With boundless love and reverence in the Christian world, they treat the Heavenly Queen - the Blessed Virgin Mary. And how can one not love our Intercessor and Prayer Book before the Throne of God! Her clear gaze is directed at us from countless icons. She showed great miracles to people through her images, which became famous as miraculous. One of the most famous among them is the icon of the Mother of God "Life-Giving Spring".
A miracle in the sacred grove
The sacred legend tells that in ancient times, when Byzantium was still a prosperous state and the heart of world Orthodoxy, near its capital Constantinople, not far from the famous Golden Gate, there was a sacred grove. It was dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Under the shade of its branches, a spring flowed from the ground, bringing coolness on hot summer days. There were then rumors among the people that the water in it had some healing properties, but no one took them seriously, andgradually forgotten by all the source is overgrown with mud and grass.
But one day, in the year 450, a certain warrior named Leo Markell, passing through a grove, met a blind man who got lost among thick trees. The warrior helped him, supported him while he got out of the thickets, and seated him in the shade. When he began to look for water to give the traveler a drink, he heard a wonderful voice telling him to find an overgrown spring nearby and wash the blind man's eyes with water.
When the compassionate warrior did this, the blind man suddenly received his sight, and both of them fell to their knees, offering thanksgiving prayers to the Blessed Virgin, as they realized that it was her voice that was heard in the grove. The Queen of Heaven predicted the imperial crown for Leo Markell, which came true seven years later.
Temples are gifts from grateful emperors
Having reached the supreme power, Markell did not forget the miracle that appeared in the sacred grove, and the prediction of his so amazing ex altation. By his order, the source was cleaned and surrounded by a high stone border. Since then, he began to be called the Life-Giving One. A temple was erected here in honor of the Blessed Virgin, and the icon of the Mother of God “The Life-Giving Spring” was painted especially for it. Since then, the blessed spring and the icon kept in the temple have been glorified by many miracles. Thousands of pilgrims began to flock here from the farthest reaches of the empire.
A hundred years later, Emperor Justinian the Great, who was then ruling, suffering from a serious and incurable illness, came to the sacred grove where the temple of the icon of the Mother of God "Life-givingsource". Having washed in the blessed waters and performed a prayer service before the miraculous image, he regained he alth and strength. As a sign of gratitude, the happy emperor ordered to build another temple nearby and, in addition, to found a monastery, designed for a large number of inhabitants. Thus, the icon of the Mother of God “The Life-Giving Spring” was more and more glorified, prayer before which was able to heal from the most serious ailments.
Fall of Byzantium and destruction of temples
But the terrible disasters of 1453 fell upon Byzantium. The great and once prosperous empire fell under the onslaught of the Muslims. The great star of Orthodoxy has set. Unholy invaders set fire to Christian shrines. Was thrown into ruins and the temple of the icon of the Mother of God "Life-Giving Spring", and all the monastery buildings that stood nearby. Much later, in 1821, an attempt was made to resume prayer services in the sacred grove, and even a small church was built, but it was soon destroyed, and the blessed spring was covered with earth.
But people in whose hearts the fire of true faith was burning could not calmly look at this sacrilege. Secretly, under the cover of night, the Orthodox cleared away their desecrated shrine. And just as secretly, risking their lives, they carried away, hiding under their clothes, vessels filled with his holy water. This continued until the internal policy of the new masters of the country changed, and the Orthodox were given some relief in the performance of services.
Then was built on the spotof the ruined temple is a small church of the icon of the Mother of God "Life-Giving Spring". And since Orthodoxy cannot be without mercy and compassion, they built an almshouse and a hospital at the church, in which, through prayers to our Most Pure Intercessor, many suffering and crippled people gained he alth.
Veneration of holy icons in Russia
When, with the fall of Byzantium, the sun of Orthodoxy set in the East, it shone with renewed vigor in Holy Russia, and with it many liturgical books and holy images appeared. And then life was unthinkable without the humble and wise faces of the saints of God. But a special attitude was to the images of the Savior and His Most Pure Mother. Among the most revered icons were those painted in ancient times on the banks of the Bosphorus. One of them is the icon of the Mother of God "Life-Giving Spring".
It should be noted that since the 16th century in Russia it has become a practice to consecrate springs and reservoirs located on the territory of monasteries or near them, and at the same time dedicate them to the Most Holy Theotokos. This custom came to us from Greece. Numerous lists from the Byzantine image of the "Life-Giving Spring" also became widespread. However, compositions written in Russia before the 17th century have not yet been found.
The image of the Virgin in the Sarov desert
As an example of special love for her, we can recall the famous Sarov Hermitage, the fame of which was brought by its name to the unsunset torch of Orthodoxy - St. Seraphim of Sarov. In that monastery, a temple was specially erected, in which the icon of the Mother of God "Life-Giving Spring" was kept. Its significance in the eyes of believers was so great that the venerable elder, on especially important occasions, sent pilgrims to pray to the Mother of God, kneeling before this miraculous icon of Hers. As is clear from the memoirs of contemporaries, there was no case that a prayer remained unheeded.
An image that strengthens in the fight against sorrows
What is the power that the icon of the Mother of God "Life-Giving Spring" possesses? How does she help and what can you ask her for? The most important thing that this miraculous image brings to people is deliverance from sorrows. Life, unfortunately, is full of them, and we do not always have enough mental strength to cope with them.
They come from the enemy of man, as they are the offspring of unbelief in the Providence of God. It is in these cases that the "Life-Giving Spring" - the icon of the Mother of God - brings peace to human souls. What else do they pray to our Most Pure Intercessor? About saving us from the very sources of these sorrows - the troubles and hardships of life.
Celebrations in honor of the holy icon
As another example of the special veneration of this icon, we should mention the tradition that has developed over many centuries to serve on Friday of Bright Week a water-blessing prayer before this icon. It is served in all churches immediately after the end of the liturgy. Since ancient times, it has been customary to sprinkle gardens, vegetable gardens and arable land with water consecrated at this prayer service, thereby calling for the help of the Most Holy Theotokos in bestowing a rich harvest.
Feast of the Icon of the Mother of God "Life-Giving Spring"celebrated twice a year. Once this happens on April 4, since it was on this day in the year 450 that the Mother of God appeared to the pious warrior Leo Markell, ordering him to build a temple in her honor in the holy grove and pray in it for the he alth and salvation of Orthodox Christians. On that day, the akathist to the icon of the Mother of God “The Life-Giving Spring” is certainly performed.
The second holiday takes place, as mentioned above, on Friday of Bright Week. On that day, the church remembers the renovated temple in honor of this icon, which was once located near Constantinople. In addition to the blessing of water, the celebration is also accompanied by the Easter procession.
Features of the iconography of the image of the Virgin
We should especially dwell on the iconographic features of this image. It is generally accepted that the icon of the Mother of God "The Life-Giving Spring" has its roots in the ancient Byzantine image of the Most Pure Virgin, called the "Mistress of the Conqueror", which, in turn, is a variant of the Mother of God icon "The Sign". However, art historians do not have a common opinion on this issue.
If you study the lists of the icon that were distributed at one time, it is not difficult to notice some significant compositional changes made over the centuries. So, in the early icons there is no image of the source. Also, not immediately, but only in the process of developing the image, a bowl called a phial, a reservoir and a fountain entered his composition.
Distribution of the holy image in Russia and Athos
About spreading this image toRussia is evidenced by a number of archaeological finds. So, for example, in the Crimea, during the excavations, a dish with the image of the Virgin was found. Her figure with prayerfully raised hands is depicted in a bowl. The find dates back to the 13th century and is considered one of the earliest images of this kind located on the territory of our country.
Description of another image, corresponding to the image of the "Life-Giving Spring" of the XIV century, can be found in the work of the church historian Nicephorus Callistus. He describes the image of the Mother of God in a phial, set over a pond. On this icon, the Blessed Virgin is depicted with the Christ Child in her arms.
The fresco "Life-Giving Spring", located on Mount Athos, is also interesting. It belongs to the beginning of the 15th century. Its author, Andronicus the Byzantine, presented the Mother of God in a wide bowl with the blessing of the Eternal Child in her arms. The name of the image is written in Greek text along the edges of the fresco. A similar plot is also found in some icons kept in various monasteries of Athos.
Help flowing through this image
But still, what is the unique appeal of this image, what is it that attracts people to the icon of the Mother of God "Life-Giving Spring"? How does it help and what does it keep? First of all, this image brings healing to all those who suffer bodily and in their prayers to those who hope for the help of the Queen of Heaven. It was from this that his glorification began in ancient Byzantium. By doing this, he won love and gratitude, finding himself among the expanses of Russia.
Besides this,successfully heals the icon and mental illnesses. But the main thing is that it saves those who resort to it from the harmful passions that so often overwhelm our souls. It is from their influence that the "Life-Giving Spring" - the icon of the Mother of God - saves. What do they pray before her, what do they ask the Queen of Heaven for? First of all, about giving strength to cope with all the low and vicious that is inherent in us by human nature damaged by original sin. Unfortunately, there is much that exceeds human capabilities and in which we are powerless without the help of the Lord God and His Most Pure Mother
Source of life and truth
In all cases, no matter what compositional decision the author of this or that version of this image stops at, it should first of all be understood that the Life-giving source is the Most Pure Virgin Herself, through whom the One who gave life to all beings on earth was incarnated into the world. earth.
He spoke the words that became the stone on which the temple of the true faith was erected, He showed people the way, and the truth, and life. And the Queen of Heaven, the Blessed Virgin Mother of God, became for all of us the blessed Life-giving source, the jets of which washed from sin and watered the Divine field.
