit of Righteous Elizabeth... The Blessed Virgin Mary, having learned from the Angel that Her relative Elizabeth, the wife of the priest Zechariah, would soon have a son, hurried to visit her. Entering the house, She greeted Elizabeth. Hearing this greeting, Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and learned that Mary was honored to be the Mother of God. She exclaimed loudly and said: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is it so joyful for me that the Mother of my Lord came to me? " The Blessed Virgin Mary, in response to Elizabeth's words, glorified God with the words: “My soul magnifies (glorifies) the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God, My Savior, because He has looked (paid merciful attention) to the humility of His servant; From now on, all generations (all peoples of the people) will bless (glorify) Me. Thus the Mighty One has created greatness for me, and His name is holy; and His mercy for generations and generations to them that fear Him. " The Virgin Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months, and then returned home to Nazareth.

God also announced to the righteous elder Joseph about the imminent birth of the Savior from the Blessed Virgin Mary. An angel of God, appearing to him in a dream, revealed that Mary would have a Son by the action of the Holy Spirit, as the Lord God announced through the prophet Isaiah (7:14) and commanded to give Him the name “Jesus (Yeshua) in Hebrew means Savior because He will save people from their sins ”.

Further Gospel narratives mention the Most Holy. Virgin Mary in connection with the events in the life of Her Son - our Lord Jesus Christ. So, they talk about Her in connection with the Nativity of Christ in Bethlehem, then - circumcision, the worship of the Magi, offering a sacrifice to the temple on the 40th day, flight to Egypt, settling in Nazareth, traveling to Jerusalem on the feast of Easter, when He was 12 years and so on. We will not describe these events here. It should be noted, however, that although the Gospel mentions of the Virgin Mary are short, they give the reader a clear idea of Her great moral height: Her modesty, great faith, patience, courage, obedience to the will of God, love and devotion to Her Divine Son. We see why She, according to the word of the Angel, was worthy to “find grace from God”.

The first miracle performed by Jesus Christ at a marriage (wedding) in Cana of Galilee, gives us a vivid image of the Virgin Mary, like Intercessors before His Son for all people in difficult circumstances. Noticing the lack of wine at the wedding feast, the Virgin Mary drew the attention of Her Son to this, and although the Lord answered Her evasively - “What is Me and You, wife? My hour has not yet come ”. She was not embarrassed by this half-refusal, being sure that the Son would not ignore Her request, and said to the ministers: "Whatever He says to you, do it." How evident in this warning of the servants is the compassionate solicitude of the Bzhia Mother so that the work begun by Her should be brought to a favorable end! Indeed, Her intercession did not remain without fruit, and Jesus Christ performed His first miracle here, bringing people of poor people out of their predicament, after which “His disciples believed in Him” (John 2:11).

In further narratives, the Gospel depicts the Mother of God for us, being in constant anxiety for Her Son, following His wanderings, coming to Him in various difficult cases, taking care of the arrangement of His home rest and rest, to which, apparently, He never agreed ... Finally, we see Her, standing in indescribable sorrow at the cross of Her Crucified Son, hearing His last words and covenants, entrusting Her with the care of His beloved disciple. Not a single word of reproach or despair leaves Her lips. She surrenders everything to the will of God.

The Virgin Mary is also briefly mentioned in the book of Acts of the Holy Apostles, when on Her and on the Apostles on the day Pentecost the Holy Spirit descended in the form of tongues of fire. After that, according to legend, She lived for another 10-20 years. The Apostle John the Theologian, according to the will of the Lord Jesus Christ, received Her into his home and with great love, like a native son, took care of Her until Her death. When the Christian faith spread to other countries, many Christians came from distant countries to see and listen to Her. Since then, the Blessed Virgin Mary has become for all of Christ's disciples a common Mother and a high example to follow.

Dormition... Once, when the Most Holy Mary was praying on the Mount of Olives (near Jerusalem), the Archangel Gabriel appeared to Her with a paradise date branch in his hands and told Her that in three days Her earthly life would end, and the Lord would take Her to Himself. The Lord arranged it so that by this time the apostles from different countries had gathered in Jerusalem. At the hour of death, an extraordinary light illuminated the room where the Virgin Mary lay. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself, surrounded by angels, appeared and received Her most pure soul. The Apostles buried the most pure body of the Mother of God, at Her request, at the foot of the Mount of Olives in the Garden of Gethsemane, in the cave where the bodies of Her parents and righteous Joseph were buried. Many miracles took place during the burial. From touching the bed of the Mother of God, the blind received their sight, demons were cast out and every disease was healed.

Three days after the burial of the Mother of God, the apostle arrived in Jerusalem and was late for the burial. Thomas... He was very saddened that he did not say goodbye to the Mother of God and with all his soul he wanted to bow down to Her most pure body. When they opened the cave where the Virgin Mary was buried, they did not find Her body in it, but only one burial shroud. The astonished apostles returned to the house. In the evening, while praying, they heard angelic singing. Looking up, the apostles saw the Virgin Mary in the air, surrounded by angels, in the radiance of heavenly glory. She said to the apostles: “ Rejoice! I am with you all the days! "

She fulfills this promise to be the helper and intercessor of Christians to this day, becoming our heavenly Mother. For Her great love and omnipotent help, Christians from ancient times honor Her and turn to her for help, calling Her "The zealous intercessor of the Christian race," "The joy of all who grieve," "who does not leave us in His Assumption." Since ancient times, following the example of the prophet Isaiah and the righteous Elizabeth, Christians began to call Her the Mother of the Lord and the Mother of God. This name stems from the fact that She gave flesh to the One who always was and will always be the true God.

The Blessed Virgin Mary is also a great role model for all those who strive to please God. She was the first to decide wholly devote your life to God. She showed that voluntary virginity is higher than marriage and marriage... Imitating Her, starting from the first centuries, many Christians began to lead a virgin life in prayer, fasting and divine contemplation. This is how monasticism arose and was established. Unfortunately, the modern heterodox world does not at all appreciate and even ridicules the feat of virginity, forgetting the words of the Lord: “There are eunuchs (virgins) who made themselves eunuchs for the Kingdom of Heaven”, adding at the same time: “Who can accommodate, yes will accommodate! "(Matthew 19:12).

Summarizing this brief overview of the earthly life of the Blessed Virgin Mary, it should be said that She, both at the moment of Her greatest glory, when she was chosen to become the Mother of the Savior of the world, and at the time of Her greatest sorrow, when at the foot of the cross, according to the prophecy of righteous Simeon, “ the weapon passed Her soul, ”she showed complete composure. By this she discovered all the strength and beauty of Her virtues: humility, unshakable faith, patience, courage, hope in God and love for Him! That is why we, the Orthodox, honor Her so highly and try to imitate Her.

Modern miracles and appearances of the Mother of God

From the first days after Her Assumption to this day, the Blessed Virgin Mary has been helping Christians. This is evidenced by Her numerous miracles and phenomena. Here are some of them.

Celebration of COVER The Mother of God is set in remembrance of the vision of St. Andrew of the Mother of God, covering Christians with Her omophorion (with a long veil) in the Blachernae Church during the siege of Constantinople by enemies in the 10th century. At four o'clock in the morning, the blessed one saw the majestic Wife, walking from the royal doors, supported by St. Forerunner and John the Theologian, and many saints preceded her; others followed her, singing hymns and spiritual songs. St. Andrew approached his disciple Epiphanius and asked if he saw the Queen of the world. “I see,” he replied. And when they looked, she knelt before the pulpit and prayed for a long time, shedding tears. Then She went up to the throne and prayed for the Orthodox people. At the end of the prayer, She removed the veil from Her head and spread it over all the standing people. The city was saved. St. Andrew was a Slav by birth, and Russians very much honor the Feast of the Intercession, dedicating many churches to it.

Further information in this chapter regarding the apparitions of the Mother of God is drawn mainly from the foreign press. Our Church has not yet expressed its opinion on their opinion, and we provide them here as additional information.

Shortly before the revolution in Russia, on May 13, 1917, the Mother of God appeared to three Portuguese shepherd children in FATIME... After that, She appeared to the children for several months, surrounded by radiance. Believers in numbers from five to eighteen thousand people flocked to Her apparitions from all parts of Portugal. An unforgettable miracle happened when, after a pouring rain, an extraordinary light suddenly shone, and the wet clothes on the people instantly dried up. The Mother of God called people to repentance and prayer and predicted the forthcoming “conversion of Russia” (from godlessness to faith in God).

Starting on April 2, 1968, for more than a year, the Mother of God appeared in the suburbs CAIRO Zeitune above the temple dedicated to Her name. Her appearances, which usually took place between 12 am and 5 am, attracted large numbers of worshipers. The Mother of God was surrounded by radiance sometimes as bright as the sun, and white doves hovered around. Soon the whole of Egypt learned about the apparitions of the Mother of God, and the government began to take care that the public meetings at the place of Her apparitions were orderly. Local newspapers wrote about these frequent appearances of the Mother of God in Arabic. Several press conferences were held regarding the phenomena, at which people shared their impressions and what they heard from Her. She visited the Mother of God and individuals in the vicinity of Cairo, for example, the Coptic Patriarch, who doubted Her appearances to the people. During the apparitions of the Mother of God, many healings also took place, witnessed by local doctors.

The Washington Post on July 5, 1986 reported on new apparitions of the Mother of God over the Church of St. Demians in the working class of Terra Gulakia, north of Cairo. The Virgin Mary held the Infant Christ in Her arms and was accompanied by several saints, among them St. Demiana. As in previous years, the apparitions of the Mother of God were accompanied by numerous healings of incurable diseases, for example, blindness, kidney, heart and others.

Since June 1981, the Mother of God began to appear to people on the mountain in INTERDUGORIE(Yugoslavia). Sometimes up to ten thousand people flocked to Her apparitions. People saw Her in an unearthly radiance. Then the appearances to the people stopped, and the Mother of God began to appear regularly to six young people and talk with them. Mezhgirie has become a place of constant pilgrimage for believers from all over the world. Local, Italian and other newspapers wrote and are writing about these phenomena. The Mother of God gradually revealed 10 secrets to the young people, which they should in due time tell the representatives of the church. The Mother of God promised that 3 days after the announcement of Her last secret, She would leave a visible “sign” for unbelievers. Representatives of medicine and other respectable people testify that young people who see the Mother of God are completely normal and their external reactions to visions are natural. Often the Mother of God, crying, spoke to young people about the need to establish peace on earth: “Peace, peace! The earth will not be saved unless peace is established on it. It will come only if people find God. The Lord is life. Those who believe in Him will find life and peace ... People have forgotten prayer and fasting; many Christians stopped praying. ” It is interesting to note that in Mezhdugiria, where atheism used to prevail and there were many party members, all residents became believers and left the communist party. In connection with the apparitions of the Mother of God, many miraculous healings took place in Mezhugiria.

On Easter 1985 in the city LVOV During the service of Metropolitan John in the cathedral in the name of the Holy Mother of God and in the presence of a large crowd of believers, a cloud suddenly appeared in the gap of the window, shining like a ray of the sun. Gradually, it formed into a human figure and everyone recognized the Mother of God in Her. In a spiritual outburst, people began to pray loudly and cry for help. The people standing outside also saw the image of the Mother of God in the window and tried to enter the church and prayed loudly. The crowd grew larger, and rumors of a miracle spread like lightning. All the efforts of the police to disperse the worshipers were in vain. People began to arrive from Kiev, from the Pochaev Lavra, Moscow, Tiflis and other cities. The Lvov authorities asked Moscow to send military personnel and experts in the field of science to help. Scientists began to prove that there can be no miracles for people to disperse. And suddenly the Mother of God spoke: "Pray, repent of your sins, because there is very little time left ..." During the sermon, the Mother of God healed many crippled and sick people. Visions of the Theotokos and healing lasted three and a half weeks, and She still spoke a lot for the salvation of people. People did not leave either day or night.

Some miraculous icons of the Mother of God

VLADIMIRSKAYA the icon is one of the most ancient miraculous icons of the Mother of God. In the middle of the U-th century it was transferred from Jerusalem to Constantinople, and in the middle of the XII-th century it was sent by the patriarch to Kiev to the Great. book Yuri Dolgoruky and staged in the Maiden Monastery in Vyshgorod. In 1155 the prince of Vyshgorod Andrey, going north, took with him the miraculous icon of the Mother of God. On the way, prayers were served and miracles were performed. On the banks of the Klyazma, the horses carrying the icons could not move. The prince named this place Bogolyubov, created two stone churches here, in one of which the icon was placed. In 1160, on September 21, the icon was transferred to the Vladimir Church and from that time began to be called "Vladimirskaya." Since 1395 St. the icon is located in the Moscow Dormition Cathedral on the left side of the royal gates. The icon became famous for many miracles. Before her, Russian tsars were anointed for the kingdom, metropolitans were elected. The celebration of the icon takes place on September 8, as well as on June 3 (according to new art). on the occasion of the deliverance of Moscow from the Crimean Khan in 1521, who was terrified by the vision of a miraculous army near Moscow.

KAZAN icon. In 1579, the nine-year-old girl Matrona, whose parents' house burned down during a fire in Kazan in 1579, saw in a dream the image of the Mother of God and heard a voice commanding to take St. an icon hidden in the ashes of a burnt house. The holy icon was found wrapped in an old cloth under the stove in a burnt house where it was buried, probably even during the Tatar rule in Kazan, when the Orthodox were forced to hide their faith. The holy icon was solemnly transferred to the nearest church of St. Nicholas, and then to the Cathedral of the Annunciation and became famous for the healings of the blind. A copy was made of this icon and sent to Tsar Ivan the Terrible. In honor of the appearance of the icon, a special holiday was established on July 21st (New Art.).

Icon SIGNS(Kurskaya Korennaya) was acquired on September 8, 1295 by a hunter on the banks of the Tuskari River in the Kursk region, on the ground at the root of a tree. They built a chapel and erected an icon, which began to manifest itself as miracles. In 1383, the Crimean Tatars, who were devastating the region, cut the icon in two and threw them in different directions. They took into captivity the priest Bogolyub, who served in the chapel. Redeemed by the ambassadors of the Moscow Grand Duke, Bogolyub found the split parts of the icon, folded them, and they miraculously fused together. In 1597 the icon was brought to Moscow at the request of Tsar Theodore Ioannovich. Upon the return of the shrine on the site of the chapel, a monastery was founded, called the Root Hermitage. Since the time of Tsar Theodore Ioannovich, the icon has been inserted into a cypress board with the image of the Lord of hosts above, and on the sides - the prophets. With a miraculous vision, the icon saved Kursk from its capture by the Poles in 1612. Grateful residents in the city built the Znamensky Monastery, in which she then stayed annually from September 12 to Friday 9th week after Easter. The rest of the time she was in the Root Desert. On March 7, 1898, the icon remained unharmed during an attempt by intruders to blow it up in the Cathedral of the Znamensky Monastery, although there was general destruction around it. During the revolution, the icon was stolen on April 12, 1918 and miraculously found in a well on August 1. The icon was taken out of Russia in 1920 by bishop. Theophanes of Kursk, and was in Yugoslavia in the Holy Trinity Church in Belgrade. Great help was provided by the shrine during the bombing of Belgrade during the Second World War: bombs never hit the houses visited by the icon, although everything around them was destroyed. Now the icon resides in the Cathedral of the Sign of BM in New York. From time to time, the icon is taken to different churches of the Russian Church Abroad for worship.

Crying Icons. Over the past 100-150 years, several icons of the Mother of God have appeared, shedding tears. This kind of miracle probably indicates the grief of the Mother of God for the people about the disasters impending on the world.

In February 1854, one of the icons of the Mother of God began to shed tears in the Orthodox Church at the Sokolsky Romanian Monastery. This miracle coincided with the Crimean War in Russia. The miracle of shedding tears attracted thousands of pilgrims every day. The miraculous flow of tears happened sometimes every day, and sometimes at intervals of 2 - 3 days.

In March 1960, a lithographic icon "Passionate" (or "Roman") of the Mother of God began to shed tears in the Katsunis Greek Orthodox family living in Long Island, New York. During the transfer of the icon to the Greek Cathedral of St. Paul during the entire journey, white doves soared in the air over the icon. From the profuse flow of tears, the paper on which the icon is written was completely wrinkled. Sometimes the tears seemed bloody. Pious pilgrims applied cotton wool to the icon, and the cotton wool filled with moisture. Soon, in the house of another Greek Orthodox family, Kulis, living in the same area, the lithographic icon of the Mother of God, Iverskaya, also began to shed tears. These two crying icons attracted a large number of worshipers. A large number of miracles originating from these icons have been noted in the foreign and local press. One of these icons has even been scientifically examined to determine the source of these tears. Scientists at the University of British Columbia testified to the fact that tears were flowing, but they could not explain it scientifically.

December 6, 1986 the iconostasis icon of the Mother of God in the Albanian Church of St. Nicholas the Pleasant in the city of Chicago began to shed tears. This miracle sometimes attracts 5 thousand people to the temple, who want to see the miraculous icon. This crying icon was painted 23 years ago by the Manhattan artist Konstantin Yussis. A specially assembled commission testified that "there can be no question of any mystification."

WORLDWIDE icon. The Orthodox Spaniard Joseph, living on Mount Athos, saw a copy of the Iberian Icon of the Mother of God in the monastery and wished to acquire it. At first he was refused, but then, unexpectedly, the abbot handed him this image with the words: "Take this icon, this icon must go with you!" Joseph brought the icon to Montreal. On November 24, 1982, at 3 am, Joseph's room was filled with a fragrance: drops of wonderfully fragrant myrrh (special oil) appeared on the surface of the icon. Archbishop Vitaly of Canada offered to bring the icon to the cathedral, then they began to visit other churches with the icon. During chrismation, the glass door of the icon case opens, and each prayer can see how St. myrrh slowly flows from the surface of the icon. Sometimes, during the crowded services of St. myrrh also appears on the outside of the glass and, in front of the eyes of the worshipers, flows in abundant quantities onto the floor, and the fragrance fills the entire temple. It is also remarkable that on Holy Week myrrh does not appear on the icon at all, and after Easter it flows again. Many miraculous healings took place from the icon. The smell of St. the world changes from time to time, but it is always extremely pleasant and strong. Whoever doubts about miracles in our time should look at the Myrrh-streaming Icon: an obvious and great miracle!

There is no way here to list all the miraculous icons of the Mother of God. After the revolution in Russia, a large number of old icons began to be renewed. Sometimes icons, right in front of the eyes of people, for a short time turned from dark ones to light, as if they had been recently painted. There are thousands of such renewed icons.

Signs and wonders do not work without a reason. There is no doubt that numerous modern miracles and appearances of the Mother of God are aimed at awakening in people faith in God and a sense of repentance. But the world has become deaf to everything spiritual. Turning more and more with his back to God, he, biting the bit, rushes swiftly towards his death. At this time of all kinds of disasters, shocks and temptations, we must remember our Heavenly Mother and Intercessor at the throne of God. Holy Mother of God, save us!

The most important holidays in honor of the Mother of God (new style):

Annunciation - April 7th,
Dormition - August 28th,
Christmas Day - September 21st,
Pokrov - October 14th,
Introduction to the Temple - December 4th.

Bishop Alexander Mileant

ANNA

V 80 BC was born Joachim, Mary's father.

Anna born in 74 BC in a large family, becoming the fourteenth child. Anna's mother was then 45 years old. Anna's parents were middle-class people at that time. They lived in the city of Nazareth, were engaged in cattle breeding and had a small herd. In addition, Anna's father kept a small inn. In the courtyard there were three rooms where visiting merchants stayed.

Nazareth was located very well, just on the way from Egypt to India, and caravans constantly visited this town.
Very often Simeon, a famous fortuneteller, stayed in their house. This is the same 113-year old Simeon who was waiting for the appearance of the newborn Jesus in the temple. It was he who said then: "Praise the Lord that I have waited for this!" In those days, Simeon was still young. He practiced medicine, healed with herbs and could predict the future. He did this with thirteen stones and a lamb shoulder. Simeon tossed them up, and then carefully studied what kind of alignment was obtained from the stones that fell to the ground. At that moment, the unknown future of man was revealed to him. Previously, people treated fortunetellers with great respect and faith. Simeon's prophecies always came true, and people often turned to him for help.

Little Anna was then 12 years old. Anna amazed everyone with her hard work, she did her best to help her mother in the household. At such a young age, she already knew how to work in an adult way: milk a cow and run a household. At the same time, she was distinguished by a huge love of life, irrepressible gaiety and, most importantly, an unchildish feeling of pity for all living things. She felt sorry for everyone - the old people, the weak and sick wanderers and neighbors, animals, she could not calmly look at anyone's suffering. Anna had a big and kind heart. Anna just fell in love with the fortuneteller Simeon. He was so unusual and mysterious. I was engaged in something incomprehensible and mysterious - a real magician-wizard ...
The room in which Simeon stayed was divided into two parts by a curtain. Anna - a terribly curious girl - hid in the second half of the room and from there carefully watched Simeon from the side, fascinated by his actions. She really wanted to understand what their mysterious guest was doing, and she wanted to learn it herself. Simeon also drew attention to the curious child. He liked Anna for her spontaneity, kindness and an obvious, undisguised thirst for new knowledge. He slowly began to teach the girl the art of healing and revealed some of the secrets of medicine to her.
Simeon was not mistaken - Anna turned out to be a capable student and grasped everything right on the fly. Soon she herself could speak toothache, remove a purulent abscess from the patient's body, or soothe stomach pain.
In the past, home medicine was widely practiced. Each family had a person who could help sick households or pets. Magic, healing and predictions of the future did not surprise or frighten anyone, they treated this calmly, with faith and understanding. Nobody divided medicine into official and folk.

Once Anna begged Simeon to tell what will happen to her when she grows up, what future awaits her. Simeon, agreeing, threw out the stones and for a long time silently looked at the resulting alignment. He sighed, looked at Anna and did not say anything.
The intrigued girl began to persistently fiddle with him, persuading him to tell her the truth. Simeon refused for a long time, but then in the end, succumbing to her persuasion, said: “You will live a difficult and short life. And you will die when you have a child, at the age of 54. You will have a baby girl whom you will have to call Maria. This will be an extraordinary girl. Time will pass, and she will have a son named Jesus. This man will be the Messiah, he will bring people a new faith that will save the world. "
After this prediction, Simeon began to look at the little girl with completely different eyes. From ancient prophecies, Simeon knew that sometime in the land of Judea a man would have to be born who would turn the whole world upside down in the future, cleanse it of filth and vice, and give people a new life. And now - wow - this prophecy is coming true right before his eyes!
Simeon now prayed for only one thing - if only he could live to see this bright day and see the Savior of the world with his own eyes, if only he had the strength to wait for this miracle!
After all, it turned out according to the prophecy that the Mother of God would be born when Simeon was almost a hundred years old! If only to live to see this day!

At the age of 13, Anna was married to 19-year-old Joachim. In those days, the children grew up very quickly, at the age of 13 the girl was already considered an adult and ready for marriage. They lived in the Holy Land, were born and rich, but they had no children. In the society that surrounded them, the absence of children in the family was tantamount to a curse, displeasure from Above, and therefore the priest stopped letting Joachim into the temple. He left home in the desert and decided not to return. Only Anna remained in the house, grieving about her misfortune. On the anniversary of her wedding with Joachim, she wept bitterly in the garden: “Woe to me, to whom I am likened, I am not likened to the birds of the air, because the birds of the air are fruitful before you, Lord! Woe to me, I have not become like the beasts of the earth, because they also have children! Even waves and those will give birth to waves that play and splash, praising God. And I can't compare with the earth, because the earth bears its fruits ... ”Anna's cry was heard, the heavenly messenger - the Angel - assured Anna that soon she would have a baby girl who would be named Mary.

Icon "Meeting of Joachim and Anna"
Images of Joachim and Anna are not uncommon in icon painting, they were always represented in the same way: Joachim - in the form of an old man with a long beard, Anna - in a long himation with a covered head. Sometimes they were included in a number of the chosen saints of the icon. There was also a special composition "The Meeting of Joachim and Anna". Joachim and Anna hugged each other, having met after the gospel and the return of Joachim from the wilderness to his home.

The Nativity of the Virgin Mary

The years passed. Anna has long forgotten about the prophecy of Simeon. Business, household, everyday life - life went on as usual. Joachim and Anna were considered in Nazareth a prosperous married couple of average income. They kept livestock - goats, cows, horses, bulls. And a large flock of sheep. In addition, Joachim owned a small oil mill, which produced sour cream, cottage cheese, butter. Despite his advanced 60 years of age, Joachim still worked hard, trying to keep up with the housework everywhere.
Suddenly the unexpected happened - his wife Anna became pregnant again. At 54! It's just a miracle! And only now did Anna remember about Simeon! She told all her loved ones - her husband, relatives - about the prophecy made to her in childhood: that she would become pregnant at 54 and die in childbirth, and the child that had appeared should be called Mary, and this girl would later become the mother of Jesus - the Messiah, who would suffer a lot and will bring new faith to this world.

Those close to Anna were simply confused. What kind of prophecy, where from, what Messiah, will Anna really die, how can this be, and who will then raise the child?
Joachim was already 60 years old, and he could hardly raise a girl alone.
In those days, having many children was common. And none of the relatives could take little Maria to him. And then Anna remembered about her distant relative Elizabeth. Elizabeth's mother was the second cousin of Anna's mother. Elizabeth and her husband Zechariah did not have children of their own, so they agreed to take Mary with them.

Early in the morning, at 6 hours 15 minutes, July 21 in 20 BC. NS. in the house of Joachim was born a girl who was named Mary. Anna, not having endured a difficult birth, died, as predicted by Simeon.

Saints Joachim and Anna
The image of the parents of the Mother of God was usually ordered to the icon painter by families that do not have children or are expecting their first child.

The child was very sickly, and there was no certainty that the girl would survive without her mother's milk. Therefore, Joachim wrote down his daughter in the family genealogy only when the danger of early death had passed, i.e. exactly two months later - September 21st.
This date began to be considered Mary's birthday. Nowadays, on this day, September 21, is celebrated one of the twelve great church holidays - the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos.
All babies born three days before July 21 and September 21 are often gifted children, and they are all under the patronage of the Virgin Mary.
July 21 is a special day. Nature itself rejoices and celebrates the birth of the Virgin Mary - the air is filled with the heady smells of summer and the sun, an extraordinary lightness settles in all people in the soul, in the morning everyone wakes up with a good mood, anticipating that something extraordinary is about to happen today.

Dormition of righteous Anna

July 25 / August 7 - Assumption of the righteous Anna, mother of the Most Holy Theotokos.

Icon of the Assumption of Rights. Anna, mother of the Most Holy Theotokos

According to legend, Saint Anna acquired two estates in Jerusalem: the first at the Gethsemane gate, and the second in the valley of Jehoshaphat. In the second estate, she built a crypt for the deceased family members, where she was buried with Joachim. The Most Pure Body of the Mother of God was buried in this family cemetery. A temple was erected at the burial site. There is a legend that St. Equal-to-the-Apostles Helen built a basilica here. In 614 the temple was destroyed, but the tomb of the Mother of God survived. Much of the modern building dates back to the time of the Crusaders. This is an underground temple, into which 50 steps lead, with the side-chapels of Sts. Godfathers Joachim and Anna and Joseph the Betrothed, located on the sides of the stairs.

Burial vault of Joachim and Anna in the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin

Tombs of Saints Joachim and Anna in the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin

In the end. X century. on the Holy Mount Athos, the skete of St. Anna was built - the most ancient of all the Athos sketes. Devastated for many years by sea robbers, it was in the 17th century. was restored by Patriarch Dionysius of Constantinople, who acquired the foot of Saint Righteous Anna from the Christians of Asia Minor. In 1680, a cathedral church was erected there in memory of the assumption of St. Anne. Since that time, the skete began to bear the name "St. Anna". It is famous on Athos for the high ascetic deeds of monks.
Not far from the Skete of St. Anna is the so-called New Skete of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary or "Little Anna". The proximity of these fertile places emphasizes the connection between the sacred events of the conception and the birth of the Most Holy Theotokos.

Under the holy righteous king Justinian (527-565), a temple was built in Devter in her honor, and the emperor Justinian II (685-695; 705-711) renovated her temple, because the righteous Anna appeared to his pregnant wife ; at the same time her body and maforium (veil) were transferred to Constantinople. The Dormition of the Holy Righteous Anna is celebrated on August 7 (July 25).

Currently, the particles of the relics of St. Anne are located:
- in the Athonite monasteries (left foot in the Great Skete of Righteous Anna, right foot in the Kutlumush monastery, left hand in the Stavronikita monastery);
- in various monasteries and temples in Greece (including the monastery of St. John the Evangelist on Patmos, the Church of Panagia Gorgoepikos in Thessaloniki);
- to the church of St. Nicholas in Pyzhy, Moscow;
- October 26, 2008 a particle of the relics of St. Anna was brought from Athos to the temple complex of the Iberian Icon of the Mother of God in Dnepropetrovsk, where she was placed in an ark in the lower aisle of the cathedral church in the name of Joachim and Anna;
- July 10, 2011 a particle of the relics of St. Anna was transferred to the Valaam Monastery.

Righteous Anna's troparion

Voice 4
Thou bore the life that was born in the womb, the Pure Mother of God, the God-wise Anno. The same to the acceptance of the Heavenly, where the dwelling rejoicing, rejoicing in glory, has now passed away, honoring thee for the love of sins, asking for cleansing, ever-blessed.

Kontakion of righteous Anna

Voice 2
We celebrate the memory of the forefathers of Christ, those who are truly asking for help, to get rid of everyone from all sorrow, who call: Our God is with us, glorify these, as if it were good pleasure.

Exaltation on the Assumption of Righteous Anna:

We magnify thee, holy righteous Anno pramati of Christ our God, and all-honorable we glorify thy dormition.

The miraculous icon and part of the relics of Saint Righteous Anna in the skete of Saint Anna on Mount Athos.

On June 17, 2006, Balaam met the icon of the holy righteous Anna, the foremother of Christ, who has great grace from the Lord to heal from the ailment of infertility. This is a copy of the miraculous icon, which is located in the Skete of St. Anna on Mount Athos. There are three such lists in the monastery now, all are exact copies of the miraculous image of St. Anna, and were written directly in the skete of St. Righteous Anna. Countless letters of gratitude from parents, who have gained the opportunity to have children, thanks to the intercession of the holy righteous Anna, have come and are still coming to Athos.

Prayers in spousal infertility

For help from marital sterility, turn with prayers to the righteous Godfathers Joachim and Anna, the prophet Zechariah and Elisabeth, the Monk Roman, Martyr Paraskeva, named Friday.

Meeting of St. Righteous Joachim and Anna. Fragment of an icon of the 17th century.

Prayer to the righteous Godfathers Joachim and Anna:
About the glorification of Christ's righteous women, the holy Fathers of God Joachim and Anno, who are coming to the heavenly throne of the Great Tsar and the great boldness of those who have it, as from the most blessed Daughter of yours, the Most Pure Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary, whoever willed to incarnate!
To you, as a powerful representative and zealous prayer-books for us, we resort to sin and unworthiness (names). Pray for His goodness, that He may turn away His anger from us, who is righteously moved against us by our deeds, and let our countless sins despise us, turn us to the path of repentance, and strengthen us on the path of His commandments. Also, by your prayers in the world, save our life, and in all good haste ask for good haste, all that we need from God for our belly and piety, from all misfortunes and misfortunes and sudden death by your intercession, delivering us, and from all enemies visible and invisible, protecting us, as if we will live a quiet and silent life in all piety and purity, and so in the world this temporary life has passed away, in eternal rest we will achieve, whereby your holy entreaty let us be vouchsafed to the Heavenly Kingdom of Christ our God, to Him, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, all befits , honor and worship forever and ever. Amen.

Personal petition of the righteous Anna for the gift of a child(from the Chetikh-Minei of St. Demetrius of Rostov):
Woe to me, Lord! Who will I become like? Not to the birds of the air, not to the beasts of the earth: for they too, O Lord God, bring you their fruit, but I alone am barren. Alas for me, Lord! I am alone, sinful, devoid of offspring. You, Who once gave Sarah a son of Isaac in a ripe old age. You, who opened the womb of Anna, the mother of your prophet Samuel, look now at me and hear my prayers. Stop the sorrow of my heart and open my womb, and make me, barren, fruitful, so that we may bring what I have born to You as a gift, blessing, singing and glorifying Your mercy.

Kissing Zechariah and Elizabeth. End XV - began. XVI century

The main female figure for Orthodox believers is the Virgin Mary, who was honored to become the Mother of the Lord. She led a righteous life and helped people cope with various troubles. After ascension to heaven, believers began to pray to the Mother of God, asking for help in different situations.

Virgin Mary in Orthodoxy

For believers, the Mother of God is the main intercessor before her Son and Lord. She is the woman who gave birth to and raised the Savior. It is believed that nothing is impossible for the Mother of God, and people ask her for salvation for their souls. In Orthodoxy, the Virgin Mary is called the patroness of every person, since she, like a loving mother, worries about her children. More than once the appearance of the Virgin Mary took place, which was accompanied by miracles. There are many icons, temples and monasteries created in honor of the Mother of God.

Who is Virgin Mary?

A lot of information is known about the life of the Mother of God, which can be found in the apocrypha and in the memoirs of people who knew her during her earthly life. The following main facts can be distinguished:

Until the age of 12, the Holy Virgin Mary was in a specialized school at the Jerusalem Temple. Her parents gave her there, who made a vow that their daughter would devote her life to the Lord.
The appearance of the Virgin is described by the church historian Nikifor Callistos. She was of medium height with golden hair and olive-colored eyes. The Virgin Mary's nose is oblong, and her face is round.
To feed her family, the Mother of God had to work constantly. It is known that she weaved well and independently created the red tunic that Jesus wore before the crucifixion.
The Virgin Mary constantly followed Jesus until the end of his earthly life. After the crucifixion and ascension of Christ, the Mother of God remained to live with John the Theologian. Further life is known to a greater extent from the apocryphal "Proto-Gospel of Jacob."
The death of the Virgin Mary is recorded in Jerusalem on Mount Zion, where the Catholic Church is now located. According to the apocryphal, the apostles from different parts of the world arrived at their deathbed, but only Thomas lingered, so at his request the tomb was not closed. On the same day, the body of the Virgin disappeared, therefore it is believed that the ascension of the Virgin Mary took place.

Symbols of the Virgin Mary

There are many symbols that are related to the Mother of God:

Monogram, composed of two letters "MR", which means Mary Regina - Mary, Queen of Heaven.
A common sign of the Virgin Mary is a winged heart, sometimes pierced with a saber and depicted on a shield. This picture is the coat of arms of the Virgin.
The crescent moon, cypress and olive tree are associated with the name of the Mother of God. The flower symbolizing the purity of the Virgin is the lily. Since the Virgin Mary is considered the queen of all saints, one of her symbols is called the white rose. They represent her with five petals, which is associated with the name Maria.

Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary

The sinlessness of the Mother of God did not immediately become a dogma, since the authors of the first Christian texts did not pay attention to this issue. Many do not know how the Virgin Mary became pregnant, so according to legend, the Holy Spirit descended from heaven to her, and the virgin birth took place, thanks to which the original sin was not passed on to Jesus Christ. In Orthodoxy, the Immaculate Conception, as a dogma, is not accepted and it is believed that the Mother of God was freed from sin due to contact with Divine grace.

How did the Virgin Mary give birth to Jesus?

There is no way to find details regarding how the birth of the Mother of God took place, but there is information that they were absolutely painless. This is explained by the fact that Christ appeared from the womb of the mother, without opening it and not expanding the paths, that is, the Mother of God the Virgin Mary remained a virgin. It is believed that Jesus was born when his mother was 14-15 years old. There were no midwives next to the Mother of God, she herself took the child in her arms.

Prophecies of the Virgin Mary at Fatima

The most famous phenomenon of the Mother of God is the Miracle at Fatima. She came to three shepherd children and each of her appearances was accompanied by a series of inexplicable incidents, for example, the chaotic movement of the sun across the sky was observed. During the communication, the Mother of God revealed three secrets. The predictions of the Virgin Mary of Fatima were revealed at different times:

At the first appearance, the Mother of God showed the children terrible visions of Hell. She said that the First World War would soon end, but if people did not stop sinning and offending God, he would punish them with various calamities. The sign will be the appearance of a bright light at night, when it will be seen as during the day. According to some reports, before the start of World War II, the northern lights were observed in Europe.
The second appearance of the Virgin Mary brought another prophecy and it says that when everything is illuminated by an unknown light at night, it will be a sign that God is going to punish the world. To prevent this from happening, the Mother of God will come to ask for the consecration of Russia, and also for the holding of atoning sacraments on every first Saturday of the month. If people listen to her requests, then there will be peace, and if not, then wars and new cataclysms cannot be avoided. Many believe that this prophecy speaks of the spread of communism, which was accompanied by various clashes.
The third prophecy was received in 1917, but the Virgin Mary allowed to open it not earlier than 1960. The Pope, having read the prophecy, refused to disclose it, arguing that it does not concern his time. The text indicates that the Pope will be assassinated and this happened in 1981 in May. The Pope himself admitted that it is believed that the Mother of God protected him from death.

Prayer to the Virgin Mary

There are a huge number of prayer texts addressed to the Mother of God. She helps believers to cope with various problems, so women who want to get pregnant and get married turn to her, ask her for healing and material benefits, pray to her for children, and so on. There are several rules regarding the pronunciation of prayer texts:

You can turn to the Mother of God in church and at home, the main thing is to have an icon in front of your eyes. It is recommended to light a candle nearby to make it easier to concentrate.
The prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary should be pronounced from a pure heart and with faith in her power. Any doubts are a block to help.
You can turn to the Mother of God at any time when your soul desires.

Prayer to the Virgin Mary of Lourdes

In 1992, the Pope established a feast in honor of Our Lady of Lourdes. People turn to her for help in order to receive healing from diseases. During her lifetime, the Holy Virgin healed the suffering and after that became the savior of the sick. When she was a child, the Virgin Mary the Most Holy Theotokos began to appear to her and taught her the rules of prayer, called for repentance for sinful people and asked to build a church. She pointed out to the girl where the healing spring was. Bernadette was numbered among the saints only 10 years after her death.

Strong prayer to the Virgin Mary for help

In Christianity, a prayer appeal to the Mother of God is considered the most powerful and effective. They ask her for help in different situations, the main thing is that the request is serious, since it is better not to disturb the Higher powers for trifles. The prayer to the Virgin Mary for help should be repeated daily and even up to several times a day. You can say it out loud and silently. The sacred text, when read regularly, inspires hope and gives strength not to give up in a difficult situation.

Prayer to the Virgin Mary for well-being

A person's life is filled with different situations, which are not always positive. The keepers of the family hearth are women, so women should pray for the well-being of their relatives. The Blessed Virgin Mary will help to reconcile people, and another one will protect from quarrels and destruction of the family. With the help of the prayer presented, you can save yourself and your loved ones from various negativity from the outside.

Prayer to the Virgin Mary for health

There is a huge number of testimonies of believers that confirm that sincere prayerful appeals to the Mother of God helped to heal from various ailments. The prayer to the Holy Virgin Mary can be said in the temple, but it is also recommended to put an image near the patient's bed at home, light a candle and pray. You can say the text on, and then give the person with the disease a drink and wash with it.

Prayer to the Virgin Mary for marriage

Many girls who are in search of a soul mate turn to the Most Holy Theotokos to convey their petitions to the Lord and help establish their personal life. She is considered the main patron of all women, helping them in love affairs. To find happiness and love, it is necessary to read the prayer to the Virgin Mary every day until the desired becomes real. Prayer petitions will not only increase the chances of meeting a worthy life partner, but also save the relationship from various problems and help build a happy family.

Prayer to the Virgin Mary for children

The Mother of God is the main mother for all believers, since she gave the world a Savior. A huge number of people turn to her for help, asking for their children. The Blessed Virgin Mary will help guide the child on the righteous path, drive him away from bad company and give inspiration to find himself in this world. Regular prayer to the mother will be a strong protection against diseases and various problems.