There are situations when earthly forces, friends and relatives cannot help, and the person himself understands that he is powerless in this or that situation. For example, an incurable disease, irresistible grief from the loss of loved ones, discord in the family and naughty children. At such moments of life, a person remains either alone with himself, or with faith and begins to ask the Lord and other saints to help and support him. In order for your requests and prayers to be heard faster, you need to address them directly to one or another saint. In this article, you will find out what the prayer to the "Unexpected Joy" icon gives people, who exactly it helps and why it is called that.
The history of the creation of the icon
In the 18th century, the work of Dimitry of Rostov "Irrigated Fleece" gave a plot for creating an icon. It tells about a criminal who used to go to church to pray to the Mother of God before each of his atrocities.
Once, in the process of reading a prayer, the Mother of God with the Infant appeared to this young man, whose whole body was in bleeding wounds. When the young man asked about the child, the Virgin Mary answered that these ulcers appear on the body of Jesus from every bad deed committed by sinners on Earth. After the dead man, the criminal repented and begged for forgiveness, but Jesus forgave him only the third time, then he touched his lips to every wound on the body of the Infant, and together with the Mother of God he melted into the air. From that moment on, the offender repented, completely changed his way of life, directing it to the righteous path. When a prayer was read to them, unexpected joy visited him along with liberation from sins. Thanks to this event, the icon got its name.
To this day, prayer in front of the "Unexpected Joy" icon awakens in people morality, decency, tolerance for themselves and others and makes them rethink their lives, behave righteously, and if you pray for loved ones and relatives, you can help them to find relief, to save them from sorrow and troubles, if any, are present in their lives.
What is depicted on the icon?
The appearance of the icon completely coincides with the plot of the story. It depicts a sinner praying, kneeling before the Virgin Mary, and the Infant Jesus in rags instead of clothes and with bleeding wounds. The sinner is located in the lower left corner, and under the icon are written the first lines from the story of Dimitry of Rostov or sometimes the prayer "Unexpected Joy". On thesome icons depict a sinner with a ribbon in his mouth, on which are visible words of forgiveness addressed to the Mother of God.
How prayer helps in front of the icon "Unexpected Joy"
The Mother of God, having heard people's prayers addressed to her, protects those who ask from troubles, tears, sadness and sadness. The prayer of the Most Holy Theotokos "Unexpected Joy" protects people from all kinds of diseases associated with hearing, both literally and figuratively.
She hears the call of the soul and asks the Lord for the people, and they say that he answers prayers to the Virgin and other saints. The prayer of the Mother of God "Unexpected Joy" helps in many other ways.
Here's a small list of problems she's sure to deal with:
• quarrels and separation of husband and wife;
• grief at the loss of relatives;
• various hardships;
• saving one's own reputation from slander and gossip;
• protection in any difficult situation.
The Unexpected Joy Prayer will help protect travelers by sea and land from the dangers that may be on their way, as well as contribute to their speedy return home safe and sound.
In what cases does the icon help?
Prayer to the icon "Unexpected Joy" helps everyone get what he longed for for a long time, but was secretly afraid that he would never get it. For example, a priest may want sinners to repent and therebyby the most they saved their souls, he who knelt before the icon will find forgiveness and remission of sins. Parents will finally be able to find a common language and reason with their rebellious disobedient children, set them on the right path. The "Unexpected Joy" prayer helps to find lost loved ones, reconcile the warring, suggest a good bright solution even in the darkest confusing situations.
Unexpected good news
Prayer before the icon gives people the most desired and at the same time unexpected, sudden joy. There is evidence that during the Great Patriotic War, women, being in the rear, did not leave the icon day and night, praying for their husbands and sons, who were fighting or missing. Some, especially desperate, continued to pray for the he alth of their loved ones even after they received the news of their death - the "funeral". And they begged the sky for their unexpected joy: the information about the tragic death turned out to be erroneous, and the soldier returned home alive.
Many believers know that the prayer to the Mother of God "Unexpected Joy" helps everyone, fulfills almost any desire, especially those that people have already despaired of believing in.
The icon will help you find female happiness
Many women or couples jointly turn to the icon when they have problems conceiving a child. The prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos "Unexpected Joy" helps to feel the happiness of motherhood and fatherhood to all who passionately desire it. Many cases have been recorded when couples trying in vain to have a child for a long time turned to the icon and, lo and behold, they achieved their goal. Everyone knows that maintaining a fire in a family hearth is hard work, and that the life of a modern cell of society is like a powder keg.
But wise women who want to preserve the sacred marriage union, instead of discussing problems with friends, resort to the miraculous power of the icon. Any quarrels, insults are forgotten between spouses, and complete harmony and mutual understanding, harmony and peace reign in the family.
Summing up…
After reading all of the above, someone will decide that he has found the perfect key to solving all problems, but you need to understand that it cannot be so easy. That without making any effort, it is impossible to achieve any success, that you need to fight, and not just sit back and pray. Faith in the Lord God helps to gain faith in one's own strength. Prayer clears the mind and directs a person to do noble deeds. Perseverance and determination, backed up by strong prayer and faith - this is the ideal union that guarantees success in any life situations. The icon "Unexpected Joy" will give happiness, grace and resolution of all difficulties and obstacles in their lives to all those who ask and those in need. By turning their souls to faith and the Most Holy Theotokos, everyone will find their innocent joy.
