The Mother of God has been the most revered in Russia since ancient times. Her image is depicted on many icons, without which no temple can do. Even in the smallest and poorest village church there was an icon of the Mother of God. This attitude continues to this day, especially since among the Orthodox there is a belief in the special power of this image. Prayers are especially often offered before the image of the Virgin of a woman. After all, who else but She, who gave birth to Jesus, can understand the troubles, anxieties and requests of all the women of the world. To date, there are several standard images of the Blessed Virgin depicted on icons. The most tender and touching is considered "Tenderness". Prayer in front of this image has a special power, thanks to which almost all requests are fulfilled. Many parishioners say that only faith in the Blessed Virgin helped them save their families, give birth to a long-awaited baby, or restore he alth to their loved ones. But how is it right to offer a prayer to the icon"Tenderness of the Most Holy Theotokos"? We will tell readers about this in the article.
Features of the look
Icon painters depicted the Blessed Virgin in different images, conveying her state at certain periods of her life. Depending on this, the icons received names, under which they entered history. The icon “Tenderness of the Most Holy Theotokos” (we will talk about prayer a little later) evokes the brightest feelings in any believer, as it depicts the Mother of God at the moment when she had already received the news that a new life was born in her womb. The feeling of holiness from the miracle that happened fills the Blessed Virgin and is clearly read in her entire pose.
For all the time that has passed since the baptism of Russia, the icon "Tenderness" (we will give a prayer a little later) had several spellings. But the most famous is the image that today is in the Cathedral of Seraphim of Sarov. We will tell our readers about it.
The icon depicts the Mother of God alone. The hands of the Blessed Virgin are crossed on her chest, it seems that she is saying a prayer. The icon "Tenderness of the Virgin" carries great power, because the feelings that any mother experiences when she finds out that there is already a child inside her are difficult to describe in words. The whole pose of the Blessed Virgin testifies to contact with the divine. She slightly lowered her head and eyes, which is perceived as a gesture of chastity, humility, kindness, restraint and kindness. This image is the best suited for young mothers, so in front of the icon"Tenderness" prayer is often said by women for the he alth of children, their well-being or the long-awaited conception.
Story of the look
The exact date of creation of the icon "Tenderness", prayers before which have special power, is unknown. Experts believe that it was written in the eighteenth century in a style characteristic of Western icon painting. However, it was this image that Seraphim of Sarov greatly revered. The holy elder kept it in his cell and daily offered up prayers to the Mother of God in front of the Tenderness icon. He believed that it was the Mother of God who could help in healing the sick, and therefore the oil from the icon lamp standing in front of the image became healing. Seraphim of Sarov smeared them with wounds and sore spots of those who came to him for help. It is authentically known that all those who asked were healed. The elder himself was sure that this miracle was happening not so much through his prayers, but through the mercy of the Blessed Virgin.
The icon itself was painted on a plain canvas. For its fastening, an unknown master chose a strong cypress board. In this form, the image was in the cell of the holy elder. At the end of his life, he stood almost around the clock in front of the icon in prayer, and it was in this way that Seraphim of Sarov left this world. The monks found his lifeless body in front of the icon of the Virgin.
The fate of the icon in the twentieth century
The death of the holy elder became a turning point in the fate of the image of the Blessed Virgin. He was transferred with honors to the Holy Trinity Cathedral, where he was placed in a place specially built for this. The nuns believed that with the icon "Tenderness" the prayer to the Mother of God reaches the Almighty much faster. During the service, the nuns who lived in the monastery stood behind the kliros and it was from there that they turned to the Blessed Virgin. This tradition has continued for several decades.
In the early twentieth century, Emperor Nicholas II bestowed elegant vestments on the icon. Now she appeared before the parishioners in a gilded riza. Next to the image was a carved silver lamp, which was also a gift from members of the imperial family.
After the canonization of Seraphim of Sarov, the ministers of the church turned their attention to the icon, so revered by the elder. They ordered to make several lists from the image. Thus, in different monasteries and churches in Russia, their own icon "Tenderness" appeared. The parishioners now tried to offer prayers to the Mother of God precisely at this image.
The revolution led to the closure of the monastery in which the icon was located. To avoid the loss of the shrine and outrage against it, the abbess secretly took it to Murom, where it was kept almost until the nineties of the last century.
Return of the image of the Mother of God to the people
During the period of spiritual rebirth, the image was again remembered. Moreover, since ancient times, its miraculous power has also been known. The icon was handed over to the Moscow Patriarch Alexei II. He placed it in his church, but regularly several times a year the image is transferred to the Cathedral of the Epiphany. This is done on special days of honoring the Mother of God, on church holidays and other dates. Usually on such days in order to lift up at the icon"Tenderness" prayer of the Mother of God, a lot of people gather. In the cathedral, it is difficult for parishioners to push through, but no one complains, since the icon is really capable of working miracles, everyone wants to kneel before it.
In the twentieth century, many lists were made from it. Therefore, in almost any Russian church you can find this image and pray in front of it.
Icon "Tenderness of the Mother of God": meaning and prayer
Celebrations in honor of this image are held three times a year: the twenty-second of December, the first and tenth of August.
If we talk about the meaning of the icon, then it is considered primarily female. All prayers in front of the image are usually aimed at preserving the family, good disposition, gaining a good husband and giving birth to he althy children. The Blessed Virgin, with her power, protects girls and women from everything dark and evil. She is a real Intercessor for the representatives of the beautiful half of humanity.
What should the Mother of God pray for?
Many Orthodox claim that any prayer at the icon of the Mother of God has incredible power, because the Blessed Virgin does not refuse to help anyone. It is important that the heart of the asker be cleansed of evil and unkind thoughts.
You can pray to the Mother of God for many things:
- First of all, about healing. The icon "Tenderness" in combination with sincere and fervent prayer can save a person from almost any disease.
- About the relationship with children. Often, in adolescence, our beloved children seriously change, and relations with them deteriorate. Overcome this period without lossparents don't always succeed. Therefore, it is necessary to seek help, which the Mother of God will always provide to caring mothers and fathers.
- On the relief of mental anguish. Throughout life, we face different situations and troubles. Many of them leave ugly scars on the heart and soul. They hurt for a long time, making it impossible to live openly and happily.
- About the conception of a baby and easy childbirth. Naturally, the Mother of God provides all kinds of assistance in all matters related to conception and childbearing.
- About a successful marriage. If a girl wants to find her betrothed and get married once and for all, then she needs to turn her prayers to the “Tenderness of the Most Holy Theotokos.”
Of course, the listed items on the list are just the main problems that the Mother of God helps to cope with. Many offer her prayers for tenderness of evil hearts. Such prayers save the soul of a person from sorrows, anger, immorality and bad thoughts. Gradually, it is filled with peace and harmony, and actions acquire a certain orderliness and cease to run counter to all moral norms.
Orthodox people often say that the image itself, even after a brief prayer, fills their souls with touchingness and tenderness. But this is precisely the main purpose of this icon.
Miracles bestowed by the icon
We have already mentioned in the article about the meaning and prayers at the icon "Tenderness of the Mother of God". But the clergy claim that any image of the Mother of God is miraculous, since in the Orthodoxchronicles preserved a lot of evidence of how the Blessed Virgin helped people and at the same time performed real miracles.
For example, in the fourteenth century, a terrible pestilence came to Novgorod. People died in families every day, and the living did not have time to bury the dead. Historians claim that it was a plague that claimed millions of lives throughout Europe. There was no escape from her. Frightened and exhausted, the Novgorodians went to the Trinity Monastery, where they locked themselves up for several days, indulging in prayer before the icon of the Mother of God. She heeded the prayer of the people, and soon the terrible disease receded. In memory of this miracle, the Orthodox residents of the city once a year go through the procession to the Trinity Monastery, where they praise the Mother of God for the salvation of the Novgorodians.
Stories about how icons with images of the Blessed Virgin began to stream myrrh were also documented. This happened in difficult times for the country and testified to the need to unite the people. After all, it was only by common efforts that it was possible to defeat the enemy and cope with any other misfortune. There are interesting cases of how the image from the icon seemed to separate and begin to soar in the air. A large number of people became witnesses of such miracles.
Another interesting story is connected with the icon of the Mother of God, dating back to our times. Once, a seriously ill woman came to the family where the shrine with the face of the Mother of God was kept. She was diagnosed with advanced cancer. No one gave good forecasts, but the doctors nevertheless prescribed an operation. Fearing for her life, the woman began to pray to the Mother of God. Her words were hotbut the prayer is sincere. Having received peace of mind, the patient went to her home. Before surgery, she underwent a complete examination, which shocked the doctors. They did not find a single cancer cell in the woman's body. She was declared completely he althy, and her healing was classified as miraculous.
The Orthodox Church keeps a lot of such stories, so it is quite natural that Russians treat the face of the Mother of God with special awe and love.
Where is the Orthodox shrine?
We think you have already understood that there are a large number of “Tenderness” icons, but among them, especially revered ones stand out, with various miracles associated with their history. If you need the help of the Blessed Virgin, then you should go to where such icons are stored.
One of these places is the Cathedral of St. Seraphim of Sarov. The temple is located in Golitsyn, and the temple is quite easy to get to by any public transport. The icon is a list from the very image that was in the cell of the holy elder. Approximately in the middle of the last century, one of the nuns gave it to the icon painter. She kept the icon for a long time, but having lived to an advanced age and approaching death, she was afraid that the image would disappear as soon as she left this world.
The icon painter kept the shrine in his family for almost half a century. And at the time of the revival of the cathedral, he returned it to the monks. From that time on, the image took its original place and no longer left the walls of the temple. Interestingly, this face dates back to the nineteenth century. But despite the fact that the iconconsidered young enough to be of great cultural value.
In the Trinity Cathedral of the Seraphim-Diveevo Church there is a shrine, which women from different parts of Russia often come to bow to. This icon is known for its miracles, the nuns methodically and carefully record all the testimonies of the Orthodox, and today they have already accumulated into several volumes. The image was written a little over a hundred years ago. His authorship is given to the nuns. It is not known which of them could paint an icon, because in Russia it was mainly men who did this, and women icon painters were very rare.
If you are interested in the most famous and revered image of the Mother of God, then you need to come to the Epiphany Cathedral. It is here that the same “Tenderness” icon, the story of which we told in the article, is exhibited from time to time. However, it must be taken into account that the image is not in the cathedral all the time, and in order to bow to it, you need to wait for the holiday.
Prayers to the Blessed Virgin
Praying to the Mother of God can be done in different ways. She will accept any words coming from the heart. However, there are also special prayers that can be read in the temple in front of the icon or at home if necessary.
We present two texts in the article. The first is short and, as usual, is read in situations that do not require the serious intervention of the Virgin. With such a prayer, you can ask for protection for yourself and your loved ones, as well as getting rid of bad thoughts.
When a real trouble came to your house, and you can only deal with it by askingintercession of the Mother of God, then start reading the text of the next prayer. It suits any situations and problems that a person may encounter in his life.
Conclusion
In Orthodoxy, prayer work is highly valued. The clergy say that the soul can receive help only when it asks for it. Therefore, there is no need to give up hope even in cases where everything seems irreparable.
If your heart is seized with sadness, difficulties do not leave you, and troubles are knocking at the door of the house, then come to the temple and stand at the icon "Tenderness". You may feel better right away. Look at the image of the Mother of God and open your soul to her. It can be ordinary words or a memorized prayer, be sure that the Intercessor will hear you. And this means that miracles will enter your life. The main thing is to believe in them and trust the Blessed Virgin.
