Have you heard that Jesus Christ and the Blessed Virgin work miracles of healing to this day? How? The answer is pretty simple. Through their Holy Faces, and many people who got rid of illnesses that have been exhausting them for many years, this is confirmed. An example of these miraculous healings is the “Healer” icon, which has given life saving and helped seriously ill people for hundreds of years. We will dedicate our article to this priceless icon, which carries positive energy and an endless heavenly spirit.
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The icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary "Healer" is one of the oldest and most holy Holy Images. It was written during the time of St. Equal-to-the-Apostles Nina, who at that time was the enlightener of Georgia, in the 4th century. The “Healer” was kept and revered in the Tselikhan temple in Kartalinia, where people came who had lost hope of recovery.
Unfortunately, the original image of the icon of the 4th century could not be preserved, because a lot of time has passed. Therefore, to understand what was depicted onGeorgian original, it is rather difficult to say. Perhaps the Mother of God was represented on it, who bent over a sick person, in any case, no one will be able to tell about this. But one of the miraculous Faces of the Virgin “Healer” has survived to this day, which only at the end of the 18th century became famous in Russia. We will tell you the story of its origin below.
A Brief History of the Painting of the Miraculous Icon
This truly holy event took place in Moscow at the end of the 18th century. In those days, there lived a clergyman named Vikenty Bulveninsky. This man had an unusual habit that characterized him as a believer and truly devoted to St. Mary. So, as soon as he entered the church or left it, he immediately fell on his knees in front of the image of the Holy Mother of God and uttered the same words: “Hail, Mary! The Lord is with you! Blessed be thy womb that bore Christ, and the breasts that nursed Him, our Savior!”.
After some time, Vincent was overcome by a mortal illness, from which his tongue turned black, and the pains were so strong that they drove him crazy. As soon as the clergyman came to his senses, he immediately began to read a prayer to the Holy Virgin and the Lord, not for a second asking them for healing. One fine day, after Vincenty again came to his senses after another bout of pain, he began to pray to the Mother of God and noticed a silhouette standing at the head of his bed, which very much resembled an angel from heaven. Together with Vikenty who camebegan to pray and cry out to the Mother of God. After that, an inexplicable miracle happened - the Most Holy Theotokos, completely surrounded by light, appeared to them and healed Vincent.
Being completely he althy, the man went to the church, fell on his knees and began to pray. The clergy around him could not believe their eyes, because Vincent was foreshadowed by a painful death. "How did it happen?" people around him asked. The man told them the whole truth, which inspired everyone else to pray and thank the Most Holy Theotokos for giving them the opportunity to exist and walk on the Lord's land.
This miraculous healing was the reason for writing the icon "Healer", copies of which to this day adorn almost all hospital churches and chapels.
This story was described in a book called "Irrigated Fleece", which was written by St. Dmitry of Rostov.
Where is the Holy Face currently kept?
The icon "Healer" was glorified in Russia only in the 18th century. Every day, thousands of Christians came to call for her help and just pray. And in the most difficult situations, people who turned to her with a request for recovery were healed.
The “Healer” icon was first kept in Moscow on the territory of the Alekseevsky Convent. During the invasion of Napoleon, enemy grenadiers destroyed the monastery. Almost all buildings, except for the cathedral church, burned down. All church property, including icons, were buried underground. Above the pits, St. Magdaleneset up a bed with the sick. The occupiers were afraid to approach them, fearing to get infected, so all the shrines survived. After the enemies left Moscow, the monastery quickly recovered.
In the 19th century, in the 30s, it was decided to build the Cathedral of Christ the Savior on this site. In this regard, the monastery had to be moved to another place, to Krasnoe Selo (Upper Krasnoselskaya Street). In 1926, when all the churches were ruined by the Bolsheviks, the Novo-Alekseevsky Monastery also fell under demolition, so the “Healer” icon was transferred to the Church of the Resurrection of Christ, which is located in Sokolniki. The Holy Face is kept there to this day.
The healing power of the icons of the Virgin
An example of recovery from a miraculous icon was the case that occurred in 1962. One girl, the daughter of a priest, came down with an incurable disease of the spinal cord. But without losing hope, she, together with her father, prayed to the Holy Face and, finally, received healing.
What does the icon look like?
The icon of the Virgin "Healer" has many analogues. But, despite the written copies, the Faces of St. Mary still carry healing power. The original depicts the luminous Mother of God standing in front of the bed of the sick Vincent.
In 1889, I. Tomakov described the appearance of the Holy Face in his book "Archaeological and historical description of the Alekseevsky monastery." On the wings of the icon, God's Archangels are represented, who, as it were, support it. On the right - Gabriel, onleft - Michael. It is small in size, about 32 cm high and 27 cm wide. It is placed in a silver fold, decorated with gold and enamel decorations. There are many diamonds and other equally beautiful stones on the riza. The robe of the Virgin is studded with snow-white pearls. The icon itself is inserted into a stone pillar that supports the cathedral. In front of her, stone steps were built on both sides, and in front of Lika, 9 pompads are burning.
Icon "Healer". What helps?
It has long been customary to think that there is no special significance before which icon to pray, especially if it comes from a pure heart and with good intentions, because we do not lift up the icon itself, but the one who is represented on it.
There are a huge number of cases when the Mother of God herself appeared in a dream to a sick person and directed him to the icon in front of which one should pray. Those following her instructions were immediately healed.
As mentioned above, many faces were created in honor of the Mother of God, but the miracles that the “Healer” icon worked, the prayer before which helped many hopelessly ill, did not succumb to any logic. Those who pray before the Holy Face most often want to be healed of hopeless ailments, ask for a quick and painless birth, punish the offender, and also pray for the opportunity to breastfeed the baby.
History of the temple dedicated to the Holy Face
The Temple of the “Healer” Icon was erected in 1922 at the Research Institute of Clinical Psychiatry on Kashirskoye Highway in Moscow. roomfor the temple was built back in the 80s of the XX century, which was originally planned for the needs of the research institute. Funds for the construction were collected by the staff and management of the institute itself. People who are in the most difficult life circumstances can come there at any time and pray to the Holy Mother of God.
How to pray to Saint Mary for healing?
The icon of the Most Holy Theotokos "Healer" helped many hopelessly ill people to recover, but not everyone could be heard. What is it connected with? Let's figure it out.
- If you or your loved one has a serious illness, then you need to carry out a long course of prayers, from 40 days, for minor ailments - from 3 to 27.
- Read not as strangers tell you, but as your heart tells you.
- If, when reading a prayer, laziness overcomes you, it means that the disease being reprimanded resists, therefore, pull yourself together and continue to cry for help. This is a very important point.
- Prayer will be effective if you follow the phrases and words that you read, think about the person you are reading for, and also try to understand the meaning of what you are reading.
- Don't pray less than once a month or a week, it certainly won't help. You should call on the Mother of God daily.
- Read the prayers for at least 15 minutes, otherwise there is a chance that you will not be heard.
- Follow spiritual and bodily fasts.
- After reading the prayer, be sure to thank the Virgin.
HowIt was said earlier that the icon "Healer" saved the lives of many. The main thing is that in a difficult moment for you, do not lose faith in God and in no case lose heart. Pray, cry, hope, and you will definitely be heard, because it was not in vain that Jesus Christ always said that treating the sick is the main duty of mankind.
