The Mother of God is the patroness and the Holy Virgin, the most revered in the Christian world. She is called the Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, the Blessed Virgin. In Christianity, she is considered the mother of Jesus Christ. She is the most revered and greatest of all saints.
She bears the holy name of the Mother of God, 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 quite an elderly married couple, and they had no children. However, Anna had a vision of an angel in heaven 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, along with the rest of the children, she was brought up in a place where she prayed a lot. After reaching the age of majority, she left the temple because a husband had been 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 unusual way. The angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, he announced that she would be the mother of the long-awaited and promised Messiah. Mary conceived it 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 songs in the Christian world. The Akathist to the Most Holy Theotokos is a song of thanksgiving addressed to the Mother of God herself. All Christians honor the image of the Queen of Heaven in a special way, give her honors and praise her deeds.
The Akathist to the Most Holy Theotokos is also gratitude to the one who is the Intercessor for all Orthodox people. It is about her that every Orthodox person thinks when he is offended, humiliated, in sorrows 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 all who turn 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. The Akathist to the Mother of God calls to carefully preserve God's word and live as the Virgin Mary lived - in perfect purity.
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 "Fadeless Color".
The words that usually sound before this icon are requests to choose the right spouse, to get rid of quarrels in the family. Very pure, fiery words of prayer, sounding from the heart, will help you get what you are asking for, and will also allow you to achieve reconciliation in the event of a quarrel in the family. The prayers of the Most Holy Theotokos are filled with the main meaning - purity and chastity.
To understand the Christian tradition and the very Divine image of the Mother of God, it is useful for every Christian to know the following truths: The Blessed Virgin Mary is in the literal sense the Mother of the Lord Jesus Christ and therefore the Mother of God; She remains the Ever-Virgin before the birth of Jesus Christ, at Christmas and after Christmas; The Mother of God follows the Savior as the highest power of all heavenly powers - the holy apostles and holy fathers of the church. The books of the Old and New Testaments, the very earthly life of the Mother of God, lead to such a generalization.
More than two thousand years separate us from the day when the Blessed Virgin appeared in the light of God. Today it is hard even to believe that She had an earthly life filled with human worries, joys and sufferings. We are accustomed to perceive Her as the Queen of Heaven, and She had her own earthly character traits - a tendency to rest, thoughtfulness, as evidenced by Her contemporaries. The divine touching smile of the Virgin Mary was forever captured by icon painters, this is not even a smile, but an image of kindness itself.
Mary's mother's name was Anna, her father's name was Joachim, both family branches had respectable ancestors, among whom were patriarchs, high priests and rulers of the Jews from the branches of the wise Solomon and the powerful David. Joachim and Anna were not considered wealthy and noble, although they lived comfortably, breeding large herds of sheep. Only one sadness oppressed them: there were no children. The coming of the Messiah was already predetermined, and childless people obviously lost the hope of having the Messiah as their descendant, which every family secretly dreamed of. Among the Israelites at that time, even the clergy perceived the childless as punished from above. This confirms the fact from the life of Joachim. On the feast of the renewal of the Jerusalem Temple, he, along with other residents, brought rich gifts for the Temple, but the priest refused to accept them - Joachim's childlessness was the reason for this. He endured his grief hard, for some time even retired to the desert, where bitterly weeping repeatedly turned to God: "My tears will be my food, and the desert will be my home until the great and wise Lord hears my prayer." And then Joachim heard the words of the Angel of the Lord: "I have been sent to tell you that your prayer has been heard."
Your wife Anna will bear you a wonderful daughter, and You will name her Mary. Here is a confirmation of my words for you: entering Jerusalem, behind the Golden Gates you will meet your wife Anna, and she will also please you with joyful news. But remember that your daughter is the fruit of a divine gift."
An angel of the Lord also appeared to Anna and also told that she would give birth to a blessed daughter. The small southern town of Nazareth, where Joachim and Anna lived, was located three days from Jerusalem. From the very beginning of their life together, they walked from Nazareth in order to express their great request to God in the famous Jerusalem Temple: to have a child. And now the dream came true, their joy knew no bounds.
December 9 (Hereinafter, in the biography, the dates are given according to the old style.) The Orthodox Church celebrates the conception of the Blessed Virgin, and on September 8, Her birth. Three years old, Mary was brought into the Temple of Jerusalem. It was a very important moment, and it is no coincidence that the Orthodox Church celebrates such an event. It took place in a very solemn atmosphere: the procession was opened by girls of the same age as the Blessed Virgin, with lit candles in their hands, followed by Joachim and Anna, along with their blessed daughter, holding hands. They were followed by numerous relatives, among whom were very noble persons. Everyone's faces were lit up with joy. The virgins walked with the singing of spiritual songs, their voices merged with the singing of the Angels.
In the Temple of Jerusalem, the Blessed Virgin was destined to spend many years. That temple was a prototype of a monastic monastery. Within the walls of the Temple there were 90 separate spacious rooms-cells. A third of them were assigned to virgins who dedicated their lives to God, the rest of the rooms were occupied by widows who gave dinner to keep celibacy. The elders took care of the younger ones, taught them to read sacred books and needlework. The Blessed Virgin Mary immediately surprised everyone by the fact that she easily comprehended the most difficult parts of the sacred books, better than all adults who have studied these books all their lives.
After the birth of the desired child, the parents die very soon, first Joachim at the age of 80, followed by Anna. There was no one even to visit a small child staying in the Temple. Orphanhood and the consciousness of her loneliness turned Mary's heart even more strongly to God, in Him was contained Her whole destiny.
When Mary was fourteen years old, the high priests announced to her that it was time to get married. Mary replied that she wanted to consecrate her life to God and wanted to keep her virginity. How to be?
The angel of the Lord appeared to the high priest Zechariah and told him the advice of the Almighty: "Gather the unmarried men of the tribe of Judah, from the tribe of David, let them bring their staffs. And to whom the Lord will show a sign, you will hand over the Virgin to become the guardian of Her virginity."
It all happened. High Priest Zechariah gathered unmarried men near the temple and turned to God with a prayer: "Lord God, show me a man worthy to become the Virgin's betrothed." The staves of the invited husbands were left in the sanctuary. When they came for them, they immediately saw how one staff blossomed, and a dove sat on the branches that appeared. The owner of the staff turned out to be 80-year-old widower Joseph, who was engaged in carpentry. The dove, flying off the staff, began to circle over Joseph's head. And then Zechariah said: "You will receive the Virgin and you will keep Her." At first, Joseph objected, fearing that with adult sons who are older than Mary, he would become a laughingstock of people. Tradition says that Mary herself was very upset that she had to leave the Temple of God. But by the will of the Almighty, the betrothal happened, only Joseph became not the husband of Mary, in our usual understanding, but the guardian of holiness and caring servant of the Virgin Mary.
Not much is said about Joseph in Scripture, but still, bit by bit, a fairly clear image can be put together. The elder was a descendant of the kings David and Solomon, a man of firm and truthful disposition, modest, attentive, hardworking. From his first marriage to Solomiya, he had two daughters and four sons. Before his betrothal to Mary, he lived for many years in an honest widowhood.
Joseph brought the God-given girl to his home in Nazareth, and they plunged into their daily routine. Only Mary did not leave the premonition of a great accomplishment, something indescribable, extraordinary. All people were waiting for the coming of the Messiah, as the only deliverer from the numerous vices that entangled people like a cobweb.
Luxurious Rome, which conquered many countries, excelled in pleasures, mired in debauchery, perversions, fanaticism, forgetting about all the virtues. The catastrophe of the spirit always leads to the catastrophe of the body. Only the Almighty could be the healer of the spirit. And the Virgin Mary, as if instinctively, without realizing it, was preparing for the fulfillment of the greatest Divine plan. She comprehended with her soul the appearance of the Savior into the world, She did not yet know in what way God would send His Son to Earth, but Her soul was already preparing for this meeting. Thus, the Most Holy Virgin of things, by Her only essence, could unite the age-old foundations of the Old Testament with the new Christian laws of life.
For the gospel of His Divine plan, the Lord chose the archangel Gabriel, one of the very first angels. The icon "Annunciation" (celebration of March 25) reveals to us this great deed of the Lord. It depicts a quiet rally from heaven to Earth of an angel in the guise of a magnificent young man. He gives the Virgin Mary a heavenly flower - a lily and utters priceless words; "Rejoice, full of grace: the Lord is with you! Blessed are you among women!" The meaning of these heavenly words is that the Blessed Virgin conceives a Son whose kingdom will have no end. Before She read sacred books, in particular, the prophet Isaiah, that a certain Virgin will give birth to the Son of Man from God. She was ready to become a servant of That woman, and did not think about her own divine destiny.
Modern man can create doubt in his mind. The Immaculate Conception has been questioned throughout the ages. But the most surprising thing is that the heard Good News first of all doubted Mary herself. "How will it be with me when I don't know my husband?" were her first words.
The fact may indeed seem doubtful if comprehended by a cold mind. But it must be accepted not with the mind, but with the soul. The Immaculate Conception or ever-virginity of the Most Holy Theotokos is the union of the heavenly and the earthly, the spiritual and the material. That was the moment of the rebirth of a worldly person into Holiness, which people have been worshiping for two millennia.
Metropolitan of Moscow St. Philaret (1782-1867) speaks penetratingly and sublimely about this phenomenon: “The virgin is ready to become a mother, She bows before the Divine appointment, but does not want and cannot experience earthly marriage, this common path to birth on Earth .. "This heart trembles with Divine love alone. Everything - all thoughts, feelings, aspirations - are given to the invisible, impregnable God. He alone could be Her desired, Her imperishable bridegroom. And at that moment, as She was told about the Son, Her purest soul , frightened by the mere possibility of the thought of an earthly marriage, with strength rushed there, on high, to the only desired and awaited God. And then a mysterious, miraculous, immaculate conception happened ... "
Thus, the words of the archangel Gabriel were confirmed: "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore, the Child is holy, and will be called the Son of God."
Materialists cannot comprehend this miracle. Some accept only physics, others take a bolder step - into metaphysics. But how natural and logical to recognize the Divine principle! Although the concept of "beginning" is applicable to a specific phenomenon, and God is Eternity, which cannot have a beginning and an end. God is a force that maintains harmony in the universe.
The Annunciation icon helps a mortal person to accept this spiritual essence and connects us with the Divine world. In Nazareth, where the Archangel Gabriel proclaimed the Annunciation to the Virgin Mary, a temple was erected in the 4th century in memory of the Annunciation. Inextinguishable lamps burn in the altar, throwing light on the words, which contain the essence of the greatest mystery: "Yic Verbum caro fuit" ("Here the word is flesh"). Above the throne is an image of the Annunciation and next to it are a vase with white lilies. The flower, which was in the hands of the Archangel Gabriel, symbolizes purity.
It is necessary to imagine the state of the Virgin Mary, who must explain to her husband the reason for the already visible fruiting. The sublime and the sinful stood on the same scales in her imagination. A most difficult drama was brewing in the soul of an earthly man. And what was the state of Joseph, who was in awe of Mary, but saw changes in Her figure and suffered from the questions that tormented him?! Of course, the Virgin Mary could tell Joseph everything as it was ... But will he believe that the Divine fruit is hidden in Her womb? And how to say about Yourself, as about Holiness? To all such supposed explanations, questions and answers, the Virgin Mary preferred silent suffering. After all, She was aware of the fact of the ascension of a mortal man to an unattainable height.
Righteous Joseph, not knowing the secret of the incarnation of the Lord, showed extraordinary kindness. After much torment, various assumptions and hesitations, he decides to secretly give the Virgin Mary a letter of divorce without indicating the reason for the divorce. St. John Chrysostom explains this act in the following way: "Joseph showed amazing wisdom in this case: he did not blame or reproach the Virgin, but thought only of letting her go." He really wanted to preserve the honor of the Virgin and save Her from the persecution of the law, thereby satisfying the demand of his conscience. And as soon as he decided to carry out his plan with a letter, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. All contradictions and omissions were resolved instantly by the Lord's revelation.
The most complete and diverse representation in spiritual literature, in icon painting is the Nativity of Christ and all of His further earthly life. For two millennia, such a number of books have been written about her that cannot be calculated with the usual circulations. There was no other similar life on Earth that would attract human souls with such unshakable force. Throughout a gigantic period of time (in the usual human sense) in honor of Jesus Christ on Earth, the burning of lamps and candles did not stop. If black forces blew up the temple of God, then a candle burned in some hut. If it went out in one part of the world, then it invariably shone with a flame before a pure image - in another. At all times, the great spiritual feat of Christ, which all people in the world must know about, remained the highest ideal of serving God the Father and serving God the Son to humanity. The life of Jesus Christ was a living example of the fulfillment of the two first biblical commandments: to love God and to love your neighbor.
Non-observance of these commandments by mankind leads him to destruction. Life has proven this many times. Evil, as it were, migrates across the planet in time. History records: the obscurantism of pagans of various stripes, the ferocity of the Herod dynasty, the cruelty of Nero, the fanaticism of the Jesuits, the harmful consequences of the doctrines of philosophers like Nietzsche, the deceit of false prophets and the fatal temptations of the new "kings" and the so-called democracy. Where the commandments of the Lord are not kept, evil invades, falsehood flourishes, and faith in God becomes false; where the commandments of Christ the Savior are not observed, bloodshed is constant, and love for one's neighbor is manifested only in words; where the commandments of the Almighty are not observed, there the power is in luxury, and the people are poor. Such a society is doomed to perish.
If we imagine that Jesus Christ would not have come to earth, then there would be no force at all in opposition to evil, and humanity would have ended its existence long ago. The Savior appeared on earth during the reign of King Herod. What people associate with this name is clear. At all times and to this day, the most vile rulers are called Herods. Whoever opposes them follows the precepts of Christ.
At all stages of the spiritual feat of Jesus Christ himself in the name of saving people, His Mother, the Most Holy Theotokos, stood next to Him. She carried Her cross with the greatest earthly dignity. On a cold night, She, having given birth to a son, could not shelter Him in Her house ("She bore Her firstborn son, and swaddled Him, and put Him in a manger, because there was no place for them in an inn) Luke 2:7". King Herod, who unjustly commanded the people, was very afraid of the coming of the Messiah, he in every possible way prevented the fulfillment of God's intentions. Having learned about the birth of Christ, he went on a terrible, barbarous atrocity - he ordered to kill all the babies in Bethlehem and its environs, hoping that among the dead would be the newborn King of the Jews - the Savior. 14,000 innocent children - boys - fell victim for Christ at the behest of King Herod. What fear did the Mother of God experience for the life of her Son?!
She lived every second of Jesus' life, from birth to crucifixion and ascension. And one must imagine Her grief, how it shuddered the soul when the ignorant crowd mocked Holiness, when the blood froze on the forehead of Her Son from the crown of thorns, and when the most pure body of Jesus had to be removed from the cross ...
After the Ascension of Christ, the earthly path of the Mother of God was still quite long and fruitful.
She was destined, together with the apostles, to carry the teachings of Christ around the world. Rejoicing at the success of the disciples of the Son, the Mother of God herself almost never spoke before the people. However, there is one wonderful exception in the legends... More on that later. The Mother of God sought the essence of the Christian teaching not in words, but in life itself. By the way, this is the most effective method of teaching children by parents: you can say little and do a lot, then the children will definitely understand how to do and what to do. The Virgin Mary diligently served the poor, gave to the poor, cared for the sick, helped orphans and widows. She devoted a lot of time to prayers at the tomb of the Son. The Virgin Mary buried the betrothed Joseph when Jesus was a teenager. Joseph, too, modestly and nobly fulfilled his feat of life. It is a feat that should be the life of each of us, the essence of life lies in this, in order to fulfill with dignity the God-given destiny for each person. How to perform? Follow your conscience. Conscience should be the guide of life - presupposed by God, preserved by man. With her being, material and spiritual efforts, the Mother of God taught people to live, awakening Conscience in a person - the voice of God. Mother of God - the Mother of God, standing in front of the icon - Her image, a person opens his soul, trusts secrets, sends repentance for sins, hoping for Her mercy and mediation before God. And the Mother of God unites a particle of this Divine principle in man with the Almighty.
The laconic Virgin Mary once nevertheless had to speak to people with a most wonderful sermon, the legend of which has come down to our days. The Mother of God intended to visit Cyprus.
The ship crossed the Mediterranean Sea, and the desired island was about to appear. But suddenly a storm hit the ship, and it became uncontrollable, it was carried to the other side of the world, as if by the will of the heavenly Pilot. The ship ended up in the Aegean Sea, rushed between numerous islands and, by the will of the Almighty, stopped at the foot of Mount Athos. That area literally teemed with idol temples with a huge temple of Apollo in the center, where various divination and pagan sorcery took place.
But then the Mother of God descended from the ship to earth, and from everywhere people began to flock to Her with questions: who is Christ and what did He bring to Earth? And then She had to tell people for a long time about the mystery of the incarnation of Jesus Christ, about the suffering that fell to His lot for the sins of people, about execution, death, resurrection and ascension to heaven.
She revealed to people the essence of the teachings of Jesus Christ - about repentance, forgiveness, love for God and neighbor - as about great values that affirm goodness, justice and prosperity in the world.
After such a heartfelt sermon of the Mother of God, an extraordinary action took place. All who heard Her desired to be baptized. Leaving Athos, the Mother of God blessed the newly converted Christians and uttered a prophecy: “Let this place be my lot, given to me from My Son and My God. May My grace rest on those who live here with faith and piety and keep the commandments of My Son and God. in abundance and with little labor all that is necessary for earthly life, and the mercy of my Son will not fail to them.
The further history of Athos confirms to this day that Divine patronage has been felt and materialized over that place in all ages.
The blessings of the Mother of God, like those of Athos, are so endless that a whole chronicle can be made out of them. This is what many icons of the Mother of God are dedicated to. About them the story ahead. Toward the end of her earthly life, the Mother of God strove for Heaven with all her being. And one day, during a prayer, the archangel Gabriel appeared to Her again with a joyful and radiant face, just like decades ago, when he brought the Good News from the Almighty. This time, the news was that the Mother of God had only three days left to stay on Earth. She accepted this message with the same great joy, for there could be no greater happiness for Her than to forever contemplate the image of Her Divine Son. Archangel Gabriel gave Her a heavenly date branch, which radiated extraordinary light day and night. The Mother of God first told about the appearance of the Archangel Gabriel to the Apostle John, who almost never parted from the Mother of God.
Notifying all households of her impending departure from the sinful Earth, the Mother of God commanded to prepare Her chambers accordingly: decorate the walls and bed, burn incense, light candles. She exhorted her loved ones not to cry, but rather to rejoice that, talking with Her Son, She would direct His goodness to all living on Earth, would visit and protect the distressed.
The apostles and disciples, alerted by the Holy Spirit, gathered miraculously from all over the world to see the Mother of God on her last journey. There were about seventy of them - the most devoted preachers of the teachings of Christ. On the evangelistic 15th day of August and the third hour from noon, everyone gathered in the temple, which had been specially prepared for the sacred unprecedented action. Many candles were burning, the Mother of God reclined on a magnificently decorated bed and prayed selflessly in anticipation of her exodus and the coming of her Son and Lord. According to legend, you can imagine an extraordinary picture.
At the appointed time, the entire temple was shone by no one and never before seen heavenly solemn light. As if the walls parted and the King of Glory Christ Himself ascended over the heads of people, surrounded by a host of angels, archangels and other incorporeal forces, with the righteous souls of the forefathers and prophets.
Rising from the bed, the Theotokos bowed to her Son and the Lord with the words: "My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, as if looking at the humility of my servant! .. My heart is ready; wake me according to your word ..."
Looking at the bright face of the Lord, Her dearest Son, without the slightest bodily suffering, as if falling asleep sweetly, the Mother of God handed over Her bright and pure soul into His hands.
Metropolitan Saint Philaret of Moscow, in his letters on the veneration of the Most Holy Theotokos (M. 1844), explains to his compatriots this solemn moment of transition from earthly life to the life of the eternal Virgin Mary: then in recompense for this, the Son of God carries Her soul in His arms, at the beginning of Her heavenly life.
On the ground, the burial of the body of the Virgin Mary took place. Saints Peter and Paul with the Lord's brother Saint James and other apostles lifted the bed on their shoulders and carried it from Zion through Jerusalem to the village of Gethsemane. St. John the Theologian carried in front of the bedside the heavenly date branch, handed over to the Virgin Mary by the archangel Gabriel. The branch shone with heavenly light. Over the whole crowded procession and the most pure body of the Mother of God, a certain cloudy circle suddenly appeared - a kind of crown. And the joyful singing of heavenly forces spilled into space. Radiance and Divine hymns accompanied the procession until the very burial.
Tradition testifies how the unbelieving inhabitants of Jerusalem, struck by the extraordinary grandeur of the funeral procession and embittered by the honors given to the Mother of Jesus Christ, reported what they had seen to the Pharisees. Their order followed: destroy the entire procession, and burn the coffin with the body of Mary! But a miracle happened: a shining crown - the Divine sphere, as a protective cap hid the procession. The soldiers heard the steps of people seeing off the Mother of God, they heard singing, but they could not see anyone. They bumped into each other, into houses and fences, they felt as if they were blind. Nothing could interfere with the solemn burial.
In Holy Scripture, we will not find anywhere a story about the death of the Virgin Mary. Death did not happen. Of course, in the same sense as it happens with an ordinary person, when the body is committed to the earth, and the soul to God. The Holy Orthodox Church calls the departure from the earthly life of the Mother of God the Dormition. And he sings of the Dormition of the Theotokos thus: “The laws of nature are defeated in Thee, Virgin, virginity is preserved in birth and life is combined with death: remaining a Virgin after birth and living after death, You will always save, Mother of God, Your inheritance.”
Dormition means that the Virgin Mary, after many years of heavy wakefulness, fell asleep with a sweet sleep, reposed at the eternal source of life, becoming the Mother of Life, delivering the souls of mortals from the torment and death of mortal souls with her prayers, instilling in them with her Dormition a living foreboding of eternal life.
The Apostle Thomas, as the legend says, arrived in Gethsemane only on the third day after the burial of the Most Holy Theotokos. He mourned and wept a lot about this and was very sorry that he was not awarded Her blessing. And then the other apostles allowed him to open the tomb to make the last farewell. The stone was rolled away, the coffin was opened, but... the body of the Virgin Mary was not there. The apostles began to pray to the Lord that He would reveal His secret to them.
Toward evening the holy apostles sat down to a meal. As was customary between them, they left one place unoccupied, and put a piece of bread in front of it, so that after the meal, giving thanks to the Lord, glorifying the name of the Holy Trinity, everyone could taste this piece of bread as a blessed gift with the prayer: "Lord, Jesus Christ help us!" Everyone thought and talked at the meal only about the miraculous disappearance of the body of the Virgin. The meal was over, everyone got up and, as usual, raised the bread set aside in honor of the Lord ... Looking up, getting ready for prayer, everyone saw the Most Pure Virgin Mary, surrounded by many angels. And they heard from Her: "Rejoice! I am with you all the days!".
The entire earthly life of the Mother of God fits into a specific 72 years, this is evidenced by the calculations of the ancient holy fathers of the church (St. Andrew, Archbishop of Crete, St. Simeon Metaphrastus), authoritative church historians agree with them. But from the entire holy life of the Blessed Virgin, the Orthodox Church singled out four most important spiritual events celebrated by great holidays: the Nativity of the Virgin, the Entry into the Temple, the Annunciation and the Assumption. These holidays are ranked among the so-called Twelve and are equated with the great feasts of the Lord. There are twelve of them in total in a year. Behind every holiday there is a great spiritual event, the reflection of which is an infinite number of icons.
But at the same time, the icons of the Most Holy Theotokos themselves have a special life, a special history, they keep miracles and still have a beneficial effect on a person.
Before interpreting the icons of the Most Holy Theotokos, it will be interesting and useful to imagine Her earthly appearance according to the descriptions of eyewitnesses that have come down to us in sacred books. But the main feature of the Blessed Virgin, which determines all of Her spiritual content, St. Gregory of Neocaesarea thus defined: "She has a mind controlled by God and directed towards God alone." The impeccable spiritual qualities of the Mother of God are put to the fore by all Her contemporaries, without exception.
St. Ambrose, in the guise of the Mother of God, notices those features that can serve as the ideal of a person: “She was not long-winded, a lover of reading ... Her rule was not to offend anyone, to be well-disposed to everyone, to honor elders, not to envy equals, to avoid boasting, to be sensible, love virtue. When did She even offend her parents with her expression? When was she at odds with her relatives? When she was proud of a modest person, laughed at the weak, evaded the poor? She had nothing harsh in her eyes, nothing imprudent in words, nothing indecent in actions: her body movements are modest, her tread is quiet, her voice is even; so Her bodily appearance was an expression of the soul, the personification of purity.
Saint Dionysius the Areopagite, who three years after his conversion to Christianity, was honored to see the Blessed Virgin Mary face to face in Jerusalem, describes this meeting as follows: and such a wonderful fragrance of various aromas spread around me that neither my feeble body, nor my spirit itself, could bear such great and abundant signs and the beginnings of eternal bliss and glory.
Saint Ignatius the God-bearer surprisingly accurately defines the essence of the blessed influence of the Mother of God on ordinary mortal people: "In Her, the nature of the angels was combined with the human."
From the legends and memoirs of the contemporaries of the Blessed Virgin, a completely visible image emerges. The church historian Nicephorus Kallistos verbally described him as follows: “She was of medium height, golden-shaped hair, quick eyes, with pupils, as it were, the color of an olive tree, arched and moderately black eyebrows, an oblong nose, blooming lips, full of sweet speeches; her face was neither round nor sharp. , but somewhat oblong, arms and fingers long".
At all times, the holy fathers of the Church expressed their genuine admiration for the image of the Most Pure Theotokos of our Ever-Virgin Mary. For example, the great theologian of the Orthodox Church, St. John of Damascus (7th century) says: “God, the highest and purest light, loved her so much that through the invasion of the Holy Spirit he essentially united with Her, and was born from Her a perfect man, without changing or mixing properties ".
It is these properties, specifically defined and named by the venerable chroniclers of the church, the holy fathers and contemporaries of the Virgin Mary, that are present in every icon of the Mother of God, corresponding to one or another event in Her life, this or that feast of the Mother of God, this or that phenomenon associated with Her.
The first icon painter, who left the most accurate image of the Mother of God, was the disciple of the Apostle Paul and his assistant, the holy Evangelist Luke. Pious believers wished to see the face of the Mother of God. Saint Luke paints the image of the Virgin Mary and presents it directly to Her. She, seeing the first icon of the Mother of God, or rather her image, involuntarily said: "The grace of the one who was born from Me and Mine will be with this icon!" Her blessing made the icons of the Mother of God graceful - giving the believing person good, deliverance from vice, filling the soul with divine light.
The history of the first icon is unique. She spent many years in Antioch, where believers first called themselves Christians. Further, the holy image moves to Jerusalem, and then ends up in Constantinople to the holy empress Pulcheria (in the middle of the first millennium). Together with their husband, Emperor Marcian, they erect three magnificent churches in Constantinople in honor of the Mother of God - Chalkopratea, Hodegetria and Blachernae. An icon painted by the holy evangelist Luke is placed in the temple of Hodegetria.
The Mother of God in the fate of Russia is like a mother for a baby. There is a special mystery in the veneration of the Mother of God by the Russian people. It lies in the hope of all-powerful maternal intercession before God. After all, the Almighty is not only a great benefactor, but also a formidable judge. Among Russians, who have in their character such a most valuable trait as repentance, God-fearing has always coexisted with God-love. Like a mother, a God-fearing sinful person asks for the protection of the Mother of God, going to the judgment of the Lord. A person knows his sins, for this God has given him a conscience. It is the great Intercessor, Defender, Savior - the Mother of God - who helps to answer to God for sins. It seems to soften the punishment, but it exposes a person's conscience. When the poet says that "Russia cannot be understood with the mind," he means precisely Conscience. This vulnerable and completely non-material "structure" - the divine essence, the Russians entrusted to the Mother of God.
There is no more glorified name in Russia than the Most Holy Lady and Ever-Virgin Mary. From the very beginning of Russian history, the main cathedral churches have been dedicated to the Mother of God. Byzantine masters are erecting, at the command of the Mother of God herself, the Assumption Cathedral in the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. The desire of the Mother of God to stay in Russia is attested in the Kiev-Pechersk Patericon. And since then, people in Russia began to consider their Fatherland - the House of the Most Holy Theotokos.
The veneration of the Mother of God is accomplished primarily through icons. Only in the church calendar there are about three hundred revered icons of the Mother of God. Each has its own name. There is almost no day in the year that this day is not illuminated by the celebration of one or another icon of the Mother of God.
The outcome of great historical events is associated with the miraculous influence of the icons of the Virgin. The Don Icon helped in the Battle of Kulikovo; in the salvation of Moscow from Tamerlane and during the great standing on the Ugra - Vladimirskaya; in the Time of Troubles, during the expulsion of the Poles from Moscow - Kazanskaya; with the approval of the ruling dynasty of the Romanovs - Feodorovskaya; in the Battle of Poltava - Kaplunovskaya. In 1917, on the day of the abdication of the Tsar-Martyr Nicholas II from the throne, it was as if the Mother of God Herself, appearing unexpectedly in the form of the Sovereign, took upon herself the succession of power of the Russian State. But many people have not preserved this holy image, they have not preserved themselves.
For a Russian person, the saving property of the Mother of God has always been revered, as the blessing of his own mother. The people entrusted their souls and all of themselves to the Theotokos. The icons of the Mother of God were treated as a living shrine, and therefore they were often given their own names, like a person.
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What measure of grief and suffering can an earthly woman endure? Early orphanhood, life at the temple, suspicions of a spouse about treason - this is the beginning of the life path of the Most Holy Theotokos. The Virgin Mary endured a lot of grief and suffering... The bullying of the crowd over the Son, his martyrdom and long years of life without Him testify to the suffering of the Mother. Her sacrificial love and endless patience helped her rise to the highest spiritual level.
The icons of the Most Holy Theotokos seem to be shining and humble. Her experiences, hardships, sufferings were replaced by Heavenly glory and the joy of the reunion of the Mother with the Son. The miraculous icons of the Mother of God are revered in many cities and countries. They alleviate sorrow and bring faith, heal sickness and reward forgiveness. Prayers at the image of the Virgin help the soldiers on the battlefields, save them from enemies. At the same time, they give simple family joys and comfort in troubles.
In the Orthodox calendar, many days are marked by the veneration of the miraculous icons of the Mother of God. Through her face, she does good deeds, changes the fate of people, saves the fallen. Icons of the Most Holy Theotokos differ from each other. There are 4 main types of such icons.
Hodegetria (translated from Greek - Guide). On the icon of this type, the Mother of God holds the Christ Child, pointing at him with her hand. Her eyes reflect the whole life of a Christian. The most famous images of this type are the Smolensk, Georgian and Kazan icons of the Most Holy Theotokos.
Eleusa (translated from Greek - Merciful). Here the Mother of God clung to the Baby, they embrace each other. This image is a symbol of the love of the Mother and the Son, their unity. The most famous icons of Eleus are Vladimirskaya, Donskoy Mother of God.
Oranta (translated from Greek - Sign). In the iconography of this view, the Mother of God raised her hands to heaven in a prayerful impulse. The baby has not yet been born, but is already present on the medallion, symbolizing the divine and human principles. The most famous icons are "Inexhaustible Chalice", "Yaroslavskaya Oranta".
The akathist view of the icon is a collective image. It is created in iconography under the impression of the gospel texts. This is more like an illustration of the actions of the Virgin, her participation in the fate of the Son. Bright icons of this type are “Unexpected Joy”, “Burning Bush”, “All creation rejoices over you”.
Icons of the Mother of God in Russia were the most widespread. This explains such an abundance of images of the Mother of God. Her face is loved and revered by the people. She is considered a protector, comforter and intercessor. The image of the Mother of God carries love, forgiveness to all sinners and repentants.
They turn to the Holy Image in sorrows and illnesses, asking for protection from enemies and ill-wishers. Prayers before the icons of the Most Holy Theotokos help women during pregnancy, give easy childbirth and health to children. Men come for patronage and comfort. Each of the miraculous icons of the Virgin is able to help after sincere prayer.
Before the image of the "Recovery of the Lost" they pray for headaches, toothaches, for dying children, a blessed marriage, for aversion from alcohol addiction.
Before the icon of the Theodore Mother of God, they ask for relief from difficult childbirth. The Ostrabramskaya Mother of God will protect marriage from evil forces, make it prosperous. The “Burning Bush” will save the house from fires. The “Sign of the Most Holy Theotokos” icon protects against public troubles, protects from danger, helps mothers, and gives happiness to their children.
The image of the Vladimir Mother of God brought victory to the Russian troops over Tamerlane in 1395. They say that the miraculous icon frightened the enemy, and the hordes of the khan simply fled.
The image of the Don Mother of God helped on the day of the Battle of Kulikovo in 1380. And in 1558, Ivan the Terrible prayed for a long time before going to Kazan. The icon gave victory to the Russian troops and the capture of the city.
There are many ready-made prayers that are read before the face of the Virgin. These are requests for help, glorification of the Mother during church holidays, Akathists. They are so simple that with constant reading they are easy to learn by heart.
There are prayers:
This is only a small part of the prayers with which the people turn to the image. Icons of the Most Holy Theotokos are considered miraculous for a reason. There are known facts when the image helped in the cure of serious illnesses, gave faith, patience.
The Mother of God is the protector and intercessor. If you approach the image with a pure heart, bright thoughts, then the reward will not keep you waiting. Prayers can be read at home, in front of the home iconostasis. Or in church, after the service. The formal pronunciation of the words of the text does not grant a miracle. Only sincere faith in the power of God will help the fulfillment of the request.
The clergy assure that if the text of the prayer is difficult to learn, then it can be read in written form. Or state the request in your own words. We should not forget that after the fulfillment of a desire, it is necessary to come to the icon and thank.
The icon represents the connection between God and man. This is an opportunity to join the Grace and receive it. This is faith in a happy deliverance from torment and sinfulness. This is an understanding that only suffering can purify the soul, bring peace to the heart, teach patience and forgiveness.
The miraculous icon is the concentration of Divine power. Not all images have survived to this day. And not all icons, being miraculous, were recognized by the church administration. There must be undeniable facts of healing, evidence of power in order for the image to be officially recognized. Only after that the icon receives the status of miraculous. Basically, such testimonies tell about healing during an epidemic, about saving the state from enemies or curing various diseases.
Miraculous icons of the Most Holy Theotokos can be found in different cities and countries of the world. They come to them with requests, prayers, hopes. They are united by the power of an image that is capable of introducing a miracle into ordinary human life.
Evidence of the Dormition (bodily transmigration) of the Theotokos can be found in various sources. However, Scripture does not say anything about this. Only the facts are known that during the VI Ecumenical Council it was decided to open the tomb. In it they saw only funeral clothes and a holy belt. The latter can still be found on the holy Mount Athos (Greece) in the monastery of Vatopedi.
Before her death, the Archangel Gabriel appeared to the Mother of God with the news that her life path would end in 3 days. Then the Lord will take her to himself. The funeral of the Theotokos took place in the Garden of Gethsemane. The sick, touching her bed, were healed. And 3 days after the funeral, the apostles did not find her body in the cave, only burial clothes remained there.
On August 28, the image of the Assumption of the Most Holy Theotokos is celebrated. The icon is exhibited in churches in Moscow and Kiev.
The image helps to cope with the fear of death. You can ask for strengthening faith, humility. Getting rid of diseases also grants the "Assumption of the Most Holy Theotokos." The icon, among other things, helps to comprehend one's deeds, strengthen one's virtues, and worthily walk one's life path.
This name of the image is associated with the events of 1170. Troops besieged Veliky Novgorod. The townspeople prayed unceasingly for salvation. The Archbishop of Novgorod, while asking for help, heard the command of the Mother of God to raise her icon to the city walls. The face was taken to the wall, turned to the enemy troops. One of the arrows hit the image. The miraculous icon turned away from the attackers, depriving them of light and Grace. She turned to the besieged, granting them the miracle of salvation. At the same moment, confusion occurred in the camp of the enemy, fear seized them, and the enemies were defeated.
The miraculous icon "The Sign of the Most Holy Theotokos" protects soldiers and the population in military conflicts. Helps travelers, reconciles the warring. Saves from diseases during epidemics, heals with eye diseases, blindness.
Annunciation is good news. Archangel Gabriel informs the Virgin Mary that Grace visited her. She will give birth to the Son of God and call him Jesus. The feast day of this miraculous icon falls on April 7th.
There is a legend according to which on the wall of one of the Kremlin towers during the reign of Ivan the Terrible there was the appearance of the icon of the Annunciation. It was in this tower that the unjustly accused governor was imprisoned. He prayed and asked for a miracle. In confirmation of his innocence, there was the appearance of the face of the Mother of God.
The icon of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos survived a fire in 1737. Then the Church of the Annunciation and the Tsar Bell burned down. But the icon remained untouched by the flames. It can be found in the temples of such cities:
They pray to the miraculous icon for deliverance from imprisonment and unjust attacks, for the healing of spiritual and bodily diseases, for sorrows and temptations.
According to legend, this image was painted by the Apostle Luke. Allegedly, during the life of the Virgin, with her blessing, Luke created from 3 to 70 faces of the Mother.
The Virgin Mary had four inheritances - Iberia (Georgia), Athos, Kievan Rus, Diveevo monastery. There she was supposed to carry the word of God and sermons. The Mother of God did not manage to visit everywhere during her lifetime. But even after her death, she participated in the spread of the Christian faith with signs and visions.
The Iberian Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos "The Goalkeeper" is a symbol of the protection of all true believers. She appears as an intercessor, guardian, comforter in all troubles and misfortunes.
The Iberian icon of the Most Holy Theotokos is in the churches of Moscow, St. Petersburg, Samara, Rostov-on-Don, Orel. There is it in the churches of Novgorod, Kursk, Pskov, Tambov regions. The days of celebration fall on February 25, October 26 and on Tuesday of Bright Week.
There are many written and oral testimonies of healing after prayer. The icon helps to find the strength in oneself for repentance, purification. Sinners come to her in search of a righteous path, with requests for protection and consolation. The icon relieves from bodily and mental illnesses. Before her, you can pray for the preservation of the house from fires, floods and other disasters.
The icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary "The Goalkeeper" leaves riddles to this day. In 1981, a Greek monk created an image copied from the original. The icon turned out to be myrrh-streaming. It was brought to Montreal (Canada) in 1982 by Joseph Muñoz Cortes. After akathists, prayers before the image, severe, incurable diseases (leukemia, paralysis) were healed. The icon brought people back to spiritual life, delivered them from unbelief. In 1997, the keeper of the image of Cortes was killed. The icon has disappeared.
There are several well-known miraculous icons "Tenderness". Many lists have been made from them, which do not lose their fertile power.
The Smolensk icon "Tenderness of the Most Holy Theotokos" appeared in 1103. Polish invaders besieged the city. For 20 whole months, with the help of the miraculous image, the Smolensk troops held Smolensk, did not surrender it to the enemies.
The Pskov-Pechora Icon is famous for its miraculous healings. In the annals of Pskov and Veliky Novgorod, evidence dated 1524 has been preserved.
The Serafimo-Diveevo icon "Tenderness of the Most Holy Theotokos" was in the cell of the holy elder Seraphim of Sarov until his death. After that, several lists were made, which later also turned out to be miraculous. With oil from the lamp burning in front of the icon, the elder of Sarov anointed the sick, and they were cured.
The Novgorod icon "Tenderness" in 1337 hovered in the air above the church doors. Tears dripped from her eyes. Later in the same year, a pestilence began in the city. The townspeople prayed to the holy image to intercede for them. Soon the disease receded.
Prayer before the icon helps in troubles and misfortunes. Eliminates temptations, saves marriage. Gives pregnancy and easy childbirth. This image is considered feminine and helps in many illnesses and sorrows. Relieves eye diseases, blindness. Almost all the miraculous images of the Virgin are able to heal bodily and mental illnesses after prayers and Akathists.
Prophecies about the birth of the Virgin, who will become the mother of the Messiah, are already heard in the Old Testament. She came from an ancient family, which included many high priests, patriarchs, kings. Jokaim and Anna, the parents of the Mother of God, had no children for a long time. They earnestly prayed for a child to be born into the family. After 50 years of marriage, they were given the happy news of the conception and birth of the Queen of Heaven.
The icon "Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary" tells of a joyful event. The birth and the whole subsequent life of Mary are imbued with faith, calmness, patience. No wonder she is considered an intercessor, comforter of all Christians and lost souls. The day of celebration is September 21st.
Often the icon "Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos" gave desperate parents a long-awaited child. Any prayer before the image is able to calm, heal the soul from insults and injustice. Especially effective are requests for lost souls, the return of faith, cleansing from sins, and the granting of spiritual and moral foundations. Prayers for children, family reunification, elimination of grievances and quarrels between spouses will also be heard.
Icons of the Most Holy Theotokos personify the unity of God and man. As a simple woman, she gave birth to the Savior, as the Holy Virgin Mary stood next to him in Heaven. This is a combination of higher spirituality and understanding of human weaknesses. The image of the Mother of God is a collective image of a mother who knows how to forgive her children, stand up for them, understand them. Therefore, there are so many icons, prayers, holidays, memorable dates dedicated to the Mother of God.
Priests teach that there is no greater suffering on earth than to stand by and see the death of one's own child. The Most Holy Theotokos passed through the torments of sacrifice to spiritual transformation. The icon, whose meaning lies not in external brilliance, but in internal virtues, teaches the laity a lot...
The Mother of God spent her whole life in humility and patience. She lost her parents early. She married a widower whose sons did not love her, did not believe in Divine Grace. Her meekness and suffering became an amazing combination of earthly spirituality and heavenly holiness.
Formal reading of prayers, indifferent church attendance will not give the favor of the Virgin. Only by repentance, a pure heart, sincere love can one achieve the intercession of the Virgin.
The miraculous icons of the Most Holy Theotokos teach humanity, the ability to remain virtuous in all life situations. With humility endure difficulties, trials and know that even in sin you can repent and regain Grace.
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 ascending to heaven, believers began to pray to the Mother of God, asking for help in various situations.
For believers, the Mother of God is the main intercessor before her Son and Lord. She is the woman who gave birth 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, as a loving mother, worries about her children. More than once there was a phenomenon of the Virgin Mary, which was accompanied by miracles. There are many icons, temples and monasteries created in honor of the Mother of God.
A lot of information is known about the life of the Virgin, 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:
There are many symbols that are related to the Virgin:
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, and so, according to legend, the Holy Spirit descended from heaven to her, and an immaculate conception occurred, thanks to which original sin did not pass to Jesus Christ. In Orthodoxy, the Immaculate Conception is not accepted as a dogma, and it is believed that the Mother of God was freed from sin through contact with Divine grace.
It is not possible to find details regarding how the birth of the Virgin 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 without 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 near the Mother of God, she herself took the child in her arms.
The most famous apparition 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 number of inexplicable incidents, for example, the sun was observed to move erratically across the sky. During the conversation, the Mother of God revealed three secrets. The predictions of the Virgin Mary of Fatima have been revealed at different times:
There are a huge number of prayer texts addressed to the Mother of God. She helps believers cope with various problems, as 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:
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 to repentance for sinful people and asked to build a church. She pointed out to the girl where the healing spring was. Bernadette was canonized only 10 years after her death.
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 be serious, since it is better not to disturb the Higher Forces over trifles. 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 to yourself. The sacred text, when read regularly, inspires hope and gives strength not to give up in a difficult situation.
Human life is filled with different situations that are not always positive. Women are the guardians of the family hearth, therefore, representatives of the fair sex should pray for the well-being of their relatives. The Blessed Virgin Mary will help reconcile people, and another will protect from quarrels and family destruction. With the help of the presented prayer, you can protect yourself and loved ones from various negative things from the outside.
There is a huge amount of testimonies of believers who confirm that sincere prayer 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 it.
Many girls who are in search of a soul mate turn to the Most Holy Theotokos so that she conveys petitions to the Lord and helps to improve their personal lives. She is considered the main intercessor 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 will also save relationships from various problems and help build a happy family.
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 of the mother will be a strong protection against diseases and various problems.
The feminine principle, the image of a woman-mother, the giver of life, is revered in all world religions. So, in ancient Greece it became in this way, in Asia they prayed to the goddess Cybele, in Egypt the supreme feminine principle personified. The Christian religion is no exception. The image of the Blessed Virgin Mary contains both the divine miracle of the birth of life and the earthly path of an ordinary woman, whose fate turned out to be far from cloudless.
The father of the Mother of God was Joachim, a man of faith and righteousness. A mother named Anna, like her husband, always followed the letter of the Law of God. This family lived in complete harmony, only one thing overshadowed the existence of the spouses: the absence of children. For many years, Anna and Joachim prayed that the Lord would send them a child, but the prayers were in vain. The suffering of the childless couple was intensified by the ridicule of those around them, who did not miss a chance to slander over the grief of this righteous couple.
Anna and Joachim lived in marriage for almost 50 years and already despaired of having a child. But one day Anna, walking in the garden, saw an angel. He promised the surprised woman that she would soon become a mother, and her child would be known to the whole world. Anna hurried home to tell her husband about the vision. Imagine Anna's surprise when it turned out that Joachim also saw an angel announcing that the prayers for the child had been heard.
After some time, Anna really became pregnant. Then the couple made a vow that they would give the newborn to the service of the Lord. The daughter was born on time and received the name Maria (in Hebrew, this name is pronounced Miriam and is translated as “beautiful”, “strong”). The neighbors of Joachim and Anna began to gossip again, this time marveling at the miracle.
The couple raised their daughter and prepared to fulfill the promise. Three years later, they gave little Mary to be raised in the Jerusalem temple. Surprisingly, the girl easily overcame fifteen steps to the gates of the temple, which were sometimes difficult even for adults.
A few years later, the righteous Anna and Joachim died. Maria continued to live at the temple, studying with other girls in a special school. Here, young pupils were taught the basics of science, taught the Word of God, and also prepared for worldly life, housekeeping and raising children. Until the age of 12, Maria lived within the walls of this school. Best of all, the girl was given sewing. There is a legend that it was she who was entrusted with sewing a curtain and a coverlet for the temple sanctuary.
Given such an upbringing, an enviable bride should have grown out of Mary - hardworking, pious and educated. But such a fate did not attract the girl, and she took a vow of celibacy. This created certain difficulties: mature girls were not allowed to live at the temple, and the grown-up Mary had to leave God's house.
But it was impossible for her to live alone according to the laws of that time. The priests, who became attached to the pupil, found a way out: Mary was married off to the elderly widower Joseph, who, due to his age, had to keep the girl clean, allowing her not to break the word given to God.
At first, the elder was not happy about the young bride who fell on his head. In addition, the man was afraid of gossip behind his back and ridicule from relatives and neighbors - the age difference was so great. However, Joseph did not dare to contradict the will of the priests and took Mary into the house, calling him his wife.
After some time, Joseph, who worked as a carpenter, left the house for several months, going to the next construction site. Maria, remaining on the farm, looked after the order, wove and prayed a lot. According to legend, during a prayer, an angel appeared to the girl, who told about the imminent birth of her son.
The boy, according to the angel, was to become the savior of people, those whose arrival the Jews had long expected. Mary was embarrassed by this revelation, because she remained a virgin. To which she was answered that she would suffer from a higher power, and not from a male seed. This day in the Christian tradition became the feast of the Annunciation - in memory of the good news that the Virgin Mary received.
And indeed, Maria soon realized that she was pregnant. The woman did not yet realize the role that her son was to play, but she understood that she had become a participant in a real miracle of the Immaculate Conception.
Joseph, who returned home some time later, immediately noticed the changes that had taken place in his wife. This kind man did not immediately believe Maria's story, deciding that the naive girl simply became a victim of deception by some neighbor young man who seduced her.
The old man did not blame his wife and even wanted to secretly let her leave the city so that she would not become a victim of justice: treason in those days was severely punished, an unfaithful woman could be stoned and whipped. Then an angel appeared to the carpenter, telling about the immaculate conception of Mary. This convinced Joseph of the innocence of his wife, and he allowed the girl to stay.
Shortly before the due date, Caesar Augustus announced a general census of the population. For this, people had to come to Bethlehem on their own. Joseph and Mary set out on their journey. Arriving at the place, they found that the city was simply crowded with crowds of people. It was not possible to find a place to stay for the night, and the couple decided to spend the night in a cave in which the shepherds hid their cattle from the rain.
Virgin Mary with baby Jesus It was there that Mary gave birth to a son. The first cradle for the boy was a nursery for feeding animals. That same night, the star of Bethlehem shone over the cave, the light of which told people about the appearance of a miracle on earth. In addition, the light of the star of Bethlehem was seen by the Magi, who immediately set off on their journey to personally bow to the newborn Son of God and offer gifts to him.
Seven days later, as required by the law of the time, the baby was circumcised and given a name. The son of the Virgin Mary was named. Then the boy was brought to the church to present to God and bring the traditional sacrifice. A certain elder Simeon, who also came to the temple that day, blessed the baby, realizing who was in front of him. To Mary, he allegorically hinted that both she and her son were destined for a difficult fate.
While the Holy Virgin Mary with her husband and newborn baby was in Bethlehem, the cruel and ambitious King Herod learned about the birth of the Son of God. However, the soothsayers who told Herod about the miracle that had happened could not answer the question in whose family Jesus was born.
Then, without hesitation, the king ordered the destruction of all newborns that are only in Bethlehem. Joseph was warned of the impending disaster by an angel who again appeared to the elder in a dream. Then the carpenter with Mary and the baby took refuge in Egypt, and only when the danger had passed did he return with his family to his native Nazareth.
About the further biography of the Virgin in the Gospel is written sparingly. It is known that Mary accompanied Jesus Christ everywhere, supporting him and helping to carry the Word of God to people. Also, the woman was present at the miracle that Jesus performed, turning water into wine.
Obviously, Mary had a hard time: the constant sermons that her son delivered did not always evoke a good response in people. Often, Jesus and those who accompanied him had to endure the ridicule and aggression of those who did not want to accept the postulates of religion.
On the day when Jesus Christ was crucified by the executioners, Mary felt the pain of her son and even fainted when the nails pierced his palms. And although the Mother of God knew from the very beginning that Jesus was destined to accept torment for the sins of people, the mother's heart could hardly withstand such suffering.
Mary spent the rest of her life on Mount Athos, preaching among the pagans and carrying the Word of God. Now a large complex of monasteries and cathedrals has been built on that site, each of which contains evidence of miracles revealed by the Mother of God: numerous miraculous icons (some of them, according to legend, are not made by hands), the belt of the Virgin (kept in the Vatoped monastery), as well as the relics of people , canonized by the church as saints.
At the end of her life, Mary spent all her days in prayer, asking her son to take her to him. One day, an angel appeared to the woman again, announcing that her prayers had been heard, and after three days her wish would be granted. Mary, who happily accepted the news of her imminent death, devoted three days to saying goodbye to those who were dear to her.
On the appointed day, Mary, lying on her deathbed, dutifully awaited her fate. People close to her gathered around her. All of them witnessed a new miracle: Jesus Christ himself descended from heaven to take his mother with him. Mary's soul left her body and ascended into the Kingdom of God. The body that remained on the bed seemed to glow with grace.
Ascension of the Virgin Mary According to the records of the historian Eusebius of Caesarea, Mary died in the year 48 after the birth of Christ, but there are other written testimonies that name both earlier and later dates. According to biblical tradition, the Mother of God lived for 72 years.
Some time later, the apostles discovered that the body of the Virgin Mary had disappeared from the burial cave. On the same day, the Mother of God appeared to them and announced that her body had been taken up to heaven after her soul, so that she could become a Holy Intercessor before God for people in need of help. Since then, the day of the Assumption of the Virgin is considered one of the main Christian holidays.
According to the traditions of Muslims (who revere Christ not as the Son of God, but as one of the prophets), Jesus (or Isa) performed the first miracle while still in the womb of the Virgin Mary. This happened on the day of childbirth, when the Mother of God was already completely exhausted from pain. Then Isa pointed out to the woman a spring created by God and a date palm covered with fruits. Water and dates strengthened Mary's strength and eased the suffering in childbirth.
On some icons, the Mother of God is depicted with lily flowers in her hands. This flower was not chosen by chance: the lily is considered a symbol of chastity, purity and purity.
The description of the appearance of the Virgin Mary is preserved in the works of the church historian Nicephorus Callistus. Judging by the notes of this person, the Mother of God was of medium height. The Virgin's hair shone with gold, while her eyes, lively and quick, were the color of olives. Nikifor also noted Mary's "juicy lips, arched eyebrows and long arms and fingers."
After the earthly death of the Mother of God, several places remained, which, according to legend, are considered the inheritance of the Virgin Mary. These are Mount Athos, the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, Iberia (now it is the territory of Georgia) and the Seraphim-Diveevsky Monastery. It is believed that prayers read in one of these destinies will certainly be heard by the Mother of God.
December 8 - the day of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary - is even declared a non-working day in some countries. From European countries, such a decision was made by Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Spain. On this day, divine services and prayers are read in Catholic churches and Orthodox churches. This day is also considered a public holiday in Argentina and East Timor.
Despite the fact that Mount Athos is considered one of the earthly inheritances of the Virgin Mary, women are not allowed to enter the territory of the monastery complexes. This rule is even enshrined in law, and violators will face severe punishment (up to and including imprisonment). However, this ban was violated twice: during the civil war in Greece (then women and children took refuge in the forests on the slopes of the mountain) and during the period of Turkish rule over these territories.
