The well-known icon of the Mother of God "The Listener" is also called "Epakuusa", which is translated from Greek as "answering prayers".
History of the name of the icon
According to Orthodox tradition, the monk Kosma (Kosma) labored in the Zograf monastery. In his youth, a bride was proposed to him, but the Bulgarian youth's desire for God was stronger than worldly joys, and he fled to the Holy Mountain to become a monk. He knew the Greek language, and on Athos he was willingly received. Cosmas was a pious, zealous monk. Once, on the Annunciation in the church of the Vatopedi monastery, he saw a beautiful woman who freely walked among the monks and made orders. His heart was confused, because women are forbidden to visit Athos. Where did she come from and why was she not driven away? But when Kosma returned to his place at the Zograf Monastery and told his spiritual father about what he had seen, he was not surprised, but began to ask about the woman's appearance and behavior. And only from a conversation with the elder Kosmas learned with amazement that he had seen the Most Holy Queen of Heaven herself - the Mother of God.
Once, left alone in the temple, Cosmas offered up a fiery prayer to the Mother of God. He asked to be shown the way of salvation. As soon as the monk prayed, the Mother of God responded. He heard Her voice, asking the Son of Jesus Christ to teach the monk the way of salvation. And then an answer was heard, indicating the path of silence.
Kosmas heeded the Divine guidance and, having taken a blessing from the abbot, he went into the desert. Becoming a hermit, he lived in a cave and spent his life in hard exploits. Cosmas possessed the gift of clairvoyance. One day two ascetics from the Hilendar Monastery came to visit him. At parting, they heard a warning from Cosmas: he advised them to break the pumpkin vessel with wine, which the monks hid in the forest. The hermit saw that a snake had crawled into the vessel. The monks obeyed the saint and marveled at his foresight, glorifying and thanking God and Saint Cosmas for saving their lives.
Let's tell another case of Kosma's foresight and his clear inner vision. On one of the Holy Weeks, shortly before Easter, he saw in the air how the soul of the Hilandar hegumen was being tortured by demons, and sent a messenger to the monastery with a request to pray for the deceased. In Hilandar they marveled and did not believe, because the abbot had just been alive and even intended to serve the liturgy. But it turned out that the abbot actually died suddenly in his cell.
The Lord helped the hermit in everything. Once Cosmas fell seriously ill and, weakened by carnal suffering, desired fish. Suddenly, to the cave where the saint lived, an eagle descended from heaven and laid a fish. Cosmas offered to GodThanksgiving prayers, he prepared the fish, but before the meal he heard a voice commanding him to partially leave it to the hermit Christopher, the owner of the fish, who was ascetic nearby. The next day, Christopher came to visit the hermit, and he learned with great surprise that yesterday the eagle had carried away the hermit's fish.
Shortly before his death, Cosmas was honored with the appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ, who warned him about the upcoming test - for three days Cosmas was tortured by demons by the permission of God. Having withstood the test with Christian patience, he took Communion and peacefully reposed to God
The Hermit Cosmas was canonized as a saint. The icon, from which the Monk Cosmas heard the voice of the Mother of God and received Divine revelation, was called the "Hearer", because the Heavenly Intercessor heard the prayers of the monk and was not slow to respond.
Copies of the icon "The Listener"
In the Kyiv region, in the village of Fasovaya, Makaryevsky district, there is an old list from the zoograph icon. In 1999, the icon was revealed to the world: a resident of this village, one of the parishioners, gave the St. Nicholas Church the image of the Virgin. During the liturgy, a miraculous renewal of the image took place: it was previously darkened and faded from old age, but now all the colors have been renewed, an undoubted resemblance to the Zogaf “Hearer” has become visible. On the icon, the artist depicted a lily in the hand of the Mother of God, apparently in order to emphasize Her purity and purity.
There is also a copy in the recently opened Orthodox church in Ashgabat. She was createdat the beginning of the 20th century on Mount Athos and in the middle of the last century, it ended up in the St. Nicholas Cathedral of Ashgabat (according to the inscrutable Providence of God, and there, as in the village of Fasovaya, the Mother of God performed miracles in the Nikolsky Cathedral through the icon "The Listener"), where it was kept until June of this year.
Help those praying at the miraculous icon
There are many cases when, according to the faith of those praying, the Mother of God sent them help and protection from troubles. It is believed that those suffering from cancer, spinal diseases and other he alth problems, childless families and people who are addicted to alcohol should pray at the “Hearer” icon. The Mother of God, through the icon “The Listener” from the village of Fasovaya, by Her mercy, helped a man in healing from drunkenness, whose sister prayed for this while visiting St. Nicholas Church. Another case of miraculous help is also known: a daughter was sent to a priest who had not had children for several years. He and mother fervently prayed at the miraculous icon of the Mother of God "The Listener", and She soon answered their prayers.
One girl, who was going to Greece, was blessed by the priest with the image of the Mother of God "The Listener". Arriving there, the girl met a young man who decided to visit Athos. After they met, the young people fell in love and got married.
A woman from Ashgabat really wanted to visit her daughter in Moscow, but she had no money for the trip. She prayed at the Ashgabat icon of the "Hearer" and, leaving the temple, met a man who helped her solve her financial difficulties.
Orthodoxa resident of Turkmenistan recovered from a terrible injury by the mercy of the Mother of God. The father, who was a parishioner of the St. Nicholas Church in Ashgabat, where the "Hearer" icon was then located, brought his son, who had injured his spine in an accident. The young man kissed the image, and soon began to visit the temple on his own.
So what helps the icon of the Mother of God "The Listener"? In search of a spouse, family problems and he alth problems, difficulties at work and other situations. At the behest of the soul, in these and other cases, prayers can be read at the icon of the Mother of God "The Listener". The Mother of God never rejects sincere prayers.
How to pray at the icon of the Mother of God "The Listener"?
It is necessary to distinguish faith from superstition and remember that Orthodox Christians pray to the one depicted on the icon, and not to the icon itself.
There is an akathist at the icon of the Mother of God "The Listener" and a prayer from it. You can see the text in the picture below.
Also, at the icon you can read other prayers of the Mother of God (“Theotokos, Virgin, Rejoice”, “It is worthy to eat”, “Honest Cherub”) and pray in your own words.
Icon location
Where is the miraculous image currently located? Now, as at the time of the miraculous events that gave it its name, the image of the Mother of God "The Listener" resides in the Zograf Monastery on Athos.
Celebration Day
Day of celebration of the icon of the Mother of God"Hearer" - October 5 (September 22, old style). This day is also the day of remembrance of St. Kosma Zografsky.
Temples named after the icon "The Listener"
In June 2017, the fourth Orthodox church was opened and consecrated in Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan. He received a name in honor of the miraculous icon of the Most Holy Theotokos "The Hearer". It also contains a copy of the icon. According to the testimonies of those who saw the Ashgabat "Hearer", a wonderful fragrance emanates from it.
Iconography of the image
Below are photos of the icon of the Mother of God "The Listener". The Mother of God is depicted to the waist. She holds the baby Jesus with a rolled scroll in one hand and raised in blessing with the other.
The iconographic type of the icon is "Hodegetria" (Our Lady holding the baby in her arms). The "Hearer" is similar to another icon of the Mother of God - the "Akathist" Hilendarskaya, on which the Mother of God also holds the Divine Infant with a blessing right hand and a scroll. But, unlike the "Hearer", on the "Akathist" the Mother of God is depicted in full growth, sitting on a throne. The mentioned image of the Mother of God “Akathist” resides in the Hilendar Monastery on Athos.
When should you pray to the Mother of God?
Whenever you feel anxiety for your loved ones or heartache, being in danger or predicamentcircumstances, in illness, you can pray to the Mother of God.
She will hear a plea for help not only at the icon, but also in any place, wherever the prayer is. The heart of the One who saw the death of her beloved Son and Lord Jesus Christ is open to every grief and to any person who calls on Her holy help.
