Since ancient times, people in their activities have been looking for the patronage of higher powers. In ancient times, they turned to the pagan gods for help, and later to the saints. It so happened that both the gods and the saints had their own “specialization” regarding certain professions. The patrons of trade were no exception. Every nation has defenders responsible for its successful outcome.
Details of the gods and the most powerful patron saints in trade will be discussed below.
Romans
During the time of polytheism, which is typical for most peoples, every natural phenomenon and every sphere of human activity had its own protectors and patrons. Often, some gods of different nations had similar duties.
In ancient Rome, the patron god of trade was Mercury, the son of the chief autocrat, Jupiter, and Maya, the goddess of spring. It appeared in the Roman pantheon after trade relations with other countries began to develop. First hewas responsible only for the grain trade.
Outwardly, Mercury was depicted as a young attractive man who had a tight wallet and good manners. The attributes that distinguished him from other gods were a cap, winged sandals and a caduceus rod.
The Romans respected Mercury for his diligence and patronage of merchants. At the same time, he was forgiven for resourcefulness, cunning and a tendency to deceive. The latter led to the fact that he was also considered the patron saint of swindlers and thieves. Those who were convicted of deceit came to the temple of Mercury, doused themselves with holy water, thereby washing away the guilt.
Greeks
Their patron of trade was Hermes, who had much in common with Mercury. He was also the son of the main god, Zeus, from childhood he was dexterous and cunning. And he was also considered the patron of not only merchants, but also scammers.
Like Mercury, Hermes was the messenger of the gods, the guide to the realm of the dead souls of the dead, the patron of sailors and travelers. These characters also had differences. Hermes was also called the patron of various sciences and the god of astrology.
In honor of this patron of trade, the Greeks installed herms at the crossroads. They were phallic-shaped columns. This was due to the fact that God was famous for his love of love. The image of the head of Hermes crowned the column.
At the Slavs
Their god of profit and patron of trade is Veles. He was second in the hierarchy after Perun, the main deity of the Slavs. From the cunning, thievery, dapper Hermesand Mercury, he had striking differences. Outwardly, he was presented as a large, hairy, shaggy man. Sometimes he appeared in the form of a bear.
Initially, Veles was considered the patron saint of shepherds, tillers and hunters, as well as any daily activities, among which trade gradually stood out. Later, he was the god of just such we alth, which was earned only by honest labor.
It was believed that this Slavic god of trade most carefully monitored that the laws and terms of contracts were observed. He patronized honest merchants and punished swindlers.
Next, we will talk about what patron saints of trade were in the Christian religion.
Nicholas the Wonderworker
This is the patron saint of trade in Christianity, who also contributed to the success of travel. In the life of St. Nicholas, who was Bishop of Myra, there is the following episode.
When a great famine happened on the territory of Lycia, Nicholas performed a new miracle to save its inhabitants from starvation. One of the merchants loaded a large batch of bread onto a ship to sail westward. At night he had a dream in which he saw Saint Nicholas. And he ordered him to carry out the delivery of bread to Lycia. At the same time, he said that he himself buys the entire cargo, and gives three gold coins as a deposit.
The next morning the merchant was very puzzled to find three gold coins clenched in his fist. The merchant fulfilled the command from above by delivering bread to Lycia, and the hungry people were saved. To the locals hetold about his vision, and according to his description they recognized their archbishop - St. Nicholas.
On Russian soil, the churches of Nicholas the Wonderworker were most often set up by merchants on market squares. This was also done by sailors and explorers. They all revered the saint as the patron of trade and all those who travel by sea and land.
Prayer to Nicholas the Wonderworker is said in the following cases:
- Need help to run business: bad business and no profit.
- Want to avoid poverty or bankruptcy.
- Ask to send down success and good luck in trading affairs, starting a business.
John New Sochavsky
This martyr lived in the city of Trebizond in the 14th century. This city was located near the border of Assyria and Armenia, on the Black Sea. It was a convenient trading port. The main occupation of its inhabitants is navigation, trade and fishing. John was engaged in trade, was a pious man, merciful to the poor and firm in the Orthodox faith. It is also the patron saint of trade in Orthodoxy. Believers engaged in commerce pray to his icon in order to achieve prosperity in their business.
The story of the saint's death is as follows. Once John was sailing on a ship of foreigners, where the chief was an opponent of the Orthodox faith. The captain saw the immaculate virtuous life of Sochavsky, his prayer, fasting, mercy to those who were in need on the ship or were sick. And this made him angry. He had a fierce argument with John about faith. All this eventually led to the martyrdom of the latter.
The death of John
Because the saint was a well-read and wise man, he always defeated the foreigner in disputes. When the ship landed near the city of Belgrade, John was betrayed into the hands of its ruler in order to persuade the righteous man to renounce the Orthodox faith and accept paganism.
After refusing to do so, the warriors beat him severely with rods: everything around was stained with blood. John was put in chains and thrown into prison. The next day, the torture continued until the soldiers became exhausted. Then, having tied him to a horse's tail, they dragged the martyr through the city streets, where the crowd threw stones at him. After that, they cut off his head with a sword.
Holy relics
The body of St. John, who thus accomplished his feat of suffering, lay unburied on the ground. And at night a miracle happened. The bright light of the lamps lit up above him, there were chants performed by three luminous men, and a pillar of fire ascended over the honest relics of the great martyr.
After that, the relics of John were kept in the local church on the altar at the Holy See for more than 70 years. Various miracles began to happen from them. When rumors about this reached Alexander, the great governor of Moldova and Wallachia, the relics were transferred to the capital of this state - Sochav.
Prayers are read to John Sochavsky:
- For successful trading and other business.
- About selling land or a house.
Ustyug Wonderworker
That was the name of the righteous Procopius Christ - the holy fool and saint, another patron of trade in Orthodoxy.
He was from a nobleof a Prussian family, lived in Lübeck and successfully engaged in merchant craft. After the death of his father in one of the battles, Procopius left East Prussia. Having loaded all his we alth on the ship, in 1243 he arrived in Veliky Novgorod, where one of the branches of the Hanseatic League was located.
He was captivated by the splendor of many churches and monasteries, the beauty of divine services. I was struck by the melodic ringing of bells, the piety of the people and their zeal for church services. Procopius visited the church of Hagia Sophia, other churches and monasteries. After that, he had a desire to imitate the monastic feat.
And then he distributed all the property bequeathed by his father and his goods to poor people and the poor, and donated part of the we alth to the Varlaamo-Khutynsky monastery, which was founded shortly before that, in 1192. Then Procopius went to the Monk Barlaam. He joyfully accepted him as a new son of the Orthodox Church. Varlaam christened the former merchant and became his mentor.
Soon the pious life of Procopius became known both in Novgorod and in its environs, and many people began to turn to him for blessing. After the Novgorodians began to revere him for a righteous life, he became a holy fool, did not sleep at night and prayed unceasingly to the Lord. Then he left Novgorod for Veliky Ustyug, where he lived by alms on the porch near the Church of the Assumption of the Mother of God, dressed in rags. The blessed one slept, as a rule, on bare ground, on stones or on a pile of rubbish.
The Miracle of Saint Procopius
According to life, he predictednatural disaster in the form of a strong storm with a thunderstorm, forest fires, tornadoes of great destructive power. They were the result of a meteorite fall, which occurred 20 kilometers from Veliky Ustyug.
A week before this event, the blessed one began to walk the streets of the city and with tears urge its inhabitants to pray and repent. Thus, he wanted the Lord to have mercy on them and not subject the city to the fate that befell Sodom and Gomorrah.
The righteous man did not stop warning about the coming judgment of God for a whole week, but no one believed him. When a terrible storm nevertheless broke out, the Ustyug residents rushed to the cathedral church, which was the most fortified and safe place in the city. There they saw Procopius, he prayed for the salvation of the city and its inhabitants.
He lived as a fool for 60 years, and after his death he was canonized as a saint. At the same time, he became the first who was glorified by the Church in the guise of holy fools. Prayers are also read before the icon of the miracle worker Procopius as before the patron saint of trade.
Iosif Volotsky
On the question of entrepreneurs about which icon of the patron of trade and entrepreneurship to light a candle and pray, another answer has recently appeared. In 2009, businessmen found a new patron saint. Patriarch Kirill declared St. Joseph of Volotsky the patron saint of Orthodox entrepreneurs and business executives.
What was the reason for the choice of the Patriarch? Joseph's talent manifested itself not only in theology and church ministry, but also in economic affairs. He lived at the end of 15 -early 16th century. He founded a monastery in Volokolamsk, which very quickly began to flourish economically. This was a manifestation of the creed of the Monk Joseph, who believed that the expansion of the economic, material possibilities of the Church would be used by her for good purposes.
Worked and walked in rags
Joseph Volotsky not only talentedly led the monks, built the economy of the monastery, but also worked on a par with others. As it is said in his life, he was skilled in every human deed: he felled wood, sawed and chopped, dragged logs.
In his appearance, Joseph was no different from those around him: he walked in simple rags, wore bast shoes woven from wood bast. He, along with other choristers, sang on the kliros, prayed, preached, leaving the church last.
Many Russian monasteries have taken the experience of Joseph Volotsky as a guide. Figuratively, he is called the leader of the Russian monastic economy, and not only the monastic one. For those who want to receive patronage in trade matters, it is recommended to read before the icon:
- Troparion.
- Kondak.
- Prayer to St. Joseph Volotsky.
