Saint Equal-to-the-Apostles Paul once said: "Avoid absurd and womanish fables." It is easy to imagine what made the great Christian missionary, who for his many labors is ranked among the apostles, utter these strict words.
Alas, even today, when the times of persecution of the Church have passed, and it has even become fashionable to believe in God, people often prefer to believe not what is written in the Gospel, but some of their own signs.
Don't stand here, don't go here…
"Grandmother's Orthodoxy" - that's what it's called. No offense to church grandmothers, for whom "candle" work has become the real meaning of life, but some of their expressions and actions seem truly wild. It is strange to hear such a question in an icon shop: "Is this the Seven-shooter icon? What does it protect from?" But it is no less wild to hear the answer to it. And okay, when an ignorant person is "enlightened", claiming that if he hangs this icon, which is also called "Softener of Evil Hearts", in front of the front door, like an evil eye, damage and all"witchcraft" will bypass him on the tenth road. So the poor neophyte, in all seriousness, is invited to perform some kind of semi-pagan manipulations in front of the bright image of the Mother of God …
Meaning of the icon "Softener of evil hearts"
One famous priest once said that icons are not divided into miraculous and non-miraculous. It is not holy water that cures this or that ailment, but the faith with which a person performs all these manipulations.
The theme of icons is inexhaustible, and the icon of the Seven Arrows is no exception. What does it protect from? Good question. To give a worthy answer to it, you need to remember the basic principle of spiritual life: "Save yourself, and others around you will be saved." By the way, Seraphim of Sarov adhered to it. If you look closely at the icon "Softener of Evil Hearts", you will notice that the tips of all the arrows are directed at the chest of the Virgin.
Why? Yes, because Her heart bleeds for us. Arrows are our sins, from which we are not always in a hurry to get rid of … That is why Her face is so mournful. Probably every conscientious Orthodox Christian, to the question: "Is this the icon of the Seven Arrows? From what does it protect?" must give an answer by looking deep into himself.
And yet…
On the iconostasis of every Orthodox Christian there is an icon of the Seven Arrows. What does it protect from? In short, evil. Only not from the evil that is outside, although, of course, from it too, but first of all from evilinside us. In the history of Orthodoxy, the icon of the Seven-shot Mother of God played a huge role.
It is difficult to overestimate its significance. It is an undoubted shrine for any believer. Many righteous people hasten to bow to her. And, probably, a modern Christian feels safe if he has an icon of the Seven-shot Mother of God at home. Prayer for us is Her direct duty. She prays for people, asks her Son to forgive our sins.
Now, when there seems to be no direct danger to the life of a believing Christian, when you can freely confess your faith, every person who thinks a little about the deep meaning of Christ's teaching knows that one should seek protection not from icons, but from God. And He is always happy to help, even when we forget to ask for it…
